![]() The book detailed how Lamia seduced one of the young disciples of Apollonius. ![]() Written by the Greek writer, Philostratus, the book follows the life of the Pythagorean philosopher, Apollonius. In the popular ancient Greek book Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Lamia was referred to as empoussai, a phantom that seduced young men and ate them. As a Seductress in Apollonius of TyanaĪs the years went by, Lamia’s role shifted from being a child devourer to one who feasts on the flesh of men after sleeping with them. However, all of them were used to frighten children into behaving well. For example, while Lamia swallowed children, Gello attacked the reproductive circle and caused infertility, miscarriage, and the death of infants. Most children who fell victim were not recorded through a few tales exist where a boy was rescued from the belly of the monster.Īnother name for Lamia was Mormo and Gello but both of them seem to have different functions. The Lamia demon did not cut her victims into pieces but preferred to swallow them whole. Children who threw tantrums or went against their parents’ rules were often told that Lamia would come and devour them if they continued misbehaving. As a Child-devourerĪccording to historians, the Lamia name was used by the ancient Greeks to scare their children into being of good behavior. Lamia has been seen as a child devourer, and as a seductress both in Apollonius of Tyana and in the Metamorphoses of Apuleius. In ancient Greek traditions, the monster has been viewed in different circumstances and the story has been told from different perspectives. She couldn’t observe anything that was going on around her which gave rise to the saying that Lamia removed her eyes and put them in a bottle. Due to her wicked ways, her physical appearance gradually changed until she became an unrecognizable monster.ĭiodorus continued that Lamia consumed a lot of alcohol and was always drunk, thus her citizens were free to do anything that they wished. When she grew up, she ordered her soldiers to murder all the kidnap and murder all the children in her kingdom. The Story According to Diodorus of Sicilyĭiodorus narrated that Lamia was a beautiful but cruel queen of Libya who was born in a cave. Thus, Lamia’s supernatural powers included the ability to open her eyes. Zeus also endowed her with the ability to change her shape. However, other sources say that her lover, Zeus, blessed her with the gift of prophecy and the ability to take out her eyes and put them back. The more she fed on children, the uglier she became until she was completely unrecognizable. Out of vengeance and desperation, she began to devour any child that she could find, since she had lost hers. Lamia went mad in search of her children everywhere but they were nowhere to be found. Hera cursed Lamia with insomnia or the inability to shut her eyes so she could always mourn her children without sleeping. Therefore, Hera punished the couple by either killing or kidnapping their offspring. Later, Hera, the wife of Zeus, found out about the couple and fumed with rage. She was powerful and was known to roam at night due to her insomnia. Zeus then took her to Lamos, a town in Italy that was famous for flesh-eating giants known as Laestrygonians and that was where Lamia derived her name. Her beauty attracted several suitors including the serial philanderer Zeus who won her heart and the two began an affair that produced several children. She was believed to be the daughter of King Belus of Egypt and Queen Lybie of Libya. Lamia was an enchanting queen who ruled over the kingdom of Libya. The Greeks told the story of Lamia to their children to frighten them. Later, Lamia became a shape-shifting phantom who ate young men after seducing them. Lamia was an ugly monster who ate children after she lost her own offspring to Hera, the Queen of the gods. ![]() Keep on reading to discover the myth of Lamia, the beast who scared children. She was powerful and was known to roam at night due to her insomnia, certain circumstances changed her appearance into an ugly monster who tormented both children and adults. However, certain circumstances changed her appearance into an ugly monster who tormented both children and adults. Lamia started as a beautiful young queen who fell in love with Zeus, according to Greek folk traditions. Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire (Catullus 8).Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus (Catullus 5).Passer, deliciae meae puellae (Catullus 2).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |