Τρῑτο-γένεια,ἡ, (γίγνομαι)
A. Trito-born,a name of Athena, Il. 4.515 , 8.39 , Od. 3.378 , Hes. Th. 895 , 924 , IG 14.1389i
i 1 . (Variously expld. in antiquity, from the lakeΤριτωνίςin Libya, from which an old legend represents the goddess to have been born, E. Ion 872 (anap.), cf. Hdt. 4.180 ; or from Triton, a torrent in Boeotia, Paus. 9.33.7 , cf. Apollod. 1.3.6 ; or from a spring in Arcadia, Paus. 8.26.6 ; or fromτριτώ,
Aeol. word forκεφαλή(Sch. Ar. Nu. 985 , Tz.ad Lyc. 519 ; Athamanian acc. to Nic. ( Fr. 145 ) ap. Hsch. ), i.e.head-born;or,born on the third dayof the month, Ister 26 (the23rd,τρίτῃ φθίνοντος,Sch.BT Il. 8.39 ); or,the third childafter Apollo and Artemis, Suid.
s.v. τριτογενής; or, as representing Nature,born thricein the year, D.S. 1.12 ; or because she wasauthor of the three main bondsof social life, Democr. 1b , 2 .)
II. the Pythagoreans gave the nameἈθηνᾶ τ.tothe equilateral triangle,
Plu. 2.381e ; cf.τρεῖς, τριάς.