Greek and Roman Mythology Week 3.3 PDF

CLASSICS 102 GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY C. Myles Chykerda Sessional Instructor, Department of Humanities Group of Aphrodite, Pan and Eros 100 BC, Delos. NAMA 3335 WEEK 3.3 Aphrodite Eros GROUP OF APHRODITE Found in Delos, 1904 in the House of the Poseidoniasts Aphrodite, Eros, Pan Helleni...

CLASSICS 102 GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY C. Myles Chykerda Sessional Instructor, Department of Humanities Group of Aphrodite, Pan and Eros 100 BC, Delos. NAMA 3335 WEEK 3.3 Aphrodite Eros GROUP OF APHRODITE Found in Delos, 1904 in the House of the Poseidoniasts Aphrodite, Eros, Pan Hellenistic (style). Theme of resistance and tension. Lots of discussion about style but what about every day purpose? Dionysius from Berytos, son of Zeno son of Theodoros, [donates the statue] as a benefactor to the ancestral gods for himself and his children Διονύσιος Ζήνωνος τοῦ Θεοδώρου Βηρύτιος, εὐεργέτης, ὐπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν τέκνων, θεοῖς πατρίοις. HOUSE OF THE POSEIDONIASTS The Poseidon League of Beirut. “The Koinon of Berytian Poseidoniasts, merchants and ship owners and innkeepers, dedicated the oikos and stoa and chresterion*, to the gods of the fatherland.” OK, BACK TO THE MAIN STORY GOOD OL’ GENEALOGY Chaos Ge Ouranos Titans Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Tethys, Cronus Cyclopes Hecatonchires Brontes, Steropes, Arges Cottus, Briareus, Gyes But first… CYCLOPES! Hesiod Theogony 492 – Zeus’ lighting bolts THOSE DARN CYCLOPES THREE different kinds. So far we’ve seen the Hesiodic Cyclopes, who are sons of Ouranos and Ge. Presumably immortal, BUT the Catalogue of Women has them killed by Apollo. Brontes Βρόντης Thunder Steropes Στερόπης Lightning-Bolt Arges Ἄργης Vivid-Flash Apollodorus (3.10.4) states they were killed by Apollo as revenge for Zeus killing Asclepius. BUT Pherecydes (via a scholia) says it was four other cyclopes that were killed. Closely associated with Hephaestus by Callimachus (3rd C BC) And [Zeus] set free from their deadly bonds the brothers of his father [they Cyclopes], sons of Ouranos whom his father in his foolishness had bound. And they remembered to be grateful to [Zeus] for his kindness and gave him thunder and the glowing thunderbolt and lightening Apollodorus Bibliotheca 1.6-7 They fought for ten years, and Earth prophesied victory to Zeus if he should have as allies those who had been hurled down to Tartarus. So he slew their gaoleress Campe and loosed their bonds. And the Cyclopes then gave Zeus thunder and lightning and a thunderbolt, and on Pluto they bestowed a helmet and on Poseidon a trident. Armed with these weapons the gods overcame the Titans, shut them up in Tartarus, and appointed the Hundred-handers their guards THE OTHER GUYS “Younger Cyclopes” “The Wall Builders” Homeric, relationship to elder cyclopes entirely unknown despite much effort Another fragment situation where there is a reference to Cyclopes building walls of Mycenae. Hellanicus also says these Cyclopes are named after the Cyclops of Uranus. Also Strabo 8.6.11l; Pliny 7.57 BACK TO THE MAIN STORY AGAIN ACCOUNTS OF GENITAL SLICING Hesiod, Theogony 154 But huge Earth groaned within, for she was constricted, and she devised a tricky, evil stratagem. At once she created an offspring, of gray adamant, and she fashioned a big sickle and showed it to her own children…but dread seized them all, and none of them uttered a sound. But suddenly great crooked-counseled Cronus took courage and addressed his cherished mother in turn with these words: “Mother, I would promise and perform this deed, She placed him in an ambush, concealing him from sight, and put into his hands the jagged-toothed sickle, and she explained the whole trick to him. And great Sky came, bringing night with him; and spreading himself out around Earth in his desire for love he lay outstretched in all directions. Then his son reached out from his ambush with his left hand, and with his right hand he grasped the monstrous sickle, long and jagged-toothed, and eagerly he reaped the genitals from his dear father and threw them behind him to be borne away. Apollodorus 1.1.3 But them Sky bound and cast into Tartarus, a gloomy place in Hades as far distant from earth as earth is distant from the sky. And again he begat children by Earth, But Earth, grieved at the destruction of her children, who had been cast into Tartarus, persuaded the Titans to attack their father and gave Cronus an adamantine sickle. And they, all but Ocean, attacked him, and Cronus cut off his father’s genitals and threw them into the sea. From the drops of flowing blood the Erinyes were born, Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaira. Adamant/ine is not the same as Adamantium! Hesiod Apollodorus But not in vain did they fall from his hand: for Earth received all the bloody drops that shot forth, and when the years had revolved she bore the mighty Erinyes and the great Giants, shining in their armor, holding long spears in their hands, and the Nymphs whom they call the Melian ones, over the boundless earth. And when at first he had cut off the genitals with the adamant and thrown them from the land into the strongly surging sea, they were borne along the water for a long time, and a white foam rose up around them from the immortal flesh; and inside this grew a maiden and from the drops of the flowing blood were born Furies, to wit, Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera. And, having dethroned their father, they brought up their brethren who had been hurled down to Tartarus, and committed the sovereignty to Cronus. The Mutilation of Uranus by Saturn, Giorgio Vasari, 16th century. Palazzo Vecchio, Florence. Gaia Uranus’ Blood The Erinyes (vengeance) Ἐρινύες Giants Γίγαντες The Meliae (ash tree nymphs) Μελία BIRTH OF APHRODITE Aphros (“foam”) Floats by Cythera and Cyprus Aphrogeneia, Kypris, Kytherea First she approached holy Cythera, and from there she went on to sea-girt Cyprus. She came forth, a reverend, beautiful goddess, and grass grew up around her beneath her slender feet. Gods and men call her “Aphrodite,” the foam-born goddess and the wellgarlanded “Cytherea,” since she grew in the foam, and also “Cytherea,” since she arrived at Cythera, (c) and “Cyprogenes,” since she was born on sea-girt Cyprus, and “genial,” since she came forth from the genitals. Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus c. 1485 Aphrodite between Eros and Himeros William Blake Richmond (1842–1921) ASSOCIATED BIRTHS Two characters, Eros and Himeros, are constant companions that were potentially born with Aphrodite OR were born from her soon after she emerged. Eros accompanied her and beautiful Desire stayed with her as soon as she was born and when she went to the tribe of the gods; and since the beginning she possesses this honor and has received as her lot this portion among human beings and immortal gods—maidenly whispers and smiles and deceits and sweet delight and fondness and gentleness. - (Theo 176) Ἔρος Ἵμερος Himeros – Desire, longing, yearning. Winged youth or child. Eros – Love/sexual desire. Mischievous, handsome youth or child. EROS Male counterpart to Aphrodite Dual tradition of birth Early cosmic deity mentioned in Hesiod, OR Son of Aphrodite and Ares Attendant of Aphrodite All facets of love and desire, but often represents male homosexuality Portrayed as handsome young man - idealized Eros Farnese, Praxiteles! ANOTHER STORY! Zeus and Dione have Aphrodite Dione is the feminine form of Zeus (Dios Διον), and she doesn’t come up a lot in myth. That said, Apollodorus 1.1.3 ADDS her to the list of Titans! Oceanus Tethys Oceanids No trace of the seafoam story in Homer. He references this tale in Iliad 5.370 and 20.105 but fair Aphrodite flung herself upon the knees of her mother Dione for of thee too men say that thou wast born of Aphrodite, daughter of Zeus, while he is sprung from a lesser goddess. Dione Up to FOUR entities: 1. Titaness, Ge/Ouranos, Apol. 2. Oceanid, Tethys/Oceanus, Hes. 3. Hyades, Atlas/nymph, Hyg 4. Nereid, Nereus/Doris, Apol. Potamoi She’s in a BIG list in Theogony 337 and also noted in the opening lines of the poem! DUALITIES Two origin stories present two sides of Aphrodite The 2 Sides of Aphrodite OR two separate goddesses of love Urania – ethereal and subline. Sprun only from the sky above Pandemos – of all people. Physical. Sprang from Zeus and Dione Of Cytherea, born in Cyprus, I will sing. She gives kindly gifts to men: smiles are ever on her lovely face, and lovely is the brightness that plays over it. Hail, goddess, queen of well-built Salamis and seagirt Cyprus; grant me a cheerful song. And now I will remember you and another song also. - HH 10 Aphrodite Urania Aphrodite Pandemos (celestial) (physical)