W/W: Beloved by the Nymphs: Dryope, Antoninus Liberalis Met. 32

Name:  Antoninus Liberalis Date:  2nd – 3rd century CE Region:  Unknown Citation:    Metamorphoses 32

Unlike similar stories involving Artemis /Diana (including Callisto, Aura, Atalanta, etc.), this rape myth does not include any victim blaming or shaming. The hamadryads do not punish or shame Dryope for being attacked, but instead wait until her child is grown before transforming her into a nymph, allowing her to raise her child and experience motherhood.

Dryops (the son of the river god Sperchius and the Danaid Polydora) became ruler in Oeta. He had one daughter named Dryope, who took care of her father’s flocks.

The hamadryad nymphs loved her greatly. They made her their companion wherever they went, and taught her how to sing hymns to the gods, as well as lead the sacred dances.  

When Apollo spotted her, he burned for desire to sleep with her. He transformed himself into a turtle. Dryope picked it up and kept it as a pet. When she had put him in her lap, Apollo transformed from a turtle into a snake. This terrified the nymphs, and they fled, leaving Dryope to her fate. Apollo attacked her.

Terrified of what her father would think, Dryope fled home, but told him nothing about the attack. Later on, she was married to Andraemon (the son of Oxylus), but she had already conceived a child with Apollo. Her son, Amphissus, grew up a well-rounded young man. He established the city Oeta (named after the mountain) and ruled there. He created a temple to Apollo in Dryopis there.

When Dyrope went to the temple, the hamadryad nymphs took her with them, moved by their kind feelings for her.  They hid her in the forest, leaving a poplar tree in her place. In this way Dryope was transformed into a nymph.

Out of respect for the nymphs’ treatment of his mother, Amphissus created a temple for them, and established an annual footrace dedicated to them; these races occur even today. Women are banned from this place, since two maidens told the villagers of Dryope’s whereabouts. This angered the nymphs, and they transformed these maidens into pine trees.

Dryops Sperchii fluvii Filius ex Polydora, una Danai filiarum, regnum obtinuit in Oeta: unicamque habuit filiam Dryopen, quae patris greges pascebat. Sed cum eam summo opere amarent Hamadryades nymphae, suorumque locorum sociam adscivisset, docuissentque carminibus deos celebrare, et choros ducere: Apollo ea visa, concubitus cum ea ardor ipsum incessit. Itaque primum se in testudinem convertis: quam cum, ut rem ludicram, Dryope Nymphaeque tractarent, Dryope eam etiam in sinum conderet, de testudine Apollo in anguem transiit: itaque eam Nymphae territae desuerunt, Apollo cum Dryopa rem habet. Ea autem metus plena in domum patris confugit, nihilque parentibus ea de re indicavit. Post cum eam Andraemon Oxyli filius duxisset, puerum ex Apolline conceptum parit, Amphissum. Hic cum virilem aetatem attigisset, omnibus praevaluit. urbemque ad Oetam condidit, monti isti cognominem, ibique regnavit. Posuit eta Apollini in Dryopide regione templum: in quod cum se contulisset Dryope, Hamadryades benevolentia impulsae ea rapuerunt, et in silva occultarunt, loco eius alno excitata, ac pone alnum fonte. At Dryope, naturae mutatione de mortali facta est nympha. Amphissus, pro meritis Nympharum in matrem, templum ipsis condidit, primusque cursus certamen confecit: quod incolae hoc quoque nostro tempore curant. Mulierem eo accedere nefas est, quod Dryopen a Nymphis sublatam duae virgines incolis indicarunt: quas indignatione motae Nymphae, in abietes mutarunt.

 Translated by Xylander 1832 (Greek text forthcoming) 

 

Antoninus Liberalis [2nd – 3rd century CE] Little is known about the life of the Greek author Antoninus Liberalis. His work, Metamorphoses, is similar to the works of Hyginus in that they provide brief summaries of Greek and Roman myths.

M/M: Standing Up For Love In the Face of Violence: Eurybatos & Alcyoneus, Antoninus Liberalis Metamorphoses 8

Eurybatus, Standing Up For What’s Right

Name:  Antoninus Liberalis Date:  2nd – 3rd century CE Region:  Unknown Citation:    Metamorphoses 8

In the mountain ranges of Parnassus, there is a mountain called Cirphis, near Crissa. Inside of this mountain is a very large cave where a huge monster lived. Some people called this monster the Lamia; others called it Sybaris.  This monster was attacking the countryside daily, eating up flocks and people alike. The inhabitants of Delphi were contemplating migrating away from the dangerous area, so they consulted the oracle to learn where it would be safe for them to move. Then Apollo prophesied that they would be free of the beast if they sacrificed one of their citizen’s children to it. So the citizens complied with this oracle.

The person chosen by lot to be sacrificed was Alcyoneus, the son of Diomus and Meganira. He was Diomus’ only son, and he was both incredibly talented and incredibly handsome. The citizens put a sacrificial crown upon his head, and the priests led him to the monster’s cave to be sacrificed.

However, at the same time this was happening, fate had it that Eurybatus, a kind-hearted young man, was setting out from Curetis, and bumped into Alcyoneus while he was being led to the cave. Eurybatus fell in love with Alcyoneus, and asking about the youth’s circumstances, thought it would be simply awful if he just stood there and did nothing to stop him from being sacrificed. So here is what he did: he pulled off Alcyoneus’ sacrificial crown, put it on his own head, and ordered the priests to sacrifice him instead.

Once he got to the cave, he attacked the monster. He pulled Sybaris from its lair and, dragging it into the daylight, threw it off the mountainside. Sybaris struck its head when it hit the ground and died.  The impact caused a spring of water to well up. It is named Sybaris after the monster. Later the Locrians founded a city in Italy named Sybaris.

Παρὰ τὰ σφυρὰ τοῦ Παρνασσοῦ πρὸς νότον ὄρος ἐστὶν, ὃ καλεῖται Κιρφὶς παρὰ τὴν Κρίσαν. καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐστιν ἔτι νῦν σπήλαιον ὑπερμέγεθες, ἐν ᾧ θηρίον ᾤκει μέγα καὶ ὑπερφυὲς, καὶ αὐτὸ Λαμίαν, οἱ δὲ Σύβαριν ὠνόμαζον. Τοῦτο καθ' ἡμέραν ἑκάστην τὸ θηρίον ἐπιφοιτῶν ἀνήρπασεν ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν τὰ θρέμματα καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους.

In imo Parnassi versus meridiem mons est (ut quarto Alteratorum libro Nicander narrat) Cirphis, pone Crissam, inque eo etiamnum antrum praegrande, in quo fera degebat olim ingens et monstrosae magnitudinis adeo, quam alii Lamiam, alii Sybarin nominabant. Ea fera singulis diebus in agros grassabatur, pecus hominesque rapiens.

Ἤδη δὲ τῶν Δελφῶν βουλευομένων ὑπὲρ ἀναστάσεως καὶ χρηστηριαζομένων εἰς ἥντινα παρέσονται χώραν, ὁ θεὸς ἀπόλυσιν ἐσήμανε τῆς συμφορᾶς, εἰ μένοντες ἐθέλοιεν ἐκθεῖναι παρὰ τῷ σπηλαίῳ ἕνα κοῦρον τῶν πολιτῶν. Κᾆκεῖνοι καθάπερ ὁ θεὸς εἶπεν ἐποίουν. Κληρουμένων δ ̓ ἔλαχεν Ἀλκυονεὺς ὁ Διόμου καὶ Μεγανείρης παῖς, μονογενῆς ὢν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ καλὸς καὶ κατὰ τὴν ὄψιν καὶ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἦθος. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἱερεῖς τὸν ̓Αλκυονέα στέψαντες απήγαγον εἰς τὸ τῆς Συβάριδος σπήλαιον. Εὐρύβατος δὲ κατὰ δαίμονα ἐκ τῆς Κουρήτιδος ἀπιὼν ὁ Εὐφήμοῦ παῖς, γένος μὲν ἔχων Αξίου τοῦ ποταμοῦ, νέος δ’ ὢν καὶ γενναῖος, ἐνέτυχεν αγομένῳ τῷ παιδί, πληγεὶς ἔρωτι καὶ πυθόμενος καθ ̓ ἣντινα πρόφασιν ἔρχονται, δεινὸν ἐποιήσατο μὴ οὐκ ἀμῦναι πρὸς δύναμιν, ἀλλὰ περιϊδεῖν οἰκτρῶς, ἀναιρεθέντα τὸν παῖδα. Περισπάσας οὖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ̓Αλκυονέως τὰ στέμματα καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπιθέμενος ἐκέλευεν ἀπαγειν ἑαυτὸν ἀντὶ τοῦ παιδός.

Iamque Delphi de mutandis sedibus cogitabant, et oraculum consulebant de loco in quem migrarent. Tum Deus, malo eos isto liberatum iri pronunciavit, si manentes vellent ad antrum expondere puerum unum de civium filiis. Ipsi mandata peragebant. Sorte ad hoc ductus est Alcyoneus, Diomi et Meganirae filius quem unum pater genuerat, et vultu et indole praeditus eleganti. Eum coronis redimitum, sacerdotes ad Sybaridis speluncam abduxerunt. At vero genii cuiusdam impulsu Eurybatus Euphemi filius ab Axio fluvio genus trahens, generoso animo iuvenis, a Curetide proficiscens, in Alcyoneum, cum is ad antrum duceretur, incidit: et amore eius correptus, scitatus causam viae, indignum facinus se facturum putavit, si puerum ita misere interfici sineret, neque ei pro viribus suis opitularetur. Itaque Alcyoneo detractas coronas, suo imposuit capiti, seque eius loco duci iussit.

Ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ ἱερεῖς ἀπήγαγον, εἰςδραμὼν καὶ τὴν  Σύβαριν ἐκ τῆς κοίτης συναρπάσας παρήνεγκεν εἰς ἐμεφανὲς καὶ κατὰ τῶν πετρῶν ἔῤῥιψεν. ἡ δὲ και καταφερομένη προςέκρουσε τὴν κεφαλὴν παρὰ τὰ σφυρὰ τῆς Κρίσης. Καὶ αὐτὴ μὲν ἐκ τοῦ τραύματος ἀφανὴς ἐγένετο. ἐκ δὲ τῆς πέτρας ἐκείνης ανεφάνη πηγὴ καὶ αὐτὴν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι καλοῦσι Σύβαριν. ἐκ δὲ ταὶ της καὶ Λοκροὶ πόλιν ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ Σύβαριν ἔκτισαν.

Adductusque ad antrum a sacerdotibus, irrupit, Sybarinque e lecto vi abreptam in lucem protulit, ac de saxis praecipitem egit. Ea capite ad imos Crissae processus alliso, eo e vulnere decessit. Caeterum isto e saxo fons erupit: qui ab incolis Sybaris dicitur. Inde etiam Locri urbem Sybarim condiderunt in Italia. Translated into Latin by Wilhelm Xylander

Antoninus Liberalis [2nd – 3rd century CE] Little is known about the life of the Greek author Antoninus Liberalis. His work, Metamorphoses, is similar to the works of Hyginus in that they provide brief summaries of Greek and Roman myths.

Just Say No: Britomartis, Antoninus Liberalis, Met. 40

Name:  Antoninus Liberalis Date:  2nd – 3rd century CE Region:  Unknown Citation:    Metamorphoses 40

Agenor's son Phoenix had a daughter with Cassiepiae named Carme. When Jupiter raped Carme, she gave birth to Britomartis. Britomartis avoided the company of men, vowing perpetual virginity. First she left Phoenicia to go to Argos, joining the Erasinus' daughters Byze, Melita, Maera, and Anchiroa. Then she set out for Cephallenia, where she was named Laphria by its inhabitants, who worshipped her as if she were divine.    Then she went to Crete: but once King Minos saw her, he desired her and tried to rape her; she ran towards fishermen, seeking their help, but was tangled in their fishnets. [That's why Cretans call her Dictynna, "netted one"]. Safely avoiding Minos, Britomartis traveled by ship to Aegina with the help of the fisherman Andromedus. But when the fisherman also tried to rape her, she jumped from the ship and fled to a grove, where she disappeared from the eyes of men. There's a shrine there now in her honor.

Carme, filia fuit Phoenicis, Agenoris f. et Cassiepiae, Arabii filiae. Cum hac Carma Jupiter congressus, Britomartim genuit: quae hominum fugiens consuetudinem, perpetuam virginitatem amplexa, primum ex Phoenicia Argos devenit ad Erasini filias, Byzem, Melitam, Maeram, et Anchiroam. Deinde Argis in Cephalleniam profecta, estque ab incolis nominata Laphria, sacrisque numinis instar honorata. Venit inde in Cretam: visamque Minos, cum amore eius captus esset, insecutus est. Ea ad piscatores confugit, ab iisque subter retia occultata est. Unde Cretenses eam Dictynnam nuncuparunt, et sacris sunt venerati. Evitato Minoe, Britomartis cum Andromede piscatore navigio Aeginam venit. Cumque piscator eam comprimere conaretur, relicto navigio, in lucum confugit, ubi nunc eius fanum est, ibique e medio est sublata.

Translated from the Greek by Wilhelm Xylander

Antoninus Liberalis [2nd – 3rd century CE] Little is known about the life of the Greek author Antoninus Liberalis. His work, Metamorphoses, is similar to the works of Hyginus in that they provide brief summaries of Greek and Roman myths.

W/W: Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty: Galinthias, Antoninus Liberalis, Metam. 29

Name:  Antoninus Liberalis Date:  2nd – 3rd century CE Region:  Unknown Citation:    Metamorphoses 29

The Theban Proteus had a daughter named Galinthias, who was inseparable from her dear friend Alcmena (Electrion's daughter). When Alcmena was pregnant with Hercules, Juno's henchmen Lucina [goddess of childbirth] and the Fates beset her limbs to keep her from giving birth.  Fearing that Alcmena would die in childbirth, Galinthias ran up to the goddesses and thanked them, proclaiming that Alcmena had already given birth by the will of Jupiter. Hearing this, the goddesses were thunderstruck, and released Alcmena in their daze. Once she was free from their control, Alcmena was able to give birth to Hercules.  Angered that a mortal had deceived them, the goddesses smote Galinthias, stripping her of her womanly shape and turning her into a [pole]cat. 

Thebis Proteus filiam habuit Galinthiadem, ludi et vitae soliditate iunctam virginem Alcumenae, filiae Electrionis. Cum parturiret Alcmena Herculem, Parcae et Lucina in gratiam Iunonis eam in doloribus detinuerunt, manibus suis constrictis sedentes. Ibi Galinthias verita ne ex doloribus moreretur Alcmena, ad Parcas et Lucinam accurrit, nuncians Iovis voluntate puerum ab Alcmena partu editum, actumqe esse de ipsarum honoribus. Ad hoc obstupuerunt Parcae, statimque manus dimiserunt. Illico etiam Alcmena soluta doloribus, Herculem est enixa. Ad hoc Parcae luctum instituerunt: et Galinthiadi, quod mortalis deas decepisset, virginitatem ademerunt, inque fraudulentam mutaverunt felem.

Translated from the Greek by Wilhelm Xylander

Antoninus Liberalis [2nd – 3rd century CE] Little is known about the life of the Greek author Antoninus Liberalis. His work, Metamorphoses, is similar to the works of Hyginus in that they provide brief summaries of Greek and Roman myths.

A Trans Woman: Leucippus, Antoninus Liberalis, Metam. 17

From Daughter to Son: Leucippos

Name:  Antoninus Liberalis Date:  2nd – 3rd century CE Region:  Unknown Citation:    Metamorphoses 17

Galatea, the Spartan daughter of Eurytius, married Lamprus, the son of Cretan King Pandion. Lamprus was from a famous but poor family.  When Galatea became pregnant, Lamprus wanted a boy, and ordered her to expose the infant if she gave birth to a girl. While Lamprus was out tending his flocks, Galatea gave birth to the girl. Swollen with milk and sleep deprived, Galatea thought about how empty their home was when Lamprus was away, and pitied the infant. She deceived Lamprus and said she gave birth to a boy.  She raised the girl with the name Leucippus, as if the girl were a boy.

When the girl went through puberty and became astoundingly beautiful, Galatea could no longer hide what she had done and fled to the temple of Diana and Apollo’s divine mother Latona.

She laid out her case to the goddess with ceaseless prayers, praying that her daughter be transformed into a man and using the following precedents:

·        * Caenis, the daughter of Atrax, was changed into a man by the will of Neptune. 

·       *  Tiresias, too, went from man to woman by slaying a pair of snakes mating by the side of the road.  Then they returned to being a man by slaying another snake. 

·        Hypermestra sold herself as a woman to earn money

for her father, and changed back into a man to bring the proceeds back to their father Aethon. 

·        Siproetis, a Cretan lad, accidentally saw Minerva bathing while he was hunting and was transformed into a woman.

Latona pitied the woman's prayers and changed her daughter into a son.

From Daughter to Son: Leucippos

Γαλάτεια ἡ Εὐρυτίου τοῦ Σπάρτωνος ἐγήματὸ ἐν Φαίστῳ τῆς Κρήτης Λάμπρῳ τῷ Πανδίονος, ἀνδρὶ τὰ μὲν εἰς γένος εὖ ἔχοντι, βίου δὲ ἐνδεεῖ. Οὗτος, ἐπειδὴ ἐγκύμων ἦν ἡ Γαλάτεια ηὔξατο μὲν ἄῤῥενα γενέσθαι αὐτῷ παῖδα. προηγόρευσε δὲ τῇ γυναικὶ, ἐὰν γεννήσῃ κόρην, ἀφανίσαι. Καὶ οὗτος μὲν ἀπιὼν ἐποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατα, τῇ δὲ Γαλατείᾳ θυγάτηρ ἐγένετο. Καὶ κατοικτείρασα τὸ βρέφος καὶ τὴν ἐρημίαν τοῦ οἴκου λογισαμένη συλλαμβανόντων, δ ̓ ἔτι καὶ τῶν ὀνείρων καὶ τῶν μάντεων, οἵ προηγόρευον τὴν κόρην ὡς κόρον ἐκτρέφειν, εψεύσατο τὸν Λάμπρον ἄῤῥεν, λέγουσα τεκεῖν καὶ ἐξέτρεφεν ὡς παῖδα κοῦρον, ὀνομάσασα Λεύκιππον. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ηὔξετο ἡ κόρη καὶ ἐγένετο ἄφατόν τι κάλλος, δείσασα τον Λάμπρον ἡ Γαλάτεια, ὡς οὐκ ἐνῆν ἔτι λαθεῖν, κατέφυγεν εἰς τὸ τῆς Λητοῦς ἱερὸν καὶ πλεῖστα τὴν θεὸν ἑκέτευσεν,

Filia Eurytii F. Spartonis Galatea, Phaesti Critae nupsit Lampro Pandionis F. viro natalibus non obscuris, sed inopi. Is cum uxor gravida esset, voto masculam sibi prolem expetens, edixit mulieri, si filiam peperisset, uti ne eam tolleret. Simul ad oves pascendas digressus: Galatea filiam partu edidit: &  miserta infantis, solitudinemque familiae reputans, insomniis adstipulantibus, et ariolis pro filio eam educatre iubentibus, Lamprum decepit, filium se enixam professa: puellamque nomine Leucippi affectam, tanquam filius si esset, enutriit. Cum adolevisset puella, & ineffabili esset pulchritudine, metuens sibi a marito Galatea, cum res diutius tegi non posset, in fanum Latonae confugit:

εἴπως αὐτῇ κόρος ἡ παῖς ἀντὶ τῆς θυγατρὸς δύναιτο γενέσθαι. Τειρεσίας δὲ γυνὴ μὲν ἐξ ἀνδρὸς, ὅτι τοὺς ἐν τῇ τριόδῳ μιγνύμένους ὄφεις ἐντυχὼν ἀπέκτεινεν, ἐκ δὲ γυναικὸς αὐτις ἀνὴρ ἐγένετο διὰ τὸ δράκοντα πολλάκις πατάξαι, καὶ Ὑπερμήστραν πιπρασκομένην ἐπὶ γυναικὶ μὲν αἴρασθαι τίμον, ἄνδρα δὲ γενομένην Αἴθων τροφὴν ἀποφέρειν τῷ πατρί. μεταβαλεῖν δὲ καὶ τὸν Κρῆτα Σιπροίτην, ὅτι κυνηγετῶν λουομένην ἴδε τὴν Ἄρτεμιν. Ἡ δὲ Λητὼ συνεχῶς ὀδυρομένην καὶ ἱκετεύσαν ᾤκτειρε τὴν Γαλάτειαν καὶ μετέβαλε τὴν φύσιν τῆς παιδὸς εἰς κόρον.

multisque a Dea precibus contendit, si filia in marem mutari posset: sicut Caenis Atracis filia, Neptuni voluntate in Caeneum Lapitham abiit: Tiresias ob interfectos in trivio coeuntes angues, de viro mulier fuit factus: rursusque virilem sexum adeptus est, quia draconem saepenumero Panastem autem & Hypermestram venditam pro muliere invenisse pretium: cum autem in virum esset mutata, alimenta Aethoni patri attulisse.  Cretensem quoque Siproetam mutatum, cum inter venandum lavantem vidisset Minervam. Latona continenter lamentantem & deprecantem miserata est Galateam, puellamque in puerum mutavit. Translated into Latin by William Xylander

 

Antoninus Liberalis [2nd – 3rd century CE] Little is known about the life of the Greek author Antoninus Liberalis. His work, Metamorphoses, is similar to the works of Hyginus in that they provide brief summaries of Greek and Roman myths.