Call Me By Your Name: Athena and Pallas, Apollodorus 3.12.3

Call Me By Your Name: The Origin of Pallas Athena

Name: [Pseudo]Apollodorus Date:   1st – 2nd century CE Region:    Unknown Citation:    Library 3.12.3

They say that when Minerva was born, she was raised by Triton, [1] who had a daughter named Pallas. Both women eagerly trained in battle, and at one time, competed with one another in a sparring match. When Pallas almost wounded Minerva, Jupiter freaked out and revealed the Aegis [2].  Pallas looked upon it, terrified, and fell by Minerva’s attack. Minerva became very upset about her death. She built a statue [3] that looked like her, and dressed it with the Aegis breastplate that had caused her so much fear. She placed it in Jupiter’s presence and revered it.

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[1]  Triton is a water god associated with Lake Triton in Libya [northern coast of Africa; et Pallas, Libycis Tritonidos edita lymphis, Silvius, Punica II.296].

[2] The Aegis is a breastplate that depicts a gorgon head.

[3] A xoanon is an archaic, roughly carved statue of a divinity.

ἱστορία δὲ ἡ περὶ τοῦ παλλαδίου τοιάδε φέρεται: φασὶ γεννηθεῖσαν τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν παρὰ Τρίτωνι τρέφεσθαι, ᾧ θυγάτηρ ἦν Παλλάς: ἀμφοτέρας δὲ ἀσκούσας τὰ κατὰ πόλεμον εἰς φιλονεικίαν ποτὲ προελθεῖν. μελλούσης δὲ πλήττειν τῆς Παλλάδος τὸν Δία φοβηθέντα τὴν αἰγίδα προτεῖναι, τὴν δὲ εὐλαβηθεῖσαν ἀναβλέψαι, καὶ οὕτως ὑπὸ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς τρωθεῖσαν πεσεῖν. Ἀθηνᾶν δὲ περίλυπον ἐπ᾽ αὐτῇ γενομένην, ξόανον ἐκείνης ὅμοιον κατασκευάσαι, καὶ περιθεῖναι τοῖς στέρνοις ἣν ἔδεισεν αἰγίδα, καὶ τιμᾶν ἱδρυσαμένην παρὰ τῷ Διί.

Huiusmodi de Palladio narratur historia. Aiunt natam Minervam, apud Tritonem, cui filia Pallas erat, educari coepisse: utrasque autem fuisse rei bellicae studiosas, et in contentionem aliquando devensisse: Palladi iamiam vulnus illatum (Minervae) Jovem pavefactum Aegidem opposuisse: Palladem vero territam respexisse: atque ita a Minerva vulneratam concidisse. At Minervam eius de causa summo dolore affectam simulacrum illi simil confecisse, ac thoraci, pectorique eius, quam pertimuerat Aegidem, accommodasse, et apud Jovem honoris ergo constituisse.  Translated into Latin by Thomas Gale

Apollodorus [1st – 2nd century CE] is the name of the author of a famous collection of myths called the Bibliotheca / Library. Little is known about the author’s background or history.

Dangerous Beauty: Christianizing the Myth of Cornix & Callisto: John Gower, Confessio Amantis 5.6145 & 5.6230ff

 

Name: John Gower Date: 1330 – 1408 CE Region:   [modern England] Citation:  Confession of a Lover 5.6145ff and 6.6230ff

Here it talks about those who prey upon other sexually: those who try to sneakily succeed in fulfilling their lusty desire, but who are undermined by chance. The story goes that one time Neptune had tried to rape a certain maiden named Cornix when she was walking on the shore by herself, but Pallas Athena intervened. The goddess rescued the maiden from the god’s clutches and thankfully saved her from the assault.

Hic loquitur contra istos in amoris causa predones, qui cum in suam furtive concupissentiam aspirant, fortuna in contrarium operatur. Et narrat quod cum Neptunus quamdam virginem nomine Cornicem solam iuxta mare deambulantem opprimere suo furto voluisset, superveniens Pallas ipsam e manibus eius virginitate servata gracius liberavit.

 

2Here we have an example against people who prey upon women sexually. The story is about when Calistona, the exceedingly beautiful daughter of Lichaon, piously vowed perpetual chastity to Diana. Calistona traveled to a forest called Tegea, and spent her life there among other nymphs. Jupiter took her virginity in a clever assault, and from that union she bore him a son who was later named Archas.  Because of this, Juno attacked Calistona, transforming the woman’s beauty into the ugly shape of a bear.

Hic ponit exemplum contra istos in causa virginitatis laesae praedones. Et narrat quod cum Calistona Lichaontis mirae pulchritudinis filia suam virginitatem Dianae conservandam castisima voviset, et in Silvam quae Tegea dicitur inter alias ibidem Nimphas moraturam se transtulisset, Iupiter virginis castitatem subtili furto surripiens, quendam filium, qui postea Archas nominatus est, ex ea genuit: unde Juno in Calistonam saeviens eius pulchritudinem in ursae turpissimae deformitatem subito transfiguravit.

 John Gower [1330 – 1408 CE, modern England] was a 14th century English poet. He was a contemporary and peer of Geoffrey Chaucer; both authors use overlapping characters and themes. Although his Confession of a Lover [Confessio Amantis] was written in English, the Latin text of this story was taken from the summaries that the author wrote for each chapter in Latin.

A Gift to Pallas Athena: Greek Anthology vi.10

An Altar for Marriage-Shunning Athena

Name:  Antipater of Sidon Date:    2nd – 1st century BCE Region:     Sidon [modern Lebanon] Citation:     Greek Anthology 6.10

African born, our savior, marriage-shunning daughter of Jupiter,

Pallas Athena, virgin goddess in charge of her virginity,

Seleucus, obedient to Apollo's prophetic words, 

Has made this altar adorned with horns for you.

Τριτογενὲς, Σώτειρα, Διὸς φυγοδέμνιε κούρα, Παλλάς, ἀπειροτόκου δεσπότι παρθενίης, βωμόν τοι κεραοῦχον ἐδείματο τόνδε Σέλευκος, Φοιβείαν ἰαχὰν φθεγγομένου στόματος.

Tritogenia, Sospitatrix, Jovis filia lecti-genialis-inimica, Pallas, puerperii-expertis domina virginitatis, aram tibi cornibus-instructam posuit hanc Seleucus, Phoebeam vocem edente ore. Translated into Latin by Johann Friedrich Duebner

Antipater of Sidon [2nd – 1st century BCE, modern Lebanon] was a Greek poet who lived under Roman rule during the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE. Dozens of his poems were preserved in the Greek Anthology.

M/M: Love and Alliance, Vergil, Aen. 8.154-171

Name:  Vergil Date:  70 – 19 BCE Region:  Mantua [modern northern Italy] Citation:  Aeneid 8.154 - 171

Evander Explains Why He Will Join Aeneas' Side:


"How happily I welcome you, bravest of Trojans!

How happily I see your father Anchises’ words and mannerisms in you!

For I remember Priam visited me in Arcadia

When he went to visit his sister Hesione in Salamis.

At that time I was still young—just entering my teens—

And I was amazed by the Trojan leaders, even Priam himself;

But Anchises was the best of all.

I had a giant crush on him [mihi mens iuvenali ardebat amore]

And I was dying to have him talk to me, or to give me a handshake,

I went up to him and took him on a tour of the city of Pheneum.

When he went back to Troy, he gave me

a wonderful quiver full of Lycian arrows

a beautiful cloak embroidered with golden thread

and the two horse bits and bridles

that I’ve given to my son Pallas to use.

So I will gladly join hands in treaty with you,

And at daybreak, I will happily give you troops and supplies.”

ut te, fortissime Teucrum,
accipio agnoscoque libens! ut verba parentis               
et vocem Anchisae magni vultumque recordor!
nam memini Hesionae visentem regna sororis
Laomedontiaden Priamum Salamina petentem
protinus Arcadiae gelidos invisere finis.
tum mihi prima genas vestibat flore iuventas,               
mirabarque duces Teucros, mirabar et ipsum
Laomedontiaden; sed cunctis altior ibat
Anchises. mihi mens iuvenali ardebat amore
compellare virum et dextrae coniungere dextram;
accessi et cupidus Phenei sub moenia duxi.               
ille mihi insignem pharetram Lyciasque sagittas
discedens chlamydemque auro dedit intertextam,
frenaque bina meus quae nunc habet aurea Pallas.
ergo et quam petitis iuncta est mihi foedere dextra,
et lux cum primum terris se crastina reddet,               
auxilio laetos dimittam opibusque iuvabo.

Vergil, also known as Virgil, [Publius Vergilius Maro; 70 – 19 BCE, modern Italy] was born in Mantua, Cisalpine Gaul, and lived during the tumultuous transition of Roman government from republic to monarchy. His writing talent earned him a place of honor among Maecenas’ fellow authors under Augustan rule. He was friends with numerous famous authors of the time period, including Horace and Asinius Pollio. His former slave Alexander was the most influential romantic partner in his life, and the poet memorialized his love for him under the pseudonym “Alexis” in Eclogue 2. His masterpiece, the Aeneid, tells the story of Aeneas’ migration from Troy to Italy; it was used for centuries as the pinnacle of Roman literature.

The Motherless Birth of Pallas Athena: Apollodorus, Bibl.1.3.6

Name: [Pseudo]Apollodorus Date:   1st – 2nd century CE Region:    Unknown Citation:    Library 1.3.6

Thetis tried to escape Jupiter's seduction by changing forms, but was unsuccessful. When she became pregnant, Jupiter swallowed her whole, fearing a prophecy that claimed that after she birthed a daughter, she would bear a son who would rule the universe.
When the time had come for the child's delivery, Prometheus (or Vulcan, as others say), struck Jupiter's head with an ax, and Pallas Athena sprang forth from the wound fully armed.
 

μίγνυται δὲ Ζεὺς Μήτιδι, μεταβαλλούσῃ εἰς πολλὰς ἰδέας ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ συνελθεῖν, καὶ αὐτὴν γενομένην ἔγκυον καταπίνει φθάσας, ἐπείπερ ἔλεγε Γῆ γεννήσειν παῖδα μετὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐξ αὐτῆς γεννᾶσθαι κόρην, ὃς οὐρανοῦ δυνάστης γενήσεται. τοῦτο φοβηθεὶς κατέπιεν αὐτήν: ὡς δ᾽ ὁ τῆς γεννήσεως ἐνέστη χρόνος, πλήξαντος αὐτοῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν πελέκει Προμηθέως ἢ καθάπερ ἄλλοι λέγουσιν Ἡφαίστου, ἐκ κορυφῆς, ἐπὶ ποταμοῦ Τρίτωνος, Ἀθηνᾶ σὺν ὅπλοις ἀνέθορεν.
Jupiter ad haec Thetidi, varias alternanti formas quo illius vitaret amplexus, immiscetur. Quam, cum gravidam esse persensisset, absorbere occupat, quoniam post natam ex ea puellam, filium se parituram dicebat, qui caeli dominatione potiturus esset. Id futurum veritus eam absorbuit. Ubi vero pariendi tempus advenit, Prometheus, sive, ut alii tradunt, Volcanus eius caput securi percussit, deque illius vertice secus Tritonem amnem armata Pallas exilivit.

Translated into Latin by Thomas Gale (1675)

Apollodorus [1st – 2nd century CE] is the name of the author of a famous collection of myths called the Bibliotheca / Library. Little is known about the author’s background or history.