In Greek mythology, Cenchreis (Ancient Greek: Κεγχρηίς, romanized: Kenkhrēís) is a queen of Cyprus and the wife of Cinyras, by whom she became the mother of a girl. Cenchreis earned the wrath of Aphrodite when she bragged that her daughter was more beautiful than the goddess. Her tale is preserved in Roman accounts.
Contents
Family
Cenchreis married Cinyras, the king of Cyprus or Assyria, and together they had one daughter, called Smyrna or Myrrha. In some authors, the wife of Cinyras is called Metharme or Orithyia.
Mythology
Cenchreis was very proud of her daughter's great beauty, so she declared that she was even prettier than Venus (Roman Aphrodite), the goddess of beauty and love. Venus was angered, and punished Cenchreis' hubris by making the girl fall in love with her own father. Then, during a festival in honour of Ceres (Roman Demeter) where Cenchreis was pre-occupied with the celebrations, the daughter secretly lay with a drunk Cinyras without his knowledge and conceived a son, Adonis.
Interpretation
Some authors make Smyrna herself the agent who angered the gods and cause of her own misery, or omit the curse entirely. Surviving accounts do not make it clear whether Cenchreis knew about the incestuous affair between her husband and daughter and Adonis' birth or not. Two main versions of the tale circulated in late antiquity; one oriental where the father is called Theias, and one Cypriot where he is substituted with the local king Cinyras. Hyginus, who relates Cenchreis' hubris, combined elements from both versions.