Abrota

In Greek mythology, Abrota (Ancient Greek: Αβρώτη) or Habrotê, was the daughter of Onchestus the Boeotian and sister of Megareus. Nisos, the king of Megara in the time of his reign married her and the supposed mother of his daughters Scylla, Iphinoe and Eurynome _.

For the brush-footed butterfly genus, see Abrota (butterfly).

Abrota or Habrote
Megarian Queen
Member of the Royal House of Megara
Abode	Boeotia, Megara
Personal information
Parents	Onchestus
Siblings	Megareus
Consort	Nisos
Offspring	Scylla, Iphinoe and Eurynome (possibly)

Mythology

On the death of his beloved wife, Abrota, Nisos commanded all the Megarian women to wear a garment of the same kind as Abrota had worn, which was called aphabroma (αφάβρωμα), and was still in use in the time of Plutarch.[1]

"When Nisus, from whom Nisaea acquired its name, was king, he took a wife from Boeotia, Habrotê, daughter of Onchestus, the sister of Megareus, a woman who, as it appears, was both exceptionally intelligent and remarkably discreet. When she died, the Megarians mourned her with one accord, and Nisus, wishing that her memory and her repute should be established everlastingly, ordered the women of the city to wear the garment that she used to wear ; and because of her he called the garment aphabroma. Even the god seems to have furthered the repute of this woman, for often, when the Megarian women wished to make a change in their raiment, he prevented them by an oracle."[2]

Notes

1. Smith, William (1867), "Abrota", in Smith, William (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, 1, Boston, MA, p. 3
2. Plutarch, Quaestiones Graecae 16 p. 295a This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

References

• Plutarch, Moralia with an English Translation by Frank Cole Babbitt. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. London. William Heinemann Ltd. 1936. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Abrota". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.