CATALOGUES OF WOMEN AND EOIAE
19.
Zeus saw Europa the daughter of Phoenix gathering flowers in a meadow with some nymphs and fell in love with her. So he came down and changed himself into a bull and breathed from his mouth a crocus.[1] In this way he deceived Europa, carried her off and crossed the sea to Crete where he had intercourse with her. Then in this condition he made her live with Asterion the king of the Cretans. There she conceived and bore three sons, Minos, Sarpedon and Rhadamanthys. The tale is in Hesiod and Bacchylides.
20.
But according to Hesiod (Phineus) was the son of Phoenix, Agenor's son and Cassiopea.
21.
But Hesiod says that he (Adonis) was the son of Phoenix and Alphesiboea.
22.
As it is said in Hesiod in the Catalogue of Women concerning Demodoce the daughter of Agenor:
"Demodoce whom very many of men on earth, mighty princes, wooed, promising splendid gifts, because of her exceeding beauty."
- ↑ The crocus was to attract Europa, as in the very similar story of Persephone: cp. Homeric Hymns ii. lines 8 ff.
