#polyidus

Glaukos and Polyeidos in the Tomb Sotades; Athens; ca. 460–450 bce.

thank you sotades

“Tylon or Tylus [of Lydia] was a son of Earth. One day as he was walking on the banks of the Hermus a serpent stung and killed him. His distressed sister Moire had recourse to a giant named Damasen, who attacked and slew the serpent. But the serpent's mate culled a herb, ‘the flower of Zeus,’ in the woods, and bringing it in her mouth put it to the lips of the dead serpent, which immediately revived. In her turn Moire took the hint and restored her brother Tylon to life by touching him with the same plant. A similar incident occurs in many folk-tales. Serpents are often credited with a knowledge of life-giving plants.”**

—J. G. Frazer, Adonis, Attis, Osiris, part 1 (The Golden Bough, vol. V, 1914, p. 186)

**Frazer’s Footnote: “Thus Glaucus, son of Minos, was restored to life by the seer Polyidus, who learned the trick from a serpent. See Apollodorus, Bibliotheca, iii. 3. I. For references to other tales of the same sort see my note on Pausanias, ii. 10. 3 (vol. iii. pp. 65 sq.). The serpent's acquaintance with the tree of life in the garden of Eden perhaps belongs to the same cycle of stories” (p. 186).

Eve taking medical advice from the Serpent in the Garden—"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" (Eva met slang en appel en liggende leeuw, by Hans Sebald Beham [1523]).

Minos and Pasiphae have a son named Glaucus who fell into a jar of honey when he was chasing either a mouse/ ball and drowned in it. horrifying death. Thankfully, a seer, either Polyidus or Asclepius, comes to Crete, Minos holds him hostage, and forces him to try and bring his son back to life. a snake shows up, the seer kills it. another snake brings the other snake back to life via an herb (previously discovered by Medea) minos forces the healer to train Glaucus in divination. at the very end through... mouth spitting. the healer whipes glaucus mind. I'm quite interested in this kid. He's the brother of Ariadne, son of Pasiphae; his relation to Circe and Medea is actually brought up a couple of times. I imagine he's more like his mom, a bit mysterious and magical. its strange, he literally died lmao, he saw the underworld. also damn, dying in honey is horryfing bro got pickled. here are the sources in you want "But Glaucus, while he was yet a child, in chasing a mouse fell into a jar of honey and was drowned. On his disappearance Minos made a great search and consulted diviners as to how he should find him. ///, Polyidus, son of Coeranus, compared the color of the cow to the fruit of the bramble, and being compelled to seek for the child he found him by means of a sort of divination. But Minos declaring that he must recover him alive, he was shut up with the dead body. And while he was in great perplexity, he saw a serpent going towards the corpse. He threw a stone and killed it, fearing to be killed himself if any harm befell the body. But another serpent came, and, seeing the former one dead, departed, and then returned, bringing a herb, and placed it on the whole body of the other; and no sooner was the herb so placed upon it than the dead serpent came to life. Surprised at this sight, Polyidus applied the same herb to the body of Glaucus and raised him from the dead.

Minos had now got back his son, but even so he did not suffer Polyidus to depart to Argos until he had taught Glaucus the art of divination. Polyidus taught him on compulsion, and when he was sailing away he bade Glaucus spit into his mouth. Glaucus did so and forgot the art of divination. Thus much must suffice for my account of the descendants of Europa." this is what Apollodorus says

Hyginus says, " ASCPELIUS, son of Apollo, is said to have restored life either to Glaucus, son of Minos, or to Hippolytus POLYIDUS/// When Glaucus, son of Minos and Pasiphae, was playing ball, he fell into a jar full of honey. In the parents' search, they made inquiry of Apollo about he boy. ///Polyidus, son of Coeranus, -Then Minos said to him: "According to the words of Apollo, you should be able to restore my son to me." While Polyidus was observing omens, he saw an owl sitting over the wine-cellar and putting bees to flight. He interpreted the omen, and brought out the lifeless boy from the jar. Minos said to him: "You have found the body. Now restore life to it." When Polyidus said this was impossible, Minos ordered him to be shut in a tomb with the boy, and a sword placed there. When they had been shut in, a snake suddenly made for the body of the boy, and Polyidus, judging the creature wished to devour the body, suddenly drew the sword and killed it. Another snake, seeking its mate, saw that it was dead, and came and brought a herb, and its touch restored life to the dead snake. Polyidus did the same. When they called out from within, a passerby reported it to Minos, who opened the tomb and found his son safe. He sent Polyidus many gifts back into his country."

He also says in Astronomica about ASCPELIUS this time, "Some have said that by his skill Glaucus, son of Minos, lived again. Because of this, as for a sin, Jove struck and burned his house with a thunderbolt, /// When he was commanded to restore Glaucus and was confined in a secret prison, while meditating on what he should do, staff in hand, a snake is said to have crept onto his staff. Distracted in mind, Aesculapius killed it, striking it again and again with his staff as it tried to flee. Later, it is said, another snake came there, bringing an herb in its mouth, and placed it on its head. When it had done this, both fled from the place. Whereupon Aesculapius, using the same herb, brought Glaucus, too, back to life."

wizard bro, also damn the only theory I got for the last part is maybe glaucus's houses traumatized the shit out of him and now he's afraid of magic horses or something

One of the sons of the Cretan king Minos by Pasiphae or Crete. When yet a boy, while he was playing at ball, or while pursuing a mouse, he fell into a cask full of honey, and died in it. Minos for a long time searched after his son in vain, and was at length informed by Apollo or the Curetes that the person who should devise the most appropriate comparison between a cow, which could assume three different colours, and any other object, should find the boy and restore him to his father. Minos assembled his soothsayers, but as none of them was able to do what was required, a stranger, Polyidus of Argos, solved the problem by likening the cow to a mulberry, which is at first white, then red, and in the end black. Polyidus, who knew nothing of the oracle, was thus compelled by his own wisdom to restore Glaucus to his father. By his prophetic powers he discovered that Glaucus had not perished in the sea, and being guided by an owl (γλαῦξ) and bees, he found him in the cask of honey. Minos now further demanded the restoration of his son to life. As Polyidus could not accomplish this, Minos, who attributed his refusal to obstinacy, ordered him to be entombed alive with the body of Glaucus. When Polyidus was thus shut up in the vault, he saw a serpent approaching the dead body, and killed the animal. Presently another serpent came, carrying a herb, with which it covered the dead serpent. The dead serpent was thereby restored to life, and when Polyidus covered the body of Glaucus with the same herb, the boy at once rose into life again. Both shouted for assistance from without; and when Minos heard of it, he had the tomb opened. In his delight at having recovered his child, he munificently rewarded Polyidus, and sent him back to his country.