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.

M/M: My Love Will Protect You...from a Dragon! Pausanias, Desc. Graec. 9.26.7-8

The Thespian Dragon

Name:  Pausanias Date:        110 – 180 CE Region:    Lydia [modern Turkey] Citation:      Description of Greece   9.26.7-8

In the town of Thespiae, there is a bronze statue of Zeus Soter (the Savior). They say that when a dragon was ravaging the town, the god ordered for a youth to be selected each year to be sacrificed to it. The names of the other youths chosen have been blotted out forever, but one of them was Cleostratus. His boyfriend Menestratus invented a way to save him. He made a bronze breastplate equipped with spiked scales that were barbed. Menestratus put on the armor and offered himself to the dragon; he may have died doing so, but then again, so did the beast.  And so Zeus earned the nickname “Savior.”

Θεσπιεῦσι δὲ ἐν τῇ πόλει Σαώτου Διός ἐστι χαλκοῦν ἄγαλμα: ἐπιλέγουσι δὲ ὡς λυμαινομένου τὴν πόλιν ποτὲ αὐτοῖς δράκοντος προστάξειεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κλήρῳ sτῶν ἐφήβων κατὰ ἔτος ἕκαστον λαχόντα δίδοσθαι τῷ θηρίῳ. τῶν μὲν δὴ διαφθαρέντων μνημονεύειν τὰ ὀνόματα οὔ φασιν: ἐπὶ δὲ Κλεοστράτῳ λαχόντι τὸν ἐραστὴν αὐτοῦ Μενέστρατον λέγουσιν ἐπιτεχνήσασθαι. χαλκοῦν θώρακα ἐποιήσατο ἔχοντα ἐπὶ ἑκάστῃ τῶν φολίδων ἄγκιστρον ἐς τὸ ἄνω νεῦον: τοῦτον τὸν θώρακα ἐνδὺς παρέδωκε τῷ δράκοντι ἑκουσίως αὑτόν, παραδοὺς δὲ ἀπολεῖσθαί τε καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπολεῖν ἔμελλε τὸ θηρίον. ἀντὶ τούτου μὲν τῷ Διὶ γέγονεν ἐπίκλησις Σαώτης

Est adhuc in oppido aeneum Saotae (id est, Servatoris) Jovis signum. Inde ortum habuit religio, quod quum in cives insigni feritate draco saeviret, deus imperaverit ephebos quotannis singulos sorte ductos ferae exponi: et ceterorum quidem qui periere nomina exoleverunt: eorum uni Cleostrato amatorem Menestratum loricam aeneam faciundam curasse, resupinatis extrorsum hamis consertam: eam loricam puer indutus, quum ultro draconi occurrisset, mortem quidem oppetiit, sed ipsam etiam feram exanimavit. Ex eo rei inventu Jovi Servatori cognomen extitit. Translated into Latin by Romulus Amaseus

Pausanias [110 -180 CE, modern Turkey] was a Greek writer from Lydia who lived during the era of the “Five Good Emperors.” His work, the Description of Greece, is an important source for geographical, historical, archaeological, and cultural information about ancient Greece.