To Do

Add Naples 81521

Add Ferrara 2892

Add Akropolis 2.211

Expand descriptions of the pots which name Porphyrion?

Create seperate "In art" section?

Look at:

Cook [1]

Use Internet archive version for links, e.g. pp. 55 ff.

Ridgeway [2]

Arafat, pp. 15–16: "Porphyrion, Zeus' most common opponent.

New Text

Notes

References

Sources

Ancient

Pindar

Pythian 8.12–18

Porphyrion did not know your power, when he provoked you beyond all measure. Gain is most welcome, when one takes it from the home of a willing giver. [15] Violence trips up even a man of great pride, in time. Cilician Typhon with his hundred heads did not escape you, nor indeed did the king of the Giants.1 One was subdued by the thunderbolt, the other by the bow of Apollo,

Aristophanes

The Birds

553

Oh, Cebriones! oh, Porphyrion! what a terribly strong place!

1249–1252

I shall send more than six hundred porphyrions [1250] clothed in leopards' skins up to heaven against him; and formerly a single Porphyrion gave him enough to do.

Horace

Odes 3.4.49–51

Yet Jove had fear'd the giant rush,

Their upraised arms, their port of pride,

And the twin brethren bent to push

Huge Pelion up Olympus' side.

But Typhon, Mimas, what could these,

Or what Porphyrion's stalwart scorn,

Rhoetus, or he whose spears were trees,

Enceladus, from earth uptorn,

As on they rush'd in mad career

'Gainst Pallas' shield?

Apollodorus

1.6.1

Such is the legend of Demeter. But Earth, vexed on account of the Titans, brought forth the giants, whom she had by Sky.1 These were matchless in the bulk of their bodies and invincible in their might; terrible of aspect did they appear, with long locks drooping from their head and chin, and with the scales of dragons for feet.2 They were born, as some say, in Phlegrae, but according to others in Pallene.3 And they darted rocks and burning oaks at the sky. Surpassing all the rest were Porphyrion and Alcyoneus, who was even immortal so long as he fought in the land of his birth. He also drove away the cows of the Sun from Erythia. Now the gods had an oracle that none of the giants could perish at the hand of gods, but that with the help of a mortal they would be made an end of. Learning of this, Earth sought for a simple to prevent the giants from being destroyed even by a mortal. But Zeus forbade the Dawn and the Moon and the Sun to shine, and then, before anybody else could get it, he culled the simple himself, and by means of Athena summoned Hercules to his help. Hercules first shot Alcyoneus with an arrow, but when the giant fell on the ground he somewhat revived. However, at Athena's advice Hercules dragged him outside Pallene, and so the giant died.4

1.6.2

But in the battle Porphyrion attacked Hercules and Hera. Nevertheless Zeus inspired him with lust for Hera, and when he tore her robes and would have forced her, she called for help, and Zeus smote him with a thunderbolt, and Hercules shot him dead with an arrow.1 As for the other giants, Ephialtes was shot by Apollo with an arrow in his left eye and by Hercules in his right; Eurytus was killed by Dionysus with a thyrsus, and Clytius by Hecate with torches, and Mimas by Hephaestus with missiles of red-hot metal.2 Enceladus fled, but Athena threw on him in his flight the island of Sicily3; and she flayed Pallas and used his skin to shield her own body in the fight.4 Polybotes was chased through the sea by Poseidon and came to Cos; and Poseidon, breaking off that piece of the island which is called Nisyrum, threw it on him.5 And Hermes, wearing the helmet of Hades,6 slew Hippolytus in the fight, and Artemis slew Gration. And the Fates, fighting with brazer clubs, killed Agrius and Thoas. The other giants Zeus smote and destroyed with thunderbolts and all of them Hercules shot with arrows as they were dying.

Claudian

Gigantomachia

34–35 (pp. 282–283)

[Gaia:] "... Porphyrion, wreathe thou thy head with Delphi's laurel and take Cirrah for thy sanctuary."

114–116 (pp. 288–289)

Impious Porphryrion, carried by his serpents into the middle of the sea, tries to uproot trembling Delos, wishing to hurl it at the sky.

[Nonnus]]

Dionysiaca, 48.7–22 (III, pp. 424–427)

[Hera] addressed her deceitful prayers to Allmother Earth [Gaia], crying out upon the doings of Zeus and the valour of Dionysos, who had destroyed that cloud of numberless earthborn Indians; and when the lifebringing mother [Gaia] heard that the son of Semele had wiped out the Indian nation with speedy fate, she groaned still more thinking of her children. Then she armed all around Bakkhos [Dionysos] the mountainranging tribes of giants, earth's own brood, and goaded her own sons to battle:

"My sons, make your attack with hightowering rocks against clustergarlanded Dionysos—catch this Indianslayer, this destroyer of my family, this son of Zeus, and let me not see him ruling with Zeus a bastard monarch of Olympos! Bind him, bind Bakkhos fast, that he may attend in the chamber when I bestow Hebe on Porphyrion as a wife, and give Cythereia [Aphrodite] to Chthonios, when I sing Brighteyes [Athene] the bedfellow of Encelados, and Artemis of Alcyoneus.

Modern

Arafat

p. 15

1.7 [Akr 2.211] raises the interesting question of the giants' names. The opponent of Zeus is named Phro-, a misspelling of the first letters of Porphyrion, Zeus' most common opponent, as we know from several vases and literary sources

Rose, Carol

p. 298

Whose name means the "Purple One"

Vases

Athens Akropolis 2.211 Red-Figure Cup Fragments (by Leagros Group)

Beazley Archive 200125

-550 to -475

Named: PHOR[PHYRION]

CAVI Inscriptions: Int: [Λε]αγρο[ς ---]. A-B: above Zeus' head: Δευς, for Ζευς; so listed in Threatte (1996). To right of a giant's face: Φορ[φυριον].

LIMC Gigantes 299

Arafat,

p. 15

1.7 [Akr 2.211] raises the interesting question of the giants' names. The opponent of Zeus is named Phro-, a misspelling of the first letters of Porphyrion, Zeus' most common opponent, as we know from several vases and literary sources

p. 183

c.520–500

Berlin F2531 Red-Figure Cup (from Vulci) (by Aristophanes)

Beazley Archive 220533

-450 to -400

Named: Ephialtes, Enceladus, Gaion, Phoitos, Polybotes, Porphyrion, Mimon

Detail: Zeus v. Porphyrion

LIMC Gigantes 318

Cook,

p. 56

(1) a kylix by the potter Erginos and the painter Aristophanes, found at Vulci and now at Berlin ...

Plate VI

(A) Poseidon attacks Polybotes in the presence of Ge

(B) Ares v. Mimon, Apollo v. Ephialtes, Hera v. Phoitos

(C) Artemis v. Gaion, Zeus v. Porphyrion, Athena v. Enkelados.

Arafat

p. 24

The exterior duels [on Berlin F2531] are symmetrically arranged in threes: on one side, from left, Artemis fights Gaion, Zeus Porphyrion and Athena Enkelados; on the other Ares fights Mimon (cf. p. 16 above), Apollo Ephialtes and Hera Phoitos.

[Zeus'] opponent [Porphyrion] is naked but for a helmet and shield, and is aiming a stone at Zeus; although there are several vases which show giants attacking gods with rocks, there is only one other example of a giant attacking Zeus with a stone, 1.68 [Met 08.258.21] (Pl. 6a), and there Hermes, behind Zeus, is responding in kind.

p. 186

c.420-400

Perseus Berlin F 2531 (Vase)

Sides A and B: gigantomachy. Six figures battle on side A, six on side B. Zeus and Porphyrion are the central pair of combatants on side A. Zeus, on the left, holds a lightning bolt in his raised right hand, his staff held in his left hand. Porphyrion flees to the right but turns to look back at Zeus as he prepares to throw a large stone. His shield is raised protectively. Zeus wears only a wreath, his mantle draped over one arm.

British Museum E 47 Red-Figure Cup Fragments (by Onesimos)

Beazley Archive 203256

-525 to -475

Φ[ορ]φυριο[ν]

LIMC Gigantes 301

Arafat,

p. 16

One such is 1.23 [BM E 47] where the name Ph[or]phyrio[n] is inscribed, and Zeus is the presumed opponent, although he is lost.

p. 184

c.490–480

Sparks, p. 27

The less well preserved side gives the right edge of the composition which concerned the struggle of Porphyrion who is named, against a god, no doubt his usual adversary Zeus, whom we must imagine advancing from the left. Porphyrion is decked out in helmet, cuirass, short chiton and mantle, and thrusts out his shield, as he strides past a bearded giant collapsing beneath the handle of the cup.

Valters, pp. 72–73

[p. 73] Porphryrion (bearded) strides to l. brandishing some weapon in his r., as if to protect his comrad; he wears a short chiton, a mantle over his shoulders, helmet, cuirass, and greaves; over him is his name P[or]phyrio[n]

Ferrara 2892 (T300) Red Figure Calyx Krater

Beazley Archive 213529

-475 to -425

Named: ZEUS POR[PHYRION], [POSEI]DON, PO[LYBOTES]

LIMC Gigantes 315

Arafat

p. 22

Above the opponent of Zeus and Herakles on 1.71 (PL. 5b) are written the first three letters of 'Porphyrion', usually the opponent of Zeus, as on 1.7 [Akr 2.221] and 1.23 [BM E 47] (above, pp. 15-16); in passage 1 Apollodorus speaks of him as being destroyed by Zeus and Herakles together, with thunderbolt and arrow respectively. This krater provides fifth century evidence for exactly this detail.

Harrison

p. 130

Next to the group of Zeus and Porphyrion on the krater [Ferrara 2892] is Poseidon pushing Nisyros down on a giant, while between them flies the eagle of Zeus.

Getty 82.AE.26 Black-figure Pyxis Fragments

Beazley Archive 10148

-575 to -525

Named: PORPHYRION (also ENKELADOS)

Fragment: Heracles, Athena, horses of Zeus' chariot, Porphyrion and Enceladus

Paris, Petit Palais 868 Red-Figure Bell Krater (by Altamura)

Beazley Archive 206859

-475 to -425

Named: PORPHYRION

LIMC Zeus ADD.52 [No images]

Arafat

p. 18

[On 1.37 Zeus'] opponent is impressive in defeat, still pointing at Zeus two long spears and holding a large shield in front of him; he also has a helmet and corselet. He is named Porphyrion, and Zeus is also named: he is then the leader of the giants, and his defiance matches his status.

P. 184

c.480-470