Polyphonte: Difference between revisions
Adding Verheyk ed., Greek&Latin text primary source. Noting that original text reads styx (ϛύξ), which is emended to strix (στρίξ), footnoted in Verheyk ed. Also "bird called lagōs" is arbitrarily translated as "eagle owl" by Celloria. |
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:''Agrius and Oreius redirect here''. |
:''Agrius and Oreius redirect here''. |
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'''Polyphonte''' ([[Greek language|Ancient Greek]]: {{lang|grc|Πολυφόντη}} ""slayer of many") is a character in Greek mythology, |
'''Polyphonte''' ([[Greek language|Ancient Greek]]: {{lang|grc|Πολυφόντη}} ""slayer of many") is a character in Greek mythology, transformed into an owl. |
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==Mythology== |
==Mythology== |
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Being only a minor mythological figure the story of her life is contained in only one source, namely [[Antoninus Liberalis|Antoninus Liberalis’s]] Metamorphoses. Antonius cites [[Boios|Boeus’]] second book, ‘The Origin of Birds’ as the source of the story however Boeus’ work has been lost.{{sfnp|Oliphant|1913|pp=133–134}} |
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| ⚫ | Polyphonte was the daughter of [[Hipponous]] and Thrassa; her grandparents on mother's side were the war god [[Ares]] and Tereine, a daughter of the river god [[Strymon (mythology)|Strymon]].<ref>Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses, 21. {{harvp|Celoria|1992|pp=77–78}} tr., {{harvp|Verheyk|1774|pp=137–143}}, Greek and Latin</ref> |
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Wishing to remain a virgin Polyphonte fled to the mountains to become a companion of [[Artemis]]. This provoked the ire of [[Aphrodite]], the goddess of love and procreation, who viewed Polyphonte’s decision as a personal affront. To punish Polyphonte for failing to honor her womanly duty, Aphrodite drove her mad and caused her to lust after a [[bear]]. |
Wishing to remain a virgin Polyphonte fled to the mountains to become a companion of [[Artemis]]. This provoked the ire of [[Aphrodite]], the goddess of love and procreation, who viewed Polyphonte’s decision as a personal affront. To punish Polyphonte for failing to honor her womanly duty, Aphrodite drove her mad and caused her to lust after a [[bear]]. |
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Once at home, Polyphonte gave birth to two humanoid bear-like sons '''Agrius and Oreius''' (the result of her union with the bear). Agrius and Oreius grew into huge men of immense strength. As perhaps befits their feral patronage, the Bear Twins honored neither men nor gods. Indeed, they were cannibals who attacked strangers on the road. |
Once at home, Polyphonte gave birth to two humanoid bear-like sons '''Agrius and Oreius''' (the result of her union with the bear). Agrius and Oreius grew into huge men of immense strength. As perhaps befits their feral patronage, the Bear Twins honored neither men nor gods. Indeed, they were cannibals who attacked strangers on the road. |
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[[Zeus]] despised Agrius and Oreius and so sent [[Hermes]] to punish them as he saw fit. The brothers almost had their hands and feet severed by the vengeful god were it not for the intervention of their great-grandfather Ares. Despite their monstrous nature, Ares persuaded Hermes to commute the sentence. Together, Hermes and Ares transformed Agrius, Oreius, Polyphonte, and the family’s female servant into birds. Polyphonte was transformed into a small [[owl]] ( |
[[Zeus]] despised Agrius and Oreius and so sent [[Hermes]] to punish them as he saw fit. The brothers almost had their hands and feet severed by the vengeful god were it not for the intervention of their great-grandfather Ares. Despite their monstrous nature, Ares persuaded Hermes to commute the sentence. Together, Hermes and Ares transformed Agrius, Oreius, Polyphonte, and the family’s female servant into birds. Polyphonte was transformed into a small [[owl]] ([[strix (mythology)|strix]]) which neither ate nor drank and cried during that night, which portended war and sedition for mankind.{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|The original Greek reads ''styx'' ({{lang|el|ϛύξ / στύξ}}), but emended to ''stryx'' ({{lang|el|ϛρίγξ / στρίξ}}).<ref>{{harvp|Verheyk|1774}}, P. 140 note</ref>}} As for her sons, Oreius was turned into a "bird called ''lagōs''" (arbitrarily translated as an "[[Horned owl|eagle owl]]")<ref name=lagos/><ref name=nissan/> regarded as ill omen, and Agrius was turned into a [[vulture]], a despised carrion-eating bird.<ref>Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses, 21. {{harvp|Celoria|1992|p=78}} tr., {{harvp|Verheyk|1774|pp=140–143}}, Greek and Latin</ref> In a small act of mercy, Ares and Hermes heeded the female servant’s prayer where she had no involvement in the Bear Twins' actions and decided not to transform her into a bird heralding evil for mankind. Instead, she was transformed into a [[woodpecker]] (supposedly a sign of good luck if seen before a hunt).<ref>Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses, 21. {{harvp|Celoria|1992|p=78}} tr., {{harvp|Verheyk|1774|pp=140–143}}, Greek and Latin</ref> |
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==Parallels to other stories== |
==Parallels to other stories== |
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==References in popular culture== |
==References in popular culture== |
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* Agrius and Oreius appear in the book ''[[The Sea of Monsters]]'' where they are shown to be in the services of Luke Castellan.<ref>[[Rick Riordan]], Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, pg.120</ref> |
* Agrius and Oreius appear in the book ''[[The Sea of Monsters]]'' where they are shown to be in the services of Luke Castellan.<ref>[[Rick Riordan]], Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, pg.120</ref> |
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==Explanatory notes== |
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{{notelist}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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;Citations |
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{{reflist}} |
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{{Reflist|30em|refs= |
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<ref name=lagos>''lagos'' ({{lang|el|λαγῶς}}), means "hare". {{harvp|Celoria|1992|pp=163–164}}, notes.</ref> |
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<ref name=nissan>{{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|last=Nissan |first=Ephraim |title=Nativised, Playfully Aetiologised Literary Zoonyms, III |work=Language, Culture, Computation, Part III |publisher=Springer |year=2014 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Usy5BQAAQBAJ&pg=PA732 |page=732}}. It is added that Arnott (2007), p. 129 considers Lagōs to be the [[Delichon urbica|house martin]]</ref> |
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}} |
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;Bibliography |
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{{Refbegin}} |
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*{{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Celoria|1992}}|author=Antoninus Liberalis |editor-last=Celoria|editor-first=Francis |editor-link=Francis Celoria |title=The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis: A Translation with Commentary |publisher=|year=1992|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9_Eolzuv0eQC&pg=PA77 |pages=77–78|chapter=21. Polyphonte }} {{isbn|0415068967}} |
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*{{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Verheyk|1774}}|author=Antoninus Liberalis |others=[[Wilhelm Xylander]], Thomas Muncker |editor-last=Verheyk |editor-first=Hendrik |title=Antōninou Liberalis Metamorphōseōn Sunagōgē|publisher=apud Sam. et Joan. Luchtmans |year=1774|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E9-hhAOFeu8C&pg=PA137 |pages=137–143 |chapter=XXI. Polyphonte }} |
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*{{cite journal|ref=harv| last=Oliphant |first=Samuel Grant |year=1913 |title=The Story of the Strix: Ancient |journal=Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association |volume=44 |issue= |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/28254 |pages=133–149 |doi= 10.2307/282549 |publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press}} |
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{{Refend}} |
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[[Category:Women in Greek mythology]] |
[[Category:Women in Greek mythology]] |
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Revision as of 00:31, 29 January 2018
- Agrius and Oreius redirect here.
Polyphonte (Ancient Greek: Πολυφόντη ""slayer of many") is a character in Greek mythology, transformed into an owl.
Mythology
Being only a minor mythological figure the story of her life is contained in only one source, namely Antoninus Liberalis’s Metamorphoses. Antonius cites Boeus’ second book, ‘The Origin of Birds’ as the source of the story however Boeus’ work has been lost.[1]
Polyphonte was the daughter of Hipponous and Thrassa; her grandparents on mother's side were the war god Ares and Tereine, a daughter of the river god Strymon.[2]
Wishing to remain a virgin Polyphonte fled to the mountains to become a companion of Artemis. This provoked the ire of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and procreation, who viewed Polyphonte’s decision as a personal affront. To punish Polyphonte for failing to honor her womanly duty, Aphrodite drove her mad and caused her to lust after a bear.
Artemis was disgusted with Polyphonte and so turned the wild animals against her. Fearing for her life Polyphonte was forced to return to her father’s home.
Birth of the Bear Twins
Once at home, Polyphonte gave birth to two humanoid bear-like sons Agrius and Oreius (the result of her union with the bear). Agrius and Oreius grew into huge men of immense strength. As perhaps befits their feral patronage, the Bear Twins honored neither men nor gods. Indeed, they were cannibals who attacked strangers on the road.
Zeus despised Agrius and Oreius and so sent Hermes to punish them as he saw fit. The brothers almost had their hands and feet severed by the vengeful god were it not for the intervention of their great-grandfather Ares. Despite their monstrous nature, Ares persuaded Hermes to commute the sentence. Together, Hermes and Ares transformed Agrius, Oreius, Polyphonte, and the family’s female servant into birds. Polyphonte was transformed into a small owl (strix) which neither ate nor drank and cried during that night, which portended war and sedition for mankind.[a] As for her sons, Oreius was turned into a "bird called lagōs" (arbitrarily translated as an "eagle owl")[4][5] regarded as ill omen, and Agrius was turned into a vulture, a despised carrion-eating bird.[6] In a small act of mercy, Ares and Hermes heeded the female servant’s prayer where she had no involvement in the Bear Twins' actions and decided not to transform her into a bird heralding evil for mankind. Instead, she was transformed into a woodpecker (supposedly a sign of good luck if seen before a hunt).[7]
Parallels to other stories
The story bears strong similarities with the tales of Atalanta and Callisto. It has been suggested that all these tales deal with the function of Artemis within the rituals of Ancient Greece and shed light on how they saw a woman's first sexual encounter.[8] In so far as the tale details bestiality as a punishment for offending the gods, the myth is also similar to that of Pasiphaë and the Minotaur where Pasiphaë mated with a bull resulting in the Minotaur's birth.
References in popular culture
- Agrius and Oreius appear in the book The Sea of Monsters where they are shown to be in the services of Luke Castellan.[9]
Explanatory notes
References
- Citations
- ^ Oliphant (1913), pp. 133–134.
- ^ Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses, 21. Celoria (1992), pp. 77–78 tr., Verheyk (1774), pp. 137–143, Greek and Latin
- ^ Verheyk (1774), P. 140 note
- ^ lagos (λαγῶς), means "hare". Celoria (1992), pp. 163–164, notes.
- ^ {{cite book|ref=CITEREF. It is added that Arnott (2007), p. 129 considers Lagōs to be the house martin
- ^ Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses, 21. Celoria (1992), p. 78 tr., Verheyk (1774), pp. 140–143, Greek and Latin
- ^ Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses, 21. Celoria (1992), p. 78 tr., Verheyk (1774), pp. 140–143, Greek and Latin
- ^ Thomas F. Scanlon, Eros and Greek Athletics, pg. 161-165
- ^ Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, pg.120
- Bibliography
- Antoninus Liberalis (1992). "21. Polyphonte". In Celoria, Francis (ed.). The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis: A Translation with Commentary. pp. 77–78. ISBN 0415068967
- Antoninus Liberalis (1774). "XXI. Polyphonte". In Verheyk, Hendrik (ed.). Antōninou Liberalis Metamorphōseōn Sunagōgē. Wilhelm Xylander, Thomas Muncker. apud Sam. et Joan. Luchtmans. pp. 137–143.
- Oliphant, Samuel Grant (1913). "The Story of the Strix: Ancient". Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association. 44. The Johns Hopkins University Press: 133–149. doi:10.2307/282549.
{{cite journal}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)