Saturday, December 18, 2010

TITANS OF THE PELOPONESSE

I) TITAN KRONOS IN ELIS 
Pindar, Olympian Ode 1. 111 (trans. Conway) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) : "When I come to Kronos’ sunlit hill [at Olympia]."  Pausanias, Description of Greece 6. 20. 1 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : "Mount Kronios, as I have already said, extends parallel to the terrace [at the sanctuary of Olympia in Elis] with the treasuries on it. On the summit of the mountain the Basilai (Kings), as they are called, sacrifice to Kronos at the spring equinox [the start of the new year], in the month called Elaphios (Of the Deer) among the Eleans."  Pausanias, Description of Greece 5. 7. 6 - 10 : "As for the Olympic games, the most learned antiquaries of Elis say that Kronos was the first king of heaven, and that in his honor a temple was built in Olympia by the men of that age, who were named the Golden Race . . . Now some say that Zeus wrestled here with Kronos himself for the throne, while others say that he held the games in honor of his victory over Kronos." For MORE information on this Titan see KRONOS 
II) TITAN KRIOS IN AKHAIA  Pausanias, Description of Greece 7. 27. 11 : "Rivers come down from the mountains above Pellene [in Akhaia], the one on the side nearest Aigeira being called Krios, after, it is said, the Titanos (Titan), which rises in Mount Sipylos and is a tributary of the Hermos." [N.B. Sipylos and Hermos were presumably named after the Lydian mountain and river which shared the name. Titanes such as Prometheus and Atlas were often associated with that Anatolian kingdom.]
III) TITAN KOIOS IN MESSENIA  Pausanias, Description of Greece 4. 33. 6 : "One the road from Andania towards Kyparissiai is Polikhne [in Messenia], as it is called, and the streams of Elektra and Koios. The names perhaps are to be connected with Elektra the daughter of Atlas and Koios the father of Leto.
IV) TITAN IAPETOS IN ARKADIA  Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 27. 15 : "The river [Bouphagos in southern Arkadia]] got its name, they say, from the hero Bouphagos (Cattle-Eater), the son of Iapetos [either the Titan or a local king] and Thornax. This is what they call her in Lakonia also."
V) TITAN HYPERION ? IN SIKYONIA  The Titan of Sikyonia is perhaps Hesiod's Hyperion.  Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. 11. 5 : "Having crossed the Asopos River again [near Titane, Sikyonia] and reached the summit of the hill, you come to the place where the natives say that Titan first dwelt. They add that he was the brother of Helios (the Sun), and that after him the place got the name Titane. My own view is that he proved clever at observing the seasons of the year and times when the sun increases and ripens seeds and fruits, and for this reason was held to be the brother of Helios (the Sun)." 
  VI) TITANES HOPLODAMOS & ANYTOS IN ARKADIA  Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 32. 5 : "Here also [in the sanctuary of Asklepios at Megalopolis, Arkadia] are kept bones, too big for those of a human being, about which the story ran that they were those of one of the Gigantes (Earth-Born) mustered by Hopladamos to fight for Rhea.” [N.B. "Hoplodamos and his Gigantes" are presumably the Kouretes.]  Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 36. 2 : "Mount Thaumasios (Wonderful) lies beyond the river Maloitas [in Arkadia], and the Methydrians hold that when Rhea was pregnant with Zeus, she came to this mountain and enlisted as her allies, in case Kronos should attack her, Hopladamos and his few Gigantes (Earth-Born). They allow that she gave birth to her son on some part of Mount Lykaios, but they claim that here Kronos was deceived, and here took place the substitution of a stone for the child that is spoken of in the Greek legend. On the summit of the mountain is Rhea’s Cave, into which no human beings may enter save only the women who are sacred to the goddess." [N.B. These Gigantes are presumably the Kouretes, the usual companions of Rhea.]  Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 37. 1 : "[In the sanctuary of Despoine, near Akakesion, Arkadia :] By the image of Despoine [daughter of Demeter] stands Anytos, represented as a man in armour. Those about the sanctuary say that Despoine was brought up by Anytos, who was one of the Titanes, as they are called." [N.B. Anytos was probably one of the Kouretes.]
VII) YOUNGER TITANES  Prometheus was associated with Phokis in Central Greece, where he was said to have moulded mankind from clay; his brother Epimetheus was linked with Korinthos in the Peloponnese; and the daughters of Atlas were scattered throughout the region--ancestresses of the royal houses of Lakonia, Arkadia, Elis, Korinthos, and Boiotia.

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