Aiolos (wind god)

Aiolos

Aiolos ( ancient Greek Αἴολος , Latin Aeolus , German Aeolus or Aeol ) is the favorite of the gods used by Zeus as ruler over the various winds. The main winds include Boreas (north wind), Euros (east wind), Notos (south wind) and Zephyros (west wind).

Aiolos in the Odyssey

Aiolos was a son of Hippotes and lived with his wife and six sons and six daughters as king on the floating island of Aiolia (Αἰολία). This was often identified with one of the Aeolian Islands (whose name is derived from Aiolos) in ancient times . Some modern researchers, on the other hand, place them with other islands, e.g. a. with Ustica or Malta the same. Aiolus welcomed Odysseus and his companions and entertained them for a month. Before going home, he gave Odysseus a hose made of cowhide with winches, which was supposed to remain closed. At the same time he let westerly winds blow favorable for Odysseus' journey home. However, the tube was opened by the companions of Odysseus shortly before reaching Ithaca . As a result, all the winds escaped and the ships were driven back to Aiolos Island. When Odysseus asked Aiolos again for favorable winds, he was rejected as one who hated the gods.

Reception in music

• In Georg Philipp Telemann's suite Hamburger Ebb 'und Fluth from 1723, one movement has the programmatic title Der stürmende Aeolus .
• Johann Sebastian Bach : The Satisfied Aeolus ( Cantata BWV 205), 1725
• César Franck : Les Éolides ( Symphonic Poem ), 1876
• Toshio Hosokawa : Aeolus - Re-Turning III for harp and orchestra, 2014

Other reception

The Mount Aeolus ridge and Aeolus Ridge in Antarctica are named after him.

In Athens , at the end of Αιόλου Street is the " Tower of the Winds ".

literature

• Konrat Ziegler: Aiolos 3). In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 1, Stuttgart 1964, Col. 184.
• Roscher: Aiolos 3 . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 1,1, Leipzig 1886, Col. 193-195 ( digitized version ).

See also

• Commons: Aeolus (Mythology) - Collection of images, videos and audio files
• Aeolian harp

Web links

• Commons: Aeolus (Mythology) - Collection of images, videos and audio files
• Aiolos in the Theoi Project

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Homer , Odyssey 10: 2 and 21; Hyginus , Fabulae 125
2. ↑ Homer, Odyssey 10: 2; Ovid , Metamorphoses 14,223
3. ↑ Diodorus 5,7,6: Kyane, the daughter of Liparos
4. ↑ Parthenios , Erotika pathemata 2 says Odysseus had a relationship with Polymele.
5. ↑ Virgil , Aeneid 1.52
6. ↑ z. B. Antiochus of Syracuse FGrH 555 F 1; Diodor , Bibliotheca historica 5, 7ff.
7. ↑ u. a. Ernle Bradford: Traveling with Homer . German Taschenbuch-Verlag, Munich 1992, ISBN 3-423-30310-7 .
8. ↑ Armin Wolf : Homer's Travels. In the footsteps of Odysseus. revised new edition. Böhlau-Verlag, 2009, ISBN 978-3-412-20407-5 , p. 29ff. (First edition 1968)
9. ↑ Homer, Odyssey 10.1-76
10. ↑ Entry on the Schott publishing house