Rhodopis

Strabo · -100 · Short Story

Explore this on the mapTrace its ancestors and descendants live in the tree.

It presents one of the earliest known 'Cinderella' narratives where a virtuous woman's unique attribute (her small foot/sandal) leads to her discovery and elevation to royalty.

What it is

The story tells of a Greek courtesan named Rhodopis whose sandal is stolen by an eagle and dropped into the lap of the Pharaoh of Egypt. Impressed by its small size, the Pharaoh searches his kingdom for the owner and, upon finding Rhodopis, marries her.

↑Inherited from

This work originated its idea. No known prior influences in the dataset.

↓Passed on to(1)

Cendrillon· 1697↓ open

This ancient Egyptian tale, recorded by Greek historians, is widely recognized as a precursor to the Cinderella story, demonstrating the enduring theme of a humble, virtuous woman being elevated to a high social status through fate and royal recognition.