Dawn

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Peri Êous

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De Aurora Libellus
Apollonii

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Name & Epithets

Genealogy

Characteristics

She rides a rose-colored, purple or golden chariot drawn by white horses. Or She may float in air, holding in each hand a pitcher, from which She pours the dew. Or again She may come riding on Pegasos and carrying a torch, for She requested Pegasos from Zeus after He punished Bellerophon.

Tender-hearted Eos is always eager for young mortal lovers; this is a punishment inflicted on Her by Aphrodite for having slept with Ares. Like Aphrodite, She brings love to mortals, but is not so easily placated as the Goddess of Love. So also Dawn brings a renewal of erotic passions and the morning erection.

Actions at Dawn

She leaves Her court, glowing with rosy light, and opens the purple Eastern Gates of pearl upon the pathway strewn with roses. Swiftly She rides forth in Her chariot drawn by two horses, Lampus [Shiner] and Phaethôn [Blazer], while Nux and Hupnos [Nox and Somnus, Night and Sleep] fly in front of Her.

Eos lifts the veil of night and chases away the hosts of stars. (So also the souls of the dead depart at daybreak.) The first light of Dawn is white, for that is the color of Her wings. Next we see the golden radiance from Her saffron robe and yellow shoes. Finally Her rosy arms and fingers stretch across the heavens. The flowers and plants, drenched by the dew that She pours from her pitchers, lift their faces to Her in gratitude for the new day.

A fresh wind is felt at Dawn's approach, for Astraios, who is the Dawn Wind, and Eos unite at dawn, to produce a fertilizing spirit. And so, by Starry Astraios, She is the mother of the strong-hearted winds: brightening Zephyros [west], Boreas [north], headlong in His course, and Notos [south]; the remaining wind is Argestês [Bringer of Brightness], which is either Apheliotês [east] or Euros [southeast].

These are the winds of morning, which bring benefits to mortals (as opposed to the other, turbulent, chaotic winds), for the beneficial winds are born of Eos, "the eternally new light of the dawning day," and Astraios, "the luminous radience of the night sky." The Four Winds help to organize human labor and to orient the sea lanes; they also define the cycle of the seasons.

To Astraios, the Ancient Father of the Stars, She also bore the star Heôsphoros [Dawn-bringer] and the other gleaming stars by which the heaven is crowned. That is, the God of the Night Sky united with Dawn to engender the Morning Star [Heôsphoros]. Others say that this Daystar, who is called Phôsphoros [Lucifer] or Phaethôn, the Illuminator, is the son of Eos and Kephalos. In any case, carrying a torch He flies by his own wings before Her chariot.

The Hindus say that Dawn is a young wife, who wakes Her children and gives them new strength for the day's work. But because "to be awakened" is "to be wise," they also say She is the Goddess who brings wisdom.

As the New Day, Eos accompanies Her brother Helios, the Sun, throughout the day, riding or walking ahead of His chariot. Therefore She is identified with daylight and is called Hêmera [Day], Titô [cf. Titan < Day] and Hêlia; She is Queen of Day. At dusk She accompanies the Sun to the west, where She is called Hespera [Evening]. Yet again, as Goddesses, Eos, Hêmera and Nux [Dawn, Day, Night] are the Maiden, Mother and Crone.

Helios is preceded on His course by Selene and Eos, His sisters; Eos is the wilder and more turbulent of the two. Observe: Selene, Eos and Helios are Night, Dawn and Day; Their colors are the Black of Night, the Red of Morning and the White of Day. Alchemically They are Quicksilver, Salt, and Sulphur; the Quicksilver (Silver Moon) and the Sulphur (Golden Sun) join together in the Salt. Aurora's complementary partner, for whom She strives, is the Green youth.

Dawn Prayer

Hê Êôia Litê

Preces Aurorae

Hymns to Dawn

Humnoi eis Êô

Hymni ad Auroram

Quotations

"Now Dawn rose from Her couch from beside lordly Tithonus to bring light to Immortals and to mortals." (Iliad XI.1)

"Eos the early-born was rising from deep-flowing Ocean, bringing light to mortals." (Homeric Hymn to Hermes, l. 184)

For Huperion wedded glorious Euryphaessa, His own sister, who bare Him lovley children, rosy-armed Eos and rich-tressed Selene and tireless Helios who is like the deathless Gods." (Homeric Hymn XXXI, To Helios)

See Owen Meredith's poem (Guerber 72)

See Tennyson's "Tithonus" (Gayley 177-9 etc.)

Sources

1. Apollodorus, Biblioteca 1.4.4.
2. Bonnefoy, Greek and Egyptian Mythologies, p. 210.
3. Carpenter, Art and Myth in Ancient Greece.
4. Oswalt, Concise Encyc. Greek & Rom. Myth.
5. Gantz, Early Greek Myth, p. 315.
6. Gayley, Classic Myths, p. 95.
7. Graves, The Greek Myths, sec. 40.
8. Guerber, Myths of Greece and Rome, pp. 72, 90.
9. Hesiod, Theogony, ll. 372ff.
10. "Homeric Hymn V to Aphrodite," ll. 218ff.
11. Hornblower & Spawforth, Oxford Classical Dictionary, 3rd ed., s.v. Eos.
12. Kerényi, Gods of the Greeks, 192-205.
13. Kerényi, Goddesses of Sun & Moon.
14. New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology.
15. Lempri¸re, Lempri¸re's Classical Dictionary, s.v. Aurora.
16. Murray, Manual of Mythology, 202-5, 376.
17. Nilsson, Greek Folk Religion, 5.
18. Ovid, Metamorphoses, II.114, V.440.
19. Seyffert, Nettleship & Sandys, A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, s.v. Eos.
20. Yonge, English-Greek Lexicon, s.v. Aurora.

Notes