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Hippolytus

Hippolytus is a name of Greek origin, derived from hippos "horse" and lytos "unloosened" or "unrestrained." It is borne by several figures in ancient myth and early Christian writings. The best known mythological Hippolytus is the son of Theseus and an Amazon queen—traditionally Hippolyta, although in some versions his mother is Antiope. A follower of Artemis, he becomes a figure associated with chastity and rejection of sexual desire. In Euripides' tragedy, his stepmother Phaedra lusts after him and, after her disclosure, raises a charge against him. This leads Theseus to invoke a curse, and Poseidon sends a bull that mortally wounds Hippolytus; Artemis reveals the truth, and the drama ends in tragedy. The tale has been retold numerous times and is widely read as a meditation on piety, desire, and the caprice of the gods.

Hippolytus of Rome, or Hippolytus the Theologian in some hagiographies, was an early Christian writer who lived

The name Hippolytus thus appears in both myth and ecclesiastical history, and it has left a mark

in
the
2nd–3rd
centuries.
He
is
described
as
a
bishop
of
Rome
in
tradition
and
is
best
known
for
anti-heretical
writings,
including
a
Refutation
of
All
Heresies,
and
for
the
Apostolic
Tradition,
a
document
on
early
church
practice
that
influenced
later
liturgy.
The
historical
details
of
his
life
and
episcopacy
are
debated,
and
some
later
sources
describe
him
as
an
antipope
or
a
martyr
venerated
in
various
Christian
calendars.
in
literature
and
religious
tradition.
The
myth
of
Hippolytus
continues
to
be
referenced
in
plays,
poetry,
and
philosophical
writings
as
an
exploration
of
desire,
innocence,
and
divine
authority,
while
the
figure
of
Hippolytus
the
writer
is
cited
in
studies
of
early
Christian
theology
and
church
discipline.