Eagles were considered the most prominent of birds in classical antiquity. Several legends attested to their unique qualities, such as Aristotle's claim that the sea eagle only raised the young who could look at the sun directly without their eyes watering, or Pliny the Elder's claim that they were immune to being struck by lightning, while the Geoponica claimed that they protected from hail.[1] They were considered endowed with oracular properties, and a divine bird, as messenger of Zeus and herald of victory.[1] In fact, Zeus himself is said to have transformed himself into an eagle on occasion.[1]
There are several schools of thought regarding the origin of this eagle, coming from different Greek legends.
Aëtosedit
In one version, Aëtos was a childhood friend of Zeus who kept him company while the god was hiding in Crete from his father. After Zeus became king, Hera turned Aëtos into an eagle out of fear that Zeus was in love with him. Zeus made the eagle his most prominent and sacred symbol. In some versions, Aëtos is supplanted with Ganymede, the Trojan whom Zeus abducted in the form of an eagle.[4]
According to Antoninus Liberalis, Periphas was a legendary king of Attica who was a just king, and a dutiful priest of Apollo. Zeus, however, became indignant because Periphas was revered and honoured as if he were Zeus himself, so Zeus wanted to destroy Periphas and his entire household. But Apollo interceded, and instead Zeus transformed Periphas into an eagle, making him king of all birds and guard of his sacred sceptre.[5]
Creation of Gaiaedit
In other accounts the eagle was in fact an ancient creation of the goddess Gaia. He appeared before Zeus at the start of the Titanomachy. Zeus took this to mean a good omen of victory, leading to him using the emblem of a golden eagle on his war standard:
...For so happy an omen, especially since victory did ensue, he made a golden eagle for his war standards and consecrated it to the might of his protection, whereby also among the Romans, standards of this kind are carried. — a translated excerpt from Fulgentius' "Mythologies" (Mythologiarum Libri III)
Other infoedit
According to others Zeus adopted the eagle when it first appeared to him before the Titan War as a sign of good omen. The eagle was later sent by Zeus to fetch the handsome youth Ganymedes to heaven to become the cupbearer of the gods.
Notesedit
^ abcdHünemörder, Christian (2006). "Eagle". Brill's New Pauly. Brill Online. doi:10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e103630.
Antoninus Liberalis, The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis: A Translation with Commentary, Edited and translated by Francis Celoria, Psychology Press, 1992. ISBN9780415068963
Hemingway, Seán (2015). "The Eagle of Zeus in Greek Art and Literature". In Kevin F. Daly; Lee Ann Riccardi (eds.). Cities Called Athens: Studies Honoring John McK. Camp II. Bucknell University Press. pp. 89–114. ISBN9781611486186.
January 01, 1970
eagle, zeus, ancient, greek, ἀετός, Διός, romanized, aetos, dios, chief, attributes, personifications, zeus, head, olympian, pantheon, zeus, eagle, krater, louvre, ptolemaic, tetradrachm, with, standing, thunderbolt, obverse, contents, eagles, antiquity, legen. The Eagle of Zeus Ancient Greek ἀetos Dios romanized aetos Dios was one of the chief attributes and personifications of Zeus the head of the Olympian pantheon Zeus and an eagle krater c 560 BC now in the Louvre Ptolemaic tetradrachm with the Eagle of Zeus standing on a thunderbolt on the obverse Contents 1 Eagles in antiquity 2 Legends 2 1 Aetos 2 2 Periphas 2 3 Creation of Gaia 3 Other info 4 Notes 5 ReferencesEagles in antiquity editEagles were considered the most prominent of birds in classical antiquity Several legends attested to their unique qualities such as Aristotle s claim that the sea eagle only raised the young who could look at the sun directly without their eyes watering or Pliny the Elder s claim that they were immune to being struck by lightning while the Geoponica claimed that they protected from hail 1 They were considered endowed with oracular properties and a divine bird as messenger of Zeus and herald of victory 1 In fact Zeus himself is said to have transformed himself into an eagle on occasion 1 From these divine associations the eagle came to be used as an emblem of several rulers from the Achaemenids to Alexander the Great and the Diadochi and finally of the Roman emperors 1 Zeus being equated with Jupiter the eagle holding Jupiter s lightning became the chief symbol aquila of the Roman legions 2 The eagle was placed amongst the stars as the constellation Aquila alongside Lyra 3 Legends editThere are several schools of thought regarding the origin of this eagle coming from different Greek legends Aetos edit In one version Aetos was a childhood friend of Zeus who kept him company while the god was hiding in Crete from his father After Zeus became king Hera turned Aetos into an eagle out of fear that Zeus was in love with him Zeus made the eagle his most prominent and sacred symbol In some versions Aetos is supplanted with Ganymede the Trojan whom Zeus abducted in the form of an eagle 4 Periphas edit nbsp Tetradrachm of Perseus of Macedon According to Antoninus Liberalis Periphas was a legendary king of Attica who was a just king and a dutiful priest of Apollo Zeus however became indignant because Periphas was revered and honoured as if he were Zeus himself so Zeus wanted to destroy Periphas and his entire household But Apollo interceded and instead Zeus transformed Periphas into an eagle making him king of all birds and guard of his sacred sceptre 5 Creation of Gaia editIn other accounts the eagle was in fact an ancient creation of the goddess Gaia He appeared before Zeus at the start of the Titanomachy Zeus took this to mean a good omen of victory leading to him using the emblem of a golden eagle on his war standard For so happy an omen especially since victory did ensue he made a golden eagle for his war standards and consecrated it to the might of his protection whereby also among the Romans standards of this kind are carried a translated excerpt from Fulgentius Mythologies Mythologiarum Libri III Other info editAccording to others Zeus adopted the eagle when it first appeared to him before the Titan War as a sign of good omen The eagle was later sent by Zeus to fetch the handsome youth Ganymedes to heaven to become the cupbearer of the gods Notes edit a b c d Hunemorder Christian 2006 Eagle Brill s New Pauly Brill Online doi 10 1163 1574 9347 bnp e103630 Le Bohec Yann 2006 Ensigns Brill s New Pauly Brill Online doi 10 1163 1574 9347 bnp e410600 EAGLE OF ZEUS Aetos Dios Giant Eagle of Greek Mythology www theoi com Retrieved 2022 03 09 Kerenyi Karl 1951 The Gods of the Greeks London Thames and Hudson p 95 Antoninus Liberalis 6 pp 118 121 Cook 1925 pp 1121 ff References editAntoninus Liberalis The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis A Translation with Commentary Edited and translated by Francis Celoria Psychology Press 1992 ISBN 9780415068963 Cook Arthur Bernard 1925 Zeus A Study in Ancient Religion Volume 2 Part 2 Cambridge University Press 2010 ISBN 9781108021319 Smith William Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology London 1873 Periphas 5 Hemingway Sean 2015 The Eagle of Zeus in Greek Art and Literature In Kevin F Daly Lee Ann Riccardi eds Cities Called Athens Studies Honoring John McK Camp II Bucknell University Press pp 89 114 ISBN 9781611486186 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Eagle of Zeus amp oldid 1222225366, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
