#samos

Menodotus of Samos’ Record of the things worth noting at Samos:

Admete, the wife of Eurystheus [other sources make her his daughter, but here she is just his wife], after she had fled from Argos [possibly stealing their statue of Hera], came to Samos, and there, when a vision of Hera had appeared to her, she was wishing to give the goddess a reward because she had arrived in Samos from her own home in safety.

So she undertook the care of the temple, which exists even to this day, and which had been originally built by the Leleges [indigenous Greeks] and the Nymphs.

But the Argives hearing of this, and being indignant at it, persuaded the Tyrrhenians [foreigner/barbarian pirates] by a promise of money, to employ piratical force and to carry off the statue, - the Argives believing that if this were done Admete would be treated with every possible severity by the inhabitants of Samos.

Accordingly the Tyrrhenians came to the port of Hera, and having disembarked, immediately applied themselves to the performance of their undertaking. And as the temple was at that time without any doors, they quickly carried off the statue, and bore it down to the seaside, and put it on board their vessel.

And when they had loosed their cables and weighed anchor, they rowed as fast as they could, but were unable to make any progress. And then, thinking that this was owing to divine interposition [ie, Hera’s wrath], they took the statue out of the ship again and put it on the shore; and having made some sacrificial cakes, and offered them to it, they departed in great fear.

But when, the first thing in the morning, Admete gave notice that the statue had disappeared, and a search was made for it, those [indigenous Greeks] who were seeking it found it on the shore. And they, like Carian barbarians, as they were, thinking that the statue had run away of its own accord, bound it to a fence made of osiers, and took all the longest branches on each side and twined them round the body of the statue, so as to envelop it all round.

But Admete released the statue from these bonds, and purified it, and placed it again on its pedestal, as it had stood before. And on this account once every year, since that time, the statue is carried down to the shore and hidden, and cakes are offered to it: and the festival is called Tonaia, because it happened that the statue was bound tightly {συντόνως} by those who made the first search for it.

(Brackets added by me) I love this story because

AHHHH Hera being the explicit patron goddess of a priestess-queen AHHHH

I love that Admete is just a straight up heroine who managed to escape goddamn Argos ALONE with an entire statue to go along with her. Impressive as hell, love her

Hera being Eurystheus’ patron but even she was like “yeah he kinds sucks girl, I’ll get u outta there” and she was so real for that

Hera FINALLY has a cool heroine whose story is definitely Greek in origin (sorry Psyche), isn’t evil (sorry Medea), and Hera actively interacted with her (sorry Chloris, Hippodamia, and Cydippe)

For all I’m concerned this makes Hera the patron goddess of getting women out of bad marital situations. Gonna officially condemn “Hera is against divorce!! It goes against her nature as a marriage goddess!!” propaganda. Not only has she divorced Zeus numerous times, and many of her cults relied on the idea that she would continue to divorce herself from Zeus again in the future, but she went out of her way to get Admete the hell outta dodge bc again Eurystheus probably sucked as a husband considering the other shit he pulled (especially since his army, presumably headed by him, never tried retrieving his wife?? They just wanted to trick the Samians into torturing her)

Ancient Olive Legacy

In the ancient Mediterranean, olives and olive oil were more than just a staple in the diet; they were a thriving industry that spanned across vast territories. The cultivation of olives spread extensively with Phoenician and Greek colonization, reaching from Asia Minor to Iberia and North Africa. This not only made olive oil a sought-after commodity but also embedded it deeply in the cultural fabric, symbolizing peace and victory in significant events like the ancient Olympic Games.

Key Facts

Cultivation Spread: Olives were cultivated across the Mediterranean, from Asia Minor to Iberia and North Africa, primarily through Phoenician and Greek colonization.

Cultural Significance: Olive branches symbolized peace, and olive wreaths were awarded to winners in the ancient Olympic Games.

Trade Importance: Olive oil became a major trading commodity during the Phoenician, Greek, and Roman periods.

Historical Context

The olive industry flourished in the ancient Mediterranean, largely due to its strategic trading routes and the cultural exchange facilitated by Phoenician and Greek colonization. This period saw the rise of olives as a staple food and a symbol of peace and victory.

Historical Significance

The olive and olive oil played a pivotal role in shaping the economic and cultural landscape of the ancient Mediterranean. Beyond its dietary importance, the olive became a powerful symbol, representing peace and triumph in ancient traditions. Its enduring legacy continues to influence modern cultures, reflecting its significance in both historical and contemporary contexts.