Daugher of
king Minos and Pasiphae, younger sister of Ariadne. She married Theseus after
his previous wife had died, and bore him two sons: Acamas and Demophon. The
couple lived as king and queen of Athens, and Phaedra kept herself busy with
the court affairs and building temples.
After Theseus had killed the sons of Pallas, he had to go to Troizen for purification.
Phaedra came along and settled in quarters over-looking the stadium. There,
she saw Theseus son Hippolytos excercising naked every day, and fell madly
in love. On this spot, where she would spy on him a temple to Artemis Catascopia
(the Spy) would be built.
Desperate to have him, Phaedra wrote a long letter to Hippolytos, declaring
her feelings for him and how badly the women of her faily had been treated
by men. She told him not to worry about the incest, even the gods had incestuous
relationship.