Omphale

E109445

Omphale is a queen of Lydia in Greek mythology best known for owning and temporarily enslaving the hero Heracles, during which their traditional gender roles were playfully reversed.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Omphale canonical 2
Heracles serving Omphale in Lydia 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Lydian ruler
figure in Greek mythology
mythological queen
associatedWithCity Sardis
associatedWithDeity Heracles
associatedWithObject club of Heracles
lion skin of Heracles
associatedWithRegion Lydia
child Agelaus
Lamos
childWithHeracles Agelaus
Lamos
consort Heracles
country Lydia
culture Ancient Greek
employed Heracles
enslaved Heracles
father Hyllus
surface form: Iardanus
gender female
hasDepictionType ancient vase painting subject
subject of classical sculpture
knownFor owning Heracles as a slave
reversal of gender roles with Heracles
languageOfName Ancient Greek
mythologicalCategory Lydian mythology figures
Queens in Greek mythology
mythologicalTradition Greek mythology
nameInGreek Ὀμφάλη
narrativeRole taskmaster of Heracles
narrativeTheme gender inversion
servitude of a hero
parent Hyllus
surface form: Iardanus
partnerInMyth Heracles
portrayedAs Heracles wearing women’s clothing
herself wearing Heracles’ lion skin
positionHeld Queen of Lydia
purchasedHeraclesFrom Hermes
roleInHeraclesMyth owner during his period of expiation
sourceText Apollodorus' Bibliotheca
surface form: Apollodorus, Bibliotheca

Diodorus Siculus
surface form: Diodorus Siculus, Library of History

Heroides
surface form: Ovid’s Heroides
spouse Heracles
symbolizes female authority over male hero
subversion of traditional gender norms
timeInMyth after Heracles’ murder of Iphitus

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Heracles lover Omphale
Heracles cycle includesEvent Omphale
this entity surface form: Heracles serving Omphale in Lydia