Iasion

In Greek mythology, Iasion /aɪˈeɪʒən/ (Ancient Greek: Ἰασίων,[1] Iasíōn) or Iasus /ˈaɪəsəs/ (Ἴασος,[2] Íasos), also called Eetion /iːˈɛʃən/ (Ἠετίων, Ēetíōn), was usually the son of the nymph Electra and Zeus and brother of Dardanus, although other possible parentage included Zeus and Hemera or Corythus and Electra.

Iasion founded the mystic rites on the island of Samothrace. With Demeter, he was the father of twin sons named Ploutos and Philomelus, and another son named Korybas.

At the marriage of Cadmus and Harmonia, Iasion was lured by Demeter away from the other revelers. They had intercourse as Demeter lay on her back in freshly plowed furrow. When they rejoined the celebration, Zeus guessed what had happened because of the mud on Demeter's backside, and out of envy promptly killed Iasion with a thunderbolt.[3] [4] Some versions of this myth conclude with Iasion and the agricultural hero Triptolemus then becoming the Gemini constellation.

References

  1. ↑ gen.: Ἰασίωνος
  2. ↑ gen.: Ἰάσου
  3. ↑ Bibliotheca 3.138, Theogony 969ff, Odyssey 5.125ff.
  4. ↑ Shlain, Leonard (1998). The Alphabet Versus the Goddess. Viking Penguin. ISBN 0-14-019601-3.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, March 01, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.