Category: Hyperboreans
The Hyperboreans were a people described by their name: ’above Boreas,’ meaning beyond the wintry north or northeast wind. The Boreas wind was believed to blow from the exceedingly high Rhipai (‘blowy’) mountains near the edge of the world, which were normally impassable to humans, and the Hyperboreans lived beyond those mountains, in an earthly paradise between the mountains and the world-encircling river Okeanos. Not only were they were free of Boreas’ cold winds, the Hyperboreans were believed to be free of normal human diseases.
This collection uses the name ‘Hyperborea’ for the country of the Hyperboreans, which is an artificial, modern construction but a convenient one. Ancient Greek writers referred to ‘the land of the Hyperboreans’ or to being ‘among the Hyperboreans.’
Herodotos on Aristeas’ account of his journey
Posted in Arimasps, Author and poem, Eastern Sea, Extracorporeal travel, Griffins, Hyperboreans, Issedones, Kimmerians, Seizure and possession, SkythiansAnd Aristeas son of Kaustrobios, a man of Prokonnesos, composed verses saying he reached the Issedones while seized by Apollo; and dwelling above the Issedones, the one-eyed Arimasps-men; and above them, the gold-guarding griffins; and…
Herodotos on Hyperboreans
Posted in Abaris, Arimasps, Hyperboreans, SkythiansAbout the Hyperborean people, neither the Skythians nor any others of those living by them tell us anything, unless perhaps the Issedones. And I myself think even they say nothing. For if they spoke of…
Fragments of Herakleides of Pontos on Abaris
Posted in Abaris, Hyperboreans1. [Diogenes Laertios] Herakleides son of Euthyphron of Herakleia of Pontos was a wealthy man. In Athens he first joined up with Speusippos. Besides, he listened to the Pythagoreans and zealously emulated Plato. And later…
Lykourgos on Abaris’ mission to Hyperborea during a legendary famine
Posted in Abaris, Hyperboreans, Skythians1. […] oh gentlemen jurors, that one is not to sacrifice in the way Menesaichmos says, and if one does, it is sacrilege. He will read you the testimony of Theogenes, being the herald to…
Simias on reaching Hyperborea, the Massagetai, the Kampasos river and half-dog men
Posted in Eastern Sea, Extracorporeal travel, Hyperboreans, Kampasos, MassagetaiAnd up to the rich country of the far-away Hyperboreans, with whom once ago banqueted hero king Perseus. And there where the Massagetai, riders of swift horses, dwell confident in their quick-shooting bows.And I came…
Pherenikos on an Arimasp king and the origin of Hyperboreans in Zeus’ war with the Titans
Posted in Arimasps, HyperboreansAnd about the Hyperboreans, who inhabit the edges, under the temple of Apollo, unknowing of war. They sing now of their origins from the blood of the Titans, sprouting above the clear-skied course, of the…
A Hellenistic or Roman-era scholar connecting Abaris to eiresione
Posted in Abaris, Hyperboreans[Aristophanes:] “You’ve torn my eiresione to pieces!” [Commentator:] An olive branch bound up with enwinding wool. And they hung on it all the seasonal first fruits, and stood it before the doors, as still even…
Harpokration on Abaris
Posted in Abaris, HyperboreansAbaris: A proper name. When a plague, they say, had spread over the whole inhabited world, Apollo answered the oracle-seeking Greeks and barbarians that the Athenian people were to make prayers on everyone’s behalf. And…
Maximus of Tyre on Aristeas’ flight to Hyperborea and claims of divine inspiration
Posted in Ethnography, Extracorporeal travel, Hyperboreans, Seizure and possessionAnd next, what do we think about Hesiod, shepherding around Helikon in Boiotia, encountering the singing Muses, being reproached for working as a shepherd, taking from them a branch of laurel, and suddenly he sings,…
Antoninus Liberalis on Kleinis traveling to Hyperborea with Apollo and Artemis
Posted in Extracorporeal travel, HyperboreansNear the city of Babylon of what is called Mesopotamia lived a god-loving and rich man named Kleinis, who had many cattle, asses and sheep. Apollo and Artemis loved him exceptionally, and very often he…
Iamblichos on why Pythagoreans trust in Aristeas
Posted in Abaris, Cult of Aristeas, HyperboreansNext, then, let us celebrate in words [Pythagoras’] virtuous deeds no longer in general, but according to the individual virtues. Let us begin first with the gods, as is the custom, and let us try…
Iamblichos on ‘Abaris the Skythian’ as Pythagoras’ apprentice
Posted in Abaris, Hyperboreans, SkythiansIn general it is worth knowing that Pythagoras discovered many ways of teaching and training, and transmitted the appropriate portion of wisdom according to each one’s own nature and ability. And the greatest evidence is…
The Souda on Aristeas’ life and works
Posted in Arimasps, Author and poem, Extracorporeal travel, HyperboreansAristeas, son of Democharis or of Kaustrobios, from Prokonnesos, a poet. [He wrote] the verses called Arimaspeian, and it is a story of the Hyperborean Arimasps, 3 books. They say that his soul, whenever it…
The Souda on ‘Skythian’ Abaris and his ‘Skythinian’ book of oracles
Posted in Abaris, Griffins, Hyperboreans, SkythiansSkythian, son of Seuthes. He wrote the so-called Skythinian Oracles and Marriage of the river Hebros and Purifications and a Theogony in prose and Arrival of Apollo among the Hyperboreans in meter. He came from…