The list of lovers (2)

Text
The catalogue of human lovers of goddesses in Odyssey may depend on a similar catalogue of Ištar’s lovers in the sixth tablet of the Gilgameš Epic.

Homer, Odyssey 5.118-129:
(Calypso:) ‘Cruel are you, O gods, and quick to envy above all others, seeing that you begrudge goddesses that they should mate with men openly, if any takes a mortal as her dear bed-fellow. Thus, when rosy-fingered Dawn took to herself Orion, you gods that live at ease begrudged her, till in Ortygia chaste Artemis of the golden throne assailed him with her gentle shafts and slew him. Thus too, when fair-tressed Demeter, yielding to her passion, lay in love with Iasion in the thrice-ploughed fallow land, Zeus was not long without knowledge thereof, but smote him with his bright thunder-bolt and slew him. And even so again do you now begrudge me, O you gods, that a mortal man should abide with me.

Source (list of abbreviations) (source links will open in a new browser window)
Homer, Odyssey 5.118-129

Bibliography

Amar Annus

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