Arion
- A celebrated cithara player of Methymna, in Lesbos, rescued from drowning by a dolphin, Ov. F. 2, 79 sqq.; Gell. 16, 19; cf. Herod. 1, 23.
- —Hence, Ărīŏnĭus, a, um, adj., = Ἀριόνιος, belonging to Arion: nomen, Ov. F. 2, 93: lyra, id. A. A. 3, 326; Prop. 2, 26, 18. —
- II A horse endowed with speech and the gift of prophecy, sent by Neptune to Adrastus; hence, vocalis, Prop. 2, 34, 37 fata movens, Stat. Th. 11, 443: Adrastaeus, id. S. 1, 1, 52; cf. Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 555, and Hom.Il. 23, 346.
(Ἀρίων).
1. An ancient Greek bard and great master on the cithara, was a native of Methymna in Lesbos, and, according to some accounts, a son of Cyclon or of Poseidon and the nymph Oncaea. He is called the inventor of the dithyrambic poetry, and of the name dithyramb. (Hdt. 1.23; Schol. ad Pind. Ol. 13.25.) All traditions about him agree in describing him as a contemporary and friend of Periander, tyrant of Corinth, so that he must have lived about B. C. 700. He appears to have spent a great part of his life at the court of Periander, but respecting his life and his poetical or musical productions, scarcely anything is known beyond the beautiful story of his escape from the sailors with whom he sailed from Sicily to Corinth. On one occasion, thus runs the story, Arion went to Sicily to take part in some musical contest. He won the prize, and, laden with presents, he embarked in a Corinthian ship to return to his friend Periander. The rude sailors coveted his treasures, and meditated his murder. Apollo, in a dream, informed his beloved bard of the plot. After having tried in vain to save his life, he at length obtained permission once more to seek delight in his song and playing on the cithara. In festal attire he placed himself in the prow of the ship and invoked the gods in inspired strains, and then threw himself into the sea. But many song-loving dolphins had assembled round the vessel, and one of them now took the bard on its back and carried him to Taenarus, from whence he returned to Corinth in safety, and related his adventure to Periander. When the Corinthian vessel arrived likewise, Periander inquired of the sailors after Arion, and they said that he had remained behind at Tarentum; but when Arion, at the bidding of Periander, came forward, the sailors owned their guilt and were punished according to their desert. (Hdt. 1.24 ; Gellius, 16.19; Hyg. Fab. 194; Paus. 3.25.5.) In the time of Herodotus and Pausanias there existed on Taenarus a brass monument, which was dedicated there either by Periander or Arion himself, and which represented him riding on a dolphin. Arion and his cithara (lyre) were placed among the stars. (Hygin. l.c. ; Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. 8.54; Aelian, Ael. NA 12.45.) A fragment of a hymn to Poseidon, ascribed to Arion, is contained in Bergk's Poetae Lyrici Graeci, p. 566, &c.
2. A fabulous horse, which Poseidon begot by Demeter; for in order to escape from the pursuit of Poseidon, the goddess had metamorphosed herself into a mare, and Poseidon deceived her by assuming the figure of a horse. Demeter afterwards gave birth to the horse Arion, and a daughter whose name remained unknown to the uninitiated. (Paus. 8.25.4.) According to the poet Antimachus (apud Paus. l.c.) this horse and Caerus were the offspring of Gaea; whereas, according to other traditions, Poseidon or Zephyrus begot the horse by a Harpy. (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1051; Quint. Smyrn. 4.570.) Another story related, that Poseidon created Arion in his contest with Athena. (Serv. ad Virg. Georg. 1.12.) From Poseidon the horse passed through the hands of Copreus, Oncus, and Heracles, from whom it was received by Adrastus. (Paus. l.c. ; Hesiod. Scut. Here. 120.) [L.S]
(1) (Ἀρίων). A Greek poet and musician, of Methymna in Lesbos, who flourished about B.C. 625. In the course of a roving life he spent a considerable time at the court of Periander, tyrant of Corinth. Here he first gave the dithyramb (q.v.) an artistic form, and was therefore regarded as the inventor of that style in general. He is best known by the story of his rescue on the back of a dolphin. Returning from a journey through Lower Italy and Sicily, he trusted himself to a crew of Corinthian sailors, who resolved to kill him on the open sea for the sake of his treasures. As a last favour he extorted the permission to sing his songs once more to the lyre, and then to throw himself into the sea. His strains drew a number of dolphins around him, one of which took him on its back, and carried him safe to land at the foot of the foreland of Taenarum. Thence he hastened to Corinth, and convicted the sailors, who were telling Periander that they had left the minstrel safe at Tarentum (Hyg. Fab. 194). A bronze statue of a man on a dolphin, which stood on the top of Taenarum, was supposed to be his thank-offering to Poseidon (Herod.i. 24). A hymn of thanksgiving to the god of the sea, preserved under his name, belongs to a later time.
(2) (Ἀρείων). A fabulous horse said to have been begotten by Poseidon.
- poet: Paus. 9.30.2
- story of A. and dolphin: Hdt. 1.23, Hdt. 1.24, Paus. 3.25.7
- statues: Paus. 3.25.7, Paus. 9.30.2
- offspring of Poseidon and Demeter: Paus. 8.25.7ff., or of Earth: Paus. 8.25.9
- ridden by Herakles, and given by him to Adrastus: Paus. 8.25.10
- saves his master Adrastus: Apollod. 3.6.8