A style of vase painting invented in Attica circa 530 BCE.
This style of vase painting left the decorative figures the color of the clay while the background was painted black; common in Greece, southern Italy and on the island of Sicily.
The goddess, Aidos.
In his poem Works and Days, Hesiod warns his brother Perses that in the fifth generation of mortal men (the Age of Iron) Aidos and Nemesis (Divine Retribution) will leave the earth and there will be no defense against evil; she is also referred to as Shame and Modesty.
Works and Days, line 200
The Returns; one of the fragmentary remains of the Epic Cycle which described the return of the Greek heroes after the destruction of the city of Troy.
We have none of the actual poems from The Returns which are attributed to Agias of Troezen but instead we have a very brief description of the original five books; we can assume from the existing fragments that the Temple of Athene (Athena) at Troy was either destroyed or defiled because Athene caused a quarrel between the leader of the Greek army, Agamemnon, and his brother Menelaos (Menelaus); Agamemnon stayed at Troy to appease Athene but Menelaos and his wife Helen sailed for home but lost all but five of their ships before they were finally stranded in Egypt.
Another interesting statement from The Returns concerns Jason's wife Medeia (Medea) and his father Aeson; Medeia is said to have bewitched Aeson and turned him into a young boy.
One confusing statement from The Returns concerns Herakles (Heracles); he was said to have been attacking the city of Themiskyra (Themiskcra); this is confusing because Herakles was supposed to have died before the siege of Troy which would be ten years before The Returns took place.
The Returns also informs us that Odysseus's son Telemachos (Telemachus) married the Nymph Kirke (Circe) and Kirke's son Telegonos (Telegonus) married Odysseus's wife Penelope.
The surviving six fragments of The Returns might be summarized as follows:
Fragment 1 - Athene causes an argument between Agamemnon and Menelaos; Agamemnon stays at Troy to appease Athene; Diomedes and Nestor get safely home; Menelaos reaches Egypt; Kalchas (Calchas), Leontes and Polypoetes go by land to Kolophon (Colophon) and bury the seer Teiresias; the ghost of Achilles tries to warn Agamemnon of his impending murder; Lesser Aias is killed at the rocks of the Kapherides (Capherides); Neoptolemus (Neoptolemos) meets Odysseus at Maronea and buries Phoinix (Phoenix); Agamemnon is murdered by Klytemnestra (Clytemnestra) and Aegisthus (Aigisthos); Orestes and Pylades avenge the murder of Agamemnon; Menelaos returns to Sparta;
Fragment 2 - Medeia uses herbs and her cunning skills to turn Aeson into a young boy;
Fragment 3 - Herakles and Theseus were unsuccessfully laying siege to Themiskyra until Antiope betrayed the city because of her love for Theseus;
Fragment 4 - Telemachos married the Dread Goddess Kirke and their son Telegonos married Penelope;
Fragment 5 - A single line: Gifts beguile the minds and deeds of men;
Fragment 6 - Tantalos (Tantalus) lived with the Immortals but was so indulgent that Zeus placed him under a stone which prevented him from reaching the pleasant food and drink nearby.
For the complete translations of The Epic Cycle, including The Returns, I recommend the Loeb Classical Library volume 57, ISBN 0674990633; you can sometimes find this book at the public library or you can order it from the Book Shop on this site.
One of the sons of Europa and Zeus; his brothers were: Minos and Sarpedon.
Rhadamanthys was rewarded after his death for the justice he exemplified during his life by being made one of the judges of the dead in the Underworld where he served with his brother Minos and his half-brother Aiakos (Aeacus).
Rhadamanthys is credited with some sayings which exemplified his moral character; only one of these sayings survives and might be rendered as:
If a man sows evil, he will reap more than he has sown;
If other men treat the evil doer as he has done, true justice will be served.
The Great Works, fragment 1
Catalogues of Women and Eoiae, fragment 19
An ancient Greek city in southern Italy; located on the tip of the Italian peninsula on the Strait of Messina; now modern Reggio di Calabria.
Approximate East Longitude 15º 64' and North Latitude 38º 13'
One of the Titans; the daughter of Gaia (Earth) and Ouranos (the Heavens); wife of Kronos (Cronos) and mother of the Olympians.
Rheia has a page in the Immortals section of this site ... click on her photo to view that page.
A river god; one of the many sons of Tethys and Okeanos (Ocean).
Zeus gave the Rivers, Apollon and the Okeanids the special obligation of having the young in their keeping.
Theogony, line 340
Iliad (Lattimore and Loeb), book 12, line 20
Iliad (Fagles), book 12, line 23
Iliad (Fitzgerald), book 12, line 22
A Thracian commander who died at the hands of Odysseus and Diomedes; Rhesos was the son of Eioneus of Thrace.
Rhesos and his Thracian troops had just arrived at Troy and were not prepared for the level of brutality and cunning the Achaeans (Achaians) were capable of inflicting; Rhesos was from a wealthy family and was attired in golden armor; second only to Achilles, Rhesos had the finest chariot horses on the battlefield.
A Trojan spy named Dolon had been sent to penetrate the Greek camp but was caught by Odysseus and Diomedes before he could complete his mission; Dolon begged for his life and told Odysseus and Diomedes that Rhesos was camped near the edge of the Trojan defenses; Diomedes killed Dolon without mercy.
Odysseus and Diomedes continued on towards the Trojan camp where they easily found the Thracians and devised a plan where Odysseus would steal the magnificent horses of Rhesos and Diomedes would kill as many of the sleeping Thracians as he could; Diomedes killed twelve Thracian soldiers and then pulled their bodies out of the way so that he and Odysseus could lead Rhesos's horses away without stepping in the blood and gore; lastly, Diomedes killed Rhesos and the two heroes fled back to the Greek encampment with the beautiful white horses and the gear they had stripped from Dolon.
Iliad (Lattimore and Loeb), book 10, lines 435, 474 and 519
Iliad (Fagles), book 10, lines 503, 547 and 600
Iliad (Fitzgerald), book 10, lines 480, 525 and 574
A play by Euripides produced circa 455 or 450 BCE; assumed to be his earliest play.
Cast of Characters:
Hector
Aineias (Aeneas)
Dolon
Rhesos
Odysseus
Diomedes
Athene (Athena)
Alexandros (Paris)
This play is not too tragic but still has a certain amount of drama; the story centers around the night Odysseus and Diomedes secretly invaded the Trojan camp and reeked havoc by killing Rhesos and stealing his prized horses; the murder of the Trojan spy Dolon is mentioned but not elaborated upon; I personally considered the murder of Dolon a very important part of The Iliad and I was surprised to see it relegated to a secondary plot line in this play; the play is mostly talk and not much action.
I personally recommend the translations compiled by Richmond Lattimore and David Grene; you can find this and other plays by Euripides in the 882 section of your local library or you can order them from the Book Shop on this site.
The seventeenth letter of the Greek alphabet; uppercase: Ρ; lowercase: ρ.
The ancient Greeks did not have lowercase letters in their alphabet; the lowercase letters were not invented until the ninth century CE, i.e. about eleven hundred years ago.
Letters of the Greek alphabet were also used as numerals; the letter rho represented the number 100 and was written as a simple ρ or as rho followed by an acute accent, ρ'.
An Okeanid, i.e. one of the three thousand daughters of Okeanos (Ocean) and Tethys.
When Persephone was abducted by Hades (lord of the Dead), Rhodeia was one of Persephone's playmates; the girls were gathering flowers in a meadow and unaware that Hades had laid a trap for Persephone; without being observed, Hades opened a hole in the ground and pulled Persephone down into the earth before she could scream or run away; when Persephone's mother Demeter came looking for her daughter, Rhodeia and the other girls had no idea where Persephone had gone.
Zeus gave the Okeanids, Apollon and the Rivers the special obligation of having the young in their keeping but it would seem that Zeus either allowed or prevented Rhodeia from protecting Persephone because he endorsed the abduction of the young girl by his brother, Hades.
Theogony, line 351
Homeric Hymn to Demeter, line 419
A Greek island in the southeastern Aegean Sea off the coast of modern Turkey; the largest of the Dodekanese (Dodecanese) Islands with an area of 542 square miles (1,404 square kilometers); the primary city on the island is also named Rhodes.
Prior to the Trojan War (circa 1250 BCE), the island of Rhodes was home to descendants of Herakles (Heracles); most notably, Herakles's son Tlepolemos (Tlepolemus) and Herakles's elderly uncle Likymnios (Licymnius); apparently Tlepolemos was exiled from Rhodes for the murder of Likymnios but later returned to the island before the call to arms was issued for the siege of Troy; Tlepolemos commanded three divisions (nine ships or approximately 1053 men) from Rhodes including men from the cities of Lindos, Ialysos (Ialysus ) and Kameiros (Cameirus).
To get a better perspective on the location of Rhodes, take a look at this large map of the Aegean Sea; Rhodes is in the lower right corner of the map.
Approximate East Longitude 27º 57' 9'' and North Latitude 36º 1' 53''
The capital city of the island of Rhodes; located on the northeastern tip of the island.
Rhodes was the site of the 100+ foot statue of Helios (the Sun); commonly known as the Colossus of Rhodes, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the World; the statue, which was erected in 290 BCE, stood in the harbor until it was toppled in an earthquake sixty six years later in 224 BCE.
Approximate East Longitude 28º 13' 28'' and North Latitude 36º 26' 32''
A river god; one of the many sons of Tethys and Okeanos (Ocean).
Zeus gave the Rivers, Apollon and the Okeanids the special obligation of having the young in their keeping.
Theogony, line 341
The famous Greek courtesan who was very rich and famous; she is our only historical link to the "story teller," Aesop.
Rhodopis was the most famous courtesan in Greece and spent one tenth of her wealth on iron ox-spits which she presented as a tribute at the Oracle of Apollon at Delphi.
Histories, book 2.134
A Greek sculptor and architect; fl. sixth century BCE; he was from the island of Samos and the son of Philes; he is credited as the builder of the Temple of Hera (the Heraion) on Samos.
When the Temple of Hera was destroyed by the Persians during the reign of Cyrus the Great (559-529 BCE), Rhoikos was commissioned to re-construct the temple; his improvements and enlargements were soon destroyed by the Persians and his son Theodoros rebuilt the temple circa 520 BCE.
His name may also be rendered as Rhoekus or Rhoecus.
Histories, book 3.60
A ritual sprinkling vessel; the rhyton pictured above is from Mycenae circa 1250 BCE
The Rivers are the sons of Okeanos (Ocean) and Tethys; Zeus gave the Rivers, Apollon and the Okeanids the special obligation of having the young in their keeping.
Rivers listed in The Iliad have a page in the Immortals section of this site ... to view that page simply click on the above photo.
There are also twenty-five Rivers mentioned in Theogony which is a 1022 line poem by Hesiod from circa 750 BCE; Theogony deals with the origins and exploits of the Immortals and includes the names of the following Rivers.
The Rivers in Theogony
Acheloios (Achelous) - line 340
Aisepos (Aesepus) - line 342
Alpheios (Alpheus) - line 338
Ardeskos (Ardescus) - line 345
Eridanos (Eridanus) - line 338
Euenos (Euenus) - line 345
Grenikos (Granicus) - line 342
Haliakmon (Haliacmon) - line 341
Heptaporos (Heptaporus) - line 341
Hermos (Hermus) - line 343
Ister (Istros) - line 339
Kaikos (Caicus) - line 343
Ladon - line 344
Maiandros (Meander) - line 339
Nessos (Nessus) - line 341
Neilos (Nilus) - line 338
Parthenios (Parthenius) - line 344
Peneios (Peneus) - line 343
Phasis - line 340
Rhesos (Rhesus) - line 340
Rhodios (Rhodius) - line 341
Sangarios (Sangarius) - line 344
Skamandros (Scamander) - line 345
Simoeis (Simois) - line 342
Strymon - line 339
One of the two mountains which were called the Pillars of Herakles (Heracles); located at the western extreme of the Mediterranean Sea where it connects with the Atlantic Ocean.
The two promontories, Jebel Musa and Gibraltar, were fabled to have been raised by Herakles; Gibraltar was known as Kalpe (Calpe) and Jebel Musa was known as Abyla.
Approximate West Longitude 5º 21' and North Latitude 36º 08'
The people of Rome; inhabitants of the city in east-central Italy which founded the empire which replaced the Greeks as the dominant power in the known civilized world.
The mythology of Rome is closely linked to that of the Greeks but differs in many fundamental ways; the Roman deities were very similar to the Greek Immortals and included some of the same names and genealogies but the interpretations of the meanings and subtleties of the Greek religion were filtered through the more "modern" and more aggressive minds of the Romans and thus became a separate and distinctly different culture.
The city in east-central Italy on the left bank of the Tiber River.
The traditional founding date for Rome has been established as 753 BCE, which is only twenty years after the first Olympic Games in Greece; beginning with the legendary orphan Romulus, Rome was ruled by a series of kings until the Roman Republic was established in 509 BCE; in The Aeneid by Virgil, the founding of Rome was accomplished by the ancestors of the Trojan hero, Aineias (Aeneas).
The Rovers, the Planktae (Planctae) or the Wandering Rocks; as the name implies, the Rovers were two moving islands which were notorious for their indiscriminate destruction of anyone or anything which dared to pass between them; the towering stone islands would clash together and then retreat to wait for their next victim; the Rovers were so notorious that they killed doves carrying ambrosia to Zeus when they tried to fly between them.
One generation before the Trojan War, Jason assembled a group of legendary heroes to sail with him on his Quest for the Golden Fleece; after sailing to Kolchis (Colchis) at the eastern edge of the Euxine (Black Sea) and successfully retrieving the Golden Fleece, Jason made his escape with Princess Medeia (Medea) who was the daughter of King Aietes (Aeetes); the loss of the Fleece was bad enough but for King Aietes to also lose his daughter was more than he was willing to tolerate; he sent his son Apsyrtos (Apsyrtus) to bring Medeia back.
When Jason and Medeia were finally trapped by Apsyrtos, they arranged a deadly ambush in which Apsyrtos was murdered in a rather dastardly way; the blood-guilt they incurred needed to be absolved if Jason ever intended to return his home of Iolkos (Iolcus).
The goddess Hera had protected Jason on several occasions and her assistance was again needed if Jason and Medeia were going to make a safe journey to the island of Medeia's aunt Kirke (Circe) to be absolved of their blood-guilt; Jason's course took him in the vicinity of three deadly sea-hazards, the Rovers, the six-headed Skylla (Scylla) and the whirlpool Charybdis; using the Nereid Thetis as an intermediary, Hera arranged for the other Nereids to help guide Jason's ship through the surging seas of the Rovers.
The Nereids swam to the Argonauts and a truly amazing spectacle took place; on one side of the sea passage was the steep rock of Skylla and on the other side Charybdis spouted and roared ... further on, the Rovers boomed beneath the sea surge; as Jason's ship, the Argo, drew near the Rovers, the Nereids surrounded the vessel as Thetis grasped the rudder-blade under the ship; in a way reminiscent of dolphins, the Nereids darted upward and circled around the ship while Thetis guided its course.
When the Argo was about to smash against the Rovers, the Nereids immediately raised the edge of their garments and darted up on the rocky cliffs above the waves and then jumped from one side to the other; as the ship was raised aloft by the waves, the Nereids caught it and toss it to and fro like young girls throwing a ball for sport; the waves rose like towering crags and then plummeted to the depths of the sea ... water poured over the Argo in floods; when Hera saw the ship being bounced and swamped by the waves, she was seized by fear and threw her arms around Athene (Athena) for comfort; the frenzy continued until the Argo was clear of the Rovers and the Argonauts could catch the wind and sail on.
After the Trojan War, Odysseus was making his way home and also had to sail near Skylla, Charybdis and the Rovers; the goddess Kirke warned Odysseus not to go near the Rovers because he would not have the protection of Hera or the Nereids to guide him between them; Kirke thought it would be best for Odysseus to sacrifice a few men to Skylla's six ravenous heads rather than lose his ship and crew to the Rovers or Charybdis; Odysseus did as Kirke advised and avoided certain death between the Rovers.
In The Odyssey by Homer, there seems to be several different ways to render the name Planktae; the Loeb Classical Library translation uses Planctae; Richmond Lattimore calls them Rovers and Roving Rocks; Robert Fagles uses Clashing Rocks but that term is usually reserved for the Symplegades or Floating Islands at the narrow passage between the Propontis (Sea of Marmara) and the Euxine (Black Sea); Robert Fitzgerald seems a bit more versatile by calling them Prowling Rocks, Drifters and Wandering Rocks; in the Argonautika (Argonautica) we find them as Wanderers and Wandering Rocks.
Odyssey (Lattimore and Loeb), book 12, line 61; book 23, line 327
Odyssey (Fagles), book 12, lines 68 and 71; book 32, line 370
Odyssey (Fitzgerald), book 12, lines 73 and 81; book 23, line 365
Argonautika, book 4, lines 860, 924, 932 and 939
The goddess Ate; one of the daughters of Eris (Discord); Ate is an ancient Greek goddess personifying the crimes caused by human recklessness and the divine punishments that surely follow.
In The Iliad, Ate and the Litai (Prayers) are linked together; the Litai are described as old and feeble but Ate is strong and swift; the Litai follow Ate and if called upon, heal the wounds she inflicts but if a person denies the Litai, they go to Zeus (their father) and insist that Ate be summoned to continue the punishment of the unbeliever.
Ate is sometimes defined as the personification of Ruin, Delusion or Folly but her name literally means Blindness.
Iliad (Lattimore), (Ruin) book 9, lines 504, 505 and 512; (Delusion) book 19, lines 91, 126, 129 and 136
Iliad (Loeb), book 9, lines 504, 505 and 512; book 19, lines 91, 126, 129 and 136
Iliad (Fagles), (Ruin) book 9, lines 613 and 622; book 19, lines 106, 148, 151 and 155
Iliad (Fitzgerald), (Folly) book 9, lines 613 and 621; book 19, lines 100, 145, 147 and (my folly, my delusion) 155
The Rural Dionysia was a festival consisting of series of wine feasts, processions and dramatic performances in honor of Dionysos (a.k.a. Bacchus, god of Wine); the Rural Dionysia was held in the second half of the month of Poseideion which was the sixth month of the Attic year and would approximately correspond to our November/December.
There was also a Spring festival called the City Dionysia (Great Dionysia) which was notable for the performance of dithyrambs (a wild and irregular choral song or chant), tragedies, comedies and satyr plays (ribald dramas with a chorus of satyrs).
