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<p>[QUOTE="Jochen1, post: 4500201, member: 103829"]Dear Friends of ancient mythology,</p><p><br /></p><p>I think it's time for a new article!</p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Coin:</b></p><p>Sicily, Syracuse, c.475-450 BC</p><p>Silver litra, 12.4mm, 0.653g</p><p>Obv.: ΣVPA</p><p> Head of Arethusa, with pearl-diadem, r.</p><p>Rev.: Oktopus</p><p>Ref.: SNG ANS 183; SNG München 1003; SNG Copenhagen 641; cf. Boehringer S.196, 450ff.</p><p>about F, slightly toned</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1116014[/ATTACH] </p><p><b>Mythology:</b></p><p>Arethusa, daughter of Nereus, the sea-god, and Doris, was a well-nymph on the Peloponnesos, but a passionated huntress and compaignon of Artemis too. Once she came heated from a hunt in the Stymphalic woods to the river Alpheios, took off her clothes and entered the water. At this moment the river-god approached her and shouted she should not flee from him. But she did without her clothes and Alpheios followed her until they came to Elis. Here exhausted she called Artemis for help. Artemis wrapped her in clouds to hide her from Alpheios. But nevertheless he hold her embraced. So she was transformed by Artemis into water and melted between his fingers. But Alpheios changed into water too to unite with her. Then Artemis opened the ground so Arethusa could flow into it and came out not earlier than on the island of Ortygia in front of Syracuse in Sicily as a beautiful fountain. During her flight she discovered by the way the raped Persephone and reported that to Demeter. Alpheios followed her to Sicily and here he finally managed to unite with her.</p><p><br /></p><p>Arethusa was worshipped in Aigios in Achaia. The people took offering cakes from the altar of Salus threw them into the sea and shouted she should send them to Arethusa to Sicily.</p><p><br /></p><p>The famous fountain on Ortygia was very beautiful and full of tasty sweet water. It was large and full of fishes. But it had to be armed with barrages to protect it against the sea. There was a curious case with this fountain: Everytime the Olympic Games occur in Elis the fountain smelled of horse dung. This was true too if horses were drifted into the Alpheios. It was told too that once a silvery bowl thrown into the Alpheios appeared in the fountain. This all was seen as proof for a subterranean connection between Elis and Ortygia deep under the Mediterranean.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1116015[/ATTACH] </p><p>The pic shows the fountain of Arethus on Ortygia how it could be seen today-</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Background:</b></p><p>The name Arethusa seems to be Phoinician and should be explained so: When the Phoinicians came to Sicily and found the fountain they called it 'Alphaga', meaning "willow spring". Others called it just 'Arith', meaning °stream°. The Greek coming later to Sicily no longer understood these meanings and put it to the name of the river Alpheios.</p><p><br /></p><p>The river Alpheios is the biggest river of the Peloponnesos which together with its confluents drains the major part of Arcadia. Until today it is a whitewater with torrential streaming especially at flood. In ancient times there was only one bridge testified at Heraia. The Alpheios already soon played a big role in mythology. So he should have chased Artemis Arethusa in love who had a sanctuary at his estuary mouth. But the most famous is the myth of the nymph Arethusa where several different variants are known. Beside the physical impossible subterranean connection to Sicily there were other such impossible suggestions e.g.. that Alpheios and Eurotas have the same well from which they originate.</p><p><br /></p><p>The island of Ortygia, the 'land of quails', situated directly in front of Syracuse, was the mythic birthplace of Artemis who therefore had the cognomen Ortygia too. The most ancient mentions can not be localised but in the course of time the cult places of Artemis and Leto were identified with Ortygia. Indeed other places too claimed to be the birthplace, so Delos, called formerly Ortygia, Nasos near Syracuse or Ephesos with its sacred grove.</p><p><br /></p><p>It should be mentioned that sometimes Arethusa is listed as one of the Hesperids too.</p><p><br /></p><p>Already soon Arethusa was depicted on coins of Syracus, often accompanied by dolphins, and later melted together with Artemis of whom she was a passionate devotee.</p><p><br /></p><p>It's curious, I wasn't able to find an ancient depiction to this myth. So I have attached the pic of "Alpheus chasing Arethusa" of the French Court painter Antoine Coypel (1661-1722), location unknown</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1116016[/ATTACH] </p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Sources:</b></p><p>(1) Ovid, Metamorphoses 5, 571-641</p><p>(2) Pausanias, Periegesis 5, 7, 2-4</p><p>(3) Benjami Hederich, Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon</p><p>(4) Der kleine Pauly</p><p><br /></p><p>Best regards[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Jochen1, post: 4500201, member: 103829"]Dear Friends of ancient mythology, I think it's time for a new article! [B]The Coin:[/B] Sicily, Syracuse, c.475-450 BC Silver litra, 12.4mm, 0.653g Obv.: ΣVPA Head of Arethusa, with pearl-diadem, r. Rev.: Oktopus Ref.: SNG ANS 183; SNG München 1003; SNG Copenhagen 641; cf. Boehringer S.196, 450ff. about F, slightly toned [ATTACH=full]1116014[/ATTACH] [B]Mythology:[/B] Arethusa, daughter of Nereus, the sea-god, and Doris, was a well-nymph on the Peloponnesos, but a passionated huntress and compaignon of Artemis too. Once she came heated from a hunt in the Stymphalic woods to the river Alpheios, took off her clothes and entered the water. At this moment the river-god approached her and shouted she should not flee from him. But she did without her clothes and Alpheios followed her until they came to Elis. Here exhausted she called Artemis for help. Artemis wrapped her in clouds to hide her from Alpheios. But nevertheless he hold her embraced. So she was transformed by Artemis into water and melted between his fingers. But Alpheios changed into water too to unite with her. Then Artemis opened the ground so Arethusa could flow into it and came out not earlier than on the island of Ortygia in front of Syracuse in Sicily as a beautiful fountain. During her flight she discovered by the way the raped Persephone and reported that to Demeter. Alpheios followed her to Sicily and here he finally managed to unite with her. Arethusa was worshipped in Aigios in Achaia. The people took offering cakes from the altar of Salus threw them into the sea and shouted she should send them to Arethusa to Sicily. The famous fountain on Ortygia was very beautiful and full of tasty sweet water. It was large and full of fishes. But it had to be armed with barrages to protect it against the sea. There was a curious case with this fountain: Everytime the Olympic Games occur in Elis the fountain smelled of horse dung. This was true too if horses were drifted into the Alpheios. It was told too that once a silvery bowl thrown into the Alpheios appeared in the fountain. This all was seen as proof for a subterranean connection between Elis and Ortygia deep under the Mediterranean. [ATTACH=full]1116015[/ATTACH] The pic shows the fountain of Arethus on Ortygia how it could be seen today- [B]Background:[/B] The name Arethusa seems to be Phoinician and should be explained so: When the Phoinicians came to Sicily and found the fountain they called it 'Alphaga', meaning "willow spring". Others called it just 'Arith', meaning °stream°. The Greek coming later to Sicily no longer understood these meanings and put it to the name of the river Alpheios. The river Alpheios is the biggest river of the Peloponnesos which together with its confluents drains the major part of Arcadia. Until today it is a whitewater with torrential streaming especially at flood. In ancient times there was only one bridge testified at Heraia. The Alpheios already soon played a big role in mythology. So he should have chased Artemis Arethusa in love who had a sanctuary at his estuary mouth. But the most famous is the myth of the nymph Arethusa where several different variants are known. Beside the physical impossible subterranean connection to Sicily there were other such impossible suggestions e.g.. that Alpheios and Eurotas have the same well from which they originate. The island of Ortygia, the 'land of quails', situated directly in front of Syracuse, was the mythic birthplace of Artemis who therefore had the cognomen Ortygia too. The most ancient mentions can not be localised but in the course of time the cult places of Artemis and Leto were identified with Ortygia. Indeed other places too claimed to be the birthplace, so Delos, called formerly Ortygia, Nasos near Syracuse or Ephesos with its sacred grove. It should be mentioned that sometimes Arethusa is listed as one of the Hesperids too. Already soon Arethusa was depicted on coins of Syracus, often accompanied by dolphins, and later melted together with Artemis of whom she was a passionate devotee. It's curious, I wasn't able to find an ancient depiction to this myth. So I have attached the pic of "Alpheus chasing Arethusa" of the French Court painter Antoine Coypel (1661-1722), location unknown [ATTACH=full]1116016[/ATTACH] [B] Sources:[/B] (1) Ovid, Metamorphoses 5, 571-641 (2) Pausanias, Periegesis 5, 7, 2-4 (3) Benjami Hederich, Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon (4) Der kleine Pauly Best regards[/QUOTE]
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