Editing Ixion (section)

==Background==
Ixion married [[Dia (mythology)|Dia]],<ref>Dia "is only another name for [[Hebe (mythology)|Hebe]], the daughter of Hera, and indeed was probably the name for Hera herself, as 'she who belongs to Zeus' or 'the Heavenly one'" (Kerenyi 1951:159).</ref> a daughter of Eioneus,<ref>Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca historica'' [https://topostext.org/work/133#4.69.3 4.69.3 (English)] [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0540%3Abook%3D4%3Achapter%3D69%3Asection%3D3 Greek]</ref><ref>The name is frequently misspelled as 'Deinoneus'. Bloch, R. (2006). [https://doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e312960 Deion(eus)(2)]. In ''Brill's New Pauly Online''. Brill.</ref> and promised his father-in-law a valuable present. However, he did not pay the [[bride price]], so Deioneus stole some of Ixion's horses in retaliation. Ixion concealed his resentment and invited his father-in-law to a feast at [[Larissa]]. When Deioneus arrived, Ixion pushed him into a bed of burning coals and wood. These circumstances are secondary to the fact of Ixion's primordial act of murder; it could be accounted for quite differently: in the ''[[Greek Anthology]]'',<ref>''The Greek Anthology'' [https://topostext.org/work/532#3.12 3.12] [[iarchive:greekanthology01pato/page/100/mode/1up|(Greek text)]]</ref> among a collection of inscriptions from a temple in [[Cyzicus]], is an epigrammatic description of Ixion slaying [[Phorbas]] and [[Polymelus (mythology)|Polymelos]], who had slain his mother, [[Megara (Greek myth)|Megara]], the "great one".<ref>The more familiar [[Megara (mythology)|Megara]] of myth is not the same figure.</ref>

Ixion went mad, defiled by his act; the neighboring princes were so offended by this act of treachery and violation of ''[[Xenia (Greek)|xenia]]'' that they refused to perform the rituals that would cleanse Ixion of his guilt (see ''[[catharsis]]''). Thereafter, Ixion lived as an outlaw and was shunned. By killing his father-in-law, Ixion was reckoned the first man guilty of kin-slaying in Greek mythology.

This act alone would warrant Ixion a terrible punishment, but [[Zeus]] took pity on Ixion and brought him to [[Mount Olympus|Olympus]] and introduced him at the table of the gods. Instead of being grateful, Ixion grew lustful for [[Hera]],<ref>He was already wedded to her double, Dia.</ref><ref>[[Lucian]], ''Dialogi Deorum'' 9</ref> Zeus's wife, a further violation of [[Xenia (Greek)|guest–host relations]]. Zeus found out about his intentions and made a cloud in the shape of Hera, which became known as [[Nephele]] (from ''nephos'' "cloud") and tricked Ixion into coupling with it. From the union of Ixion and the false-Hera cloud came [[Imbrus|Imbros]]<ref>[[John Tzetzes|Tzetzes]], [http://www.theoi.com/Text/TzetzesChiliades9.html#20 ''Chiliades'' 9.20 line 464, 469 & 477]</ref> or [[Centaurus (Greek mythology)|Centauros]],<ref>Apollodorus, Epitome 1.20</ref> who mated with the [[Ancient Magnesia|Magnesian]] mares on [[Pelion|Mount Pelion]], Pindar told,<ref>Pindar, ''Pythian Ode'' 2</ref> engendering the race of [[Centaur]]s, who are called the Ixionidae from their descent.

Ixion was expelled from Olympus and blasted with a [[thunderbolt]]. Zeus ordered [[Hermes]] to bind Ixion to a [[Wheel of fire|winged fiery wheel]] that was always spinning. Therefore, Ixion was bound to a burning solar wheel for all eternity, at first spinning across the heavens,<ref>The meticulous Pindar mentions the feathers.</ref> but in later myth transferred to [[Tartarus]].<ref>Virgil, ''[[Georgics]]'' 3.39 & 4.486; Ovid, ''Metamorphoses'' 4.461–465 & 10.42</ref><ref>Kerenyi 1951:160</ref>

Some versions of the myth portray Ixion as being trapped in [[Greek underworld|Hades]] after his death.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Longman Anthology of British Literature: Volume 2A: The Romantics and Their Contemporaries |publisher=Pearson Education |year=2006 |isbn=0-321-33394-2 |location=United States |pages=731}}</ref>

Only when [[Orpheus]] played his lyre during his trip to the Underworld to rescue [[Eurydice]] did it stop for a while.

<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
File:Pompeii - Casa dei Vettii - Ixion.jpg|Punishment of Ixion: in the center is [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]] holding the [[caduceus]] and on the right [[Juno (mythology)|Juno]] sits on her throne. Behind her [[Iris (mythology)|Iris]] stands and gestures. On the left is [[Vulcan (mythology)|Vulcan]] (blond figure) standing behind the wheel, manning it, with Ixion already tied to it. [[Nephele]] sits at Mercury's feet; a Roman fresco from the eastern wall of the [[triclinium]] in the [[House of the Vettii]], [[Pompeii]], [[Pompeian Styles|Fourth Style]] (60–79 AD).
File:JulesElieDelaunayIxionPrecipiteDansLesEnfers.jpg|''Ixion'' by [[Jules-Elie Delaunay]], 1876
Image:Ixion by Jusepe de Ribera (1632), 220 x 301 cm., Museo del Prado.jpg|[[José Ribera]]'s ''[[Ixion (Ribera)|Ixion]]'', 1632 ([[Museo del Prado]]).
File:Le roi Ixion trompé par Junon, qu'il voulait séduire (Louvre RF 2121) 01.jpg|''King Ixion fooled by Juno, whom he wanted to seduce'', by [[Peter Paul Rubens]], 1615 ([[Louvre|Louvre Museum]])
</gallery>