The Rapture of the Leucippides
Castor and Pollux (Polydeuces), sons of Leda and Zeus, rape Hilaeira and Phoebe, the daughters of King Leucippus of Argos, shortly before their wedding.
Peter Paul Rubens - Bridgeman Art Library: Object 33380
BY THE ARCHAEOLOGIST EDITOR GROUP
Of the myths about the first two Leucippides, Hilaeira and Phoebe, the most famous is the one that refers to the annulment of their marriage to their cousins, the Apharetids (the sons of Aphareus, Lygeus and Idas).
According to this myth, the Dioscuri, enraged by an earlier deception of the Apharetids in the distribution of the booty, kidnapped the two Leucippides. Their suitors pursued the Dioscuri to Taygetus, and in the ensuing battle Lygaeus and Castor were slain, while Zeus struck Ida with a thunderbolt. According to legend, these twins had the same mother, Leda, but different fathers: Castor was the earthly son of Tyndareus, King of Sparta, while Pollux was the divine son of Zeus, who seduced Leda in the guise of a swan. The brothers were set on marrying Hilaeira and Phoebe - the daughters of Leucippus - who were also known as the Leucippides. Unfortunately, they were already betrothed to the twin brothers Lynceus and Idas of Thebes, sons of Tyndareus's brother Aphareus. So to enforce their will, Castor and Pollux carried off the two women to Sparta, where they were duly married, and both gave birth to sons: Phoebe bore Mnesileos to Pollux; Hilaeira bore Anogon to Castor.
This myth to prevent consanguineous marriages inspired the ancient poets, who modified the myth in various ways, as well as numerous artists of antiquity and modern times. The Leucippides' tale actually adds to the conversation about how Greek women construct their own identities, the dynamic interactions between myth and society, the cultural significance of abduction tales and their relationship to marriage, as well as the dissemination, globalization, and context-specific reception of myth.
British Museum, London Catalogue No.London E224 Beazley Archive No.220497 Ware Attic Red Figure Shape Hydria Painter Attributed to the Meidias Painter Dateca 420 - 410 B.C. Period Classical
Apart from vase painting, in which the Rapture scene was a popular motif, such as the famous Meidius on a well-known vase in the British Museum, sculptors and painters also dealt with the same theme, for example in the reliefs of the Temple of Athena Chalcioecus and the Throne of Amyklaios Apollo, as well as in the Temple of Dioskouri in Athens (fresco by Polygnotos).
Among the more recent works, Peter Paul Rubens' painting "The Rapture of the Leucippides" (Alte Galerie, Munich) is famous.