#curetes

Source: World History Encyclopaedia

Zagreus

ZEUS SECRETLY begot his son Zagreus on Persephone, before she was taken to the Underworld by her uncle Hades. He set Rhea’s sons, the Cretan Curetes or, some say, the Corybantes, to guard his cradle in the Idean Cave, where they leaped about him, clashing their weapons, as they had leaped about Zeus himself at Dicte. But the Titans, Zeus’ enemies, whitening themselves with gypsum until they were unrecognisable, waited until the Curetes slept. At midnight they lured Zagreus away, by offering him such childish toys as a cone, a bull-roarer, golden apples, a mirror, a knuckle-bone, and a tuft of wool. (Zagreus, The Greek Myths by Robert Graves, pp. 118-120)

Having lured the infant away from the safety of his cave and the protection of the Curetes, the vengeful Titans set about the boy. Despite Zagreus valiantly transforming into a variety of beasts to defend himself, the Titans were too numerous and too strong: they eventually overpowered Zagreus, tore him limb from limb and devoured his flesh. Athene succeeded in rescuing the boy’s heart from this carnage, enclosed it within a gypsum figure, into which she breathed immortal life. A furious Zeus later tracked the Titans down one by one, destroying them with his thunderbolts.

mythology aesthetics

THE CURETES

Terracotta Campana relief, three Curetes with swords and shields, protecting the infant Zeus

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