Poseidon and the nymph BeroePhoenicia, Berytos,
Elagabal, AD 218-222
AE 26, 12.47g
obv. [AV KM
AVR AN - TONINOC
AVG]
Bust, draped and
cuirassed, seen from behind, laureate, r.
rev. COL IVL A - VG
FEL / BER
Poseidon, in
himation, advancing r. with a sidestep,
head l., holding
his trident in l.
arm, raising
the nymph Beroe, kneeling l. before him, looking up to him; the nymph, in
transparent
chiton, scooping water with a
jar, the l. hand raised in defense.
SNG Copenhagen 118;
BMC 183;
Lindgren II, 120, 2268
Very
rare, about EF, chocolate-brown
patinaThe myth of Beroe is found detailed in Nonnus' Dionysiaka. In ancient times Berytos was suggested as a center of laws and legislation. Therefore especially in the first
part we find several hints on laws and justice. The text rests on Nonnus' text, but I have shorten it heavily. Nevertheless I
hope the excessive
style of Nonnus could be recognized!
Birth and Youth of BeroeThere is a younger
legend, that her mother was Aphrodite, who bore her to the Assyrian Adonis. When the hour of birth approached
Hermes came to
help the labour of Beroe and Themis (the Goddess of Law) was her Eileithyia (Birth Goddess). And like the Lakonian women bring forth their sons pressing their feet upon a round leather
shield Themis hold Solon's laws against her to lighten her birth. The newborn girl was bathed by the four Aetai (winds) who after that proclaimed the laws of Beroe to the whole world. Okeanos, the first herald of these laws, poured
his floods around the earth. Aion, the time, wrapped up the child with the robe of Dike, the Justice. The four Horai, the four
seasons, sang the birth of Aphrodite's daughter. Aphrodite gave her daughter to Astraia, mistress of Justice, to educate her and she fed her with the milk of of justice and streams of Attic laws. If the girl thirsting asked for a drink she gave her speaking Pythian water kept for Apollon, or the stream of Ilissos which is inspired by the Attic Mousa. The dancing maidens of Orchomenos, the Charites, drew from the Hippokrene, fountain of imagination, dear to te nine Mousai, delicate water to wash her. Beroe grew up and got the very likeness of her mother and her shining feet. Her white robes falling down to the girl’s feet showed the blush of her rosy limbs.
Beroe - Goddess of BerytosThen Aphrodite recognized the prophetic intelligence of her daughter and she studied the foundation of the brilliant cities of ancient days. She saw how Mykene girt about with a garland of walls by the Kyklopian masons took the name of twinkle-eye Mykene; how Thebes beside the southern Nile took the name of primeval Thebe; and she decided to design a city named after Beroe, being possessed with a passion to make her city as
good as theirs. She observed there the long
column of Solon’s Laws, that safeguard against wrong, and turned aside her eye to the broad streets of
Athens, and envied her sister the just Judge. She hurried to the hall of Allmother Harmonia and asked: " Tell me, which of the cities has the organ of sovereign voice? I joined
Zeus in wedlock with
Hera his sister, after he
had felt the pangs of longlasting desire and desired her for three hundred years. In gratitude he promised a worthy reward for the marriage that he would commit the precepts of Justice (Dike) to one of the cities allotted to me. I wish to learn whether the gift is reserved for land of Kypros or Paphos or Korinthos or Sparta, or the noble country of my own daughter Beroe". Harmonia answered: "I have oracles of
history on seven tablets. But since you ask me about the directing laws, this prerogative I keep for the eldest of cities. Whether then Arkadia is first or Argos,
Hera’s city, whether
Sardis be the oldest, or even Tarsos celebrated in song be the first city, or some other, I have not been told. The tablet of
Kronos will teach you all this, which first arose, which was coeval with Dawn." And then they went to the glorious oracles of the wall, until she saw the place where Ophion’s art
had engraved in ruddy vermilion on the tablet of
Kronos the oracle to be fulfilled in time about Beroe’s country. And Aphrodite could read: "Beroe came the first, coeval with the universe her agemate, bearing the name of the Nymphe later born, which the colonizing sons of the Ausonians, the consular lights of
Rome, shall call Berytos". And then: "When
Augustus shall hold the
sceptre of the world, Ausonian
Zeus will give to divine
Rome the lordship, and to Beroe he will grant the reins of law, when armed in her fleet of shielded
ships she shall pacify the strife of battlestirring Kleopatra." - Nonnus, Dionysiaca 41.263
The marriage of BeroeFlying high up in the sky
Eros with
his flaming bow put two arrows on the chord to inflame simultaneously two wooers in desire for Beroe's love, the vinegod
Dionysos and Poseidon, the ruler of the sea. He beat
Dionysos with madness so that he offered
his treasures to the bride, life's merry heart and the ruddy vintage of the grape. And he goaded to love the lord of the sea, that he might bring the maid a double lovegift, seafaring battle on the water and varied dishes for the table. But
Dionysos he set more in a
flame, since wine excites the mind for desire, and wine finds unbridled
youth much more obedient to the rein when it is charmed with the prick of unreason. Then he raised up like a false bird and cried taunting: "If
Dionysos confounds
men with wine, I excite
Dionysos with fire!'
And
Dionysos looked at the tender shape of the longhaired girl full of admiration and he couldn't tear
his gaze from her. He appealed
Helios to remind of
his love to Klymene and to pause
his car to extend the light of the day. He crept around Beroe and kissed each place which was hit by her shoes of roses. He gazed at her lovely
face which need no meretricious rouge and no deceiving ringlets which she could threw back coquettishly. But the natural and innocent beauty confuses the desperate lover even more!
Thirtsty by the heat of the
Dog of heaven (Sirius) Beroe sought out a near
spring and bent down with parched lips and scooped the cool water. When she was gone,
Dionysos would bend
his knee to the lovely
spring, and hollow
his palms in mimicry of the beloved girl: then he drank water sweeter than selfpoured nectar. Then he cried: "‘Maiden,accept the nectar - leave this water that maidens love! Avoid the water of the
spring, lest Seabluehair steal your maidenhood in the water! O that I also might become a flood, like Earthshaker, and murmuring might embrace you!" Then he changed
his shape to a
hunter and said to Beroe; "
Artemis, where are your arrows? Who has stolen your quiver?" And so he flattered her comparing her with several deities. And Beroe smiled and was pleased because in her childlike simplicity she couldn't see through
his tricks and her heart didn't know yet the desire of love. He asked for her father Adonis, as one of
his hunting friends, and approached always nearer. Then he discarded
his human shape and stood before her as a god. He said: "Maiden, for your love I have even renounced my home in heaven. The caves of your fathers are better than Olympos. I desire not the
sceptre of my father
Zeus as much as Beroe for my wife. Maiden, when I hear that your mother is Kypris, my only wonder is that her
cestus has left you uncharmed. How is it you alone have
Eros for a brother, and yet know not the sting of love. Girl, you have the blood of Aphrodite - then why do you flee from the secrets of Aphrodite? Do not shame your mother’s race. Harsh are the Erotes when there’s need, when they extract from women the penalty for love unfulfilled. Beware of the god’s horrid anger. What gifts will Poseidon bring? Salt water as a bridegift? Or sealskins breathing the filthy stink of the deep? I will provide you with
Satyrs as chamberlains. My bridegift will be my grape-vintage too. I will bring you the gold from
India and amber from the Eridanos, from the
border of the earth! Away with the trident! Flee Poseidon!" But Beroe pressed the fingers into her ears to keep the words away. So she made trouble for lovestricken Lyaios.
Then out from the sea came Poseidon, moving
his wet footsteps in
search of the girl over the thirsty hills, and sprinkling the unwatered earth with watery foot. He espied Beroe, and from
head to foot he scanned her divine young freshness while she stood. Clear through the filmy robe he noted the shape of the girl with steady eyes, and cursed the jealous bodice wrapt about in many folds which hid the bosom, he
ran his lovemaddened eye round and round her
face, he gazed never satisfied on her whole body. With flattering words he tried to make friends with the maiden: "One woman outshines all the lovely women of Hellas! Beroe has appeared a fourth Charis, younger than the three! Maiden, leave the land. That is just, for your mother grew not from the land, she is Aphrodite, daughter of the brine. Here is my infinite sea for your bridegift, larger than earth. I will make Proteus chamberlain of your marriage-consummating bed, and Glaukos shall be your underling - take Nereus too, and Melikertes if you like; and I will call murmuring Okeanos your servant, broad Okeanos girdling the
rim of the eternal world. I give you as bridal gift all the Rivers together for your attendants. If you are pleased to have waitingmaids also, I will bring you the daughters of Nereus; and let
Ino the nurse of
Dionysos be your chambermaid,!"
Thus he pleaded, but the maiden was angry and would not listen; so he left her, pouring out
his last words into the air: "Happy son of Myrrha, you have got a
fine daughter, and now a double honour is yours alone; you alone are named father of Beroe and bridegroom of the Foamborn." Then he offered many gifts to Adonis and Aphrodite, bridegifts for the love of their daughter.
Dionysos burning with the same shaft brought
his treasures, all the shining gold that the mines near the Ganges
had brought forth in their throes of labour; earnestly but in vain he made
his petition to Aphrodite of the sea.
Now Aphrodite was anxious, for she feared both wooers of her muchwooed girl. When she saw equal desire and ardour of love in both, she announced that the rivals must fight for the bride, a war for a wedding, a battle of love. Kypris arrayed her daughter in woman’s finery, and placed her upon the fortress of her country, a maiden to be fought for as the dainty prize of contest. Then she addressed both gods in the same words: "I could wish
had I two daughters, to wed one
as is justly due to Earthshaker, and one to Lyaios; but since the undefiled laws of marriage do not allow us to join one girl to a pair of husbands together, let battle be chamberlain for one single bride, for without hard labour there is no marriage with Beroe. Then if you would wed the maid, first fight it out together; let the winner lead away Beroe without brideprice. Both must agree to an oath, since I fear for the girl’s neighbouring city. Make treaty before the marriage, that seagod Earthshaker if he lose the
victory shall not in
his grief lay waste the land with
his trident’s tooth; and that
Dionysos shall not be angry about Amymone’s wedding and destroy the vineyards of the city. And you must be friends after the battle". The wooers agreed to this proposal. Both took a
binding oath. From heaven came all the dwellers on Olympos, with
Zeus, and stayed to watch the
combat upon the
rocks of Lebanon. Poseidon armed himself with
his Assyrian trident, shaking
his maritime pike and pouring a hideous din from a mad throat.
Dionysos threastening the sea danced into the battle with vineleafs and
thyrsos.
Dionysos and
his sylvan gods battle Poseidon and
his sea gods in a contest for Beroe's hand in marriage.
Then
Zeus breaking up the contest granted the hand of Beroe to Poseidon, and pacified the rivals’ quarrel. For from heaven to check the bridebattle yet undecided came threatening thunderbolts round about
Dionysos. The vinegod wounded by the arrow of love
still craved the maiden; but
Zeus the Father on high stayed him by playing a tune of thunder, and the sound from
his father held back the desire for strife. With lingering feet he departed, with heavy pace, turning back for a last gloomy look at the girl; jealous, with shamed ears, he heard the bridal songs of Amymone in the sea. The
syrinx sounding from the brine proclaimed that the rites were already half done. Nereus as Amymone’s chamberlain showed the bridal bed, shaking the wedding torches, the fire which no water can quench. Phorkys sang a song; with equal spirit Glaukos danced and Melikertes romped about. And Galateia twangled a marriage dance and restlessly twirled in capering step, and she sang the marriage verses." - Nonnus, Dionysiaca 42.1
(will be continued)