Irlandos at 16:07, February 18, 2007

2007-02-18T16:07:47Z

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In [[Greek mythology]], '''Enceladus''' (or '''Enkelados''', Εγκέλαδος) was one of the [[Gigantes]], the enormous children of [[Gaia]] (Earth) fertilised by the blood of castrated [[Ouranos]].<ref>[[Aphrodite]] arose from the same origins, yet no myth connected her with the Gigantes.</ref> With the other Gigantes, Enceladus appeared in one particular region—either [[Phlegra]], the "burning plain" in [[Thrace]]<ref>''[[Bibliotheke]]'' 1.6.1; Hyginus, ''Fabulae'', Proem. The location was removed to [[Magna Graecia]] in [[Hellenistic]] times: [[Strabo]], in Alexandria, identified Phlegrae with the [[Phlegraean Plain]] in Campania, near [[Cumae]].</ref>, or [[Pallene]].<ref>Kerenyi 1951 pp 28f, noting ''[[Bibliotheke]]'' 1.6.1.</ref>

During the battle between the Gigantes and the [[Olympian gods]], Enceladus was disabled by a spear thrown by the goddess [[Athena]]. He was buried on the island of Sicily, under Mount Etna. The volcanic fires of Etna were said to be the breath of Enceladus, and its tremors to be caused by him rolling his injured side beneath the mountain (similar myths are told about [[Typhon]] and [[Hephaestus]]). In [[Greece]], an earthquake is still sometimes called a "strike of Enceladus".

In [[Euripides]]' [[satyr play]] ''[[Cyclops (play)|Cyclops]]'' the minor god [[Silenus]] claims to have dealt Enceladus' death blow, but this was perhaps intended by [[Euripides|the author]] as a vain drunken boast, since [[Silenus]] also claims to have sent the Gigantes flying with the braying of his ass.

==Notes==
<references/>

==References==
*[[Apollodorus]], i.6.1
*Hyginus, ''Fabulae'', proem
*[[Hesiod]], [[Theogony]] v.183
*Virgil, Aeneid III, 578-582
*Robert Graves, 1960. ''The Greek Myths'', 35.f, .h.

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[[Category:Greek mythology]]

Enceladus - Revision history

Irlandos at 16:07, February 18, 2007