Week 4.1 Apollo Part 1 Slides PDF

CLASSICS 102 GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY C. Myles Chykerda Sessional Instructor, Department of Humanities Belvedere Apollo, Vatican “This statue of Apollo is the highest ideal of art…” and his scarf just *screams* Fall 1755. WEEK 4.1 Apollo SUMMARY OF APOLLO Son of Zeus and Leto Twin brother o...

CLASSICS 102 GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY C. Myles Chykerda Sessional Instructor, Department of Humanities Belvedere Apollo, Vatican “This statue of Apollo is the highest ideal of art…” and his scarf just *screams* Fall 1755. WEEK 4.1 Apollo SUMMARY OF APOLLO Son of Zeus and Leto Twin brother of Artemis Born on Delos (Aegean island) Father of Asclepius (Greek god of healing) with Coronis (mortal princess in Thessaly) God of music and poetry, the sun, oracles and prophesies, healing (esp. re: plagues), and archery Famous oracular sanctuary at Delphi Not very lucky at love (e.g., Daphne, Cassandra), except with Hyacinthus and Coronis Attributes: lyre, laurel crown/branch, sun-crown, raven, dolphins, tripod Mixing bowl (volute krater) with Leto, Artemis and Apollo MFABoston 00.347 REMINDER Leto - Mother of Artemis and Apollo Zeus is the proud papa Artemis’ birth – she apparently was first and was immediately ready to help with Apollo’s birth. Also saw story of Lycian frogs – never refuse to give water to a god! SUMMARY Pretty easy family tree, but has some hidden complications In Theog, Leto and her kids are listed right before Hera, implying it was before Hera’s marriage to Zeus. Apollodorus has “Zeus married Hera” first HH 3 has Apollo born first, Apollodorus has Artemis born first. Also mentions Leto’s sister, Asteria, who became a quail and threw herself into the sea to avoid having sex with Zeus. Tied into an ancient name of Delos - Asteria Leto Apollo Zeus Artemis Delphi Meles/Smyrna Delos Lycia Cyclades/Cycladic Islands DELOS Note Mt. Cynthus Maybe they should have gone next door to Mykonos instead… 3rd Millennium BC habitation Thucydides states original inhabitants were Carians – expelled by King Minos By Early Iron Age and the Odyssey, it was associated with birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. Some accounts note Artemis was born on Ortygia in Sicily Fun facts on Homeric Hymns: HH (3) TO APOLLO – BIRTH LOCATIONS Rejoice, blessed Leto, for you bare glorious children, the lord Apollo and Artemis who delights in arrows; her in Ortygia, and him in rocky Delos, as you rested against the great mass of the Cynthian hill hard by a palm-tree by the streams of Inopus. How, then, shall I sing of you who in all ways are a worthy theme of song? For everywhere, O Phoebus, the whole range of song is fallen to you, both over the mainland that rears heifers and over the isles. All mountain-peaks and high headlands of lofty hills and rivers flowing out to the deep and beaches sloping seawards and havens of the sea are your delight. Shall I sing how at the first Leto bare you to be the joy of men, as she rested against Mount Cynthus in that rocky isle, in sea-girt Delos -- while on either hand a dark wave rolled on landwards driven by shrill winds -- whence arising you rule over all mortal men? (14-29) First five are very long, Apollo’s is 546 lines. Ares (8) is an atypical form OH ISLAND, WHERE ART THOU? Leto trying to find a place that would be home for her son Hymn is extensive here – emphasizes the extent of her wanderings Everywhere says “thanks, but no” Delos – island that isn’t exactly the nicest one out there. Delos, if you would be willing to be the abode of my son "Phoebus Apollo and make him a rich temple --; for no other will touch you, as you will find: and I think you will never be rich in oxen and sheep, nor bear vintage nor yet produce plants abundantly. But if you have the temple of farshooting Apollo, all men will bring you hecatombs and gather here, and incessant savour of rich sacrifice will always arise, and you will feed those who dwell in you from the hand of strangers; for truly your own soil is not rich." So spake Leto. And Delos rejoiced and answered and said: "Leto, most glorious daughter of great Coeus, joyfully would I receive your child the farshooting lord; for it is all too true that I am illspoken of among men, whereas thus I should become very greatly honoured. NINE DAYS AND NINE NIGHTS. Now when Leto had sworn and ended her oath, Delos was very glad at the birth of the far-shooting lord. But Leto was racked nine days and nine nights with pangs beyond wont. And there were with her all the chiefest of the goddesses, Dione and Rhea and Ichnaea and Themis and loud-moaning Amphitrite and the other deathless goddesses save whitearmed Hera, who sat in the halls of cloud-gathering Zeus. Only Eilithyia, goddess of sore travail, had not heard of Leto's trouble, for she sat on the top of Olympus beneath golden clouds by white-armed Hera's contriving, who kept her close through envy, because Leto with the lovely tresses was soon to bear a son faultless and strong. The birth of Apollo and Diana, M. Franceschini But the goddesses sent out Iris from the well-set isle to bring Eilithyia, promising her a great necklace strung with golden threads, nine cubits long. BIRTH TIME! So she moved the heart of Eilithyia in her dear breast; and they went their way, like shy wild-doves in their going. And as soon as Eilithyia the goddess of sore travail set foot on Delos, the pains of birth seized Leto, and she longed to bring forth; so she cast her arms about a palm tree and kneeled on the soft meadow while the earth laughed for joy beneath. Then the child leaped forth to the light, and all the goddesses washed you purely and cleanly with sweet water, and swathed you in a white garment of fine texture, new-woven, and fastened a golden band about you. Now Leto did not give Apollo, bearer of the golden blade, her breast; but Themis duly poured nectar and ambrosia with her divine hands: and Leto was glad because she had borne a strong son and an archer. But as soon as you had tasted that divine heavenly food, O Phoebus, you could no longer then be held by golden cords nor confined with bands, but all their ends were undone. Forthwith Phoebus Apollo spoke out among the deathless goddesses: "The lyre and the curved bow shall ever be dear to me, and I will declare to men the unfailing will of Zeus." Let’s get down to business! DELOS, THE NEXT GEN Anius – Apollo’s son and priest/king of Delos Dionysus 3 daughters (Oenotropae) who produced oil, grain, and wine Agamemnon wanted to take them to Troy They resisted and Dionysus turned them into doves Doves sacrosanct on Delos Staphylus Rhoeo Met. XIII.652; scholia Anius's Daughters Changing into Birds, Antonio Tempesta, 1606 Apollo Anius Rhoeo was put in a chest and set to sea after Staphylus discovered she had slept with Apollo. We’re going to see a few more chest in sea incidents DELOS TODAY Ecole Francaise Site Plans Massive expansion after declared freeport in 166 and destruction of Corinth in 146 BC THE OTHER SIDE OF APOLLO