Nicaea (mythology)


In Greek mythology, Nicaea or Nikaia was a naiad nymph of the springs or fountain of the Greek colony of Nikaia in Bithynia or else the goddess of the adjacent lake Askanios. She was the daughter of the river-god Sangarius and Cybele. By the god of wine, Dionysus, she mothered Telete

Mythography

She was a devotee of the goddess Artemis. When a shepherd, Hymen, pursued Nicaea, she killed him with an arrow to the heart. This enraged Eros, who inspired Dionysus to fall in love with her. Dionysus pursued her for a long while. When she continued to spurn his advances, Dionysus intoxicated her and then raped her while she slept.
Nicaea conceived Telete from this union; after her daughter's birth, Nicaea attempted to hang herself. Although surviving stories do not tell if she made any further suicide attempts, she did live to see Aura, another nymph raped and impregnated by Dionysus in the same manner, going into labor and giving birth to Iacchus, as described in Nonnus’s Dionysiaca.
Dionysus named the city Nicaea after her.

Nonnus' Account

The following excerpts recounts the story of Nicaea and her rape by Dionysus, also included was the unfortunate plight of Aura from the same god:
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 48. 567 ff :
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 48. 811 ff :
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 48. 865 ff :