Chapter 1: The Early Gods
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♠ Likymnios of Chios 771 PMG – Poetae Melici Graeci, p. 397, ed. D. L. Page. Oxford 1962.
♠ Vergil, Georgics 3.391-93
Even with such snowy bribe of wool, if ear
May trust the tale, Pan, God of Arcady,
Snared and beguiled thee, Luna, calling thee
To the deep woods; nor thou didst spurn his call. Latin Text
♠ Scholia to Vergil, Georgics 3.391 – Servii Grammatici qui feruntur in Vergilii Bucolica et Georgica Commentarii, pp. 307-8, ed. G. Thilo. Leipzig 1887
Berlin, Antikensammlung F 2293: Attic red-figure cup by Brygos Painter with Selene in chariot
A. Furtwaengler and K. Reichhold, Griechische Vasenmalerei: Auswahl hervorragender Vasenbilder (Serie III, Tafel 121-180, 1932), detail of pl. 160
Beazley Archive Pottery Database
♠ Homer, Odyssey 5.121-24
Thus, when rosy-fingered Dawn took to herself Orion, ye gods that live at ease begrudged her, till in Ortygia chaste Artemis of the golden throne assailed him with her gentle shafts and slew him. Greek Text
♠ ApB 1.4.5 – Apollodoros, Bibliotheke (Library)
But Orion was killed, as some say, for challenging Artemis to a match at quoits, but some say he was shot by Artemis for offering violence to Opis, one of the maidens who had come from the Hyperboreans. Greek text
♠ Homer, Odyssey 15.249-51
And Mantius on his part begot Polypheides and Cleitus. Now Cleitus golden-throned Dawn snatched away by reason of his beauty, that he might dwell with the immortals. Greek Text
♠ Hesiod, Theogony 986-87
And to Cephalus she bore a splendid son, strong Phaethon, a man like the gods, whom, when he was a young boy in the tender flower of glorious youth with childish thoughts, laughter-loving Aphrodite seized and caught up and made a keeper of her shrine by night, a divine spirit. Greek Text
♠ Pausanias 3.18.12
There is Cephalus, too, carried off by Day because of his beauty. Greek Text
♠ Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.700-713
Two joyful months
of our united love were almost passed,
when, as the grey light of the dawn dispelled,
upon the summit of Hymettus green,
Aurora, glorious in her golden robes,
observed me busy with encircling nets,
trapping the antlered deer.
“Against my will
incited by desire, she carried me
away with her. Oh, let me not increase
her anger, for I tell you what is true,
I found no comfort in her lovely face!
And, though she is the very queen of light,
and reigns upon the edge of shadowy space
where she is nourished on rich nectar-wine,
adding delight to beauty, I could give
no heed to her entreaties, for the thought
of my beloved Procris intervened;
and only her sweet name was on my lips.
“I told Aurora of our wedding joys
and all refreshing joys of love — and my
first union of my couch deserted now:
“Enraged against me, then the goddess said:
‘Keep to your Procris, I but trouble you,
ungrateful clown! but, if you can be warned,
you will no longer wish for her!’ And so,
in anger, she returned me to my wife. Latin Text
♠ Antoninus Liberalis 41 – Mythography Graeci 2.1, pp. 123-27, ed. E. Martini. Leipzig 1896.
♠ Euripides, Hippolytos 454-58
Zeus once lusted for Semele’s bed, know too that Dawn, goddess of lovely light, once abducted Cephalus to heaven for love’s sake. But these deities still continue to live in heaven and do not exile themselves from the sight of the gods. They are resigned to their defeat by ill-fortune. Greek Text
♠ ApB 3.14.3 – Apollodoros, Bibliotheke (Library)
Herse had by Hermes a son Cephalus, whom Dawn loved and carried off, and consorting with him in Syria bore a son Tithonus, who had a son Phaethon, who had a son Astynous, who had a son Sandocus, who passed from Syria to Cilicia and founded a city Celenderis, and having married Pharnace, daughter of Megassares, king of Hyria, begat Cinyras. This Cinyras in Cyprus, whither he had come with some people, founded Paphos; and having there married Metharme, daughter of Pygmalion, king of Cyprus, he begat Oxyporus and Adonis, and besides them daughters, Orsedice, Laogore, and Braesia. These by reason of the wrath of Aphrodite cohabited with foreigners, and ended their life in Egypt. Greek Text
♠ ApB. 1.9.4 – Apollodoros, Bibliotheke (Library)
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. Greek Text
♠ Pherekydes 3F34 – Die Fragmente der griechischen Historiker 1, p. 71, ed. F. Jacoby, 2d ed. Leiden 1957.
Rome, Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia (previously Malibu, Getty Museum 84.AE.569): Attic red-figure cup by Douris with Eos and Kephalos
Beazley Archive Pottery Database (without illustration)
Paris, Cabinet des Médailles 423: Attic red-figure bell krater with Eos and Kephalos
Bullettino archeologico Napoletano vol. 1, 1842-1843 (1843), pl. 1
Beazley Archive Pottery Database (without illustration)
Madrid, Museo Arqueológico Nacional 11097: Attic red-figure neck-amphora with Eos and Kephalos
G. Leroux, Vases grecs et italo-grecs du Musée Archéologique de Madrid .. (1912), pl. 23
Beazley Archive Pottery Database
Berlin, Antikensammlung F2537: Attic red-figure cup with Eos and Kephalos
Monumenti inediti pubblicati dall’Instituto di corrispondenza archeologica 10, 1877, pl. 39.3
Beazley Archive Pottery Database
Perseus Art and Archaeology Artifact Browser
Lost acroterion from Stoa Basileios, Athens, with Eos and Kephalos
♠ Pausanias 1.3.1
The district of the Cerameicus has its name from the hero Ceramus, he too being the reputed son of Dionysus and Ariadne. First on the right is what is called the Royal Portico, where sits the king when holding the yearly office called the kingship. On the tiling of this portico are images of baked earthenware, Theseus throwing Sciron into the sea and Day carrying away Cephalus, who they say was very beautiful and was ravished by Day, who was in love with him. His son was Phaethon,<afterwards ravished by Aphrodite>. . . and made a guardian of her temple. Such is the tale told by Hesiod, among others, in his poem on women. Greek Text
Paris, Cabinet des Médailles 846: Attic red-figure skyphos with Eos and Tithonos
A. de Ridder, Catalogue des vases peints de la Bibliothèque Nationale (1902), 497 fig. 120
Beazley Archive Pottery Database (without illustration)
♠ Homer, Iliad 20.237
and Laomedon begat Tithonus and Priam and Clytius, and Hicetaon, scion of Ares. Greek Text
♠ Homer, Iliad 11.1-2 = Odyssey5.1-2
Now Dawn rose from her couch from beside lordly Tithonus, to bring light to immortals and to mortal men. Greek Text
♠ Hesiod, Theogony 984-85
And Eos bore to Tithonus brazen-crested Memnon, king of the Ethiopians, and the Lord Emathion. Greek Text
♠ Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite 218-38
So also golden-throned Eos rapt away Tithonus who was of your race and like the deathless gods. And she went to ask the dark-clouded Son of Cronos that he should be deathless and live eternally; and Zeus bowed his head to her prayer and fulfilled her desire. Too simple was queenly Eos: she thought not in her heart to ask youth for him and to strip him of the slough of deadly age. So while he enjoyed the sweet flower of life he lived rapturously with golden-throned Eos, the early-born, by the streams of Ocean, at the ends of the earth; but when the first grey hairs began to ripple from his comely head and noble chin, queenly Eos kept away from his bed, though she cherished him in her house and nourished him with food and ambrosia and gave him rich clothing. But when loathsome old age pressed full upon him, and he could not move nor lift his limbs, this seemed to her in her heart the best counsel: she laid him in a room and put to the shining doors. There he babbles endlessly, and no more has strength at all, such as once he had in his supple limbs. Greek Text
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Tags:
#Eos, #Kephalos, #Selene, #Tithonos
Artistic sources edited by Frances Van Keuren, Prof. Emerita, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Univ. of Georgia, January 2018
Literary sources edited by Elena Bianchelli, Senior Lecturer of Classical Languages and Culture, Univ. of Georgia, July 2020
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