the new emotional blackmailer's handbook: Art

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Sunday, July 23, 2023

Erotes ... a long and complicated ancestry by the look of things ... originating in Greece, they became popular amongst the Romans ... their identities have become mixed and have evolved over the centuries, but the erotes are still conspicuous in the iconography of western art and culture ... making a clear visual or working distinction so each might be easily identified seems to be impossible ...

From Wikipedia ...

In Ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Erotes (/əˈroʊtiːz/) are a collective of winged gods associated with love and sexual intercourse.

They are part of Aphrodite's retinue.

Erotes (Greek ἔρωτες) is the plural of Eros ("Love, Desire"), who as a singular deity has a more complex mythology.

Other named Erotes are

Anteros ("Love Returned"),^[1]

Hedylogos ("Sweet-talk"),

Hermaphroditus ("Hermaphrodite" or "Effeminate"),

Himeros ("Impetuous Love" or "Pressing Desire"),

Hymenaios ("Bridal-Hymn"), and

Pothos ("Desire, Longing", especially for one who is absent)

Phanes

https://religion.fandom.com/wiki/Erotes_(mythology)

Erotes - Wikipedia

EROTES - Greek Gods of Love & Desire (Roman Cupids) (theoi.com)

One of Eight Erotes Gods in Greek Mythology (ancient-literature.com)

so, let's go through the list of ancient Greek Erotes in alphabetical order ...

EROS

ANTEROS

Anteros - Wikipedia

ANTEROS - Greek God of Requited Love & Love Avenged (theoi.com)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 6. 23. 5 :
"In one of the wrestling-schools [in the town of Elis] is a relief showing Eros (Love) and Anteros (Love Returned), as he is called. Eros holds a palm-branch, and Anteros is trying to take the palm from him."

HEDYLOGOS

Hedylogos - Wikipedia

HEDYLOGOS - Greek God of Sweet-Talk (theoi.com)

Pothos and Hedylogos drawing ???'s chariot

Detail of Aphrodite driving a chariot drawn by a pair of Erotes (winged love-gods) in a scene depicting the love of Phaon and Demonassa. One of the Erotes holds a wreath of myrtle leaves and a plate (phiale), and the other an incense burner. The two are probably Eros (Love) and Himeros (Desire). Other figures in this scene (not shown) are Hygeia, Eudaimonia, Leura, Chrysope, Herosora, Panychis, Apollo, Leto, Phaon and Demonassa.

HERMAPHRODITUS

Hermaphroditus - Wikipedia

HERMAPHRODITUS (Hermaphroditos) - Greek God of Hermaphrodites & Effeminates (theoi.com)

Ovid, Metamorphoses 4. 28 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :
"Hear how the magic pool of Salmacis found its ill fame, and why its strengthless waters soften and enervate the limbs they touch. All know its famous power but few the cause. To Mercurius (Mercury) [Hermes], runs the tale, and Cythereia [Venus-Aphrodite] a boy [Hermaphroditos] was born whom in Mount Ida's caves the Naides nurtured; in his face he showed father and mother and took his name from both. When thrice five years had passed, the youth forsook Ida, his fostering home, his mountain haunts, eager to roam strange lands afar, to see strange rivers, hardships softened by delight. The towns of Lycia he reached at last and Carae's marching provinces; and there he saw a pool, a limpid shining pool, clear to its very bottom; no marsh reed, no barren sedge grew there, no spiky rush; the water crystal clear, its margin ringed with living tuft and verdure always green. A Nympha dwelt there, not one to bend the bow or join the hunt or run to win the race; she was the only of the Naides unknown to swift Diana [Artemis]. Many a time her sisters chide her: ‘Come, Salmacis, get out your spear or painted quiver; vary your hours of ease with hardships of the chase.’
Yet never spear she took nor painted quiver, nor would vary her hours of ease with hardships of the chase; but in her pool would bathe her lovely limbs, and with a comb of boxwood dress her hair, and, gazing long, take counsel of the waters what style were best. Now on the soft green grass or on soft leaves in gauzy dress she lay; now gathered flowers--and, gathering, chanced to see the boy and seeing, saw her heart's desire, Yet though her heart would haste she paused awhile till, dress inspected, all in order placed, charm in her eyes set shining, she deserved to look so lovely, then began to speak: ‘Fair boy you seem--how worthily you seem!--a god, and, if a god, Cupido (Love) [Eros] himself, or if a mortal, happy pair are they who gave you birth; blest is your brother, blest indeed is your sister, if you have one, and the nurse who suckled you, but far, of far, more blest she, your betrothed, found worthy of your love! If there is one, let stolen joy be mine; if none, let me be her, make me your bride!’
This said, she held her peace. A rosy blush dyed the boy's cheeks; he knew not what love was; but blushes well became him; like the bloom of rosy apples hanging in the sun, or painted ivory, or when the moon glows red beneath her pallor and the gongs resound in vain to rescue her eclipse. Then the Nympha pleaded, begged, besought at least a sister's kiss, and made to throw her arms around his ivory neck. ‘Enough!’ he cried ‘Have done! Or I shall quit this place--and you.’
Fear struck her heart; ‘I yield the place,’ she said, ‘Stranger, to you’ and turned away as if to leave him, then, with many a backward glance, she vanished in the leafy undergrowth and crouched in hiding there. The boy, alone (he thought) on the empty sward unobserved, strolled to and fro and in the rippling water dipped first his toes, then ankle deep, and soon, charmed by the soothing coolness of the pool, stripped his light garments from his slender limbs. Then Salmacis gazed spellbound, and desire flamed for his naked beauty and her eyes blazes bright as when the sun's unclouded orb shines dazzling in a mirror. She scarce could bare to wait, hardly postpone her joy, she longed to embrace him, scarce contained her frenzied heart. He clapped his hollow palms against his sides and dived into the pool and, as he swam arm over arm, gleamed in the limpid water like, in a guarding dome of crystal glass, white lilies or a figure of ivory. ‘I've won, he's mine!’ she cried, and flung aside her clothes and plunged far out into the pool and grappled him and, as he struggled, forced her kisses, willy-nilly fondled him, caressed him; now on one side, now the other clung to him as he fought to escape her hold; and so at last entwined him, like a snake seized by the king of birds and borne aloft, which, as it hangs, coils round his head and claws and with its tail entwines his spreading wings; or ivy wrapping round tall forest trees; or, in the sea, a squid whose whipping arm seize and from every side surround their prey.
Atlantiades [Hermaphroditos] fought back, denied the Nympha her joy; she strained the more; her clinging body seemed fixed fast to his. ‘Fool, fight me as you will,’ she cried, ‘You'll not escape! Ye Gods ordain no day shall ever dawn to part us twain!’ Her prayer found gods to hear; both bodies merged in one, both blended in one form and face. As when a gardener sets a graft and sees growth seal the join and both mature together, thus, when in the fast embrace their limbs were knit, they two were two no more, nor man, nor woman--one body then that neither seemed and both.
So when he saw the waters of the pool, where he had dived a man, had rendered him half woman and his limbs now weak and soft, raising his hands, Hermaphroditus cried, his voice unmanned, ‘Dear father [Hermes] and dear mother [Aphrodite], both of whose names I bear, grant me, your child, that whoso in these waters bathes a man emerge half woman, weakened instantly.’
Both parents hears; both, moved to gratify their bi-sexed son, his purpose to ensure, drugged the bright water with that power impure."

also ... there is tiresias ... who changed gender ... twice ?

https://kosmossociety.chs.harvard.edu/androgyne-in-myth/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiresias

HIMEROS

at this point, my search for a clear distinction between the different erotes got completely lost in the woods ...

it hadn't occurred to me that modern gay culture has it's own re-inventions of mythical deities and their fellow beings ... Himeros has become a brand name and part of the typology of sexual play objects

so when i started doing an image search for Himeros, there were surprises ...

https://theaccessorycircle.com/products/himeros-zeus-intimate-c-ring

HIMEROS ... continued ...

HIMEROS - Greek God of Sexual Desire (theoi.com)

Hesiod, Theogony 53 ff :
"A little way from the topmost peak of snowy Olympos, there are their [the Mousai's (Muses')] bright dancing-places and beautiful homes, and beside them the Kharites (Charites, Graces) and Himeros (Desire) live in delight."

https://ancient-literature.com/himeros/

william blake richmond, aphrodite between eros and himeros

HYMENAIOS

HYMENAEUS (Hymenaios) - Greek God of Weddings & the Bridal Hymn (theoi.com)

Euripides, Trojan Women 310 ff (trans. Vellacott) (Greek tragedy C5th B.C.) :
"Kassandra (Cassandra) [lamenting the fall of Troy and the enslavement of the Trojan Women] : Raise the torch and fling the flame! Flood the walls with holy light! Worship the Almighty Hymen (Hymenaeus), God of Marriage! Agamemnon, master of my maiden flesh, King of Argos, take me! Heaven's blessing falls on me and falls on you. Hear our cry of worship, Hymen, God of Marriage! Mother [Hekabe, Hecuba], since you crouch and cry weak with tears and loud with grief for my dear dead city and my murdered father, I have brought them--torches for my wedding-night, leaping light and dancing flame, in your honour, Hymen, God of hot desire! Queen of Darkness, send the gleam you love to lend to the ritual blessing of the wedded virgin! Dancers, come! Loose your leaping feet, wild with wine of ecstasy! Glorify my father's happy fate! God Apollon, lead this holy ritual dance! In your temple-court, under your immortal laurel-tree, I your priestess call on you! Hymen, mighty god, Hymen, hear! Come and dance, mother, dance with me; charm the Powers with lucky words, loudly chant your daughter's wedding-song! Wildly whirl and turn in purest ecstasy! Maids of Troy, wear your brightest gowns : come, and sing my wedding-song, hail the lover Eros (Love) and Fate appoint for me!"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hymen_%28god%29

POTHOS

POTHOS - Greek God of Sexual Longing (theoi.com)

... seems to represent longing or yearning as an emotion rather than a passion, perhaps ...

PHANES

https://www.theoi.com/Protogenos/Phanes.html

Phanes was described as a beautiful, golden-winged, hermaphroditic deity wrapped in the coils of a serpent. His name means "bring to light" or "make appear" from the Greek verbs phanaô and phainô.