►Philosophy: “Beauty, according to Plato” / Mythology: “Some Greek Myths, based on Beauty”⭐ .-

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According to Plato, Beauty was an idea or Form of which beautiful things were consequence.

Beauty by comparison begins in the domain of intelligible objects, since there is a Form of beauty. The most important question is: what do all of these beautiful things have in common?. To know that is to know Beauty.

The Theory of Forms maintains that two distinct levels of reality exist: the visible world of sights and sounds that we inhabit and the intelligible world of Forms that stands above the visible world and gives it being. For example, Plato maintains that in addition to being able to identify a beautiful person or a beautiful painting, we also have a general conception of Beauty itself, and we are able to identify the beauty in a person or a painting only because we have this conception of Beauty in the abstract. In other words, the beautiful things we can see are beautiful only because they participate in the more general Form of Beauty. This Form of Beauty is itself invisible, eternal, and unchanging, unlike the things in the visible world that can grow old and lose their beauty.

Plato’s account in the Symposium connects beauty to a response of love and desire, but locate beauty itself in the realm of the Forms, and the beauty of particular objects in their participation in the Form. 

Beauty’s distinctive pedagogical effects show why Plato talks about its goodness and good consequences, sometimes even its identity with “the good” (Laws 841c; Philebus 66a–b; Republic, 401c; Symposium 201c, 205e).

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In Plato´ Symposium, Socrates claims to be quoting his teacher Diotima on the subject of love, and in her lesson she calls beauty the object of every love’s yearning.

She spells out the soul’s progress toward ever-purer beauty, from one body to all, then through all beautiful souls, laws, and kinds of knowledge, to arrive at beauty itself.

By going through these stages, one will ascend from loving particular kinds of beauty to loving Beauty itself, from which all beautiful things derive their nature.

Diotima suggests that a life gazing upon and pursuing this Beauty is the best life one can lead.

In the Symposium, the Form of Beauty is the final stage in the lover of knowledge’s ascent toward Beauty.

He begins by loving particular bodies, moving from there to bodies in general, to particular minds, to minds in general, to laws and practices, to knowledge, and finally to the knowledge of the Form of Beauty. The ascent is one of increasing generalization where one’s love of beauty comes to embrace more and more things.

Ultimately, however, one’s love of beauty will embrace only one thing, the Form of Beauty, but one will recognize in this Form all that is beautiful. 

There is, besides, a sense of what Beauty may be: the signs of measure and proportion signal its presence and it is linked with goodness and justice.

Beauty here is conceived as perfect unity, or indeed as the principle of unity itself. 

Plato´s Beauty Theory, as it appears in the Symposium, holds that the Beautiful is an objective quality which is more or less intensified in and exemplified by beautiful or less beautiful objects respectively. Beauty itself exists independently of the object’s relationship to a perceiver or of its being a means to some end.

The Beautiful, then, regardless of what it is, exists as a thing in itself, separate from and supreme in relation to the beautiful objects which are beautiful by somehow sharing in its being. 

There is something innate and yet external to a beautiful object. Its beauty is there independently of a perceiver, and its being beautiful or not does not depend upon personal evaluations

Plato´s ideas could be considered as a sample of the prevailing classical conception.

According to it, Beauty consists of an arrangement of integral parts into a coherent whole, according to order, proportion and symmetry.

The ancient Roman architec Vitruvius gives as good a characterization of the classical conception in its underlying unity:

Order is the balanced adjustment of the details of the work separately, and as to the whole, the arrangement of the proportion with a view to a symmetrical result.

Proportion implies a graceful semblance: the suitable display of details in their context, when everything has a symmetrical correspondence.

Symmetry also is the appropriate harmony arising out of the details of the work itself: the correspondence of each given detail to the form of the design as a whole.  (Vitruvius, 26–27)

Plato regarded beauty as objective in the sense that it was not localized in the response of the beholder.  

In spite of Plato´s theories, we should now wonder if Beauty is an Universal Quality recognizable per se …  

In other words… Is Beauty a relative assessment, which lies in the eye of the beholder…

If we believe so, then we should conclude that Beauty is created by a subjective judgment, in which each person determines whether something is beautiful or not. 

If we agree with Plato, and therefore state that Beauty is pattern or form from which all beautiful things are derived, then we are assuming that Beauty is an objective feature.

By that our postulate would be that most perceivers would agree when it comes to determine whether something or someone is beautiful or not.

Without needing to take a side, we can say that it is both things…

Beauty couldn´t be entirely subjective—that is, if anything that anyone holds to be or experiences as beautiful is beautiful then it seems that the word has no meaning, or that we are not communicating anything when we call something beautiful except perhaps an approving personal attitude. 

In addition, though different persons can of course differ in particular judgments, it is also obvious that our judgments coincide to a certain extent.

Either way, what we can certainly state is that our attraction to another person’s body increases if that body is symmetrical and in proportion.

In this sense, there are certain aesthetical features which might entail Beauty.

Scientists believe that we perceive proportional bodies to be more healthy. This is suggested in the following famous image showing an idealized human body within a square and a circle.

Leonardo da Vinci‘s drawings of the human body emphasized its proportion. The ratio of the following distances in the above Vitruvian Man image is approximately the Golden Ratio (Φ = 1.618033…).

With the math behind it, the symmetry of your face can be measured. The closer this number is to 1.618, the more beautiful it is…

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The Golden Ratio (Φ = 1.618033…).

The Vitruvian Man, drawing by Leonardo Da Vinci, showing the body dimensiones, according to the Golden Ratio.

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Following up with the previous philosophical introduction, I would like to bring to the spotlight a few greek mythological myths and certain thoughts, with regard to the idea of Beauty.

Firstly, the most well known case of the Judgement of Paris and the story of the Golden Apple of Discord.

The Judgement of Paris was a contest between the three most beautiful goddesses of Olympus–Aphrodite, Hera and Athena–for the prize of a golden apple addressed to “the fairest”.

While Paris inspected them, each of the goddess attempted with her powers to bribe him; Hera offered to make him king of Europe and Asia, Athena offered wisdom and skill in war, and Aphrodite, offered the world’s most beautiful woman.

On a side note, It is worth noting how mant times “Beauty” appears in this myth.

At the end, Paris chose Aphrodite, who was the Goddess of Love and Beauty, and Helen of Troy, who was considered the most beautiful woman, was bestowed on him, in exchange.

As to the beautiful Helen of Troy, she was also known as the face that launched a thousand ships, therefore somehow associated with features such as discord and betrayal.

The reason behind such reputation is that Helen of Troy was married by the time of the deal among the Prince of Troy and Aphrodite.

Hence Paris decided to abduct her, event which would eventually lead to the Trojan War…

In this sense, the Golden Apple was the biggest but also the most controversial prize. Besides and presumably, in the mythology surrounding “the Judgement of Paris”, the goddess of Discord Eris managed to enter The Garden of the Hesperides, which was Hera´s orchard, and plucked one of the fruits . We can therefore see why that golden apple go was also known as the Apple of Discord.

As to other quarrels originated due to similar smug assumptions involving Beauty, I would like to mention two cases, which are very similar when it comes to events and their consequences.

The first one features Myrrha, who was Adonis biological mother.

Myrrha’s mother had said that her daughter was even more beautiful than Aphrodite which angered the Goddess of Love, who cursed Myrrha to fall in love and lust after her father.

Thus, Myrrha became pregnant and gave birth to Adonis, who was raised by Aphrodite. 

Adonis was very handsome, so, further on, Persephone was taken by his beauty, reason which brought a new quarrel among goddesses. In this case, between Aphrodite and Persephone.

Secondly, we have the well known myth of Perseus´beloved, Andromeda.

Her mother, Cassiopeia had offended the Nereids by boasting that Andromeda was more beautiful than they, so in revenge Poseidon sent a sea monster to ravage Andromeda´s father kingdom.

In all cases, Beauty causes troubles. We could say that it puts in the seeds of conflict.

Its counterpoint and collateral effect is jealousy. But also a sense of unnecessary pride and vanity seems to be present here.

Beauty claims to be defined in an extended way beyond itself… It needs to be recognized.

We could say that Beauty is defined by and to the Other.

Thus, in this order of ideas, we could think that Beauty seems to be an existentialist way to experience the Beautiful. 

Intersubjectivity defines Beauty and the Other’s look constitutes the world and the beautiful as objective. This is because the Look tends to objectify what it sees.

Undoubtedly, there are subjective elements which help us define Beauty… But those ones, as Social Constructivists would state, are not necessarily individual but colective and cultural.

On the other hand, one can not deny that certain general and universal features, are linked to the idea of Beauty. 

Therefore and figuratively speaking, I believe that  Beauty would be a sui generis concept, constituted mainly by objective and intersubjective variables, which may vary according to time and contexts.

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►Gallery: “Some Greek Myths based on Beauty”:

(Click on the images for further details)

” Golden Apple of Discord” by Jacob Jordaens (1633).-

“The Judgment of Paris” by Guillaume Guillon Lethière (1812).-

“The Judgement of Paris” by François Xavier Fabre (1808).-

“The Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli (1486).- Aphrodite or Venus was one of the contestants in the Judgement of Paris

“The peacock complaining at Juno” by Jehanne (1913). Juno or Hera was one of the contestants in the Judgement of Paris.

“Minerva Expelling the Vices from the Garden of Virtue”, by Andrea Mantegna (1502). Minerva or Atenea was one of the contestants in the Judgement of Paris.

“Myhrra assisted by Lucina, the Goddess of Birth” by Jean de Court (1560). Myhrra was Adonis´biological mother.

“Venus and Adonis” by Francois Lemyone. (1729). Venus or Aphrodite raised the handsome Adonis, who was Myrrha´s son.

“The rape of Proserpina” by Hans von Aachen (1586). Proserpina or Persephone was Hades´wife and Demeter´s daughter. Plus, she was also taken by Adonis´beauty.

“Perseus riding Pegasus” by Paul Joseph Blanc. 19th century. Perseus was Andromeda´s savior and beloved.

“Les Sirenes visitées par les Muses” by Adolphe La Lyre (19th century). The Sirens , better known here as The Nereids were Fifty beautiful Sea Nymphs. Andromeda´s mother, Cassiopeia had offended these nymphs by boasting that Andromeda was more beautiful than they.

“The Return of Neptune” by John Singleton Copley (1754). Neptune or Poseidon was the God of Sea. He sent a sea monster called Cetus to ravage Andromeda´s father kingdom, in defense of the beautiful Nereids.

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►Playtime!:Is your face geometrically beautiful?:

Supposedly, when it comes to Beauty, the simplest measurement is the length of your face divided by the widest part of your face.

As previously mentioned above, the closer this number is to 1.618, i.e Golden Ratio, the more beautiful the person is…

There are countless ratios that can be measured, but the website Anaface will generate a computer calculation online of a few of these ratios, from your uploaded photo for free.

An important detail is that you ought to use the photograph URL. It didn’t work for me when I tried upload he image from my computer…

For that purpose, send yourself an email with the photograph and then copy paste its URL, as shown in the gallery.

Furthermore. keep in mind that the more horizontally your face is placed, the more reliable the results will be.

Use as a model the photograph provided in order to locate the points, especially if your ears don´t show up in the photograph due to your hair… 

Follow up the instructions and you´ll soon get your score. Click on the images in the gallery below for further details …

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►STEP 1 ► Copypaste the URL of the photograph in email

►STEP 2 ► Place the different points as required and shown in the photograph on the right side.

►STEP 3 ► Facial Beauty. Get the Results.

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►Last but not Least: Quote Challenge: Beauty:

Paul from Pal Fitness has nominated me for a so called 3-Day Quote Challenge. Please Check out Paul´s blog. He is a personal trainer and coach, who loves blogging and writing. 

The rules of this challenge are: ♠Post your favorite quotes or your own quotes for three (3) posts in a row. ♠Thank the person who nominated you. ♠Pass it on to three (3) other bloggers per quote, each time you post them. Or pass it to nine (9) bloggers if you choose to post all the quotes together, in the same post.
⚠ Note: I will post the three (3) quotes together. Thus I will nominate nine (9) Bloggers.
Also, I thought It would be pertinent to choose quotes on Beauty, alongside photographs taken by me, which you will be able to see in my Instagram account... All this aims to keep it on with the topic of this post… So that’s how I will do it :D. If you have been nominated, feel free to join the challenge if you feel it is worth it, want to and/or have time to do so. You can to pick out whichever creative license regarding this feature. 

My nominees for the Quote Challenge are: 1. D.G.Kaye Writer 2. Parlor of Horror 3. Course of Mirrors 4. Living the Dream 5. Solveig Werner 6. Scribble and Scrawl  7. Round World and Me 8. The Lonely Author 9. Aidyl93

►Three Quotes on Beauty by John Keats, and some Photographs:

~ Click on the images to read ~

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness”… John Keats .

“Whatever the imagination seizes as Beauty must be truth -whether it existed before or not”. John Keats .

“‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know”. John Keats.

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►Links Post:

http://www.iep.utm.edu/plato/

http://www.anaface.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/beauty/#ClaCon

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-aesthetics/

http://asifoscope.org/2013/05/10/on-beauty/

http://www.intmath.com/blog/mathematics/is-she-beautiful-the-new-golden-ratio-4149

http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/plato/themes.html

http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/symposium/section11.rhtml

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►Greek Mythology: “Zeus and Callisto” / Poetry: “Poem Challenge”.-

“Jupiter and Callisto” by François Boucher. In this painting Jupiter (Zeus) takes the form of Artemis/Diana (1759).

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Callisto (also known as Parrhasia)  was a daughter of the Arkadian King Lykaon and a hunting companion of the goddess Artemis (Also known as Cynthia, roman equivalent: Diana).

Callisto’s themes are instinct and flexibility. Her symbols are a bear, a willow branch and the constellation Ursa Minor.

Callisto wanted to preserve her virginity for as long as she remained in the company of the Huntress- Goddess.

“Callisto once belonged to the sacred circle of Hamdryades and huntress Diana (Artemis). She touched the goddess’ bow : `This bow I touch,’ she cried, `Be a witness to my virginity.’ Cynthia (Artemis) praised her, and said : `Keep the pledge you vowed and you will be my companions’ princeps. [Ovid, “Fasti” 2. 155 ff. (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.)].~

But later on, she was seduced by the god Zeus (also known as Jove, roman equivalent: Jupiter), in the guise of the goddess Artemis.

The god transformed himself and took Diana’s (Artemis’)  form–assumed Diana’s dress and imitating her awoke the maid, and spoke in gentle tones, `What mountain slope, O virgin of my train, hath been thy chase?’ Which, having heard, Callisto, rose and said, `Hail, goddess! greater than celestial Jove! I would declare it though he heard the words’. Jove (Zeus) heard and smiled, well pleased to be preferred above himself, and kissed her many times, and strained her in his arms, while she began to tell the varied fortunes of her hunt… But when his ardent love was known to her, she struggled to escape from his embrace: ah, how could she, a tender maid, resist almighty Jove?… [Ovid, “Metamorphoses” 2. 409 – 531. (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.)].~ 

When her pregnancy was revealed in the bath, Callisto blamed the goddess of the offence. 

The Moon’s bent horns were rising from their ninth sojourn, when, fainting from her brother’s flames, the goddess of the chase observed a cool umbrageous grove, from which a murmuring stream ran babbling gently over golden sands. When she approved the spot, lightly she struck her foot against the ripples of the stream, and praising it began; `Far from the gaze of all the curious we may bathe our limbs, and sport in this clear water’. Quickly they undid their garments,–but Parrhasis (Callisto of Parrhasia) hid behind the others, till they knew her state… Cynthia (Artemis) in a rage exclaimed, `Away! Thou must not desecrate our sacred springs!’ And she was driven thence. [Ovid, “Metamorphoses” 2. 409 – 531. (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.)].~ 

Artemis, in her fury, transformed Callisto into a bear. Thus, the huntress became the hunted, somehow.

And lest her prayers and piteous words might move some listening god, and give remembrance, speech was so denied, that only from her throat came angry growls, now uttered hoarse and threatening. Still remains her understanding, though her body, thus transformed, makes her appear a savage bear… Over crags, in terror, she was driven by the cries of hounds; and many a time she fled in fear, a huntress from the hunters, or she hid from savage animals; forgetting her transformed condition. Changed into a bear, she fled affrighted from the bears that haunt the rugged mountains. [Ovid, “Metamorphoses” 2. 409 – 531. (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.)].~

Hunters then caught and delivered her and her son Arcas (which mans “bear”) to King Lykaon.

Sixteen years later Callisto, still a bear, encountered her son Arcas hunting in the forest. Just as Arcas was about to kill his own mother, Zeus averted the tragedy by placing mother and son amongst the stars as Ursa Major and Minor, respectively.

By fixing “those new made stars in the highest dome of space that circles the utmost axis of the world”  [Ovid, “Metamorphoses” 2. 409 – 531. (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.)].~ 

Hera was not pleased with this arrangement, especially since Callisto was another of her husband’s infidelities, so with one of the Nereids, i.e Thethys‘ help, they cursed these stars to circle in the skies forever. That’s why the two constellations are circumpolar, visible all year round.

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“Jupiter (Jupiter, shaped as Diana or Artemis) and Callisto. Progressions of Two paitings. 1) Painting with Cupid up on the left. “Jupiter in the guise of Diana and the nymph Callisto” by Pietro Liberi. (17th century). Painting with Cupid down on the left: “Diana and Callisto” by Jean Baptiste Marie Pierre. (17th century).

“Jupiter seduces Callisto.” by Peter Paul Rubens. (1673).

“Jupiter and Callisto” by Caesar van Everdingen (1655).

“Diana and Callisto” by Titian (1559). The painting depicts the moment when Callisto’s pregnancy is discovered.

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►Gallery: “Zeus and Callisto”:

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►Links Post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callisto_%28mythology%29

http://thedailyhaiku.blogspot.com.ar/2009/10/ursa-major.html

http://www.windows2universe.org/mythology/ursa_major_greek.html

http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/myth-stories/lovers-of-zeus.htm

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/c/callisto.html

http://www.theoi.com/Heroine/Kallisto.html 

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My blogger friend Marlyn Exconde from Kintal invited me to join her in the “Love in Ten Sentences~Poetry Challenge”.

I am gladly joining her for National Poetry Month. However, I took some creative licenses.

The original prompt strictly states that you should: a) Write about love using only ten (10) lines. b) Use “love” in each line. c) Each line has to be only be four (4) words long. d) Nominate ten (10) bloggers for the challenge.

I have read many poems following the Love in Ten Sentences Challenge and, as far as I am concerned, these points were put aside, or not even mentioned. 

My poem doesn’t follow the prompts of the original Challenge, either. That’s why I will nominate ten (10) bloggers, as I suggest a new version of the Challenge, therefore called: “Non-Love in More than Ten Sentences”…

•~~~ ๑۩۩๑ ~~~•

⭐ Rules for the “Non-Love in More than Ten Sentences Challenge”:

If you are in, you only have to link back to my blog and add your poem on your blog, making sure to include:

~The word “Love”, at least once.

~At least one adverb. (For instance: unavoidably).

~At least one quote or motto, marked by quotation marks.

As to the poem and particularly as to Non- Love, the topics might be related to: a break up, betrayals of love, an impossible love, amorous quarrels, an unrequited love, disappointment or disbelief with regard to love, and so on… 

Finally, you shall nominate ten (10) bloggers for them to follow up this challenge, if they want to.

►Being all this said,  these are my nominees for the “Non-Love in More than Ten Sentences”~ Poetry Challenge (in no particular order):

1. Poetic Parfait 2. Americana Injustica  3. Echoes and Reflections 4. Rosey 5. Forgotten Meadows 6. Sylvester L. Anderson 7. Eva Poetex 8. Friendly Fairy Tales 9. House of Heart 10. Poemimage.

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To feel that each day unraveled the days ahead to come,

those days we would never share,

being perfect strangers, like we were…. 

Yet, I wanted to believe.“Extraordinary findings occur

among ordinary circumstances”, I used to say.

~~~

Nevertheless, we moved away from that ethereal place,

even before we would have met there.

Uninterruptedly guessing our faces. 

Unimpeachably bitter shades.

Disappointment unmatched. 

~~~

No witness, just ourselves.

The absence of light, our own ghosts.

Darkness awaiting, full of promises.

needlessly looking for words.

Quiescent, naive expectations.

~~~

Equally symmetric, our paths were in fact bypaths,

leading to the Shelter of Lost Memories,

where silence was the only Master, 

and rough seas, a recurrent blurry image.

Always breaking forth. And back…

~~~

“Be aware of what you dream”,

We vanished precisely when we were getting closer

under a veil of  pale lights, 

that I had thought weren’t anything

but an Epiphany of Love.

~~~

Needless to say, it wasn’t… 

Nor we were those perfect strangers. Vain projections.

All what now remains is an unrelenting gloomy feeling.

And that never-failing call of what was destined to be,

which, as unreachable as it is, unavoidably fades to nothing…

~~~

 ©2015 Amalia Pedemonte/Aquileana.~

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This photograph is from an argentine movie called “Siete para un Secreto”(“Seven for a secret”), dated 1947. The main actor and the man above, was Carlos Cores, my grandpa´s cousin. On the other hand, my grandpa, Lito Pedemonte, was a militar. The interesting fact here is that Cores is wearing my grandpa´s military uniform. It seems that Carlos Borcosque, the film director, was trying to reduce budgets, somehow. [Credit Photo: Amalia Pedemonte ©]

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Three new awards!… I would like to thank Angie from Family Love Does More for nominating me for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award.

I also want to thank Martes de Cuento for nominating my blog for another Very Inspiring Blogger Award.

Finally, last but least, I’d love to thank Shehanne Moore for nominating me an Infinity Dreams Award.

These three bloggers are really worth checking out!… So please, give it a shot and visit these blogs, like the posts and follow them!… 😀

Note: For the three awards, I will nominate blogs I have recently came across and like, recent followers and/or plussers. Also, I am changing the logos so that way I can include new awards among mine… And, finally, I will follow the nomination process without answering questions or mentioning facts about me…. 

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►Rules for these Three Awards:

♠ Thank the person who nominated you for the award.
♠ Add the logo to your post.
♠Nominate ten (10) bloggers you admire and inform your nominees by commenting on their blogs. 

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►I) Nominees~Very Inspiring Blogger Award (Typing Machine Version):

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 1. Shehanne Moore 2. Martes de Cuento 3. Peg-o-Leg’s Ramblings 4. Bodhirose’s Blog 5. A Dystopian Fantasy 6. El Eco de tus Palabras 7. Art and Life Analysis 8. Diana Douglas 9. Galiana 10. Living the Dream

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►II) Nominees~Very Inspiring Blogger Award (Glitter Version):

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 1. Family Love Does More 2. En Humor Arte 3. Summerfield84’s English Blog 4. The Road to Serendipity 5. Ms. Mouse Cleans House 6. Auntie B’s Wax 7. Pensando en la Oscuridad 8. Casey Comments 9. Bloc de Notas 10. Amabile11

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►III) Nominees~ The Infinity Dreams Award:

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1. Pendragon Photos 2. Inking The Thinking 3. Cathy Sultan Blog 4. If I Could Talk I’d Tell You 5. Course of Mirrors 6. Susanne Leist 7. Sand Castle 8. Tails Around the Ranch 9. Yonezawa723 10. Life as we see it.

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►Greek Mythology: “Zeus, The Ruler of Gods”.-

“Jupiter and Europe” by Gustave Moreau (1868).

 

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Zeus was the supreme god in Ancient Greece, the father of the Olympian gods and the ruler of mankind. He was identified with the Roman god Jupiter and associated with other deities, such as the Egyptian god Ammon and the Etruscan god Tinia. 

He was regarded by the Greeks as the god of all natural phenomena on the sky; the personification of the laws of nature; the ruler of the state; and finally, the father of gods and men.

Zeus was the last child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Zeus had five older siblings. Two brothers (Poseidon and Hades), and three sisters (Hestia, Hera and Demeter).

Cronus had learnt that he was destined to be overthrown by his son as he had previously overthrown Uranus, his own father. His wife Rhea, knew that he would kill the baby so she sought Gaia to devise a plan to save him.

Finally, Rhea she gave birth to Zeus in Crete and hid him in a cave and he was raised by Gaia. 

As mentioned previously, Zeus’ father, Cronus, had sired several five children by Rhea, but he swallowed them all as soon as they were born.  After reaching manhood, Zeus forced Cronus to disgorge his  siblings in reverse order of swallowing.

Then he released the brothers of Cronus, the Gigantes, the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes, from their dungeon in Tartarus.

Zeus married his own sister, Hera, the goddess of marriage and monogamy, but was giving her plenty of reasons to be jealous, since Zeus was renowned of his numerous lovers As a result, Zeus fathered plenty of children.

By Hera, Zeus sired Ares and Hephaestus (who would be both Aphrodite’s lovers) and Hebe, the goddess of youth. 

He had love affairs with Demeter (the Goddess of the Harvest and Perspehone’s mother), Leto (the Goddess of Motherhood), Dione (the personification of a more ancient Mother Goddess), Maia (a Nymph) and Thetis (A Sea Nymph and leader of the Fifty Nereids). Also Metis, (one of the Okeanides and the Titan goddess of good counsel and advise) was his lover and his first wife and Athena (the goddess of wisdom) was their daughter.

Among mortals she had several lovers such as Io, Leda, Europa, and even the handsome young man Ganymede, to whom Zeus granted him eternal youth and immortality. Seleme was also among them and with her Zeus sired Dionysus (The god of Wine).

Zeus was the god of regulated time as marked by the changing seasons and the regular succession of day and night, in contrast to what his father Cronus represented before him; absolute time, meaning eternity.

As the personification of the operations of nature, he represented the glaws of unchanging order, by which both the natural and the spiritual world were governed.

As the father of the gods, Zeus ascertained that each deity perform their individual duty, punished their misdeeds, settled their disputes, and acted towards them on all occasions.

The symbols of Zeus were the scepter, the throne and the thunderbolt, which was as a gift from the Cyclopes after he liberated them. Zeus’ tree was theoak tree and his sacred animal was the eagle. Using his shield, the Aegis, he could create all natural phenomena related to the air and the sky, such as storms and tempests.

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“Jupiter and Semele” by Gustave Moreau (1895).

“Zeus and Ganymede. (Ttheft of fire)” by Christian Griepenkerl (1878) .

 

“Jupiter and Thetis”, by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. (1811).

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“O Zeus, much-honoured, Zeus supremely great, to thee our holy rites we consecrate, our prayers and expiations, king divine, for all things to produce with ease through mind is thine. Hence mother earth (Gaia) and mountains swelling high proceed from thee, the deep and all within the sky. Kronion king, descending from above, magnanimous, commanding, sceptred Zeus; all-parent, principle and end of all, whose power almighty shakes this earthly ball; even nature trembles at thy mighty nod, loud-sounding, armed with lightning, thundering god. Source of abundance, purifying king, O various-formed, from whom all natures spring; propitious hear my prayer, give blameless health, with peace divine, and necessary wealth”. [Orphic Hymn 15 to Zeus. (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.)]~

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“Zeus at Olympia, One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”:

“Zeus at Olympia”, sculture by Phidias. Drawings.

On the Left: A fanciful reconstruction of Phidias’ statue of Zeus, in an engraving made by Philippe Galle in 1572. On the Right: Coin from Elis district, Greece illustrating the Olympian Zeus statue.

The Statue of “Zeus at Olympia” was a giant seated figure, about 42 ft (13 m) tall, made by the Greek sculptor Phidias around 435 BC at the sanctuary of Olympia, Greece, and erected in the Temple of Zeus. It  It was regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, until its eventual destruction for unknown causes during the 5th century AD.

In the 2nd century AD, the geographer Pausanias gave a detailed description. The statue was crowned with a sculpted wreath of olive sprays. It had gold sandals, and a golden robe carved with animals and lilies. In its right hand was a small chryselephantine statue of crowned Nike, goddess of victory. Its left hand held a sceptre inlaid with many metals, supporting an eagle. The throne was decorated in gold, precious stones, ebony, and ivory. 

The Roman “Seated Zeus” sculpture is considered a copy of the original Statue of Zeus, and it was created following the type established by Phidias.

“Zeus at Olympia”. Zeus enthroned holding a royal sceptre and winged Nike (Victory), and with an eagle by his side. Roman copy inspired by Greek ivory and gold statue of Zeus at Olympia by Phidias. Marble & Bronze . Imperial Roman. C1st AD Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia.

“Zeus at Olympia”. Roman copy inspired by Greek ivory and gold statue of Zeus at Olympia by Phidias. Marble & Bronze . Imperial Roman. C1st AD Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia.

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►Gallery: “Zeus, The Ruler of Gods”:

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►Links Post: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeus

http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/GreekGods/Zeus/

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hi/hi_fidegze.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Zeus_at_Olympia

http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/zeus/#zeus-family

http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/roman-gods/jupiter.htm

http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Zeus/zeus.html

http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/sevens-wonders-of-the-ancient-world

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I would like to thank Purple Anais from Arwenaragornstar for nominating me for a Lovely Blog Award.

I also want to thank The Chaos Realm for nominating me for a Versatile Blogger Award.

Finally I appreciate that Unbolt nominated me for a Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award.

Thanks to these three bloggers and please make sure to check out their blogs and to follow them, If you haven’t still done so!.~ 😎  

Note: In this ocassion and for the three awards, I will nominate blogs I have recently came across and like, recent followers and plussers. Also,  I will follow the nomination process without answering questions or mentioning facts about me…. 

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►Rules for these Three Awards:

♠ Thank the person who nominated you for the award.
♠ Add the logo to your post.
♠Nominate ten (10) bloggers you admire and inform your nominees by commenting on their blogs. 

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►I) Nominees~Lovely Blog Award (True Colors Version):

1. Tina Frisco 2. The Golden Echo 3. The Peacock Feather 4. For the love of Nike  5. Speculations Impressed 6. Poet Charms 7. The Rose Hotel 8. Margaret Langstaff 9. June Kearns  10. An Honest Sinner

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►II) Nominees~Versatile Blogger Award (Flowers Version):

1. Echoes and Reflections 2. Eudaimonia 3. The Haute Mommy Handbook 4. Into the forgotten 5. Words of No Wisdom 6. Welcome to my World 7. Chronicle Me 8. Fifty Shades of Reality 9. Hiddenaltar 10. Jakariabulbul

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►III) Nominees~Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award (Cool Version):

1. Drifting through my Open Mind 2. Naponteaerea 3. Lenkalaskoradova 4. The return of the Modern Philosopher 5. 101 Half Connected Things 6. Everyday People 7. Catalina Trujillo 8. The Book Haven 9. Robin’s Real Life 10. Kultur Post

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►Greek Mythology: “The Nereids, Fifty Sea Nymphs”.-

►Greek Mythology: “The Nereids, Fifty Sea Nymphs”:

“A Mermaid” by John William Waterhouse (1900).

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The Nereids were fifty goddesses of the sea, daughters of Nereus (eldest son of Pontus, the Sea and Gaia, the Earth) and Doris (an Oceanid and Sea Nymph). They were sisters of  Nerites (a young minor sea god).

They Nereids were the patrons of sailors and fishermen, who came to the aid of men in distress.

Individually they also represented various facets of the sea, from salty brine, to foam, sand, rocky shores, waves and currents, in addition to the various skills possessed by seamen.

They often accompany Poseidon, the god of the sea, and can be friendly and helpful to sailors fighting perilous storms.

The Nereids were depicted in ancient art as beautiful young maidens, sometimes running with small dolphins or fish in their hands, or else riding on the back of dolphins, hippokampoi (fish-tailed horses) and other sea creatures.

The Nereids were different to the Sirens as those creatures we call Mermaids are, speaking properly, Nereids (fish shaped women) and not Sirens (women with bird forms).

•Sirens, Nereids and Mermaids:

The Nereids of Greek mythology gave rise to the tales of the mermaids that were so popular among later sailors’ mythology. These sea nymphs were given the features traditionally associated with the mermaid, half beautiful woman, half fish. These enchanting creatures were well known to mingle with humans and to bear children.

As to the Sirens, originally, there were only three sirens who, after being pounished, would be shaped as birds.

•The Sirens were handmaidens of Persephone, daughter of the goddess Demeter.

It is said that when Persephone was abducted by Hades, Demeter gifted the three girls with the bodies of birds so they could help search for the lost girl.

When they couldn’t find her they eventually gave up and went to live on the island of Anthemoessa, cursed by Demeter (who was angry at their abandonment of the search) to remain in their half-bird form.

The Sirens were further cursed when they entered a singing competition with the Muses and lost the contest as well as their wings and many of their feathers.

Eventually, the sirens died with the fulfillment of a prophecy that should anyone be able to resist their song, the sirens would perish.

And they did; when Odysseus had his men block their ears and then tied himself to the mast of his ship so he could listen but not interfere, the sirens hurled themselves into the sea and died as he passed.

•Poseidon and Amphitrite: One of the most well known mythological couples in which a sea- goddess related to the Nereids was involved, was that of Poseidon and Amphitrite. 

Amphitrite was a sea-goddess, daughter of Doris and Nereus and therefore sister of the Nereids. She might be also considered one of the Fifty Nereids (Sea-Nymphs), according to other sources.

Poseidon (Roman Equivalent: Neptune)  was  the God of the Sea and he was also referred to as “Earth-Shaker” due to his role in causing earthquakes. According to the references from Plato in his dialogues “Timaeus” and “Critias”, the island of Atlantis was the chosen domain of Poseidon.

So after this brief introduction and without further ado, I want to link back to Cyan Ryan’s blog as he has recently posted a “haiku-set of 20 haiku” in which he makes reference to Amphitrite and Poseidon’s love story. 

So, without further ado, make sure to read Ryan ‘s Poem: “Mermaid Wife Of Poseidon” (Haiku-Set). Also check out his remarkable poetry blog “21 Shades of Blue”. Worth Reading!~

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“Triumph of Poseidon and Amphitrite”. Detail of a mosaic from Cirta, Roman Africa (325 BC).

“Tritons and Nereids” by William Russell Flint (1911).

“The Sea Maiden” by James Herbert Draper. (1894).

“Les Sirenes visitées par les Muses” by Adolphe La Lyre (19th century).

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►Gallery: “The Nereids”:

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“Sirens by the Sea” by Victor Karlovich Shtemberg (19th century.

“Mermaids Frolicking in the Sea” by Charles Edouard Boutibonne (1883).

“Sea Maidens” by Evelyn Pickering de Morgan (1885).

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►Links Post:

http://www.theoi.com/Pontios/Nereides.html

http://www.maicar.com/GML/NEREIDS.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nereid

https://geotopoi.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/liverpool-st-georges-hall-20131124-15.jpg?w=700

https://geotopoi.wordpress.com/2013/12/01/st-georges-hall-liverpool/

http://knowledgenuts.com/2014/02/05/the-difference-between-mermaids-and-sirens/

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►Last but not Least: Two Awards:

Versatile Blogger Award and Very Inspiring Blogger Award:

I) I want to thank Doris for nominationg me for a Versatile Blogger Award on my post about the Sphinxes

II) I also want to thank Suyash Chopra for nominating my blog for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award

I truly recommend to check out both blogs previously suggested above. Their posts are amazing and worth reading!.

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I) Versatile Blogger Award:

Versatile Blogger Award.

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►Here are the Awards Rules for the Versatile Blogger Award:

1) The nominee shall display the respective logo on her/his blog and link to the blogger that has nominated her/him.

2) The nominee shall nominate fifteen (15) bloggers she/he admires, by linking to their blogs and informing them about the nomination.

►These are my nominees for the for the Versatile Blogger Award:

1. Restons subversifs 2. Pursuit of Happiness 3. Jakesprinter 4. The Vigilant Lens 5. Crumpled Paper Cranes 6. Smile Calm 7. Shamagaia 8. China Soujourns Photography 9. One and the Same 10. Travels with Choppy 11. The Urban Wildlife Interface 12. Breath of Joy 13. Alacartemenus 14. My Life as an Artist 15. Catania Fashion Blog.

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II) Very Inspiring Blogger Award:

Very Inspiring Blogger Award.

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►The Award Rules for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award are:

1) The nominee shall display the respective logo on her/his blog and link to the blogger that has nominated her/him.

2) The nominee shall nominate ten (10) bloggers she/he admires, by linking to their blogs and informing them about the nomination.

►And, these are the nominees for this Award:

1. Living the Seasons 2. Silver in the Barn 3. Heirloom 4. To Be By Your Side 5. Dunelight 6. Just Bliss 7. EuphonosBooks 8. Megan Elizabeth 9. Pictimilitude 10. My CherryBomb Nights.

⭐ ★ ⭐ ⭐ ★ ⭐ ⭐ ★

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Thanks for dropping by!.

All the best to my fellow bloggers, Aquileana 😀

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