In Greek mythology, Epiales (Ancient Greek: Ἠπιάλης, romanized: Epiálēs) was the spirit (daemon) and personification of nightmares. Alternate spellings of the name were Epialos (Ἠπίαλος), Epioles (Ἠπιόλης), Epialtes (Ἐπιάλτης) or Ephialtes (Ἐφιάλτης).
Family
editEpiales was probably numbered amongst the Oneiroi (Dream-Spirits) and thus one of the sons of the goddess Nyx (Night).
Mythology
editEpiales was also known as Melas Oneiros (Black Dream).[1]
"The words epialos, epiales and epioles denote (1) the feverish chill (2) the daimon who assaults sleepers. Homer and most writers have epioles with the e; the form in -os means something different, namely the feverish chill . . . Alkaios (Alcaeus) called it epialos. Apollonios says that Epialtes itself (the nighmare daimon) is called Epiales and by a change of a to o Epioles."[2] "[The goddess Gaia (Earth) is invoked to drive away a nightmare :] Like a spider, he [a rapist] is carrying me [a woman] seaward step by step--a nightmare (oneiros), a black nightmare (melas oneiros)! Oh! Oh! Mother Earth (Ma Ge), mother Earth (Ma Ge), avert his fearful cries! O father Zeus, son of Ge (Earth)!"[3]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Etymologicum Genuinum fr. 151 with a reference to Alcaeus, fr. 406 & Aeschylus, Suppliant Women 886 ff.
- ^ Etymologicum Genuinum fr. 151 with a reference to Alcaeus, fr. 406
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Aeschylus, Suppliant Women 886 ff. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
References
edit- Aeschylus, translated in two volumes. 2. Suppliant Women by Herbert Weir Smyth, Ph. D. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 1926. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
 | This article relating to a Greek deity is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |