In Greek mythology, Nyctaea () is a princess featuring in two stories about father-daughter incest, who is eventually turned into an owl by the goddess Athena. Both her tales are preserved in the works of pseudo-Lactantius Placidus, a Latin grammarian of the third century AD, and the second of the Vatican Mythographers.
Etymology Nyctaea's name is derived from the Greek word (genitive ) meaning "night". in turn is of Proto-Indo-European origin, from the PIE root *nókʷts, from which 'night' is also descended.
Family Depending on version, Nyctaea is either the daughter of Nycteus (most notable bearer of that name is usually a king of Thebes, but here identified as a king of the Aethiopians) or the Argive king Proetus.
Mythology Nycteus In the first version, Nyctaea harboured an incestuous desire for her father, and confessed her feelings to a nurse, who helped her deceive and trick her father into bedding her by pretending to be some unrelated maiden after the nurse told Nycteus that some foreign maiden was in love with him.Second Vatican Mythographer 50, who spells her name Nyctimene. When Nycteus found out what was truly going on, he was so enraged he meant to kill Nyctaea, who implored Athena to save her. Athena took her under her protection by changing her into night owl.Lactantius Placidus, On the Thebaid 3.507
Proetus In another version mentioned by the same author, the Argive princess Nyctaea fled her home in terror so she could escape being raped by her father. Athena took pity in her and transformed her into a night owl, the bird sacred to Athena.
Symbolism The version with Nycteus is identical to the more popular story of Myrrha or Smyrna (a girl who fell in love with her father Cinyras and tricked him into sleeping with her), and was likely modelled after it. The version with Proetus is closer to the myth of Nyctimene, a maiden who was raped by her father and was turned into an owl by Athena.Hyginus, Fabulae 204, 253
See also
Other instances of incest in Greek mythology:
Aegypius Jocasta Byblis Larissa
References
Bibliography
Hyginus, Gaius Julius, The Myths of Hyginus. Edited and translated by Mary A. Grant, Lawrence: University of Kansas Press, 1960. Lactantius Placidus, Lactantii Placidi qui dicitur Commentarios in Statii Thebaida it Commentarium in Achilleida recensuit, translated by Richard Jahnke, 1898, B. G. Tevbneri, Lipsiae.
Online version at Perseus.tufts project.