Olympos: Athena, Goddess of Wisdom

Studio Tablinum: Athena was not only the Goddess of Wisdom but anche a patron of the war who did not hesitate for a moment to fight her enemies. She overseeing the noblest part of the defense to war in order to “good causes.” The bloodiest aspects of the war were, indeed, assigned to the god Ares, as we write some months in August. Athena was the daughter of Zeus and the Oceanid Metis, the story of her birth is very special. Zeus received from his divine grandparents Uranus and Gaia a sinister prophecy:

if he have generated another son, he, when he grew up he would kill him.

So the Father of the Gods, who he did not want losing his status, decided to make the insane act of swallowing his newborn.

And so, nine months later, Zeus began to suffer a massive migraine that threatened to drive him madso for last resort, persuaded Hephaestus to hit him a blow on the head of the ax. From the wound caused came out Athena, already fully armed.

Athena’s holy objects were the lance, the aegis and helmet. The olive tree and little owl was sacred to the goddess. The Goddess of Wisdom was also called “Glaukopis” for her blue-eyes.

His wisdom in peace time was devoted to agriculture, handicraft, weaving and metallurgy. Attributable to Athena was the construction of the largest ship of that time: the ship Argo, which is used by Argonauts heroes . Her is also the invention of olive oil, even today excellent product from Greece.

In war, her wisdom was the prerogative of the warriors with cunning and shrewdness. sometimes she decide to make a gift of his powers to her protected mortals, one of them The most famous was the wily Odysseus.

Athena is Frequently accompanied by Nike, goddess of victory, which symbolically is brought in the right palm of the Goddess, how to assimilate the wisdom during the battle with the victory itself.

The Goddess Athena fight with the God Poseidon for the sovereignty of Attica and Athens. Poseidon with a blow of his trident made to gush out una sorgente di acqua marina from the ground of the city while Athena made appear an Olive Tree. The dispute was resolved in favor of the Goddess of Wisdom thanks to athenians women determined the victory of Athena.

Athena was sculpted by Phidias in a famous chryselephantine statue, now lost, Athena Parthenos that was in the Athenian temple dedicated to her: the Parthenon. Frequently, resting on his shoulder is the little owl, its symbol “par excellence”.

The cult of Athena was spread in all of Greece, from Sparta, to Megara and Argos; Also into Troy she received a special honors, identified with a very old idol called Palladio, the same one that was stolen during the night from the heroes Odysseus and Diomedes, this act was mentioned as one of the causes of the defeat of Troy during the ten-year war.

The Trojan prince Paris was one of the heroes less loved by the Goddess of Wisdom. He was the cause of the Trojan war itself with the rape of Helen, but there was anche through more personal reason, as we saw some months ago dealing with the vicissitudes of Aphrodite. Paris During the famous “Judgment” chose Aphrodite, instead of Athena or Hera. During the Trojan War she sided with the Achaeans. She especially protected Odysseus and Menelaus and, under the walls of the besieged city, she crushed and defeated Ares.

Athena is known as one of the three virgin goddesses, she never marries and shows no sexual interest in males, referred to as virgin because she was able to remain independent. Despite this reputation, Hephaestus want to couple with her.

 

One day the God of Fire, tried to rape her in his forge, but the goddess was able to escape from him and Hephaestus reached the apex bathing Athena’s leg.

From the ground, so fertilized, was born Erichthonius, the Goddess Athena, anyway had gone, considered him a legitimate child. When he grew up, unbeknownst by the Olympians, lo rende immortale, she put him under the custody of the king of Athens, Cecrops. When Erichthonius grew up dethroned the king of Athens Amphictyon and became a king.

One of the most cruel tales was the story about Arachne *: the young women Arachne boasted of being a good weaver, Also better than Athena, who was the owner of That female art. Furious, the Goddess of Wisdom defy Arachne to a weaving race. In effect Arachne wove very well but the theme was derisively towards Zeus. Transformed Athena Arachne into a spider, forcing her to weave her spun for eternity.

Athena, however, was more benevolent with the semi-divine hero Perseus by helping him in the killing of the Gorgon Medusa. She gave him her shield, the aegis, and the hero was protected during the fight with the Gorgon.

Perseus chopped off the head of Medusa and gave it to Athena and she decorate the aegis like with that terrible trophy.

Originally, Medusa was the most beautiful of the three Gorgons sisters. She was seduced by the God Poseidon into the temple of the Goddess of Wisdom. Athena punished Medusa for the profanation, changing her handsome face into a monstrous sembiance.

Athena became also benefactor of Heracle. During the fight with the Nemean lion she explain to the hero how to cut off the skin of the lion by using its claws. The skin of the lion with the cudgel used during the fight, became one most distinguishing attributes for him.

With Odysseus was almost maternal. Athena help his protégé to return to his beloved Ithaca, changing its appearance from time to time. Interceded on with the witch Circe, and the Oceanid Calypso and feace with the feace princess Nausicaa, helping considerably the hero and in such a way for resumption the way back to its own island.

Athena help her “protégé” to return to his beloved Ithaca, changing its appearance from time to time. Interceded with Circe, and the Oceanid Calypso and the Feces princess Nausicaa, helping considerably the hero to come back in Itaca.

Athena was famous for her wisdom and intellectual strength, a landmark for greek men and women that ask her protection during disputes of all kinds: legal, family and life daily.

Athena had the last word in the event of an equal right of both parties to the dispute. During the Panathenaic party the athenians girls donated the statue of the Goddess am headmade peplos,a propitiatory gift. Next month we will discover the vicissitudes of Dionysus, God of Transgression and Delirium.

Alessandro Cerioli

* Even today, the term Arachne stands for spider

Olympos: Atena, Dea della Saggezza

Studio Tablinum: oltre che Dea della Saggezza Atena era anche una divinità guerriera che non esitava un solo istante a presentarsi in armi dinanzi al nemico, anche se lei sovrintendeva ad un tipo di guerra dagli aspetti più nobili, ossia una guerra di difesa o intrapresa per “giusta” causa. Mentre gli aspetti più violenti della guerra erano deputati al Dio Ares, come abbiamo visto qualche mese or sono.

Atena era figlia di Zeus e dell’Oceanina Metide, e la storia della sua nascita e davvero particolare. Accadde che Zeus ricevette dai nonni divini, Urano e Gaia, un sinistro vaticinio: se Metide avesse dato alla luce un figlio maschio, questi lo avrebbe spodestato. Quindi il Padre degli Dei, che teneva particolarmente al proprio status, decise di compiere l’insano gesto d’inghiottirlo appena generato. Fu così che, nove mesi  dopo, Zeus iniziò ad accusare una fortissima emicrania, che rischiava di farlo impazzire, quindi per estrema ratio, convinse Efesto, il Dio del Fuoco, a calargli sulla testa un fendente d’ascia. Dalla ferita provocata ne uscì Atena,  già armata di tutto punto.

I simboli della Dea Atena erano la lancia, l’egida e l’elmo. Sacri le erano la civetta e l’ulivo. La Dea della Saggezza era definita anche “glaukopis” ossia la Dea dagli occhi azzurri, dal volto celeste.

La sua saggezza in tempo di pace era votata all’agricoltura, all’artigianato, alla tessitura e alla lavorazione dei metalli. E’ attribuibile ad Atena la costruzione della nave più grande di quel tempo: la nave Argo, usata dagli eroi argonauti. Sua è anche l’invenzione dell’olio d’oliva, ancora oggi prodotto d’eccellenza della Grecia.

In guerra la sua saggezza era appannaggio di chi combatteva con furbizia e astuzia; poteva persino decidere di fare dono dei propri poteri ai suoi protetti mortali, uno di questi, il più noto, fu l’astuto Odisseo.

Spesso Atena viene si accompagna alla Dea della Vittoria, Nike, che simbolicamente viene portata nel palmo destro della Dea della Saggezza, come per assimilare la Vittoria stessa e crearne un binomio indissolubile.

La Dea Atena ebbe anche un contrasto importante con il Dio Azzurro Poseidone in merito alla sovranità dell’Attica e delle città di Atene. Poseidone con un colpo del suo tridente fece sgorgare dell’acqua salata dal suolo, mentre Atena fece spuntare una pianta di Ulivo, messa ai voti la disputa si risolse in favore delle Dea della Saggezza. In questa vicenda le donne ateniesi determinarono la vittoria di Atena.

Proprio in questa posizione la Dea Atena è stata scolpita da Fidia nella sua famosa statua crisoelefantina, ora perduta, l’Athena Parthenos che si trovava nel tempio ateniese dedicata a lei dal popolo ateniese: il Partenone. Spesso, poggiata sulla sua spalla, si trova la civetta, suo simbolo per antonomasia.

Il culto di Atena era diffuso in tutta la Grecia: Atene, Sparta, Megara e Argo; anche a Ilio ricevette onori particolari, fu identificata con un vecchissimo idolo chiamato Palladio, lo stesso che fu trafugato nottetempo dagli eroi Odisseo e Diomede, questo atto fu menzionato come una delle cause della sconfitta di Ilio durante la decennale guerra.

Il principe troiano Paride fu tra gli eroi meno amati dalla Dea della Saggezza, oltre che ad essere la causa scatenante della guerra stessa, con il ratto di Elena, ci fu anche un aspetto più personale, come abbiamo visto qualche mese or sono trattando le vicende della Dea Afrodite. Paride durante il famoso “giudizio” scelse Afrodite, scartando Atena e la Madre degli Dei Hera. Da qui la sua animosità nei confronti del principe.

Durante la guerra di Ilio parteggio per gli Achei. Protesse soprattutto Odisseo e Menelao, e durante una disputa sconfisse anche il Dio della Guerra Ares, sotto le mura della città assediata.

Come la Dea della Caccia Diana, Atena, era una divinità riottosa al sesso maschile e la sua verginità era nota a tutto l’Olimpo, ma durante una visita al Dio del Fuoco Efesto, in cerca di nuove armi probabilmente, Efesto, che era stato appena abbandonato da Afrodite, si invaghì della Dea della Saggezza a tal punto che cercò di farla sua con la forza, Atena si ribello ma Efesto, giunto all’apice, bagnò la gamba della Dea. Disgustata Atena si ripulì la gamba da quella sozzura e la gettò a terra. Dalla terra, così fecondata, nacque Erittonio, che la Dea Atena, comunque fosse andata, considerò suo figlio legittimo. Lo allevò all’insaputa degli Olimpi e sempre a loro insaputa lo rese immortale, non potendolo crescere ed accudire lo pose sotto la custodia del re di Atene, Cecrope. Quando Erittonio crebbe spodesto il re di Atene Anfizione e divenne lui stesso re.

Crudele fu la vicenda che vide la Dea della Saggezza punire la sventurata Aracne*. Aracne si vantò di essere una tessitrice migliore di Atena, che di quest’arte era la protettrice. La Dea della Saggezza andò su tutte le furie e sfido Aracne in una gara di tessitura. In effetti Aracne tessé in modo sublime, ma il tema era derisorio nei confronti del padre Zeus. Atena, decisa a non subire altri affronti, trasformo Aracne in un ragno, obbligandola a tessere la sua tela per l’eternità.

Benevola fu con l’eroe semi divino Perseo aiutandolo nell’uccisione della Gorgone Medusa, donandogli il suo scudo, l’egida, che protesse l’eroe durante lo scontro con la Gorgone. Come ringraziamento Perseo dono il capo mozzato di Medusa ad Atena che ella uso per decorare l’egida come un terribile trofeo. In verità Atena stessa fu la causa della mostruosità di Medusa. Originariamente Medusa era la più bella delle Gorgoni, ma ebbe l’ardire di farsi sedurre dal Dio Azzurro Poseidone che, senza badar troppo all’etichetta, la fece sua nel tempio della Dea della Saggezza. Venutolo a sapere, Atena punì Medusa per la profanazione, mutandole l’aspetto e rendendola mostruosa.

Anche il semi divino Eracle fu aiutato da Atena. Durante la lotta dell’eroe con il leone nemeo spiego ad Eracle, dopo che ebbe abbattuto la fiera, come scuoiarlo usando gli stessi artigli per tagliarne la spessa pelle. La pelle del leone divenne uno dei tratti distintivi di Eracle, insieme alla clava usata durante la lotta.

Con Odisseo fu invece più che benevola, potremmo dire: materna. Atena aiuto il suo protetto a tornare nella sua amata Itaca, mutando le sue sembianze di volta in volta. Intercesse con la maga Circe, con l’Oceanina Calipso e con la principessa feace Nausica, aiutando considerevolmente l’eroe e facendo in modo che riprendesse la strada del ritorno verso la sua isola.

Come avrete compreso siamo di fronte a una divinità che faceva delle sue qualità, la saggezza e la forza intellettuale, un caposaldo. Non a caso sia gli uomini che le donne greche erano soliti chiederle consiglio in merito a diatribe di ogni genere: legali, famigliari e della vita di tutti i giorni. Atena aveva sempre l’ultima parola in caso di egual ragione di ambo le parti in disputa. Durante le feste Panatenaiche le fanciulle della città di Atene donavano alla statua della Dea un peplo tessuto da loro stesse, in segno propiziatorio.

Il prossimo mese scopriremo le vicissitudini dell’estroso Dioniso, Dio della Trasgressione e del Delirio Mistico.

Alessandro Cerioli

*Ancora oggi il termine aracne significa ragno

Olympos: Hermes, The Gods Messanger

Studio Tablinum: a few words would be enough to define god Hermes: theft, liar and swindler. To be honest, Hermes was also a generous god at times, and he was considered a wanderer as he was the gods’ messenger and emissary, moving freely between the world of mortals and the divine as well as between the world the living and the afterlife. He is the god of boundaries, a bridge between visible and invisible and he always arrives unexpectedly and quickly. Thanks to this ability of being everywhere and nowhere, gentle and unperceived, he is the patron of communications and travel as well as thefts; all the thieves around the world inevitably need a powerful protector in order to get themselves out of trouble.

Son of Zeus and the Pleiad Maia, he is considered one the twelve Olympians. His symbols were the rooster and the turtle and he was easy to identify with his clothing, hat, winged sandals, purse and Kerykeion, the wanderer’s stick. In order not to be caught by his wife Hera, Zeus secretly escaped from the bed at night and rushed to the cave where Maia, the Titan Atlas’ daughter, was waiting for him. From their union, Hermes was conceived. In the same evening of his birth, he escaped from his cradle and headed for the woods. The first thing that he saw was a turtle, an invulnerable and odd animal. Astonished, Hermes took the animal back to his cave and killed it with a knife, in the hollow shell he put seven strings made of sheep nerves; he then started playing them and at that very moment, a sweet and harmonious sound came forth: Hermes had invented the lyre.

Hermes also had a fervid and brilliant mind, he used to see things that others could not even imagine and this is the reason why he undertook a second adventure, when he was only one day old. He decided to steal the cows which were sacred to God Apollo. He left his musical instrument and headed for the mountains in Pieria, where the cattle of the Olympians pastured. He took away the herd, and he carefully made sure that the cows walked backwards not to leave prints on the sandy soul. He also wore huge shoes made of leaves and branches, thus it would have been suspected that the thief was a monster or a giant rather than an infant.

He then hid the herd in a safe place and killed two cows to eat them. It is thought that this last action caused the invention of fire and new cooking techniques. To sum up, after only twenty-four hours from his birth, the infant had already invented the lyre, the fire and the art of cooking.

When Apollo went to check his cattle, he realised that fifty cows were missing, the prints that he saw were nothing but confusing and he thought no one could leave such strange prints. He met a winegrower and asked him explanations, the latter was not brave enough to lie to the god of sun and narrated a strange anecdote, a child leading fifty cows walking backwards. The enraged Apollo went to the cave where Hermes was peacefully having a nap and, grabbing his ear, he took him up to Mount Olympus.

Before the Father of gods, Hermes swore that he did not know anything about the cattle as he was only an infant but Zeus scolded the child and ordered him to give back his ill-gotten gains. He also urged him to well behave, but Hermes never followed this suggestion because of his shrewd and furtive nature. However, to make peace with his own brother Apollo, he gave him the instrument he had earlier invented, the lyre. With the instrument in his hands, Apollo became the god of music.

As previously mentioned, Hermes was also the god of wanderers, merchants as well as thieves. He was an emissary travelling around the world and he was also the conductor of souls into the afterlife. The god gathered them and led them through the door to hell where they were condemned to stay in eternity. He used to accomplish this task every single night and this is the reason why Hermes was also identified as an esoteric divinity.

We also say that Olympus for the work he never failed, it was also used in the household chores like cleaning the table of the gods, after the banquet, or do their butler, in short, a sort of God “factotum.”

 

Its multiple events they see him help the demigod Perseus killing the Gorgon, procuring for the sickle of Perseus Zeus, his winged shoes, the helmet of Hades and the shield of Athena.
They see it on the big Caucasus in an attempt to convince the Titan Prometheus to reveal to him the prophecy about the end of the Gods Olympians but Prometheus, the Titan’s friend, refused to speak and thus prolonged the suffering of his prisoner.
Join, like the other gods, to the war of Troy siding with the Achaeans, though always protect the King Priam, especially when the old king went into the camp of the Greeks to claim the body of his son Hector.
Help the hero Odysseus in his return home, after the council of the gods that stable that the King of Ithaca could return to his island, he went by the nymph Calypso Hermes to persuade her to leave between Odysseus. The Messenger of the gods help Odysseus still giving him an antidote potions of Circe that turned men into animals.

The Loves of Hermes were different and all with bizarre consequences for his descendants, as the Messenger of the Gods ambiguous in its very nature, of course, also his offspring was somewhat extravagant.
The love goddess Aphrodite brought it to create a beautiful child named Hermaphroditus *. It is said that he Hermaphrodite beauty of Aphrodite and the vivacity of Hermes, in his name is the key of the illustrious parents, but it so happened that during a jaunt in the woods the handsome young man found himself near a source and decided to take a bath , not knowing that the Nymph Salmacis, the protector of the source, watching him interested in all that beauty and not just the boy dip in the fresh water source by Salmacis also in the water and joined him, the young Hermaphrodite, who did not want to join with Salmacis, I try to break free but the Nymph taken by a blind fury took a solemn oath to the gods: it is never the day when our two bodies will come off … this oath Pronunciation water came out of a being that was neither man nor woman, but both. She was featured as a girl but masculine attributes.

Another bizarre son of Hermes, had with the nymph Driope, was the mighty God Pan and wild. Hermes would have seduced the nymph of the mountains of Arcadia. Fell in love with her, the Gods Messanger was transformed into a goat and stealthily approached the nymph, once arrived in its vicinity with a leap was on him and abuse her. That’s why this union was born a god so whimsical and surreal, half man and half goat. It is said that when he saw this Driope his son he was so frightened that she left him in the woods. Pan was a god, like his father Hermes, who loved the woods, the pastures and the countryside, a great lover of sex and dance he used to chase the nymphs while playing his instrument, syringe or panpipes. He was also a god playful and appeared suddenly terrorizing ** shepherds and travelers emitting terrifying screams.

As a child of great cunning, in fact like his father Hermes, was Autolycus, father of Laertes and grandfather of Odysseus. He was born from the union of the Gods Messanger and Chione daughter Dedalione. Autolycus, a great thief, had the ability to steal anything from anyone without getting caught. He was also a member of the Argonauts and dispense advice to his grandson Odysseus during their encounter is not by chance Odysseus was crafty and deceiver.

 

As you understand we are dealing with a God of multiple capabilities, not always fair and clear, but for the Greeks Hermes was a god to which way to turn in the event of a practical need, before a trip, before the opening of a business or before a theft, it was good to have the God Hermes as protector.
The Next month we will discuss the events of the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena.

* Even today hermaphroditism define the phenomenon by which a species of animal or plant can produce, in both ways, the male gametes and the female ones.
** Even today we speak of “panic” for the sudden and unwarranted fears.

Alessandro Cerioli

Olympos: Aphrodite, Goddess of Love

Studio Tablinum: this is an article that will certainly appeal to a male audience, while to the fairer sex do not will go unnoticed some similarities.

We will discuss about the most provocative and sensual deity in the pantheon: Aphrodite.

Born from the foam of the sea when Cronus, the titan lord of heaven in the second divine generation, emasculated his father Uranus. Just a few drops generated the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite celebrated as the Goddess of Beauty, Sensuality and Lust.

To Aphrodite are assigned many places of worship throughout Greece and are given to her various epithets, two best known are: Acidalia, due to the source in which she used to dive, located in Boeotia and Cytherea, derived from the place of his landing, soon after her conception, on the island of Kythera.

To the Goddess of Love is dedicated the celebration of the aphrodisiac *: a party in which dances become a kind of embrace of group. A party in which dancing and dances result in a kind of embrace of the group. In Corinth also participate the priestess of the goddess as an act of worship towards him.

The Italian artist Sandro Botticelli in his famous painting “The Birth of Venus” makes full use of the mythical atmosphere of that event: Aphrodite is received on the beach by one of the Hours, deities of the seasons, especially the to the Spring proffers to her a blanket with embroidered flowers. Behind Aphrodite, Zephyrus heats her with his breath.

Let’s find out more about who was Aphrodite : Goddess of love is one of the few deities of the pantheon married but not for love: her marriage with the god of fire, Hephaestus, was the result of a deception.

There are many versions, I will follow the most reliable, but taking a step back: the Mother of the Gods, Hera, hurled her new born child Hephaestus, because of his ugliness, down from Olympus and remained crippled due to the impact to a leg.

Determined to get back to Hera, being also the God of Metallurgy, imprison his mother on a throne especially created, in exchange for her release Hera granted to Hephaestus the permission to marry Aphrodite.

The marriage with Aphrodite made ​​him the most mocked husband of the whole Pantheon.

Being an unhappy wife Aphrodite abandons the arms of divine lovers as Ares, god of war, and the mortal Anchises and Adonis.

One of the most exhilarating adventures about betrayals of Aphrodite with Ares was when , Hephaestus caught, cleverly, the two lovers in fragrant.

Tired of the constant betrayals of the divine wife, conceived, over their wedding bed a system of chains so fine to result invisible. Leaving with an excuse, He get away from home and waits for the right moment.

He does not have to wait long before that Ares can sneak into the house and lie with Aphrodite, but at that point, the system created by Hephaestus snaps and imprisons the lovers.

Cries of despair rise from that alcove while the Fire God leads them to Olympos. The Goddess of Love is shamed, exposed tomockery of other Olympian gods. Poseidon, God of the Sea, orderes Hephaestus to free the two lovers and guarantees that Ares would pay for this adultery.

One of her saddest vicissitudes happened to Aphrodite, is her love for the young mortal Adonis.

The history between Adonis and Aphrodite begins even before Adonis is born: his mother Mirra was driven by the Goddess of Love to lie with his father Teia, committing incest, once the father was aware of deception chase her daughter with intent vindictive; Aphrodite, to subtract Mirra to the violence his father turns her into a tree, the tree of Myrrh *.

After nine months, the trunk of this tree is torn and emerges Adonis.

Aphrodite falls in love immediately with this little child and took him under his custody. growing Adonis develops a sort of divine beauty that attracts the Goddess of Love and beyond. Even the Goddess Persephone remains attracted to such an extent that he decided to kidnap the young man, only the intervention of Zeus was able to make peace between the two Goddesses, in fierce contrast, decreeing that Adonis should live a third of the year in Hades, third in Kythera and a third where he likes best.

The period of the year when it was not under the tutelage of the two deities was fatal. While located in the woods, is hit by a wild boar that kills him. The boar was Ares, the God of War who, jealous of Adonis, wanted to underline his supremacy over Aphrodite.

While we might call a great love the affair between Aphrodite and the Trojan hero Anchises, not only for the fleeting embraces but especially for their long-term consequence. The goddess, in the guise of a Phrygian Princess, seduced Anchises while he herding sheep.

Aphrodite pregnant, decides to reveal her true divine nature and reveals a prophecy on the unborn child to the father Anchise. In fact, from their union was born Aeneas, founder of the Roman people.

Anchises boasting of this relathionship, drunken, enrages Zeus, who hits him with a thunderbolt making him lame. During the last years of his life Anchises will be forced to witness the downfall of his Ilium.

During the fire, which destroyed the city, flees to Italy carried on the shoulders of his son Aeneas. He died on the beaches Drépano, today Trapani, where today there is a stele where is remembered.

In the competition between women Aphrodite from his best, as in the case of the famous “Judgment of Paris”.* The golden apple with the inscription “the most beautiful”, became an object of contention since the time of the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, when Eris, goddess of discord, created that magic apple. Weary about that competition Zeus instructs Hermes to find a judge for their “non-partisan” and found him in the Trojan prince Paris.

The Goddesses, to win the favor of the prince, promised him several rewards: Hera would have made him immensely rich, immensely wise Athena and Aphrodite immensely attractive in the eyes of women, according to what you choose?

Of course, be immensely attractive. So he chooses Aphrodite, that promises the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen Queen of Sparta. *

Because of jealousy she does not spare even the beautiful mortal Psyche.

Aphrodite ordered to Eros, God of Love, to use his arrows to make Psyche fall in love with the ugliest man on earth, but it happened that Eros pricked with one of his arrows and fell in love madly Psyche. Psyche, however, betrayed the trust of the lover Eros, trying to see him under the light of a lantern, which is unheard of for a mortal, aware of this Eros run away.

She, by the will of Aphrodite, will have to endure the tests comparable to the labors of Heracles: to divide the seed into the temple of the goddess, obtain the golden wool shearing some sheep grazing, go to Persephone, to take some of her beauty to be put in a box for the Goddess of Love. All these trials were completed with great success.

Realizing the love of Psyche and loving her in turn, implores Zeus because Eros makes Psyche immortal.

Eros decided to marry Psyche. Since that marriage, Eros and Psyche are inseparable. From their marriage was born Edonè, the Goddess of Pleasure.

Aphrodite was also a goddess of compassion, as it is told in the story of the sculptor Pygmalion *.

Pygmalion, a sculptor of undoubted ability, has not yet found the love of a woman who could reciprocate his love.

Appeared to him in a dream, Aphrodite, gave the sculptor to discover the pleasures of love, when that dream Pygmalion was inspired and created an ivory sculpture that resembled the Goddess of Love and named her Galatea.

Falled in love with his sculpture, he decided to live forever with her, he prays Aphrodite to make the sculpture animated, Aphrodite, compassionately, gave birth to the valuable sculpture. The two lovers decided to get married.

As you read from the vicissitudes you have just read, Aphrodite has never enjoyed a good reputation, terrible and cunning, capricious and moody, but still adored and respected.

To the Greeks she was the goddess of fecundity, the most beautiful deities of the pantheon. The Greeks had a deep respect for the Goddess of Love, so much to sing lullabies and prayers to propitiate the love and fertility. In the next month we will discuss the story of Hephaestus, God of Fire, “the supreme architect of Olympus”, as well as the husband of Aphrodite, as mentioned in this article.

Alessandro Cerioli

NOTES:

* From the name of the goddess comes the word Aphrodisiac: that is, a substance which, presumably, increase the capacity amatory.

* From this story the Myrrh tree is called “precious” because of its content: the story is about the birth of the myth of Adonis, while in everyday life a fragrant resin.

* As a gesture of Eris was born on the way to say “apple of discord”.

* From this decision of Aphrodite originate the basis for the future abduction of the beautiful Helen and the consequent tragic Trojan War.

* Since this event is usually called Pygmalion one who acts as master to another person, and teach it the basics of living in society.

Olympos: Afrodite, la Dea dell’Amore

Studio Tablinum: questo articolo, per via delle assonanze, verra apprezzato da un pubblico femminile, mentre il pubblico maschile potrà riflettere su alcune delle vicissitudini di seguito raccontate.

Tratteremo la divinità più conturbante e sensuale del Pantheon: Afrodite.

Nata dalla spuma del mare quando Crono, il Titano signore del cielo della seconda generazione divina, evirò il padre Urano. Solo poche gocce generarono la Dea dell’Amore; ma non solo, Afrodite era Dea dell’Amore, era anche Dea della Bellezza, della Sensualità e della Lussuria.

Aveva molti luoghi di culto in tutta la Grecia e si conoscono diversi epiteti della Dea, i due più noti sono: Acidalia, dovuto alla fonte alla quale era solita immergersi, situata in Beozia e Cytherea, il luogo del suo approdo, subito dopo il concepimento, sull’isola di Citera.

La Dea dell’Amore aveva un festa dedicata, la festa dell’Afrodisiaco*, festa in cui danze e sfrenatezze sfociavano in una sorta di amplesso di gruppo. Nel caso dei festeggiamenti a Corinto partecipavano le stesse sacerdotesse, in un atto d’adorazione nei confronti della Dea.

L’artista italiano Sandro Botticelli, nel suo dipinto “La nascita di Venere”, rende appieno l’atmosfera di quell’evento mitico, la Dea dell’Amore accolta sulla spiaggia da una delle Ore, divinità delle stagioni, la Primavera porge alla Dea un manto ricamato con dei fiori. Alle spalle di Afrodite il vento Zefiro la riscalda con il suo soffio.

Ma scopriamo meglio chi era Afrodite: la Dea dell’amore era nel Pantheon una delle poche divinità sposate, ma non per amore. La sua unione con il Dio del fuoco Efesto fu frutto di un inganno. Esistono molte versioni di questa vicenda, seguirò la più accreditata; facciamo un passo indietro: La Madre degli Dei, Hera, scaglio il figlio Efesto ancora in fasce, per via della sua bruttezza, giù dall’ Olimpo e, per via dell’impatto, rimase menomato ad una gamba. Cresciuto ed invaghitosi della Dea dell’Amore, la chiese in sposa al Padre degli Dei che rifiutò, su “pressione” della moglie divina.

Deciso a farla pagare ad Hera, essendo anche il Dio della Metallurgia, imprigiono la Madre degli Dei su di un trono appositamente creato, in cambio della liberazione della divinità madre ottenne il permesso di sposare Afrodite, che come avrete capito conosceva appena il suo futuro marito.

Efesto scopri a sue spese che questo inganno lo porto ad essere il marito più deriso del Pantheon.

Essendo infelice Afrodite si getto fra le braccia di altre divinità, amanti divini come Arese, Dio della Guerra, ed i mortali Adone ed Anchise.

Una delle vicissitudini più esilaranti su questa copia “clandestina”, Afrodite ed Ares, fu quando Efesto colse, furbescamente, i due amanti in fragrante.

Stanco delle continue scappatelle della moglie divina, progetto, sopra il loro letto di nozze, un sistema di catene talmente fini che risultavano invisibili. Preso congedo con una scusa, finse di allontanarsi di casa ed attese il momento propizio, non passo molto tempo che Ares si intrufolo nella casa ed andò a godere i piacere dell’amore con Afordite, ma a quel punto il sistema ideato da Efesto scatto ed imprigiono i due amanti.

Urla di disperazione si sollevarono da quell’alcova mentre il Dio del Fuoco li trascinava sull’Olimpo, la Dea dell’Amore fu coperta di vergogna, esposta allo schernimento delle altre divinità olimpiche. Poseidone, Dio del Mare, dopo essersi preso beffe di Ares, ordino ad Efesto di liberare i due amanti e garantendogli che Ares avrebbe pagato per questo adulterio.

Mentre una delle sue vicissitudini più tristi ed intrise d’amore fu quando La Dea dell’Amore si innamoro di un giovane mortale, Adone.

La storia fra Adone ed Afrodite inizia ancora prima che Adone nasca: la madre Mirra fu spinta dalla Dea dell’Amore a giacere con il padre Teia, commettendo incesto. Una volta che il padre si accorse del raggiro insegui la figlia con intenti vendicativi; Afrodite per sottrarre Mirra alla violenza paterna la trasformo in un albero, l’albero della Mirra*. Dopo nove mesi il tronco di questo albero si squarcio e ne usci Adone. Afrodite amò da subito questo tenerò pargolo e lo prese sotto la sua custodia. Crescendo Adone sviluppo una sorta di bellezza divina che attrasse la Dea dell’Amore e non solo, questa bellezza non rimase inosservata, la stessa Dea Persefone ne rimase attratta a tal punto che decise di rapire il giovane, solo l’intervento di Zeus mise pace fra le due Dee, in feroce contrasto, decretando che Adone dovesse vivere un terzo dell’anno nell’Ade, un terzo a Citera ed un terzo dove più gli aggradava. Il periodo dell’anno i cui non era sotto la tutela delle due divinità gli fu fatale. Mentre si trovava nei boschi, intento a cacciare, fu travolto da un cinghiale che lo uccise. Il cinghiale era Ares, il Dio della Guerra che, geloso di Adone, volle rimarcare la sua supremazia su Afordite.

Mentre potremmo definire grandioso l’amore fra Afrodite e l’eroe troiano Anchise, ma non tanto per i fugaci amplessi, ma per la loro conseguenza a lungo termine.

Anchise fu sedotto dalla Dea dell’Amore, per via della sua bellezza, mentre si trovava a pascere gli armenti. La Dea si presento come una principessa Frigia. Dopo essersi resa conto di essere incinta dell’eroe troiano decise di svelare la sua vera natura divina e sorprese Anchise con una profezia sul nascituro di assoluta grandezza. Il nascituro era Enea, capostipite del popolo romano.

Anchise per vantarsi della sua relazione con Afordite, ubriaco, racconto i particolari della relazione durante un banchetto e Zeus, per punire tanta boria, lo colpì con un fulmine rendendolo zoppo.

Durante i suoi ultimi anni di vita dovette assistere alla caduta della sua amata Ilio. Durante l’incendio, che distrusse la città, fuggi sulle spalle del figlio Enea, verso i lidi italici. Vide la morte sulle spiagge di Drepano, l’odierna Trapani, dove tutt’oggi è presente una stele in cui viene ricordato.

Nella competizione fra donne Afrodite dava il suo meglio, come nel caso del famoso “giudizio di Paride”, causa della guerra di Troia. Durante il matrimonio fra il mortale Peleo e la Nereide Teti, genitori dell’eroe Achille, la Dea della Discordia,Eris, irritata dal mancato invito, lancio una mela d’oro * recante la scritta “alla più bella”, ne nacque subito una contesa fra le tre divinità più belle dell’Olimpo, Hera, Atena ed Afrodite. Stanco di quel trambusto Zeus incarico Hermes di trovare un giudice “super partes”, il Messaggero degli Dei lo trovò nel principe troiano Paride, che a quel tempo viveva ancora fra gli armenti ed i pastori. Le Dee, per ingraziarsi il favore del principe, promisero lui diverse ricompense: Hera lo avrebbero reso immensamente ricco, Atena immensamente saggio ed Afrodite immensamente attraente a gli occhi delle donne; secondo voi cosa scelse ? Naturalmente l’essere immensamente attraente, favorendo in questa competizione Afrodite, tanto che gli fu promessa la donna più bella del mondo: Elena Regina di Sparta .*

Per gelosia non risparmio nemmeno la bella mortale Psiche. Afrodite, per gelosia, ordino ad Eros Dio dell’Amore, di usare le sue frecce per fare innamorare Psiche dell’uomo più brutto della terra, ma accadde che Eros si punse con uno dei suoi dardi e si innamoro perdutamente di Psiche. Ne nacque una relazione che fini male a causa della gelosia delle sorelle di Psiche, che la convinsero a guardare Eros alla luce di una lanterna, cosa impensabile per un mortale.

Accortosi di questo Eros fuggi. Da quel momento Psiche andò alla ricerca del suo amore perduto. Dovette, per volere di Afrodite, sostenere delle prove paragonabili alla fatiche di Eracle: suddividere le sementi nel suo tempio, procurarsi della lana dorata tosando alcune pecore dorate al pascolo, in ultimo recarsi dalla Dea dell’Ade, Persefone, a richiedere un po della sua bellezza da mettere in un scatola per la Dea dell’Amore. Tutte queste prove furono superate appieno.

Comprendendo l’amore di Psiche e provandolo a sua volta per lei, Eros implorò Zeus perche rendesse Psiche immortale, il Padre degli Dei acconsenti. Riappacificatasi con Afrodite, Psiche decise di sposare Eros, la Dea dell’Amore in quella circostanza danzo alle nozze dei due.

Da allora Eros e Psiche sono inseparabili, da questa unione nacque Edonè, Dea del Piacere.

Afordite fu anche una Dea compassionevole, come nella vicenda dello scultore Pigmalione*. Pigmalione era uno scultore di indubbie capacità, ma non aveva ancora trovato una donna che sapesse ricambiare il proprio amore.

Apparsale in sogno, Afrodite, fece scoprire allo scultore i piaceri dell’amore.

Durante il sogno Pigmalione ebbe l’ispirazione e creò una scultura in avorio che somigliava alla Dea dell’Amore e la chiamò Galatea.

Innamoratosi della sua scultura e deciso a vivere per sempre con essa, prego Afrodite affinchè rendesse animata la sua scultura, Afordite, mossa a compassione, diede vita alla pregevolissima scultura.

I due si amarono da subito e decisero di sposarsi.

 

Dalle vicende che avete appena letto Afrodite non ha mai goduto di una buona reputazione, terribile ed astuta, capricciosa e volubile, ma pur sempre adorata e rispettata. Per i greci era la divinità generatrice, la più bella divinità del pantheon. I greci avevano un profondo rispetto per la Dea dell’Amore, tanto da intonare nenie e preghiere affinchè Afrodite propiziasse l’amore e la fecondità.

Nel prossimo mese tratteremo le vicende di Efesto, Dio del Fuoco, “l’artefice supremo dell’Olimpo”, non che sposo di Afrodite, come accennato in questo articolo.

 

Alessandro Cerioli

*Da Afrodite deriva la parola Afrodisiaco, ossia una sostanza che, presumibilmente, aumenta le capacità amatorie.

*Da questo vicenda l’albero della Mirra viene definito “prezioso” per il suo contenuto: nel Mito la nascita di Adone, mentre nel quotidiano la resina profumata.

*Da questo gesto della divinità Eris nacque il detto “pomo della discordia”.

*Da questa scelta si gettarono le basi per il futura ratto di Elena e la conseguente, tragica, guerra.

*Da questa vicenda viene definito Pigmalione colui che fa da maestro ad un’altra persona, insegnando ad essa le basi del vivere in società.