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Explore the intriguing myths of Hephaestus, Ares, Aphrodite, and Hermes in Greek mythology, including their relationships, attributes, and unique roles in ancient lore. Unravel the captivating tales from Olympus and beyond.
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Chapter Seven, Lecture Two Myths of the Olympians
Hephaestus • The “blacksmith” god • Zeus and Hera or just Hera • Lame blacksmith god or just god of the manual crafts and metal working; sometimes just fire. • Shows some contempt for labor • No social standing because of above so he represents and smiths and laborers of low social standing in Greek society.
Hephaestus • Island is Lemnos, where he may have landed after being thrown out from Olympus • Assisted by Cyclopes and golden robots • Married as a joke to Aphrodite • Beauty and the Beast-Aphrodite cheats
Hephaestus • Hera threw him from heaven because he was ugly and lame. • He learned metal working and made a golden throne for Hera to give to her for her birthday • It had mesh and she could not get free and Hephaestus refused to return to Olympia • Dionysus got him drunk so he would return and free Hera
Hephaestus • But other versions say Zeus threw him from Mount Olympus after Hephaestus had sided with his mother in a quarrel. This legend says that Hephaestus fell for nine days and nine nights, and he landed on the island of Lemnos. It was on Lemnos where he built his palace and his forges under a volcano.
Ares • Son of Zeus and Hera • Blood-lust in battle, warrior merciless and feels no pain or fear • Greeks preferred Athena as goddess of strategy in war • Few myths • Disgracefully wounded at Troy by Athena and Diomedes
Ares • Best known for adultery with Aphrodite • Caught in flagrante delicto by Hephaestus • Fear (Phobos), Panic (Deimos)
Ares and Aphrodite • Aphrodite, in some versions, was the wife of Hephaestus, and he was suspicious that Aphrodite had been committing adultery. To catch her being unfaithful he fashioned an extraordinary chain-link net, so fine and strong no one could escape from it. Then one day he surprised Aphrodite and the war god Ares as they lay together in bed. He threw his magic net over them and hauled them before the Olympian gods and exhibited them as they were, naked and wrapped in each others arms. Hephaestus asked the assembled gods for just retribution, but they did the total opposite. The gods roared with laughter at the sight of the naked lovers, after which they allowed the couple to go free.
Ares and Aphrodite • Hephaestus made an invincible, unbreakable chain and put it around his bed. • Hephaestus pretended to leave and Ares snuck in • Ares and Aphrodite were caught in bed • All male gods invited to come, see, and laugh at the couple • Poseidon has to post bail and Ares will have to give compensation.
Hermes • Son of Zeus and Maia • Bizarre complexity of attributes: • The ram, the herd, herdsmen, travelers, messengers, liars, thieves, businessmen, leaders of souls to the underworld (psychopompos), orators
Hermes • Epithet: Argeïphontes (slayer of Argos) • Iconography: traveler’s hat, winged sandals, caduceus • The Herm • Erect phallus wards off aggression
Hermes • Hermes was known to be a cunning trickster, stealing things from the other gods and hiding them in unbelievable locations. • Back in the days when Hermes was still an infant, he once went out his cradle and decided to go to Pieria in Northern Greece and steal the cattle from his half-brother Apollo. • Hermes discovered the herd very soon, and started pulling the hoofs out of the cows’ feet one by one and re-attaching them in the reverse order; the same he did to his own sandals. Then he took the herd, which now seemed to be walking backwards, hid them inside a cave and quickly returned to his cave in Mount Cyllene in Arcadia.
Hermes • Apollo soon discovered his herd was missing and he went out searching all around. The traces he saw on his way were nothing but confusing and led the god to dispair. However, Apollo was the god of prophecy, so he soon found out the thief and went furiously to Mount Cyllene to find Hermes in his cave. Little Hermes was peacefully sleeping inside his cradle, but Apollo didn’t bother. He grabbed the infant and took him up to Mount Olympus to be judged by their master Zeus, the king of the gods. • Before the eyes of Zeus, Hermes first denied everything, but in the end he had to confess. Zeus had found the story quite amusing so he didn't punish Hermes; he only asked from him to return the herd. Regretful of what he had done, Hermes then offered Apollo his lyre as a present, a musical instrument he had created all by himself out of the shell of a tortoise. • To compensate Hermes for his kindness, Apollo returned the gesture by giving Hermes a golden rod to guide the herds. From that moment on, there was peace again in Mount Olympus and a strong friendship began between Hermes and Apollo.
Hermes • The Homeric Hymn to Hermes • The early achievements of Hermes • The trickster • Invents: sneakers, the lyre, sausage . . . • Conflict between the old aristocrats and the new class of capitalists and men of industry • Apollo represents aristocrats • Hermes represents new merchant class
Hermes • The alliance between Hermes and Apollo should encourage the aristoi and the kakoi in Greek society to look past their differences and seek common political interests.
Hermes • Beings associated with Hermes • Autolycus (son) • master thief – could make himself invisible • father of Odysseus • Pan (son) (to feed?) • shows fertility side of Hermes • Syrinx (Pan pipes) • “Panic” of the solitude of the woods • Echo (loved by Hermes) got into trouble with Hera
Pan • trickster • top half of a human, hoofs and legs of a goat with pointed ears, a tail, and horns, lustful • Pictures of Pan beginning of devil
Pan and Syrinx • Syrinx was a beautiful, gamesome wood Nymph from Arcadia , renowned for her strong passion for hunting. • One day, Greek god Pan met Syrinx in the backwoods on her way to hunt; delighted from what he saw, Pan lustfully decided to approach her. Syrinx, however, was a very proud Nymph who didn’t wish to be loved; so she ran away to avoid the satyr, but Pan took off in pursuit. • Suddenly, the river Ladon cut the Nymph’s path. Syrinx desperately appealed to the River God to rescue her, until finally her prayers were heard and the River God turned Syrinx into a reed. • Soon enough, Pan managed to reach Syrinx and spread his arms to fondle and embrace her; but all he found inside his arms was a plain tuft of reeds. So he sighed out desperately; a sigh so deep that it sounded through the reeds, producing a melody… • Charmed by this melody, Pan bunched up small pieces of reed and produced a pan pipe, which he named "Syrinx" to honor the Nymph. Everywhere he went, Pan took his beloved Syrinx with him, delighting deities with its harmonious sounds.
Echo • The chief god Zeus had many affairs with both mortals and gods, much to his wife's dislike. While he pursued his amours, it was Echo's duty to beguile Hera's attention by incessantly talking to her. Hera discovered the ruse and as punishment, she made Echo always repeat the voice of another. Echo fell in love with a vain youth named Narcissus, who ignored her. Narcissus found a pool of water and stared at his lovely reflection until he died. Echo watched him until she pined away, now her voice remains, repeating the last few things people say. • The Greek version of the story of Echo (the above is of Roman origin [Ovid]) is as follows: • Echo was a very beautiful and musical nymph. She could sing and play many instruments. She lived deep in the woods and denied the love of any man or immortal. She therefore attracted the hatred and anger of many, including the god Pan whose love she turned down. Pan caused his followers the shepherds to kill Echo and tear her to pieces that were subsequently scattered far and wide. Gaia, the Earth goddess, received the pieces in her bosom and thus Echo, scattered now all over the earth, retained her voice and talents answering or imitating every sound or voice.
