Meleagrids

In Greek mythology, the Meleagrids (Ancient Greek: Μελεαγρίδες) are the sisters of the hero Meleager, and daughters of Althaea and Oeneus.

Mythology

When their brother died, the Meleagrides cried incessantly until Artemis changed them into guineafowl and transferred them to the island of Leros.^[1] According to an alternate version cited in the dictionary of Suda, the Meleagrids were companions of Iocallis, a maiden of Leros who was honored as a deity.^[2] Guinea fowl were kept in the shrine of The Maiden (likely Artemis) on Leros,^[3] and the inhabitants of the island, as well as other worshippers of Artemis, abstained from eating the bird.^[4]

The Meleagrids included Melanippe and Eurymede,^[5] possibly also Mothone,^[6] Perimede^[7] and Polyxo.^[8] Two other daughters of Oeneus, Gorge and Deianeira, were not transformed, since the former was married off to Andraemon, and the latter to Heracles.