Editing Porphyrion

{{Short description|Giant in Greek mythology}}
{{About|the Giant in Greek mythology}}
[[Image:Zeus contra Poryphion Pergamonaltar.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Zeus (center left) against Porphyrion (far right), detail from the  [[Pergamon Altar]] [[Gigantomachy]] frieze, [[Pergamon Museum]] Berlin]]
In [[Greek mythology]], '''Porphyrion''' ({{langx|grc|Πορφυρίων}}) was one of the Gigantes ([[Giants (Greek mythology)|Giants]]), who according to [[Hesiod]], were the offspring of [[Gaia (mythology)|Gaia]], born from the blood that fell when [[Uranus (mythology)|Uranus]] (Sky) was castrated by their son [[Cronus]]. In some other versions of the myth, the Gigantes were born of Gaia and [[Tartarus]].<ref>For the birth of the Gigantes see [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+185 185]. [[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''[[Fabulae]]''  [http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html Preface] gives [[Tartarus]] as the father of the Giants.</ref>

==Sources==
According to the mythographer [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], Porphyrion was (along with [[Alcyoneus]]), the greatest of the Giants, and during the Gigantomachy, the battle between the Giants and the [[Twelve Olympians|Olympian gods]], 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>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+1.6.1 1.6.1&ndash;2]. Compare with [[Aristophanes]], ''[[The Birds (play)|The Birds]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:abo:tlg,0019,006:1249&lang=original 1249&ndash;1252]: "a single Porphyrion gave him [Zeus] enough to do."</ref> According to Pindar, who calls him "king of the Giants", he was slain by an arrow from the bow of [[Apollo]].<ref>[[Pindar]], ''Pythian'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0162%3Abook%3DP.%3Apoem%3D8 8.12&ndash;18].</ref> [[Aristophanes]]' comedy ''[[The Birds (play)|The Birds]]'', contains two brief mentions of Porphyrion.<ref>[[Aristophanes]], ''[[The Birds (play)|The Birds]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0026%3Acard%3D550 553], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:abo:tlg,0019,006:1249&lang=original 1249&ndash;1252].</ref> Porphyrion is also mentioned, in the company of other Giants, by the Latin poet [[Horace]].<ref>[[Horace]], ''Odes'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hor.+Od.+3.4 3.4.49&ndash;51]; Lyne, [https://books.google.com/books?id=SEZARFIJqPwC&pg=PA51 p. 51].</ref>

The late fourth-century AD Latin poet [[Claudian]] in his ''Gigantomachia'' has Gaia, imagining the Giants victorious, propose that "Porphyrion, wreathe thou thy head with Delphi's laurel and take Cirrah for thy sanctuary",<ref>[[Claudian]], ''Gigantomachia'' [https://archive.org/stream/claudia02clau#page/282/mode/2up 34&ndash;35 (pp. 282&ndash;283)].</ref> and has Porphyrion attempt "to uproot trembling [[Delos]], wishing to hurl it at the sky".<ref>[[Claudian]], ''Gigantomachia'' [https://archive.org/stream/claudia02clau#page/288/mode/2up 114&ndash;116 (pp. 288&ndash;289)].</ref> The late fourth or early fifth-century AD Greek poet [[Nonnus]], in his ''[[Dionysiaca]]'', has Gaia set the Giants against [[Dionysus]], promising Porphyrion [[Hebe (mythology)|Hebe]] as his wife should the Giants succeed in subduing the god.<ref>[[Nonnus]], ''[[Dionysiaca]]'', [https://archive.org/stream/dionysiaca03nonnuoft#page/424/mode/2up 48.6&ndash;22 (pp. 424&ndash;427)].</ref>

==In art==
Porphyrion is named on a sixth-century BC black-figure [[Pyxis (vessel)|pyxis]] (Getty 82.AE.26), where he and the Giant [[Enceladus (giant)|Enceladus]] oppose Zeus, Heracles and [[Athena]].<ref>Beazley Archive [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/90823A6B-3A95-40B2-9645-B8A9738F732A 10148] [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/XDB/ASP/recordDetailsLarge.asp?recordCount=1&id=%7B90823A6B-3A95-40B2-9645-B8A9738F732A%7D&fileName=IMAGES200%2FUSA25%2FCVA%2EUSA25%2E1246%2E1%2F&returnPage=&start= Fragment: Heracles, Athena, horses of Zeus' chariot, Porphyrion and Enceladus].</ref> He is also named on a late fifth-century BC red-figure cup from [[Vulci]] (Berlin F2531), and a fifth-century BC red-figure [[krater]] (Paris, Petit Palais 868), in both engaged in single combat with [[Zeus]],<ref>Berlin F2531: Beazley Archive [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/46E5041B-1D5E-482A-8D61-D896ECDDF3DA 220533]: [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/XDB/ASP/recordDetailsLarge.asp?recordCount=1&id={46E5041B-1D5E-482A-8D61-D896ECDDF3DA}&fileName=IMAGES200%2FGER22%2FCVA%2EGER22%2E1049%2E2%2F&returnPage=&start= detail showing Zeus ''v''. Porphyrion]; Cook, [https://archive.org/stream/zeusstudyinancie03cook#page/n102/mode/2up p. 56], [https://archive.org/stream/zeusstudyinancie03cook#page/n103/mode/2up Plate VI]. Paris, Petit Palais 868: Arafat, p. 184; Beazley Archive [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/1F0855DB-2B8C-42A2-88C4-61D93FA2A84F 206859].</ref> and a late sixth-century/early fifth-century fragmentary BC red-figure cup (British Museum E 47), where his opponent is lost.<ref>Arafat, pp. 16, 184; Sparks, [https://books.google.com/books?id=XooeAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA27 p. 27]; Beazley Archive [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/71F3F36F-5E49-4DFB-95BF-F39B81A8AC1B 203256]; ''LIMC'' [http://ark.dasch.swiss/ark:/72163/080e-73e5a6ade89f9-0 4663 (Gigantes 301)].</ref>

Porphyrion was probably named on the [[Gigantomachy]] depicted on the north frieze of the [[Siphnian Treasury]] at [[Delphi]] (c. 525 BC),<ref>Brinkmann, N22 p.103, which finds traces of "rion"; Stewart, plate 196.</ref> and he was one of the many Giants depicted on the second-century BC [[Pergamon Altar]] Gigantomachy frieze, where he is shown fighting Zeus.<ref>Ridgeway, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Y6Jj6rcIup4C&pg=PA54 p. 54 note 35].</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], ''Apollodorus, The Library, with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes.'' Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text;jsessionid=C431BA809CA4DEA22A15DA9C666F3400?doc=Perseus%3atext%3a1999.01.0022%3atext%3dLibrary  Online version at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Claudian]], ''Claudian with an English translation by Maurice Platnauer'', Volume II, [[Loeb Classical Library]] No. 136. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd.. 1922. {{ISBN|978-0674991514}}. [https://archive.org/stream/claudia02clau#page/n7/mode/2up Internet Archive]. 
* Arafat, K. W., ''Classical Zeus: A Study in Art and Literature'', Clarendon Press, Oxford 1990. {{ISBN|0-19-814912-3}}.
* [[Arthur Bernard Cook|Cook, Arthur Bernard]], ''Zeus: A Study in Ancient Religion, Volume III: Zeus God of the Dark Sky (Earthquakes, Clouds, Wind, Dew, Rain, Meteorites), Part I: Text and Notes'', Cambridge University Press 1940. [https://archive.org/stream/zeusstudyinancie03cook#page/n5/mode/2up Internet Archive]
* [[Horace]], ''The Odes and Carmen Saeculare of Horace''. John Conington. trans. London. George Bell and Sons. 1882. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0025%3Abook%3D1%3Apoem%3D1 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'', in ''The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White'', Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Acard%3D1 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus, Gaius Julius]], [http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html ''The Myths of Hyginus'']. Edited and translated by Mary A. Grant, Lawrence: University of Kansas Press, 1960.
* Lyne,  R. O. A. M., ''Horace: Behind the Public Poetry'', Yale University Press, 1995. {{ISBN|9780300063226}}.
* [[Nonnus]], ''[[Dionysiaca]]''; translated by [[W. H. D. Rouse|Rouse, W H D]], III Books XXXVI&ndash;XLVIII. [[Loeb Classical Library]] No. 346, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1940. [https://archive.org/stream/dionysiaca03nonnuoft#page/n5/mode/2up Internet Archive]
* [[Pindar]], ''Odes'', Diane Arnson Svarlien. 1990. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0162%3Abook%3DO.%3Apoem%3D1 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library].
* Ridgway, Brunilde Sismondo, ''Hellenistic Sculpture II: The Styles of ca. 200-100 B.C.'', University of Wisconsin Press, 2000. {{ISBN|978-0299167103}}.
* Sparks, Brian A., "Aspects of Onesimos" in ''Greek Art: Archaic Into Classical : a Symposium Held at the University of Cincinnati April 2–3, 1982'', BRILL, 1985. {{ISBN|9789004070790}}.* Stewart, Andrew F., ''Greek Sculpture: An Exploration'', Yale University Press, 1990.

{{Gigantes}}
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[[Category:Gigantes]]
[[Category:Mythology of Heracles]]
[[Category:Children of Gaia]]