Myths of Greece and Rome Part 25

[Sidenote: Prometheus.]

In this group we also find Prometheus, whose name has been traced to the Sanskrit pramantha (or "fire drill"). Learned men have therefore proved that the "beneficent t.i.tan, who stole fire from heaven and bestowed it upon mankind as the richest of boons," was originally nothing but the lightning ("the celestial drill which churns fire out of the clouds"); but the Greeks had so entirely forgotten this etymological meaning, that they interpreted his name as the "fore-thinker," and considered him endowed with extraordinary prophetic powers.

[Sidenote: Vulcan.]

Vulcan (or Hephaestus), strictly "the brightness of the flame," another fire hero, is represented as very puny at birth, because the flame comes from a tiny spark. His name is derived from the Hindoo agni, whence come the Latin ignis and the English verb to ignite. Vulcan dwells by preference in the heart of volcanoes, where the intense heat keeps the metals in fusion, and so malleable that he can mold them at will; and, as "the a.s.sociation of the heavenly fire with the life-giving forces of nature is very common," the Hindoo Agni was considered the patron of marriage as well as of fire; and the Greeks, to carry out this idea, united their fire G.o.d, Hephaestus, to the G.o.ddess of marriage, Aphrodite.

[Sidenote: Vesta.]

The Greek Hestia (or Latin Vesta) was also a personification of fire; and, her name having retained its primitive meaning to a great extent, "she continued to the end, as she had been from the beginning, the household altar, the sanctuary of peace and equity, and the source of all happiness and wealth." Her office was not limited merely to the hearths of households and cities, for it was supposed "that in the center of the earth there was a hearth which answered to the hearth placed in the center of the universe."

WIND MYTHS.

[Sidenote: Mercury.]

In the myths of the wind, Mercury (or Hermes) was one of the princ.i.p.al personifications. According to the ancients, he was born of the sky (Jupiter) and the plains (Maia), and after a very few hours' existence a.s.sumed gigantic proportions, stole away the cattle of the sun (the clouds), and, after fanning up a great fire in which he consumed some of the herd, glided back into his cradle at dawn. With a low, mocking chuckle at the recollection of the pranks he had played, he sank finally into rest. His name, derived from the Sanskrit Sarameias, means "the breeze of a summer morning;" and it is in his capacity of G.o.d of the wind that he is supposed to waft away the souls of the dead; for "the ancients held that in the wind were the souls of the dead." Mercury is the "lying, tricksome wind G.o.d who invented music," for his music is but "the melody of the winds, which can awaken feelings of joy and sorrow, of regret and yearning, of fear and hope, of vehement gladness and utter despair."

[Sidenote: Mars.]

Another personification of the wind was Mars (or Ares), born of the sky (Jupiter) and of the heavenly light (Juno) in the bleak land of Thrace, rejoicing in din and in the noise of warfare. His nature is further revealed by his inconstancy and capriciousness; and whenever he is overcome, he is noted for his great roar. His name comes from the same root as Maruts, the Indian G.o.d, and means the "grinder" or "crusher." It was first applied "to the storms which throw heaven and earth into confusion, and hence the idea of Ares is confined to mere disorder and tumult."

[Sidenote: Otus and Ephialtes.]

Otus and Ephialtes, the gigantic sons of Neptune, were also at first merely personifications of the wind and hurricanes. The name of the latter indicates "one who leaps." Although very short-lived, these giants were supposed to increase rapidly in size, and a.s.sume colossal proportions, which inspired the hearts of men and G.o.ds with terror, until they saw them finally slain by the unfailing arrows of the sun.

[Sidenote: Pan, AEolus, and the Harpies.]

Pan, AEolus, his numerous progeny, and the Harpies, were also wind divinities who never entirely lost their original character with the Greeks, and were therefore wors.h.i.+ped merely as personifications of the elements.

UNDERWORLD MYTHS.

[Sidenote: Cerberus and Pluto.]

The myths of drought, darkness, and of the underworld have sufficiently been dwelt upon as personified by Python, the Hydra, Geryones, the Gorgons, Graeae, Minotaur, Sphinx, Chimaera, etc.; but their main personifications were Cerberus (the grim three-headed guardian of the nether world) and Pluto (or Ades), whose name means "the wealth-giver," or "the unseen," who greedily drew all things down into his realm, never to relinquish his grasp upon them.

Such is the physical explanation of the various poetical myths which form the staple of cla.s.sic literature, and which have been a fount of inspiration for poets and artists of all ages.

GENEALOGICAL TABLE.

Note.--Double vertical lines indicate that several generations intervene.

Chaos-Nyx +-Erebus-Nyx +-Hemera- +-AEther +-Gaea +-Ura.n.u.s-Gaea +-Ocea.n.u.s- +-Thetis +-Achelous-Calliope +-Sirens +-Alpheus-Arethusa +-Peneus-Gaea +-Daphne +-Inachus +-Io +-Proteus +-Doris-Nereus +-Amphitrite-Neptune +-Triton +-Dione-Jupiter +-Venus +-Arethusa +-Galatea-Acis +-Peleus-Thetis Jupiter-Antiope-Lycus-Dirce +-Zethus Tantalus +-Amphion-Niobe-+ Pelops-+ Atreus-+ Tyndareus-Leda-Jupiter +-Helen +-Castor +-Pollux +-Clytaemnestra-Agamemnon-+ Iphigenia-+ Pylades-Electra+ Orestes-+ +-Achilles Helen-Menelaus-+ +-Pyrrhus-Hermione-+ +-Clymene-Apollo +-Heliades +-Phaeton +-Metis-Jupiter +-Minerva +-Clymene-Iapetus +-AEthra-Atlas +-Pleiades +-Maia-Jupiter +-Mercury-Penelope-Ulysses +-Pan +-Telemachus +-Calypso-Ulysses +-Clytie +-Electra-Jupiter Teucer +-Darda.n.u.s-Batea-+ +-Laomedon +-Priam-Hecuba +-Hector-Andromache +-Paris-Helen +-Ca.s.sandra +-Polites +-Polyxena +-Deiphobus-Helen +-Hesione-Telamon +-Ajax +-t.i.thonus-Aurora +-Themis-Capys +-Anchises-Venus +-AEneas-Creusa & -Lavinia +-Iulus +-AEneas Silvia +-Numitor +-Ilia-Mars +-Remus +-Romulus +-Coeus- +-Phoebe +-Latona-Jupiter Mars Dia-Ixion-+ Centaurs-+ Hippodamia-Pirithous-+ +-Apollo- & -Coronis--------+ +-Diana +-AEsculapius +-Machaon +-Hygeia +-Iapetus-Clymene +-Menetius +-Atlas +-Hesperus +-Hesperides +-Epimetheus-Pandora +-Pyrrha-Deucalion +-h.e.l.len Sol +-AEolus Pasiphae-+ +-Salmoneus Circe-+ +-Tyro-Neptune AEetes-+ +-AEson Absyrtus-+ +-Jason-Medea-+ +-Pelias +-Neleus +-Nestor +-Sisyphus +-Glaucus +-Bellerophon-Philonoe +-Dorus +-Xuthus +-Ion +-Achaeus +-Prometheus +-Deucalion-Pyrrha +-Hyperion-Gaea +-Aurora-AEolus +-Boreas-Orithyia +-Zetus +-Calais +-Cleopatra +-Chione +-Corus +-Eurus +-Notus +-Aquilo +-Zephyrus-Flora +-Crius +-Themis-Jupiter +-Parcae +-Horae +-Ilia +-Cronus- +-Rhea +-Vesta +-Juno- +-Jupiter +-Mars-Venus +-Anteros +-Cupid-Psyche Jupiter-Io +-Epaphus +-Libya-Neptune Telepha.s.sa- Agenor-+ +-Belus +-Pygmalion +-Dido-Sychaeus +-Danaus +-Danaides-50 Sons +-Acrisius +-Danae-Jupiter Celeus- Ca.s.siopeia Andromeda-+ -Perseus----+ +-Alcaeus +-Amphitryon-Alcmene +-Iphicles +-Iolaus +-Electryon +-Alcmene-Jupiter Oeneus-Althaea Meleager-+ Deianeira- -+ +-Hercules +-Hyllus-Iole +-Sthenelus +-Eurystheus +-Admete +-AEgyptus +-50 Sons +-Harmonia -Cadmus-+ +-Cilix +-Phoenix +-Europa-Jupiter +-Sarpedon +-Rhadamanthus +-Minos +-Minos-Pasiphae AEgeus-AEthra Hippolyte & +----Theseus-Phaedra-+ +-Hippolytus +-Ariadne-Bacchus +-Ino-Athamas-Nephele Phryxus-+ h.e.l.le-+ +-Palaemon +-Learchus +-Autonoe-Aristaeus +-Actaeon +-Agave +-Pentheus +-Semele-Jupiter +-Bacchus-Ariadne +-Polydorus +-Labdacus +-Laius-Jocasta +-Oedipus-Jocasta +-Eteocles +-Polynices +-Antigone +-Ismene +-Vulcan-Medusa +-Cacus +-Periphetes +-Cercyon +-Hebe-Hercules +-Neptune-Amphitrite +-Triton +-Ceres-Jupiter +-Proserpina +-Pluto-Proserpina +-Mnemosyne-Jupiter +-Clio +-Hymen +-Calliope +-Orpheus-Eurydice +-Thalia +-Euterpe +-Urania +-Melpomene +-Terpsich.o.r.e +-Polyhymnia +-Erato +-Brontes +-Steropes +-Arges +-Briareus +-Cottus +-Gyes +-Typhoeus +-Hydra +-Cerberus +-Chimaera +-Nemean Lion +-Sphinx +-Enceladus +-Antaeus +-Harpies +-t.i.tyus +-Nereus +-Eros +-Pontus +-Phorcys +-Bellona +-Stheno +-Euryale +-Medusa-Neptune +-Pegasus +-Polyphemus +-Charon +-Eris +-Somnus +-Morpheus +-Mors {Transcription: Chaos (M) married Nyx (F). Their child was Erebus (M).

Erebus (M) married Nyx (F). Their children were Hemera (F), AEther (M), Charon (M), Eris (F), Somnus (M) and Mors (M).

Hemera (F) married AEther (M). Their children were Gaea (F), Eros (M) and Pontus (M).

Gaea (F) had a child, Ura.n.u.s (M).

Ura.n.u.s (M) married Gaea (F). Their children were Ocea.n.u.s (M), Thetis (F), Coeus (M), Phoebe (F), Iapetus (M), Hyperion (M), Crius (M), Themis (F), Ilia (F), Cronus (M), Rhea (F), Mnemosyne (F), Brontes (M), Steropes (M), Arges (M), Briareus (M), Cottus (M), Gyes (M), Typhoeus (M), Enceladus (M), Antaeus (M), Harpies (F), t.i.tyus (M) and Nereus (M).

Ocea.n.u.s (M) married Thetis (F). Their children were Achelous (M), Alpheus (M), Peneus (M), Inachus (M), Proteus (M), Doris (F), Metis (F), Clymene (F), AEthra (F), Calypso (F), Clytie (F) and Electra (F).

Achelous (M) married Calliope (F). Their children were Sirens (F).

Alpheus (M) married Arethusa (F).

Peneus (M) married Gaea (F). Their child was Daphne (F).

Inachus (M) had a child, Io (F).

Doris (F) married Nereus (M). Their children were Amphitrite (F), Dione (F), Arethusa (F), Galatea (F), Thetis (F) and Clymene (F).

Amphitrite (F) married Neptune (M). Their child was Triton (M).

Dione (F) married Jupiter (M). Their child was Venus (F).

Galatea (F) married Acis (M).

Thetis (F) married Peleus (M). Their child was Achilles (M).

Achilles (M) had a child, Pyrrhus (M).

Pyrrhus (M) married Hermione (F). Hermione's parents were Menelaus (M) and Helen (F). Menelaus (M) had a sibling, Agamemnon (M). Their parent was Atreus (M). Atreus' (M) parent was Pelops (M). Pelops (M) had a sibling, Niobe (F). Their parent was Tantalus (M). Niobe (F) married Amphion (M). Amphion (M) had a sibling, Zethus (M). Their parents were Jupiter (M) and Antiope (F). Antiope (F) also married Lycus (M), and Lycus (M) also married Dirce (F). Agamemnon (M) married Clytaemnestra (F). Their children were Iphigenia (F), Electra (F) and Orestes (M). Electra (F) married Pylades (M). Clytaemnestra (F) had three siblings, Helen (F), Castor (M) and Pollux (M) Their parents were Tyndareus (M) and Leda (F). Leda (F) also married Jupiter (M).

Clymene (F) married Apollo (M). Their children were Heliades (F) and Phaeton (M).

Metis (F) married Jupiter (M). Their child was Minerva (F).

Clymene (F) married Iapetus (M).

AEthra (F) married Atlas (M). Their children were Pleiades (F) and Maia (F).

Maia (F) married Jupiter (M). Their child was Mercury (M).

Mercury (M) married Penelope (F). Their child was Pan (M). Penelope (F) also married Ulysses (M). Their child was Telemachus (M).

Calypso (F) married Ulysses (M).

Electra (F) married Jupiter (M). Their child was Darda.n.u.s (M).

Darda.n.u.s (M) married Batea (F), whose parent was Teucer (M). Their descendants were Laomedon (M) and Themis (F).

Laomedon (M) had three children, Priam (M), Hesione (F) and t.i.thonus (M).

Priam (M) married Hecuba (F). Their children were Hector (M), Paris (M), Ca.s.sandra (F), Polites (M), Polyxena (F) and Deiphobus (M).

Hector (M) married Andromache (F).

Paris (M) married Helen (F).

Deiphobus (M) married Helen (F).

Hesione (F) married Telamon (M). Their child was Ajax (M).

t.i.thonus (M) married Aurora (F).

Themis (F) married Capys (M). Their child was Anchises (M).

Anchises (M) married Venus (F). Their child was AEneas (M).

AEneas (M) married Lavinia (F). Their child was AEneas Silvia (M). AEneas (M) also married Creusa (F). Their child was Iulus (M).

AEneas Silvia's (M) descendant was Numitor (M).

Numitor (M) had a child, Ilia (F).

Ilia (F) married Mars (M). Their children were Remus (M) and Romulus (M).

Coeus (M) married Phoebe (F). Their child was Latona (F).

Latona (F) married Jupiter (M). Their children were Apollo (M) and Diana (F).

Apollo (M) married Diana (F). Apollo (M) also married Coronis (F). Their child was AEsculapius (M). Coronis (F) had a sibling, Ixion (M) Their parent was Mars (M). Ixion (M) married Dia (F). Their children were Centaurs (M) and Pirithous (M).

AEsculapius (M) had two children, Machaon (M) and Hygeia (F).

Pirithous married Hippodamia (F).

Iapetus (M) married Clymene (F). Their children were Menetius (M), Atlas (M), Hesperus (M), Epimetheus (M) and Prometheus (M).

Hesperus (M) had a child, Hesperides (F).

Epimetheus (M) married Pandora (F). Their child was Pyrrha (F).

Prometheus (M) had a child, Deucalion (M).

Pyrrha (F) married Deucalion (M). Their child was h.e.l.len (M).

h.e.l.len (M) had three children, AEolus (M), Dorus (M) and Xuthus (M).

AEolus (M) had two children, Salmoneus (M) and Sisyphus (M).

Salmoneus (M) had a child, Tyro (F).

Tyro (F) married Neptune (M). Their children were AEson (M), Pelias (M) and Neleus (M).

AEson (M) had a child, Jason (M).

Jason (M) married Medea (F). Medea (F) had a sibling, Absyrtus (M). Their parent was AEetes (M). AEetes (M) had two siblings, Pasiphae (F) and Circe (F). Their parent was Sol (M).

Neleus (M) had a child, Nestor (M).

Sisyphus (M) had a child, Glaucus (M).

Glaucus (M) had a child, Bellerophon (M).

Bellerophon (M) married Philonoe (F).

Xuthus (M) had two children, Ion (M) and Achaeus (M).

Hyperion (M) married Gaea (F). Their child was Aurora (F).

Aurora (F) married AEolus (M). Their children were Boreas (M), Corus (M), Eurus (M), Notus (M), Aquilo (M) and Zephyrus (M).

Boreas (M) married Orithyia (F). Their children were Zetus (M), Calais (M), Cleopatra (F) and Chione (F).

Zephyrus (M) married Flora (F).

Themis (F) married Jupiter (M). Their children were Parcae (F) and Horae (F).

Cronus (M) married Rhea (F). Their children were Vesta (F), Juno (F), Jupiter (M), Neptune (M), Ceres (F) and Pluto (M).

Juno (F) married Jupiter (M). Their children were Mars (M), Vulcan (M) and Hebe (F).

Mars (M) married Venus (F). Their children were Anteros (M), Cupid (M) and Harmonia (F).

Cupid (M) married Psyche (F).

Harmonia (F) married Cadmus (M).

Vulcan (M) married Medusa (F). Their children were Cacus (M), Periphetes (M) and Cercyon (M).

Hebe (F) married Hercules (M).

Jupiter (M) married Io (F). Their child was Epaphus (M).

Epaphus (M) had a child, Libya (F).

Libya (F) married Neptune (M). Their children were Agenor (M) and Belus (M).

Agenor (M) married Telepha.s.sa (F). Their children were Cadmus (M), Cilix (M), Phoenix (M) and Europa (F).

Cadmus (M) married Harmonia (F). Their children were Ino (F), Autonoe (F), Agave (F), Semele (F) and Polydorus (M).

Ino (F) married Athamas (M). Their children were Palaemon (M) and Learchus (M). Athamas (M) also married Nephele (F). Their children were Phryxus (M) and h.e.l.le (F).

Autonoe (F) married Aristaeus (M). Their child was Actaeon (M).