The Aba family tree in Greek mythology is not a single fixed chart: the name “Aba” (Greek Ἄβη) is attached to several distinct mythological women, each with her own parents, children, and regional tradition. The most famous Aba is the mother of the twins Ergiscus and the hero Erginus by the god Poseidon, but other Abas appear in Argive, Thracian, and Lycian legends with entirely different family lines.
Who Is Aba in Greek Mythology?
In ancient Greek sources, “Aba” is a relatively rare name, and it never belongs to a single major goddess or heroine. Instead, the name is shared by at least three separate figures:
- Aba of Argos – a mortal woman loved by Poseidon, mother of Erginus (and sometimes Ergiscus).
- Aba of Thrace – a nymph or local woman who appears in some genealogical lists as a wife or mother in Thracian royal lines.
- Aba of Lycia – a figure mentioned in late mythographers, sometimes linked to the city of Abae in Phrygia.
Because the name is so short and appears in scattered fragments, ancient writers themselves sometimes confused these women. Modern reference works (such as the Oxford Classical Dictionary) treat each separately, but the surviving texts are often too brief to give complete family trees.
The Argive Aba: Mother of Erginus
The most detailed family line belongs to the Argive Aba. According to the mythographer Hyginus (in his Fabulae) and later scholia on Homer, Aba was a daughter of the river god Asterion (or in some versions of the river Inachus). She became the mother of Erginus by Poseidon.
Erginus himself is a well-known figure: he was one of the Argonauts (the crew that sailed with Jason to fetch the Golden Fleece). In some accounts, Erginus later became king of Orchomenus in Boeotia, and his sons were called the Erginidae. This makes Aba the grandmother of a royal dynasty, though the names of her grandchildren are rarely listed.
Another version, preserved in the scholia to Pindar’s Olympian Odes, says Aba gave birth to Ergiscus, a lesser-known hero who was also counted among the Argonauts. Some scholars think Ergiscus and Erginus were originally the same figure, but the texts treat them as brothers.
Other Abas: Thracian and Lycian Lines
In Thracian mythology, a different Aba appears as the wife of Biston, a Thracian king who founded the city of Bistonia. Their son was Oeagrus, who later became the father of the musician Orpheus (by the muse Calliope). This Aba is sometimes called a nymph, and her union with Biston explains the origin of the Bistonian tribe.
In Lycian tradition, an Aba is mentioned as the mother of Glaucus (the Lycian hero who fought in the Trojan War) by the seer Hippolochus. This version is much later and appears only in a few Byzantine compilations, so its reliability is doubtful. The more common genealogy makes Glaucus the son of Hippolochus and a woman named Laodameia.
How the Family Tree Varies by Source
Ancient genealogies were fluid. Poets and local historians often adjusted family trees to connect their city to a famous hero or god. The same name “Aba” could be reused in different regions without any intention of linking the figures. For example:
- In Hesiod’s Catalog of Women (surviving only in fragments), the Argive Aba is not mentioned at all – the mother of Erginus is given as Euboea.
- The Bibliotheca (attributed to Apollodorus) lists Erginus as a son of Poseidon and Euboea, not Aba.
- Hyginus, however, explicitly names Aba as the mother, showing that different handbooks disagreed.
This is typical of Greek myth: no single “canonical” family tree exists. When you see “Aba” in a genealogy, you must always ask which source is being used.
Common Misconceptions About Aba
A frequent error in online family trees is conflating Aba with Abia (a nurse of the god Dionysus) or with Abarbarea (a Naiad nymph in Homer’s Iliad). These are different names and different figures. Another misconception is that Aba was a goddess – she is never given divine status in any surviving text. She is always a mortal woman or a nymph, and her importance comes solely from her children.
Also, some modern websites claim Aba was the daughter of Poseidon herself. That is not supported by any ancient source. In the Argive tradition, her father is a river god, not Poseidon.
Why the Name Appears in Different Regions
The name “Aba” likely derives from a pre-Greek root meaning “water” or “river,” which explains why several river-related nymphs and mortal women share it. In Anatolia, the city Abae (in Phrygia) had a famous oracle of Apollo, and some local myths may have used the name to explain the city’s foundation. However, no surviving text connects the city’s eponymous nymph Aba to the Argive or Thracian figures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Aba’s parents in the most common version?
In the most widely cited version (Hyginus), Aba is the daughter of the river god Asterion. Asterion was one of the three river gods who judged the dispute between Hera and Poseidon over the land of Argos. In other versions, her father is the river Inachus, but that is less common.
Did Aba have any daughters?
No ancient source names any daughters of Aba. All surviving accounts mention only her sons, Erginus and Ergiscus. This does not mean she had no daughters, but the texts simply do not record them.
Is Aba the same as the nymph Abia?
No. Abia is a different figure – she was the nurse of Dionysus and gave her name to the town of Abia in Messenia. The similarity in names is coincidental, and no ancient author treats them as the same person.
Why did Poseidon choose Aba?
Myths rarely explain the god’s motives. In the case of Aba, the story is a typical hero-birth pattern: a god mates with a mortal woman to produce a hero who will found a dynasty or perform great deeds. Erginus’s role as an Argonaut and later king of Orchomenus fulfills that pattern.
Where can I read the original story of Aba?
There is no single continuous story. The main sources are Hyginus’s Fabulae (chapters 14 and 157), the scholia (ancient marginal notes) on Pindar’s Olympian Odes, and the scholia on Homer’s Iliad. These are available in modern translations of the mythographers, but the passages are very brief.
How to Trace a Mythological Family Tree
If you are researching any mythological figure, the best approach is to compare at least three primary sources. For Aba, that means checking:
- Hyginus – gives the Argive version with Asterion as father.
- Apollodorus’s Bibliotheca – does not mention Aba, but gives an alternative mother for Erginus (Euboea).
- Pausanias – the travel writer mentions Erginus and his sons in his description of Orchomenus, but never names Aba.
This method reveals how fluid the tradition is. A family tree that looks solid in one handbook often dissolves when you cross-check with another.
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