The Dragon Devouring the Companions of Cadmus (1588) by Hendrick Goltzius (Dutch 1558-1617) after Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem

Hendrick-Goltzius-Wild-paard-1577

Cadmus Slaying the Dragon by Hendrik Goltzius (1617).

**Tantalus** is a figure from Greek mythology, known primarily for his eternal punishment in Tartarus. He was the son of **Zeus** and the nymph **Plouto** (or Pluto) and was a king, often associated with the region of Lydia or the city of Sipylus in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey)[1][2][3][6][9].

### Myth and Punishment
Tantalus was initially welcomed among the gods on Mount Olympus but committed grave offenses:
- He stole **ambrosia** and **nectar** from the gods, intending to give them to his people to make them immortal.
- He later tried to trick the gods by killing his son **Pelops**, cutting him into pieces, and serving him as a meal to the gods. The gods, except **Demeter**, who absentmindedly ate part of Pelops' shoulder, realized the trick and refused to eat. Zeus resurrected Pelops and replaced his missing shoulder with an ivory one forged by Hephaestus[1][2].

As punishment for his crimes, Tantalus was condemned to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree in Tartarus. Whenever he tried to drink, the water would recede, and whenever he reached for fruit, the branches would lift out of his grasp, leaving him in eternal torment. This punishment gave rise to the English word **"tantalize"**, meaning to tease or torment with something desirable but unattainable[1][2][9].

**Phaeton** is a figure from Greek mythology, famously known as the son of the sun god **Helios** and the Oceanid nymph **Clymene** (though some sources name other figures as his mother) [1][2][3]. His name means "shining" or "radiant," derived from the Greek word for light [1].

The central myth about Phaeton involves his desire to prove his divine parentage. To do so, he travels to his father Helios’ palace and is recognized as his son. Proud and eager to demonstrate his lineage, Phaeton asks to drive the sun chariot for a day—a task only Helios himself can safely manage [1][2][3].

Despite Helios’ warnings about the dangers, Phaeton insists. Once he takes the reins, he loses control of the powerful horses. The chariot veers too close to the Earth, scorching it and causing rivers and oceans to dry up, mountains to smoke, and widespread destruction. Then it flies too high, causing freezing conditions [1][4].

To prevent further catastrophe, **Zeus** strikes Phaeton with a thunderbolt, killing him instantly. His body falls into the river Eridanus (often identified with the Po River), where he drowns. His sisters, the Heliades, mourn him so deeply that they are transformed into poplar trees, and their tears turn into amber [1][2][3][4].

The myth of Phaeton serves as an explanation for natural phenomena such as deserts and frozen wastelands, as well as the origin of amber. It also symbolizes the dangers of hubris and overreaching beyond one’s limits [1][2][4].

In summary, Phaeton is the tragic youth who, in trying to prove his divine heritage, disastrously drives the sun chariot and is struck down by Zeus to save the world from destruction.

**Icarus** is a famous figure in Greek mythology, known as the son of the master craftsman **Daedalus**, who built the labyrinth for King Minos of Crete to imprison the Minotaur[1][6][10].

When King Minos imprisoned Daedalus and Icarus to prevent them from revealing the labyrinth's secrets, Daedalus crafted two pairs of wings made from feathers and beeswax to escape[1][2][6]. He warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, as the heat would melt the wax, nor too low, where the sea's moisture would wet the feathers[1][2][6][7].

Overcome by excitement and hubris, Icarus ignored his father's warnings and soared too high. The sun melted the wax holding his wings together, causing the feathers to fall off. Unable to stay aloft, Icarus fell into the sea and drowned[1][2][3][6][7]. The sea near where he fell was later named the **Icarian Sea**, and the nearby island was called **Icaria** in his memory[1][3][6][7].

The myth of Icarus is a cautionary tale about the dangers of overambition and hubris—trying to exceed human limits and ignoring wise counsel leads to tragic consequences[2][4][5]. It remains a powerful symbol of youthful recklessness and the peril of flying "too close to the sun."

**Ixion** is a notorious figure in Greek mythology, known as the king of the Lapiths and infamous for his crimes and eternal punishment.

# Myth and Crimes
- Ixion was either the son of **Ares** or **Phlegyas** and married **Dia**, daughter of his father-in-law **Deioneus** (or Eioneus). He promised a bride price but failed to pay it. In retaliation, Deioneus stole some of Ixion’s horses.
- In a brutal act of revenge, Ixion invited Deioneus to a feast and pushed him into a pit of burning coals, killing him. This was the first known case of kin-slaying in Greek myth and a grave violation of *xenia* (guest-host relationship)

### Divine Pardon and Betrayal
- Despite his crime, **Zeus** took pity on Ixion, purified him, and even invited him to Olympus as a guest.
- Instead of gratitude, Ixion grew lustful for **Hera**, Zeus’s wife. To test or trick him, Zeus created a cloud in Hera’s shape called **Nephele**. Ixion coupled with the cloud, and from this union was born **Centauros**, the ancestor of the Centaurs, a wild race of half-human, half-horse beings
### Punishment
- For his audacity and betrayal, Zeus punished Ixion by binding him to a **winged fiery wheel** that spins eternally. Initially, this wheel spun across the heavens, but later myths place it in **Tartarus**, the deepest part of the Underworld.
- Hermes was ordered to bind Ixion to this wheel, which became a symbol of eternal torment and divine retribution for arrogance and disrespect toward the gods.

### Symbolism
- Ixion’s punishment serves as a vivid warning against hubris, betrayal, and violation of sacred laws.
- The spinning fiery wheel symbolizes endless suffering and the consequences of defying divine authority.

In summary, Ixion is remembered as a king who committed the first kin-slaying, abused Zeus’s hospitality by lusting after Hera, fathered the Centaurs through a cloud deception, and was condemned to eternal torment on a fiery spinning wheel as punishment for his transgressions.

the only good thread on /b/. You can also do this on /bant/ for better longevity.

>>936985899
Wait, the thunderbolt kills him instantly only for him to drown?

>>936986404
ai gonna ai
also, that same story was an explanation for dark-skinned peoples

Hendrick Goltzius The Beached Sperm Whale near Berkhey 1598

Hendrick-Goltzius-Adoration-of-the-Magi-The-Metropolitan-Museum-of-Art

Hendrick-Goltzius-Drawing-of-his-right-hand

From van Mander’s account we learn that when Goltzius was about one year old, he “fell into a fire with his face over a pan full of boiling oil and burned both hands on the red-hot coals. His mother tried to cure them with splints and ointment among other things, but was unable to prevent the child from suffering severe pain day and night. An officious neighbor took the splints off and bound the right hand in a cloth.” This was the reason why Goltzius was never able to fully open his right hand. Dr. F. Groenevelt, a Netherlandish plastic surgeon specializing in the treatment of the burned hand, has reviewed the hand in Goltzius’s drawings and finds them entirely consistent with a burn injury: “The upward angle and bend of the index finger may be the result of a deep burn of the back of the finger and particularly the first phalange—the ‘collar-button’ phenomenon. He finds the deformity of the middle finger, the ring finger and little finger entirely consistent with scarring from deep burns.”

Based on the direction of the cross-hatching in his drawings, it is speculated that Goltzius was right-handed, and he may have benefited from the stiffness of his fingers giving him a strong grip when engraving with a burin while forcing him to draw with his arm and shoulders. Walter Melion suggests that he engraved with his right hand and drew with his left.

>>936985535 (OP)
Cadmus fighting the dragon. Side A of a red-figured calix-krater found in Sant'Agata de' Goti (Campania), ca. 350–340 BC. From Paestum.
**Cadmus** is a prominent figure in Greek mythology, known as the legendary Phoenician prince and the founder of the ancient city of Thebes in Boeotia, Greece[1][5][6]. He was the son of King Agenor and Queen Telephassa of Tyre, and brother to Europa, Phoenix, and Cilix[1][6]. His mythological narrative is significant for several reasons:

- **Founder of Thebes:** After his sister Europa was abducted by Zeus, Cadmus was sent to find her but failed. Following the advice of the Delphic oracle, he abandoned the search and was instructed to follow a cow until it lay down; there he was to build a city. This city became Thebes, originally named *Cadmeia* in his honor[1][5][6].

- **Slayer of the Dragon and the Spartoi:** Cadmus killed a dragon sacred to Ares and sowed its teeth into the ground, from which sprang a race of fierce warriors called the Spartoi. These warriors helped him build the city's citadel and became the ancestors of Theban nobility[5].

- **Cultural Contributions:** He is traditionally credited with bringing the Phoenician alphabet to Greece, which the Greeks adapted into their own writing system[5][6].

- **Family and Legacy:** Cadmus married Harmonia, daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, and had several children, including Polydorus, Ino, Autonoë, Agave, and Semele. His family’s story is intertwined with various tragic myths involving the gods Hera and Zeus[5].

- **Later Life:** Cadmus and Harmonia eventually retired to Illyria, where they were transformed into serpents and sent to the Elysian Fields by Zeus, symbolizing their divine favor and immortalization[5].

>>936985739
wild
looking dragon!

Hendrick-Goltzius-Bacchus-1595

William blake's mighty red dragon.

Hey there! I'm a 21-year-old girl from the US, a little bit playful and super into flirty chats. I love taking the lead and seeing how far I can go while keeping it fun and exciting! It's like a game to see how many times I can get you worked up. I’ve got that total adventurous vibe and I'm always ready for a spicy convo. Meeting new people in person can be tough for me because of my shyness, so I prefer to spice things up through texting. If you’re looking for some fun and steamy chats, hit me up! You can find me on this app: s-t-e-e-l-l-i-v-y (just take out the spaces and dashes). Let's see how hot we can make it!

Hendrick-Goltzius-Young-Man-Holding-a-Skull-and-a-Tulip-1614

>>936985535 (OP)
Did they survive?

>>936985535 (OP)
hows this for art https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3WlaWv9lGmH_e5tbAyDb9-9Mbq66SzSQ