Amaracus
InGreek mythology,Amaracus(Ancient Greek:Ἀμάρακος,romanized:Amarakos,lit. 'marjoram') is a young Cypriot boy who transformed into amarjoramplant, an aromatic herb that was one ofAphrodite's most commonly associated plants.[1]
Etymology[edit]
The ancient Greek word for marjoram (origanum majorana) isἀμάρακον,amarakon.[2]Due to the possible β/μ variation (if related toAncient Macedonianἀβαρύ,abaru,meaning oregano or marjoram) is probably ofpre-Greekorigin according toRobert Beekes.[3]He also claims that any connection to Sanskritmaruva(ka)meaning the same is false.[3]
Mythology[edit]
On the island ofCyprus,Amaracus was the royal perfumer in the court of KingCinyras,his father.[4][a]One day Amaracus fell by chance while carrying the ointments, thus creating a greater odor from the confusion of said ointments. Afterwards, he was turned into theamarakonherb (themarjoram), which was also said to be sweet, a plant sacred to the goddess of love and beauty,Aphrodite.[6][7][8]As the son of Cinyras, this would make Amaracus the brother ofSmyrna,another mortal turned into an aromatic plant with connections to Aphrodite.[9]
Culture[edit]
The ancient Greeks associated the marjoram withAphrodite,as they believed she had created it.[10][unreliable source?]In antiquity, the island ofCyprus,where the myth takes place and also a major cult center for Aphrodite, was noted for its large marjoram production; to this day, Cyprus still produces aromatic and therapeutic oils of marjoram.[9]Marjoram was also utilised as a strong aphrodisiac, while it was also believed to cure snakebites, and both ancient Greeks and Romans adorned bridal wreaths with this herb.[11]
See also[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Rosemary M. Wright."A Dictionary of Classical Mythology: Summary of Transformations".mythandreligion.upatras.gr.University of Patras.RetrievedJanuary 3,2023.
- ^Liddell & Scott 1940,s.v.ἀμάρακον.
- ^abBeekes 2009,p.82.
- ^Forbes Irving 1990,p. 278.
- ^Alcmanfrag3.71
- ^Servius,Commentary on Virgil's Aeneid1.693
- ^Caruso 2013,p.116.
- ^Bell 1790,p.52.
- ^abBradley 2015,p.84.
- ^Adams, Sue."Herb Folklore"(PDF).Adams Farms.
- ^Kintzios 2002,p.217.
Bibliography[edit]
- Alcman(1988).Greek Lyric.Loeb Classical Library143. Vol. II: Anacreon, Anacreontea, Choral Lyric from Olympus to Alcman. Translated by David A. Campbell. Cambridge, MA:Harvard University Press.ISBN9780674991583.
- Beekes, Robert S. P.(2009). Lucien van Beek (ed.).Etymological Dictionary of Greek.Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series. Vol. Ι. Leiden, the Netherlands:Brill Publications.ISBN978-90-04-17420-7.
- Bell, John (1790).Bell's New Pantheon: Or, Historical Dictionary of the Gods, Demi-gods, Heroes, and Fabulous Personages of Antiquity.Vol. I.London.
- Bradley, Mark (2015).Smell and the Ancient Senses.Routledge.ISBN978-1-84465-641-7.
- Caruso, Carlo (December 5, 2013).Adonis: The Myth of the Dying God in the Italian Renaissance.Bloomsbury.ISBN978-1-4725-3882-6.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: date and year (link) - Forbes Irving, Paul M. C. (1990).Metamorphosis in Greek Myths.United States:Oxford University Press,Clarendon Press.ISBN0-19-814730-9.
- Kintzios, Spyridon E. (August 29, 2002).Oregano: The genera Origanum and Lippia.CRC Press.ISBN0-415-36943-6.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: date and year (link) - Liddell, Henry George;Scott, Robert(1940).A Greek-English Lexicon,revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones with the assistance of Roderick McKenzie.Oxford:Clarendon Press.Online version at Perseus.tufts project.
- Maurus Servius Honoratus.In Vergilii carmina comentarii.Servii Grammatici qui feruntur in Vergilii carmina commentarii; recensuerunt Georgius Thilo et Hermannus Hagen. Georgius Thilo. Leipzig. B. G. Teubner. 1881.
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