Melasippo

This name derives from the Ancient Greek “Melánippos (Μελάνιππος),” composed of two elements: “mélas (μέλας)” (dark, black, obscure, enigmatic) plus “híppos (ῐ̔ìππος)” (horse, cavalry, horseman), meaning “black horse, black knight.” In Greek mythology, there were eleven people named Melanippus (Μελάνιππος), among the most important: 1) Melanippus, one of the sons of Agrius, killed by Diomedes. 2) Melanippus, son of Perigune and Theseus, the father of Ioxus, who, together with Ornytus, led a colony to Caria and became the ancestor of the family Ioxides. 3) Melanippus, sometimes misspelled “Menalippus,” son of Astacus (hence referred to by the patronymic Astacides in Ovid), defender of Thebes in Seven against Thebes. In Aeschylus’ play, he defended the Proetid gate against Tydeus.