Bk X: 243-297 Orpheus signs: Pygmalion and the statue
" Pygmalion, a sculptor, makes an ivory statue representing his ideal of
womanhood and then falls in love with his own creation." “Pygmalion | Greek
Mythology.” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pygmalion.
Accessed 15 Feb. 2018.
Pygmalion
had seen them, spending their lives in wickedness, and, offended by the failings that
nature gave the female heart, he lived as a bachelor, without a wife or partner for his
bed. But, with wonderfull skill, he carved a figure, brilliantly, out of snow-white
ivory, no 496
mortal woman, and fell in love with his own creation. The
features are those of a real girl, who, you might think, lived, and wished to move, if
modesty did not forbid it. Indeed, art hides his art. He marvels: and passion, for this
bodily image, consumes his heart. Often, he runs his hands over the work, tempted as to
whether it is flesh or ivory, not admitting it to be ivory, he kisses it and thinks his
kisses are retunred; and speaks to it; and holds it, and imagines that his fingers press
into the the limbs, and is afraid lest bruises appear from the pressure. Now he adresses
it with compliments, now brings it gifts that please girls, shells and polished
pebbeles, little birds, and many- coloured flowers, lilies and tinted beads. and the
Is Daughter to the sun god Helios. Helaides is one of seven Daughters to
Helios. HELIADES - Poplar-Tree Nymphs of Greek Mythology.
http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NymphaiHeliades.html. Accessed 19 Feb.
2018.
Heliades's
amber tears,
that drip from the trees. He dresses the body, also, in clothing; places rings on the
fingers; places a long necklace round its neck; pearls hang from the ears, and cinctures
round the breasts. All are fitting: but it appears no less lovely, naked. He arranges
the statue on a bed which cloths 497
dyed with (Aka Royal Purple or
Imperial Purple) a color extracted from shellfish Tyrian Purple. Was created during
the Bronze Age.At the time, the specific color was very expenisve and hard to come
by. - Ancient History Encyclopedia. https://www.ancient.eu/Tyrian_Purple/. Accessed
19 Feb. 2018.
[Tyrian]
murex are spread, and calls it his bedfellow, and rests its
neck against soft , as if it could feel.
The day of "In Roman mythology, Venus was goddess of love, sex, beauty, and
fertility." Venus had two known lovers who go by Vulcan(Hephaistos) and
Mars(Ares).Venus - Ancient History Encyclopedia. https://www.ancient.eu/venus/.the
Accessed 19 Feb. 2018.
Venus
's
festival came, celebrated throughout Cyprus is an island located in the eastern
Meditterranean Sea. The island is located south of Asia and west of Eygpt. In one
theory it is believed that name of island was given by Goddess Aphrodite. Amnother
theory suggests that the large amount of copper on the island gave it its
name.“Cyprus.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, https://www.ancient.eu/cyprus/. Accessed
19 Feb. 2018
Cyprus
, and
heifers, their curved horns gilded, fell, to the blow on their snowy neck. The incense
was smoking, when Pygmalion, having made his offering, stood by the altar, and said,
shyly: "If you can grant all things, you gods, I wish as a bride to have..." and not
daring to say "the girl of ivory" he said "one like my ivory girl." Golden Venus, for
she herself was present at the festival, knew what the prayer meant, and as a sign of
the gods' fondness for him, the flame flared three times, and shook its crown in the
air. When he returned, he sought out the image of his girl, and leaning over the couch,
kissed her. She felt warm: he pressed his lips to her again, and also touched her breast
with his hand. The ivory yieled to his touch, and lost its hardness, altering under its
fingers, as the bees' wax of Also known as Hymettos, is a mountain range southeast
of Athens, Greece.Mount Hymettus | Mountain, Greece | Britannica.Com.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Hymettus. Accessed 23 Feb. 2018.
Hymettus
softens in the
sun, and is moulded, 498
under the thumb, into many forms, made usable by
use. The lover is stupefied, and joyful, but uncertain, and afraid he is wrong,
reaffirms the
fulfilment
fulfillment
of his wishes , with his hand, again, and again.
It was flesh! The pulse throbbed under his thumb. Then the hero, of "It was a
centre of the cult of Aphrodite and of pre-Hellenic fertility deities. Aphrodite's
legendary birthplace was on this island."Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. “Paphos.”
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/79/. Accessed 15 Feb.
2018.
Paphos
was indeed overfull of words with
which to thank Venus, and still pressed his mouth against a mouth that was not merely a
likeness. The girl felt the kisses he gave, blushed, and, raising her bashful eyes to
the light, saw both her lover and the sky. The goddess attached the marriage that she
had brought about, when the moon's horns had nine times met at the full, the womans bore
a son, Variartion in some sources say that Paphos is a girl.
Paphos
, from whom the island takes its
name.'499
