Written in the Stars·Curses — Satyr Legend & Freedom of Expression

How a BBQ’d young pregnant woman produce the god of medicine? The man who was roasted for a bride price.

Eroticism comes out of nature, fights against the constraints of reason, and becomes the source of human innovation. Reason is the order that maintains the stability of human society, and eroticism is the source of human alienation and the evolution of social progress. The attitude towards eroticism is also a test of society’s tolerance of freedom of expression. The ancient Greeks were born in eroticism, loved eroticism, and ended their lives in eroticism. Art, the civilized expression of eroticism, is the driving force of innovation. In ancient Greek mythology, two types of immortal elves were second to the gods, representing male and female eroticism, respectively. Of course, for the people of Ancient Greece, sexuality included both homosexuality and heterosexuality, and it was part of their good life.

[embed]

The First Murderer of a Relative

The Lapiths (Ancient Greek: Λαπίθαι, Lapithai, sing. Λαπίθης) were a legendary group of Greek mythological figures who lived in the Thessaly River (Greek: Θεσσαλία, romanized: Thessalía) valley in Pineios** (Greek: Πηνειός, romanized: Pineiós) and Mount Pelion (Pelion; Modern Greek: Πήλιο, Pílio; Ancient Greek/Katharevousa: Πήλιον, Pēlion). They were descendants of Lapithes (Ancient Greek: Λαπίθης). Lapithes and the Centaurus (Ancient Greek: Κένταυρος, Romanized: Kentauros) were twins, descendants of Apollo and the nymph Stilbe* (Ancient Greek: Στίλβη)*. Stilbe means “glittering” or “gleaming.”

Punishment of Ixion: in the center is Mercury holding the caduceus and on the right Juno sits on her throne. Behind her Iris stands and gestures. On the left is Vulcan (blond figure) standing behind the wheel, manning it, with Ixion already tied to it. Nephele sits at Mercury’s feet; a Roman fresco from the eastern wall of the triclinium in the House of the Vettii, Pompeii, Fourth Style (60–79 AD).

Lapithus married Orsinoe (Ancient Greek: Ὀρσινόμην), daughter of Eurynomos** (Greek: Εὐρύνομος; Latin Eurynomus), and they had sons Phorbas (Ancient Greek: Φόρβας Phórbās) and Periphas (Ancient Greek: Περίφᾱς), and possibly Triopas (Ancient Greek: Τρίωψ, Genus: Τρίοπος). Lapithus and Orsinoe also have a daughter, Diomede* (Diomede Ancient Greek; Διομήδη Diomēdē)*.

The origin of Centaurs has another, more dramatic legend. Ixion (Greek: Ἰξίων), whose name means “strong native.” He had a crush on Dia (Ancient Greek: Δηιονεύς), the daughter of Deioneus (Ancient Greek: Δία or Δῖα). The name of Deioneus means “ravager.” The name of Dia means “heavenly” or “divine.”

Ixion went forward to propose. The bride price demanded by Deioneus was high. Ixion, who had no intention of paying it anyway, agreed and married Dia back home.

What’s done is done, and you can’t turn back the clock. The wedding was over, but Deioneus was empty-handed, so he stole some of Ixion’s horses in retaliation, which was also considered the proceeds of the dowry. Ixion was so addicted to freeloading that he could not take the loss. He invited his father-in-law to a feast, then tricked Deioneus into a large wooden bed. When Deioneus was drunk, Ixion started a fire with coals under the bed. Thus, he sent his father-in-law to his death — it seems that asking for a dowry is also a risky business.

José Ribera’s Ixion, 1632 (Museo del Prado).

According to legend, Ixion’s possible fathers were numerous, including the famous god of war and courage, Ares, Leonteus (Ancient Greek: Λεοντεύς), Antion (Ancient Greek: Ἀντίων) and **Phlegyas** (Ancient Greek: Φλεγύας). Without a specific plot, there is no point in determining which was Ixion’s genuine father. Anyway, his mother was Megara, which means “great one.” It is not clear who exactly was Ixion’s many fathers or whether he is dead or left. Anyway, Ixion’s mother was single.

Phorbas (Ancient Greek: Φόρβας Phórbās) means “giving pasture.” There are more characters with this name in ancient Greek mythology than can be counted on two hands. One of them is the shepherd who saves Oedipus, as we shall see in the next chapter. Here, Phorbas and Polymelus (Πολύμηλον or Πολύμηλος), meaning “with many sheep,” both fall in love with Megara. One was a “pasture,” and the other had “many sheep,” and probably decided that it was not worth it to hurt the peace of the shepherds for the sake of a woman, so they decided that both of them would no longer fight for a beautiful woman’s favor, and killed Murgala. Ixion, not to be trifled with, invited both of his mother’s murderers to a banquet and killed them together.

In the ancient Greek tradition, Xenia (Greek: ξενία) was the tradition of hospitality, also translated as “guest-friendship” or “ritualized friendship.” Hospitality to foreigners and guests was understood as a moral obligation and a political necessity. Zeus, the patron god of Xenia, was known as Zeus Xenios, and Athena as Athene Xenia. Ixion defied Xenia by killing at the wine table, and the neighboring princes were so offended by this betrayal and violation of Xenia that they refused to perform the ritual that would have cleared Ixion of his sin. By killing his father-in-law, Ixion is considered the first person in Greek mythology to be guilty of killing a relative. Filled with guilt, Ixion lived as an outlaw and was shunned, and went mad.

King Ixion fooled by Juno, whom he wanted to seduce, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1615 (Louvre Museum)

But Zeus, the patron god of Xenia, sympathized with Ixion for avenging his mother’s death, took him to Mount Olympus, and even allowed him to attend a banquet of the gods. At the banquet, Ixion lusted after Zeus’ wife, Hera. Zeus discovered Ixion’s intentions and created a cloud in the shape of Hera, named Nephele (from nephos “cloud”), to test Ixion. Ixion and the false Hera cloud, in sexual embrace, giving birth to Imbrus (Ancient Greek: Ἴμβρος) and Centaurus (Ancient Greek: Κένταυρος, Romanized: Kentauros). Centaurus mated with a Magnesian (Ancient Greek: Μαγνησία) mare on Mount Pelion, giving rise to a race of centaurs.

As we told earlier in Written in the Stars·Curses — The Agave-Ino Paradox, Nephele later married Athamas (Ancient Greek: Ἀθάμας, romanized: Athámas), king of Boeotia (or Beotia; Greek: Βοιωτία; Modern Greek: Viotía; Ancient Greek: Boiōtía), and later was abandoned. When her two children were threatened with life by their stepmother, she sent a flying golden ram to rescue them, as will not be repeated here.

Enraged, Zeus banished Ixion from Olympus and struck him with thunderbolts. Zeus ordered Hermes to bind Ixion to a winged fiery wheel that spun forever. In this way, Greek mythology features another person caught in the eternal cycle and cannot be freed. Tied forever to the burning wheel of fire, Ixion was first placed in the sky but later transferred to Tartarus.

Ixion by Jules-Elie Delaunay, 1876

Women who don’t get a bride price can’t be messed with. Dia, the woman Ixion tricked, was seduced by Zeus. The good deed was interrupted by Hera’s arrival. So Zeus turned Dia into a mare, and Zeus himself transformed into a stallion, and after sex, gave birth to Pirithous (Greek: Πειρίθοος or Πειρίθους, from περιθεῖν, perithein). The name comes from running around (Greek: περιθεῖν, perithein), symbolizing the sexual journey of the two people to escape Hera. So Dia, also known as “she who belongs to Zeus.” The story of Pirithous is so fascinating that we will leave it for later.

The Fire That Burns True Love

Ixion has a brother, Phlegyas. As we recounted earlier, he may also have been one of the many fathers that Ixion could not figure out. Chryse (Ancient Greek: Χρύση or Χρυσῆ) means “golden,” and she was the daughter of Almus *(Ancient Greek: Ἄλμος). Almus was the son of Sisyphus and Merope. We told this story in Written in the Stars·Stand — [Wonder Wheel](https://medium.com/p/c9084f9eaae3)*. Chryse became the lover of **Ares** (Ancient Greek: Ἄρης), the god of war and bravery. The two had Phlegyas, whose name means “fiery.”

**Erato** (Greek: Ερατώ), meaning “desired” or “lovely”, was one of the nine Muses of Greek mythology, and was responsible for lyric poetry, especially erotic poetry. She married Malus and had a daughter, Cleopheme.

Phrygias married Cleopheme and had a daughter, Coronis (Greek: Κορωνίς, transliterated. Korōnís), meaning “curved, bent,” who became Apollo’s lover. After becoming pregnant, Coronis fell in love with the mortal Ischys (Ancient Greek: Ἰσχύς), this time two mortals supposedly in true love. The duo’s intercourse was told to Apollo by a white raven. As we said in Athena’s Messenger (Written in the Stars·Stand — Truth in Black), the gods also detest messengers who deliver the truth, and Apollo burned the raven black with his own eyes. So, all future ravens were black. Ischys means “strength,” but mortal strength is worthless before the gods, and Apollo then kills him.

As we told in Written in the Stars·Stand — Wonder Wheel, Apollo’s twin sister, Artemis, was tricked by Apollo into killing her beloved. Presumably also to avenge that year, she overstepped her bounds by barbecuing her brother’s lover, the pregnant Coronis, on a woodpile and inviting the guests to the feast to join her.

Johann König — Apollo und Coronis (Agnes Etherington Art Centre)

Apollo cut out the womb of Coronis to save the unborn child. The rescued child was named Asclepius (Greek: Ἀσκληπιός Asklēpiós; Latin: Aesculapius), who was the god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Asclepius married Epione (Ancient Greek: Ἠπιόνη, Romanized: Е̄piónē), a name derived from “soothing,” the goddess of health. Their daughters were Hygiea or Hygeia (Ancient Greek: Ὑγιεία or Ὑγεία, Latin: Hygēa or Hygīa), which stood for hygiene, and Panacea (Greek Πανάκεια, Πανάκεια, Panakeia), for “universal health”; Iaso (Greek Ἰασώ, Iasō), or Ieso (Greek Ἰησώ, Iēsō), for “restoration from illness”; Aceso or Akeso (Ancient Greek: Ἀκεσώ, romanized: Akesó), for “healing one”; Aegle (Ancient Greek: Αἴγλη), meaning “Brightness” or “Splendor,” representing the beauty of a healthy body. Asclepius had a son by Aristodeme (Ancient Greek: Ἀριστοδήμη), a woman from Sicyon (Sicyon; Greek: Σικυών; gen. language: Ἄρατος).

Phlegyas is uncontrollably angry at the brutal murder of his daughter, Coronis. Especially, the pregnant daughter, without heinous crimes, was made into a roast for the feast — a brutal act of the god that went beyond the bottom line of the most barbaric mortal. Enraged, Phlegyas burned down the temple of Apollo at Delphi. So Apollo shot him with an arrow and left him in Tartarus, where he continued to be severely punished.

In another version, Phlegyas died at the hands of the brothers Nycteus and Lycus, but the cause is unknown.

Satyr Legend

After the death of Pontus (Greek: Πόντος, Latin: Pontos), king of Thebes, his mother Agave** (Ancient Greek: Ἀγαύη, romanized: Agaúē) was exiled from Thebes. She fled to Illyria (Ancient Greek: Ἰλλυρία, Latin: Illyria) and married King Lycotherses** again. Later stratagem to kill the king and win the city for her father, Cadmus.

Pontus had a son, Menoeceus** (Ancient Greek: Μενοικεύς Menoikeús), meaning “strength of the house,” who had just been born. Pontus’ uncle, Polydorus (Ancient Greek: Πολύδωρος), returned to Thebes and took back the throne that had been seized by Pontus’ parents. It is also claimed that Polydorus was merely a regent. As the son of Cadmus (Greek: Κάδμος), however, Polydorus was the rightful heir and, having already ascended the throne, was later expelled by Pontus’s mother, Agave, and father, Echion* (Ancient Greek: Ἐ χῑ́ων)* before Pontus was given the throne. So, it doesn’t seem plausible that Polydorus returned to Thebes only to temporarily assist Pontus’ son.

The Dance of the Bacchantes by Marc-Charles-Gabriel Gleyre (1849)

Chthonius or Chthonios** (Greek: Χθόνιος), meaning “of the earth or underworld,” one of the five Spartoi (Ancient Greek: Σπαρτοί), who assisted Cadmus in founding Thebes, had two sons, Nycteus (Greek: Νυκτεύς, Romanized: Nukteús), meaning “nocturnal,” and Lycus (Ancient Greek: Λύκος, romanized: Lúkos), meaning “wolf.” Nycteus and Lycus murdered Phlegyas, king of the Lapiths. Then, the two brothers fled the island of Euboea (Greek: Εὔβοια Eúboia). They settled first in Hyria** (Ionian Greek: Ὑρίη, Hyriē; Koinē Greek: Ὑρία, Hyria). The duo were also friends because of their father’s relationship with Pontus. So the two ended up coming to Thebes to join Pontus.

Nycteus and Polyxo (Ancient Greek: Πολυξώ Poluxṓ) had two daughters. Nycteis (Ancient Greek: Νυκτηίς), meaning “daughter of night,” married Polydorus. Another daughter, Antiope (Ancient Greek: Ἀντιόπη), was again in the sight of Zeus.

Correggio Jupiter and Antiope

The name Antiope is derived from “αντι (anti),” meaning “against, compared to, like,” and “οψ ops (voice),” meaning “confronting.” Her confrontation would have been with Zeus in the guise of a satyr. This time it is probably the most direct rape Zeus has ever committed, without any delay, directly in the form of a satyr, who force himself on Antiope.

The plural form of a Satyr (Greek: σάτυρος, Latin transcription: sátyros) is Silenos (Greek: σειληνός, Latin transcription: seilēnós). Were male elves in ancient Greek mythology with ears and tails similar to those of horses and permanently exaggerated erect phalluses. They had bristly hair, bestial faces, and upturned noses and were always naked, favoring wine, music, dancing, and women. They were companions of Dionysus, the god of wine-making, and lived in remote areas such as woodlands, mountains, and pastures. They always tried to seduce or rape nymphs, mortal women, and sometimes masturbated or had bestiality.

Silenus with pipes and a pipe case hanging on his penis. Tondo of an Attic red-figure plate, 520–500 BCE. From Vulci.

They are the counterparts to the female elf Nymph (Greek: νύμφη, Romanized: nýmphē). They both like to hijack the opposite sex to do something horny and lewd. But a woman’s hijacking was always portrayed as a beautiful love affair, and a man’s hijacking was considered rape. But in the eyes of the ancient Greeks, the erotic hijackings of the satyrs were also often depicted as beautiful.

Nymphe and Satyr by Nicolas Poussin — Pushkin Museum, Moscow (between 1626 and 1628)

The root sat- may mean “to sow.” Satyr is sometimes used pejoratively for “brutish or lustful man.” These elves are often thought to be the result of mating between a god or man and an animal. The satyrs and nymphs may be an expression of the ancient personification of sex. It certainly reflects an ambivalent attitude toward sex. They were at one time representatives of good sex, but also, just like human love, full of deception, coercion, masochism, humor, loss, contempt and even regarded as sinful, dirty, debauched, and so on. But in the Romantic era, they again became representatives of tenderness, thoughtfulness, and romance.

A Sleeping Nymph Watched by a Shepherd by Angelica Kauffman (about 1780, V&A Museum no. 23–1886)

Satyr is also often confused with the figure of Pan (Ancient Greek: Πάν, Romanized: Pán), the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, rustic music and impromptus, and companion of the nymphs. He also constitutes one of the three major forms of ancient Greek drama, the erotic drama, satyr play. And of course, always accompanied by appearances with Dionysus (Ancient Greek: Διόνυσος, Dionysos). We have told about the origin of Dionysus in Written in the Stars·Predestined Fate — [The Birth of Tragedy](https://medium.com/p/a646134fbde2).

The late nineteenth-century German existentialist philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche* (October 15, 1844 — August 25, 1900) was the first modern scholar to recognize the importance of satyrs in Greek culture and tradition, a symbol of the Dionysus Mysteries, which represent the close connection between humans and the animal kingdom. Dionysian Mysteries, which, as we have elaborated in Written in the Stars·Curses — Punishment by Bacchus*, represents the close connection between humans and the animal kingdom. Like the Greeks, Nietzsche saw satyrs as human beings stripped of their most basic bestial instincts.

Freedom of Expression

Athena invented the aulos (Ancient Greek: αὐλός, plural αὐλοί, auloi), which is also thought to be the flute or double flute. The goddess sees an image of herself in a mirror while playing the aulos. Athena who puffed up her lips and played looked as if she were silly. So she threw the instrument away and cursed whoever picked it up to face a horrible death.

The most famous one of Silenos in Greek mythology would be Marsyas (Greek: Μαρσύας). He picked up the aulos discarded by Athena and played moving music. He proudly challenged Apollo to a musical contest, the winner of which could do anything to the other, and for the pervert, of course, it was a bold attempt to “top” Apollo.

Youth playing the aulos, detail of a banquet scene. Tondo of an Attic red-figure cup, ca. 460 BC–450 BC.

The judges for the contest were the Muses and the Nysean nymphs. Marsyas played the aulos, and all present went wild with joy and began to dance wildly. When it was Apollo’s turn, he played the beautiful seven-stringed lyre, and everyone froze, with tears in their eyes. The match was almost a draw, but some versions suggest Marsyas had won. To overcome his opponent, Apollo played the instrument upside down. And there was no way to turn the aulos upside down. Marsyas protested, arguing that the contest should have been a comparison of skill in playing the instrument, not fancy ways of playing it. Apollo wryly argued that the way you blow into the instrument with your breath is also the way to play it.

For gods, it is already the greatest gift to you to be able to weasel with you and give you a reason to kill you. People are always good at flattering their superiors. Nysean nymphs, who coveted magnificence and served power, would not let go of any opportunity to curry favor with the sun god, and they ruled in favor of Apollo.

Apollo and Marsyas by Michelangelo Anselmi

So Marsyas lost the race. To punish him for challenging the gods, Apollo hung Marsyas from a pine tree in a cave near Celaenae and flayed him alive. The Muses were saddened by the end of Marsyas, tears of the Muses and the blood of Marsyas merged in Asia Minor to form the River Marsyasin in Phrygia** (Ancient Greek: Φρυγία, Phrygía), called Çine Creek today, which joins the Meander** (Ancient Greek: Μαίανδρος, Maíandros; Turkish: Büyük Menderes Irmağı) near Celaenae — a story that is just another expression of the arrogance of the gods, and the ability of those with power to do whatever they want.

The Romans considered Marsyas to be the inventor of divination and an advocate of freedom of speech (Parrhesia; Greek: παρρησία, “to speak freely”). Freedom of speech (παρρησία) means the obligation to “speak truth to power” for the public good, even at personal risk. The famous ancient Greek philosopher Socrates (Greek: Σωκράτης, Latin: Socrates, 470–399 BC) was executed in 399 BC for the crime of humiliating the gods and corrupting the young — almost a replica of the story of Marsyas (who challenged the god Apollo and brought the crowds to a wild dance).

Apollo and Marsyas, attributed to Paolo Veronese, National Gallery of Art

The earliest known statue of Marsyas is located in the Roman Forum (Comitium). The statue was seen as a symbol of freedom. It was often plastered with political satire and civilians would demonstrate here.

Sex and beauty have been forbidden and feared by all dictators throughout history. The former is the nature given to human beings, and the latter is the affirmation of free will by humans. They are both “arrogance” and “mockery” of gods. In fact, almost all reforms in history have their origins here. The Renaissance is nothing but a renaissance of human nature.

Arno Will, Dec. 19–21, 2023, revised Sept. 30

[embed]

Ideas and Myths·Awakening

Ideas and Myths·Purpose For Man

Ideas and Myths·Written in the Stars

Written in the Stars·Predestined Fate

Written in the Stars·Destinies

Written in the Stars·Stand

Written in the Stars·Curses

Curses — Necklace of Harmonia

Curses — Punishment by Bacchus

Curses — The Agave-Ino Paradox

Curses — Satyr Legend

Curses — Zeus, the King of Scapegoats

Curses — The First Pedophile Rapist

Curses — Wrong Turn in Life

Curses — Price of Love

Curses — Dual Personality

Curses — Love Quartet

Ideas and Myths·Liberation

[embed]Ideas and Myths Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? Myths are ancient narratives of existence, a record of the…acex.medium.com