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In [[Greek mythology]], the name '''Chthonia''' ([[Ancient Greek]]: Χθωνία means 'of the earth') may refer to:

*Chthonia, an [[Athens|Athenian]] princess and the youngest daughter of King [[Erechtheus]] and [[Praxithea]], daughter of [[Phrasimus]] and [[Cephissus (Boeotia)|Diogeneia]].<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+3.15.1&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022:book=3:chapter=15&highlight=Creusa 3.15.1]</ref> She was sacrificed by her father who had received a prophecy according to which he could win the imminent battle against [[Eumolpus]] only if he sacrificed his daughter. Her sisters who had sworn to kill themselves if one of them died, fulfilled their oath by throwing themselves off a cliff.<ref>Apollodorus, 3.15.4; [[Hyginus]], ''Fabulae'' 46 & 238</ref> According to the dictionary ''[[Suda]]'',<ref>[[Suda|Suida]], s.v. ''Parthenoi''</ref> only two of the sisters, [[Protogeneia]] and [[Pandora (Greek myth)|Pandora]], did commit suicide which made sense, since of the other daughters of Erechtheus, [[Orithyia (Athenian)|Orithyia]] had been abducted by [[Anemoi#Boreas|Boreas]], [[Procris]] married off to [[Cephalus]], and [[Creusa of Athens|Creusa]] was still a baby at the time the oath had been sworn.<ref>[[Euripides]], ''[[Ion (play)|Ion]]'' 277</ref> It was also said, however, that Chthonia married her uncle [[Butes]], which probably indicated a version that she was not sacrificed.<ref>Apollodorus, 3.15.1; note that in 3.15.4, it is simply stated that Erechtheus sacrificed his youngest daughter, without mention of her name.</ref> Her other siblings were [[Cecrops II|Cecrops]], [[Pandorus]] and [[Metion]],<ref>Apollodorus, 3.15.1</ref> and possibly [[Merope (Greek myth)|Merope]],<ref>[[Plutarch]], ''Theseus'' 19.5</ref> [[Orneus]],<ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], 2.25.6; Plutarch, ''Theseus'' 32.1; [[Stephanus of Byzantium]], s.v. ''[https://topostext.org/work/241#O496.5 Orneiai]''</ref> [[Thespius]],<ref>[[Diodorus Siculus]], 4.29.2</ref> [[Eupalamus]]<ref>Diodorus Siculus, 4.76.1</ref> and [[Sicyon (mythology)|Sicyon]].<ref>Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160%3Abook%3D2%3Achapter%3D6%3Asection%3D5 2.6.5], citing [[Hesiod]] (''[[Catalogue of Women|Ehoiai]]'' fr. 224) for [[Erechtheus]]</ref>
*Chthonia, daughter of [[Phoroneus]] or of [[Colontas]]. She and her brother Clymenus were said to have founded a sanctuary of [[Demeter]] Chthonia (see below) at [[Ermioni|Hermione]]. In another version, Demeter, during her wanderings in search of [[Persephone]], was ill-treated by Colontas, against which Chthonia protested. Demeter burned Colontas alive in his house, but saved Chthonia and transported her to Hermione, where she founded the aforementioned sanctuary.<ref>Pausanias, 2.35.3–5</ref>
*Chthonia or  [[Phthonia (mythology)|Phthonia]] ([[Phosthonia]]) one of the [[Alcyonides]], daughters of the [[Giants (Greek mythology)|giant]] [[Alcyoneus]]. She was the sister of [[Alcippe (mythology)|Alkippe]], [[Anthe (mythology)|Anthe]], [[Asteria (mythology)|Asteria]], [[Drymo (mythology)|Drimo]], [[Methone (Greek myth)|Methone]] and [[Pallene (mythology)|Pallene]].<ref>[[Eustathius of Thessalonica|Eustathius]] on Homer, 776, 16</ref> When their father Alcyoneus was slain by [[Heracles]], these girls threw themselves into the sea from Kanastraion, which is the peak of [[Kassandra, Chalkidiki|Pellene]]. They were then transformed into [[Halcyon (genus)|halcyons]] ([[kingfisher]]s) by the goddess [[Amphitrite]].<ref>Suida, s.v. ''[https://topostext.org/work/240#al.1298 Alkyonides]''</ref>
*Chthonia, an epithet of [[Demeter]]<ref>''[[Orphic]] Hymn 39 to Demeter'' 12</ref><ref>[[Apollonius Rhodius]], 4.987</ref> and several other [[chthonic]] deities, such as [[Hecate]],<ref>Apollonius Rhodius, 4.148; ''Orphic Hymn'' 35.9</ref> [[Nyx]]<ref>''Orphic Hymn 3 to Nyx'' 8</ref> or [[Melinoe]].<ref>''Orphic Hymn 70 to Melinoe'' 1</ref>

'''Chthonia''' was also an ancient mythical and poetical name of [[Crete]].<ref>[[Stephanus of Byzantium]], s.v. ''Krētē''</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== References ==

* [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], ''The Library'' with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. {{ISBN|0-674-99135-4}}. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021 Greek text available from the same website].
*[[Apollonius of Rhodes|Apollonius Rhodius]], ''Argonautica'' translated by Robert Cooper Seaton (1853-1915), R. C. Loeb Classical Library Volume 001. London, William Heinemann Ltd, 1912. [https://topostext.org/work/126 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
* Apollonius Rhodius, ''Argonautica''. George W. Mooney. London. Longmans, Green. 1912. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0227 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Diodorus Siculus]], ''The Library of History'' translated by [[Charles Henry Oldfather]]. Twelve volumes. [[Loeb Classical Library]]. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59&ndash;8. [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/home.html Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site]
* Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2''. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888–1890. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0540 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
*[[Euripides]], ''The Complete Greek Drama'', edited by Whitney J. Oates and Eugene O'Neill, Jr. in two volumes. 1. Ion, translated by Robert Potter. New York. Random House. 1938. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0110 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
* Euripides, ''Euripidis Fabulae.'' ''vol. 2''. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1913. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0109 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Gaius Julius Hyginus]], ''Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. [https://topostext.org/work/206 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
* ''The Hymns of Orpheus''. Translated by Taylor, Thomas (1792). University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. [http://www.theoi.com/Text/OrphicHymns1.html Online version at the theoi.com]
*[[Plutarch|Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus]], ''Lives'' with an English Translation by Bernadotte Perrin. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. London. William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. 1. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0067 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0075 Greek text available from the same website].
*[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], ''Description of Greece'' with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. {{ISBN|0-674-99328-4}}. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0160 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library]
* Pausanias, ''Graeciae Descriptio.'' ''3 vols''. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.  [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0159 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Stephanus of Byzantium]], ''Stephani Byzantii Ethnicorum quae supersunt,'' edited by August Meineike (1790-1870), published 1849. A few entries from this important ancient handbook of place names have been translated by Brady Kiesling. [https://topostext.org/work/241 Online version at the Topos] ''The Hymns of Orpheus''. Translated by Taylor, Thomas (1792). University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. [http://www.theoi.com/Text/OrphicHymns1.html Online version at the theoi.com][https://topostext.org/work/241 Text Project.]
* [[Suda|Suida]], ''Suda Encyclopedia'' translated by Ross Scaife, David Whitehead, William Hutton, Catharine Roth, Jennifer Ben
* edict, Gregory Hays, Malcolm Heath Sean M. Redmond, Nicholas Fincher, Patrick Rourke, Elizabeth Vandiver, Raphael Finkel, Frederick Williams, Carl Widstrand, Robert Dyer, Joseph L. Rife, Oliver Phillips and many others. [https://topostext.org/work/240 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]

{{Greek myth index}}

[[Category:Princesses in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological Thracian women]]
[[Category:Deeds of Demeter]]
[[Category:Mythological people from Attica]]
[[Category:Greek mythology of Thrace]]
[[Category:Epithets of Demeter]]
[[Category:Epithets of Hecate]]
[[ru:Хтония]]