Mythology Hecate

hecate, greek goddess of crossroads; drawing stéphane mallarmé in les dieux antiques, nouvelle mythologie illustrée in paris, 1880

hecate has been characterized pre-olympian chthonic goddess. first literature mentioning hecate theogony hesiod:

and conceived , bore hecate whom zeus son of cronos honored above all. gave splendid gifts, have share of earth , unfruitful sea. received honor in starry heaven, , honored exceedingly deathless gods. day, whenever 1 of men on earth offers rich sacrifices , prays favor according custom, calls upon hecate. great honor comes full him prayers goddess receives favorably, , bestows wealth upon him; power surely her. many born of earth , ocean amongst these has due portion. son of cronos did no wrong nor took away of portion among former titan gods: holds, division @ first beginning, privilege both in earth, , in heaven, , in sea.

according hesiod, held sway on many things:

whom aids , advances: sits worshipful kings in judgement, , in assembly whom distinguished among people. , when men arm battle destroys men, goddess @ hand give victory , grant glory readily whom will. when men contend @ games, there goddess them , profits them: , might , strength gets victory wins rich prize joy, , brings glory parents. , stand horsemen, whom will: , business in grey discomfortable sea, , pray hecate , loud-crashing earth-shaker, glorious goddess gives great catch, , takes away seen, if will. in byre hermes increase stock. droves of kine , wide herds of goats , flocks of fleecy sheep, if will, increases few, or makes many less. so, then, albeit mother s child, honored amongst deathless gods. , son of cronos made nurse of young after day saw eyes light of all-seeing dawn. beginning nurse of young, , these honours.

hesiod emphasizes hecate child, daughter of perses , asteria, star-goddess sister of leto (the mother of artemis , apollo). grandmother of 3 cousins phoebe ancient titaness personified moon.

hesiod s inclusion , praise of hecate in theogony has been troublesome scholars, in seems hold in high regard, while testimony of other writers, , surviving evidence, suggests may have been exception. 1 theory hesiod s original village had substantial hecate following , inclusion of in theogony way of adding prestige spreading word of among readers. theory hekate household god , humble household worship have been more pervasive , yet not mentioned as temple worship. in athens hecate, along zeus, hermes, hestia, , apollo, important in daily life main gods of household. however, clear special position given hecate zeus upheld throughout history depictions found on coins depicting hecate on hand of zeus highlighted in more recent research presented d este , rankine.

hecate richard cosway

in homeric hymn demeter, hecate called tender-hearted , euphemism perhaps intended emphasize concern disappearance of persephone, when assisted demeter search persephone following abduction hades, suggesting demeter should speak god of sun, helios. subsequently became persephone s companion on yearly journey , realms of hades; serving psychopomp. because of association, hecate 1 of chief goddesses of eleusinian mysteries, alongside demeter , persephone.

variations in interpretations of hecate s role or roles can traced in classical athens. in 2 fragments of aeschylus appears great goddess. in sophocles , euripides characterized mistress of witchcraft , keres.

one surviving group of stories suggests how hecate might have come incorporated greek pantheon without affecting privileged position of artemis. here, hecate mortal priestess associated iphigeneia. scorns , insults artemis, in retribution brings mortal s suicide.

hellenistic period late antiquity

hecate primary feminine figure in chaldean oracles (2nd-3rd century ce), associated in fragment 194 strophalos (usually translated spinning top, or wheel, used in magic) labour thou around strophalos of hecate. appears refer variant of device mentioned psellus.

in hellenistic syncretism, hecate became closely associated isis. lucius apuleius in golden ass (2nd century) equates juno, bellona, hecate , isis

call me juno, others bellona of battles, , still others hecate. principally ethiopians dwell in orient, , egyptians excellent in kind of ancient doctrine, , proper ceremonies accustomed worship me, call me queen isis.

in syncretism during late antiquity of hellenistic , late babylonian ( chaldean ) elements, hecate identified ereshkigal, underworld counterpart of inanna in babylonian cosmography. in michigan magical papyrus (inv. 7), dated late 3rd or 4th century ce, hecate ereschigal invoked against fear of punishment in afterlife.