Callisto
- daughter of the Arcadian king Lycaon (hence, Lycaonis, Ov. F. 2, 173: virgo Tegeaea, id. ib. 2, 167: Maenalia, id. ib. 2, 192: virgo Nonacrina, id. M. 2, 409), and mother of Arcas by Jupiter; changed by Juno, on account of jealousy, into a she-bear, and then raised to the heavens by Jupiter in the form of the constellation Helice or Ursa Major, Hyg. Fab. 176; 177; Prop. 2 (3), 28, 23; Col. 11, 2, 15; Ov. F. 2, 156 sq.; cf. id. M. 2, 401 sq.—Acc. Callisto, Hyg. Astr. 2, 1.—Dat. Callisto Lycaonidi, Cat. 66, 66.—Abl. Callisto, Hyg. Fab. 155.
(Καλλιστώ), is sometimes called a daughter of Lycaon in Arcadia and sometimes of Nycteus or Ceteus, and sometimes also she is described as a nymph. (Schol. ad Eurip. Orest. 1642; Apollod. 3.8.2; comp. Hygin. Poet. Astr. 2.1.) She was a huntress, and a companion of Artemis. Zeus, however, enjoyed her charms; and, in order that the deed might not become known to Hera, he metamorphosed her into a she-bear. But, notwithstanding this precaution, Callisto was slain by Artemis during the chase, through the contrivance of Hera. Arcas, the son of Callisto, was given by Zeus to Maia to be brought up, and Callisto was placed among the stars under the name of Arctos. (Apollod. l.c.) According to Hyginus, Artemis herself metamorphosed Callisto, as she discovered her pregnancy in the bath. Ovid (Ov. Met. 2.410, &c.) makes Juno (Hera) metamorphose Callisto; and when Arcas during the chase was on the point of killing his mother, Jupiter (Zeus) placed both among the stars. The Arcadians showed the tomb of Callisto thirty stadia from the well Cruni: it was on a hill planted with trees, and on the top of the hill there was a temple of Artemis Calliste or Callisto. (Paus. 8.35.7.) A statue of Callisto was dedicated at Delphi by the citizens of Tegea (10.9.3), and in the Lesche of Delphi Callisto was painted by Polygnotus, wearing the skin of a bear instead of a dress. (10.31.3.) While tradition throughout describes Callisto as a companion of Artemis, Müller (Dor. 2.9.3) endeavours to show that Callisto is only another form of the name of Artemis Calliste, as he infers from the fact, that the tomb of the heroine was connected with the temple of the goddess, and from Callisto being changed into a she-bear, which was the symbol of the Arcadian Artemis. This view has indeed nothing surprising, if we recollect that in many other instances also an attribute of a god was transformed by popular belief into a distinct divinity. Her being mixed up with the Arcadian genealogies is thus explained by Müller: the daughter of Lycaon means the daughter of the Lycaean Zeus; the mother of Arcas is equivalent to the mother of the Arcadian people. [L.S]
a female Pythagorean. Works Letter of Theano to Callisto
Theano, the wife of Pythagoras, addressed a letter on the proper way of governing a family to Callisto. The letter is extant. Editions
printed in the Aldine collection published at Rome in 1499, and at Geneva, with the Latin translation, in 1606. Further Information
Fabric. Bibl. Graec. ii. p. 10. [A.G]
(Καλλιστώ) (called also Helĭcé). The daughter of Lycaon, king of Arcadia, and an attendant of Artemis. Zeus saw her, and, assuming the form of Artemis, accompanied the maiden to the chase and overcame her virtue. She long concealed her shame; but at length, as she was one day bathing with her divine mistress, the discovery was made, and Artemis, in her anger, turned her into a bear. While in this form she brought forth her son Arcas, who lived with her in the woods, until the herdsmen caught both her and him and brought them to Lycaon. (See Arcas.) Some time afterwards she went into the temenus, or sacred enclosure of the Lycaean Zeus, which it was unlawful to enter. A number of Arcadians, among whom was her own son, followed to kill her, but Zeus snatched her out of their hands, and placed her as a constellation in the sky (Apollod.iii. 8; Hygin. Fab. 177). It was also fabled that at the request of Heré, Tethys forbade the constellation of the Bear to descend into her waves. This legend is related with great variety in the circumstances. According to one of these versions, Arcas, having been separated from his mother and reared among men, met her one day in the woods, and was on the point of slaying her, when Zeus transferred the mother and son to the skies.
- according to some: Apollod. 3.8.1
- vowed to maidenhood, companion of Artemis in the chase: Apollod. 3.8.1
- forced by Zeus and turned by him into a bear: Paus. 1.25.1, Paus. 8.3.6, Apollod. 3.8.1
- shot down as a bear by Artemis: Apollod. 3.8.1
- turned into the star called the Bear: Paus. 8.3.7, Apollod. 3.8.2
- her babe Arcas rescued by Zeus and given to Maia to bring up: Apollod. 3.8.2
- her grave: Paus. 8.35.8
- statues: Paus. 1.25.1, Paus. 10.9.5
- painted by Polygnotus: Paus. 10.31.10