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[German version] (Βότρης; Bótrēs). Son of the Theban Eumelus. When the latter, in B.'s presence, is about to sacrifice a sheep to Apollo, B. eats the animal's brains before it is placed on the altar. Thereupon his father strikes him with a firebrand. Apollo, however, takes pity on him and turns him into the bird, Aeropus (Bee-eater), which broods in an underground nest and continually seeks to fly (Ant. Lib. 18). Bloch, René (Berne)

(Διώρης; Diṓrēs). [German version] [1] Son of Amarynceus Son of  Amarynceus [1]. One of the four leaders of the Epeians from Elis who went to Troy. He was killed by the Thracian Peirous (Hom. Il. 2,622; 4,517; Paus. 5,3,4). Bloch, René (Berne) Bibliography W. Kullmann, Die Quellen der Ilias, Hermes ES 14, 1960, 98 and 162 E. Visser, Homers Katalog der Schiffe, 1997, 569-573. [German version] [2] Father of Automedon Father of  Automedon, chariot driver to Achilles and Patroclus (Hom. Il. 17,429). Bloch, René (Berne) [German version] [3] Son of Priamus Son of Priamus, companion of  Ae…

[German version] (Δημοδίκη; Dēmodíkē). Second wife of the Boeotian king  Athamas and stepmother of Phrixus whom she pursues in unrequited love. Phrixus takes flight for this reason (Pind. fr. 49, Damodika; Schol. Pind. Pyth. 4,288a). Usually she is called  Ino (Apollod. 1,80-84). In another version she is the wife of Cretheus, brother of Athamas. She slanders Phrixus, who will not return her love, before Cretheus, whereupon he demands Phrixus' death from Athamas. However, Phrixus is removed by his mother  Nephele (Hyg. Poet. Astr. 2,20). Bloch, René (Berne) Bibliography P. Angeli B…

[German version] (Εὐφροσύνη; Euphrosýne, ‘cheerfulness’). One of the  Charites (Hes. Theog. 909; Pind. Ol. 14,14; Apollod. 1,13). In Hyg. Poet. Fab. praef. E. is a daughter of Erebos and  Nyx (cf. Gratia in Cic. Nat. D. 3,44). In Orph. H. 3,5 E. is an epithet of Nyx. Bloch, René (Berne) Bibliography K.-H. Tomberg, E. B. Harrison, s.v. Charis, Charites, LIMC 3.1, 191-203.

[German version] (Ἰαπετός; Iapetós). The etymology is uncertain, perhaps ‘the one hurled down’ (on ἰάπτειν; iáptein, ‘to hurl’ [1]). The often postulated connection to OT Japheth, the third son of Noah (Gen. 5,32 et passim), cannot be proven [2; 3]. I. is the titan who was hurled by Zeus into Tartarus along with  Kronos (Hom. Il. 8,479). Son of  Gaia and  Uranus (Hes. Theog. 134). He fathered the sons  Atlas [2],  Menoetius,  Prometheus and Epimetheus with the Oceanid Clymene (Hes. Theog. 507-511). Among others, Asia (Apollod. 1…

(Εὐρυάλη; Euryálē). [German version] [1] One of the Gorgons One of the  Gorgons (Hes. Theog. 276; Pind. Pyth. 12,20; Apollod. 2,40). Bloch, René (Berne) [German version] [2] Mother of Orion Mother of  Orion (Eratosth. Katasterismoi 32; Hyg. Poet. Astr. 2,34; Apollod. 1,25). Bloch, René (Berne)

[German version] (Διώνη; Diṓnē, cf. Ζεύς, Διός; Zeús, Diós). Perhaps Zeus' original wife [1], though she was already replaced by  Hera in Mycenaean times (cf. PY Tn 316). A coin from Epirus [2] shows an enthroned D., with Zeus on the verso; in the Zeus sanctuary at  Dodona, she was worshipped alongside Zeus [3].  Aphrodite was also regarded as the daughter of the two (Hom. Il. 5,370; Eur. Hel. 1098; [4]; Theoc. Id. 15,106; 17,36; cf. Pl. Symp. 180d). In Cic. Nat. D. 3,23, D. is the mother of the third V…

(Εὐρυβάτης; Eurybátēs, ‘the long-striding’ [1. 77]). Descriptive name of two heralds. [German version] [1] Herald to Agamemnon Herald to Agamemnon (Hom. Il. 1,320; Ov. Epist. 3,9-10). Together with Talthybius he takes  Briseis from the tent of Achilles and brings her to Agamemnon. He is frequently depicted in this function [1]. Bloch, René (Berne) Bibliography 1 E. Zervoudaki, s.v. Euryalos 1, LIMC 4.1, 95-97. [German version] [2] Quick-witted herald to Odysseus Quick-witted herald to Odysseus, who treasures him despite his ugliness (Hom. Od. 19,244-248; Hom. I…

[German version] (Ἐγκέλαδος; Enkélados, ‘The Raging One’, from κελαδέω; keladéō; EM. s.v. E. 310,35 Gaisford; Hsch. s.v. E.). One of the  giants, son of Tartarus and Ge (Hyg. Fab. praef. 4). He fought against Zeus (Batr. 283), Dionysus (Eur. Cycl.5-9) and─according to the most widely disseminated version─Athene, who threw the island of Sicily or Mt. Aetna on him (Callim. Fr. 1,36; Eur. HF 907-909; Apollod. 1,37; Verg. Aen. 3,578). He is commonly represented in the visual arts [1]. Bloch, René (Berne) Bibliography 1 F. Vian, s.v. E., LIMC 3.1, 742-743. R. Rocca, s.v. E., EV 2, 217-218 F. …

[German version] (from exuere, ‘take off, remove’). In addition to its profane meaning (‘discarded items of clothing, captured weapons, stripped animal hide’), exuviae (cf. ThlL s.v. exuviae) is used to signify the attributes of the gods that are paraded on festive occasions (Plin. HN 7,145; Suet. Aug. 94,6; Apul. Met. 9,4; 11,10; 11,29). In the pompa circensis (festive  procession through the  circus) they were taken on special carts ( tensae) to the   pulvinar (Fest. 500: vehiculum quo exuviae deorum ludicris circensibus in circum ad pulvinar vehuntur). In Val. Max. 1,1,16 (Lac…

[German version] (βασιλίνδα; basilínda). Game in which a child is named king by drawing lots, and then the ‘king’ assigns roles to his playmates which they must act out (Poll. 9,110). It is similar to the game of kings of Cyrus as described by Herodotus, except for the fact that the king is elected there (Hdt. 1,114). The game is different from the ball game in which the winner is called the king and the loser is called the donkey (Poll. 9,106); another (different) children's game is mentioned by Horace (Epist. 1,1,59-60).  Ball games;  Children's games Bloch, René (Berne)

(Δρυόπη; Dryópē). [German version] [1] Nymph, transformed into a tree Name of a nymph. Two widely diverging accounts exist of D.'s metamorphosis. According to Nik. in Antonius Liberalis 32, D. was the daughter of  Dryops and wife of  Andraemon [2]. She took onto her lap Apollo, who had been transformed into a tortoise, and subsequently gave birth to  Amphissus. D. was abducted by the nymphs with whom she played as a girl and to whose world she originally belonged. In her place, a black poplar and a spring…

(Ἔχεκλος; Écheklos). [German version] [1] Son of the Trojan Agenor Son of the Trojan Agenor, killed by Achilles (Hom. Il. 20,474). Paus. 10,27,2 points to a parallel motive in the Iliad parva (18 PEG I) where the son of Achilles, Neoptolemus, kills the father of E. Bloch, René (Berne) Bibliography W. Kullmann, Die Quellen der Ilias, Hermes ES 14, 1960, 354 P. Wathelet, Dictionnaire des Troyens de l'Iliade, vol. 1, 1988, 555f. [German version] [2] Trojan, killed by Patroclus Trojan, killed by Patroclus (Hom. Il. 16,694). Bloch, René (Berne) Bibliography P. Wathelet, Dictionnaire des…

[German version] (Ἠλεκτρύων; Ēlektrýōn). Tirynthian or Mycenaean hero, son of Perseus and Andromeda, husband of Anaxo, the daughter of  Alcaeus, father of  Alcmene. He lost almost all his sons fighting the Teleboans (Taphians). When the cattle stolen from E. were handed over, he was killed by his son-in-law  Amphitryon. This was the occasion for the latter and Alcmene to emigrate to Thebes (Hes. Sc. 3; 11-12; Apollod. 2,52-56; Hyg. Fab. 244,1; 4; Paus. 2,25,8). Bloch, René (Berne)

(Χρυσόθεμις; Chrysóthemis). [German version] [1] Beloved of Apollo Beloved of Apollo. From their union Parthenus was born, but died as a child and was transformed into a constellation by Apollo (Hyg. Poet. Astr. 2,25). According to Diodorus (5,62,1f.) she was the wife of Staphylus and mother of Molpadia, Parthenus and Rhoeo. The latter bore Appollo's son  Anius. Bloch, René (Berne) [German version] [2] Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytaemnestra Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytaemnestra, sister of Laodice and Iphianassa (Hom. Il. 9,145.287), in Soph. El. 157 of Electr…

(Εὐρυτίων; Eurytíōn). Frequently used name of heroes and  centaurs. [German version] [1] Leader of the centaurs Thessalian centaur; in the house of Peirithous, while drunk on wine, he violates Peirithous' bride  Hippodamia, whereupon the Lapiths disfigure him; this leads to the conflict between  Lapithae and centaurs. The suitor  Antinous [1] holds E.'s fate up before Odysseus as a warning (Hom. Od. 21,295-304). Later too, E. as leader of the centaurs is frequently represented as a terrifying example (Thgn. 1,542). Bloch, René (Berne) [German version] [2] Peloponnesian centaur Pel…

(Δόλιος; Dólios). [German version] [1] Epithet of Hermes ‘The cunning’, epithet of Hermes (Aristoph. Thesm. 1202; Soph. Phil. 133; Cornutus 16). On the road to Pellene there stood a statue of Hermes D. (Paus. 7,27,1). Bloch, René (Berne) [German version] [2] Old slave of Penelope Old slave of  Penelope, who looked after her garden on Ithaca for her (Hom. Od. 4,735-741; 24,222). He put his sons at Odysseus' disposal for the battle with the relatives of the slain suitors (Hom. Od. 24,386-411; 492-501). According to Hom. Od. 17,212; 18,321f. …

[German version] (Ἐρύθεια; Erýtheia). One of the  Hesperids (Hes. fr. 360; Apollod. 2,114). According to schol. Apoll. Rhod. 4,1399, the mythical island E. (‘Red Country’) on which  Geryoneus lived (Hes. Theog. 290) is named after her. According to Paus. 10,17,5 (after him Steph. Byz. s.v. Ε.), E. was Geryoneus' daughter and the mother of  Norax by Hermes. E. was usually thought to be in the area of Gadera or Tartessus (Stesichorus fr. 184 PMGF 1; Pherecydes FGrH 3 F 18b; Ephorus FGrH 70 F 129a; Philistides FGrH 11 F 3; Hdt. 4,8). This view was challenged by Hecataeus (FGrH 1 F 26). Bloch, René …

[German version] From calare -- ‘to call’. a) Slaves who convey orders (Fest. p. 34; differently [1] who equates calatores with nomenclatores on the basis of Plaut. Merc. 852. The latter are slaves who give their masters the names of those passing while away). b) Assistants of the higher priests, almost exclusively freed persons. They are already in evidence on the Forum stele (CIL I2 1). Their task was to prepare the way for the priest by calling and to stop the priest coming into contact with polluted elements or unfavourable omens prior to sacrifices. The…

(Δημώνασσα; Dēmṓnassa). [German version] [1] Daughter of the Argive seer Amphiaraus Daughter of the Argive seer  Amphiaraus and  Eriphyle, wife of  Thersander, a son of Polyneices, mother of Tisamenus (Paus. 3,15,8, 9,5,15). On the Cypselus Chest described by Pausanias she is shown standing with her siblings Eurydice and Alcmaeon before the house of Amphiaraus who is mounting the chariot (Paus. 5,17,7) [1]. On a late Corinthian crater that also depicts the departure of Amphiaraus the inscription calls her …