Editing Giants (Greek mythology) (section)

===Apollodorus===
[[File:Dionysos Giant Louvre G434.jpg|thumb|left|[[Dionysus]] (left) with ivy crown, and [[thyrsus]] attacking a Giant, [[Attica|Attic]] [[red-figure]] ''[[pelike]]'', c. 475&ndash;425 BC ([[Louvre]] G434).<ref>Beazley Archive [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/4DA73FC2-375D-420B-92C9-32C252B34D82 207774].</ref>]]

The most detailed account of the Gigantomachy<ref>Tripp, p. 252.</ref> is that of the (first or second-century AD) mythographer [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]].<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+1.6.1 1.6.1&ndash;2].</ref> None of the early sources give any reasons for the war. Scholia to the ''[[Iliad]]'' mention the rape of [[Hera]] by the Giant Eurymedon,<ref>Gantz, pp. 16, 57, 448&ndash;449; Hard [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA88 p. 88]. According to Gantz, p. 449, it is possible but unlikely, that this is the incident being referred to in Odyssey 7, noting that the story of the rape of Hera by Eurymedon may be a later invention to explain Homer's remark.</ref> while according to the scholia to [[Pindar]]'s ''Isthmian'' 6, it was the theft of the cattle of [[Helios]] by the Giant [[Alcyoneus]] that started the war.<ref>Gantz, pp. 419, 448&ndash;449; Scholia on [[Pindar]], ''Isthmian Odes'' [https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg5034.tlg001d.perseus-grc1:6.47 6.47].</ref> Apollodorus, who also mentions the theft of Helios' cattle by Alcyoneus,<ref>According to Apollodorus, Alcyoneus stole Helios' cattle from [[Erytheia]], where the cattle of [[Geryon]] are usually found.</ref> suggests a mother's revenge as the motive for the war, saying that [[Gaia]] bore the Giants because of her anger over the Titans (who had been vanquished and imprisoned by the Olympians).<ref>Gantz, p. 449; Grimal, p. 171; Tripp, p. 251. The late 4th century AD Latin poet [[Claudian]] expands on this notion in his ''Gigantomachia'' [https://archive.org/stream/claudia02clau#page/280/mode/2up 1&ndash;35 (pp. 280&ndash;283)] with Gaia, "jealous of the heavenly kingdoms and in pity for the ceasless woes of the Titans" (1&ndash;2), gave birth to the Giants, urging them to war saying "Up, army of avengers, the hour is come at last, free the Titans from their chains; defend your mother." (27&ndash;28)</ref> Seemingly, as soon as the Giants are born they begin hurling "rocks and burning oaks at the sky".<ref>Compare with [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+185 185&ndash;186] which seems to have the Giants born, like [[Athena]] and the [[Spartoi]], fully grown and armed for battle (Apollodorus, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+1.3.6 1.3.6], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+1.3.6 1.3.6]). Also compare with [[Plato]], ''[[Sophist (dialogue)|Sophist]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text;jsessionid=6EA8185321C1F13AC8EBBFB34B9BDAA7?doc=Plat.+Soph.+246a&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0172 246a], where comparing materialist philosophers with the Giants, says they "drag down everything from heaven and the invisible to earth, actually grasping rocks and trees with their hands".</ref>

There was a prophecy that the Giants could not be killed by the gods alone, but they could be killed with the help of a mortal.<ref>Compare with [[Pindar]], ''Nemean'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0162%3Abook%3DN.%3Apoem%3D1 1.67&ndash;69] (mentioned above) where [[Teiresias]] prophesies that Heracles will aid the gods in their battle with the Giants.</ref> Hearing this, Gaia sought for a certain plant (''pharmakon'') that would protect the Giants. Before Gaia or anyone else could find this plant, Zeus forbade [[Eos]] (Dawn), [[Selene]] (Moon) and Helios (Sun) to shine, harvested all of the plant himself and then he had [[Athena]] summon [[Heracles]].

According to Apollodorus, Alcyoneus and [[Porphyrion]] were the two strongest Giants. Heracles shot Alcyoneus, who fell to the ground but then revived, for Alcyoneus was immortal within his native land. So Heracles, on Athena's advice, dragged him beyond the borders of that land, where Alcyoneus then died (compare with [[Antaeus]]).<ref>Antaeus, another offspring of Gaia who was an opponent of Heracles, was immortal as long as he was in contact with the earth. Heracles killed Antaeus by crushing him while holding him off the ground. For [[Pindar]], Hearacles' battle with Alcyoneus (whom he calls a herdsman) and the Gigantomachy were separate events, see: ''Isthmian'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0162%3Abook%3DI.%3Apoem%3D6 6.30&ndash;35], ''Nemean'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0162%3Abook%3DN.%3Apoem%3D4 4.24&ndash;30].</ref> Porphyrion attacked Heracles and Hera, but Zeus caused Porphyrion to become enamoured of Hera, whom Porphyrion then tried to rape, but Zeus struck Porphyrion with his thunderbolt and Heracles killed him with an arrow.<ref>As noted above Pindar has Apollo kill Porphyrion.</ref>

Other Giants and their fates are mentioned by Apollodorus. Ephialtes was blinded by an arrow from Apollo in his left eye, and another arrow from Heracles in his right. [[Eurytus]] was killed by [[Dionysus]] with his [[thyrsus]], [[Clytius]] by [[Hecate]] with her torches, and [[Mimas (Giant)|Mimas]] by [[Hephaestus]] with "missiles of red-hot metal" from his forge.<ref>As noted above, Euripides has Zeus kill Mimas; other accounts have Mimas killed by [[Ares]]: [[Apollonius of Rhodes]], ''[[Argonautica]]'' [https://archive.org/stream/argonautica00apoluoft#page/276/mode/2up 3.1225&ndash;7 (pp. 276&ndash;277)]; [[Claudian]], ''Gigantomachia'' [https://archive.org/stream/claudia02clau#page/286/mode/2up 85&ndash;91 (pp. 286&ndash;287)].</ref> Athena crushed Enceladus under the Island of Sicily and flayed [[Pallas (Giant)|Pallas]], using his skin as a shield. [[Poseidon]] broke off a piece of the island of [[Kos]] called [[Nisyros]], and threw it on top of [[Polybotes]] ([[Strabo]] also relates the story of Polybotes buried under Nisyros but adds that some say Polybotes lies under Kos instead).<ref>[[Strabo]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Strab.+10.5.16 10.5.16]. The mention of a millstone, in the poem fragment by Alcman (mentioned above) may be an early reference to the island of Nisyros, see Hanfmann 1937, pp. 476; Vian and Moore 1988, p. 192.</ref> [[Hermes]], wearing [[Hades]]' helmet, killed [[Hippolytus (Greek myth)|Hippolytus]], [[Artemis]] killed Gration with her bow and arrows, and the [[Moirai]] killed Agrius and Thoas with bronze clubs. The rest of the giants were "destroyed" by thunderbolts thrown by Zeus, with each Giant being shot with arrows by Heracles (as the prophecy seemingly required).