#alkyoneus

Alkyoneus the Giant Killed by Athena

Detail from the Pergamon Altar's frieze (The frieze depicts the Gigantomachy); built in 2nd century BCE; Today in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.

The Pergamon Altar (Ancient Greek: Βωμός τῆς Περγάμου) is a monumental construction built during the reign of king Eumenes II in the first half of the 2nd century BC on one of the terraces of the acropolis of the ancient Greek city of Pergamon in Asia Minor.

For #NationalStorytellingWeek I'm telling you a story about a handsome young man named Alkyoneus and a terrible dragon, possibly the OG princess and dragon trope. Only the princess is a pretty boy.

Alkyoneus was a handsome young man who lived with his parents in Krisa, an ancient name for Delphi, at the foot of Mount Parnassos. He was their only son and they loved him very much. At the time, the countryside of Delphi suffered from the terrible drakaina (she-dragon) Sybaris.

Sybaris lived in a cave on Mount Kirphis and devoured both livestock and humans. The people of Delphi went to Apollon's oracle and asked the god what to do about the constant attacks on their lives and livelihoods. Apollon told them how they would be freed from this threat:

The attacks would end if they offered a young man of their choosing to the beast. So the people of Delphi had all male youths draw lots and poor Alkyoneus was selected to be the sacrifice. The priests crowned him and led him to the cave of Sybaris on Mount Kirphis.

On the way, they encountered Eurybares, a young man just passing through. Enamoured with handsome Alkyoneus, he asked where they were going. When he learned of the sacrifice, he tore the wreath from Alkyoneus' head and placed it on his own, insisting that he would take his place.

As soon as the priests had led him up to the cave, Eurybares ran inside and hauled Sybaris from her lair, forcing her into the open. Then he hurled her from the crags. Tumbling down, Sybaris struck her head against the footings of Krisa. Because of this wound she faded from sight. From that rock sprang a fountain and the locals call it Sybaris.

The text doesn't say but I hope Eurybares and Alkyoneus got together in the end.

mythology aesthetics

ALKYONEUS

As told in Nikandros’s ‘Transformations’

Beside the southern furrows of Mount Parnassos, there is a mountain named Kirphis near Krisa. Inside of its caves is an exceedingly awful and enormous beast. This beast is a lamia named Sybaris who would frequently snatch up men and children. Urgently did the counsel of Delphi’s country present themselves to an oracle who told them that in order to be released, they must bring forth a young man from their citizens and send him to the cave. Doing as the oracle instructed them, they casted lots and from them Alkyoneus, son of Diomos and Meganeires was appointed. The only spawn of his father, he was beautiful in appearance and nature. The priests crowned Alkyoneus and lead him away to Sybaris’s cave. Godly Eurybatos, son of slim Euphemos who himself was of the river Axios, young and noble, was coming from Curetis and happened upon the boy while he was being carried away. Stricken by his beauty, the boy thought it unjust to let such beauty perish and being of piteous nature, offered himself instead. Stripping off Alkyoneus’s crown, he placed it on his own head and ordered himself to be led forward instead of the youth. After reaching Sybaris’s lair, he rushed in and seized her, carrying her out of the cave’s opening, throwing her against the rocks and off the mountain. Falling down, she struck her head against the furrows of Krisa. From her wound was borne a spring which the locals call Sybaris, and the Lokrians paid homage to this story by naming a town in Italy Sybaris.

_________________________________________

original text ::