Saturday, August 27, 2022

Dangerous Beauty: Ganymede. Lactantius Placidus, Narr. 10.4

CONTENT WARNING: abduction

It is important to note that the common denominator in abduction myths is not the victim's gender, but their beauty.


Ganymedes, Trois filius, prima forma cum ceteris Iliensibus Phrygiae praeferretur et adsiduis venationibus interesset, ne infamiam virentis aetatis subiret, Iuppiter versus in aquilam ex Ida monte cum rapuit in caelum ministrumque fecit.

--Lactantius Placidus, Qui dicitur Narrationes Fabularum Ovidianarum Liber 10.4


Ganymede, the son of Tros. He was the pinnacle of beauty, preferred over all other Trojan youths. Jupiter turned into an eagle and snatched him up while he was out hunting on Mt. Ida. He took him up into heaven and made him a [immortal] servant [of the gods] so that he would never age.

LACTANTIUS PLACIDUS

MAP:

Name:  Lactantius Placidus

Date:  5th or 6th century CE

Works:  Abridgement of Ovids’ Metamorphoses

Commentary on Statius’ Thebaid

 

REGION  UNKNOWN

Region 1: Peninsular Italy; Region 2: Western Europe; Region 3: Western Coast of Africa; Region 4: Egypt and Eastern Mediterranean; Region 5: Greece and the Balkans


BIO:

Timeline:

 Little is known about this Christian author, but he is known for his commentary on Statius’ Thebaid and an abridgement of Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

 LATE LATIN / BYZANTINE

Early Roman Lit: through 2nd c BCE: Republican Rome: through 1st c. BCE; Golden Age: 70 BCE to 18 CE; Silver Age: 18 CE to 150 CE; Age of Conflict: 150 CE - 410 CE; Byzantine and Late Latin: after 410 CE




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