Legendary Passages #0080 -VI ARGONAUTS-
Jason & The Argonauts, from The Library of Apollodorus.
Previously, Jason received his quest, assembled dozens of Argonauts, and landed at Lemnos. Those tales are recounted here, as well as the other adventures on the voyage to Colchis.
After Lemnos, the Argonauts were greeted by King Cyzicus of the Doliones, whom they accidentally killed. Then they went to Mysia, and sailed away without Hylas, Polyphemus, and Hercules, depending on the version of the story. Next, they came to the Bebryces, and cruel King Amycus was slain by Pollux in a boxing match.
Eventually they met with Phineus and helped him with his problem with the harpies. Phineus told them the secret to pass through the Clashing Rocks with the help of a dove.
While sailing the Black Sea, they lost crew-members Idmon and Tiphys. But at last, they arrived at Colchis... most of them, anyway.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/Apollodorus1.html#9
Jason & The Argonauts,
a Legendary Passage from,
PSEUDO-APOLLODORUS,
BIBLIOTHECA, or THE LIBRARY,
BOOK 1 Section 9,
translated by J. G. FRAZER.
[1.9.16] - [1.9.23]
Now Jason dwelt in Iolcus, of which Pelias was king after Cretheus. But when Pelias consulted the oracle concerning the kingdom, the god warned him to beware of the man with a single sandal. At first the king understood not the oracle, but afterwards he apprehended it. For when he was offering a sacrifice at the sea to Poseidon, he sent for Jason, among many others, to participate in it. Now Jason loved husbandry and therefore abode in the country, but he hastened to the sacrifice, and in crossing the river Anaurus he lost a sandal in the stream and landed with only one. When Pelias saw him, he bethought him of the oracle, and going up to Jason asked him what, supposing he had the power, he would do if he had received an oracle that he should be murdered by one of the citizens. Jason answered, whether at haphazard or instigated by the angry Hera in order that Medea should prove a curse to Pelias, who did not honor Hera, “I would command him,” said he, “to bring the Golden Fleece.” No sooner did Pelias hear that than he bade him go in quest of the fleece. Now it was at Colchis in a grove of Ares, hanging on an oak and guarded by a sleepless dragon.
Sent to fetch the fleece, Jason called in the help of Argus, son of Phrixus; and Argus, by Athena's advice, built a ship of fifty oars named Argo after its builder; and at the prow Athena fitted in a speaking timber from the oak of Dodona. When the ship was built, and he inquired of the oracle, the god gave him leave to assemble the nobles of Greece and sail away.
And those who assembled were as follows: Tiphys, son of Hagnias, who steered the ship; Orpheus, son of Oeagrus; Zetes and Calais, sons of Boreas; Castor and Pollux, sons of Zeus; Telamon and Peleus, sons of Aeacus; Hercules, son of Zeus; Theseus, son of Aegeus; Idas and Lynceus, sons of Aphareus; Amphiaraus, son of Oicles; Caeneus, son of Coronus; Palaemon, son of Hephaestus or of Aetolus; Cepheus, son of Aleus; Laertes son of Arcisius; Autolycus, son of Hermes; Atalanta, daughter of Schoeneus; Menoetius, son of Actor; Actor, son of Hippasus; Admetus, son of Pheres; Acastus, son of Pelias; Eurytus, son of Hermes; Meleager, son of Oeneus; Ancaeus, son of Lycurgus; Euphemus, son of Poseidon; Poeas, son of Thaumacus; Butes, son of Teleon; Phanus and Staphylus, sons of Dionysus; Erginus, son of Poseidon; Periclymenus, son of Neleus; Augeas, son of the Sun; Iphiclus, son of Thestius; Argus, son of Phrixus; Euryalus, son of Mecisteus; Peneleos, son of Hippalmus; Leitus, son of Alector; Iphitus, son of Naubolus; Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, sons of Ares; Asterius, son of Cometes; Polyphemus, son of Elatus.
These with Jason as admiral put to sea and touched at Lemnos. At that time it chanced that Lemnos was bereft of men and ruled over by a queen, Hypsipyle, daughter of Thoas, the reason of which was as follows. The Lemnian women did not honor Aphrodite, and she visited them with a noisome smell; therefore their spouses took captive women from the neighboring country of Thrace and bedded with them. Thus dishonored, the Lemnian women murdered their fathers and husbands, but Hypsipyle alone saved her father Thoas by hiding him. So having put in to Lemnos, at that time ruled by women, the Argonauts had intercourse with the women, and Hypsipyle bedded with Jason and bore sons, Euneus and Nebrophonus.
And after Lemnos they landed among the Doliones, of whom Cyzicus was king. He received them kindly. But having put to sea from there by night and met with contrary winds, they lost their bearings and landed again among the Doliones. However, the Doliones, taking them for a Pelasgian army (for they were constantly harassed by the Pelasgians), joined battle with them by night in mutual ignorance of each other. The Argonauts slew many and among the rest Cyzicus; but by day, when they knew what they had done, they mourned and cut off their hair and gave Cyzicus a costly burial; and after the burial they sailed away and touched at Mysia.
There they left Hercules and Polyphemus. For Hylas, son of Thiodamas, a minion of Hercules, had been sent to draw water and was ravished away by nymphs on account of his beauty. But Polyphemus heard him cry out, and drawing his sword gave chase in the belief that he was being carried off by robbers. Falling in with Hercules, he told him; and while the two were seeking for Hylas, the ship put to sea. So Polyphemus founded a city Cius in Mysia and reigned as king; but Hercules returned to Argos. However Herodorus says that Hercules did not sail at all at that time, but served as a slave at the court of Omphale. But Pherecydes says that he was left behind at Aphetae in Thessaly, the Argo having declared with human voice that she could not bear his weight. Nevertheless Demaratus has recorded that Hercules sailed to Colchis; for Dionysius even affirms that he was the leader of the Argonauts.
From Mysia they departed to the land of the Bebryces, which was ruled by King Amycus, son of Poseidon and a Bithynian nymph. Being a doughty man he compelled the strangers that landed to box and in that way made an end of them. So going to the Argo as usual, he challenged the best man of the crew to a boxing match. Pollux undertook to box against him and killed him with a blow on the elbow. When the Bebryces made a rush at him, the chiefs snatched up their arms and put them to flight with great slaughter.
Thence they put to sea and came to land at Salmydessus in Thrace, where dwelt Phineus, a seer who had lost the sight of both eyes. Some say he was a son of Agenor, but others that he was a son of Poseidon, and he is variously alleged to have been blinded by the gods for foretelling men the future; or by Boreas and the Argonauts because he blinded his own sons at the instigation of their stepmother; or by Poseidon, because he revealed to the children of Phrixus how they could sail from Colchis to Greece.
The gods also sent the Harpies to him. These were winged female creatures, and when a table was laid for Phineus, they flew down from the sky and snatched up most of the victuals, and what little they left stank so that nobody could touch it. When the Argonauts would have consulted him about the voyage, he said that he would advise them about it if they would rid him of the Harpies. So the Argonauts laid a table of viands beside him, and the Harpies with a shriek suddenly pounced down and snatched away the food. When Zetes and Calais, the sons of Boreas, saw that, they drew their swords and, being winged, pursued them through the air. Now it was fated that the Harpies should perish by the sons of Boreas, and that the sons of Boreas should die when they could not catch up a fugitive. So the Harpies were pursued and one of them fell into the river Tigres in Peloponnese, the river that is now called Harpys after her; some call her Nicothoe, but others Aellopus. But the other, named Ocypete or, according to others, Ocythoe (but Hesiod calls her Ocypode) fled by the Propontis till she came to the Echinadian Islands, which are now called Strophades after her; for when she came to them she turned (estraphe) and being at the shore fell for very weariness with her pursuer. But Apollonius in the Argonautica says that the Harpies were pursued to the Strophades Islands and suffered no harm, having sworn an oath that they would wrong Phineus no more.
Being rid of the Harpies, Phineus revealed to the Argonauts the course of their voyage, and advised them about the Clashing Rocks in the sea. These were huge cliffs, which, dashed together by the force of the winds, closed the sea passage. Thick was the mist that swept over them, and loud the crash, and it was impossible for even the birds to pass between them. So he told them to let fly a dove between the rocks, and, if they saw it pass safe through, to thread the narrows with an easy mind, but if they saw it perish, then not to force a passage. When they heard that, they put to sea, and on nearing the rocks let fly a dove from the prow, and as she flew the clash of the rocks nipped off the tip of her tail. So, waiting till the rocks had recoiled, with hard rowing and the help of Hera, they passed through, the extremity of the ship's ornamented poop being shorn away right round. Henceforth the Clashing Rocks stood still; for it was fated that, so soon as a ship had made the passage, they should come to rest completely.
The Argonauts now arrived among the Mariandynians, and there King Lycus received them kindly. There died Idmon the seer of a wound inflicted by a boar; and there too died Tiphys, and Ancaeus undertook to steer the ship.
And having sailed past the Thermodon and the Caucasus they came to the river Phasis, which is in the Colchian land.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/Apollodorus1.html#9
This passage continues with the capture of the golden fleece and the Argonauts voyage home, but our next passage tells another version of this tale, but this time with a Trojan sea-monster.
Greek and Roman mythology from the original sources, from Atlantis to Hercules to the Trojan War. Email: LegendaryPassages@gmail.com
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Sunday, November 26, 2017
LP0079 -V ARGONAUTS- Launch of the Argo, from The Fables of Hyginus
Legendary Passages #0079 -V ARGONAUTS-
Launch of the Argo, from The Fables of Hyginus.
Previously, Jason vowed to retrieve the golden fleece, and dozens of Argonauts joined in the quest. This passage continues listing the crew-members, recounts who was lost along the way, and their first adventure on the Island of Lemnos.
Many Argonauts are given fuller descriptions here: Castor & Pollux, Lynceus & Idas, Zetes & Calais, and Jason's cousin Prince Acastus.
Of those who were lost on the way, Hylus, Hercules, and Polyphemus were all left behind. Tiphys and Idmon both died, and Butes jumped overboard. On the way back, Eurybates, Canthus, and Mopsus all died.
The Argonauts first stop was on the Island of Lemnos. Before they arrived, all the men on the island had been killed by the women, except for Queen Hypsipyle, who spared her father. The Argonauts were very welcomed, and the women bore them many sons after they had set sail.
One final note: this passage is a bit fragmentary and corrupt in places, so there is just a bit of editing.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#15
Launch of the Argo,
a Legendary Passage from,
GAIUS JULIUS HYGINUS,
FABLES XIV - XV,
trans. by MARY GRANT.
[14] - [15]
Castor and Pollus, sons of Jove and Leda, daughter of Thestius, Lacedaemonians; others call them Spartans, both beardless youths. It is written that at the same time stars appeared on their heads, seeming to have fallen there.
Lynceus and Idas, sons of Aphareus and Arena, daughter of Oebalus, Messenians from the Peloponnesus. They say that one of these, Lynceus, saw things hidden underground, not hindered by any darkness. Others say that Lynceus saw nothing by night. He was said to see underground because he knew gold mines; when he went down and suddenly showed gold the rumor spread that he could see beneath the earth. Idas, too, was keen and spirited.
Periclymenus, son of Neleus and Chloris, daughter of Amphion and Niobe; he was from Pylos.
Amphidamas and Cepheus, sons of Aleus and Cleobule, from Arcadia.
Ancaeus, son of Lycurgus; others say grandson, from Tegea.
Augeas, son of Sol and Nausidame, daughter of Amphidamas; he was an Elean.
Asterion and Amphion, sons of Hyperasius, others say of Hippasus, from Pellene.
Euphemus, son of Neptune and Europe, daughter of Tityus, a Taenarian. It is said he could run over water with dry feet.
A second Ancaeus, son of Neptune by Althaea, daughter of Thestius, from the island Imbrasus, which was called Parthenia but is now called Samos.
Erginus, son of Neptune, from Miletus; some say son of Periclymenus, from Orchomenus.
Meleager, son of Oeneus and Althaea, daughter of Thestius; some think son of Mars, a Calydonian.
Laocoön, son of Porthaon, brother of Oeneus, a Calydonian.
A second Iphiclus, son of Thestius by Leucippe, brother of Althaea by the same mother, a Lacedaemonian; he was ****, a runner and javelin-thrower.
Iphitus, son of Naubolus, from Phocis; others say that he was the son of Hippasus from the Peloponnesus.
Zetes and Calais, sons of the wind Aquilo and Orithyia, daughter of Erechtheus. These are said to have had wings on head and feet and dark-blue locks, and travelled by air. They drove away the three Harpies, Aëllopous, Celaeno, and Ocypete, daughter of Thaumas and Oxomene, from Phiensu, son of Agenor, when Jason’s comrades were going to Colchis. They are said to have been feathered, with cocks’ heads, wings, and human arms, with great claws; breasts, bellies, and female parts human. Zetes and Calais, however, were slain by the weapons of Hercules. The stones placed over their tombs are moved by their father’s blasts. These, too, are said to be from Thrace.
Phocus and Priasus, sons of Caeneus, from Magnesia.
Eurymedon, son of Father Liber and Ariadne, daughter of Minos, from Phlius.
Palaemonius, son of Lernus, a Calydonian.
Actor, son of Hippasus, from the Peloponnesus.
*****thersanon, son of Sol and Leucothoe, from Andros.
Hippalcimus, son of Pelops and Hippodamia, daughter of Oenomaus, from the Peloponnesus.
Asclepius, son of Apollo and coronis, from Tricca.
. . . Thestius’ daughter, an Argive.
Neleus, son of Hippocoon, from Pylos.
Iolaus, son of Iphiclus, an Argive.
Deucalion, son of Minos and Pasiphaë, daughter of Sol, from Crete.
Philoctetes, son of Poeas, from Meliboea.
Another Caeneus, son of Coronus, from Gortyn.
Acastus, son of Pelias and Anaxibia, daughter of Bias, from Iolchus, clad in a double mantle. He joined the Argonauts as a volunteer, a comrade of Jason of his own accord.
-
Morover, all these were called Minyae, either because daughters of Minyas bore most of them, or because Jason’s mother was a daughter of Clymene, daughter of Minyas.
But neither did all reach Colchis nor all return to their country. For in Moesia near Cios and the river Ascanius, Hylas was snatched away by nymphs. While Hercules and Polyphemus were seeking him, they were left behind, a wind carrying the ship on. Polyphemus, too, was left by Hercules. After founding a city in Moesia, he perished among the Chalybes.
Again, Tiphys became ill and died among the Mariandyni in Propontis where Lycus was king; in his place Ancaeus, Neptune’s son, steered the ship to Colchis. Idmon, too, son of Apollo, died there at Lycus’ court, wounded a wild boar, when he had gone out to fetch straw. His avenger was Idas, son of Aphareus, who killed the boar.
Butes, son of Teleon, though diverted by the singing and lyre of Orpheus, nevertheless was overcome by the sweetness of the Sirens’ song, and in an effort to swim to them threw himself into the sea. Venus saved him at Lilybaeum, as he was borne along by the waves.
These are the ones who did not reach Colchis.
One the return trip Eurybates, son of Teleon, died, and Canthus, son of *cerion. They were slain in Libya by the shepherd Cephalion, brother of Nasamon, son of the nymph Tritonis and Amphithemis, whose flocks they were plundering.
Mopsus, too, son of Ampycus, died of a serpent’s bite in Africa. He had joined the Argonauts on the trip after his father Ampycus had been slain.
There likewise joined them on the island of Dia the sons of Phrixus and Chalciope, Medea’s sister – Argus, Melas, Phrontides, and Cylindrus. Others say they were named Phronius, Demoleon, Autolycus, and Phlogius.
-
When Hercules took them as companions when he went after the Girdle of the Amazons, he left them terror-struck [corrupt]. When the Argonauts started for Colchis, they wanted to have Hercules as leader. He declined, saying that Jason, at whose instigation they all were going, should be the leader. Jason, therefore, directed them.
Argus, son of Danaus, was shipbuilder; Tiphys was pilot. After his death Ancaeus, son of Neptune, steered. Lynceus, son of Aphareus, who had keen sight, was the lookout man at the prow; helmsmen were Zetes and Calais, sons of Aquilo, who had wings on head and feet. At prow and oars sat Peleus and Telamon; at the centre [?] Hercules and Idas. The rest kept their positions. Orpheus, son of Oeagrus, gave the calls. Later, when Hercules left his place, Peleus, son of Aeacus, sat there.
This is the ship Argo, which Minerva had put in the circle of stars because she built it. When first the ship was launched into the sea, it appeared among the stars from rudder to sail. Cicero in his Phaenomenna described its appearance and beauty in the following verses:
"Moving slowly near the tail of the Dog,
the Argo glides along,
bearing her stern first, with its light;
not as other ships are wont to move
their prows on the deep
cleaving the Neptunian meadows with their beaks,
but she bears herself backward
through the turning spaces of the sky
just as when sailors approach safe harbors,
they turn their ship with its great burden
and drag the stern backward to the longed-for shore;
so old Argo glides beyond[?] the turning heavens,
and her rudder, hanging from the moving stern,
touches the rear foot-tracks of the shining Dog."
This ship has four stars on her stern;
on the right of the rudder, five;
on the left, four – all alive;
in all, thirteen.
XV. WOMEN OF LEMNOS
On the island of Lemnos the women for several years did not make offerings to Venus, and because of her anger their husbands married Thracian wives and scorned their former ones. But the Lemnian women (all except Hypsipyle), instigated by the same Venus, conspired to kill the whole tribe of men who were there. Hypsipyle secretly put her father Thoas on board a ship which a storm carried to the island Taurica.
In the meantime, the Argonauts, sailing along, came to Lemnos. When Iphinoe, guardian of the harbour, saw them, she announced their coming to Hypsipyle the queen, to whom Polyxo, by virtue of her middle age, gave advice that she should put them under obligation to the gods of hospitality and invite them to a friendly reception.
Hypsipyle bore sons to Jason, Euneus and Deipylus. Delayed many days there, they were chided by Hercules, and departed.
Now when the Lemnian women learned that Hypsipyle had saved her father, they tried to kill her. She fled, but pirates captured her, took her to Thebes, and sold her as a slave to King Lycus.
The Lemnian women gave the names of the Argonauts to the children they had conceived by them.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#15
This passage continues with the rest of the voyage, but in next episode we begin in full the adventures of Jason and the Argonauts.
Launch of the Argo, from The Fables of Hyginus.
Previously, Jason vowed to retrieve the golden fleece, and dozens of Argonauts joined in the quest. This passage continues listing the crew-members, recounts who was lost along the way, and their first adventure on the Island of Lemnos.
Many Argonauts are given fuller descriptions here: Castor & Pollux, Lynceus & Idas, Zetes & Calais, and Jason's cousin Prince Acastus.
Of those who were lost on the way, Hylus, Hercules, and Polyphemus were all left behind. Tiphys and Idmon both died, and Butes jumped overboard. On the way back, Eurybates, Canthus, and Mopsus all died.
The Argonauts first stop was on the Island of Lemnos. Before they arrived, all the men on the island had been killed by the women, except for Queen Hypsipyle, who spared her father. The Argonauts were very welcomed, and the women bore them many sons after they had set sail.
One final note: this passage is a bit fragmentary and corrupt in places, so there is just a bit of editing.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#15
Launch of the Argo,
a Legendary Passage from,
GAIUS JULIUS HYGINUS,
FABLES XIV - XV,
trans. by MARY GRANT.
[14] - [15]
Castor and Pollus, sons of Jove and Leda, daughter of Thestius, Lacedaemonians; others call them Spartans, both beardless youths. It is written that at the same time stars appeared on their heads, seeming to have fallen there.
Lynceus and Idas, sons of Aphareus and Arena, daughter of Oebalus, Messenians from the Peloponnesus. They say that one of these, Lynceus, saw things hidden underground, not hindered by any darkness. Others say that Lynceus saw nothing by night. He was said to see underground because he knew gold mines; when he went down and suddenly showed gold the rumor spread that he could see beneath the earth. Idas, too, was keen and spirited.
Periclymenus, son of Neleus and Chloris, daughter of Amphion and Niobe; he was from Pylos.
Amphidamas and Cepheus, sons of Aleus and Cleobule, from Arcadia.
Ancaeus, son of Lycurgus; others say grandson, from Tegea.
Augeas, son of Sol and Nausidame, daughter of Amphidamas; he was an Elean.
Asterion and Amphion, sons of Hyperasius, others say of Hippasus, from Pellene.
Euphemus, son of Neptune and Europe, daughter of Tityus, a Taenarian. It is said he could run over water with dry feet.
A second Ancaeus, son of Neptune by Althaea, daughter of Thestius, from the island Imbrasus, which was called Parthenia but is now called Samos.
Erginus, son of Neptune, from Miletus; some say son of Periclymenus, from Orchomenus.
Meleager, son of Oeneus and Althaea, daughter of Thestius; some think son of Mars, a Calydonian.
Laocoön, son of Porthaon, brother of Oeneus, a Calydonian.
A second Iphiclus, son of Thestius by Leucippe, brother of Althaea by the same mother, a Lacedaemonian; he was ****, a runner and javelin-thrower.
Iphitus, son of Naubolus, from Phocis; others say that he was the son of Hippasus from the Peloponnesus.
Zetes and Calais, sons of the wind Aquilo and Orithyia, daughter of Erechtheus. These are said to have had wings on head and feet and dark-blue locks, and travelled by air. They drove away the three Harpies, Aëllopous, Celaeno, and Ocypete, daughter of Thaumas and Oxomene, from Phiensu, son of Agenor, when Jason’s comrades were going to Colchis. They are said to have been feathered, with cocks’ heads, wings, and human arms, with great claws; breasts, bellies, and female parts human. Zetes and Calais, however, were slain by the weapons of Hercules. The stones placed over their tombs are moved by their father’s blasts. These, too, are said to be from Thrace.
Phocus and Priasus, sons of Caeneus, from Magnesia.
Eurymedon, son of Father Liber and Ariadne, daughter of Minos, from Phlius.
Palaemonius, son of Lernus, a Calydonian.
Actor, son of Hippasus, from the Peloponnesus.
*****thersanon, son of Sol and Leucothoe, from Andros.
Hippalcimus, son of Pelops and Hippodamia, daughter of Oenomaus, from the Peloponnesus.
Asclepius, son of Apollo and coronis, from Tricca.
. . . Thestius’ daughter, an Argive.
Neleus, son of Hippocoon, from Pylos.
Iolaus, son of Iphiclus, an Argive.
Deucalion, son of Minos and Pasiphaë, daughter of Sol, from Crete.
Philoctetes, son of Poeas, from Meliboea.
Another Caeneus, son of Coronus, from Gortyn.
Acastus, son of Pelias and Anaxibia, daughter of Bias, from Iolchus, clad in a double mantle. He joined the Argonauts as a volunteer, a comrade of Jason of his own accord.
-
Morover, all these were called Minyae, either because daughters of Minyas bore most of them, or because Jason’s mother was a daughter of Clymene, daughter of Minyas.
But neither did all reach Colchis nor all return to their country. For in Moesia near Cios and the river Ascanius, Hylas was snatched away by nymphs. While Hercules and Polyphemus were seeking him, they were left behind, a wind carrying the ship on. Polyphemus, too, was left by Hercules. After founding a city in Moesia, he perished among the Chalybes.
Again, Tiphys became ill and died among the Mariandyni in Propontis where Lycus was king; in his place Ancaeus, Neptune’s son, steered the ship to Colchis. Idmon, too, son of Apollo, died there at Lycus’ court, wounded a wild boar, when he had gone out to fetch straw. His avenger was Idas, son of Aphareus, who killed the boar.
Butes, son of Teleon, though diverted by the singing and lyre of Orpheus, nevertheless was overcome by the sweetness of the Sirens’ song, and in an effort to swim to them threw himself into the sea. Venus saved him at Lilybaeum, as he was borne along by the waves.
These are the ones who did not reach Colchis.
One the return trip Eurybates, son of Teleon, died, and Canthus, son of *cerion. They were slain in Libya by the shepherd Cephalion, brother of Nasamon, son of the nymph Tritonis and Amphithemis, whose flocks they were plundering.
Mopsus, too, son of Ampycus, died of a serpent’s bite in Africa. He had joined the Argonauts on the trip after his father Ampycus had been slain.
There likewise joined them on the island of Dia the sons of Phrixus and Chalciope, Medea’s sister – Argus, Melas, Phrontides, and Cylindrus. Others say they were named Phronius, Demoleon, Autolycus, and Phlogius.
-
When Hercules took them as companions when he went after the Girdle of the Amazons, he left them terror-struck [corrupt]. When the Argonauts started for Colchis, they wanted to have Hercules as leader. He declined, saying that Jason, at whose instigation they all were going, should be the leader. Jason, therefore, directed them.
Argus, son of Danaus, was shipbuilder; Tiphys was pilot. After his death Ancaeus, son of Neptune, steered. Lynceus, son of Aphareus, who had keen sight, was the lookout man at the prow; helmsmen were Zetes and Calais, sons of Aquilo, who had wings on head and feet. At prow and oars sat Peleus and Telamon; at the centre [?] Hercules and Idas. The rest kept their positions. Orpheus, son of Oeagrus, gave the calls. Later, when Hercules left his place, Peleus, son of Aeacus, sat there.
This is the ship Argo, which Minerva had put in the circle of stars because she built it. When first the ship was launched into the sea, it appeared among the stars from rudder to sail. Cicero in his Phaenomenna described its appearance and beauty in the following verses:
"Moving slowly near the tail of the Dog,
the Argo glides along,
bearing her stern first, with its light;
not as other ships are wont to move
their prows on the deep
cleaving the Neptunian meadows with their beaks,
but she bears herself backward
through the turning spaces of the sky
just as when sailors approach safe harbors,
they turn their ship with its great burden
and drag the stern backward to the longed-for shore;
so old Argo glides beyond[?] the turning heavens,
and her rudder, hanging from the moving stern,
touches the rear foot-tracks of the shining Dog."
This ship has four stars on her stern;
on the right of the rudder, five;
on the left, four – all alive;
in all, thirteen.
XV. WOMEN OF LEMNOS
On the island of Lemnos the women for several years did not make offerings to Venus, and because of her anger their husbands married Thracian wives and scorned their former ones. But the Lemnian women (all except Hypsipyle), instigated by the same Venus, conspired to kill the whole tribe of men who were there. Hypsipyle secretly put her father Thoas on board a ship which a storm carried to the island Taurica.
In the meantime, the Argonauts, sailing along, came to Lemnos. When Iphinoe, guardian of the harbour, saw them, she announced their coming to Hypsipyle the queen, to whom Polyxo, by virtue of her middle age, gave advice that she should put them under obligation to the gods of hospitality and invite them to a friendly reception.
Hypsipyle bore sons to Jason, Euneus and Deipylus. Delayed many days there, they were chided by Hercules, and departed.
Now when the Lemnian women learned that Hypsipyle had saved her father, they tried to kill her. She fled, but pirates captured her, took her to Thebes, and sold her as a slave to King Lycus.
The Lemnian women gave the names of the Argonauts to the children they had conceived by them.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#15
This passage continues with the rest of the voyage, but in next episode we begin in full the adventures of Jason and the Argonauts.
Sunday, November 19, 2017
LP0078 -IV ARGONAUTS- The Argonauts Assembled, from The Fables of Hyginus
Legendary Passages #0078 -IV ARGONAUTS-
The Argonauts Assembled, from The Fables of Hyginus.
Previously, Phrixus escaped from his mother Ino on a flying golden ram to Cholchis. This time, more details on the families of Ino, Antiopa, and Jason.
Antiopa was a daughter of Nycteus, and had by Jupiter twin sons named Amphion and Zetus. She was captured by Lycus and his wife Dirce, but when her sons grew up they avenged her. Amphion became king, married Niobe, and had many children... most of whom died.
Anyway, Jason, on his way to a sacrifice, helped an old woman cross a stream and lost one sandal. King Pelias had been warned about a one-sandaled man causing his death, so he gave his nephew Jason the quest to retrieve the golden fleece. Fortunately, dozens of heroes volunteered to join the expedition to Cholchis.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#4
The Argonauts Assembled,
a Legendary Passage from,
GAIUS JULIUS HYGINUS,
FABLES IV - XIV,
trans. by MARY GRANT.
[4] - [14]
IV. INO OF EURIPIDES
When Athamas, king in Thessaly, thought that his wife Ino, by whom he begat two sons, had perished, he married Themisto, the daughter of a nymph, and had twin sons by her. Later he discovered that Ino was on Parnassus, where she had gone for the Bacchic revels. He sent someone to bring her home, and concealed her when she came. Themisto discovered she had been found, but didn’t know her identity. She conceived the desire of killing Ino’s sons, and made Ino herself, whom she believed to be a captive, a confidant in the plan, telling her to cover her children with white garments, but Ino’s with black. Ino covered her own with white, and Themisto’s with dark; then Themisto mistakenly slew her own sons. When she discovered this, she killed herself.
Moreover, Athamas, while hunting, in a fit of madness killed his older son Learchus; but Ino with the younger, Melicertes, cast herself into the sea and was made a goddess.
V. ATHAMAS
Because Semele had lain with Jove, Juno was hostile to her whole race; and so Athamas, son of Aeolus, through madness killed his son with arrows while hunting.
VI. CADMUS
Cadmus, son of Agenor and Argiope, along with Harmonia his wife, daughter of Venus and Mars, after their children had been killed, were turned into snakes in the region of Illyria by the wrath of Mars, because Cadmus had slain the dragon, guardian of the fountain of Castalia.
VII. ANTIOPA
Antiopa, daughter of Nycteus, was by a trick violated by Epaphus, and as a consequence was cast off by her husband Lycus. Thus widowed, Jupiter embraced her. But Lycus married Dirce. She, suspecting that her husband had secretly lain with Antiopa, ordered her servants to keep her bound in darkness. When her time was approaching, by the will of Jove she escaped from her chains to Mount Cithaeron, and when birth was imminent and she sought for a place to bear the child, pain compelled her to give birth at the very crossroads. Shepherds reared her sons as their own, and called one Zetos, from “seeking a place,” and the other Amphion, because “she gave birth at the crossroads, or by the road.”
When the sons found out who their mother was, they put Dirce to death by binding her to an untamed bull; by the kindness of Liber, whose votary she was, on Mount Cithaeron a spring was formed from her body, which was called Dirce.
VIII. ANTIOPA OF EURIPIDES [WHICH ENNIUS WROTE]
Antiopa was the daughter of Nycteus, king in Boeotia; entranced by her great beauty, Jupiter made her pregnant. When her father wished to punish her on account of her disgrace, and threatened harm, Antiopa fled. By chance Epaphus, a Sicyonian, was staying in the place to which she came, and he brought the woman to his house and married her. Nycteus took this hard, and as he was dying, bound by oath his brother Lycus, to whom he left his kingdom, not to leave Antiopa unpunished.
After his death, Lycus came to Sicyon, and slaying Epaphus, brought Antiopa bound to Cithaeron. She bore sons, and left them there, but a shepherd reared them, naming them Zetus and Amphion. Antiopa had been given over to Dirce, Lycus’ wife, for punishment. When opportunity presented itself, she fled, and came to her sons. But Zetus, thinking her a runaway, did not accept her. Dirce, in the revels of Liber, was brought to the same place. There she found Antiopa and was dragging her to death. But the youths, informed by the shepherd who had reared them that she was their mother, quickly pursued and rescued their mother, but slew Dirce, binding her by the hair to a bull. When they were about to kill Lycus, Mercurius forbade them, and at the same time ordered Lycus to yield the kingdom to Amphion.
IX. NIOBE
Amphion and Zetus, sons of Jove and Antiopa, daughter of Nycteus, by the command of Apollo surrounded Thebes with a wall up to [corrupt], and driving Laius, son of King Labdacus, into exile, themselves held the royal power there. Amphion took in marriage Niobe, daughter of Tantalus and Dione, by whom he had seven sons and as many daughters. These children Niobe placed above those of Latona, and spoke rather contemptuously against Apollo and Diana because Diana was girt in man’s attire, and Apollo wore long hair and a woman’s gown. She said, too, that she surpassed Latona in number of children. Because of this Apollo slew her sons with arrows as they were hunting in the woods, and Diana shot and killed the daughters in the palace, all except Chloris. But the mother, bereft of her children, is said to have been turned into stone by weeping on Mount Sipylus, and her tears today are said to trickle down. Amphion, however, tried to storm the temple of Apollo, and was slain by the arrows of Apollo.
X. CHLORIS
Chloris was the only daughter of Niobe and Amphion who survived. Neleus, Hippocoon’s son, married her, and she bore to him twelve sons. When Hercules was besieging Pylus he slew Neleus and ten of his sons, but the eleventh, Periclymenus, was changed to an eagle by the favour of Neptune, his grandfather, and escaped death.
Now the twelfth, Nestor, was the one at Ilium. He is said to have lived three generations by favour of Apollo, for the years which Apollo had taken from Chloris and her brothers he granted to Nestor.
XI. CHILDREN OF NIOBE
Tantalus, Ismenus, Eupinytus, Phaedimus, Sipylus, Damasichthon, Archenor; Neara, Phthia, Astycratia, Chloris, [corrupt], Eudoxa, Ogygia. These are the sons and daughters of Niobe, wife of Amphion.
XII. PELIAS
An oracle bade Pelias, son of Cretheus and Tyro, sacrifice to Neptune, and told him his death was drawing near if a monocrepis, that is, a man wearing only one sandal, arrived. While he was making the yearly offerings to Neptune, Jason, son of Aeson, Pelias’ brother, himself eager to make sacrifice, lost his sandal as he was crossing the river Evenus, and in order to arrive promptly at the ceremonies, failed to recover it. When Pelias noticed this, remembering the warning of the oracle, he bade him procure from King Aeetes, his enemy, the golden fleece of the ram which Phrixus had dedicated to Mars at Colchis. Jason, calling together the leaders of the Greeks, set out for Colchis.
XIII. JUNO
When Juno, near the river Evenus, had changed her form to that of an old woman, and was waiting to test men’s minds to see if they would carry her across the river Evenus, no one offered till Jason, son of Aeson and Alcimede, took her across. But, angry at Pelias for failing to sacrifice to her, she caused Jason to leave one sandal in the mud.
[14] XIV. ARGONAUTS ASSSEMBLED
Jason, son of Aeson and Alcimede, Clymene’s daughter, leader of the Thessalians.
Orpheus, son of Oeagrus and the Muse Calliope, Thracian, from the city [corrupt] which is on Mount Olympus near the river Enipeus, prophet, player on the lyre.
Asterion, son of [corrupt] by Antigona, daughter of Pheres, from the city Pellene. Others call him son of Hyperasius, from the city Piresia, which is at the foot of Mount Phylleus in Thessaly, a place where two rivers, flowing separately, the Apidanus and the Enipeus, join into one.
Polyphemus, son of Elatus by Hippea, daughter of Antippus, a Thessalian from the city Larissa, lame of foot.
Iphiclus, son of Phylacus, by Periclymene, daughter of Minyas, from Thessaly, Jason’s maternal uncle.
Admetus, son of Pheres, by Periclymene, daughter of Minyas, from Mount Chalcodonius, whence both town and river derive their names. His flocks they say Apollo pastured.
Eurytus and Echion, sons of Mercury and Antianira, daughter of Menetus, from the city Alope, which is now called Ephesus; some authors think them Thessalians.
Aethalides, son of Mercury and Eupolemia, daughter of Myrmidon; he was a Larissaean.
Coronus, son of Caeneus, from the city of Gyrton, which is in Thessaly. This Caeneus, son of Elatus, a Magnesian, proved that in no way could the Centaurs wound him with steel, but they did so with trunks of trees sharpened to a point. Some say that he was once a woman, and in answer to her petition, Neptune for her favors granted that she be turned into a man, and be invulnerable to any blow. This has never been done, nor is it possible for any mortal by invulnerability to escape death by steel, or be changed from a woman into a man.
Mopsus, son of Ampycus and Chloris; taught augury by Apollo, he came from Oechalia, or, as some think, he was a Titarensian.
Eurydamas, son of Irus and Demonassa; others call him son of Ctimenus, who dwelt in the city Dolopeis near Lake Xynius.
Theseus, son of Aegeus and Aethra, daughter of Pittheus, from Troezene; others say from Athens.
Perithous, son of Ixion, brother of the Centaurs, a Thessalian.
Menoetius, son of Actor, an Opuntian.
Eribotes, son of Teleon, ****
Eurytion, son of Irus and Demonassa.
*ixition from the town Cerinthus.
Oileus, son of Hodoedocus and Agrianome, daughter of Perseon, from the city Narycea.
Clytius and Iphitus, sons of Eurytus and Antiope, daughter of Pylo, kings of Oechalia. Others say they came from Euboea. Eurytus, taught archery by Apollo, is said to have contended with the granter of the gift. His son Clytius was killed by Aeetes.
Peleus and Telamon, sons of Aeacus and Endeis, daughter of Chiron, from the island of Aegina. These left their country because of the slaughter of Phocus their brother, and sought different homes – Peleus, Phthia, and Telamon, Salamis, which Apollonius of Rhodes calls Atthis.
Butes, son of Teleon and Zeuxippe, daughter of the river Eridanus, from Athens.
Phaleros, son of Alcon, from Athens.
Tiphys, son of Phorbas and Hyrmine, a Boeotian; he was steersman of the ship Argo.
Argus, son of Polybus and Argia; some say son of Danaus. He was an Argive, wearing a black-haired bull’s hide. He was the builder of the ship Argo.
Phliasus, son of Father Liber and Ariadne, daughter of Minos, from the city Phlius, which is in the Peloponnesus. Others call him a Theban.
Hylas, son of Theodamas and the nymph Menodice, daughter of Orion, a youth, from Oechalia; others say from Argos, a companion of Hercules.
Nauplius, son of Neptune and Amymone, daughter of Danaus, an Argive.
Idmon, son of Apollo, and the nymph Cyrene; some say of Abas, an Argive. He was skilled in augury, and though he knew of his coming death by birds that foretold it, he did not shun the fatal expedition.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#4
This passage continues next episode with the launch of the Argo and its first adventures.
The Argonauts Assembled, from The Fables of Hyginus.
Previously, Phrixus escaped from his mother Ino on a flying golden ram to Cholchis. This time, more details on the families of Ino, Antiopa, and Jason.
Antiopa was a daughter of Nycteus, and had by Jupiter twin sons named Amphion and Zetus. She was captured by Lycus and his wife Dirce, but when her sons grew up they avenged her. Amphion became king, married Niobe, and had many children... most of whom died.
Anyway, Jason, on his way to a sacrifice, helped an old woman cross a stream and lost one sandal. King Pelias had been warned about a one-sandaled man causing his death, so he gave his nephew Jason the quest to retrieve the golden fleece. Fortunately, dozens of heroes volunteered to join the expedition to Cholchis.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#4
The Argonauts Assembled,
a Legendary Passage from,
GAIUS JULIUS HYGINUS,
FABLES IV - XIV,
trans. by MARY GRANT.
[4] - [14]
IV. INO OF EURIPIDES
When Athamas, king in Thessaly, thought that his wife Ino, by whom he begat two sons, had perished, he married Themisto, the daughter of a nymph, and had twin sons by her. Later he discovered that Ino was on Parnassus, where she had gone for the Bacchic revels. He sent someone to bring her home, and concealed her when she came. Themisto discovered she had been found, but didn’t know her identity. She conceived the desire of killing Ino’s sons, and made Ino herself, whom she believed to be a captive, a confidant in the plan, telling her to cover her children with white garments, but Ino’s with black. Ino covered her own with white, and Themisto’s with dark; then Themisto mistakenly slew her own sons. When she discovered this, she killed herself.
Moreover, Athamas, while hunting, in a fit of madness killed his older son Learchus; but Ino with the younger, Melicertes, cast herself into the sea and was made a goddess.
V. ATHAMAS
Because Semele had lain with Jove, Juno was hostile to her whole race; and so Athamas, son of Aeolus, through madness killed his son with arrows while hunting.
VI. CADMUS
Cadmus, son of Agenor and Argiope, along with Harmonia his wife, daughter of Venus and Mars, after their children had been killed, were turned into snakes in the region of Illyria by the wrath of Mars, because Cadmus had slain the dragon, guardian of the fountain of Castalia.
VII. ANTIOPA
Antiopa, daughter of Nycteus, was by a trick violated by Epaphus, and as a consequence was cast off by her husband Lycus. Thus widowed, Jupiter embraced her. But Lycus married Dirce. She, suspecting that her husband had secretly lain with Antiopa, ordered her servants to keep her bound in darkness. When her time was approaching, by the will of Jove she escaped from her chains to Mount Cithaeron, and when birth was imminent and she sought for a place to bear the child, pain compelled her to give birth at the very crossroads. Shepherds reared her sons as their own, and called one Zetos, from “seeking a place,” and the other Amphion, because “she gave birth at the crossroads, or by the road.”
When the sons found out who their mother was, they put Dirce to death by binding her to an untamed bull; by the kindness of Liber, whose votary she was, on Mount Cithaeron a spring was formed from her body, which was called Dirce.
VIII. ANTIOPA OF EURIPIDES [WHICH ENNIUS WROTE]
Antiopa was the daughter of Nycteus, king in Boeotia; entranced by her great beauty, Jupiter made her pregnant. When her father wished to punish her on account of her disgrace, and threatened harm, Antiopa fled. By chance Epaphus, a Sicyonian, was staying in the place to which she came, and he brought the woman to his house and married her. Nycteus took this hard, and as he was dying, bound by oath his brother Lycus, to whom he left his kingdom, not to leave Antiopa unpunished.
After his death, Lycus came to Sicyon, and slaying Epaphus, brought Antiopa bound to Cithaeron. She bore sons, and left them there, but a shepherd reared them, naming them Zetus and Amphion. Antiopa had been given over to Dirce, Lycus’ wife, for punishment. When opportunity presented itself, she fled, and came to her sons. But Zetus, thinking her a runaway, did not accept her. Dirce, in the revels of Liber, was brought to the same place. There she found Antiopa and was dragging her to death. But the youths, informed by the shepherd who had reared them that she was their mother, quickly pursued and rescued their mother, but slew Dirce, binding her by the hair to a bull. When they were about to kill Lycus, Mercurius forbade them, and at the same time ordered Lycus to yield the kingdom to Amphion.
IX. NIOBE
Amphion and Zetus, sons of Jove and Antiopa, daughter of Nycteus, by the command of Apollo surrounded Thebes with a wall up to [corrupt], and driving Laius, son of King Labdacus, into exile, themselves held the royal power there. Amphion took in marriage Niobe, daughter of Tantalus and Dione, by whom he had seven sons and as many daughters. These children Niobe placed above those of Latona, and spoke rather contemptuously against Apollo and Diana because Diana was girt in man’s attire, and Apollo wore long hair and a woman’s gown. She said, too, that she surpassed Latona in number of children. Because of this Apollo slew her sons with arrows as they were hunting in the woods, and Diana shot and killed the daughters in the palace, all except Chloris. But the mother, bereft of her children, is said to have been turned into stone by weeping on Mount Sipylus, and her tears today are said to trickle down. Amphion, however, tried to storm the temple of Apollo, and was slain by the arrows of Apollo.
X. CHLORIS
Chloris was the only daughter of Niobe and Amphion who survived. Neleus, Hippocoon’s son, married her, and she bore to him twelve sons. When Hercules was besieging Pylus he slew Neleus and ten of his sons, but the eleventh, Periclymenus, was changed to an eagle by the favour of Neptune, his grandfather, and escaped death.
Now the twelfth, Nestor, was the one at Ilium. He is said to have lived three generations by favour of Apollo, for the years which Apollo had taken from Chloris and her brothers he granted to Nestor.
XI. CHILDREN OF NIOBE
Tantalus, Ismenus, Eupinytus, Phaedimus, Sipylus, Damasichthon, Archenor; Neara, Phthia, Astycratia, Chloris, [corrupt], Eudoxa, Ogygia. These are the sons and daughters of Niobe, wife of Amphion.
XII. PELIAS
An oracle bade Pelias, son of Cretheus and Tyro, sacrifice to Neptune, and told him his death was drawing near if a monocrepis, that is, a man wearing only one sandal, arrived. While he was making the yearly offerings to Neptune, Jason, son of Aeson, Pelias’ brother, himself eager to make sacrifice, lost his sandal as he was crossing the river Evenus, and in order to arrive promptly at the ceremonies, failed to recover it. When Pelias noticed this, remembering the warning of the oracle, he bade him procure from King Aeetes, his enemy, the golden fleece of the ram which Phrixus had dedicated to Mars at Colchis. Jason, calling together the leaders of the Greeks, set out for Colchis.
XIII. JUNO
When Juno, near the river Evenus, had changed her form to that of an old woman, and was waiting to test men’s minds to see if they would carry her across the river Evenus, no one offered till Jason, son of Aeson and Alcimede, took her across. But, angry at Pelias for failing to sacrifice to her, she caused Jason to leave one sandal in the mud.
[14] XIV. ARGONAUTS ASSSEMBLED
Jason, son of Aeson and Alcimede, Clymene’s daughter, leader of the Thessalians.
Orpheus, son of Oeagrus and the Muse Calliope, Thracian, from the city [corrupt] which is on Mount Olympus near the river Enipeus, prophet, player on the lyre.
Asterion, son of [corrupt] by Antigona, daughter of Pheres, from the city Pellene. Others call him son of Hyperasius, from the city Piresia, which is at the foot of Mount Phylleus in Thessaly, a place where two rivers, flowing separately, the Apidanus and the Enipeus, join into one.
Polyphemus, son of Elatus by Hippea, daughter of Antippus, a Thessalian from the city Larissa, lame of foot.
Iphiclus, son of Phylacus, by Periclymene, daughter of Minyas, from Thessaly, Jason’s maternal uncle.
Admetus, son of Pheres, by Periclymene, daughter of Minyas, from Mount Chalcodonius, whence both town and river derive their names. His flocks they say Apollo pastured.
Eurytus and Echion, sons of Mercury and Antianira, daughter of Menetus, from the city Alope, which is now called Ephesus; some authors think them Thessalians.
Aethalides, son of Mercury and Eupolemia, daughter of Myrmidon; he was a Larissaean.
Coronus, son of Caeneus, from the city of Gyrton, which is in Thessaly. This Caeneus, son of Elatus, a Magnesian, proved that in no way could the Centaurs wound him with steel, but they did so with trunks of trees sharpened to a point. Some say that he was once a woman, and in answer to her petition, Neptune for her favors granted that she be turned into a man, and be invulnerable to any blow. This has never been done, nor is it possible for any mortal by invulnerability to escape death by steel, or be changed from a woman into a man.
Mopsus, son of Ampycus and Chloris; taught augury by Apollo, he came from Oechalia, or, as some think, he was a Titarensian.
Eurydamas, son of Irus and Demonassa; others call him son of Ctimenus, who dwelt in the city Dolopeis near Lake Xynius.
Theseus, son of Aegeus and Aethra, daughter of Pittheus, from Troezene; others say from Athens.
Perithous, son of Ixion, brother of the Centaurs, a Thessalian.
Menoetius, son of Actor, an Opuntian.
Eribotes, son of Teleon, ****
Eurytion, son of Irus and Demonassa.
*ixition from the town Cerinthus.
Oileus, son of Hodoedocus and Agrianome, daughter of Perseon, from the city Narycea.
Clytius and Iphitus, sons of Eurytus and Antiope, daughter of Pylo, kings of Oechalia. Others say they came from Euboea. Eurytus, taught archery by Apollo, is said to have contended with the granter of the gift. His son Clytius was killed by Aeetes.
Peleus and Telamon, sons of Aeacus and Endeis, daughter of Chiron, from the island of Aegina. These left their country because of the slaughter of Phocus their brother, and sought different homes – Peleus, Phthia, and Telamon, Salamis, which Apollonius of Rhodes calls Atthis.
Butes, son of Teleon and Zeuxippe, daughter of the river Eridanus, from Athens.
Phaleros, son of Alcon, from Athens.
Tiphys, son of Phorbas and Hyrmine, a Boeotian; he was steersman of the ship Argo.
Argus, son of Polybus and Argia; some say son of Danaus. He was an Argive, wearing a black-haired bull’s hide. He was the builder of the ship Argo.
Phliasus, son of Father Liber and Ariadne, daughter of Minos, from the city Phlius, which is in the Peloponnesus. Others call him a Theban.
Hylas, son of Theodamas and the nymph Menodice, daughter of Orion, a youth, from Oechalia; others say from Argos, a companion of Hercules.
Nauplius, son of Neptune and Amymone, daughter of Danaus, an Argive.
Idmon, son of Apollo, and the nymph Cyrene; some say of Abas, an Argive. He was skilled in augury, and though he knew of his coming death by birds that foretold it, he did not shun the fatal expedition.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#4
This passage continues next episode with the launch of the Argo and its first adventures.
Monday, November 13, 2017
LP0077 -III ARGONAUTS- Introduction to the Argonauts, from The Library of Apollodorus
Legendary Passages #0077 -III ARGONAUTS-
Introduction to the Argonauts, from The Library of Apollodorus.
Previously, Ino conspired to sacrifice her stepson Phrixus, but he escaped on the back of a flying golden ram. Another version of that tale is told here, as well as the backgrounds and genealogies of many Argonauts, including Jason.
Aeolus had sons Sisyphus and Athamas, who was father of Phrixus and husband of Nephele, Ino, and Themisto; and they all came to bad ends.
Salmoneus impersonated Zeus and got thunderbolted, but his daughter Tyro married King Cretheus of Iolcus, and had sons Amythaon, Pheres, and Aeson, father of Jason. Tyro had also by Poseidon sons Neleus and Pelias.
Pelias became king after Cretheus, and made an enemy of Hera by killing his own step-mother on the altar of the goddess. This will come back to haunt him later, as we shall see.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/Apollodorus1.html#9
Introduction to the Argonauts,
a Legendary Passage from,
PSEUDO-APOLLODORUS,
BIBLIOTHECA, or THE LIBRARY,
BOOK 1 Section 9,
translated by J. G. FRAZER.
[1.9.1] - [1.9.16]
Of the sons of Aeolus, Athamas ruled over Boeotia and begat a son Phrixus and a daughter Helle by Nephele. And he married a second wife, Ino, by whom he had Learchus and Melicertes. But Ino plotted against the children of Nephele and persuaded the women to parch the wheat; and having got the wheat they did so without the knowledge of the men. But the earth, being sown with parched wheat, did not yield its annual crops; so Athamas sent to Delphi to inquire how he might be delivered from the dearth. Now Ino persuaded the messengers to say it was foretold that the infertility would cease if Phrixus were sacrificed to Zeus. When Athamas heard that, he was forced by the inhabitants of the land to bring Phrixus to the altar.
But Nephele caught him and her daughter up and gave them a ram with a golden fleece, which she had received from Hermes, and borne through the sky by the ram they crossed land and sea. But when they were over the sea which lies betwixt Sigeum and the Chersonese, Helle slipped into the deep and was drowned, and the sea was called Hellespont after her.
But Phrixus came to the Colchians, whose king was Aeetes, son of the Sun and of Perseis, and brother of Circe and Pasiphae, whom Minos married. He received Phrixus and gave him one of his daughters, Chalciope. And Phrixus sacrificed the ram with the golden fleece to Zeus the god of Escape, and the fleece he gave to Aeetes, who nailed it to an oak in a grove of Ares. And Phrixus had children by Chalciope, to wit, Argus, Melas, Phrontis, and Cytisorus.
But afterwards Athamas was bereft also of the children of Ino through the wrath of Hera; for he went mad and shot Learchus with an arrow, and Ino cast herself and Melicertes into the sea. Being banished from Boeotia, Athamas inquired of the god where he should dwell, and on receiving an oracle that he should dwell in whatever place he should be entertained by wild beasts, he traversed a great extent of country till he fell in with wolves that were devouring pieces of sheep; but when they saw him they abandoned their prey and fled. So Athamas settled in that country and named it Athamantia after himself; and he married Themisto, daughter of Hypseus, and begat Leucon, Erythrius, Schoeneus, and Ptous.
And Sisyphus, son of Aeolus, founded Ephyra, which is now called Corinth, and married Merope, daughter of Atlas. They had a son Glaucus, who had by Eurymede a son Bellerophon, who slew the fire breathing Chimera. But Sisyphus is punished in Hades by rolling a stone with his hands and head in the effort to heave it over the top; but push it as he will, it rebounds backward. This punishment he endures for the sake of Aegina, daughter of Asopus; for when Zeus had secretly carried her off, Sisyphus is said to have betrayed the secret to Asopus, who was looking for her.
Deion reigned over Phocis and married Diomede, daughter of Xuthus; and there were born to him a daughter, Asterodia, and sons, Aenetus, Actor, Phylacus, and Cephalus, who married Procris, daughter of Erechtheus. But afterwards Dawn fell in love with him and carried him off.
Perieres took possession of Messene and married Gorgophone, daughter of Perseus, by whom he had sons, to wit, Aphareus and Leucippus, and Tyndareus, and also Icarius. But many say that Perieres was not the son of Aeolus but of Cynortas, son of Amyclas; so we shall narrate the history of the descendants of Perieres in dealing with the family of Atlas.
Magnes married a Naiad nymph, and sons were born to him, Polydectes and Dictys; these colonized Seriphus.
Salmoneus at first dwelt in Thessaly, but afterwards he came to Elis and there founded a city. And being arrogant and wishful to put himself on an equality with Zeus, he was punished for his impiety; for he said that he was himself Zeus, and he took away the sacrifices of the god and ordered them to be offered to himself; and by dragging dried hides, with bronze kettles, at his chariot, he said that he thundered, and by flinging lighted torches at the sky he said that he lightened. But Zeus struck him with a thunderbolt, and wiped out the city he had founded with all its inhabitants.
Now Tyro, daughter of Salmoneus and Alcidice, was brought up by Cretheus, brother of Salmoneus, and conceived a passion for the river Enipeus, and often would she hie to its running waters and utter her plaint to them. But Poseidon in the likeness of Enipeus lay with her, and she secretly gave birth to twin sons, whom she exposed. As the babes lay forlorn, a mare, belonging to some passing horsekeepers, kicked with its hoof one of the two infants and left a livid mark on its face. The horsekeeper took up both the children and reared them; and the one with the livid (pelion) mark he called Pelias, and the other Neleus. When they were grown up, they discovered their mother and killed their stepmother Sidero. For knowing that their mother was ill-used by her, they attacked her, but before they could catch her she had taken refuge in the precinct of Hera. However, Pelias cut her down on the very altars, and ever after he continued to treat Hera with contumely.
But afterwards the brothers fell out, and Neleus, being banished, came to Messene, and founded Pylus, and married Chloris, daughter of Amphion, by whom he had a daughter, Pero, and sons, to wit, Taurus, Asterius, Pylaon, Deimachus, Eurybius, Epilaus, Phrasius, Eurymenes, Evagoras, Alastor, Nestor and Periclymenus, whom Poseidon granted the power of changing his shape. And when Hercules was ravaging Pylus, in the fight Periclymenus turned himself into a lion, a snake, and a bee, but was slain by Hercules with the other sons of Neleus. Nestor alone was saved, because he was brought up among the Gerenians. He married Anaxibia, daughter of Cratieus, and begat daughters, Pisidice and Polycaste, and sons, Perseus, Stratichus, Aretus, Echephron, Pisistratus, Antilochus, and Thrasymedes.
But Pelias dwelt in Thessaly and married Anaxibia, daughter of Bias, but according to some his wife was Phylomache, daughter of Amphion; and he begat a son, Acastus, and daughters, Pisidice, Pelopia, Hippothoe, and Alcestis.
Cretheus founded Iolcus and married Tyro, daughter of Salmoneus, by whom he had sons, Aeson, Amythaon, and Pheres. Amythaon dwelt in Pylus and married Idomene, daughter of Pheres, and there were born to him two sons, Bias and Melampus. The latter lived in the country, and before his house there was an oak, in which there was a lair of snakes. His servants killed the snakes, but Melampus gathered wood and burnt the reptiles, and reared the young ones. And when the young were full grown, they stood beside him at each of his shoulders as he slept, and they purged his ears with their tongues. He started up in a great fright, but understood the voices of the birds flying overhead, and from what he learned from them he foretold to men what should come to pass. He acquired besides the art of taking the auspices, and having fallen in with Apollo at the Alpheus he was ever after an excellent soothsayer.
Bias wooed Pero, daughter of Neleus. But as there were many suitors for his daughter's hand, Neleus said that he would give her to him who should bring him the kine of Phylacus. These were in Phylace, and they were guarded by a dog which neither man nor beast could come near. Unable to steal these kine, Bias invited his brother to help him. Melampus promised to do so, and foretold that he should be detected in the act of stealing them, and that he should get the kine after being kept in bondage for a year. After making this promise he repaired to Phylace and, just as he had foretold, he was detected in the theft and kept a prisoner in a cell. When the year was nearly up, he heard the worms in the hidden part of the roof, one of them asking how much of the beam had been already gnawed through, and others answering that very little of it was left. At once he bade them transfer him to another cell, and not long after that had been done the cell fell in. Phylacus marvelled, and perceiving that he was an excellent soothsayer, he released him and invited him to say how his son Iphiclus might get children. Melampus promised to tell him, provided he got the kine. And having sacrificed two bulls and cut them in pieces he summoned the birds; and when a vulture came, he learned from it that once, when Phylacus was gelding rams, he laid down the knife, still bloody, beside Iphiclus, and that when the child was frightened and ran away, he stuck the knife on the sacred oak, and the bark encompassed the knife and hid it. He said, therefore, that if the knife were found, and he scraped off the rust, and gave it to Iphiclus to drink for ten days, he would beget a son. Having learned these things from the vulture, Melampus found the knife, scraped the rust, and gave it to Iphiclus for ten days to drink, and a son Podarces was born to him. But he drove the kine to Pylus, and having received the daughter of Neleus he gave her to his brother. For a time he continued to dwell in Messene, but when Dionysus drove the women of Argos mad, he healed them on condition of receiving part of the kingdom, and settled down there with Bias.
Bias and Pero had a son Talaus, who married Lysimache, daughter of Abas, son of Melampus, and had by her Adrastus, Parthenopaeus, Pronax, Mecisteus, Aristomachus, and Eriphyle, whom Amphiaraus married. Parthenopaeus had a son Promachus, who marched with the Epigoni against Thebes; and Mecisteus had a son Euryalus, who went to Troy. Pronax had a son Lycurgus; and Adrastus had by Amphithea, daughter of Pronax, three daughters, Argia, Deipyle, and Aegialia, and two sons, Aegialeus and Cyanippus.
Pheres, son of Cretheus, founded Pherae in Thessaly and begat Admetus and Lycurgus. Lycurgus took up his abode at Nemea, and having married Eurydice, or, as some say, Amphithea, he begat Opheltes, afterwards called Archemorus.
When Admetus reigned over Pherae, Apollo served him as his thrall, while Admetus wooed Alcestis, daughter of Pelias. Now Pelias had promised to give his daughter to him who should yoke a lion and a boar to a car, and Apollo yoked and gave them to Admetus, who brought them to Pelias and so obtained Alcestis. But in offering a sacrifice at his marriage, he forgot to sacrifice to Artemis; therefore when he opened the marriage chamber he found it full of coiled snakes. Apollo bade him appease the goddess and obtained as a favour of the Fates that, when Admetus should be about to die, he might be released from death if someone should choose voluntarily to die for him. And when the day of his death came neither his father nor his mother would die for him, but Alcestis died in his stead. But the Maiden sent her up again, or, as some say, Hercules fought with Hades and brought her up to him.
Aeson, son of Cretheus, had a son Jason by Polymede, daughter of Autolycus.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/Apollodorus1.html#9
This passage continues with Jason receiving his quest and quickly sailing to Colchis, but our next episode will detail the assembling of the Argonauts.
Introduction to the Argonauts, from The Library of Apollodorus.
Previously, Ino conspired to sacrifice her stepson Phrixus, but he escaped on the back of a flying golden ram. Another version of that tale is told here, as well as the backgrounds and genealogies of many Argonauts, including Jason.
Aeolus had sons Sisyphus and Athamas, who was father of Phrixus and husband of Nephele, Ino, and Themisto; and they all came to bad ends.
Salmoneus impersonated Zeus and got thunderbolted, but his daughter Tyro married King Cretheus of Iolcus, and had sons Amythaon, Pheres, and Aeson, father of Jason. Tyro had also by Poseidon sons Neleus and Pelias.
Pelias became king after Cretheus, and made an enemy of Hera by killing his own step-mother on the altar of the goddess. This will come back to haunt him later, as we shall see.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/Apollodorus1.html#9
Introduction to the Argonauts,
a Legendary Passage from,
PSEUDO-APOLLODORUS,
BIBLIOTHECA, or THE LIBRARY,
BOOK 1 Section 9,
translated by J. G. FRAZER.
[1.9.1] - [1.9.16]
Of the sons of Aeolus, Athamas ruled over Boeotia and begat a son Phrixus and a daughter Helle by Nephele. And he married a second wife, Ino, by whom he had Learchus and Melicertes. But Ino plotted against the children of Nephele and persuaded the women to parch the wheat; and having got the wheat they did so without the knowledge of the men. But the earth, being sown with parched wheat, did not yield its annual crops; so Athamas sent to Delphi to inquire how he might be delivered from the dearth. Now Ino persuaded the messengers to say it was foretold that the infertility would cease if Phrixus were sacrificed to Zeus. When Athamas heard that, he was forced by the inhabitants of the land to bring Phrixus to the altar.
But Nephele caught him and her daughter up and gave them a ram with a golden fleece, which she had received from Hermes, and borne through the sky by the ram they crossed land and sea. But when they were over the sea which lies betwixt Sigeum and the Chersonese, Helle slipped into the deep and was drowned, and the sea was called Hellespont after her.
But Phrixus came to the Colchians, whose king was Aeetes, son of the Sun and of Perseis, and brother of Circe and Pasiphae, whom Minos married. He received Phrixus and gave him one of his daughters, Chalciope. And Phrixus sacrificed the ram with the golden fleece to Zeus the god of Escape, and the fleece he gave to Aeetes, who nailed it to an oak in a grove of Ares. And Phrixus had children by Chalciope, to wit, Argus, Melas, Phrontis, and Cytisorus.
But afterwards Athamas was bereft also of the children of Ino through the wrath of Hera; for he went mad and shot Learchus with an arrow, and Ino cast herself and Melicertes into the sea. Being banished from Boeotia, Athamas inquired of the god where he should dwell, and on receiving an oracle that he should dwell in whatever place he should be entertained by wild beasts, he traversed a great extent of country till he fell in with wolves that were devouring pieces of sheep; but when they saw him they abandoned their prey and fled. So Athamas settled in that country and named it Athamantia after himself; and he married Themisto, daughter of Hypseus, and begat Leucon, Erythrius, Schoeneus, and Ptous.
And Sisyphus, son of Aeolus, founded Ephyra, which is now called Corinth, and married Merope, daughter of Atlas. They had a son Glaucus, who had by Eurymede a son Bellerophon, who slew the fire breathing Chimera. But Sisyphus is punished in Hades by rolling a stone with his hands and head in the effort to heave it over the top; but push it as he will, it rebounds backward. This punishment he endures for the sake of Aegina, daughter of Asopus; for when Zeus had secretly carried her off, Sisyphus is said to have betrayed the secret to Asopus, who was looking for her.
Deion reigned over Phocis and married Diomede, daughter of Xuthus; and there were born to him a daughter, Asterodia, and sons, Aenetus, Actor, Phylacus, and Cephalus, who married Procris, daughter of Erechtheus. But afterwards Dawn fell in love with him and carried him off.
Perieres took possession of Messene and married Gorgophone, daughter of Perseus, by whom he had sons, to wit, Aphareus and Leucippus, and Tyndareus, and also Icarius. But many say that Perieres was not the son of Aeolus but of Cynortas, son of Amyclas; so we shall narrate the history of the descendants of Perieres in dealing with the family of Atlas.
Magnes married a Naiad nymph, and sons were born to him, Polydectes and Dictys; these colonized Seriphus.
Salmoneus at first dwelt in Thessaly, but afterwards he came to Elis and there founded a city. And being arrogant and wishful to put himself on an equality with Zeus, he was punished for his impiety; for he said that he was himself Zeus, and he took away the sacrifices of the god and ordered them to be offered to himself; and by dragging dried hides, with bronze kettles, at his chariot, he said that he thundered, and by flinging lighted torches at the sky he said that he lightened. But Zeus struck him with a thunderbolt, and wiped out the city he had founded with all its inhabitants.
Now Tyro, daughter of Salmoneus and Alcidice, was brought up by Cretheus, brother of Salmoneus, and conceived a passion for the river Enipeus, and often would she hie to its running waters and utter her plaint to them. But Poseidon in the likeness of Enipeus lay with her, and she secretly gave birth to twin sons, whom she exposed. As the babes lay forlorn, a mare, belonging to some passing horsekeepers, kicked with its hoof one of the two infants and left a livid mark on its face. The horsekeeper took up both the children and reared them; and the one with the livid (pelion) mark he called Pelias, and the other Neleus. When they were grown up, they discovered their mother and killed their stepmother Sidero. For knowing that their mother was ill-used by her, they attacked her, but before they could catch her she had taken refuge in the precinct of Hera. However, Pelias cut her down on the very altars, and ever after he continued to treat Hera with contumely.
But afterwards the brothers fell out, and Neleus, being banished, came to Messene, and founded Pylus, and married Chloris, daughter of Amphion, by whom he had a daughter, Pero, and sons, to wit, Taurus, Asterius, Pylaon, Deimachus, Eurybius, Epilaus, Phrasius, Eurymenes, Evagoras, Alastor, Nestor and Periclymenus, whom Poseidon granted the power of changing his shape. And when Hercules was ravaging Pylus, in the fight Periclymenus turned himself into a lion, a snake, and a bee, but was slain by Hercules with the other sons of Neleus. Nestor alone was saved, because he was brought up among the Gerenians. He married Anaxibia, daughter of Cratieus, and begat daughters, Pisidice and Polycaste, and sons, Perseus, Stratichus, Aretus, Echephron, Pisistratus, Antilochus, and Thrasymedes.
But Pelias dwelt in Thessaly and married Anaxibia, daughter of Bias, but according to some his wife was Phylomache, daughter of Amphion; and he begat a son, Acastus, and daughters, Pisidice, Pelopia, Hippothoe, and Alcestis.
Cretheus founded Iolcus and married Tyro, daughter of Salmoneus, by whom he had sons, Aeson, Amythaon, and Pheres. Amythaon dwelt in Pylus and married Idomene, daughter of Pheres, and there were born to him two sons, Bias and Melampus. The latter lived in the country, and before his house there was an oak, in which there was a lair of snakes. His servants killed the snakes, but Melampus gathered wood and burnt the reptiles, and reared the young ones. And when the young were full grown, they stood beside him at each of his shoulders as he slept, and they purged his ears with their tongues. He started up in a great fright, but understood the voices of the birds flying overhead, and from what he learned from them he foretold to men what should come to pass. He acquired besides the art of taking the auspices, and having fallen in with Apollo at the Alpheus he was ever after an excellent soothsayer.
Bias wooed Pero, daughter of Neleus. But as there were many suitors for his daughter's hand, Neleus said that he would give her to him who should bring him the kine of Phylacus. These were in Phylace, and they were guarded by a dog which neither man nor beast could come near. Unable to steal these kine, Bias invited his brother to help him. Melampus promised to do so, and foretold that he should be detected in the act of stealing them, and that he should get the kine after being kept in bondage for a year. After making this promise he repaired to Phylace and, just as he had foretold, he was detected in the theft and kept a prisoner in a cell. When the year was nearly up, he heard the worms in the hidden part of the roof, one of them asking how much of the beam had been already gnawed through, and others answering that very little of it was left. At once he bade them transfer him to another cell, and not long after that had been done the cell fell in. Phylacus marvelled, and perceiving that he was an excellent soothsayer, he released him and invited him to say how his son Iphiclus might get children. Melampus promised to tell him, provided he got the kine. And having sacrificed two bulls and cut them in pieces he summoned the birds; and when a vulture came, he learned from it that once, when Phylacus was gelding rams, he laid down the knife, still bloody, beside Iphiclus, and that when the child was frightened and ran away, he stuck the knife on the sacred oak, and the bark encompassed the knife and hid it. He said, therefore, that if the knife were found, and he scraped off the rust, and gave it to Iphiclus to drink for ten days, he would beget a son. Having learned these things from the vulture, Melampus found the knife, scraped the rust, and gave it to Iphiclus for ten days to drink, and a son Podarces was born to him. But he drove the kine to Pylus, and having received the daughter of Neleus he gave her to his brother. For a time he continued to dwell in Messene, but when Dionysus drove the women of Argos mad, he healed them on condition of receiving part of the kingdom, and settled down there with Bias.
Bias and Pero had a son Talaus, who married Lysimache, daughter of Abas, son of Melampus, and had by her Adrastus, Parthenopaeus, Pronax, Mecisteus, Aristomachus, and Eriphyle, whom Amphiaraus married. Parthenopaeus had a son Promachus, who marched with the Epigoni against Thebes; and Mecisteus had a son Euryalus, who went to Troy. Pronax had a son Lycurgus; and Adrastus had by Amphithea, daughter of Pronax, three daughters, Argia, Deipyle, and Aegialia, and two sons, Aegialeus and Cyanippus.
Pheres, son of Cretheus, founded Pherae in Thessaly and begat Admetus and Lycurgus. Lycurgus took up his abode at Nemea, and having married Eurydice, or, as some say, Amphithea, he begat Opheltes, afterwards called Archemorus.
When Admetus reigned over Pherae, Apollo served him as his thrall, while Admetus wooed Alcestis, daughter of Pelias. Now Pelias had promised to give his daughter to him who should yoke a lion and a boar to a car, and Apollo yoked and gave them to Admetus, who brought them to Pelias and so obtained Alcestis. But in offering a sacrifice at his marriage, he forgot to sacrifice to Artemis; therefore when he opened the marriage chamber he found it full of coiled snakes. Apollo bade him appease the goddess and obtained as a favour of the Fates that, when Admetus should be about to die, he might be released from death if someone should choose voluntarily to die for him. And when the day of his death came neither his father nor his mother would die for him, but Alcestis died in his stead. But the Maiden sent her up again, or, as some say, Hercules fought with Hades and brought her up to him.
Aeson, son of Cretheus, had a son Jason by Polymede, daughter of Autolycus.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/Apollodorus1.html#9
This passage continues with Jason receiving his quest and quickly sailing to Colchis, but our next episode will detail the assembling of the Argonauts.
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
LP0076 -II ARGONAUTS- Ino & Phrixus, from the Fables of Hyginus
Legendary Passages #0076 -II ARGONAUTS-
Ino & Phrixus, from the Fables of Hyginus.
Previously, Jason and the Argonauts sailed to Colchis, and with the help of Medea, stole the Golden Fleece from her father King Aeetes. This episode reveals how the the Golden Fleece came to Colchis, after a very long preface. Listed here are the genealogies of the Roman gods.
Eventually we come to the three wives of King Athamas. Both Ino and Themisto had twins by him, and Themisto snuck into the nursery to kill Ino's. But a nurse switched their clothes, so Themisto accidentally killed her own children.
The first wife of Athamas was the goddess Nebula, and they had a son Phrixus and a daughter Helle. Ino faked a drought and an oracle to have Phrixus sacrificed, but the plot was revealed, and Phrixus and Helle flew away on a flying golden ram.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#Preface
Ino & Phrixus,
a Legendary Passage from,
GAIUS JULIUS HYGINUS,
FABLES I - III,
translated by MARY GRANT.
[1] - [3]
PREFACE
Excerpts from the Genealogiae of Hyginus, commonly called the Fabulae Preface.
From Mist (was born) Chaos; from Chaos and Caligine: Night, Day, Erebus, Aether.
From Night and Erebus: Fate, Old Age, Death, Dissolution, *Continence, Sleep, Dreams, Love – that is, Lysimeles, *Epiphron, Porphyrion, Epaphus, Discord, Wretchedness, Wantonness, Nemesis, Euphrosyne, Friendship, Compassion, Styx; the three Fates, namely, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos; the Hesperides, Aegle, Hesperie, *aerica.
From Aether and Day: Earth, Heaven, Sea.
From Aether and Earth: Grief, Deceit, Wrath, Lamentation, Falsehood, Oath, Vengeance, Intemperance, Altercation, Forgetfulness, Sloth, Fear, Pride, Incest, Combat, Ocean, Themis, Tartarus, Pontus; and the Titans, Briareus, Gyges, Steropes, Atlas, Hyperion, and Polus, Saturn, Ops, Moneta, Dione; and three Furies – namely, Alecto, Megaera, Tisiphone.
From Earth and Tartarus, Giants: Enceladus, Coeus, *elentes, *mophius, Astraeus, Pelorus, Pallas, Emphytus, Rhoecus, *ienios, Agrius, *alemone, Ephialtes, Eurytus, *effracorydon, Themoises, Theodamas, Otus, Typhon, Polybo[e}tes, *menephriarus, *abesus, *colophonus, Iapetus.
From Pontus and Sea: the tribes of fishes.
From Ocean and Tethys: the Oceanides - namely *yaea, Melite, Ianthe, Admete, Stilbo, Pasiphae, Polyxo, Eurynome, Euagoreis, Rhodope, *lyris, Clytie, *teschinoeno, *clitenneste, Metis, Menippe, Argia. Of the same descent Rivers: Strymon, Nilus, Euphrates, Tanais, Indus, Cephisus, Ismenus, Axenus, Achelous, Simois, Inachus, Alpheus, Therodoon, Scamandrus, Tigris, Maeandrus, Orontes.
From Pontos and Earth: Thaumas, *tusciuersus, *cepheus
From Nereus and Doris fifty Nereids: Glauce, Thalia, Cymodoce, Nesaea, Spio, Thoe, Cymothoe[a], Actaea, Limnoria, Melite, Iaera, Amphithoe, Agaue, Doto, Prot[h]o, Pherusa, Dynamene, Dexamene, Amphnome, Callianassa, Doris, Panope, Galat[h]ea, Nemertes, Apseudes, Clymene, Ianira, [Panopea], Ianassa, Maera, Orithyia, Amathia, Drymo, Xantho, Ligea, Phyllodoce, Cydippe, Lycorias, Cleio, Beroe, Ephyre, Opis, Asia, Deiopea, Arethusa, [Clymene], Creneis, Eurydice, Leucothea.
From Phorcus and Ceto: Phorcides, Pemphredo, Enyo and Persis (for this last others say Dino).
From Gorgon and Ceto: Sthenno, Eurylae, Medusa.
From Polus and Phoebe: Latone, Asterie, *aphirape . . . Perses, Pallas.
From Iapetus and Clymene: Atlas, Epimetheus, Prometheus.
From Hyperion and Aethra: Sol, Luna, Aurora.
From Saturn and Ops: Vesta, Ceres, Iuno, Jupiter, Pluto, Neptune. From Saturn and Philyra: Chiron, Dolops.
From Astraeus and Aurora: Zephyrus, Boreas, Notus, Favonius.
From Atlas and Pleione: Maia, Calypso, Alcyone, Merope, Electra, Celaeno.
From Pallas the giant and Styx: Scylla, Force, Envy, Power, Victory, Fountains, Lakes.
From Neptune and Amphitrite, Triton.
From Dione and Jove, Venus. From Jove and Juno, Mars. From Jove’s head, Minerva. From Juno without father, Vulcan. From Jove and Eurynome, Graces. Again from Jove and Juno: Youth, Liberty. From Jove and Themis, the Hours. From Jove and Ceres, Proserpina. From Jove and Moneta, the Muses. From Jove and Luna, Pandia.
From Venus and Mars: Harmonia, and Formido.
From Acheloos and Melpomene, the Sirens: Thelxiepe, Molpe and Pisinoe.
From Jove and Clymene, Mnemosyne. From Jove and Maia, Mercury. From Jove and Latona, Apollo and Diana.
From Earth: Python, a divine (prophetic) snake.
From Thaumas and Electra: Iris, Harpies, Celaeno, Ocypete, Podarce.
From Sol and Persa: Circe, Pasiphae, Aeeta, Perses.
From Aeeta and Clytia, Medea.
From Sol and Clymene, Phaethon and the Phaethontides, Merope, Helie, Aetherie, Dioxippe.
From Typhon and Echidna: Gorgon, Cerberus, the dragon which guarded the Golden Fleece at Colchis, Scylla who was woman above but dog-forms below [whom Hercules killed]; Chimaera, Sphinx who was in Boeotia, Hydra serpent which had nine heads which Hercules killed, and the dragon of the Hesperides.
From Neptune and Medusa: the horse Pegasus.
From Chrysaor and Callirhoe: three-formed Geryon.
I. THEMISTO
Athamas, son of Aeolus, had by his wife Nebula a son Phrixus and a daughter Helle, and by Themisto, daughter of Hypseus, two son, Sphincius and Orchomenus, and by Ino, daughter of Cadmus, two sons, Learchus and Melicertes. Themisto, robbed of her marriage by Ino, wished to kill Ino’s children. She hid, therefore, in the palace, and when an opportunity presented itself, thinking she was killing the sons of her rival, unwittingly killed her own, deceived by the nurse who had put the wrong garments on them. When Themisto discovered this, she killed herself.
II. INO
Ino, daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, wishing to kill Phrixus and Helle, Nebula’s children, formed a plan with the women of the entire tribe, and conspired to parch the seed grain to make it unfertile, so that, when the sterility and scarcity of grain resulted, the whole state should perish, some by starvation, others by sickness. With regard to this situation Athamas sent a servant to Delphi, but Ino instructed him to bring back a false reply that the pestilence would end if he sacrificed Phrixus to Jove. When Athamas refused to do this, Phrixus voluntarily and readily promised that he alone would free the state from its distress. Accordingly he was led to the altar, wearing fillets (of sacrifice), but the servant, out of pity for the youth, revealed Ino’s plans to Athamas. The king, thus informed of the crime, gave over his wife Ino and her son Melicertes to be put to death, but Father Liber cast mist around her, and saved Ino his nurse.
Later, Athamas, driven mad by Jove, slew his son Learchus. But Ino, with Melicertes her son, threw herself into the sea. Liber would have her called Leucothea, and Melicertes, her son the god Palaemon, but we call her Mater Matuta, and him Portunus. In his honor every fifth year gymnastic contests are held, which are called Isthmian.
III. PHRIXUS
While Phrixus and Helle under madness sent by Liber were wandering in a forest, Nebula their mother is said to have come there bringing a gilded ram, offspring of Neptune and Theophane. She bade her children to mount it, and journey to Colchis to King Aeetes, son of Sol, and there sacrifice the ram to Mars. This they were said to have done, but when they had mounted, and the ram had carried them over the sea, Helle fell from the ram; from this sea was called Hellespont. Phrixus, however, was carried to Colchis, where, as his mother had bidden, he sacrificed the ram, and placed its gilded fleece in the temple of Mars - the very fleece which, guarded by a dragon, it is said Jason, son of Aeson and Alcimede, came to secure.
But Aeetes gladly welcomed Phrixus, and gave him his daughter Chalciope in marriage. She later bore him children, but Aeetes feared that they would drive him from his kingdom, because he had been warned by prodigies to beware of death at the hands of a foreigner, a son of Aeolus. Therefore he killed Phrixus. But Phrixus’ sons – Argus, Melas, and Cylindrus – took ship to go to their grandfather Athamas. They were shipwrecked, however, and Jason, on his trip for the fleece, rescued them from the island of Dia, and took them back to their mother Chalciope. By her favour he was recommended to her sister Medea.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#Preface
This passage continues with the fate of Ino, but next episode is about the family of Jason and our introduction to the Argonauts.
Ino & Phrixus, from the Fables of Hyginus.
Previously, Jason and the Argonauts sailed to Colchis, and with the help of Medea, stole the Golden Fleece from her father King Aeetes. This episode reveals how the the Golden Fleece came to Colchis, after a very long preface. Listed here are the genealogies of the Roman gods.
Eventually we come to the three wives of King Athamas. Both Ino and Themisto had twins by him, and Themisto snuck into the nursery to kill Ino's. But a nurse switched their clothes, so Themisto accidentally killed her own children.
The first wife of Athamas was the goddess Nebula, and they had a son Phrixus and a daughter Helle. Ino faked a drought and an oracle to have Phrixus sacrificed, but the plot was revealed, and Phrixus and Helle flew away on a flying golden ram.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#Preface
Ino & Phrixus,
a Legendary Passage from,
GAIUS JULIUS HYGINUS,
FABLES I - III,
translated by MARY GRANT.
[1] - [3]
PREFACE
Excerpts from the Genealogiae of Hyginus, commonly called the Fabulae Preface.
From Mist (was born) Chaos; from Chaos and Caligine: Night, Day, Erebus, Aether.
From Night and Erebus: Fate, Old Age, Death, Dissolution, *Continence, Sleep, Dreams, Love – that is, Lysimeles, *Epiphron, Porphyrion, Epaphus, Discord, Wretchedness, Wantonness, Nemesis, Euphrosyne, Friendship, Compassion, Styx; the three Fates, namely, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos; the Hesperides, Aegle, Hesperie, *aerica.
From Aether and Day: Earth, Heaven, Sea.
From Aether and Earth: Grief, Deceit, Wrath, Lamentation, Falsehood, Oath, Vengeance, Intemperance, Altercation, Forgetfulness, Sloth, Fear, Pride, Incest, Combat, Ocean, Themis, Tartarus, Pontus; and the Titans, Briareus, Gyges, Steropes, Atlas, Hyperion, and Polus, Saturn, Ops, Moneta, Dione; and three Furies – namely, Alecto, Megaera, Tisiphone.
From Earth and Tartarus, Giants: Enceladus, Coeus, *elentes, *mophius, Astraeus, Pelorus, Pallas, Emphytus, Rhoecus, *ienios, Agrius, *alemone, Ephialtes, Eurytus, *effracorydon, Themoises, Theodamas, Otus, Typhon, Polybo[e}tes, *menephriarus, *abesus, *colophonus, Iapetus.
From Pontus and Sea: the tribes of fishes.
From Ocean and Tethys: the Oceanides - namely *yaea, Melite, Ianthe, Admete, Stilbo, Pasiphae, Polyxo, Eurynome, Euagoreis, Rhodope, *lyris, Clytie, *teschinoeno, *clitenneste, Metis, Menippe, Argia. Of the same descent Rivers: Strymon, Nilus, Euphrates, Tanais, Indus, Cephisus, Ismenus, Axenus, Achelous, Simois, Inachus, Alpheus, Therodoon, Scamandrus, Tigris, Maeandrus, Orontes.
From Pontos and Earth: Thaumas, *tusciuersus, *cepheus
From Nereus and Doris fifty Nereids: Glauce, Thalia, Cymodoce, Nesaea, Spio, Thoe, Cymothoe[a], Actaea, Limnoria, Melite, Iaera, Amphithoe, Agaue, Doto, Prot[h]o, Pherusa, Dynamene, Dexamene, Amphnome, Callianassa, Doris, Panope, Galat[h]ea, Nemertes, Apseudes, Clymene, Ianira, [Panopea], Ianassa, Maera, Orithyia, Amathia, Drymo, Xantho, Ligea, Phyllodoce, Cydippe, Lycorias, Cleio, Beroe, Ephyre, Opis, Asia, Deiopea, Arethusa, [Clymene], Creneis, Eurydice, Leucothea.
From Phorcus and Ceto: Phorcides, Pemphredo, Enyo and Persis (for this last others say Dino).
From Gorgon and Ceto: Sthenno, Eurylae, Medusa.
From Polus and Phoebe: Latone, Asterie, *aphirape . . . Perses, Pallas.
From Iapetus and Clymene: Atlas, Epimetheus, Prometheus.
From Hyperion and Aethra: Sol, Luna, Aurora.
From Saturn and Ops: Vesta, Ceres, Iuno, Jupiter, Pluto, Neptune. From Saturn and Philyra: Chiron, Dolops.
From Astraeus and Aurora: Zephyrus, Boreas, Notus, Favonius.
From Atlas and Pleione: Maia, Calypso, Alcyone, Merope, Electra, Celaeno.
From Pallas the giant and Styx: Scylla, Force, Envy, Power, Victory, Fountains, Lakes.
From Neptune and Amphitrite, Triton.
From Dione and Jove, Venus. From Jove and Juno, Mars. From Jove’s head, Minerva. From Juno without father, Vulcan. From Jove and Eurynome, Graces. Again from Jove and Juno: Youth, Liberty. From Jove and Themis, the Hours. From Jove and Ceres, Proserpina. From Jove and Moneta, the Muses. From Jove and Luna, Pandia.
From Venus and Mars: Harmonia, and Formido.
From Acheloos and Melpomene, the Sirens: Thelxiepe, Molpe and Pisinoe.
From Jove and Clymene, Mnemosyne. From Jove and Maia, Mercury. From Jove and Latona, Apollo and Diana.
From Earth: Python, a divine (prophetic) snake.
From Thaumas and Electra: Iris, Harpies, Celaeno, Ocypete, Podarce.
From Sol and Persa: Circe, Pasiphae, Aeeta, Perses.
From Aeeta and Clytia, Medea.
From Sol and Clymene, Phaethon and the Phaethontides, Merope, Helie, Aetherie, Dioxippe.
From Typhon and Echidna: Gorgon, Cerberus, the dragon which guarded the Golden Fleece at Colchis, Scylla who was woman above but dog-forms below [whom Hercules killed]; Chimaera, Sphinx who was in Boeotia, Hydra serpent which had nine heads which Hercules killed, and the dragon of the Hesperides.
From Neptune and Medusa: the horse Pegasus.
From Chrysaor and Callirhoe: three-formed Geryon.
I. THEMISTO
Athamas, son of Aeolus, had by his wife Nebula a son Phrixus and a daughter Helle, and by Themisto, daughter of Hypseus, two son, Sphincius and Orchomenus, and by Ino, daughter of Cadmus, two sons, Learchus and Melicertes. Themisto, robbed of her marriage by Ino, wished to kill Ino’s children. She hid, therefore, in the palace, and when an opportunity presented itself, thinking she was killing the sons of her rival, unwittingly killed her own, deceived by the nurse who had put the wrong garments on them. When Themisto discovered this, she killed herself.
II. INO
Ino, daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, wishing to kill Phrixus and Helle, Nebula’s children, formed a plan with the women of the entire tribe, and conspired to parch the seed grain to make it unfertile, so that, when the sterility and scarcity of grain resulted, the whole state should perish, some by starvation, others by sickness. With regard to this situation Athamas sent a servant to Delphi, but Ino instructed him to bring back a false reply that the pestilence would end if he sacrificed Phrixus to Jove. When Athamas refused to do this, Phrixus voluntarily and readily promised that he alone would free the state from its distress. Accordingly he was led to the altar, wearing fillets (of sacrifice), but the servant, out of pity for the youth, revealed Ino’s plans to Athamas. The king, thus informed of the crime, gave over his wife Ino and her son Melicertes to be put to death, but Father Liber cast mist around her, and saved Ino his nurse.
Later, Athamas, driven mad by Jove, slew his son Learchus. But Ino, with Melicertes her son, threw herself into the sea. Liber would have her called Leucothea, and Melicertes, her son the god Palaemon, but we call her Mater Matuta, and him Portunus. In his honor every fifth year gymnastic contests are held, which are called Isthmian.
III. PHRIXUS
While Phrixus and Helle under madness sent by Liber were wandering in a forest, Nebula their mother is said to have come there bringing a gilded ram, offspring of Neptune and Theophane. She bade her children to mount it, and journey to Colchis to King Aeetes, son of Sol, and there sacrifice the ram to Mars. This they were said to have done, but when they had mounted, and the ram had carried them over the sea, Helle fell from the ram; from this sea was called Hellespont. Phrixus, however, was carried to Colchis, where, as his mother had bidden, he sacrificed the ram, and placed its gilded fleece in the temple of Mars - the very fleece which, guarded by a dragon, it is said Jason, son of Aeson and Alcimede, came to secure.
But Aeetes gladly welcomed Phrixus, and gave him his daughter Chalciope in marriage. She later bore him children, but Aeetes feared that they would drive him from his kingdom, because he had been warned by prodigies to beware of death at the hands of a foreigner, a son of Aeolus. Therefore he killed Phrixus. But Phrixus’ sons – Argus, Melas, and Cylindrus – took ship to go to their grandfather Athamas. They were shipwrecked, however, and Jason, on his trip for the fleece, rescued them from the island of Dia, and took them back to their mother Chalciope. By her favour he was recommended to her sister Medea.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#Preface
This passage continues with the fate of Ino, but next episode is about the family of Jason and our introduction to the Argonauts.
Sunday, November 5, 2017
LP0075 -RELAUNCH- The Argonauts, from Diodorus
Legendary Passages #0075 -RELAUNCH-
The Argonauts, from Diodorus.
Welcome to Legendary Passages, a thrice weekly podcast about Greek and Roman classical mythology. My name is Joel; I have been doing this podcast for several years now. I have always loved science fiction and fantasy and comic-book super-heroes, as well as history and religion, so I searched far and wide for podcasts about the old Greek heroes. There were a few gems like 'Mythology Translated', and 'The Myths and History of Greece and Rome', but none that featured the ancient texts themselves, aside from LibriVox.
The problem with reading classical mythology texts verbatim is that most of them are anthologies. Here's an overview of Theseus; Hercules performed his fourth labor here; the founder of this city was an Argonaut and sent his sons to the Trojan War, and so on. What we call mythology was their religion and common knowledge. Imagine future scholars coming across references to tooth fairies and easter bunnies, or Spider-Man or Darth Vader, and trying to figure out what the heck we were talking about. The contexts and the stories are all but lost.
Now, the stories are what I am interested in. My hope is to reconstruct something resembling the lost epics by presenting every known version of specific adventures in a rough chronological order. Between the similarities and the differences between the texts, perhaps we can gleam a whisper of the histories that Greeks and Romans looked back on as the bedrock of their civilizations. These passages give us a window onto their culture, their own sense of history, and the beginnings of Western Civilization.
Now, the original incarnation of this podcast began with the best of intentions. I was doing research for books I was going to write about the origins and adventures of Hercules and Theseus, and their going on the voyage of the Argonauts. I was trying to sync up the timelines for their adventures, but I couldn't keep all the details in my head. Hence, this podcast. We started off with the early adventures Hercules, then Theseus, then Minos and Crete. But then I went back to re-edit and 'improve' the original episodes, and added more stuff on Hercules, an overview of the Argonauts, more Theseus, lots and lots more Hercules.... and it all became a messy anthology, just like the original texts.
So for the foreseeable future, instead of organizing stories in groups of six, we will hear more long-form story-based collections of twenty-five passages each, starting with this one. The episodes will still be less than fifteen minutes long, but I will try to put them out three times a week, ideally publishing twelve a month. The larger scope will give better sense of where we are going, and more incentive for me to put them out regularly.
With the bigger format, I can now fit in actual drama and plays. I hope to recruit others to participate, otherwise I'm just talking to myself. I will also be redoing previous episodes, likely with breaks in different places, just to keep the overall narrative intact.
For the next twenty-five episodes, we will journey with Jason and the Argonauts, steal Medea and the Golden Fleece, return home to a kingdom in crisis, reenact the tragedy of Medea in Corinth, and end up in Athens just in time for the next twenty-five episodes on Theseus.
This passage explores the multiple origins of the Golden Fleece, reveals that murder and dark magic run in Medea's family, and shows just how Jason stole the fleece and why Medea was willing to help him do it.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/DiodorusSiculus4C.html#6
The Argonauts,
a Legendary Passage from,
DIODORUS SICULUS,
LIBRARY OF HISTORY,
BOOK IV. Sections 45 - 48,
trans. by C. H. OLDFATHER.
[4.45.1] - [4.48.5]
AEETES, HECATE AND CIRCE
Since it is the task of history to inquire into the reasons for this slaying of strangers, we must discuss these reasons briefly, especially since the digression on this subject will be appropriate in connection with the deeds of the Argonauts.
We are told, that is, that Helius had two sons, Aeëtes and Perses, Aeëtes being king of Colchis and the other king of the Tauric Chersonese, and that both of them were exceedingly cruel.
And Perses had a daughter Hecatê, who surpassed her father in boldness and lawlessness; she was also fond of hunting, and when she had no luck she would turn her arrows upon human beings instead of the beasts. Being likewise ingenious in the mixing of deadly poisons she discovered the drug called aconite and tried out the strength of each poison by mixing it in the food given to the strangers. And since she possessed great experience in such matters she first of all poisoned her father and so succeeded to the throne, and then, founding a temple of Artemis and commanding that strangers who landed there should be sacrificed to the goddess, she became known far and wide for her cruelty.
After this she married Aeëtes and bore two daughters, Circê and Medea, and a son Aegialeus. Although Circê also, it is said, devoted herself to the devising of all kinds of drugs and discovered roots of all manner of natures and potencies such as are difficult to credit, yet, notwithstanding that she was taught by her mother Hecatê about not a few drugs, she discovered by her own study a far greater number, so that she left to the other woman no superiority whatever in the matter of devising uses of drugs.
She was given in marriage to the king of the Sarmatians, whom some call Scythians, and first she poisoned her husband and after that, succeeding to the throne, she committed many cruel and violent acts against her subjects.
For this reason she was deposed from her throne and, according to some writers of myths, fled to the ocean, where she seized a desert island, and there established herself with the women who had fled with her, though according to some historians she left the Pontus and settled in Italy on a promontory which to this day bears after her the name Circaeum.
AEETES AND MEDEA
Concerning Medea this story is related:- From her mother and sister she learned all the powers which drugs possess, but her purpose in using them was exactly the opposite. For she made a practice of rescuing from their perils the strangers who came to their shores, sometimes demanding from her father by entreaty and coaxing that the lives be spared of those who were to die, and sometimes herself releasing them from prison and then devising plans for the safety of the unfortunate men. For Aeëtes, party because of his own natural cruelty and partly because he was under the influence of his wife Hecatê, had given his approval to the custom of slaying strangers.
But since Medea as time went on opposed the purpose of her parents more and more, Aeëtes, they say, suspecting his daughter of plotting against him consigned her to free custody; Medea, however made her escape and fled for refuge to a sacred precinct of Helius on the shore of the sea.
THE ARGONAUTS AND MEDEA
This happened at the very time when the Argonauts arrived from the Tauric Chersonese and landed by night in Colchis at this precinct. There they came upon Medea, as she wandered along the shore, and learning from her of the custom of slaying strangers they praised the maiden for her kindly spirit, and then, revealing to her their own project, they learned in turn from her of the danger which threatened her from her father because of the reverence which she showed to strangers.
Since they now recognized that it was to their mutual advantage, Medea promised to co-operate with them until they should perform the labour which lay before them, while Jason gave her his pledge under oath that he would marry her and keep her as his life’s companion so long as he lived.
After this the Argonauts left guards to watch the ship and set off by night with Medea to get the golden fleece, concerning which it may be proper for us to give a detailed account, in order that nothing which belongs to the history which we have undertaken may remain unknown.
PHRIXUS, AEETES AND THE GOLDEN FLEECE
Phrixus, the son of Athamas, the myths relate, because of his stepmother’s plots against him, took his sister Hellê and fled with her from Greece. And while they were making the passage from Europe to Asia, as a kind of Providence of the gods directed, on the back of a ram, whose fleece was of gold, the maiden fell into the sea, which was named after her Hellespont, but Phrixus continued on into the Pontus and was carried to Colchis, where, as some oracle had commanded, he sacrificed the ram and hung up its fleece as a dedicatory offering in the temple of Ares.
After this, while Aeëtes was king of Colchis, an oracle became known, to the effect that he was to come to the end of his life whenever strangers should land there and carry off the golden fleece. For this reason and because of his own cruelty as well, Aeëtes ordained that strangers should be offered up in sacrifice, in order that, the report of the cruelty of the Colchi having been spread abroad to every part of the world, no stranger should have the courage to set foot on the land. He also threw a wall about the precinct and stationed there many guardians, these being men of the Tauric Chersonese, and it is because of these guards that the Greeks invented monstrous myths.
For instance, the report was spread abroad that there were fire-breathing bulls (tauroi) round about the precinct and that a sleepless dragon (drakon) guarded the fleece, the identity of the names having led to the transfer from the men who were Taurians to the cattle because of their strength and the cruelty shown in the murder of strangers having been made into the myth of the bulls breathing fire; and similarly the name of the guardian who watched over the sacred precinct, which was Dracon, has been transferred by the poets to the monstrous and fear-inspiring beast, the dragon.
Also the account of Phrixus underwent a similar working into a myth. For, as some men say, he made his voyage upon a ship which bore the head of a ram upon its bow, and Hellê, being troubled with a sea-sickness, while leaning far over the side of the boat for this reason, fell into the sea.
Some say, however, that the king of the Scythians, who was a son-in-law of Aeëtes, was visiting among the Colchi at the very time when, as it happened, Phrixus and his attendant were taken captive, and conceiving a passion for the boy he received him from Aeëtes as a gift, loved him like a son of his own loins, and left his kingdom to him. The attendant, however, whose name was Crius (ram), was sacrificed to the gods, and when his body had been flayed the skin was nailed upon on the temple, in keeping with a certain custom.
And when later an oracle was delivered to Aeëtes to the effect that he was to die whenever strangers would sail to his land and carry off the skin of Crius, the king, they say, built a wall about the precinct and stationed a guard over it; furthermore, he gilded the skin in order that by reason of its brilliant appearance the soldiers should consider it worthy of the most careful guardian. As for these matters, however, it rests with my readers to judge each in accordance with his own predilections.
THE ARGONAUTS AND THE GOLDEN FLEECE
Medea, we are told, led the way for the Argonauts to the sacred precinct of Ares, which was seventy stades distant from the city which was called Sybaris and contained the palace of the rulers of the Colchi. And approaching the gates, which were kept closed at night, she addressed the guards in the Tauric speech.
And when the soldiers readily opened the gates to her as being the king’s daughter, the Argonauts, they say, rushing in with drawn swords slew many of the barbarians and drove the rest, who were struck with terror by the unexpected happening, out of the precinct, and then, taking with them the fleece, made for the ship with all speed.
Medea likewise, assisting the Argonauts, slew with poisons the dragon which, according to the myths, never slept as it lay coiled about the fleece in the precinct, and made her way with Jason down to the sea.
The Tauri who had escaped by flight reported to the king the attack which had been made upon them, and Aeëtes, they say, took with him the soldiers who guarded his person, set out in pursuit of the Greeks, and came upon them near the sea. Joining battle on the first contact with them, he slew one of the Argonauts, Iphitus, the brother of Eurystheus who had laid the Labours upon Heracles, but soon, when he enveloped the rest of them with the multitude of his followers and pressed too hotly into the fray, he was slain by Meleager.
The moment the king fell, the Greeks took courage, and the Colchi turned in flight and the larger part of them were slain in the pursuit.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/DiodorusSiculus4C.html#6
This passage continues with the Argonauts journeying home, but our next passage is about why Phrixus ran away from his step-mother Ino.
The Argonauts, from Diodorus.
Welcome to Legendary Passages, a thrice weekly podcast about Greek and Roman classical mythology. My name is Joel; I have been doing this podcast for several years now. I have always loved science fiction and fantasy and comic-book super-heroes, as well as history and religion, so I searched far and wide for podcasts about the old Greek heroes. There were a few gems like 'Mythology Translated', and 'The Myths and History of Greece and Rome', but none that featured the ancient texts themselves, aside from LibriVox.
The problem with reading classical mythology texts verbatim is that most of them are anthologies. Here's an overview of Theseus; Hercules performed his fourth labor here; the founder of this city was an Argonaut and sent his sons to the Trojan War, and so on. What we call mythology was their religion and common knowledge. Imagine future scholars coming across references to tooth fairies and easter bunnies, or Spider-Man or Darth Vader, and trying to figure out what the heck we were talking about. The contexts and the stories are all but lost.
Now, the stories are what I am interested in. My hope is to reconstruct something resembling the lost epics by presenting every known version of specific adventures in a rough chronological order. Between the similarities and the differences between the texts, perhaps we can gleam a whisper of the histories that Greeks and Romans looked back on as the bedrock of their civilizations. These passages give us a window onto their culture, their own sense of history, and the beginnings of Western Civilization.
Now, the original incarnation of this podcast began with the best of intentions. I was doing research for books I was going to write about the origins and adventures of Hercules and Theseus, and their going on the voyage of the Argonauts. I was trying to sync up the timelines for their adventures, but I couldn't keep all the details in my head. Hence, this podcast. We started off with the early adventures Hercules, then Theseus, then Minos and Crete. But then I went back to re-edit and 'improve' the original episodes, and added more stuff on Hercules, an overview of the Argonauts, more Theseus, lots and lots more Hercules.... and it all became a messy anthology, just like the original texts.
So for the foreseeable future, instead of organizing stories in groups of six, we will hear more long-form story-based collections of twenty-five passages each, starting with this one. The episodes will still be less than fifteen minutes long, but I will try to put them out three times a week, ideally publishing twelve a month. The larger scope will give better sense of where we are going, and more incentive for me to put them out regularly.
With the bigger format, I can now fit in actual drama and plays. I hope to recruit others to participate, otherwise I'm just talking to myself. I will also be redoing previous episodes, likely with breaks in different places, just to keep the overall narrative intact.
For the next twenty-five episodes, we will journey with Jason and the Argonauts, steal Medea and the Golden Fleece, return home to a kingdom in crisis, reenact the tragedy of Medea in Corinth, and end up in Athens just in time for the next twenty-five episodes on Theseus.
This passage explores the multiple origins of the Golden Fleece, reveals that murder and dark magic run in Medea's family, and shows just how Jason stole the fleece and why Medea was willing to help him do it.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/DiodorusSiculus4C.html#6
The Argonauts,
a Legendary Passage from,
DIODORUS SICULUS,
LIBRARY OF HISTORY,
BOOK IV. Sections 45 - 48,
trans. by C. H. OLDFATHER.
[4.45.1] - [4.48.5]
AEETES, HECATE AND CIRCE
Since it is the task of history to inquire into the reasons for this slaying of strangers, we must discuss these reasons briefly, especially since the digression on this subject will be appropriate in connection with the deeds of the Argonauts.
We are told, that is, that Helius had two sons, Aeëtes and Perses, Aeëtes being king of Colchis and the other king of the Tauric Chersonese, and that both of them were exceedingly cruel.
And Perses had a daughter Hecatê, who surpassed her father in boldness and lawlessness; she was also fond of hunting, and when she had no luck she would turn her arrows upon human beings instead of the beasts. Being likewise ingenious in the mixing of deadly poisons she discovered the drug called aconite and tried out the strength of each poison by mixing it in the food given to the strangers. And since she possessed great experience in such matters she first of all poisoned her father and so succeeded to the throne, and then, founding a temple of Artemis and commanding that strangers who landed there should be sacrificed to the goddess, she became known far and wide for her cruelty.
After this she married Aeëtes and bore two daughters, Circê and Medea, and a son Aegialeus. Although Circê also, it is said, devoted herself to the devising of all kinds of drugs and discovered roots of all manner of natures and potencies such as are difficult to credit, yet, notwithstanding that she was taught by her mother Hecatê about not a few drugs, she discovered by her own study a far greater number, so that she left to the other woman no superiority whatever in the matter of devising uses of drugs.
She was given in marriage to the king of the Sarmatians, whom some call Scythians, and first she poisoned her husband and after that, succeeding to the throne, she committed many cruel and violent acts against her subjects.
For this reason she was deposed from her throne and, according to some writers of myths, fled to the ocean, where she seized a desert island, and there established herself with the women who had fled with her, though according to some historians she left the Pontus and settled in Italy on a promontory which to this day bears after her the name Circaeum.
AEETES AND MEDEA
Concerning Medea this story is related:- From her mother and sister she learned all the powers which drugs possess, but her purpose in using them was exactly the opposite. For she made a practice of rescuing from their perils the strangers who came to their shores, sometimes demanding from her father by entreaty and coaxing that the lives be spared of those who were to die, and sometimes herself releasing them from prison and then devising plans for the safety of the unfortunate men. For Aeëtes, party because of his own natural cruelty and partly because he was under the influence of his wife Hecatê, had given his approval to the custom of slaying strangers.
But since Medea as time went on opposed the purpose of her parents more and more, Aeëtes, they say, suspecting his daughter of plotting against him consigned her to free custody; Medea, however made her escape and fled for refuge to a sacred precinct of Helius on the shore of the sea.
THE ARGONAUTS AND MEDEA
This happened at the very time when the Argonauts arrived from the Tauric Chersonese and landed by night in Colchis at this precinct. There they came upon Medea, as she wandered along the shore, and learning from her of the custom of slaying strangers they praised the maiden for her kindly spirit, and then, revealing to her their own project, they learned in turn from her of the danger which threatened her from her father because of the reverence which she showed to strangers.
Since they now recognized that it was to their mutual advantage, Medea promised to co-operate with them until they should perform the labour which lay before them, while Jason gave her his pledge under oath that he would marry her and keep her as his life’s companion so long as he lived.
After this the Argonauts left guards to watch the ship and set off by night with Medea to get the golden fleece, concerning which it may be proper for us to give a detailed account, in order that nothing which belongs to the history which we have undertaken may remain unknown.
PHRIXUS, AEETES AND THE GOLDEN FLEECE
Phrixus, the son of Athamas, the myths relate, because of his stepmother’s plots against him, took his sister Hellê and fled with her from Greece. And while they were making the passage from Europe to Asia, as a kind of Providence of the gods directed, on the back of a ram, whose fleece was of gold, the maiden fell into the sea, which was named after her Hellespont, but Phrixus continued on into the Pontus and was carried to Colchis, where, as some oracle had commanded, he sacrificed the ram and hung up its fleece as a dedicatory offering in the temple of Ares.
After this, while Aeëtes was king of Colchis, an oracle became known, to the effect that he was to come to the end of his life whenever strangers should land there and carry off the golden fleece. For this reason and because of his own cruelty as well, Aeëtes ordained that strangers should be offered up in sacrifice, in order that, the report of the cruelty of the Colchi having been spread abroad to every part of the world, no stranger should have the courage to set foot on the land. He also threw a wall about the precinct and stationed there many guardians, these being men of the Tauric Chersonese, and it is because of these guards that the Greeks invented monstrous myths.
For instance, the report was spread abroad that there were fire-breathing bulls (tauroi) round about the precinct and that a sleepless dragon (drakon) guarded the fleece, the identity of the names having led to the transfer from the men who were Taurians to the cattle because of their strength and the cruelty shown in the murder of strangers having been made into the myth of the bulls breathing fire; and similarly the name of the guardian who watched over the sacred precinct, which was Dracon, has been transferred by the poets to the monstrous and fear-inspiring beast, the dragon.
Also the account of Phrixus underwent a similar working into a myth. For, as some men say, he made his voyage upon a ship which bore the head of a ram upon its bow, and Hellê, being troubled with a sea-sickness, while leaning far over the side of the boat for this reason, fell into the sea.
Some say, however, that the king of the Scythians, who was a son-in-law of Aeëtes, was visiting among the Colchi at the very time when, as it happened, Phrixus and his attendant were taken captive, and conceiving a passion for the boy he received him from Aeëtes as a gift, loved him like a son of his own loins, and left his kingdom to him. The attendant, however, whose name was Crius (ram), was sacrificed to the gods, and when his body had been flayed the skin was nailed upon on the temple, in keeping with a certain custom.
And when later an oracle was delivered to Aeëtes to the effect that he was to die whenever strangers would sail to his land and carry off the skin of Crius, the king, they say, built a wall about the precinct and stationed a guard over it; furthermore, he gilded the skin in order that by reason of its brilliant appearance the soldiers should consider it worthy of the most careful guardian. As for these matters, however, it rests with my readers to judge each in accordance with his own predilections.
THE ARGONAUTS AND THE GOLDEN FLEECE
Medea, we are told, led the way for the Argonauts to the sacred precinct of Ares, which was seventy stades distant from the city which was called Sybaris and contained the palace of the rulers of the Colchi. And approaching the gates, which were kept closed at night, she addressed the guards in the Tauric speech.
And when the soldiers readily opened the gates to her as being the king’s daughter, the Argonauts, they say, rushing in with drawn swords slew many of the barbarians and drove the rest, who were struck with terror by the unexpected happening, out of the precinct, and then, taking with them the fleece, made for the ship with all speed.
Medea likewise, assisting the Argonauts, slew with poisons the dragon which, according to the myths, never slept as it lay coiled about the fleece in the precinct, and made her way with Jason down to the sea.
The Tauri who had escaped by flight reported to the king the attack which had been made upon them, and Aeëtes, they say, took with him the soldiers who guarded his person, set out in pursuit of the Greeks, and came upon them near the sea. Joining battle on the first contact with them, he slew one of the Argonauts, Iphitus, the brother of Eurystheus who had laid the Labours upon Heracles, but soon, when he enveloped the rest of them with the multitude of his followers and pressed too hotly into the fray, he was slain by Meleager.
The moment the king fell, the Greeks took courage, and the Colchi turned in flight and the larger part of them were slain in the pursuit.
http://www.theoi.com/Text/DiodorusSiculus4C.html#6
This passage continues with the Argonauts journeying home, but our next passage is about why Phrixus ran away from his step-mother Ino.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
LP0074 - Cybele & Atlantis - Origin of the Gods, from Diodorus Siculus' Library of History
Legendary Passages #0074 - Cybele & Atlantis -
Origin of the Gods, from Diodorus Siculus' Library of History.
Last time we discussed the god Uranus and his children. This time we cover his sons Atlas and Cronus, and their various descendants.
But first long aside on the goddess Cybele, born a princess but abandoned in the countryside. She fell in love with Attis, but after her father found out, he had him killed. She wandered the countryside with her friend Marsyas, who competed with Apollo in music and lost badly.
Anyway, Atlas, son of Uranus, ruled Mount Atlas and the coastlines, and made many discoveries in astrology. That is why he holds aloft the sphere of the earth and the sphere of heaven. He is most well known for his seven daughters, the mothers of many gods and heroes, who became the constellation Pleiades.
Now Cronus was a mean and unjust man who married his sister Rhea, and had a son named Zeus who was kind and just. Zeus overthrew his father and the Titans, and became master of the world, and ruled with virtue and goodness.
Here ends our section on Atlantis, for now. The next episode begins a new phase....
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/3D*.html
Cybele & Atlantis,
a Legendary Passage,
from Diodorus Siculus' Library of History,
translated by C. H. Oldfather.
However, an account is handed down also that this goddess was born in Phrygia. For the natives of that country have the following myth: In ancient times Meïon became king of Phrygia and Lydia; and marrying Dindymê he begat an infant daughter, but being unwilling to rear her he exposed her on the mountain which was called Cybelus. There, in accordance with some divine providence, both the leopards and some of the other especially ferocious wild beasts offered their nipples to the child and so gave it nourishment, and some women who were tending the flocks in that place witnessed the happening, and being astonished at the strange event took up the babe and called her Cybelê after the name of the place.
The child, as she grew up, excelled in both beauty and virtue and also came to be admired for her intelligence; for she was the first to devise the pipe of many reeds and to invent cymbals and kettledrums with which to accompany the games and the dance, and in addition she taught how to heal the sicknesses of both flocks and little children by means of rites of purification; in consequence, since the babes were saved from death by her spells and were generally taken up in her arms, her devotion to them and affection for them led all the people to speak of her as the "mother of the mountain."
The man who associated with her and loved her more than anyone else, they say, was Marsyas the physician, who was admired for his intelligence and chastity; and a proof of his intelligence they find in the fact that he imitated the sounds made by the pipe of many reeds and carried all its notes over into the flute, and as an indication of his chastity they cite his abstinence from sexual pleasures until the day of his death.
Now Cybelê, the myth records, having arrived at full womanhood, came to love a certain native youth who was known as Attis, but at a later time received the appellation Papas; with him she consorted secretly and became with child, and at about the same time her parents recognized her as their child.
Consequently she was brought up into the palace, and her father welcomed her at the outset under the impression that she was a virgin, but later, when he learned of her seduction, he put to death her nurses and Attis as well and cast their bodies forth to lie unburied; whereupon Cybelê, they say, because of her love for the youth and grief over the nurses, became frenzied and rushed out of the palace into the countryside.
And crying aloud and beating upon a kettledrum she visited every country alone, with hair hanging free, and Marsyas, out of pity for her plight, voluntarily followed her and accompanied her in her wanderings because of the love which he had formerly borne her.
When they came to Dionysus in the city of Nysa they found there Apollo, who was being accorded high favour because of the lyre, which, they say, Hermes invented, though Apollo was the first to play it fittingly; and when Marsyas strove with Apollo in a contest of skill and the Nysaeans had been appointed judges, the first time Apollo played upon the lyre without accompanying it with his voice, while Marsyas, striking up upon his pipes, amazed the ears of his hearers by their strange music and in their opinion far excelled, by reason of his melody, the first contestant. But since they had agreed to take turn about in displaying their skill to the judges, Apollo, they say, added, this second time, his voice in harmony with the music of the lyre, whereby he gained greater approval than that which had formerly been accorded to the pipes. Marsyas, however, was enraged and tried to prove to the hearers that he was losing the contest in defiance of every principle of justice; for, he argued, it should be a comparison of skill and not of voice, and only by such a test was it possible to judge between the harmony and music of the lyre and of the pipes; and furthermore, it was unjust that two skills should be compared in combination against but one. Apollo, however, as the myth relates, replied that he was in no sense taking any unfair advantage of the other; in fact, when Marsyas blew into his pipes he was doing almost the same thing as himself; consequently the rule should be made either that they should both be accorded this equal privilege of combining their skills, or that neither of them should use his mouth in the contest but should display his special skill by the use only of his hands. When the hearers decided that Apollo presented the more just argument, their skills were again compared; Marsyas was defeated, and Apollo, who had become somewhat embittered by the quarrel, flayed the defeated man alive.
But quickly repenting and being distressed at what he had done, he broke the strings of the lyre and destroyed the harmony of sounds which he had discovered. The harmony of the strings, however, was rediscovered, when the Muses added later the middle string, Linus the string struck with the forefinger, and Orpheus and Thamyras the lowest string and the one next to it. And Apollo, they say, laid away both the lyre and the pipes as a votive offering in the cave of Dionysus, and becoming enamoured of Cybelê joined in her wanderings as far as the land of the Hyperboreans.
But, the myth goes on to say, a pestilence fell upon human beings throughout Phrygia and the land ceased to bear fruit, and when the unfortunate people inquired of the god how they might rid themselves of their ills he commanded them, it is said, to bury the body of Attis and to honour Cybelê as a goddess. Consequently the physicians, since the body had disappeared in the course of time, made an image of the youth, before which they sang dirges and by means of honours in keeping with his suffering propitiated the wrath of him who had been wronged; and these rites they continue to perform down to our own lifetime.
As for Cybelê, in ancient times they erected altars and performed sacrifices to her yearly; and later they built for her a costly temple in Pisinus of Phrygia, and established honours and sacrifices of the greatest magnificence, Midas their king taking part in all these works out of his devotion to beauty; and beside the statue of the goddess they set up panthers and lions, since it was the common opinion that she had first been nursed by these animals.
Such, then, are the myths which are told about Mother of the God both among the Phrygians and by the Atlantians who dwell on the coast of the ocean.
-
After the death of Hyperion, the myth relates, the kingdom was divided among the sons of Uranus, the most renowned of whom were Atlas and Cronus. Of these sons Atlas received as his part the regions on the coast of the ocean, and he not only gave the name of Atlantians to his peoples but likewise called the greatest mountain in the land Atlas. They also say that he perfected the science of astrology and was the first to publish to mankind the doctrine of the sphere; and it was for this reason that the idea was held that the entire heavens were supported upon the shoulders of Atlas, the myth darkly hinting in this way at his discovery and description of the sphere.
There were born to him a number of sons, one of whom was distinguished above the others for his piety, justice to his subjects, and love of mankind, his name being Hesperus. This king, having once climbed to the peak of Mount Atlas, was suddenly snatched away by mighty winds while he was making his observations of the stars, and never was seen again; and because of the virtuous life he had lived and their pity for his sad fate the multitudes accorded to him immortal honours and called the brightest of the stars of heaven after him.
Atlas, the myth goes on to relate, also had seven daughters, who as a group were called Atlantides after their father, but their individual names were Maea, Electra, Taÿgetê, Steropê, Meropê, Halcyonê, and the last Celaeno. These daughters lay with the most renowned heroes and gods and thus became the first ancestors of the larger part of the race of human beings, giving birth to those who, because of their high achievements, came to be called gods and heroes; Maea the eldest, for instance, lay with Zeus and bore Hermes, who was the discoverer of many things for the use of mankind; similarly the other Atlantides also gave birth to renowned children, who became the founders in some instances of nations in other cases of cities. Consequently, not only among certain barbarians but among the Greeks as well, the great majority of the most ancient heroes trace their descent back to the Atlantides. These daughters were also distinguished for their chastity and after their death attained to immortal honour among men, by whom they were both enthroned in the heavens and endowed with the appellation of Pleiades. The Atlantides were also called "nymphs" because the natives of that land addressed their women by the common appellation of "nymph."
Cronus, the brother of Atlas, the myth continues, who was a man notorious for his impiety and greed, married his sister Rhea, by whom he begat that Zeus who was later called "the Olympian."
But there had been also another Zeus, the brother of Uranus and a king of Crete, who, however, was far less famous than the Zeus who was born at a later time. Now the latter was king over the entire world, whereas the earlier Zeus, who was lord of the above-mentioned island, begat ten sons who were given the name of Curetes; and the island he named after his wife Idaea, and on it he died and was buried, and the place which received his grave is pointed out to our day. The Cretans, however, have a myth which does not agree with the story given above, and we shall give a detailed account of it when we speak of Crete.
Cronus, they say, was lord of Sicily and Libya, and Italy as well, and, in a word, established his kingdom over the regions to the west; and everywhere he occupied with garrisons the commanding hills and the strongholds of the regions, this being the reason why both throughout Sicily and the parts which incline towards the west many of the lofty places are called to this day after him "Cronia."
Zeus, however, the son of Cronus, emulated a manner of life the opposite of that led by his father, and since he showed himself honourable and friendly to all, the masses addressed him as "father." As for his succession to the kingly power, some say that his father yielded it to him of his own accord, but others state that he was chosen as king by the masses because of the hatred they bore towards his father, and that when Cronus made war against him with the aid of the Titans, Zeus overcame him in battle, and on gaining supreme power visited all the inhabited world, conferring benefactions upon the race of men. He was pre-eminent also in bodily strength and in all the other qualities of virtue and for this reason quickly became master of the entire world. And in general he showed all zeal to punish impious and wicked men and to show kindness to the masses. In return for all this, after he had passed from among men he was given the name of Zên, because he was the cause of right "living" among men, and those who had received his favours showed him honour by enthroning him in the heavens, all men eagerly acclaiming him as god and lord for ever of the whole universe.
These, then, are in summary the facts regarding the teachings of the Atlantians about the gods.
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/3D*.html
Origin of the Gods, from Diodorus Siculus' Library of History.
Last time we discussed the god Uranus and his children. This time we cover his sons Atlas and Cronus, and their various descendants.
But first long aside on the goddess Cybele, born a princess but abandoned in the countryside. She fell in love with Attis, but after her father found out, he had him killed. She wandered the countryside with her friend Marsyas, who competed with Apollo in music and lost badly.
Anyway, Atlas, son of Uranus, ruled Mount Atlas and the coastlines, and made many discoveries in astrology. That is why he holds aloft the sphere of the earth and the sphere of heaven. He is most well known for his seven daughters, the mothers of many gods and heroes, who became the constellation Pleiades.
Now Cronus was a mean and unjust man who married his sister Rhea, and had a son named Zeus who was kind and just. Zeus overthrew his father and the Titans, and became master of the world, and ruled with virtue and goodness.
Here ends our section on Atlantis, for now. The next episode begins a new phase....
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/3D*.html
Cybele & Atlantis,
a Legendary Passage,
from Diodorus Siculus' Library of History,
translated by C. H. Oldfather.
However, an account is handed down also that this goddess was born in Phrygia. For the natives of that country have the following myth: In ancient times Meïon became king of Phrygia and Lydia; and marrying Dindymê he begat an infant daughter, but being unwilling to rear her he exposed her on the mountain which was called Cybelus. There, in accordance with some divine providence, both the leopards and some of the other especially ferocious wild beasts offered their nipples to the child and so gave it nourishment, and some women who were tending the flocks in that place witnessed the happening, and being astonished at the strange event took up the babe and called her Cybelê after the name of the place.
The child, as she grew up, excelled in both beauty and virtue and also came to be admired for her intelligence; for she was the first to devise the pipe of many reeds and to invent cymbals and kettledrums with which to accompany the games and the dance, and in addition she taught how to heal the sicknesses of both flocks and little children by means of rites of purification; in consequence, since the babes were saved from death by her spells and were generally taken up in her arms, her devotion to them and affection for them led all the people to speak of her as the "mother of the mountain."
The man who associated with her and loved her more than anyone else, they say, was Marsyas the physician, who was admired for his intelligence and chastity; and a proof of his intelligence they find in the fact that he imitated the sounds made by the pipe of many reeds and carried all its notes over into the flute, and as an indication of his chastity they cite his abstinence from sexual pleasures until the day of his death.
Now Cybelê, the myth records, having arrived at full womanhood, came to love a certain native youth who was known as Attis, but at a later time received the appellation Papas; with him she consorted secretly and became with child, and at about the same time her parents recognized her as their child.
Consequently she was brought up into the palace, and her father welcomed her at the outset under the impression that she was a virgin, but later, when he learned of her seduction, he put to death her nurses and Attis as well and cast their bodies forth to lie unburied; whereupon Cybelê, they say, because of her love for the youth and grief over the nurses, became frenzied and rushed out of the palace into the countryside.
And crying aloud and beating upon a kettledrum she visited every country alone, with hair hanging free, and Marsyas, out of pity for her plight, voluntarily followed her and accompanied her in her wanderings because of the love which he had formerly borne her.
When they came to Dionysus in the city of Nysa they found there Apollo, who was being accorded high favour because of the lyre, which, they say, Hermes invented, though Apollo was the first to play it fittingly; and when Marsyas strove with Apollo in a contest of skill and the Nysaeans had been appointed judges, the first time Apollo played upon the lyre without accompanying it with his voice, while Marsyas, striking up upon his pipes, amazed the ears of his hearers by their strange music and in their opinion far excelled, by reason of his melody, the first contestant. But since they had agreed to take turn about in displaying their skill to the judges, Apollo, they say, added, this second time, his voice in harmony with the music of the lyre, whereby he gained greater approval than that which had formerly been accorded to the pipes. Marsyas, however, was enraged and tried to prove to the hearers that he was losing the contest in defiance of every principle of justice; for, he argued, it should be a comparison of skill and not of voice, and only by such a test was it possible to judge between the harmony and music of the lyre and of the pipes; and furthermore, it was unjust that two skills should be compared in combination against but one. Apollo, however, as the myth relates, replied that he was in no sense taking any unfair advantage of the other; in fact, when Marsyas blew into his pipes he was doing almost the same thing as himself; consequently the rule should be made either that they should both be accorded this equal privilege of combining their skills, or that neither of them should use his mouth in the contest but should display his special skill by the use only of his hands. When the hearers decided that Apollo presented the more just argument, their skills were again compared; Marsyas was defeated, and Apollo, who had become somewhat embittered by the quarrel, flayed the defeated man alive.
But quickly repenting and being distressed at what he had done, he broke the strings of the lyre and destroyed the harmony of sounds which he had discovered. The harmony of the strings, however, was rediscovered, when the Muses added later the middle string, Linus the string struck with the forefinger, and Orpheus and Thamyras the lowest string and the one next to it. And Apollo, they say, laid away both the lyre and the pipes as a votive offering in the cave of Dionysus, and becoming enamoured of Cybelê joined in her wanderings as far as the land of the Hyperboreans.
But, the myth goes on to say, a pestilence fell upon human beings throughout Phrygia and the land ceased to bear fruit, and when the unfortunate people inquired of the god how they might rid themselves of their ills he commanded them, it is said, to bury the body of Attis and to honour Cybelê as a goddess. Consequently the physicians, since the body had disappeared in the course of time, made an image of the youth, before which they sang dirges and by means of honours in keeping with his suffering propitiated the wrath of him who had been wronged; and these rites they continue to perform down to our own lifetime.
As for Cybelê, in ancient times they erected altars and performed sacrifices to her yearly; and later they built for her a costly temple in Pisinus of Phrygia, and established honours and sacrifices of the greatest magnificence, Midas their king taking part in all these works out of his devotion to beauty; and beside the statue of the goddess they set up panthers and lions, since it was the common opinion that she had first been nursed by these animals.
Such, then, are the myths which are told about Mother of the God both among the Phrygians and by the Atlantians who dwell on the coast of the ocean.
-
After the death of Hyperion, the myth relates, the kingdom was divided among the sons of Uranus, the most renowned of whom were Atlas and Cronus. Of these sons Atlas received as his part the regions on the coast of the ocean, and he not only gave the name of Atlantians to his peoples but likewise called the greatest mountain in the land Atlas. They also say that he perfected the science of astrology and was the first to publish to mankind the doctrine of the sphere; and it was for this reason that the idea was held that the entire heavens were supported upon the shoulders of Atlas, the myth darkly hinting in this way at his discovery and description of the sphere.
There were born to him a number of sons, one of whom was distinguished above the others for his piety, justice to his subjects, and love of mankind, his name being Hesperus. This king, having once climbed to the peak of Mount Atlas, was suddenly snatched away by mighty winds while he was making his observations of the stars, and never was seen again; and because of the virtuous life he had lived and their pity for his sad fate the multitudes accorded to him immortal honours and called the brightest of the stars of heaven after him.
Atlas, the myth goes on to relate, also had seven daughters, who as a group were called Atlantides after their father, but their individual names were Maea, Electra, Taÿgetê, Steropê, Meropê, Halcyonê, and the last Celaeno. These daughters lay with the most renowned heroes and gods and thus became the first ancestors of the larger part of the race of human beings, giving birth to those who, because of their high achievements, came to be called gods and heroes; Maea the eldest, for instance, lay with Zeus and bore Hermes, who was the discoverer of many things for the use of mankind; similarly the other Atlantides also gave birth to renowned children, who became the founders in some instances of nations in other cases of cities. Consequently, not only among certain barbarians but among the Greeks as well, the great majority of the most ancient heroes trace their descent back to the Atlantides. These daughters were also distinguished for their chastity and after their death attained to immortal honour among men, by whom they were both enthroned in the heavens and endowed with the appellation of Pleiades. The Atlantides were also called "nymphs" because the natives of that land addressed their women by the common appellation of "nymph."
Cronus, the brother of Atlas, the myth continues, who was a man notorious for his impiety and greed, married his sister Rhea, by whom he begat that Zeus who was later called "the Olympian."
But there had been also another Zeus, the brother of Uranus and a king of Crete, who, however, was far less famous than the Zeus who was born at a later time. Now the latter was king over the entire world, whereas the earlier Zeus, who was lord of the above-mentioned island, begat ten sons who were given the name of Curetes; and the island he named after his wife Idaea, and on it he died and was buried, and the place which received his grave is pointed out to our day. The Cretans, however, have a myth which does not agree with the story given above, and we shall give a detailed account of it when we speak of Crete.
Cronus, they say, was lord of Sicily and Libya, and Italy as well, and, in a word, established his kingdom over the regions to the west; and everywhere he occupied with garrisons the commanding hills and the strongholds of the regions, this being the reason why both throughout Sicily and the parts which incline towards the west many of the lofty places are called to this day after him "Cronia."
Zeus, however, the son of Cronus, emulated a manner of life the opposite of that led by his father, and since he showed himself honourable and friendly to all, the masses addressed him as "father." As for his succession to the kingly power, some say that his father yielded it to him of his own accord, but others state that he was chosen as king by the masses because of the hatred they bore towards his father, and that when Cronus made war against him with the aid of the Titans, Zeus overcame him in battle, and on gaining supreme power visited all the inhabited world, conferring benefactions upon the race of men. He was pre-eminent also in bodily strength and in all the other qualities of virtue and for this reason quickly became master of the entire world. And in general he showed all zeal to punish impious and wicked men and to show kindness to the masses. In return for all this, after he had passed from among men he was given the name of Zên, because he was the cause of right "living" among men, and those who had received his favours showed him honour by enthroning him in the heavens, all men eagerly acclaiming him as god and lord for ever of the whole universe.
These, then, are in summary the facts regarding the teachings of the Atlantians about the gods.
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/3D*.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)