Semele
- The Classic Myth of Semele. In the classic myth, Semele was the princess of Thebes and a priestess of Zeus, the king of the Olympic Pantheon.
- Other Versions of the Myth of Semele. ...
- The Continued Legacy of Semele. ...
- Semele Trivia. ...
- Link/cite this page. ...
Who is Semele in Greek mythology?
Semele was a princess of Thebes in Greek mythology, daughter of the hero Cadmus and Harmonia. She was the only mortal to become the parent of a god. Zeus fell in love with Semele while watching her sacrifice a bull on his altar and visited her many times afterwards.
What is the meaning of semelê?
May 16, 2020 · What is Semele the Goddess of? SEMELE THYONE was the mother of Dionysos and the goddess of the Bacchic frenzy which seized female devotees of the god during the Orgies. Thyone's mortal name was Semele. She was a Theban princess loved by the god Zeus. Click to see full answer.
What is the story of Zeus and Semele?
Semele, also called Thyone, in Greek mythology, a daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, at Thebes, and mother of Dionysus (Bacchus) by Zeus. Semele’s liaison with Zeus enraged Zeus’s wife, Hera, who, disguised as an old nurse, coaxed Semele into asking Zeus to visit her in the same splendour in which he would appear before Hera. Zeus had already promised to grant Semele her every …
What is Semele's sister's name?
Dionysus / Bacchus / Liber. Semele, also known as Thyone, was a Theban princess born to Cadmus and Harmonia. She had three sisters (who, ironically, also had some kind of tragedy as well): Agave, Ino, and Autonoe. She is best known for her role as the mother of Dionysus, the Olympian god of wine and merriment.
Did Semele become a goddess?
The story that Dionysus, himself immortal, descended into Hades after reaching maturity and brought Semele back, and she too became an immortal or even a goddess is found on an Attic black-figure hydria from the Leagros Group (c. 520 bc) and in Pindar's Olympian ode 2.
What happened to Semele?
Zeus tried to spare her by showing her the smallest of his bolts and the sparsest thunderstorm clouds he could find. Mortals, however, cannot look upon the gods without incinerating, and she perished, consumed in a lightning-ignited flame.
What was ate the goddess of?
mischief, delusion, ruinIn Greek mythology, Atë, Até or Aite (/ˈeɪtiː/; Ancient Greek: Ἄτη) was the goddess of mischief, delusion, ruin, and blind folly, rash action and reckless impulse who led men down the path of ruin. She also led both gods and men to rash and inconsiderate actions and to suffering.
Who is the goddess of chaos?
ErisEris was the Greek goddess of chaos, strife and discord. She was the daughter of Zeus and Hera; according to other myths, she was the daughter of Nyx (dark night) alone.
What did Hera do to Semele?
When his wife Hera learned of their affair, she tricked the girl into having Zeus swear an oath to appear before her in his full glory. Bound by his pledge the god did so and Semele was consumed by the fire of his lightning-bolts.
What is the meaning of Semele?
Semele as a girl's name is of Greek origin meaning "mother of Dionysus". In Greek mythology, Semele is a Theban princess and the only mortal to be the parent of a god, Dionysus, by Zeus. Her name may derive from the name of an early Greek earth goddess.
Who was the ugliest god?
Hephaestus was the only ugly god among perfectly beautiful immortals. Hephaestus was born deformed and was cast out of heaven by one or both of his parents when they noticed that he was imperfect.
What does nemesis mean in Greek mythology?
the Greek goddess of vengeanceNemesis and Greek Mythology Nemesis was the Greek goddess of vengeance, a deity who doled out rewards for noble acts and punishment for evil ones. The Greeks believed that Nemesis didn't always punish an offender immediately but might wait generations to avenge a crime.
Is there a god of depression?
In Greek mythology, Oizys (/ˈoʊɪzɪs/; Ancient Greek: Ὀϊζύς, romanized: Oïzýs) is the goddess of misery, anxiety, grief, and depression. Her Roman name is Miseria, from which the English word misery is derived....OizysParentsNyx and Erebus4 more rows
Who was the cruelest goddess?
Eris (mythology)ErisGoddess of strife and discordEris on an Attic plate, ca. 575–525 BCAbodeErebusSymbolGolden Apple of Discord5 more rows
Who is the cruelest Greek god?
Kronos. Kronos was the Titan father of the Olympian gods and goddesses. To know why he is on this list of the worst Greek gods, we must first start from the beginning. Kronos was the son of Ouranos, who turned out to be a cruel and unjust leader who was particularly awful to his wife and Kronos's mother, Gaia.Jun 9, 2020
Who is the goddess of darkness?
NyxNyx, in Greek mythology, female personification of night but also a great cosmogonical figure, feared even by Zeus, the king of the gods, as related in Homer's Iliad, Book XIV.
Who was Semele in the myth?
In one version of the myth, Semele was a priestess of Zeus, and on one occasion was observed by Zeus as she slaughtered a bull at his altar and afterwards swam in the river Asopus to cleanse herself of the blood.
Where did the myth of Semele originate?
Since an Oriental inscribed cylindrical seal found at the palace can be dated 14th-13th centuries, the myth of Semele must be Mycenaean or earlier in origin. At the Alcyonian Lake near the prehistoric site of Lerna, Dionysus, guided by Prosymnus or Polymnus, descended to Tartarus to free his once-mortal mother.
What did Hera ask Zeus to grant Semele?
Hera pretended not to believe her, and planted seeds of doubt in Semele's mind. Curious, Semele asked Zeus to grant her a boon. Zeus, eager to please his beloved, promised on the River Styx to grant her anything she wanted. She then demanded that Zeus reveal himself in all his glory as proof of his divinity.
Why was Hera called Dimetor?
Hera then convinces Semele to ask Zeus to come to her as a god, and on doing so she dies, and Zeus seals the unborn baby up in his thigh. As a result of this Dionysus "was also called Dimetor [of two mothers]... because the two Dionysoi were born of one father, but of two mothers".
How long did Semele live?
Herodotus, who gives the account of Cadmus, estimates that Semele lived 1,600 years before his time, or around 2000 BC. In Rome, the goddess Stimula was identified as Semele.
What is the meaning of the word "seme"?
Etymological connections of " Thraco-Phrygian " Semele with Balto-Slavic earth deities have been noted, since an alternate name for Baltic Zemyna is Žemelė, and in Slavic languages, the word "seme" (Semele) means "seed", and "zemlja" (Zemele) means "earth". Thus, according to Borissoff, "she could be an important link bridging ...
What does the name Semele mean?
According to some linguists the name "Semele" is Thraco - Phrygian, derived from a PIE root meaning "earth" ( * Dʰéǵʰōm ). Julius Pokorny reconstructs her name from the PIE root *dgem- meaning "earth" and relates it with Thracian Zemele, " mother earth ". However, Burkert says that while Semele is "manifestly non-Greek", he also says that "it is no more possible to confirm that Semele is a Thraco-Phrygian word for earth than it is to prove the priority of the Lydian baki - over Bacchus as a name for Dionysos ".
Myth
Zeus, the king of Olympus, fell in love with Semele, a daughter of Harmonia. He came down to earth and she became pregnant with his child. When the child was born he was named Dionysus and he was born a mortal. After Dionysus grew up he invented wine and Zeus granted him with immortality.
Sphere of Control
Semele was the goddess of the inspired frenzy. This frenzy got to the female supporters of Dionysus, who went mad and did crazy things like slaughter animals and wreak havoc among nature.
Who discovered Semele in the Greek mythology?
Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : "The inhabitants [of Brasiai (Brasiae) in Lakedaimonia] have a story, found nowhere else in Greece, that Semele, after giving birth to her son by Zeus, was discovered by Kadmos (Cadmus) and put with Dionysos into a chest, which was washed up by the waves in their country.
Who brought up Semele from Hades?
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 4. 25. 4 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) : "The myths relate that Dionysos brought up his mother Semele from Hades, and that, sharing with her his own immortality, he changed her name to Thyone.".
Where was Semele thrown?
The inhabitants of Brasiae, in Laconia, related that Semele, after having given birth to Dionysus, was thrown by her father Cadmus in a boat upon the sea, and that her body was driven to the coast of Brasiae, where it was buried ; whereas Dionysus, whose life was saved, was brought up at Brasiae (Paus. iii. 24. § 3).
Who saved Semele's child?
Zeus, who had promised that he would grant her every request, did as she desired. He appeared to her as the god of thunder, and Semele was consumed by the fire of lightning; but Zeus saved her child Dionysus, with whom she was pregnant (Apollod, iii. 4. § 3; Ov. Met. iii. 260, &c.; Hygin.
Who was Hera beloved by?
She was beloved by Zeus (Hom. Il. xiv. 323, Hymn. in Bacch. 6, 57 ; Schol. ad Pind. Ol. ii. 40), and Hera, stimulated by jealousy, appeared to her in the form of her aged nurse Beroë, and induced her to pray Zeus to visit her in the same splendour and majesty with which he appeared to Hera.
Who did Zeus fall in love with?
Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 26-27 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "Zeus fell in love with Semele and slept with her, promising her anything she wanted, and keeping it all from Hera. But Semele was deceived by Hera into asking her to come to her as he came to Hera during their courtship.
What were the two works of Handel that were secular?
While most works had sacred or religious texts, two stand out for being secular: Hercules and Semele .
What was Handel's last opera?
Handel's last Italian opera, Deidamia, was performed in 1741. After this time, he concentrated on oratorio and musical dramas with English texts. Many of these, including Semele, were premiered at the Covent Garden Theatre, beginning with Alexander's Feast in 1736 and finishing with The Triumph of Time and Truth in 1757. As a result, in the early 1740s, oratorios at the Covent Garden Theatre were George Frideric Handel 's chief activity. While most works had sacred or religious texts, two stand out for being secular: Hercules and Semele .
What is the meaning of "semele"?
For the opera by Marais, see Sémélé. Semele ( HWV 58) is a 'musical drama', originally presented "after the manner of an oratorio ", in three parts by George Frideric Handel.
What is the temple of Juno?
The scene is the temple of Juno. Near the altar is a golden image of the goddess. In the temple of Juno, Cadmus, King of Thebes, is preparing for the marriage of his daughter Semele to Athamas, Prince of Boeotia. Signs from the goddess indicate she approves of the match (Accompanied recitative: Behold!
How many times was Semele performed?
It is distinguished from Handel's operas by the large number of polyphonic choruses. Semele was performed four times during its original run, and twice again later the same year, but those were the only performances in Handel's lifetime.
Where does the story of Semele come from?
The story comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses and concerns Semele, mother of Bacchus. Handel also referred to the work as 'The Story of Semele'. The work contains the famous aria Where'er you walk. The work fuses elements of opera, oratorio and classical drama.
When was Semele first performed?
Semele was first performed on 10 February 1744 at the Covent Garden Theatre, London, as part of a concert series held yearly during Lent. The audience naturally expected Bible-based subject matter. But the amorous topic of Semele, which is a creation of the late Restoration Period, transparently drew on Greek myths, and so it displeased those attending for a different kind of uplift. Being in English, Semele likewise irritated the supporters of true Italian opera, particularly as Handel would also not write for the rival Middlesex Opera Company. Winton Dean writes in his book Handel's Dramatic Oratorios :
Who was Semele's mother?
Semele was a Phoenician princess and one of the many mortal lovers of Zeus. Her own mother was a goddess. Harmonia, the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares, had married the human king Cadmus. Cadmus was a great hero whose deeds had made him worthy of the hand of a goddess. Together, the couple founded the city of Thebes.
What is the meaning of Semele's story?
Semele’s story was a tragic one, but the ever-evolving nature of Greek belief gave the character an opportunity for a happy ending. The Orphic cults believed that Dionysus was the reincarnation of a previous child of Zeus who had died as a result of Hera’s schemes.
What was Athena's father's heart?
All Athena was able to recover for her father was the boy’s heart. According to the Orphic tradition, Zeus made the heart of his son into a potion which he gave to Semele to drink. As a result she became pregnant with Dionysus, the reincarnation of Persephone’s murdered child.
What was the story of Zeus and Semele?
The story of Zeus and Semele was one of the more tragic of Zeus’s human lovers, but over time Semele became a more triumphant figure. The first major change to Semele’s character came in the form of the Orphic mystery cults.
When was Semele published?
Published on September 7, 2020. Semele’s story started out similarly to that of any other beautiful princess in Greek mythology. Spotted by Zeus, the amorous king of the gods made her his mistress. Like many of her peers, Semele and her pregnancy were eventually discovered by Hera.
Was Semele the first mother of Dionysus?
The mystery cults believed that Semele was not the first mother of Dionysus. According to their stories, Zeus had seduced Persephone in the form of a snake and she had given birth to a son. The child god was so adored by his father that Zeus allowed the boy to sit on his throne and wield his thunderbolts. READ NEXT:
Who is the Greek goddess of grain?
Demeter: The Greek Goddess of Grain. When Hera learned that the Theban priestess was carrying Zeus ’s baby, she came up with a scheme to destroy both mother and child. Planting seeds of doubt in the girl’s mind, she convinced Semele to see Zeus in his full divine glory.
Overview
Semele , in Greek mythology, was the youngest daughter of Cronus and Harmonia, and the mother of Dionysus by Zeus in one of his many origin myths.
Certain elements of the cult of Dionysus and Semele came from the Phrygians. These were modified, expanded, and elaborated by the Ionian Greek invaders and colonists. Doric Greek historian Herodotus (c. 484–425 BC), born in the city of Halicarnassus under the Achaemenid Em…
Etymology
According to some linguists the name Semele is Thraco-Phrygian, derived from a PIE root meaning 'earth' (*Dʰéǵʰōm). Julius Pokorny reconstructs her name from the PIE root *dgem- meaning 'earth' and relates it with Thracian Zemele, 'mother earth'. However, Burkert says that while Semele is "manifestly non-Greek", he also says that "it is no more possible to confirm that Semele is a Thraco-Phrygian word for earth than it is to prove the priority of the Lydian baki- over Bacchusas …
Seduction by Zeus and birth of Dionysus
In one version of the myth, Semele was a priestess of Zeus, and on one occasion was observed by Zeus as she slaughtered a bull at his altar and afterwards swam in the river Asopus to cleanse herself of the blood. Flying over the scene in the guise of an eagle, Zeus fell in love with Semele and repeatedly visited her secretly.
Zeus' wife, Hera, a goddess jealous of usurpers, discovered his affair with Semele when she late…
Impregnation by Zeus
There is a story in the Fabulae 167 of Gaius Julius Hyginus, or a later author whose work has been attributed to Hyginus. In this, Dionysus (called Liber) is the son of Jupiter and Proserpina, and was killed by the Titans. Jupiter gave his torn up heart in a drink to Semele, who became pregnant this way. But in another account, Zeus swallows the heart himself, in order to beget his seed on Semele. Hera then convinces Semele to ask Zeus to come to her as a god, and on doing so she …
Locations
The most usual setting for the story of Semele is the palace that occupied the acropolis of Thebes, called the Cadmeia. When Pausanias visited Thebes in the 2nd century CE, he was shown the very bridal chamber where Zeus visited her and begat Dionysus. Since an Oriental inscribed cylindrical seal found at the palace can be dated 14th-13th centuries, the myth of Semele must be Mycenae…
In Etruscan culture
Semele is attested with the Etruscan name form Semla, depicted on the back of a bronze mirror from the fourth century BC.
In Roman culture
In ancient Rome, a grove (lucus) near Ostia, situated between the Aventine Hill and the mouth of the Tiber River, was dedicated to a goddess named Stimula. W.H. Roscher includes the name Stimula among the indigitamenta, the lists of Roman deities maintained by priests to assure that the correct divinity was invoked in public rituals. In his poem on the Roman calendar, Ovid(d. 17 CE) ide…
In the classical tradition
In the later mythological tradition of the Christian era, ancient deities and their narratives were often interpreted allegorically. In the Neoplatonic philosophy of Henry More (1614–1687), for instance, Semele was thought to embody "intellectual imagination", and was construed as the opposite of Arachne, "sense perception".
In the 18th century, the story of Semele formed the basis for three operas of the same name, the f…