Europa is a figure from Greek mythology, known as the daughter of the king of Phoenicia and the mother of King Minos and Rhadamanthus, both known for their role as judges of the dead in the underworld. She was said to have been a beautiful and fair maiden, who caught the eye of Zeus.
Europa’s most well-known myth is the one in which Zeus, disguised as a white bull, abducted her and carried her off to Crete, where she bore him three sons: Minos, Sarpedon, and Rhadamanthus. The island of Crete and the sea separating the island from the mainland were named after her.
Europa’s story was also a popular subject in art, especially during the Renaissance and Baroque period. Her story is often depicted as a seduction, with Zeus in the form of a bull, and can be seen as a symbol of the power of beauty and seduction.