In painting, there is a record by Philostratus (Imag.

496), would readily suggest a metamorphosis of actual sailors who had offended the god. The dolphins, which Greek sailors often saw sporting round their vessels (see h. 78 The god of wine, whose cult spread over all the Aegean and its coasts, was early associated with the sea, 79 and it was his journey from isle to isle that doubtless suggested the possibility of his capture, and the consequent manifestation of his might by sea as well as on land. But the vine simply indicates the sacred ship which played a part in the cult of Dionysus, while the dolphins are a conventional indication of the sea, as often on coins. The vacant space round the ship is filled by seven dolphins. On this vase Dionysus is depicted as sitting in a ship, from the mast of which springs a vine loaded with grapes. With regard to extant monuments, the metamorphosis of the pirates (the culminating point of the myth) does not appear in any vase-paintings for, as Miss Harrison shews (after Gerhard), the celebrated cylix of Execias has no connexion with the Tyrrhenians. On the other hand, the myth has rarely found a place in art. It cannot be proved that any of these versions depend on the Homeric hymn Ovid and Nonnus handle the legend after their characteristic methods, and certain similarities of expression (noted in the commentary) are probably due to the choice of subject, the broad outlines of which did not admit much variation of treatment. 650) mentions the transformation of men into dolphins by Dionysus. 17 (after the Naxica of Aglaosthenes), Seneca Oed.449-466, and Nonnus Dion. 105-168) describe the adventure of Dionysus at considerable length and shorter accounts are given by Apollodorus iii. Cycl.11, where the Tyrrhenians are said to be inspired by Hera.

The myth in literature and art.The story of Dionysus and the pirates, which is the subject of this hymn, was a favourite theme in classical literature. , Mythology and Monuments of Ancient Athens p. CHUDZINSKI, ubi et quo tempore ortus sit h. Perseus Documents Collection Table of ContentsĪ.

Commentary on the Homeric HymnsMachine readable text

Homeric hymn to artemis