Cercopes

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the epic poem attributed to Homer, see Cercopes (epic poem).
For the ancient city in Crete, see Olous.
Metope in Paestum
).

In Greek mythology, the Cercopes /sərˈkoʊˌpiːz/ (Greek: Κέρκωπες, plural of Κέρκωψ, from κέρκος (n.) kerkos "tail")[1] were mischievous forest creatures who lived in Thermopylae or on Euboea but roamed the world and might turn up anywhere mischief was afoot. They were two brothers, but their names are given variously:

—depending on the context, but usually known as sons of Theia and Oceanus, thus ancient spirits.

Mythology

They were proverbial as liars, cheats, and accomplished knaves.

Selinus. According to Pherecydes, the Cercopes were turned to stone.[9]

As monkeys

In another myth,

Cercopithecus
.

Monkeys figure in four Minoan frescos at

Bay of Naples
, where no monkeys had been seen within human memory, they were reduced to alleging that they must have been deceitful men whom Zeus punished by turning them into apes. When scholars attempted to account for this exotic image they have been forced to search farther afield:

The story of Herakles and the Cercopes has been interpreted as a reminiscence of Phoenician traders bringing apes to Greek markets. See O. Keller, Thiere des classischen Alterthums (Innsbruck, 1887), p. 1. The interpretation may perhaps be supported by an Assyrian bas-relief which represents a Herculean male figure carrying an ape on his head and leading another ape by a leash, the animals being apparently brought as tribute to a king. See O. Keller, op. cit., p. 11, fig. 2.[15]

Cline identified the monkey species in 1991[16] as guenons, or blue monkeys, which have bluish fur over their green skins. Scholars generally assume that the appearance of the blue monkey in Aegean iconography was due to the import of the actual animal from north Africa; they were iconic religious animals in Egypt

Proverb

Herakles bound the Kerkopes at the market of Ephesus.[17]

See also

Further references to the Cercopes can be found by the following classical authors:

Citations

  1. Cecrops
    .
  2. ^ Homerica, The Cercopes (from Suidas s.v. Kerkopes)
  3. ^ Tzetz. Chil. v. 75.
  4. ^ Suid. s. v. Eurubatos
  5. ^ Schol. ad Lucian. Alex
  6. ^ Lucian, Alexander the false prophet.
  7. ^ a b Pseudo-Apollonius, Bibliotheke ii.6.3.
  8. ^ Sudias. Whitehead, David (ed.). Suda. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  9. ISBN 9781786563712
    . See Scholiast on Lucian, Alexander 4, ed. H. Rabe.
  10. OCLC 612127868.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link
    )
  11. ^ Marinatos, N. (1987). Hägg, R.; Marinatos, N. (eds.). The Function of the Minoan Palaces. Stockholm. pp. 124–130.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  12. ^ Vanschoonwinkel, J. "Animal Representations in Theran and Other Aegean Arts". Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. gives a summary of the depiction of monkeys in Minoan and Theran art, with bibliographical references.
  13. ^ Cameron, M.A.S. (1968). "Unpublished paintings from the 'House of Frescoes' at Knossos". BSA. 63. pages 1–31 and figure 13. shows a restored image.[full citation needed]
  14. JSTOR 506717
    .
  15. ^ Frazer, James George, Sir. Apollodorus, Library and Epitome. ii.6.3, note. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. S2CID 163960806
    .
  17. ^ Suda, alpha, 301

References

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