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Date:         Sun, 13 Sep 1992 23:35:53 EST
Reply-To:     Eleni Horaitis <s893937@MINYOS.XX.RMIT.OZ.AU>
From:         Eleni Horaitis <s893937@MINYOS.XX.RMIT.OZ.AU>
Subject:      Olumpos-0eoi
Comments: To: hellenic discussion list <hellas@brownvm.brown.edu>

On the confines of Thessaly and Macedonia, along the shores of the Aegean
Sea from which it is separated only by a narrow littoral, rises the chain
of Olympus. While on the north the mountain group descends to the plain by
a series of gentle hills, the south face - that which the Greeks saw - falls
precipitously and the mountain offers the aspect of a rocky cliff. Above a
sort of monster plateau, itself steeply flanked which serves as a base, Mount
Olympus soars in one sweep up to more than nine thousand feet. Down its sheer
slopes, covered with dark woods, tumble numerous torrents which dig deep furrows
rather like the folds of a garment. Thus the poets called it 'Olympus of the
innumerable folds'. The line of the mountain peaks is rounded into a kind of
amphitheatre and the upper tiers of rock, formed by the heaping up of huge
boulders round which cling shreds of cloud, look like gigantic seats arranged
there for the use of supernatural beings.

The mariner who sailed into the gulf of Therme (today the gulf of Salonika)
would feel himself filled with religious awe when he perceived against the
hard blue line of sky the lofty profile of Mount Olympus. Everything concurred
to reveal to him the fearful majesty of the gods. In the first place he had
no doubt that Olympus was the highest mountain in the world. Then he would
remember that the narrow Vale of Tempe, which separates Olympus from Ossa
and cradles under its willows and plane-trees the peaceful stream of Peneus,
had been hollowed out by Zeus during his struggle with the Titans.
Finally he would scarcely dare raise his eyes towards the summits; for he knew
that up there, behind the veil of clouds which hid them from mortal regard,
dwelt the almighty gods. Bending over his oars he would repeat the words of
Homer who, speaking of Olympus, had said : 'Never is it swept by the winds
not touched by snow; a purer air surrounds it, a white clarity envelops it
and the gods there taste of happiness which lasts as long as their eternal
lives.'

Actually when the sons of Cronus drew lots for the partition of the empire
of the world, Zeus received as his share the sublime regions of the Ether,
Poseidon the tumultuous sea, and Hades the sombre depths of the earth. But
it was agreed that Olympus should be held in common by all the gods and that
there they should make their dwelling-place.

Assembled on Olympus, the gods formed a society with its own laws and
hierarchy. First came the twelve great gods and goddesses : Zeus, Poseidon,
Hephaestus, Hermes, Ares and Apollo ; Hera, Athene, Artemis, Hestia, Aphrodite
and Demeter. Beside them were ranged other divinities, some of whom did not
relinquish pride of place to the great twelve. Such were Helios, Selene, Leto,
Dione, Dionysus, Themis and Eos. Then, of a lower rank, forming as it were
the courtiers of the Olympians and sworn to their service, came : the Horae,
the Moerae, Nemesis, the Graces, the Muses, Iris, Hebe, Ganymede. It must
be pointed out that Hades, although a brother of Zeus, did not frequent
Olympus and, with the goddesses Persephone and Hecate, remained in his
subterranean empire.

Over this society Zeus reigned as sovereign ruler. If at times the gods were
tempted by rebellious impulses they were quickly reduced to obedience. In
Homer we see how Zeus speaks to them : 'Let no god, let no goddess attempt
to curb my will...or I shall seize him and cast him into darkest Tartarus.
Then will he recognise how much mightier am I than all the gods! Come, then,
try it, O gods! And you will discover with whom you have to deal. Hang from
the heavens a golden chain and attach yourselves all, gods and goddesses, to
it, and no matter how hard you strive, you will not drag Zeus in his supreme
wisdom from the sky down to earth. But when, afterwards, I begin to pull I
shall draw you, you and the earth and the sea together, I shall draw you up
and roll the chain around the summit of Olympus and you will all remain
there suspended in the air.' Without quite carrying out this threat Zeus
nevertheless inflicted severe penalties on gods who had displeased him. For
instance he would make them serve as slaves to mortals; such was the fate
of Poseidon and Apollo. Therefore the gods did not resist him and even the
irascible Hera counselled prudence. 'Foolish that we are to lose our tempers
with Zeus...He sits apart and neither worries nor is distrubed; for he boasts
of being incontestably superior to the immortal gods in might and power. So
reign yourselves.'

Above the gods, however, and above Zeus himself hovered a supreme power to
whom all were subject : Moros, or Destiny. Son of the Night, Moros, invisible
and dark like his mother, prepared his decrees in the shadows and extended
his inescapable dominion over all. Zeus himself could not set aside his
decisions and had to submit to them like the humblest mortal. He had, moreover,
no desire to set aside the decisions of Destiny; for, being himself Supreme
Wisdom, he was not unaware that in upsetting the destined course of events he
would introduce confusion into the universe it was his mission to govern. Thus,
even when it was a mater of saving the life of his own son Saperdon, the hour
of whose death the Fates had marked down, Zeus preffered to bow his head and
let what was ordained be fulfilled.

The days of the gods passed in merrymaking and laughter. Sometimes, when they
intervened in the affairs of men whose quarrels they enthusiastically adopted,
the gods would disagree. But these passing storms did not affect the normal
serenity of Olympus.

Seated around their golden tables the gods dined on celestial nectar and
ambrosia, and savoured the rising fragrance of fatted cattle which mortals
burned in their honour on their altars below. Even when Zeus called them
together in counsel on the topmost peak of Olympus where he resided, the
fair Hebe would move among them pouring nectar, and the golden cups would
pass from hand to hand.

While they drank, Apollo would delight them with the harmony of his lyre and
the Muses would sing in turn in their sweet voices.

Finally, 'when the brilliant torch of the sun had dissappeared the gods would
take their leave and return to the dwelling Hephaestus had built with wondrous
cunning for each of them, there to rest and repose'.

If the gods' daily life resembled that of men it was because, at least in
appearance, their natures were not dissimilar. Their bodies were like mortal
bodies, but superior in stature, strength and beauty. Ares' body, stretched
on the ground, covered a length of seven plethra - well over two hundred
yards - and when Hera from the heights of Olympus swore by the Styx, she
could touch the earth with one hand and with the other reach the seas.

In the case of the gods, however, blood was replaced by a more fluid
substance, the ichor, which rendered the body imperishable and incorruptible.
This did not prevent the gods from being vulnerable to weapons used by men.
But their wounds, no matter how painful, always healed and their bodies
retained eternal youth.

Another privilege which the gods enjoyed was the power of metamorphosis, to
change themselves if they wished into animals or even take on the aspect of
inanimate objects.

Like mortals the gods were subject to human passions. They were accessible to
love, hate, anger, even to envy. They cruelly punished all who aroused their
enmity, but showered favours on those who revered and honoured them with gifts.

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Elevn
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