Hypnos

EEP nos

‘Υπνος

Sleep, a Child of Nyx (Night)

Hypnos is one of the many children of Nyx (Night) and the twin brother of Thanatos (Death). Hypnos enters the sleep of mortals and, at the bidding of the Olympians, gives them dreams of foolishness or inspiration, depending on the individual and their divine protectors or enemies.

Hypnos entered the adventures of Jason and the Argonauts when they were trying to take the Golden Fleece from Kolchis (Colchis). King Aietes (Aeetes) promised that Jason could take the Golden Fleece if he survived a confrontation with some supernatural bulls and a crop of Earth-Born warriors but, with the assistance of King Aietes's sorceress daughter Medeia (Medea), Jason was successful. King Aietes refused to honor his promise and Jason had to steal the Golden Fleece as he fled Kolchis. The Golden Fleece was guarded by a dragon which never slept so Medeia called upon Hypnos to cast a spell of slumber on the dragon so that Jason could take the Golden Fleece without having to fight the ever vigilant dragon. It's odd that Medeia, as the granddaughter of Helios (the Sun), could summon Hypnos, a child of Nyx (Night), to do her bidding but her magical powers were considerable and Hypnos came to her aid without hesitation.

Hypnos is husband to Pasithea, one of the Graces, because he did a very dangerous favor for Hera. During the Trojan War, Hera wanted to distract Zeus from the battle so she could assist the Achaeans (Achaians), who seemed to be losing the war. She wanted Hypnos to cast a spell of sleep on Zeus but he refused. At first Hera offered Hypnos a golden throne crafted by her son Hephaistos (Hephaestus) but she was forced to raise the ante when Hypnos reminded her of the only time he had dared cast sleep on Zeus. Long before the Trojan War, Hera was angry at Herakles (Heracles) and she had persuaded Hypnos to make Zeus sleep while she tormented the hero. When Zeus awoke he was in a rage. He searched for Hypnos and finally found him hiding in the arms of his mother, Nyx (Night). Zeus overcame his anger and simply warned Hypnos not to try such a trick again and Hypnos went unpunished.

In preparation for this new deception, Hypnos made Hera swear oaths of her sincerity. He agreed to help her deceive Zeus for the hand of one of the Graces, Pasithea. He turned himself into a bird and, before Zeus could see him, hid in the tops of the trees on Mount Ida. He stayed hidden until Hera had seduced Zeus. When the father of gods was dulled by pleasure and sleep, Hypnos flew to Poseidon (lord of the Sea) and urged him to increase his efforts in helping the Achaeans because Zeus was asleep and unaware of the Earth Shaker's meddling. Poseidon strode through the ranks of soldiers and urged them on. Finally, his bellowing and screeching roused Zeus from his slumber but, in that short time, the Achaeans had turned the battle back on the Trojans. Hera's trick had worked. Zeus never found out that Hypnos had again betrayed him.

When Zeus's son, Sarpedon, was killed at Troy, Zeus commanded Hypnos and Thanatos to retrieve him from the dirt and grime of the battlefield and return the cleansed body of his fallen son to his home in Lykia (Lycia).

The Romans had a similar deity named Somnus.

Hypnos in The Iliad

(listed by book and line from four different translations)

Richmond Lattimore

• 14.231 - There she [Hera] encountered Sleep, the brother of Death.
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• 14.232 - She [Hera] clung fast to his hand and spoke a word and called him by name: 'Sleep, lord over all mortal men and all gods, if ever before now you listened to word of mine, so now also do as I ask; and all my days I shall know gratitude.'
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• 14.242 - Then Sleep the still and soft spoke to her in answer: 'Hera, honored goddess and daughter of mighty Kronos, any other of the gods, whose race is immortal, I would lightly put to sleep ... But I would not come close to Zeus, the son of Kronos, nor put him to sleep, unless when he himself were to tell me.'
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• 14.264 - Then in turn the ox-eyed Hera answered him: 'Sleep, why do you ponder this in your heart, and hesitate? Or do you think that Zeus of the wide brows, aiding the Trojans, will be angry as he was angry for his son, Herakles? Come now, so it, and I will give you one of the younger Graces for you to marry ...'
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• 14.270 - So she [Hera] spoke, and Sleep was pleased and spoke to her in answer: 'Come then! Swear it to me on Styx' ineluctable water ...'
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• 14.286 - There Sleep stayed, before the eyes of Zeus could light on him, and went up aloft a towering pine tree, the one that grew tallest at that time on Ida, and broke through the close air to the aether.
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• 14.354 - ... but gently Sleep went on the run to the ships of the Achaians with a message to tell him who circles the earth and shakes it, Poseidon ...
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• 16.454 - Hera says to Zeus, "... send Death to carry him [Sarpedon] away, and Sleep, who is painless, until they come with him to the countryside of broad Lykia where his brothers and countrymen shall give him due burial ..."
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• 16.672 - Zeus says to Apollo, " ... give him [Sarpedon] into the charge of the swift messengers to carry him, of Sleep and Death, who are twin brothers, and these two shall lay him down presently within the rich countryside of broad Lykia ..."
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• 16.682 - ... then [Apollo] gave him [Sarpedon] into the charge of swift messengers to carry him, of Sleep and Death, who are twin brothers, and these two presently laid him down within the rich countryside of broad Lykia.

Loeb Classical Library

• 14.231 - There she [Hera] met Sleep, the brother of Death ...
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• 14.233 - ... she [Hera] clasped him by the hand, and spoke and addressed him: "Sleep, lord of all gods and men, if ever you heard a word of mine, so even now obey, and I will owe you thanks all my days."
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• 14.242 - Then sweet Sleep made answer to her, saying: "Hera, honored goddess, daughter of great Cronos, another of the gods who are for ever I lightly lull to sleep ... but to Zeus, son of Cronos, will I neither draw near, nor lull him to slumber, unless he himself orders me."
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• 14.264 - To him then again ox-eyed queenly Hera: "Sleep, why is it you ponder these things in your heart? Do you think that Zeus, whose voice resounds afar, will aid the Trojans in the same way he grew angry for the sake of Heracles? But come, I will give you one of the youthful Graces to wed ..."
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• 14.270 - So she [Hera] spoke, and Sleep rejoiced, and made answer saying: "Come now, swear to me by the inviolable water of Styx ..."
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• 14.286 - There Sleep halted, before the eyes of Zeus saw him, and mounted up on an exceedingly tall fir tree, the highest that then grew on Ida; and it reached up through the mists into heaven.
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• 14.354 - But sweet Sleep set out to run to the ships of the Argives to bring word to the Enfolder and Shaker of the Earth.
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• 16.454 - Hera says to Zeus, "... send Death and sweet Sleep to carry him [Sarpedon] away until they come to the land of wide Lycia; and there will his brothers and his kinspeople give him burial ..."
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• 16.672 - Zeus says to Apollo, "... give him [Sarpedon] to swift conveyers, to the twin brothers Sleep and Death, to bring with them; they will set him down speedily in the rich land of wide Lycia.
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• 16.682 - ... [Apollo] gave him [Sarpedon] to swift conveyers, to the twin brothers Sleep and Death, to bring with them; they set him down speedily in the rich land of wide Lycia.

Robert Fagles

• 14.277 - There she [Hera] fell in with Sleep, twin brother of Death ...
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• 14.279 - ... she [Hera] clung to his hand and urged him, called his name: "Sleep, master of all gods and all mortal men, if you ever listened to me in the old days, do what I ask you now—and you shall have my everlasting thanks."
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• 14.290 - And the voice of Sleep the soft and soothing drifted back ... "Hera, Hera, queen of the gods and daughter of mighty Cronus—any other immortal god who lives forever, believe me, I would put to sleep in a wink ... But Zeus? Not I—I would not get too close to the son of Cronus, much less put him under, not unless the Father gave the command himself."
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• 14.320 - Eyes widening, noble Hera coaxed him further: "So troubled, Sleep, why torture yourself with that? You think that thundering Zeus, shielding the men from Troy, will rage as he raged for great Heracles, his own son? Come now, I will give you one of the young Graces—wed her at once ..."
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• 14.325 - "On with it!"—Sleep cried [to Hera], thrilled by the offer—"Swear to me by the incorruptible tides of Styx ..."
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• 14.343 - There Sleep came to a halt—before the eyes of the Father could detect him—he climbed up softly into a towering tree. The tallest trunk on the heights of Ida, it pierced the low-hung mist and shot up through the sky.
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• 14.420 - And so, deep in peace, the Father slept on Gargaron peak, conquered by Sleep and strong assaults of Love, his wife locked in his arms.
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• 14.422 - Soothing Sleep went rushing off to the ships at once, running a message to Poseidon.
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• 16.539 - Hera says to Zeus, "... send Death to carry him [Sarpedon] home, send soothing Sleep, all the way till they reach the broad land of Lycia. There his brothers and countrymen will bury the prince with full royal rites ..."
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• 16.785 - Zeus says to Apollo, "Then send him [Sarpedon] on his way with the wind-swift escorts, twin brothers Sleep and Death, who with all good speed will set him down in the broad green land of Lycia. There his brothers and countrymen will bury the prince with full royal rites ..."
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• 16.798 - ... then [Apollo] sent him [Sarpedon] on his way with the wind-swift escorts, twin brothers Sleep and Death, who with all good speed set him down in Lycia's broad green land.

Robert Fitzgerald

• 14.259 - Here she [Hera] fell in with Sleep, brother of Death ...
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• 14.261 - [Hera] took his hand and held it, saying warmly: "Sleep, sovereign of the gods and all mankind, if ever you gave heed to me before, comply again this time, and all my days I shall know well I am beholden."
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• 14.272 - But mild Sleep replied: "Most venerable goddess, daughter of Kronos, great of old, among the gods who never die, I might easily lull another to sleep ... But Zeus, the son of Kronos? No, not I. I could not venture near him, much less lull him, unless by his command."
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• 14.307 - Sleep said [to Hera]: "Swear by Styx' corroding water!"
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• 14.324 - But Sleep soon halted and remained behind before he came in range of Zeus' eyes. He mounted a tall pine, the tallest one on Ida, grown through mist to pierce the sky.
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• 14.399 - The god of sleep went gliding to the beachhead bearing word to the god who shakes the earth.
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• 16.527 - Hera says to Zeus, "... when his [Sarpedon] soul is gone, his lifetime ended, Death and sweetest Sleep can bear him homeward to the broad domain of Lykia. There friends and kin may give him funeral ..."
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• 16.770 - Zeus says to Apollo, "Then have him [Sarpedon] conveyed by those escorting spirits quick as wind, sweet Sleep and Death, who are twin brothers. These will set him down in the rich broad land of Lykia, and there his kin and friends may bury him ..."
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• 16.781 - [Apollo] had him [Sarpedon] conveyed by those escorting spirits quick as wind, sweet Sleep and Death, who are twin brothers. These returned him to the rich broad land of Lykia.

Other Text References

Theogony

• line 212 - And Nyx (Night) bare hateful Moros (Doom) and black Kera (Fate) and Thanatos, and she bare Hypnos and Oneiroi (the tribe of Dreams).
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• line 756 - Nyx (Night) and Hemera (Day) draw near and greet one another as they pass the great threshold of bronze; and the one holds all-seeing light for them on earth, but the other holds in her arms Hypnos the brother of Thanatos, even evil Nyx, wrapped in a vaporous cloud.
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• line 759 - And there the children of dark Nyx (Night) have their dwellings, Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos, awful gods. Glowing Helios (the Sun) never looks upon them with his beams, neither as he goes up into heaven, nor as he comes down from heaven.

The Argonautika

• book 4, line 146 - And as he [the dragon] writhed, the maiden [Medeia (Medea)] came before his eyes, with sweet voice calling to her aid Hypnos, highest of gods, to charm the monster; and she cried to [Hekate (Hecate)] the queen of the underworld, the night-wanderer, to be propitious to her enterprise.