Myrrine
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Myrrine, also known as the Phoenix while in exile, was the wife of Nikolaos, the mother of Kassandra and Alexios, and the daughter of King Leonidas of Sparta. She gave to her eldest child the broken Spear of Leonidas, an Isu artifact and the family heirloom which she had inherited after Leonidas' death.
Biography
Early life
Myrrine was born as the only daughter of King Leonidas of Sparta. After her father died in the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE, Myrrine inherited his signature spear recovered from the battlefield by Spartan soldiers. At some point, she met the famed philosopher Pythagoras, whose possession of the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus allowed him to live beyond his lifetime. The two developed a relationship which resulted in the birth of Kassandra. However, Pythagoras' obssession with his research of the Isu led him to leave Myrrine, secluding himself on the island of Thera. Myrrine was thus left to raise Kassandra by herself, keeping the identity of Kassandra's father a secret.[1]
Years later, Myrrine met and married the Spartan general Nikolaos, who devoted himself to living up to the name of Myrrine's father. To that end, Kassandra was trained from young in order to live up to the valor of her grandfather Leonidas. During one session of the training, Myrrine handed down Leonidas' spear to Kassandra as a heirloom.[1]
Tragedy on Mt. Taygetos
In 446 BCE, Myrrine was present when her son Alexios was seemingly killed by falling from Mount Taygetos, intended as a sacrifice, her daughter Kassandra tried to stop it but only made things worse by killing a priest. As punishment Nikolaos threw their daughter from the mountain, but her pleas failed to stop her husband.[1]
Myrrine managed to recover Alexios, somehow still clinging to life. Finding no sign of Kassandra, she was presumed dead. Myrrine traveled alone to see Hippokrates and the priests in Argolis but could not save her child. The priestess Chrysis then took Alexios, aware he would survive, and raised him for the Cult of Kosmos' nefarious purposes.[1]
Heartbroken over having lost both children, Myrrine renounced her name and Spartan citizenship and continued traveling. After adopting the name "Phoenix", she met Xenia, and the two became friends. Although Myrrine would later leave again, eventually settling in Naxos and rising to become its leader.[1]
Reuniting with Kassandra
Some point around 429 BCE, her daughter Kassandra, long thought to be dead, tracked down Myrrine to Naxos and the two were reunited. Kassandra later helped her mother protect Naxos from Silanos, a member of the Peloponnesian League and also of the Cult of Kosmos.[1]
Trivia
- Her name is derived from the Greek word μύρρο (mýrro), meaning 'myrrh'.
- Phoenix is a mythological bird of fire associated with the sun. Every time the bird seems to die, it is reborn.
- Timo always stood by Myrrine, and seemed to have formed a bond with her. How deep that bond was, or what its exact nature, was never expounded on.
Gallery
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Myrrine in the background while Kassandra trains as a child
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Render of Myrrine from the Official Guide -
Myrrine in her young adult years -
Timo and Myrrine leaving her villa -
Myrrine on a Naxian beach -
Myrrine catching up with Evandros -
Aspasia with Myrrine and Timo at a symposium on Naxos Island -
Aspasia, Myrrine, and her friends planning at Myrrine's villa -
Kassandra and Myrrine outside their old home
Appearances
References