Document belonging to the Greek Mythology Link, a web site created by Carlos Parada, author of Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology
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Copyright © 1997 Carlos Parada and Maicar Förlag.

WINEGROWERS

Dionysus 2 gave the daughters of Anius their wonderful powers. 6910: Dionysus, restored in the 18th century. Marmorbyst föreställande guden Dionysos. Skulpturen har sammanfogats av antika och 'moderna' delar från 1700-talet. Medelhavsmuseet, Stockholm.


These three sisters, Elais, Oeno, and Spermo—called the WINEGROWERS—are the daughters of King Anius of Delos, son of Apollo and Rhoeo, daughter of Staphylus 1, son of Ariadne, daughter of Minos 2.

Their relatives

When Rhoeo lay with Apollo, her father, believing that she had been with a man, was angered, and shut her up in a chest and cast it into the sea. But the chest came ashore on the island Delos where Rhoeo gave birth to Anius. Besides being king, Anius held religious office in Delos, being priest of Apollo. The god instructed him in the art of divination, and also most of Anius' children had remarkable powers. His son Andros, who called the island Andros after himself, was a seer. It is he, who, as king of Andros, was forced to give his sisters up to the Achaeans. When the Trojan War was over, Lavinia 3 (daughter of Anius) embarked in Delos with the exiled Trojans, having been given by her father to Aeneas as a prophetess and a wise woman. Lavinia 3 died of illness when Aeneas was building a city in Italy, and he called it Lavinium after her. Less lucky was Anius' son Thasius, who was destroyed by his own dogs. Because of this misfortune, there are no dogs in Delos.

Their gift

To the WINEGROWERS (Elais, Oeno, and Spermo) Dionysus 2 granted the power of producing oil, wine and corn from anything they touched. There was rich profit in them, and therefore Agamemnon, who at the time was engaged in his foolish campaign against Troy, kidnapped them. And keeping them by force, bade them feed the Achaean army. The WINEGROWERS could later escape and take refuge in the islands of Euboea and Andros. But as war was threatened unless they were surrendered, the WINEGROWERS were given back. However, when they were about to be chained, the three sisters cried to Dionysus 2 for help, and the god restored their freedom by turning them into white doves.
Such things happen.

Family 

Parentage

Anius & unknown


Related sections

Dionysus 2, MAENADS, Pentheus 1, SATYRS, Silenus, Wine
The WINEGROWERS in GROUPS: METAMORPHOSES

Sources
Abbreviations

Apd.Ep.3.10; Ov.Met.13.674.