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Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of ...
, Dolos or Dolus (
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
: Δόλος "Deception") is the spirit of trickery. He is also a master at cunning deception, craftiness, and treachery. Dolos is an apprentice of the
Titan Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, know ...
and a companion of the ''Pseudea'' (Lies). His female counterpart is
Apate, who is the goddess of
fraud
In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compen ...
and deception. His Roman equivalent is
Mendacius. There are even some stories of Dolos tricking gods into lies.
Family
Dolus was either the son of the
primordial deities Gaia
In Greek mythology, Gaia (; from Ancient Greek , a poetical form of , 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea , is the personification of the Earth and one of the Greek primordial deities. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthe ...
(Earth) and
Aether Aether, æther or ether may refer to:
Metaphysics and mythology
* Aether (classical element), the material supposed to fill the region of the universe above the terrestrial sphere
* Aether (mythology), the personification of the "upper sky", sp ...
(Air)
[Hyginus, ''Fabulae']
Preface
/ref> or Erebus
In Greek mythology, Erebus (; grc, Ἔρεβος, Érebos, "deep darkness, shadow".), or Erebos, is the personification of darkness and one of the primordial deities. Hesiod's '' Theogony'' identifies him as one of the first five beings in ex ...
(Darkness) and Nyx
Nyx (; , , "Night") is the Greek goddess and personification of night. A shadowy figure, Nyx stood at or near the beginning of creation and mothered other personified deities, such as Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death), with Erebus (Darkn ...
(Night).[Cicero, ''De Natura Deorum'' 3.17]
Hyginus' account
From Aether (Air) and Terra
Terra may often refer to:
* Terra (mythology), primeval Roman goddess
* An alternate name for planet Earth, as well as the Latin name for the planet
Terra may also refer to: Geography Astronomy
* Terra (satellite), a multi-national NASA scienti ...
/ Gaia (Earth) ere born Dolor
Dolor may refer to:
* Pain
Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or res ...
(Pain), Dolus (Guile), Ira/ Lyssa (Anger), Luctus/ Penthus (Lamentation), Mendacium/ Pseudologoi (Lies), Jusjurandum/ Horcus (Oath), Ultio
Ultio ("Vengeance") was an ancient Roman goddess whose ''cultus'' was associated with Mars. An altar and golden statue of Ultio were set up in the Temple of Mars Ultor, dedicated by Augustus in 2 BC as a center for cultivating Mars the Avenger ...
/ Poine (Vengeance), Intemperantia (Intemperance), Altercatio/ Amphillogiai (Altercation), Oblivio/ Lethe (Forgetfulness), Socordia/ Aergia (Sloth), Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western part. The Indonesian part, al ...
/ Phobos (Fear), Superbia (Arrogance), Incestum
Sexual attitudes and behaviors in ancient Rome are indicated by art, literature, and inscriptions, and to a lesser extent by archaeological remains such as erotic artifacts and architecture. It has sometimes been assumed that "unlimited sexua ...
(Sacrilege), Pugna/ Hysminai (Combat).
Cicero's account
Their Aether Aether, æther or ether may refer to:
Metaphysics and mythology
* Aether (classical element), the material supposed to fill the region of the universe above the terrestrial sphere
* Aether (mythology), the personification of the "upper sky", sp ...
and
Hemera's">Hemera">Hemera'sbrothers and sisters, whom the ancient genealogists name
Amor
Amor ("love" in Latin, Spanish and Portuguese) may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Amor'' (Julio Iglesias album), 1982
* ''Amor'' (Andrea Bocelli album), 2006
Songs
* "Amor" (Los Auténticos Decadentes song), 2000
* "Amor" (Cristian Castro song), 199 ...
/
Eros
In Greek mythology, Eros (, ; grc, Ἔρως, Érōs, Love, Desire) is the Greek god of love and sex. His Roman counterpart was Cupid ("desire").''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', The Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215. In the e ...
(Love), Dolus (Guile),
Metus/ Deimos (Fear),
Labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
/ Ponus (Toil),
Invidentia/ Nemesis (Envy), Fatum/
Moros
In Greek mythology, Moros /ˈmɔːrɒs/ or Morus /ˈmɔːrəs/ (Ancient Greek: Μόρος means 'doom, fate') is the 'hateful' personified spirit of impending doom, who drives mortals to their deadly fate. It was also said that Moros gave peop ...
(Fate),
Senectus/ Geras (Old Age),
Mors
Mors may refer to:
*Mors (mythology), the personification of death in Roman mythology
*Mors, Latin for death
*Mors (automobile), a French car manufacturer from 1895 to 1925
:* American Mors, Mors vehicles produced under licence in America by the S ...
/ Thanatos (Death),
Tenebrae/ Keres (Darkness),
Miseria/ Oizys (Misery),
Querella/ Momus (Complaint),
Gratia/ Philotes (Favour),
Fraus/ Apate (Fraud),
Pertinacia (Obstinacy), the
Parcae
In ancient Roman religion and myth, the Parcae (singular, Parca) were the female personifications of destiny who directed the lives (and deaths) of humans and gods. They are often called the Fates in English, and their Greek equivalent were the ...
/
Moirai
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Moirai (, also spelled Moirae or Mœræ; grc, Μοῖραι, "lots, destinies, apportioners"), often known in English as the Fates ( la, Fata, Fata, -orum (n)=), were the personifications of fa ...
(Fates), the
Hesperides
In Greek mythology, the Hesperides (; , ) are the nymphs of evening and golden light of sunsets, who were the "Daughters of the Evening" or "Nymphs of the West". They were also called the Atlantides () from their reputed father, the Titan Atlas ...
, the
Somnia/ Oneiroi (Dreams): all of these are fabled to be the children of Erebus (Darkness) and Nox/ Nyx (Night).
Mythology
Dolos became known for his skill when he attempted to make a fraudulent copy statue of
Aletheia
''Aletheia'' or Alethia (; grc, ἀλήθεια) is truth or disclosure in philosophy. Originating in Ancient Greek philosophy, the term was later used in the works of 20th-century philosopher Martin Heidegger. Although often translated as "t ...
(Veritas), in order to trick people into thinking they were seeing the real statue. He ran out of the clay he was using to create the statue, and had to leave the feet unfinished as he quaked in fear while his skill-master looked over his attempt at deceitfulness. To his surprise, Prometheus was rather amazed at the similarity between the statues, so Dolos then became a master at his crafty and tricky ways.
Prometheus, that potter who gave shape to our new generation, decided one day to sculpt the form of Veritas (Truth) letheia using all his skill so that she would be able to regulate people's behaviour. As he was working, an unexpected summons from mighty Jupiter euscalled him away. Prometheus left cunning Dolus (Trickery) in charge of his workshop, Dolus had recently become one of the god's apprentices. Fired by ambition, Dolus (Trickery) used the time at his disposal to fashion with his sly fingers a figure of the same size and appearance as Veritas (Truth) letheiawith identical features. When he had almost completed the piece, which was truly remarkable, he ran out of clay to use for her feet. The master returned, so Dolus (Trickery) quickly sat down in his seat, quaking with fear. Prometheus was amazed at the similarity of the two statues and wanted it to seem as if all the credit were due to his own skill. Therefore, he put both statues in the kiln and when they had been thoroughly baked, he infused them both with life: sacred Veritas (Truth) walked with measured steps, while her unfinished twin stood stuck in her tracks. That forgery, that product of subterfuge, thus acquired the name of Mendacium seudologos, Falsehood and I readily agree with people who say that she has no feet: every once in a while something that is false can start off successfully, but with time Veritas (Truth) is sure to prevail.[Aesop, ''Fables'' 530 (from Phaedrus Appendix 5) (trans. Gibbs)]
Notes
References
*
Gaius Julius Hyginus
Gaius Julius Hyginus (; 64 BC – AD 17) was a Latin author, a pupil of the scholar Alexander Polyhistor, and a freedman of Caesar Augustus. He was elected superintendent of the Palatine library by Augustus according to Suetonius' ''De Gramma ...
, ''Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies
Online version at the Topos Text Project.*
Marcus Tullius Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the est ...
, ''Nature of the Gods from the Treatises of M.T. Cicero'' translated by Charles Duke Yonge (1812-1891), Bohn edition of 1878
Online version at the Topos Text Project.* Marcus Tullius Cicero, ''De Natura Deorum.'' O. Plasberg. Leipzig. Teubner. 1917.
Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library
{{Greek mythology (deities), state=collapsed
Greek trickster deities
Personifications in Greek mythology
Children of Gaia
Children of Nyx
Greek gods