apate

Apate is a figure in ancient Greek mythology known as the personification of deceit and fraud. In many sources she is described as a daughter of Nyx, the Night, and she appears among the assorted night personifications that populate Greek poetic tradition. Her function is to induce falsehood or misperception, representing the power of deception to mislead gods and mortals alike.

In classical literature, Apate is invoked to explain or dramatize acts of lying and trickery within myths and poems. She is sometimes described as working alongside other trickster or guileful beings, and in some traditions she is connected with Dolos, the figure associated with cunning guile. Because she is a minor deity, Apate generally lacks a distinct cult, temple, or centralized worship in ancient Greece; rather, her significance rests in her role as a literary symbol of deception used to advance plots or underscore moral themes.

Etymology and usage: The name Apate derives from the Greek term for deception. In ancient Greek texts, the word apate (ἀπάτη) denotes deceit, trickery, or fraud, and the mythological figure embodies this concept within poetic and rhetorical contexts. In modern scholarship, Apate is discussed as part of the broader system of personifications through which ancient authors personified abstract ideas such as truth, falsehood, and other moral forces.

In summary, Apate is the mythological embodiment of deceit, a minor yet symbolically important figure in Greek myth and literature, illustrating how illusion and trickery function within ancient storytelling. See also: Dolos, Nyx, Moros.