#hymenaeus

"On high the roof — Hymen (Hymenaeus)! — rise up, you carpenters! — the bridegroom is coming."

— Sappho, Fragment 111

The erotes are a group of winged gods associated with love, sex, passion and marriage. They are most often seen with aphrodite as her companions and are also often her children. The number of them varies, but here I wanted to list the main 7, their domains and their parents. As someone who honors the erotes often in my practice, I wanted to share the information I could find on them to get more people interested in them! If it’s wanted, I could make a separate post on things I usually give as offerings to them as a group to give other people ideas on where to start!

Eros Pothos Anteros

Eros: god of love and sexual desire. There are two distinct versions of Eros. One of him being one of the youngest gods, child of Aphrodite and Ares, the other is him being one of the first gods to come into creation.

Himeros: god of uncontrollable sexual desire and lust. Child of Aphrodite. In Hesiod’s Theogony, he accompanied Aphrodite at her birth along with Eros.

Pothos: god of desire, yearning and longing. Child of Aphrodite or sometimes said to be the son of Zephyros and Iris.

Anteros: god of requited love and avenger of unrequited love. Son of Ares and Aphrodite or alternatively he is the child of Nerites and Poseidon.

Hedylogos: god of sweet talk and flattery. Not much is known about Hedylogos unfortunately, not even who his parents are but a good guess would be Aphrodite.

Hermaphroditus: god of androgyny and effeminacy. Child of Hermes and Aphrodite.

Hymenaeus: god of marriage and weddings. Son of usually Apollon and one of the muses or in one case Dionysus and Aphrodite.

this is specifically for the rrverse versions of Apollo's immortal kids! but feel free to think about it in the mythology context too! :3

Hymenaeus

still has a room in Apollo's palace

still sleeps in it

but he also has a room in Eros's because he's an Erote

this makes for some awkward situations when Apollo and/or Eros have to go to the other's place to grab him for something or other

they basically share custody of him

divorced dads behavior

when he was little he tried to get people to marry his dad because he reeeally wanted to plan his dad's wedding

technically, he succeeded, because he was the one who made Apollo/Cyrene's marriage official XD

his hair is fluffy like a sheep's fluff. also somewhere between strawberry-blonde and a very light amber. and reaches to just under his chin. don't forget the floppiness tho >:3

has his dad's bright blue eyes

LOVES his dad's swans. and corvids. he loves birds.

probably because he also has wings

wings are brilliantly white with a soft pink and gold flush

never looks older than 16

many of the other Erotes find Apollo hot. Hymen is distinctly horrified to know this.

Himeros: Your dad's a DILF

Hymen: a what?

Anteros: don't you dare-

Himeros: A Dad I'd Like to FUCK-

Hymen: *much screaming*

Ialemus

also still has a room in Apollo's palace

as a matter of fact, he still lives in said room

his room is also in apollo's basement (he wanted it there)

he is the emo kid. but he's also not necessarily antisocial

he just likes his solitude. and honestly, mood

imagine dragons is a favorite band. and hozier. he likes "slower" songs as well as sad ones

has Apollo's long hair, but in a very dark brown

has vivid green eyes. like radioactive ones.

likes ponytails

cows are his favorite animal

they are calm creatures he can ramble too so he likes them

knows a lot about things. comes with listening rather than talking ;)

WILL infodump

Apollonides

these girls are the PARTY KIDS

they are the ones throwing parties in their dad's house at 2 am

they also still live in Apollo's palace

frequent clubs and discos; can be seen at concert venues and are in many of the big city concerts (ie, Las Vegas, Madrid, Vienna, ect.)

Borysthenis is the 'oldest' (Hypatē - the lowerest & first string on the lyre); has curly brown hair and dark green eyes

Apollonis is the 'middle' (Mesē - the middle string); has Apollo's blonde hair, but straight, and dark eyes (crow-like, even... >;3)

and Cephisso is the 'youngest' (Nētē - the highest string); has poofy black hair and silvery-blue eyes

Hypatē has a comfy sort of style, such as sweaters and sandals

Mesē likes to wear aesthetically dark clothes with silver accents

Nētē wears blouses and loose jackets

one time they highjacked the sun chariot and got away with it by pulling the puppy eyes

they have demigod children in CHB

Asclepius

the baby

died at 15- still treated like he's 10

snuck onto the Argo mission at 13

Idmon and Orpheus played pass the babysitter with Jason

He kicked Heracles in the shins once for "trying to steal my dad's stuff!!"

Atalanta and Asclepius were buddies

The Boreads played games with him to keep him occupied

went on the Calydonian Boar Hunt to make sure Atalanta didn't 1) hurt herself; or 2) kill someone

he grew up in the beginning stages of CHB

in 'camp' with him were: Jason (the oldest), Atalanta (raised by bears), and Hippolytus (it was his boarding school).

Theseus dropped by sometimes and Asclepius was able to smuggle his way into his belongs so he could visit Athens. just because :)

Jason and Atalanta freaked out and they and Hippolytus went on a 'quest' to find him

Phoebe the hunter is his favorite sister

he befriends snakes quickly

he died at 15

his death pushed Phoebe into distancing herself from her other siblings

when he was resurrected, he wasn't allowed to see Apollo

his only visitors in his prison medical school is his wife and children. he hasn't seen or heard from his father or any sibling in centuries.

has his mother's shiny black hair but his father's curls as well as his bright blue eyes

Aristaeus

the REAL baby

has anxiety

severe imposter syndrome

pov: all your siblings are great and wonderful and accomplished people. and you made cheese and honey :)

mom and dad were very proud of u ofc but you feel like you didn't even do much

especially when your cool older brother went on the Argo mission even though he knew he would die (RIP Idmon)

gets easily defensive over agriculture (specifically the innovations and how they have taken over the Good Ol' Days's way aka his way)

(he got that from his dad <3)

he also got his dad's blonde hair, but in a honey tone. his skin tone is also darker and closer in shade to Cyrene's

makes really good charcuterie boards

hangs out in the Midwest

visits his mom in Cyrene, Libya (he is a good son ty)

(ironically) mice are his favorite from his dad's sacred animals

he hates locusts though

“7.367 ANTIPATER OF THESSALONICA

Say that I am the corpse of Italian Egerius whose eyes when he went to meet his bride were veiled by a dim cloud, which extinguished his life together with his eyesight, after he had but seen the girl. Alas, O Sun, that heaven allotted him such a fate! Cursed be that envious wedding torch, whether unwilling Hymen lit or willing Hades.”

“7.547 LEONIDAS OF ALEXANDRIA (ISOPSEPHA)

Bianor engraved the stone, not for his mother or father, as had been their meet fate, but for his unmarried daughter, and he groaned as he led the bride of twelve years not to Hymenaeus but to Hades.”

- Greek Anthology Book 7

“9.245 ANTIPHANES

By the unhappy marriage-bed of Petale at her bitter bridal stood Hades, not Hymen. For, as she fled alone through the darkness, dreading the first taste of the yoke of Cypris — a terror common to all maidens — the cruel watch-dogs killed her. We had hoped to see her a wife and suddenly we could hardly find her corpse.”

- Greek Anthology Book 9

“[Chorus]: Your son has taken his place in heaven, old woman. I will not accept the story that he went down to the house of Hades, his body consumed by the dread flame. It is fair Hebe whose bed he shares in that hall of gold. O Hymen, two of Zeus's children have you honored.”

My Trojan War sources are here and here.

When I'm not writing my novel I'm an archaeologist and when I'm not doing that I'm writing a fic called The Wooing of Hymenaios which I've started posting on ao3. See this incredible thing.

My !mortal Hymenaios sources are here. (you should check this out, too)

Oh, and an Achilles/Troilos fic which will probably never see the light of day because it makes me too sad.