Thursday, April 21, 2011

Greek Tragedy

Zephyr



The gentlest of the four winds, Zephyr is known as the fructifying wind, the messenger of spring. It was thought that Zephyr lived in a cave in Thrace. Zephyr had several siblings; his temperamental brother Boreas was the fierce god of the north wind. One of his sisters was Iris, the goddess of the rainbow and it's colorful glow in the sky. An interesting footnote to Zephyr's tale is that he is said to be the father of Balius and Xanthus, the two horses belonging to the great warrior Achilles.



Hyacinth



One of the surviving myths in which Zephyr features most prominently is that of Hyacinth. Hyacinth was a very handsome and athletic Spartan prince. Zephyr fell in love with and courted him, and so did Apollo. The two competed for the young man's love, but he chose Apollo in the end, driving Zephyr mad with jealousy. Later, catching Apollo and Hyacinth throwing a discus, Zephyr blew a gust of wind at them, striking the boy in the head with the falling discus. When Hyacinth died, Apollo created the hyacinth flower from his blood. Charades, pop skill, water hyacinth, named by a poet -- Imitation of Life.



Zephyrus and Hyacinth; Attic red-figure cup from Tarquinia, ca 480 BC, Boston Museum of Fine Arts

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