Busiris (Greek mythology)
Encyclopedia
Busiris is the Greek name of a place in Egypt
, which in Egyptian
, was named djed
(also spelt djedu). The location was a centre for the cult of Osiris
, thus the reason for the Greeks
choosing the name. The word Busiris was also used to refer to chief god of Busiris, an attribute of Osiris.
In Greek mythology
, Isocrates
, in his witty declamation Busiris recounts "the false tale of Heracles and Busiris" (11.30-11.40), which was a comic subject represented almost entirely in the repertory of early 5th century BC Athenian vase-painters: the theme has a narrow narrative range, according to Niall Livingstone: Heracles being led to sacrifice; his escape; the killing of Busiris; the rout of his entourage.
The brief synopses concerning Busiris in pseudo-Apollodorus' Bibliotheke
are at II.1.5 and II.5.11: Busiris there is one of the fifty sons of Aegyptus
, betrothed to a Danaid
. In Isocrates' rhetorical use of a theme that he considers unworthy of serious treatment, the villainous king of Egypt
named Busiris, a son of Poseidon
and Anippe, daughter of the river-god Nilus
, was the ancient founder of Egyptian civilization, with an imagined "model constitution" that Isocrates sets up as a parodic contrast to the Republic
by Plato
. The monstrous Busiris sacrificed all visitors to his gods. Heracles
defied him, broke his shackles at the last minute and killed Busiris.
In Didorus Siculus, Busiris appears as the founder of the line of kings at Thebes, an apparent description of the originator of the Eleventh Dynasty, and likely an analogy to Amun. As Didorus confuses Osiris with another figure in his stories of Nysas and Dionysius, and this figure may be Belus, or Baal, who was equated with Montu, another deity of Thebes, his confusion of Busiris, Osiris and Amun may be a clue to unraveling the confused Greek tradition around the name.
This part of the mythology concerning Herakles appears to have origins in a corruption of an Egyptian myth concerning Osiris' sacrifice by Set, and subsequent resurrection (see Legend of Osiris and Isis
).
The fictional king Busiris also appears, as the leader of a revolt, in the ironically-titled True History
(2.23) by Lucian
, written in the 2nd century CE.
In Paradise Lost
, John Milton
uses "Busiris" as the name of the Pharaoh of the Exodus, which suggests a comparison between Heracles' escape and the Israelites' escape from slavery.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, which in Egyptian
Egyptian language
Egyptian is the oldest known indigenous language of Egypt and a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Written records of the Egyptian language have been dated from about 3400 BC, making it one of the oldest recorded languages known. Egyptian was spoken until the late 17th century AD in the...
, was named djed
Djed
The djed symbol is a pillar-like ancient Egyptian symbol representing stability. It has been interpreted as the backbone of the Egyptian god Osiris, especially in the form Banebdjedet . Djedu is the Egyptian name for Busiris, a centre of the cult of Osiris...
(also spelt djedu). The location was a centre for the cult of Osiris
Osiris
Osiris is an Egyptian god, usually identified as the god of the afterlife, the underworld and the dead. He is classically depicted as a green-skinned man with a pharaoh's beard, partially mummy-wrapped at the legs, wearing a distinctive crown with two large ostrich feathers at either side, and...
, thus the reason for the Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
choosing the name. The word Busiris was also used to refer to chief god of Busiris, an attribute of Osiris.
In Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, Isocrates
Isocrates
Isocrates , an ancient Greek rhetorician, was one of the ten Attic orators. In his time, he was probably the most influential rhetorician in Greece and made many contributions to rhetoric and education through his teaching and written works....
, in his witty declamation Busiris recounts "the false tale of Heracles and Busiris" (11.30-11.40), which was a comic subject represented almost entirely in the repertory of early 5th century BC Athenian vase-painters: the theme has a narrow narrative range, according to Niall Livingstone: Heracles being led to sacrifice; his escape; the killing of Busiris; the rout of his entourage.
The brief synopses concerning Busiris in pseudo-Apollodorus' Bibliotheke
Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)
The Bibliotheca , in three books, provides a comprehensive summary of traditional Greek mythology and heroic legends, "the most valuable mythographical work that has come down from ancient times," Aubrey Diller observed, whose "stultifying purpose" was neatly expressed in the epigram noted by...
are at II.1.5 and II.5.11: Busiris there is one of the fifty sons of Aegyptus
Aegyptus
- Aegyptus, King of Egypt and Arabia :In Greek mythology, Aegyptus is a descendant of the heifer maiden, Io, and the river-god Nilus, and was a king in Egypt. Aegyptos was the son of Belus and Achiroe, a naiad daughter of Nile. Aegyptus fathered fifty sons, who were all but one murdered by the...
, betrothed to a Danaid
Danaus
In Greek mythology Danaus, or Danaos , was the twin brother of Aegyptus and son of Achiroe and Belus, a mythical king of Egypt. The myth of Danaus is a foundation legend of Argos, one of the foremost Mycenaean cities of the Peloponnesus...
. In Isocrates' rhetorical use of a theme that he considers unworthy of serious treatment, the villainous king of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
named Busiris, a son of Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
and Anippe, daughter of the river-god Nilus
Nilus (mythology)
Nilus, in Greek mythology, was the son of Oceanus and Tethys. He represented the god of the Nile river itself and was father to several children. Of these included Memphis , as well as a son named Nilus Ankhmemiphis .His granddaughter Libya in turn became mother to Belus and Agenor...
, was the ancient founder of Egyptian civilization, with an imagined "model constitution" that Isocrates sets up as a parodic contrast to the Republic
Republic (Plato)
The Republic is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato around 380 BC concerning the definition of justice and the order and character of the just city-state and the just man...
by Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
. The monstrous Busiris sacrificed all visitors to his gods. Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
defied him, broke his shackles at the last minute and killed Busiris.
In Didorus Siculus, Busiris appears as the founder of the line of kings at Thebes, an apparent description of the originator of the Eleventh Dynasty, and likely an analogy to Amun. As Didorus confuses Osiris with another figure in his stories of Nysas and Dionysius, and this figure may be Belus, or Baal, who was equated with Montu, another deity of Thebes, his confusion of Busiris, Osiris and Amun may be a clue to unraveling the confused Greek tradition around the name.
This part of the mythology concerning Herakles appears to have origins in a corruption of an Egyptian myth concerning Osiris' sacrifice by Set, and subsequent resurrection (see Legend of Osiris and Isis
Legend of Osiris and Isis
The Myth of Osiris and Isis, concerning the deities of Egyptian mythology Osiris, Isis, Horus, and Set, became one of the most important and powerful in Egyptian mythology during the New Kingdom...
).
The fictional king Busiris also appears, as the leader of a revolt, in the ironically-titled True History
True History
True History or True Story is a travel tale by the Greek-speaking Syrian author Lucian of Samosata, the earliest known fiction about travelling to outer space, alien life-forms and interplanetary warfare. Written in the 2nd century, the novel has been referred to as "the first known text that...
(2.23) by Lucian
Lucian
Lucian of Samosata was a rhetorician and satirist who wrote in the Greek language. He is noted for his witty and scoffing nature.His ethnicity is disputed and is attributed as Assyrian according to Frye and Parpola, and Syrian according to Joseph....
, written in the 2nd century CE.
In Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse...
, John Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
uses "Busiris" as the name of the Pharaoh of the Exodus, which suggests a comparison between Heracles' escape and the Israelites' escape from slavery.
Further reading
- Livingstone, Niall "A Commentary on Isocrates' Busiris" (Brill) 2001. The first scholarly commentary devoted to Busiris.