the-paintrist:cavetocanvas:Valentin Serov, The Rape of Europa, 1910In Greek mythology Europa (Greek
the-paintrist:cavetocanvas:Valentin Serov, The Rape of Europa, 1910In Greek mythology Europa (Greek Ευρώπη Eurṓpē) was a Phoenician woman of high lineage, from whom the name of the continent Europe has ultimately been taken. The name Europa occurs in Hesiod’s long list of daughters of primordial Oceanus and Tethys. The story of her abduction by Zeus in the form of a white bull was a Cretan story; as Kerényi points out “most of the love-stories concerning Zeus originated from more ancient tales describing his marriages with goddesses. This can especially be said of the story of Europa”. -- source link