#Bithynians

[theoihalioistuff]

Nurses and Caretakers of the Gods. Part II: Ares and Hephaistos.

(As always, if you know any more sourced versions, I'd love it if you let me know!!!) Part I here.

Ares:

A quick overview of versions of his birth: he is almost universally the son of Zeus and Hera both (e.g. Hom. Il. 5.893, Hes. Th. 922–923; Apollod. 1.3.1), though he is also attested as solely born of Hera (in response to the birth of Athena after touching a prodigious flower from Olenos: Ovid. Fast. 5. 255), solely born of Zeus (after drinking the "male begetting" waters of the Nile: Schol. Aesch. Suppliant Women 855–856) or born of Enyo (Schol. Il. 5.156, Cornutus. Greek Theology. 21, see bellow, Enyo is curiously also attested as an epithet of Hera in Tzetzes ad Lycophron 493 and 519, perhaps in an attempt to reconcile both accounts). He is frequently said to have been born and/or raised in Thrace (e.g. Statius Thebaid 4.786). A fragment from a lost play by Aeschylus perhaps intends to paint a picture of his younger days:

DIKE: (...) Hera has reared a violent son whom she has borne to Zeus, a god irascible, hard to govern, an one whose mind knows no respect for others. He shot wayfarers with deadly arrows, and ruthlessly hacked ... with hooked spears ... he rejoiced and laughed ... evil ... scent of blood ... [Two lines unintelligible] ... is therefore justly called ..." (Aeschylus, Fragment 282. The passage likely seeks to etymologises the name Ares from ἀρή [bane, ruin, curse]) the vicious little psycho

1. Nursed by Thero (Beastly): "Of all the objects along this road the oldest is a sanctuary of Ares. This is on the left of the road, and the image is said to have been brought from Colchis by the Dioscuri. They surname him Theritas after Thero, who is said to have been the nurse of Ares. Perhaps it was from the Colchians that they heard the name Theritas, since the Greeks know of no Thero, nurse of Ares." (Paus. 3.19.7-8)

2. Nursed—among other things—by Enyo: "Accounts of Enyo differ; for some she is the mother of Ares, some his daughter, some his nurse" (Cornutus Compendium of Greek Theology, 21). Elsewhere she is also his sister (Quintus. Fall of Troy 424) or his lover, begetting Enyalios (Eustathius on Homer p.944) she is his everything, literally.

3. Raised and taught the arts of dance and war by Priapos (incredibly enough), a deity originally worshipped in the city of Lampsakos (in the northern Troad), who after spreading throughout the classical world was primarily known as a rustic god with massive genitals:

"According to a Bithynian legend, which agrees well with this Italian institution, Priapos, a war-like divinity (probably one of the Titans, or of the Idaean Dactyls, whose profession it was to teach the use of arms), was entrusted by Hera with the care of her son Ares, who even in childhood was remarkable for his courage and ferocity. Priapos would not put weapons into his hands till he had turned him out a perfect dancer; and he was rewarded by Hera with a tenth part of all Ares’s spoils." (Lucian. On Dance 21)

Hephaistos:

Versions of his birth are more or less split evenly between him being the son of both Zeus and Hera (e.g. Hom. Il. 1.578, 14.338, 18.396. Od. 8.312.) or solely of Hera (Hes. Theog. 929, Apollod. 1.3.5, Hygin. Fab. Praef.), likely in response to the birth of Athena, or else preceeding it due of an unexplained quarrel (Hes. Fragment 343 MW). Regarding detalis of his parthenogenic conception: "Hera, without any man, being lifted up by the wind gave birth to Hephaistos" (Lucian. De sacrificiis 6), and regarding details on the the birth, it's sometimes said to have been from her thigh (Serv. Aen. 8.454). A quaint tale that tries to reconcile both traditions (Schol.bT. Il. 14.296) claims that Zeus and Hera secretly slept together on the island of Samos before they were married. After being oficially given in marriage to Zeus by Okeanos and Tethys, Hera bore Hephaistos, and to conceal their premarital dalliance she pretended that she'd birthed him without need of a father. To finish off, odd genealogies abound which I'm not really going to include, for example Paus. 8.53.5 or Cicero. De Nat. Deor. 3.22.

1. In most accounts he's raised for nine years by Thetis and Eurynome, after being thrown off Olympos at birth by Hera for being lame (main source is Hom. Il. 18.394-405):

"She [Thetis] saved me when I suffered much at the time of my great fall through the will of my own brazen-faced mother, who wanted to hide me for being lame. Then my soul would have taken much suffering had not Eurynome and Thetis caught me and held me, Eurynome, daughter of Okeanos, whose stream bends back in a circle. With them I worked nine years as a smith, and wrought many intricate things; pins that bend back, curved clasps, cups, necklaces, working there in the hollow of the cave, and the stream of Okeanos around us went on forever with its foam and its murmur. No other among the gods or among mortal men knew about us except Eurynome and Thetis. They knew since they saved me." (Trans. Lattimore)

I ship them. Many later accounts confuse both versions of his fall (see below), and so sometimes Thetis and Eurynome recieve him after he's hurled off Olympus by Zeus, presumably as an adult (e.g. Apollod. 1.3.5). Also a variation is found where Hephaestus is raised by Thetis and the rest of the Nereids:

"But my son Hephaestus whom I bare was weakly among all the blessed gods and shrivelled of foot, a shame and disgrace to me in heaven, whom I myself took in my hands and cast out so that he fell in the great sea. But silver-shod Thetis the daughter of Nereus took and cared for him with her sisters: would that she had done other service to the blessed gods!" (Homeric Hymn 3. 311-330)

2. According to the other main variant of his fall, Hephaistos is hurled off Olympos by Zeus after he tries to intervene on his mother's behalf during one of their quarrels (Homer, Iliad 1. 568), presumably to save her from a beating (Plato, Republic 378d), or specifically to free her after she'd been chained and hung from heaven (eg. Apollod. 1.3.5). In this version he falls on the island of Lemnos, and is nursed back to health by the tribe of Sintians (V. Fl. Argonautica. 2.8.5, Hom. Il. 1.590 is quoted below):

"There was a time once before now I was minded to help you [Hera], and he [Zeus] caught me by the foot and threw me from the magic threshold, and all day long I dropped helpless, and about sunset I landed in Lemnos, and there was not much life left in me. After that fall it was the Sintian men who took care of me." (Trans. Lattimore)

As mentioned before both versions were frequently mixed up, being basically doubles of eachother (either Hephaistos is cast out because he's lame or lame because he's cast out), so sometimes he is raised as a child by the Sintians (e.g. Serv. ad. Eclog. 4.62, where he is cast out by Jupiter because Juno rejects him at birth, and so comes to fall on Lemnos).

3. Finally, there is a version where he is entrusted by Hera to the obscure Kedalion, a daimon who had his workshop on the island of Naxos. Hephaistos apprenticed and learnt to work bronze under his tutelage (Eustathius ad Homer, Il. 14.296a). Elsewhere Kedalion is an assistant in Hephaistos' workshop, who is given as a guide to the blind giant Orion so that, standing on his shoulders, he may lead him to the Sun and be healed (Serv. Aen. 10.763, Ps. Eratosthenes. Catast. fr. 32, Orion = Hes. Ast. fr 4, Hyg. Ast. 2.34.3, Sophocles also told this tale in a lost satyr play that bore Kedalion's name).

4. (Edit) Not necessarily raising, but I thought the detail of the Kyklopes teaching him and Athena "all crafts, as many as the skies contain" is really cute (Orphic Fragment 179 Kern)

[brielledoesastrology]

asteroid Hannibal (2152) in your astrology natal chart

By : Brielledoesastrology (tumblr)

The asteroid Hannibal (2152) was named after the well known great general Hannibal Barca.

Hannibal Barca was one of Rome's greatest but most respected enemies. Hannibal Barca was one of the greatest generals of all time and one of Rome's most feared enemies. After taking command of an army at 25, Hannibal launched an ambitious campaign to cross the Alps and attack Rome itself. He won 18 battles in his life. But of course at the end of the day he was defeated.At some point during this conflict, the Romans again demanded the surrender of Hannibal. Finding himself unable to escape, he killed himself by taking poison in the Bithynian village of Libyssa, probably around 183 B.C

He was the greatest general of the carthage empire.

Asteroid Hannibal code number : 2152

In astrology the asteroid Hannibal (2152) could indicate : where you are feared by people but extremely respected at the same time, where u always win any games, battles or any competitions (anything relating being competitive to win something), where people see you as top tier, where you are viewed as the "greatest" in something, being competitive, where u know ur rivals or enemies well.

[⚠️ Warning : i consider this asteroid as prominent and brings the most effect if it conjuncts ur personal planets (sun,moon,venus,mercury,mars) and if it conjuncts ur personal points (ac,dc,ic,mc), i use 0 - 2.5 orbs (for conjunctions). For sextile, trine, opposite and square aspects to asteroids i usually use 0 - 2 orbs. Yes tight conjunctions of planet / personal points to asteroids tend to give the most effect, but other aspects (sextile,trine,square,opposite,etc) still exist, even they produce effects. ⚠️]

Famous people who have asteroid Hannibal (2152) prominent in their astrology natal chart :

- Nicki Minaj have asteroid Hannibal conjunct her mercury in sag in a 0 orb. THAT'S AN EXACT CONJUNCTION RIGHT THERE!!!

- Eminem have asteroid Hannibal conjunct his moon in a 1 orb in aquarious in his 3rd house. Make sense 😂.

- Beyonce have asteroid Hannibal conjunct her pluto, venus and her ascendant in a 1 orb and 2 orb in her 1st house in libra. Not surprised.

- Kim Kardashian have asteroid Hannibal conjunct her jupiter and midheaven in virgo in 1 orb.

[kebriones]

Today's third lecture on Alcibiades' adventures

On the following day Alcibiades set up a trophy of victory and plundered the territory of Pharnabazus, no one venturing to defend it. He even captured some priests and priestesses, but let them go without ransom. On setting out to attack Chalcedon, which had revolted from Athens and received a Lacedaemonian garrison and governor, he heard that its citizens had collected all their goods and chattels out of the country and committed them for safe keeping to the Bithynians, who were their friends. So he marched to the confines of Bithynia with his army, and sent on a herald with accusations and demands. The Bithynians, in terror, gave up the booty to him, and made a treaty of friendship. While Chalcedon was being walled in from sea to sea, Pharnabazus came to raise the siege, and at the same time Hippocrates, the Spartan governor, led his forces out of the city and attacked the Athenians. But Alcibiades arrayed his army so as to face both enemies at once, put Pharnabazus to shameful flight, and slew Hippocrates together with many of his vanquished men. Then he sailed in person into the Hellespont and levied moneys there. He also captured Selymbria, where he exposed himself beyond all bounds. For there was a party in the city which offered to surrender it to him, and they had agreed with him upon the signal of a lighted torch displayed at midnight. But they were forced to give this signal before the appointed time, through fear of one of the conspirators, who suddenly changed his mind. So the torch was displayed before his army was ready; but Alcibiades took about thirty men and ran to the walls, bidding the rest of his force follow with all speed. The gate was thrown open for him and he rushed into the city, his thirty men-at‑arms reinforced by twenty targeteers, but he saw at once that the Selymbrians were advancing in battle array to attack him. In resistance he saw no safety, and for flight, undefeated as he was in all his campaigns down to that day, he had too much spirit. He therefore bade the trumpet signal silence, and then ordered formal proclamation to be made that Selymbria must not bear arms against Athens. This proclamation made some of the Selymbrians less eager for battle, if, as they supposed, their enemies were all inside the walls; and others were mollified by hopes of a peaceful settlement. While they were thus parleying with one another, up came the army of Alcibiades. Judging now, as was really the case, that the Selymbrians were disposed for peace, he was afraid that his Thracian soldiers might plunder the city. There were many of these, and they were zealous in their service, through the favour and good will they bore Alcibiades. Accordingly, he sent them all out of the city, and then, at the plea of the Selymbrians, did their city no injury whatever, but merely took a sum of money from it, set a garrison in it, and went his way.

1. Capturing preists and priestesses and letting them go without ransom

2. Extracts supplies for his army from a city using 1 herald.

3. Wins a battle where he's being attacked by two sides.

4. Puts himself in huge risk, when things get dangerous he just. Signals for silence so he can buy some time and succeeds.

5. Makes sure there's no plundering happening in a city he's just taken over.

[enlitment]

Wild Catullus' Carmina 31 spotted in Sirmione ❤️

Lesbia, presumably?

Ad Sirmium Insulam

(Translation by Douglas Thornton)

Of the islands which in stagnant

Waters and vast seas Neptune holds,

Sirmio—the pearl of islands!—

Now my heart with you rejoices

Safe and sound, still scarce believing

Thynia and Bithynian

Fields have gone. What more fortunate

Care, after so many struggles,

When the mind shrugs off its burden,

Drained by foreign toil, than come

Unto our hearth and find comfort

In our longed-for bed! Thus hello,

Charming Sirmio, whom I enjoy

Enjoying; and you, rippling lake

Of Lydian wave surrounding

My home, drown out all other noise.

[andijaart]

+++🙏🏻God Bless🕊️+++

Venerable Anna (Euthymian) Bithynian

MEMORIAL DAY NOVEMBER 11

💫International Orthodox Art Corporation Andcross May the blessing of the Lord be upon you!

[blueiscoool]

2,000-Year-Old Coins Surface with Lake Iznik withdrawal in Turkey

With the withdrawal of Lake Iznik in the northwest of Türkiye, the ancient coins found at the bottom of the water began to be found by the locals.

In Iznik, the world-famous historical city of Bursa, which is on the temporary heritage list of UNESCO and expected to enter the main list this year, a couple walking on the shore of Lake Iznik found a 2,000-year-old historical coin.

Locals began discovering ancient coins after the lake dried up, possibly from the historical basilica that was once submerged beneath Lake Iznik but rose above the water in 2014.

Ismail Yıldırım, walking with his wife and children, noticed that the coins were historical as the cash had figures of Jesus and relief inscriptions.

The Yildirim couple handed over the coins to Iznik Archeology Museum. The museum officials, who examined the coins, stated that the coin, which is the figure of Jesus Christ, belongs to the 9th century, and the other coin belongs to the Hellenistic period.

Iznik, a district of northwestern Bursa province dating back to the 4th century BC, is significant for both Muslims and Christians, with many sites from the era of Bithynian, Roman, Seljuk, and Ottoman civilizations.

According to geographer Strabo, the ancient town was founded in 316 BC by Antigonos, the commander of Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C). It is also reported that Lysimachos, another general of Alexander, took the city and renamed it after his wife Nicaea.

İznik enjoyed a period of expansion and prosperity under Roman rule.

During the Byzantine period, İznik grew in importance as a religious center, especially after Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 313 AD. The first Christian Council, known as the Great Council of Nicaea, was held in 325 AD in İznik, with the participation of over three hundred bishops from various parts of the empire.

By Oğuz Büyükyıldırım.

[anastpaul]

Saint of the Day – 3 April – Saint Nicetas of Medicion (c760-824) Abbot

Saint of the Day – 3 April – Saint Nicetas of Medicion (c760-824) Abbot of Medicion Abbey in Bithynia (in modern Turkey). Born in c760 in Bithynian, Caesarea and died in 824 of natural causes in Constantinople. Also known as –Nicetas of Constantinople, Nicetas the Confessor, Niketas… Nikita… His name is of Greek origin and means “victorious.” The Roman Martyrology reads: “In the Monastery of…

[regina-bithyniae]

For real? :0

Fact-checked by real Bithynian patriots.

[garland-on-thy-brow]

...One of these is not like the others? Was Caesar so abominably talentless in bed as to merit comparison with the disasters dealt by Rome to Pyrrhus, Hannibal, and Mithridates?

Signore Pasquini, please come back and share your thought process!

[For the record, I know four Bithynian kings called Nicomedes, and none of them were enemies of Rome, in fact more often than not they were allies. Am I missing some other famous Nicomedes?]

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Tuesday, April 16, 2024

april 3_april 16

VENERABLE NICETAS THE CONFESSOR ABBOT OF MEDIKION (824)

Saint Niketas (Nikḗtas) the Confessor was born in Bithynian Caesarea (northwest Asia Minor) of a pious family. His mother died eight days after his birth, and his father Philaretos became a monk. The child remained in the care of his grandmother, who raised him in a true Christian spirit. From his youth Saint Niketas attended church and was a disciple of the hermit Stephanos. With his blessing, Saint Niketas set off to the Mydicia monastery, where Saint Nikephoros (Nikēphóros) (March 13) was the igumen.

After seven years of virtuous life at the monastery, famed for its strict monastic rule, Saint Niketas was ordained presbyter. Saint Nikephoros, knowing the holy life of the young monk, entrusted to him the guidance of the monastery when he himself became ill.

Not wanting power, Saint Niketas devoted himself to the enlightenment and welfare of the monastery. He guided the brethren by his own example. Soon the fame of the lofty life of its inhabitants of the monastery attracted many seeking salvation. After several years, the number of monks had increased to one hundred.

When Saint Nikephoros departed to the Lord in his old age, the brethren unanimously chose Saint Niketas as igumen.

The Lord granted Saint Niketas the gift of wonderworking. Through his prayer a deaf-mute child received the gift of speech; two demon-possessed women were healed; he restored reason to one who had lost his mind, and many of the sick were healed of their infirmities.

During these years under the emperor Leo the Armenian (813-820), the Iconoclast heresy resurfaced and oppression increased. Orthodox bishops were deposed and banished. At Constantinople a council of heretics was convened in 815, at which they deposed the holy Patriarch Nikephoros (806-815), and in his place they chose the heretical layman Theodotus. They also installed heretics in place of exiled and imprisoned Orthodox bishops.

The emperor summoned all the heads of the monasteries and tried to bring them over to the Iconoclast heresy. Among those summoned was Saint Niketas, who stood firmly for the Orthodox confession. Following his example, all the igumens remained faithful to the veneration of holy icons. Therefore, they threw him into prison. Saint Niketas bravely underwent all the tribulations and encouraged firmness of spirit in the other prisoners.

Then the emperor and the false patriarch Theodotus attempted to trick those who remained faithful to Orthodox teaching. They promised that the emperor would give them their freedom and permit the veneration of the icons on one condition: that they take Communion from the pseudo-patriarch Theodotus.

For a long time the saint had doubts about entering into communion with a heretic, but other prisoners begged him to go along with them. Acceding to their entreaties, Saint Niketas went into the church, where icons were put out to deceive the confessors, and he accepted Communion.

But when he returned to his monastery and saw that the persecution against icons was continuing, he then repented of his deed, returned to Constantinople and fearlessly denounced the Iconoclast heresy. He ignored all the emperor’s threats.

Saint Niketas was again locked up in prison for six years until the death of the emperor Leo the Armenian. Enduring hunger and travail, Saint Niketas worked miracles by the power of his prayers: through his prayer the Phrygian ruler released two captives without ransom; three shipwrecked men for whom Saint Niketas prayed, were thrown up on shore by the waves.

Saint Niketas reposed in the Lord in 824. The saint’s body was buried at the monastery with reverence. Later, his relics became a source of healing for those coming to venerate the holy confessor.

ST. JOSEPH THE HYMNOGRAPHER, OF SICILY (883)

Saint Joseph the Hymnographer, “the sweet-voiced nightingale of the Church,” was born in Sicily around the turn of the 9th century into a pious Christian family. His parents, Plotinos and Agatha, moved to the Peloponnesos to save themselves from barbarian invasions. When he was fifteen, Saint Joseph went to Thessalonica and entered the monastery of Latomos. He was distinguished by his piety, his love for work, and his meekness; and he gained the good will of all the brethren of the monastery. He was later ordained as a priest.

Saint Gregory the Dekapolite (November 20) visited the monastery and took notice of the young monk, taking him along to Constantinople, where they settled together near the church of the holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus. This was during the reign of the emperor Leo the Armenian (813-820), a time of fierce iconoclast persecution.

Saints Gregory and Joseph fearlessly defended the veneration of holy icons. They preached in the city squares and visited in the homes of the Orthodox, encouraging them against the heretics. The Church of Constantinople was in a most grievous position. Not only the emperor, but also the patriarch were iconoclast heretics.

At that time the Roman bishops were in communion with the Eastern Church, and Pope Leo III, who was not under the dominion of the Byzantine Emperor, was able to render great help to the Orthodox. The Orthodox monks chose Saint Joseph as a steadfast and eloquent messenger to the Pope. Saint Gregory blessed him to journey to Rome and to report on the plight of the Church of Constantinople, the atrocities of the iconoclasts, and the dangers threatening Orthodoxy.

During the journey, Saint Joseph was captured by Arab brigands who had been bribed by the iconoclasts. They took him to the island of Crete, where they handed him over to the iconoclasts, who locked him up in prison. Bravely enduring all the deprivations, he encouraged the other prisoners. By his prayers, a certain Orthodox bishop who had begun to waver was strengthened in spirit and courageously accepted martyrdom.

Saint Joseph spent six years in prison. On the night of the Nativity of Christ in 820 he was granted a vision of Saint Nicholas of Myra, who told him about the death of the iconoclast Leo the Armenian, and the end of the persecution.

Saint Nicholas gave him a paper scroll and said, “Take this scroll and eat it.” On the scroll was written: “Hasten, O Gracious One, and come to our aid if possible and as You will, for You are the Merciful One.” The monk read the scroll, ate it and said, “How sweet are Thine oracles to my throat” (Ps 118/119:103). Saint Nicholas bade him to sing these words. After this the fetters fell off the saint, the doors of the prison opened, and he emerged from it. He was transported through the air and set down on a large road near Constantinople, leading into the city.

When he reached Constantinople, Saint Joseph found that Saint Gregory the Dekapolite was no longer among the living, leaving behind his disciple John (April 18), who soon died. Saint Joseph built a church dedicated to Saint Nicholas and transferred the relics of Saints Gregory and John there. A monastery was founded near the church.

Saint Joseph received a portion of the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew from a certain virtuous man. He built a church in memory of the holy apostle. He loved and honored Saint Bartholomew, and he was distressed that there was no Canon glorifying the holy Apostle. He desired to adorn the Feast of Saint Bartholomew with hymns, but he did not dare to compose them himself.

For forty days Saint Joseph prayed with tears, preparing for the Feast of the holy apostle. On the eve of the Feast the Apostle Bartholomew appeared to him in the altar. He pressed the holy Gospel to Joseph’s bosom, and blessed him to write church hymns with the words, “May the right hand of the Almighty God bless you, may your tongue pour forth waters of heavenly wisdom, may your heart be a temple of the Holy Spirit, and may your hymnody delight the entire world.” After this miraculous appearance, Saint Joseph composed a Canon to the Apostle Bartholomew, and from that time he began to compose hymns and Canons in honor of the Mother of God, of the saints, and in honor of Saint Nicholas, who liberated him from prison.

During the revival of the iconoclast heresy under the emperor Theophilus (829-842), Saint Joseph suffered a second time from the heretics. He was exiled to Cherson [Chersonessus] for eleven years. The Orthodox veneration of holy icons was restored under the holy empress Theodora (February 11) in 842, and Saint Joseph was made keeper of sacred vessels at Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Because of his bold denunciation of the brother of the empress, Bardas, for unlawful cohabitation, the saint was again sent into exile and returned only after Bardas died in 867.

Patriarch Photius (February 6) restored him to his former position and appointed him Father-confessor for all the clergy of Constantinople.

Having reached old age, Saint Joseph fell ill. On Great and Holy Friday, the Lord informed him of his approaching demise in a dream. The saint made an inventory of the church articles in Hagia Sophia, which were under his official care, and he sent it to Patriarch Photius.

For several days he prayed intensely, preparing for death. He prayed for peace for the Church, and the mercy of God for his soul. Having received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, Saint Joseph blessed all who came to him, and with joy he fell asleep in the Lord in 886 (some sources say in 883). The choirs of the angels and the saints, whom Saint Joseph had glorified in his hymnology, carried his soul to Heaven in triumph.

In 890, his biographer John the deacon of the Great Church wrote about the spirit and power of Saint Joseph’s Canons: “When he began to write verses, then the hearing was taken with a wondrous pleasantness of sound, and the heart was struck by the power of the thought. Those who strive for a life of perfection find a respite here. Writers, having left off with their other versification, from this one treasure-trove, from the writings of Saint Joseph, began to scoop out his treasure for their own songs, or better to say, daily they scoop them out.

“And finally, all the people carry it over into their own language, so as to enlighten with song the darkness of night, or staving off sleep, to continue with the vigil until sunrise. If anyone were to peruse the life of a saint of the Church on any given day, they would see the worthiness of Saint Joseph’s hymns and acknowledge his glorious life. Actually, since the lives and deeds of almost every saint are adorned with praises, is not he worthy of immortal glory, who has worthily and exquisitely known how to glorify them?

“Now let some saints glorify his meekness, and others his wisdom, and others his works, and all together glorify the grace of the Holy Spirit, Who so abundantly and immeasurably has bestown his gifts on him.”

Most of the Canons in the MENAION are Saint Joseph’s work. His name may be found in the Ninth Ode as an acrostic. He also composed many of the hymns in the PARAKLETIKE.

Source: Orthodox Church in America_OCA

ISAIAH 40:18-31

18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? 19 The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains. 20 Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image that will not totter. 21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told to you from the beginning? Have you not understood the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 23 He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. 24 Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble. 25 “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

GENESIS 15:1-15

1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. 7 Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.” 8 And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 “And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 “Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.

[eunpittore]

98  Bithynian Olympus with big Apples

[michael-svetbird]

HEADS | Roman | Palazzo Massimo: 👉 Pic 1. Left to Right:

ANTINOUS [Bithynian favoured by the emperor Hadrian], https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinous 130-138 AD, Late Hadrianic period, Medium grained white marble [from Villa Adriana, Tivoli, Lazio].

AMAZON [Mattei type], Roman copy of a Greek original by Phidias, Hadrianic period [117-138 AD], Parian marble [from Villa Adriana, Tivoli, 1928].

HYPNOS [a personification of], May derive from a late Hellenistic model of the 2nd-half 2 BC, Hadrianic period [117-138 AD], Fine grained white marble [from Villa Adriana, Tivoli, 1928].

FEMALE DEITY [a separately-made head for a statue], Roman interpretation of a Greek Severe Style models, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severe_style Hadrianic period [117-138 AD], Pentelic marble [from Villa Adriana, Tivoli, 1892].

FEMALE DEITY [a separately-made head for a statue], "Reminiscent of Greek models of the Attic school ca 460 BC", Hadrianic period [117-138 AD], Fine grained white marble [from Villa Adriana, Tivoli, 1927].

👉 Pic 2. Close-up of the Amazon's Head: "The head belongs to a group of Roman copies of a model generally attributed to Phidias" [Sanctuary of Artemis at Ephesos]: Amazon Mattei type from Cryptoporticus between the Libraries and the Stadium of Villa Adriana in Tivoli [Lazio], https://villae.cultura.gov.it/en Found in 1928, Hadrianic period [117-138 AD], Parian marble [Txt ©MNR PM].

Palazzo Massimo, Museo Nazionale Romano | MNR PM [First Floor, Sala VI.] • Web : https://museonazionaleromano.beniculturali.it/en/palazzo-massimo • FB : https://www.facebook.com/MNRomano • IG : @museonazionaleromano • X : @MNR_museo

MNR PM | Michael Svetbird phs©msp | 06|23 6300X4200 600 [I., II.] The photographed objects are collection items of MNR PM, photos are subject to copyrights. [non commercial use | sorry for the watermarks]

📸 Part of the "HEADS.Sculpture" MSP Online Photo-gallery:

👉 D-ART: https://www.deviantart.com/svetbird1234/gallery/78520831/heads-sculpture

👉 FB Album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set?set=a.1400262423675664&type=3

[chattering-magpie-uk]

Odes of Horace - Book I Ode XXXV (TO FORTUNA) W.E. Gladstone (1894)

Odes of Horace – Book I Ode XXXV (TO FORTUNA) W.E. Gladstone (1894)

GODDESS, whose love is Antium’s crown, So apt in lifting up to bliss From low degree or shattering down Triumphal pomp to death’s abyss; **** The pauper hind with ceaseless zeal Implores thee: and since floods obey, Whoever with Bithynian keel Carpathian billows cuts away. **** Thee vagrant Scyth, and Dacian rude Dread, as they dread high Rome’s behest; Thee outland dames of royal…

[helleniclanguageboy]

Horses in Hellenic Languages

*íkkʷos - Proto-Greek

𐀂𐀦/𐂃 (i-qo/ikkwos) - Mycenaean Greek

Ἴκκος - Ionian

Ἴππος - Aeolian

Ἵππος - Ancient Greek

Ἄλογον - Byzantine Greek

Ἄλογον - George Sphrantzes

Φ��ρα/Ἄλογον/Ἵππος - Digenis Akritas

Ἄλογο - Demotic Greek

Ἵππος - Katharevousa

Άλογο - Modern Greek

Ampàri - Salentino Italiot

Πράμα - Northern Epirot

Φαρί/Μπεγίρι - Cretan

Αλόγο - Maniot

Αόγο - Tsakonian

Άλογον - Old Athenian

Αγέλ̑᾽ - Pierian

Άλουγου - Naoussiot

Aluğu - Patriot

Άτι/Άλουγου - Sarakatsani

Άογο/Άλουγου - Samothracian

Άλοο - Trigliot Bithynian

Άογο - Propontian Tsakonian

Άλιγου - Tenediot

Παρίππα - Gyöldiot

Άλοα - Smyrniot

Ἄλοουν/Ἀτ̔άϊ - Lycian

Άλογο - Cappadocian

Άλουγου - Mistiot Cappadocian

Άλουγου - Malakopiot Cappadocian

Άβγο - Pharasiot

Άβγου -Tshukuriot Pharasiot

Άλογον- Pontic Greek

Aloğon - Romeyka

Алгу - Azovian Greek

Άππαρος/Άλοβον - Paphian Cypriot

Άππαρος - Cypriot Greek

Γτίσ̲/Γτουσ̲ - Cypriot Arabic

Apparo - Cypriot Turkish

Ἄτ  - Karamanlidika

At - Tsalka Urum

Ат - Azovian Urum

Καλj - Arvanite

Άτου/Κάλου/Μπινέκου/Ντούρο - Aromanian

Callu - Megleno-Romanian

Κον/Μούλε - Pomak

Γράστ’ - Romani

Horses in Digenis Akritas

While reading the Escorial edition of Digenis Akritas, I came acrossed a lot of different terms for horses. The most interesting part is the parallels to the Greek dialects, so I wanted to take a minute to highlight some of these words.

-Words meaning Horse-

Φάρας/Φαρί - from the Arabic word "فَرَس". This is the main term for horse in the story, and it largely comes about due to the story being about Byzantine-Arab interactions during the war; with the titular character being half Arab himself.

Cretan Greek uses the word φαρί

Ἵππος - from Ancient Greek ἵππος. Largely used in the Grosferrata edition by Greek speakers to contrast the Arabic φάρας.

Ἄλογον - from Koine ἄλογον (unspeaking animal). This is the vernacular Byzantine word for horse.

Ἱππάριν - from the Ancient Greek diminutive ἱππάριον. In the Escorial edition, this is seemingly derogatory as the horse in question came from a woman that challenged Akritas (prompting him to emasculate and disgrace her)

-Words related to horses-

Καβαλλικεύω - ‘to mount’ from the Late Latin “caballicare”from the word“caballus” meaning horse. Replacing the original Greek word ἐπιβαίνω

Γρίβας - literally meaning grey horse. From Gothic ����𐍂𐌴𐍅𐌰 (grēwa) meaning grey.

Μαῦρος - literally referring to a black horse. From the Ancient Greek word μαῦρος meaning black. This one is interesting as the horse is usually called grey except for a few instances where it’s referred to as black.

-Akritic Poetry-

While not part of the story of Digenis Akritas, there is one occurrence from an Akritic poem called ‘The Song of Armouris’ that features an interesting word.

Παρίππιν - referring to a pack horse coming from the diminutive παρίππιον from παρίππος (παρά + ἵππος). Featured in Latin as parhippus and later in Hungarian as paripa.

One of the 15 words recorded of the Greek spoken in Gyölde (modern day İncesu in the Manisa province, Turkey)

[regina-bithyniae]

So, you're the queen of the Bithynians?

I'm every woman's husband, and every man's wife.