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<p>[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 2744527, member: 75937"]There is sort of a connection. One of the epithets of Apollo (Asklepios' dad) was Smintheus, or "Lord of the Mice." This is the guise in which Apollo appears in book 1 of the Iliad, killing the Greeks with a plague because the Greeks have taken the daughter of Apollo's priest into slavery.</p><p><br /></p><p>The priest prays to Apollo Smintheus as follows:</p><p><br /></p><p>πολλὰ δ᾽ ἔπειτ᾽ ἀπάνευθε κιὼν ἠρᾶθ᾽ ὃ γεραιὸς</p><p>Ἀπόλλωνι ἄνακτι, τὸν ἠΰκομος τέκε Λητώ:</p><p>κλῦθί μευ ἀργυρότοξ᾽, ὃς Χρύσην ἀμφιβέβηκας</p><p>Κίλλάν τε ζαθέην Τενέδοιό τε ἶφι ἀνάσσεις,</p><p><b>Σμινθεῦ</b> εἴ ποτέ τοι χαρίεντ᾽ ἐπὶ νηὸν ἔρεψα,</p><p>ἢ εἰ δή ποτέ τοι κατὰ πίονα μηρί᾽ ἔκηα</p><p>ταύρων ἠδ᾽ αἰγῶν, τὸ δέ μοι κρήηνον ἐέλδωρ:</p><p>τίσειαν Δαναοὶ ἐμὰ δάκρυα σοῖσι βέλεσσιν.</p><p><br /></p><p>I translate as:</p><p><br /></p><p>And then, going a long ways away, the old man began to pray</p><p>to Lord Apollo, the one beautiful-haired Leto bore:</p><p>"Hear me, silver-bowed one, who yet protects Crysa</p><p>and most holy Cilla, and who is mighty protector of Tenedos.</p><p><b>Smintheus</b>, if ever I built a roof upon a graceful temple for you</p><p>or if truly I ever burned for you the fat thigh pieces</p><p>of bulls and goats, then grant me a wish:</p><p>May the Danaeans pay for my tears with your arrows!"</p><p><br /></p><p>Scholars have suggested that the Greeks associated mice and plagues, even from the time of Homer.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 2744527, member: 75937"]There is sort of a connection. One of the epithets of Apollo (Asklepios' dad) was Smintheus, or "Lord of the Mice." This is the guise in which Apollo appears in book 1 of the Iliad, killing the Greeks with a plague because the Greeks have taken the daughter of Apollo's priest into slavery. The priest prays to Apollo Smintheus as follows: πολλὰ δ᾽ ἔπειτ᾽ ἀπάνευθε κιὼν ἠρᾶθ᾽ ὃ γεραιὸς Ἀπόλλωνι ἄνακτι, τὸν ἠΰκομος τέκε Λητώ: κλῦθί μευ ἀργυρότοξ᾽, ὃς Χρύσην ἀμφιβέβηκας Κίλλάν τε ζαθέην Τενέδοιό τε ἶφι ἀνάσσεις, [B]Σμινθεῦ[/B] εἴ ποτέ τοι χαρίεντ᾽ ἐπὶ νηὸν ἔρεψα, ἢ εἰ δή ποτέ τοι κατὰ πίονα μηρί᾽ ἔκηα ταύρων ἠδ᾽ αἰγῶν, τὸ δέ μοι κρήηνον ἐέλδωρ: τίσειαν Δαναοὶ ἐμὰ δάκρυα σοῖσι βέλεσσιν. I translate as: And then, going a long ways away, the old man began to pray to Lord Apollo, the one beautiful-haired Leto bore: "Hear me, silver-bowed one, who yet protects Crysa and most holy Cilla, and who is mighty protector of Tenedos. [B]Smintheus[/B], if ever I built a roof upon a graceful temple for you or if truly I ever burned for you the fat thigh pieces of bulls and goats, then grant me a wish: May the Danaeans pay for my tears with your arrows!" Scholars have suggested that the Greeks associated mice and plagues, even from the time of Homer.[/QUOTE]
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