Thalia (nymph)
Encyclopedia
In Greek mythology, Thalia (Θάλεια / Tháleia or Θάλια / Thália , "the Joyous, the Flourishing", from θάλλειν / thállein , "to flourish, to be green") is a nymph, the child of Hephaestus
. She is also given as an anthropomorphic secondary deity of plant life and shoots, possibly as the culmination of the transmission of knowledge on volcanic ash's use as a fertiliser, characteristic of ancient viticulture
in volcanic soils such as those of the islands of Thera and Santorini
.
The tradition surrounding her is confused, but she is probably confused with the muse, grace
or Nereid
of the same name. Macrobius's Saturnales (song V) states how Zeus
seized this Thalia whilst he was in the form of an eagle, as he did with Aegina
, Leto
and Ganymede
. He then made love to her near the river Symethe on Sicily
and then buried her in the ground to avoid Hera
's jealousy. Her twin children, the Palici
, were thus born from the earth, though other authors make the Palici the sons of Hephaestus
.
Hephaestus
Hephaestus was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of the Gods - or else, according to some accounts, of Hera alone. He was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes...
. She is also given as an anthropomorphic secondary deity of plant life and shoots, possibly as the culmination of the transmission of knowledge on volcanic ash's use as a fertiliser, characteristic of ancient viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
in volcanic soils such as those of the islands of Thera and Santorini
Santorini
Santorini , officially Thira , is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera...
.
The tradition surrounding her is confused, but she is probably confused with the muse, grace
Thalia (grace)
In Greek mythology, Thalia was one of the three Graces or Charites with her sisters Aglaea and Euphrosyne, and a daughter of Zeus and the Oceanid Eurynome or the hour Eunomia...
or Nereid
Thalia (Nereid)
In Greek mythology Thalia is one of the fifty known Nereids, daughters of Nereus and Doris. She is mentioned as one of the 32 Nereids who gather on the coast of Troy from the depths of the sea to mourn with Thetis for the future death of her son Achilles in Homer's Iliad .-References:* Grimal,...
of the same name. Macrobius's Saturnales (song V) states how Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
seized this Thalia whilst he was in the form of an eagle, as he did with Aegina
Aegina (mythology)
Aegina was a figure of Greek mythology, the nymph of the island that bears her name, Aegina, lying in the Saronic Gulf between Attica and the Peloponnesos. The archaic Temple of Aphaea, the "Invisible Goddess", on the island was later subsumed by the cult of Athena...
, Leto
Leto
In Greek mythology, Leto is a daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe. The island of Kos is claimed as her birthplace. In the Olympian scheme, Zeus is the father of her twins, Apollo and Artemis, the Letoides, which Leto conceived after her hidden beauty accidentally caught the eyes of Zeus...
and Ganymede
Ganymede (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Ganymede is a divine hero whose homeland was Troy. Homer describes Ganymede as the most beautiful of mortals. In the best-known myth, he is abducted by Zeus, in the form of an eagle, to serve as cup-bearer in Olympus. Some interpretations of the myth treat it as an allegory of...
. He then made love to her near the river Symethe on Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and then buried her in the ground to avoid Hera
Hera
Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
's jealousy. Her twin children, the Palici
Palici
The Palici , or Palaci, were a pair of indigenous Sicilian chthonic deities in Roman mythology, and to a lesser extent in Greek mythology. They are mentioned in Ovid V, 406, and in Virgil IX, 585...
, were thus born from the earth, though other authors make the Palici the sons of Hephaestus
Hephaestus
Hephaestus was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of the Gods - or else, according to some accounts, of Hera alone. He was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes...
.