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Satyrs and silens (the two terms were often used interchangeably) were male hybrid creatures—mostly human, but with the ears, tail, and sometimes hind legs of a horse. They were easily identified by their snub noses and large erect penises. Known above all for their love of wine, music, and sex, the satyrs were frequently imagined pursuing ...
Marsyas was one of the satyrs (sometimes called silens), wild woodland creatures associated with the god Dionysus. He was known for his skill at playing the panpipes, an instrument invented—and then discarded—by the goddess Athena. Marsyas grew so confident in his musical abilities that he challenged Apollo, the god of music and inspiration ...
Since the Greek word for “nymph” can also mean “young woman,” there are cases in early Greek literature (especially the Homeric epics) in which different kinds of goddesses and mortals are described or addressed as nymphs (e.g., Helen of Troy in Homer, Iliad 3.130; Penelope in Homer, Odyssey 4.743; Circe in Homer, Odyssey 10.543, etc ...
The Cyclops, produced by Euripides around 408 BCE (or possibly earlier), is the only surviving example of an ancient Greek satyr play. The play presents a burlesque retelling of the myth of Odysseus and the Cyclops Polyphemus, adapted from Book 9 of Homer’s Odyssey. The Cyclops delves into themes of deception and language, man’s ...
Overview. Ampelus was one of the satyrs, a race of wild, drunken creatures who combined human and horse features. But unlike most satyrs, Ampelus was extremely handsome—so much so that he was loved by the god Dionysus. He met his end either by falling from an elm tree or by being gored by a bull that he tried to ride.
Overview. The Titans were immortal deities who ruled the cosmos before the Olympians. The original twelve Titans—the children of the primordial gods Gaia (earth) and Uranus (heaven)—assumed power by overthrowing their tyrannical father, only to become tyrants themselves. Cronus, the youngest Titan, became king after usurping Uranus.
Overview. The Oreads—sometimes called Orestiades or Oressigonoi—were the mountain nymphs of Greek mythology. Like other nymphs, they were represented as beautiful young women. The Oreads lived in the mountains and were often seen in the company of other woodland gods like Pan or Artemis. They presided over herding, hunting, beekeeping, and ...
Gantz, Timothy. “Perseus and the Gorgons.” In Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources, 304–7. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. Hard, Robin. “The King of Seriphos Sends Perseus to Fetch the Gorgon’s Head.” In The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology, 8th ed., 226–27. New York: Routledge, 2020.
The Greek writer Plutarch (born before 50 CE, died after 120 CE) even relayed a strange account involving the death of Pan in his On the Obsolescence of Oracles (419a–d). Other details of Pan’s mythology were outlined in mythological handbooks, such as the Library of Apollodorus or “Pseudo-Apollodorus” (first century BCE/first few ...
The Hydra has had a long and colorful afterlife in modern pop culture. The mythical creature has been adapted by writers such as H. P. Lovecraft and Henry Kuttner. A 2009 monster movie, titled simply Hydra, was also inspired by the many-headed serpent of Greek mythology. Moreover, the name “Hydra” was given to a villainous organization in ...