Le χάριτες ‘figlie’ di Eteocle: un riesame di Geoponica 11, 4

The collection known as Geoponica is a 10th-century compilation of different authors of agronomical works from Late Antiquity. The chapter 11, 4 of the work records a tale about the etymology and the origin of the cypresses which has no literary or mythographic antecedent transmitted to us, although it presents significant correspondences with one progymnasma by Pseudo-Nicolaus (12, RhGr I 272). Above all, Geoponica 11, 4 has been often misinterpreted as evidence of the existence of a minor version of the myth relating to the genealogy of the Charites, according to which the goddesses would have been daughters of Eteocles, ancient king of Orchomenos. However, a careful reading of the Greek text does not support such an exegesis.