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{{WoodhouseENELnames
|Text=[[Δίρκη]], ἡ.

[[of Dirce]], adj.: [[Διρκαῖος]].
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{{Lewis
|lshtext=<b>Dircē</b>: ēs (acc. Dircam, Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 65), f., = [[Δίρκη]].<br /><b>I</b> A [[fountain]] N. W. of [[Thebes]], in [[Boeotia]], Plin. 4, 7, 12, § 25; Ov. M. 2, 239; Stat. Th. 1, 38.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> [[Meton]]., [[poet]]., the [[region]] [[lying]] [[around]] this [[fountain]], Stat. Th. 2, 322.—Hence, Dircæus, a, um, adj., Dircean; [[hence]] ([[pars]] pro toto), Boeotian: [[Thebae]], Prop. 3, 17, 33 (4, 16, 33 M.); cf. [[ager]], Stat. Ach. 1, 12: arva, Claud. Laud. Stil. 1, 320: [[Amphion]], Verg. E. 2, 24: cygnus, i. e. [[Pindar]], Hor. C. 4, 2, 25: [[heros]], i. e. [[Polynices]], Stat. Th. 2, 142 et saep.—<br /><b>II</b> The [[wife]] of the [[Theban]] [[prince]] [[Lycus]], [[who]], on [[account]] of her [[cruelty]] to [[Antiope]], [[was]] tied to a [[bull]] by [[Amphion]] and Zetheus, and dragged [[about]] [[till]] [[dead]], and [[was]] [[afterwards]] thrown (changed, acc. to the [[fable]]) [[into]] the [[above]]-named [[fountain]], Prop. 3, 15, 13 (4, 14, 11 M.); Hyg. Fab. 7 and 8; Plaut. l. l.
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{{Georges
|georg=Dircē, ēs, f. ([[Δίρκη]]), I) die Gemahlin [[des]] Lykus, Königs in Theben; wurde [[von]] [[Amphion]] u. [[Zethus]] [[wegen]] der an ihrer [[Mutter]] [[Antiopa]] verübten Grausamkeit an [[einen]] [[Stier]] gebunden, herumgeschleift u. [[dann]] in die [[nach]] [[ihr]] benannte [[Quelle]] geworfen od. ([[nach]] der [[Sage]]) verwandelt, Plaut. Pseud. 199 (wo Akk. -am). Prop. 3, 15, 13; vgl. Hyg. fab. 7 u. 8. – II) die [[Quelle]] [[Dirce]] nordwestlich [[von]] Theben in Böotien, Plin. 4, 25. Stat. Theb. 1, 38 ([[wegen]] Ov. [[met]]. 2, 239 s. [[Amymonea]].E.): dah. meton. [[für]] Böotien, Stat. Theb. 2, 322. – Dav. Dircaeus, a, um (Διρκαιος), dircäisch, poet. = thebanisch od. böotisch, [[Amphion]], Verg.: [[cygnus]], Pindar, Hor.: [[heros]]. [[Polynices]], Stat.: catervae dente Dircaeo satae, die aus den [[von]] Kadmus gesäten Drachenzähnen entstandenen Menschen, Sen. poët.
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{{wkpen
|wketx=[[Dirce]] (/ˈdɜːrsiː/; Ancient Greek: [[Δίρκη]], pronounced [dírkɛː], modern Greek [ˈðirci], meaning "[[double]]" or "[[cleft]]") was a queen of Thebes as the wife of Lycus in Greek mythology.

After Zeus impregnated Dirce's niece Antiope, the latter fled in shame to King Epopeus of Sicyon, but was brought back by Lycus through force, giving birth to the twins Amphion and Zethus on the way. Lycus gave Antiope to Dirce. Dirce hated Antiope and treated her cruelly, until Antiope, in time, escaped.

In Euripides' lost play Antiope, Antiope flees back to the cave where she gave birth to Amphion and Zethus; they are now living there as young men. They disbelieve her claim to be their mother and refuse her pleas for sanctuary, but when Dirce comes to find Antiope and orders her to be killed, the twins are convinced by the shepherd who raised them that Antiope is their mother. They kill Dirce by tying her to the horns of a bull.

Dirce was devoted to the god Dionysus. He caused a spring to flow where she died, either at Mount Cithaeron or at Thebes, and it was a local tradition for the outgoing Theban hipparch to swear in his successor at her tomb. In Statius' Thebaid, the spring is a symbol of Thebes, and its name is often used metonymically to refer to the city itself.
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{{wkpel
|wkeltx=Στην ελληνική μυθολογία η Δίρκη ήταν σύζυγος του Λύκου, ο οποίος ήταν βασιλιάς στη Θήβα. Η Δίρκη και ο σύζυγός της κατεδίωξαν την ανηψιά τους Αντιόπη, επειδή είχε μείνει έγκυος εκτός γάμου, και τη βασάνισαν. Υπεύθυνος για την εγκυμοσύνη ήταν όμως ο ίδιος ο πατέρας των θεών, ο Δίας, οπότε με τη βοήθειά του τα παιδιά που είχε προλάβει να γεννήσει η Αντιόπη σε μια σπηλιά, όταν μεγάλωσαν τιμώρησαν σκληρά τους διώκτες της μητέρας τους, τον Λύκο και τη Δίρκη: Σύμφωνα με τη χαμένη τραγωδία του Ευριπίδη «Αντιόπη», σκότωσαν τη Δίρκη δένοντάς την στα κέρατα ενός ταύρου. Μετά, εγκαταστάθηκαν στη Θήβα και έγιναν θρυλικοί ήρωες της Βοιωτίας.
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{{trml
|trtx=br: Dirke; ca: Dirce; cs: Dirké; da: Dirke; de: Dirke; el: Δίρκη; en: Dirce; eo: Dirka; es: Dirce; eu: Dirze; fa: دیرکه; fi: Dirke; fr: Dircé; hr: Dirka; hy: Դիրկա; it: Dirce; ja: ディルケー; mk: Дирка; no: Dirke; pl: Dirke; pt: Dirce; ru: Дирка; sk: Dirké; sv: Dirke; tr: Dirce; uk: Дірке
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