In "The Politics of Olympus" Jenny Strauss Clay says of the new-born god Hermes, "Hermes' precise status has remained in doubt: Is he a god or a mortal?...Hermes' identity crisis is only resolved when he finds himself unable to swallow the meat (the immortal cattle of Apollo) he had just prepared for himself. With this unmistakable evidence of this divinity Hermes returns to Maia's cave." So in short the gods can't eat of the grain or cattle of the earth. They are stuck nectar and ambrosia and the heady savory aroma of the burnt offers made in their honor. So image my initial surprise in church today when the reading as Luke 24:36-48. The risen Lord reappears in the mists of his shocked and awed disciples. That aren't nature if they are seeing a ghost Or what. He asked " Have you anything to eat?" They gave Him a piece of broiled fish and He took it and ate it in their presence. Before I wrote that the gossip writers had to address the then universal paradigm about demi-gods. So now, Luke's presented a god who can eat! Oh wait that is why Christ is both fully man and fully God!
I got to thinking about the epithet; Cronides (also Cronion). It means Child of Cronus. Cronus was the King of the Titans and brutal father of the Olympian gods. Generally it refers to his sons Zeus and Poseidon, but can be applied to any of the elder Olympians. Supposedly it's usage is to remind the audience that they are his children and camp be just as cruel and abusive of their authority as he was. If you don't know Cronus' story he ate all his children at birth; brains and all. Zeus "consumed" two of his own children Athena and Zagreus/Dionysus. Athena was still in the womb at the time! Wow, rough crowd!
I got to thinking about the epithet; Cronides (also Cronion). It means Child of Cronus. Cronus was the King of the Titans and brutal father of the Olympian gods. Generally it refers to his sons Zeus and Poseidon, but can be applied to any of the elder Olympians. Supposedly it's usage is to remind the audience that they are his children and camp be just as cruel and abusive of their authority as he was. If you don't know Cronus' story he ate all his children at birth; brains and all. Zeus "consumed" two of his own children Athena and Zagreus/Dionysus. Athena was still in the womb at the time! Wow, rough crowd!
Jesus had to give some proof that he was indeed resurrected in flesh and blood. I wonder, what happened to his human body after that?
ReplyDeleteMy Hermes also is almost mortal. He is "ambrosia-dependent", i.e. his immortality is not intrinsic but must be supported by a constant supply of ambrosia.
As far as I know, Greek gods could eat human food if this was needed for demonstration purposes - "for the sake of hosia".