C – Semele and Ino

κατὰ δὲ τὸν χρόνον τὸν καθήκοντα Διόνυσον γεννᾷ Ζεὺς λύσας τὰ ῥάμματα, καὶ δίδωσιν Ἑρμῇ. ὁ δὲ κομίζει πρὸς Ἰνὼ καὶ Ἀθάμαντα καὶ πείθει τρέφειν ὡς κόρην. ἀγανακτήσασα δὲ Ἥρα μανίαν αὐτοῖς ἐνέβαλε, καὶ Ἀθάμας μὲν τὸν πρεσβύτερον παῖδα Λέαρχον ὡς ἔλαφον θηρεύσας ἀπέκτεινεν, Ἰνὼ δὲ τὸν Μελικέρτην εἰς πεπυρωμένον λέβητα ῥίψασα, εἶτα βαστάσασα μετὰ νεκροῦ τοῦ παιδὸς ἥλατο κατὰ βυθοῦ. καὶ Λευκοθέα μὲν αὐτὴν καλεῖται, Παλαίμων δὲ ὁ παῖς, οὕτως ὀνομασθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν πλεόντων: τοῖς χειμαζομένοις γὰρ βοηθοῦσιν. ἐτέθη δὲ ἐπὶ Μελικέρτῃ ὁ ἀγὼν τῶν Ἰσθμίων, Σισύφου θέντος. Διόνυσον δὲ Ζεὺς εἰς ἔριφον ἀλλάξας τὸν Ἥρας θυμὸν ἔκλεψε, καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὸν Ἑρμῆς πρὸς νύμφας ἐκόμισεν ἐν Νύσῃ κατοικούσας τῆς Ἀσίας, ἃς ὕστερον Ζεὺς καταστερίσας ὠνόμασεν Ὑάδας.

  • Map
  • Pre Reading
  • Post Reading
  • Culture Essay

Read the culture essay, “Ino and Melicertes.”

 

Transformations abound in Part C of Apollodorus’ “Semele and Ino”: gender roles are reversed, children are likened to animals, names change.  In complete Greek sentences, list all the transformations that take place in this section.  Then brainstorm with a partner why each one may have taken place.

Review: Participles-Post-reading-Semele&Ino.

 

The birth of Dionysus, on a South Italian vase, c. 380 BC. Dionysus’ nurse, Ino, holding a thyrsus, reaches to receive him, while Hermes, with his caduceus, waits in the bottom right to carry the baby to the nymphs of Nysa, shown on the left lounging about with Pan (above Zeus, with panpipes) and satyrs (lower right). Apollo and Artemis (she is half off the photo) stand behind Zeus. (National Archeological Museum, Taranto, Italy).
Roman Sarcophagus depicting the Birth of Dionysos
Birth of the god Dionysus. At the left, the newborn god is nursed by a nymph and surrounded by Silenus-his future teacher-and other attendants, including one preparing a basin for the child’s first bath. A panther is seated nearby. Roman sarcophagus. Thasian marble. 15-60 CE. Walters Art Museum.