'Myths around the Dolphin in Greek Religion" PDF

Preview

Summary

CHAPTER 4 MYTHS AROUND THE DOLPHIN IN GREEK RELIGION JORDI REDONDO 0. Introduction Detailed analysis has already been devoted to the image and function of the dolphin in ancient Greek religion and mythology.1 The present attempt tries to revisit this subject from a different perspective; in fact we ...

Description

Accelerat ing t he world's research.

'Myths around the Dolphin in Greek Religion" Jordi Redondo The Power of Form. Recycling Myths, edd. A.R. Fernandes, P. Serra & R.C. Fonseca

Cite this paper

Downloaded from Academia.edu 

Get the citation in MLA, APA, or Chicago styles

Related papers

Download a PDF Pack of t he best relat ed papers 

Handout _ PIndaric augment Filip De Decker

Ps.-Chrysost om De Susanna Sermo (PG 56: 589-594 = CPG 4567) : Draft Translat ion KP Ovid and t he Cat ast erismi of Erat ost henes (prepub) Mat t hew Robinson

CHAPTER 4 MYTHS AROUND THE DOLPHIN IN GREEK RELIGION JORDI REDONDO

0. Introduction Detailed analysis has already been devoted to the image and function of the dolphin in ancient Greek religion and mythology.1 The present attempt tries to revisit this subject from a different perspective; in fact we will consider it within two different and complementary perspectives, more specifically, that attached to the literary tradition, and that derived from historical and archaeological data.

1. Myths related to the dolphin in the Greek literary culture It is probably unnecessary to point out at the beginning of this essay that in Greek religion, animals are of great importance, in many roles and for different reasons.2 There are three principal myths in which the dolphin is the main figure in the described plot, but two of them can be condensed into one type, the type in which a dolphin saves the life of a poet, either Arion of Methymna or Hesiod. The third myth is that of Melikertes/Palaemon, which displays many elements in common with the former. Our first mythical references are afforded by the Iliad, the Homeric Hymns and the lyric poets Pindar and Bacchylides. First of all, Homer describes the dolphin as a terrible predator, just as in modern times we might describe the shark. 1

Keller 211-235; Marx 1-23; Bourboulis; Dumont; Somville explains the iconic presence of the dolphin as a symbol of fertility linked to the concept of womb, this term being indeed at the base of the name of the dolphin, cf. Chantraine 261. 2 Cf. Burkert 64-66.

Chapter 4

Our very first text presents the dolphin in the following terms: ᾿ π φῖ α /φ π π υ α α , .3 The structure υ, / ˙ of the simile makes it possible to insert it into the pattern of this epic technique for the sake of a comparison with other similes. In so doing, the figure of the dolphin appears as a marine counterpart of the lion on the land. So, the formulaic composition of the similes proves that the Homeric poet paralleled the lion and the dolphin, on land and at sea respectively, as the most awful animals because of their insatiability and lack of mercy: π α α ,/ ἔ αφ α α α, / π : α α , π α / α α α ᾿α .4 The following text belongs to the Homeric Hymn to Dionysos: [...] α α α /π π α π α ῖα , / φῖ ᾿ .5 Perhaps after this characterization the motif of the dolphin in the Homeric Hymn to Dionysos must be described as an unfriendly animal. Our next text comes from the Homeric Hymn to Apollo: α ῖ υ Φ ῖ Ἀπ ˙/ π ᾿ π υ α φῖ / , α ῖ π α .6 The frightening appearance of the dolphin reinforces the idea of a fighter, a destructive god, expressively qualified with the epithet Φ ῖ . We will turn later on to this warlike profile of the dolphin. Besides this, the passage does not convey any action undertaken by dolphins. We will now follow with a fragment from the Pindaric odes: [...] 3 Hom. Il. XXI 22-24: “And as before a dolphin, huge or maw, other fishes flee and fill the nooks of some harbour of fair anchorage in their terror, for greedily doth he devour whatsoever one he catcheth” (Trans. Murray 411). 4 Hom. Il. III 23-26μ “[...] then ever as a lion is glad when the lighteth on a great carcase, having found a horned stag or a wild goat when he is hungry; for greedily doth he devour it, even though swift dogs and lusty youths set upon him” (Trans. Murray 188). 5 Hy. Hom. VII 51-53μ “[...] until suddenly the lion sprang upon the master and seized him; and when the sailors saw it they leapt out overboard one and all into the bright sea, escaping from a miserable fate, and were changed into dolphins” (Trans. Evelyn-White 433). 6 HHadAp. 399-401: “But Phoebus Apollo met them: in the open sea he sprang upon their swift ship, like a dolphin in shape, a great and awesome monster” (Trans. Evelyn-White 353).

Myths around the Dolphin in Greek Religion

πα αῳ [ ] [ ] α ῳ α ῳπ ῳ υ υῳ φῖ ῳ ῳ ῳ α ῳ ᾿ῳ

[ φ π [ ῳ [ π ῳ ῳπ υῳπ α ῳ .7

And this is a similar composition by Bacchilides, in which the dolphins take Theseus to the marine palace of Poseidon: φ φῖ α α α Θ αῳπα ῳ ππ 8 υῳ

Of the Pindaric fragment, Henderson underlines two interesting features: firstly, that the dolphins act as a chorus, and secondly that they are described as animals very close to the human condition.9 The short Bacchylidean passage is also remarkable, for it links the dolphins with Poseidon as his servants. Our first complete myth is that of Arion, which is recorded by Herodotus: υ ( υ φ ) α πα α α, Ἀ α υ αῖ π φῖ α π α α [...] α π α υ α α α , α ῖ ῖ , υ υ ῖ α α α υ υ π . α π π , φῖ α υ π α α ῖ α π α α . [...] α α υ α υ , α Ἀ α α π α , π φῖ π π .10 Pi. frg. 140 b Snell-Mähler: “I [...] following the swift-tongued art of him singing few things am provoked to shout in imitation of the sea dolphin, which in the ocean of the waveless sea the lovely melody of flutes moved” (Trans. Rutherford 383, slightly modified). 8 Bacch. XVII 97-100 ed. Mähler: “Meanwhile dolphins, dwellers in the sea, were swiftly bearing mighty Theseus to the abode of his sire, lord of steeds” (Trans. Jebb 387). 9 Henderson 154-155. 10 Hdt. I 23-24: “In his life, say the Corinthians (and with them agree the Lesbians), there happened to him a very great marvel, namely that Arion of Methimna was carried ashore at Tainaron upon a dolphin’s back. [...] And he put on the full minstrel’s garb and took his lyre, and standing on the deck performed the Orthian 7

Chapter 4

Beyond the legend itself, the text deserves some comment. Herodotus, a native of Halicarnassus, not far from Lesbos, attests twice, at the beginning and the end of the story (I 23, and I 24, 8), the existence of two versions of the myth. Although Herodotus does not tell us in which details the legends differ from each other, the information suggests that, written or not – and they probably were already written – the myth was recorded in the respective biographies of Periander, second tyrant of Corynth, and the poet Arion of Methymna. It seems that in both versions there was a single dolphin at the rescue of Arion, as shown by the commemorative statue on the Tainaros cape. The clothes and garments of the poet must also be underlined, for they describe him as a privileged individual with a superior status, similar to that of the kings, great warriors, high priests and seers. The main episode in all versions of the myth consists of the jump into the sea.11 Moreover, there exists some literary evidence regarding the Lesbian tradition concerning Arion of Methymna in Longus’ novel Daphnis and Chloe. This implies a local tradition, probably both oral and written, on the matter.12 Special attention must be paid to a complete legend told by measure. Then as the measure ended, the threw himself into the sea just as he was, in his full minstrel’s garbν and they went on sailing away to Corinth, but him, they say, a dolphin supported on its back and brought him to shore at Tainaron. [...] This is the tale told by the Corinthians and Lesbians alike, and there is at Tainaron a votive offering of Arion of no great size, namely a bronze figure of a man upon a dolphin’s back” (Trans. Macaulay 11-12). 11 Jeanmarie; Delpech 231-237; Beaulieu. 12 The instances are the following: Long. II 26, 2: α π α α α π πα α˙ῳ α υ α α υ π αφ ἔ ,α πα α α α , α φῖ π αῖ αῖ πα α ἔ υ φ α α. “Also, many bizarre things happened in the sea itself. The anchors stuck to be seabed when they tried to lift them up; the oars broke off when they lowered them into water to row; dolphins, leaping out of the sea, hit the ships with their tails and loosened the joints in the ships’ timbers” (Trans. Reardon 313). Long. II 29, 3: υ α π α π α α ἔπ α α αυα ῖ φ π . “Before the Methymneans had pulled up the anchors, the ships started to sail, and the flagship was piloted by a dolphin that jumped up out of the sea” (Trans. Reardon 314). Long. IIΙ 27, 4-28, 2: α φ α π α , α α π α π π α ῖα φυ α υ π φῖ , ᾿ π π , υ π πα α . [...] φ α α π ππ α υ , π α π π α φυ α φ α , υ υ . “The boat itself and the bulk of its cargo were destroyed. But a purse, with three thousand drachmas in it, was thrown out by the waves and is lying,

Myths around the Dolphin in Greek Religion

Plutarch about how a loving boy, Enalos, was rescued by the dolphins, again a myth rooted on the island of Lesbos: Ἔ α φα φα α α π φ φ α π α π .13 This Mitylenean connection extends until much later than Longus. The Anthologia Palatina brings up under the name of Archias of Mitylene 14 the following epigram: ῳπαφ αῳ α ῳ υ ῳ , φ ,ῳπ ῳ α ῳ α, ῳπ υ ῳ ῳ α ῳ ῳ α ῳ αῳπα ῳ αφ . ῳ ῳ ᾿, φ ,ῳ α ῳ ῳπ ῳ ῳπ ῳ ῳ ῳπ α α. ῳ ῳ ῳπ ῳ α ῳ ῳ υ αῳπ υ φ υ ῳ ῳ ᾿ῳ π ῳ α υ .15

It is indeed noteworthy that among the many authors and texts collected in the Greek Anthology, this is the only one where the epigram focuses on the dolphin. Furthermore, the reference to the Cape Malea may refer to the Homeric Hymn to Apollo.16 Our second main text was also written in the Classical Age, when the sophist Alcidamas dealt with the death of Hesiod: [...] α ῳ ᾿ῳα ῳ covered with seaweed, near a dead dolphinν that’s why none of the passersby even goes near it, because they’re keeping away from the stench of the decay. [...] He was met by the terrible smell of the dolphin, which was flung up on shore and was clammy with decay; and, using its smell of decay to guide his path, he went straight to it, removed the seaweed, and found the purse, which was full of silver” (Trans. Reardon 329). It is noteworthy how the old legend is here mixed with folk-tale motifs, such as the finding of a treasure. 13 Plut. Mor. 163a10-d11: “Shortly after there was a flying report they were both conveyed safe to land. A while after Enalus was seen at Lesbos, who gave out they were preserved by dolphins” (Trans. Goodwin 38). 14 On the different poets named Archias, see Law. 15 A.P. VII 214: “No longer, dolphin, darting through the bubbling brine, shalt thou startle the flocks of the deep, nor, dancing to the tune of the pierced reed, shalt thou throw up the sea beside the ships. No longer, foamer, shalt thou take the Nereids on thy back as of yore and carry them to the realms of Thetys; for the waves when they rose high as the headland of Malea drove thee on to the sandy beach” (Trans. Paton 121). 16 HHadAp. 409-412: [...] π πα α ,/π α α αῖα φα π / α υ / α α . “[...] First they passed by Malea, and then along the Laconian coast they came to Taenarum” (Trans. Evelyn-White 353).

Chapter 4

π

ῳ ῳ ῳ ῖῳ ῖ ῳ π α ῳ ῳ α ῳ ῳ φ ῳα ῳ ῳ ῳ ,ῳ π α ῳ ῳ ῳ α ῳ ῳ α ῳ αῳ ῳ ῳπ α ῳ α π α .ῳ ῳ ῳ ῳ α υῳ π ῳ ῳ ῳ π ῳ φ ῳπ ,ῳ ῳ ῳ π υῳπα ’ῳ α ῖῳ ῳἈ α α .17 Our commentary on this text will point out the following aspects: first of all, the dolphins carry out the customary funeral rites in honour of the dead poet, for they bring his corpse to the shore on the third day, the day on which the φ had to take place. Second, this pious action is not done by a single dolphin, even if Nietzsche suggested that it was a single dolphin at a time that carried the corpse in turn.18 And third, the transfer of the body coincides with the Ariadneia, a religious feast linked to the cult of the Cretan Ariadna and the god Dionysos, although Pausanias relates this celebration to the god Poseidon.19 Nietzsche also commented that the sacrilegious act of throwing Hesiod’s corpse into the sea was carried out near to the sanctuary of Poseidon.20

17 Alcidamas, Contest of Homer and Hesiod, frg. 4a: “He continued to stay a somewhat long time at Oenoe, until the young men, suspecting Hesiod of seducing their sister, killed him and cast his body into the sea which separates Achaea and Locris. On the third day, however, his body was brought to land by dolphins while some local feast of Ariadne was being held” (Trans. Evelyn-White 589). 18 Nietzsche, “Certamen” 358-359 (= Leipzig, 1871. 18-19). 19 Paus. IX 31, 6: παῖ Γα α Ἄ φ ἔφυ υ α αυπ υ υ φ , α α α α υ ᾳ φ , α π α α α . “All agree that Ctimenus and Antiphus, the sons of Ganyctor, fled from Naupactus to Molycria because of the murder of Hesiod, that here they sinned against Poseidon, and that in Molycria their punishment was inflicted” (Trans. Jones and Ormerod 597). 20 Nietzsche, “Der Florentinische” 316: “Denn bei dem Nemeon war die Leiche nicht ins Wasser geworfen, sondern in Naupactus. Die Vorgänge bei dem Nemeon und bei dem heimlichen Wegschaffen der Leiche nach Naupactus füllen offenbar den ersten und zweiten Tag und einen Theil des drittens aus; wahrscheinlich sind mannigfache Versuche, die Leiche zu verstecken, einzel erzählt worden; sie waren erfolglos, und die Gefahr wuchs fortwährend, bis die Mörder endlich sich entschliessen mussten, den Leichnam ins Meer zu werfen. Sie wussten es wohl –das war eine Gottlosigkeit. Denn es wurde gerade das grosse Poseidonfest auf Rhion gefeiert, und das Meer durfte am wenigsten in diesen Tagen durch einen Leichnam verunreinigt werden. Das ist aber gerade ihr Verhängniss: sie müssen, durch den einheimlichen Hund aufgereizt, endlich, bewusst, eine Gottlosigkeit begehen. Uebrigens war am Meere bei Naupactus ein Heiligthum des Poseidon (Paus. X 38, 12); dessen Nähe verschäfte offenbar den Frevel.”

Myths around the Dolphin in Greek Religion

Our third step moves us toward the myth of Melikertes/Palaemon,21 which can be told in the following summary: a king suddenly suffers from a serious attack of mania and his wife tries to escape from his rage by throwing herself into the sea with her child in arms. The small child is safely taken by a dolphin to the coast, where heroic honours are granted to him. This is the myth of the hero called Melikertes before he became a prodigy, and Palaemon after his reaching the status of hero. The myth is schematically told by Pausanias in three different passages,22 the last one having no relevance to our purposes. This is the first Pausanian mention of Melikertes/Palaemon:

φῖ

υ

φ α

υ α φ

,

α α α

α

α α

πα

,

α

α α

α

παῖ α π α π᾿ α

π α

α

π α υ .23

The second passage adds some details, but the core of the myth remains the same: π υ π φ πα α α α υ . π α παῖ α π φῖ υ . π υ α υφ α α α π᾿ α π α .24 The name Melikertes has been explained as a Phoenician anthroponym related to the root *milk-, “king”. The Phoenician god Melqart, partly related to Heracles, partly also to Hermes, has been described as a solar god. In any case, the etymology of his name does not play a role in the Greek version of the myth. The Greek name Πα α ω must be explained as a nomen loquens, for in our opinion it derives from πα α ω, to fight.25 We will now read the legend of the Poroselene dolphin reported by Aelian: α α φ π υ υ , α 21

Attention to the similarities between the myths of Arion, Melikertes and Hesiod has been paid by Burkert, “The Return of the Dolphin” 1λ6-204. 22 Paus. I 44, 8, II 1, 3, and VIII 48, 2. 23 Paus. I 44, 8: “Then it was that she fled to the sea and cast herself and her son from the Molurian Rock. The son, they say, was landed on the Corinthian Isthmus by a dolphin, and honors were offered to Melicertes, then renamed Palaemon, including the celebration of the Isthmian games” (Trans. Jones and Ormerod 243). 24 Paus. II 1, 3: “Farther on the pine still grew by the shore at the time of my visit, and there was an altar of Melicertes. At this place, they say, the boy was brought ashore by a dolphin; Sisyphus found him lying and gave him burial on the Isthmus, establishing the Isthmian games in his honor” (Trans. Jones and Ormerod 249). See also Farnell. 25 The name is not alluded to in Chantraine 851.

Chapter 4

φ φῖ α α παῖ α φ , α π φα α ἔ α π π α [...]. α φῖ πα ἔ .26 Aelian collected a second legend about a dolphin lover, that of Iassos, in the Carian coast: υ

ἔ

α

α α π π υ φ α . [...] α π ἔ υ υ α α α υ α, α α φα ῖ. [...] φ π α υ α π α ῖ πα ῖ .π υ , π φ , α αυ α α α , α υ , α ἔ φ , υ α .27 α

Many other instances within the History of the Animals point to the quasihuman features of the dolphin: females are maternal as women are;28 they

Ael. NA II 6μ “[...] The old couple had a son who was brought up along with the Dolphin, and the pair cared for the Dolphin and their own son, and somehow by dint of being brought together the manchild and the fish gradually came without knowing it to love one another [...]. As to the boy so to the Dolphin his foster-parents gave a name” (Trans. Scholfield I 93-95). 27 Ael. NA VI 15: “Now while they were swimming about, a Dolphin fell passionately in love with a boy of remarkable beauty. [...] As the spike of the Dolphin’s dorsal fin chanced to be erect it pierced the beautiful boy’s navel. [...] The Dolphin [...] realised what had happened and could not bear to survive its darling. And so with all the gathered force of a ship dashing through the waves it made its way to the beach and deliberately cast itself upon the shore, bringing the dead boy with it” (Trans. Scholfield II 29). Dolphins also appear at the coins of Iassos, as a remembrance of the legend of the dolphin and the boy. 28 Ael. NA X 8: φ υ α ἔ α υ αῖ α , α φ π υ φ α π α . α , α ᾿ α α . “The female Dolphin has breasts like a woman and suckles its young with a liberal and copious supply of milk. And they swim in a body, but separated according to age” (Trans. Scholfield II 295). 26

Myths around the Dolphin in Greek Religion

are intelligent,29 pious,30 and brave as the lion.31 Two of their roles are underlined by Aelian: that of servants of the Muses and that of lovers.32 It is to be kept in mind, however, that Aelian distinguishes, as Homer formerly did, two opposing kinds of dolphin, the wild and the tame.33 Other literary instances do not afford any supplementary information.34 Ael. NA XI 12: φῖ , φ υ α α π ᾠ π υ αῖ α φ π υ α α π φ , α φ π π α ῖ π υ . “The Dolphin’s love of music and their eager pursuit of song have been noised abroad and spread to many quarters, and others have told of their friendliness to man, and we ourselves have discoursed upon it earlier on, I think” (Trans. Scholfield II 375). 30 Ael. NA XII 6: α α φῖ α α υ π υ α π α. αυ α π α υ φ ῖ π π α, α Ἀ α υ ῖ . “It seems that Dolphins are mindful even of their dead and by no means abandon their fellows when they have departed this life. At any rate they get underneath their dead companion and they carry him along to the shore, confident that men will bury him, and Aristotle bears witness to this” (Trans. Scholfield III 17). 31 Ael. NA XV 17: φυ α α α υ α α φῖ π ˙ α υ α α , π . “It seems that there is a certain natural association and kinship of a mysterious kind between the Lion and the Dolphin. It is not merely that one is king of land-animals and the other of fishes of the sea” (Trans. Scholfield III 239). 32 Ael. NA II 6: φ φ υ α α α , ᾄ υ , α α ῖ , α . “The Dolphins love of music and its affectionate nature are a constant theme, the former with the people of Corinth (with whom the Lesbians concur), the latter with the inhabitants of Ios” (Trans. Scholfield I 93-95). 33 Ael. NA XVI 18: α φ φα α, α α α φ α α α φ α , π α α φ . “They also say that there are two kinds of Dolphin, the one savage, sharp-toothed, and absolutely merciless and without pity towards fishermen, the other naturally gentle and tame” (Trans. Scholfield III 287). 34 Cf. Paus. III 25, 7: α α αῳ...