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The two scenes parallel each other in structure and narrative form. A goddess, injured by a human, goes up to heaven to complain to her father and mother, and she earns a mild rebuke from her father. Aphrodite has here a mother, Dione, which is just the feminine form of Zeus, like Antum from Anu in the passage from the Gilgameš Epic.
Gilgameš Epic (SBV) 6.80-90:
Ištar, when hearing this, Ištar was enraged and [went up] to heaven. Forth went Ištar before Anu, her father, and [cried]; before Antum, her mother her tears were flowing: “Oh my father! Gilgameš has heaped insults upon me! Gilgameš has recounted my insults, my insults and my curses.” Anu opened his mouth to speak, he said to glorious Ištar: “Surely you have provoked the king Gilgameš, and (thus) Gilgameš recounted your insults, your insults and curses.
Homer, Iliad 5.330-431:
(Trying to protect Aeneas, Aphrodite has been wounded by Diomedes:) But she, beside herself, went away, she felt horrible pain. (She reaches Olympus:) But she, glorious Aphrodite, fell into the lap of Dione, her mother; but she took her daughter in her arms, stroked her with her hand, spoke the word and said: “Who has done such things to you, dear child?” Aphrodite replied: “Wounded has me the son of Tydeus, high-minded Diomedes.” … He (= Zeus) called golden Aphrodite and said to her: “My child, not for you are the works of war! But you should pursue the tender offices of marriage … “
Sources (list of abbreviations) (source links will open in a new browser window)
Gilgameš Epic (SBV) 6.80-90
Homer, Iliad 5.330-431
Bibliography
| Burkert 1992, 96-97 | Burkert, Walter. The Orientalizing Revolution. Near Eastern Influence on Greek Culture in the Early Archaic Period. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press 1992. |
Amar Annus
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