Salmacis
Encyclopedia
In Greek mythology
, Salmacis (Greek: ) was an atypical naiad
who rejected the ways of the virginal Greek
goddess
Artemis
in favour of vanity
and idleness. Her attempted rape of Hermaphroditus
places her as the only nymph
rapist in the Greek mythological canon (though see also Dercetis
).
In Ovid
's Metamorphoses, she becomes one with Hermaphroditus, and Hermaphroditus curses the fountain
to have the same effect on others. However, it's very likely that Ovid fabricated the entire tale himself - his use of "praetereo, dulcique animos novitate tenebo" could be read in several ways, as "novitate" could be translated as either something strange or something new, which would imply that it was a new tale. Salmacis could also have been intended simply as a contrast to the previous tales in Ovid's Metamorphoses, as others involve a dominant male pursuing an elusive female.
is located near the ancient Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, and it is now a tourist attraction located in present-day Bodrum
, Turkey
. The waters of Salmacis fountain were said to have relaxing properties. Although excellent to drink, in classical times, it was thought to have the effect of making men effeminate and soft. Ovid creates or recounts the myth of how the fountain came to be so in the story of Hermaphroditus and Salmacis.
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...
, Salmacis (Greek: ) was an atypical naiad
Naiad
In Greek mythology, the Naiads or Naiades were a type of nymph who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks....
who rejected the ways of the virginal Greek
Culture of Greece
The culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years, beginning in Mycenaean Greece, continuing most notably into Classical Greece, through the influence of the Roman Empire and its Greek Eastern successor the Byzantine Empire...
goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
in favour of vanity
Vanity
In conventional parlance, vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others. Prior to the 14th century it did not have such narcissistic undertones, and merely meant futility. The related term vainglory is now often seen as an archaic synonym for vanity, but...
and idleness. Her attempted rape of Hermaphroditus
Hermaphroditus
In Greek mythology, Hermaphroditus or Hermaphroditos was the child of Aphrodite and Hermes. He was a minor deity of bisexuality and effeminacy. According to Ovid, born a remarkably handsome boy, he was transformed into an androgynous being by union with the water nymph Salmacis...
places her as the only nymph
Nymph
A nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
rapist in the Greek mythological canon (though see also Dercetis
Dercetis (mythology)
Dercetis is the name of a nymph in Greek mythology. In Statius' Thebaid, she is portrayed as a sexually aggressive figure who ravishes a youth named Lapithaon despite his being too young and not mature enough for a sexual relationship...
).
"There dwelt a Nymph, not up for hunting or archery:
unfit for footraces. She the only Naiad not in Diana’s band.
Often her sisters would say: “Pick up a javelin, or
bristling quiver, and interrupt your leisure for the chase!”
But she would not pick up a javelin or arrows,
nor trade leisure for the chase.
Instead she would bathe her beautiful limbs and tend to her hair,
with her waters as a mirror."
Ovid, Metamorphoses. Book IV, 306-312.
In Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
's Metamorphoses, she becomes one with Hermaphroditus, and Hermaphroditus curses the fountain
Salmacis (fountain)
Salmacis was a fountain, located near the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. In classical times, it had:"the slanderous repute, for what reason I do not know, of making effeminate all who drink from it...
to have the same effect on others. However, it's very likely that Ovid fabricated the entire tale himself - his use of "praetereo, dulcique animos novitate tenebo" could be read in several ways, as "novitate" could be translated as either something strange or something new, which would imply that it was a new tale. Salmacis could also have been intended simply as a contrast to the previous tales in Ovid's Metamorphoses, as others involve a dominant male pursuing an elusive female.
Salmacis fountain
Salmacis fountainSalmacis (fountain)
Salmacis was a fountain, located near the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. In classical times, it had:"the slanderous repute, for what reason I do not know, of making effeminate all who drink from it...
is located near the ancient Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, and it is now a tourist attraction located in present-day Bodrum
Bodrum
Bodrum is a port city in Muğla Province, in the southwestern Aegean Region of Turkey. It is located on the southern coast of Bodrum Peninsula, at a point that checks the entry into the Gulf of Gökova. The site was called Halicarnassus of Caria in ancient times and was famous for housing the...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The waters of Salmacis fountain were said to have relaxing properties. Although excellent to drink, in classical times, it was thought to have the effect of making men effeminate and soft. Ovid creates or recounts the myth of how the fountain came to be so in the story of Hermaphroditus and Salmacis.
Artistic allusions
- A sculpture by François-Joseph Bosio, La nymphe Salmacis, can be seen on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
- Ovid's story of Salmacis and the boy Hermaphroditus is retold by Francis BeaumontFrancis BeaumontFrancis Beaumont was a dramatist in the English Renaissance theatre, most famous for his collaborations with John Fletcher....
in his epyllion 'Salmacis and Hermaphroditus'.
- The story is retold in the song "The Fountain of Salmacis" by GenesisGenesis (band)Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, on the album Nursery CrymeNursery CrymeNursery Cryme is the third studio album by Genesis and was recorded and released in 1971. It is also the first album to feature the classic five-piece line-up of Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins and Steve Hackett; the latter two replacing John Mayhew and Anthony Phillips, on...
(1971).
- Paintings by Italian artist Roberto FerriRoberto FerriRoberto Ferri is an Italian artist and painter from Taranto, Italy. Deeply inspired by Baroque painters and other old masters of Romanticism, the Academy, and Symbolism.-Biography:...
, a set of 3 oil paintings taken from Ovid's myth of Salmacis and Hermaphroditus.