Ceryneian

Ceryneian is an adjective with two principal senses in classical and modern usage. It can refer to anything associated with the ancient city of Ceryneia in Arcadia, a region of the Peloponnese in Greece, as well as to the Ceryneian Hind, a mythological deer sacred to the goddess Artemis. The term derives from the Greek name Κερύνεια (Keryneia).

In geography, Ceryneia (or Ceryneia) denotes an ancient Arcadian city mentioned in classical sources. Its precise location is not definitively established today, but it is consistently linked with Arcadian territory in ancient narratives and inscriptions. The epithet Ceryneian is used to denote origin or association with that locale in scholarly discussions.

In myth, the Ceryneian Hind is a legendary deer described as extremely fleet, with golden horns and bronze hooves, sacred to Artemis. It figures prominently as one of Heracles’ Twelve Labours. According to the myth, Heracles pursued the hind for a year before capturing it alive and bringing it to Eurystheus; in many versions, Artemis later reclaim or release the animal back to the goddess.

The term Ceryneian also appears in literary and scholarly contexts to describe aspects related to the hind or to the locality, sometimes as an epithet in translations of ancient texts. In modern reception, the Ceryneian Hind continues to be cited as an emblematic example of Heracles’ trials and of Artemis’ sacred animals.

See also: Ceryneian Hind.