Actaeon  

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 +"When [[Actaeon]] saw [[Diana (mythology)|Diana]] [[Nude swimming|bathing naked]], Diana transformed him into a [[Deer in mythology |stag]] and set his own [[hunting dog]]s to kill him."--''[[Diana and Actaeon]]'' as told by Sholem Stein
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 +In [[Greek mythology]], '''Actaeon''' (Greek: '''Ακταίων'''), son of the priestly herdsman [[Aristaeus]] and [[Autonoe]] in [[Boeotia]], was a famous [[Thebes, Greece|Theban]] [[hero]], trained by the centaur [[Cheiron]], who suffered the fatal wrath of [[Artemis]]; (later his myth was attached to her Roman counterpart [[Diana (mythology)|Diana]]). The surviving details of his transgression vary: "the only certainty is in what Aktaion suffered, his [[Pathos|πάθος]], and what Artemis did: the hunter became the hunted; he was transformed into a [[stag]], and his raging hounds, struck with a 'wolf's frenzy' ([[Lyssa|λύσσα]]), tore him apart as they would a stag." This is the iconic motif by which Actaeon is recognized, both in ancient art and in Renaissance and post-Renaissance depictions.
 +==Actaeon in art==
 +*[[Aeschylus]] and other tragic poets made use of the story, which was a favourite subject in ancient works of art.
 +* There is a well-known small marble group in the British Museum illustrative of the story, in gallery 83/84.
 +*Two paintings by the 16th century painter [[Titian]] (''right''; and ''[[Diana and Actaeon (Titian)|Diana and Actaeon]]'').
 +*[[Actéon]], an operatic pastorale by [[Marc-Antoine Charpentier]].
 +* the aria "Oft she visits this lone mountain" from [[Henry Purcell|Purcell's]] ''[[Dido and Aeneas]]'', first performed in 1689 or earlier.
 +*Giordano Bruno, "Gli Eroici Furori".
 +* In canto V of G. B Marino's poem "Adone" the protagonist goes to theater to see a tragedy representing Actaeon's myth. This episode is relevant because it is a foreshadowing of the protagonist's violent death at the end of the book.
 +*A composition for Brass Band by Gareth Wood and premiered by [[Cory Band]] at the [[Royal Northern College of Music]] Festival of Brass 2008
 +* Actaeon's Fall (Against The Hounds), the opening track in the 2009 album Luminous Night by [[Six Organs of Admittance]]
 +*Ted Hughes wrote a version of the story in his 'Tales from Ovid'.
 +* "Diana and Actaeon", 2001 oil on linen by [[Katherine Doyle]]
 +
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"When Actaeon saw Diana bathing naked, Diana transformed him into a stag and set his own hunting dogs to kill him."--Diana and Actaeon as told by Sholem Stein

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In Greek mythology, Actaeon (Greek: Ακταίων), son of the priestly herdsman Aristaeus and Autonoe in Boeotia, was a famous Theban hero, trained by the centaur Cheiron, who suffered the fatal wrath of Artemis; (later his myth was attached to her Roman counterpart Diana). The surviving details of his transgression vary: "the only certainty is in what Aktaion suffered, his πάθος, and what Artemis did: the hunter became the hunted; he was transformed into a stag, and his raging hounds, struck with a 'wolf's frenzy' (λύσσα), tore him apart as they would a stag." This is the iconic motif by which Actaeon is recognized, both in ancient art and in Renaissance and post-Renaissance depictions.

Actaeon in art

  • Aeschylus and other tragic poets made use of the story, which was a favourite subject in ancient works of art.
  • There is a well-known small marble group in the British Museum illustrative of the story, in gallery 83/84.
  • Two paintings by the 16th century painter Titian (right; and Diana and Actaeon).
  • Actéon, an operatic pastorale by Marc-Antoine Charpentier.
  • the aria "Oft she visits this lone mountain" from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, first performed in 1689 or earlier.
  • Giordano Bruno, "Gli Eroici Furori".
  • In canto V of G. B Marino's poem "Adone" the protagonist goes to theater to see a tragedy representing Actaeon's myth. This episode is relevant because it is a foreshadowing of the protagonist's violent death at the end of the book.
  • A composition for Brass Band by Gareth Wood and premiered by Cory Band at the Royal Northern College of Music Festival of Brass 2008
  • Actaeon's Fall (Against The Hounds), the opening track in the 2009 album Luminous Night by Six Organs of Admittance
  • Ted Hughes wrote a version of the story in his 'Tales from Ovid'.
  • "Diana and Actaeon", 2001 oil on linen by Katherine Doyle




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