#The Abduction of Ganymede

[mercuriicultores]

1782, Bénigne Gagneraux, The abduction of Ganymede

[henrysglock]

Alongside the Sacrifice of Isaac, I also sense a reference to The Abduction of Ganymede in our futures…

The young prince of Troy stolen by Zeus to be ahem…a servant because of his unnatural beauty…Zeus and his multitude of children…Soteria being a Greek word…Zeus and his lightning…the shock collars and shock rods…You all see what I’m getting at right…

[gotstabbedbyapen]

Apollo: *turns into a swan and lets Hyacinthus ride him across the land*

Zeus: *turns into an eagle and snatches Ganymede to the sky out of nowhere*

[panmikola]

-The Abduction of Ganymede-

[bebs-art-gallery]

The Abduction of Ganymede, details (1612)

— by Peter Paul Rubens

[peter-paul-rubens-paintings]

-The Abduction of Ganymede-

[life-imitates-art-far-more]

Jerôme Duquesnoy (II) (1602-1654) "The Abduction of Ganymede" (c. 1650-1654)

[littlesparklight]

Something that's neat is that when it comes to Ganymede's abduction, before the mid-300's BC the eagle doesn't feature in the visual record. (I don't remember off-hand where the switch comes in the texts, but earliest texts don't portray Ganymede as having been taken by the eagle, either; in the Iliad it's a generic "by all the gods" and the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, wind seems to be the method (though Zeus is the sole instigator this time).

So what you get before then is Zeus taking things in hand quite literally, with things like this:

Both of the above are from around the same age-span in terms of make. And then there's this, which is really interesting, as it reminds more of the depictions of Eos with one of her abducted youths:

Is Ganymede asleep or just really relaxed about the whole proceeding? Who knows!

While we of course can't know if there were anything that depicted (visual or text) Ganymede's abduction via eagle before ~350 BC, it definitely seems this one statue group by Leochares inspired a lot of art based on it. Like this one vase painting, which doesn't name Ganymede as the subject but with the setup it seems reasonable that it is him... though the abducting bird is a swan, not an eagle!

Ganymede is sometimes depicted as shorter/smaller than Zeus, like the terracotta statue above (though I'm not sure the statue, specifically, means to necessarily say anything about Ganymede's age. Sometimes gods are simply presented as taller than humans, too).

Most usually, however, he's about as tall as Zeus, a youth who's an older teenager at the very least.

And our oldest vase art/visual survival of Ganymede, which I really like:

[hornyforpoetry]

Achilles and Patroclus // Apollo and Hyacinthus

Ganymede // Hylas

Narcissus // Orpheus

Artemis // Tiresias

LGBTQ+ Icons in Greek Mythology

- in the honour of Pride Month 2024

In order: ”Achilles Lamenting the Death of Patroclus” by Gavin Hamilton // ”The Death of Hyacinthus” Nicolas-Rene Jollain // ”The Abduction of Ganymede” by Peter Paul Rubens // ”Hylas and the Nymphs” by John William Waterhouse // ”Narcissus” by Caravaggio // „Orpheus” by Paul Duqueylar // „Artemis” statue replica after Leochares // „Tiresias” by Johann Ulrich Kraus

[lesbianbanana]

I actually HATE the double standards Zeus/Ganymedes haters have compared to ANY other relationship in the mythos.

First of all, anti-pedophilia is a MODERN moral. It's something you can't expect an ANCIENT greek myth to uphold. "He was twelve" or "he was eight" show me where any ancient source has ever outright stated his age instead of just saying he's a youth.

Both Hyacinthus and Adonis are notably "youths". Almost every source comments on how young or boy like they are. But them and their lovers are romanticised, worshipped, loved by the fandom.

"Zeus abducted him!" And Hades abducted Persephone.

"But Hades and Persephone actually loved each other!" And show me where an ancient source has ever implied that Ganymedes didn't love Zeus? Both Ganymedes and Persephone were young, both of them were abducted, and if Persephone loves Hades why could Ganymede not love Zeus?

"Zeus made him his cupbearer!" Why is there dishonour in that? Maybe to MODERN standards, but to ancient standards, a mortal elevated to Olympus was the highest honour. Hebe and Iris were cupbearers too. Zeus' actions surrounding Ganymede after his abduction show love. He stopped a war at Troy because Ganymede begged it, he created a spring for him and turned the eagle that swept Ganymede up into a constellation.

And if we're going to apply MODERN morals to ancient myths, let's apply all of them. No incest. Achilles/Patroclus, Ares/Aphrodite, literally every ship is off the table. No power imbalances or age gaps. Boom, every single mortal-god relationship is gone. Cheating or affairs. All Aphrodite and Zeus relationships are out.

I've noticed how these things only apply to Ganymedes and Zeus, this enforcing of morals occurs to only them and no one else. Don't uphold one ship for the same things you'll bash another ship for.

[nile-the-empathy-cleric]

I'm a huge fan of your work, your writing is so beautiful, and the way you add your own personal love of art is just; it's genuinely amazing. I was wondering if you have any paintings that you think each of your favorite characters would represent or maybe even what u see when u look at them. ❤️🖼🎨🖌

Oh boy do I love this ask! Firstly, than you 🥺 you're too kind 💕

Second I have so many paintings that spring to mind for various characters! Immediately off the bat my brain went right to Lestat and how his presence and aesthetic (especially in 1920s New Orleans) gave gigantic J.C. Leyendecker vibes.

(left) The Sleuth J.C. Leyendecker, ca. 1906 and (right) Arrow Shirt Collar Ad, 1916. By J.C. Leyendecker For Arrow Shirt Collars, 1916

The way Leyendecker plays with shadow, light, and color to project an air of seduction and power is just *chef's kiss.* He is a master at depicting an idealized masculinity that still has a level of vulnerability. I don't think it's just the styling/ fashion of the men in Leyendecker's illustrations that remind me of Lestat, but the features as well. J.C. gives them this attitude of nonchalance but there's something deeply concerned with appearances underneath. Is that not Lestat?

For Claudia there are a couple. First (not a painting but a sculpture) is Degas' The Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. I look at this piece and think of the history of ballet and the connotations of ballet at the time Degas was working. In France at the time ballerinas were highly taken advantage of and exploited. The exploitation was sexual in nature and simultaneously adultified and infantilized. They were highly fetishized. It's very sad and tragic and it reminds me of Claudia. The Little Dancer has an almost defiant energy to her, like there is a sense of pride and restraint, something dignified despite her lesser social standing.

I also see something of Claudia in this piece: Girl in Pink Dress, ca. 1927 by Laura Wheeler Waring. I also think this girl embodies the qualities of both Bailey and Delainey's Claudias–– there's simultaneously an innocence and maturity. I see something similar in Isabella, (aka Young Woman with a Fan), 1906 by Simon Maris and I just think it's neat to see art of Black people done by a white person from the early 1900s that isn't fetishizing or racist (don't look at J.C. Leyendecker's art of Black people, yikes!)

For Louis, my first thought was Derek Fordjour's STRWMN, 2020. It gives NOLA Louis to me in terms of style, but also the colorful and fun energy has the vibes of his little journey of gay self-discovery in Paris. I also see Louis in Lois Mailou Jones' Negro Youth, 1929. It mirrors depressed Louis for me. There is something very fragile in his expression, but you can tell he's trying to be strong, much like Louis.

As for Armand? Well, the number one is Botticelli's Saint Sebastian (it just has an uncanny resemblance to Assad) and the metaphor is too apt to not point out. The other that immediately make me think of Armand is The Abduction of Ganymede by Correggio. It's less the painting and more the myth it's based on, but out of all the Ganymede paintings, Correggio's is my favorite.

And Daniel is just like... any Nan Goldin photo, but I'll pick Heart-shaped bruise, 1980. I don't think I need to give my thoughts here 😂

Thank you again for such a fun ask! I appreciate every message I get from anons and mutuals alike 🥰

[*Edit: Being transparent––I went back and corrected a mistake I made in the original because I don't want an inaccurate/ racist post going around, even after a correction in the reblogs if people aren't seeing the original. I accidentally implied that Laura Wheeler Waring was white. I meant the statement about Simon Maris, who was a Dutch portrait artist. Laura Wheeler Waring was a prominent Black artist. Lesson to self: do not write deeply thoughtful posts at 1 am while you have a fever.]

[antonio-m]

“The Abduction of Ganymede” c.1612 by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640). Flemish painter. Liechtenstein Museum & Palais, Vienna. oil on canvas

[waterghoulcalamity]

i'm a bit of a greek mythology nerd and i was thinking about the parallels between lestat's abduction and the story of ganymede, often referred to as zeus's male lover and/or the god of homosexual love. you might have heard of his name before, but in case you're unfamiliar with his story, let me summarize it for you;

ganymede was a young troyan prince, it is unclear how young he was, exactly, given that some tales describe him as a young boy and some others as a young man, though whichever way would've been irrelevant to zeus but it's something worth mentioning that he was indeed described as 'very young'. he the youngest of three brothers and beloved by all for his otherworldly beauty, described as having sun-kissed skin and beautiful golden curls. zeus saw him one day when he was searching for a mortal man to become the gods' new cup bearer, he had dismissed the previous one (the goddess of youth) and promised his wife hera that he wouldn't take one of his mistresses to fill the role.

the moment that zeus saw him, he was so arrested by his beauty that he knew he must have him. he turned into a giant eagle (one of his prefered forms) and captured ganymede, who at the time was on the fields, and flew him to mount olympus and made him his new cup bearer as well as his new lover, and granted him the gift of immortality so he'd never lose his youthful beauty.

reminds you of someone?

either way, these are some artworks of the moment of ganymede's abduction if anyone wanted to see

[theoihalioistuff]

"He refers to the sea monster as Triton's dog. [...] When the gods wanted to bind Zeus, he (knowing this from Thetis) honored the other gods, but sent Poseidon and Apollo to serve Laomedon. Laomedon honored Apollo with sacrifices, supposedly as a reward for his service, but he did not honor Poseidon, who had served him and fortified Ilium.

When Poseidon did not receive his due after the appointed time of service, he, being angry with Laomedon, sent a most terrible sea monster which flooded the land by spitting out the sea. Compelled by an oracle, Laomedon dressed his daughter Hesione in royal attire and exposed her to the monster. Herakles, passing by and having been promised immortal horses from Laomedon (which were given to him as a ransom by Zeus for having abducted his brother Ganymede), built a high wall and stood armed by the mouth of the monster. When the monster opened its mouth, he jumped into it all at once. After cutting it up from the inside for three days, he came out, having lost all his hair." ~ Tzetzes ad Lycophron. 34

Interesting to find a version of Apollo and Poseidon's servitude that accounts for Apollo's support of Troy and Poseidon's (usual) opposition. Also the detail of the sea monster being Triton's dog is adorable (and sad) and Herakles coming out hairless is hilarious.

[ilions-end]

seeing as so many members of priam's immediate family have been abducted for their beauty (ganymede being the most well-known, but not forgetting priam's siblings tithonus and hesione), i want to suggest the concept: what if priam's just crazy good-looking too. maybe he has all those wives not because of cultural bigamy but because all these women just wouldn't give him up and they had to agree on a compromise

[talonabraxas]

ZEUS, Dark Side of Aquarius Talon Abraxas

Aquarius is found in an area often called the Sea, owing to its abundance of constellations with watery connections such as Cetus, the whale, Pisces, the fish and Eridanus, the river.

Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, the planet which controls innovation, technology, and unexpected happenings.

How Zeus (Jupiter) came to be known as the ‘Water-Bearer’