WEBVTT 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:35.679 Hello everybody and welcome to Lambda, the LGBT and Antiquity Podcast, your home for all things LGBT in the ancient world. 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:41.359 I'm your host, Dominica Raven, episode 18, Año the Aromantic. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:46.719 Año was a powerful abstraction of conflict in all of its forms. 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:50.479 Whenever armies clashed, Anyo was present. 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:54.000 Whenever cities were sacked, Año was there. 00:00:54.320 --> 00:01:01.280 Whenever humans fought one another in any way, Año arrived with her companion, Eris, the goddess of discord. 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:06.239 When people quarreled over the wine bowl, Anyo was never far away. 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:16.879 When the Gale, the transgender priestesses of Rea Kibali, engaged in their frenzied dancing, Año was there pushing their wild and aggressive movements. 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:21.519 But for all her warmongering, Año did form attachments to others. 00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:29.439 Ares and Eris were her constant companions, but she was also closely connected with Athena and with Zeus. 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:41.120 Ano appears to be a romantic, capable of forming strong attachments and even having sexual interactions, but never really building up that deep romantic connection. 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:51.760 Anyo is one of the key war gods, though she's not as widely discussed or well known as Ares, war personified, or Athena, strategy personified. 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:55.599 Anyo is just as ancient and just as significant. 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:02.079 As a goddess of war, Anyo is often seen as a companion to the other war gods when they are on campaign. 00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:15.680 Anyo is a mighty and powerful figure, often shown in the Chariot of Ares, along with Phobos and Deimos, route and terror, as well as Eris, Discord, and Osa, rumor. 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:20.240 These are the companions of war which he brings wherever he goes. 00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:24.319 Ano also appears with Athena in many situations. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:28.800 The first literary reference to Ano came all the way back in Homer. 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:37.360 During the Trojan War, Athena is always shown as an ally to the Greek armies, especially great heroes like Odysseus, Diomedes, and Achilles. 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:47.360 They are constantly assisting these heroes, like Diomedes when he charges up to the front and even wounds Aphrodite, or suggesting clever schemes to Odysseus. 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:57.039 Meanwhile, several of the Trojan heroes are Ares' own sons and grandsons, so Ares generally intervenes on the Trojan side. 00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:03.439 If you'll remember that scene from a couple of weeks ago, Ares and Athena fought a duel on the field at Troy. 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:07.039 Athena grabbed a rock and bashed Ares over the head with it. 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:10.240 This is part of the reason the Trojan War was so terrible. 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:15.680 You have these two key gods of war engaging one another on opposing sides. 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:26.960 Additionally, both sides had powerful allies in the form of Poseidon, god of the sea, who often assisted the Greeks, and Apollo of the Golden Locks, who aided the Trojans. 00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:31.680 But clearly most of the gods at Troy picked aside and stuck with it. 00:03:31.840 --> 00:03:41.520 In fact, Apollo was standing at Hector's side until the very end, only abandoning his favorite hero when the time came for Hector's death. 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:43.439 But this is not true of Año. 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:48.879 Año is conflict personified and therefore not beholden to either side. 00:03:49.120 --> 00:04:01.439 Ano is seen ranging ahead with Athena out in front of the Greek ranks early in the Trojan War, but a little later, Año is seen with Ares standing in the great Trojan lines. 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:09.520 In these periods, Año's hatred is manifested as turmoil and discord along those lines of battle. 00:04:09.759 --> 00:04:23.199 Unlike all the other Greek gods on the Trojan battlefield, Ano did not appear to have any allegiance to either side, following and influencing the tide of battle, however she pleased, wherever she went. 00:04:23.439 --> 00:04:28.959 This characterization of Año follows in many different representations of the goddess throughout time. 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:39.920 The post-Homeric epic treated the events of the Trojan War from the end of the Iliad through the sack of Troy, and the post-Homerica contains many references to Ano. 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:43.920 Again, she was not tied to either army in this period either. 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:49.759 In Homer, Zeus holds out a great golden scale to weigh Achilles versus Hector. 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:55.600 The scale decided it was time for Hector to be killed, and so the duel ended that way. 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:59.040 But here the scales are carried by Año. 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:04.720 During the duel between Achilles and Memnon, the two heroes were perfectly match. 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:13.199 Memnon is the son of Eos, Dawn, and the mortal man Tithanus, who was granted immortality but not eternal youth. 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:18.160 Memnon arrived in Egypt and was called the greatest hero on the Trojan side. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:22.000 Achilles is Achilles, and they need no introduction. 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:29.439 But above their fateful duel, Anyo held the scales, which stayed perfectly level for most of the fight. 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:35.839 Anyao was delighted to see these glorious heroes fighting so magnificently. 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:41.279 But then Eris, the goddess of discord, finally tipped the scales in favor of Achilles. 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:46.160 So finally that Greek hero gained the upper hand and killed Memnon. 00:05:46.399 --> 00:05:55.360 In another scene, Ano holds the same scales over a duel between Achilles' son, Neoptolemus, and the future founder of Rome, Aeneas. 00:05:55.600 --> 00:06:00.959 Now in this instance, neither hero is fated to die, so the scales remained level. 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:05.120 A third example is when Neoptolemus fought Eurypylus. 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:16.160 Again, Ano spurred them both on, rejoicing at the brilliant display of combat, and again at her side was Eris, the goddess of discord, who gloated over the fight. 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:20.800 In the Dionysiaca, Cadmus the Dragonslayer fought a battle for Thebes. 00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:28.639 Eris and Ano joined both armies alike, without representing any alliance to either. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:42.959 So we can see from these examples that Ano delights in all forms of combat and conflict, not necessarily overly concerned with the morality of the situation, the justice of the cause, or even the outcome of the battle at all. 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:57.759 As Pausanius says, Athena and Año are supreme in war, but where Athena often upholds justice and assists worthy heroes like Perseus or Odysseus, Ano just likes to see a good show. 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:03.360 Her loyalty is to adroit warriors, however cruel or unjust they might be. 00:07:03.519 --> 00:07:08.480 For Ano, all warfare is a stage for her own entertainment. 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:14.800 Probably the best and most glorious example of this comes from Zeus' battle with Typhoon. 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:23.360 Zeus is the king of the cosmos, the lord of all the universe, and Typhoon is the lightning thief trying to usurp his rule. 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:30.879 Typhoon is a deity representing chaos, and Eris, the very manifestation of chaos, is naturally on his side. 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:38.879 Zeus is the god who brought celestial order through his victory, so he has Nike, the goddess of victory, on his side. 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:41.920 Nike is often closely associated with Athena. 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:46.800 In fact, in some contexts, perhaps even this one, Nike is Athena. 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:50.240 So this fight is a battle for the future of the universe. 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:55.759 Will it be governed with peace and justice by Zeus, or chaos and discord by Typhoon? 00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:59.199 Anyo does not join in but watches the fight from above. 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:03.199 She carries these battle scales and holds them over the combatants. 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:08.959 Of course, Zeus will win in the end, but Año is totally enamored by the fight itself. 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:14.639 Ano revels when she sees the fighters like dancers in the sky. 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:21.120 The battle for the sake of the cosmos is a bloody ballet when viewed through the eyes of Año. 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:26.959 Now, when it comes to relationships, Año does have one major consort. 00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:30.720 The Sister of War is also the consort of war. 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:38.320 Año even conceived a son, Enalios, the embodiment of the warlike spirit, from this union with Ares. 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:43.600 But critically, there is no romantic connection between Ares and Año. 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:56.240 Ares is already married to Aphrodite, and the two conceived a son, Phobos, the embodiment of panic, fear, or rout, as well as Demos, the embodiment of dread and terror. 00:08:56.879 --> 00:09:02.080 These two are Ares' constant companions, always riding in his chariot. 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:07.840 Sometimes Ares, Discord, and Ano are also in his chariot. 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:15.120 A glorious image of this is during the Battle of the Seven Against Thebes, recorded in Statius Thebiad. 00:09:15.519 --> 00:09:20.080 Ares arms himself for war and rides his chariot through Thebes. 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:32.960 Route and terror are his squires riding in the chariot, while Ano pilots the chariot and rumor runs ahead, spreading falsehoods and generally causing chaos throughout the city. 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:38.879 War brings rout, terror, discord, and rumor wherever he goes. 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:47.519 But more to the point, Ares and Aphrodite are the ones with a significant romantic connection, and they are the ones who get married. 00:09:47.919 --> 00:09:50.799 Meanwhile, Año is never married to anybody. 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:55.120 Much like Athena, Año is never bound to any other person. 00:09:55.440 --> 00:10:04.639 We know that Año does have intercourse with Ares and bears him a son, but there's a complete lack of romantic connection in the stories surrounding Año. 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:11.519 Just as with the warring factions, Año does not appear to feel any particular attachment to Ares either. 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:22.240 Anyo was able to have intercourse, but not create the type of long-term connection or romantic attachment that defined other people's relationships. 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:26.399 Ares is not even the only potential relationship for Año. 00:10:26.879 --> 00:10:31.360 Año is constantly shown with Ares, the embodiment of strife. 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:36.960 In fact, in Homer, it appears to be implied that the two may actually be the same figure. 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:43.279 However, in the shield of Achilles found in the post-Homerica, Ares is shown at the side of Ano. 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:51.600 Warfare and discord are natural allies, but this goes well beyond the association between Ano and Phobos and Demos. 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:57.279 Año works with these two, but they're more closely associated with Ares. 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:01.360 Ares and Año are constant companions. 00:11:01.519 --> 00:11:11.679 They work together in so many situations across the stories, from goading on armies to weighing heroes' fates, to just spreading chaos across Thebes. 00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:17.440 Año is more closely associated with Ares than any other figure in mythology. 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:25.279 Now, whether there's enough material to declare that Anyo and Eris were actually consorts is an argument for another day. 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:32.320 They do certainly work together an awful lot and are a lot more friendly than they are with any other god or goddess. 00:11:32.559 --> 00:11:38.879 But even if they are consorts, there does not appear to be any significant romantic attachment here either. 00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:43.759 Rather, they work well together, and they're very closely connected. 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:45.200 But nothing more. 00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:53.039 As with Ares, any sexuality, potential or implied between the two, is not tied to romance. 00:11:54.000 --> 00:12:01.759 Taken together, these narratives make Año a compelling candidate for an aromantic orientation in the Greek pantheon. 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:04.960 She is able to make relationships and even have children. 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:08.559 However, there is not romance in any of them. 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:13.440 Año is not lonely, rather, Año is this way. 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:23.200 Much like when we discussed Hestia as a manifestation of an asexual identity last week, there are perhaps some misconceptions about how we should interpret this. 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:32.559 It is clear that Año is not miserable like this, rather, she experiences incredible amounts of joy, though often at the destruction of other people. 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:39.600 There are intense emotional interactions, though these experiences are not related to romance in any way. 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:44.879 Whether Año actually experiences love with Ares or Eris is unclear. 00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:50.799 However, Año is totally capable of forming long-term connections with other deities. 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:58.080 It seems Año forms these strong connections with people who are similarly connected with warfare and conflict. 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:02.799 Shared interests are essential for Año to make connections with anybody. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:07.519 That these interests are destruction and chaos is neither here nor there. 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:16.320 It seems Ano is committed to relationships with Eris and Ares, as well as Phobos, Demos, and even Athena. 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:22.000 It's just that Año does not generally make romantic connections. 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:24.720 But Año is not lonely. 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:31.759 Though Ano does have sexual relationships at times, these are clearly not defining characteristics in her life. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:37.440 Año is the warlike goddess who delights in violence, disorder, and strife. 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:44.320 I would imagine few of the other gods or goddesses would want to have a romantic relationship with Año, anyway. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:53.120 So if we interpret the surviving references to the goddess Ano, we do get an image of a truly aromantic deity. 00:13:53.360 --> 00:14:04.320 While romantic love is clearly the oldest kind in Greek mythology, as we saw with Hestia last week, asexuality was not far behind. 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:10.240 Shortly after Zeus' victory over Kronos, Zeus and Hera begat Ano. 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:12.799 Ares is her full brother. 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:16.879 For this reason, Año is called the sister of war. 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:27.200 So we can see that, just like with Hestia, aromanticism is not far behind romantic love in the Greek imagination. 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:42.080 There is something profound about the Greek exploration of sexuality, placing it so far back in their own cultural record, they were comfortable exploring sexuality in many ways and came up with manifestations like Ano. 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:53.519 Año is proof that an aromantic orientation, though the Greeks never used that word, of course, was a manifestation of sexuality from the very early days of the universe. 00:14:53.759 --> 00:15:00.879 It was clearly a real sexuality because they reflected it very early in their history. 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:07.200 Next week we're going to explore Iakos and Misa, two key figures in the mysteries. 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:15.279 Iakos leads the mystic processions, and Misa is the bearer of the processional rod at the front of the parade. 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:20.960 They both bear torches as they lead the Elozinian and Bacchic mysteries. 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:24.879 However, neither of these deities are distinct. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:36.320 They are the selfsame entity, sometimes manifested as Iakos, the vaguely masculine form, and sometimes as Misa, the vaguely feminine form. 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:45.120 When we understand them this way, Iakos and Misa appear to be one gender fluid entity in the Pantheon. 00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:47.200 We'll see in two weeks. 00:15:56.799 --> 00:16:06.639 Notes and comments Anyo ranging ahead of the lines with Athena is from Homer's Iliad, Book five, verse three hundred thirty three. 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:13.039 Ano leading the Trojans with Ares is from Homer's Iliad, Book five, verse five ninety. 00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:20.639 Both references to Ano helping the Greeks and the Trojans are from within just a few hundred lines of each other. 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:29.759 The original sack of Troy was in an epic called Iliopersis, written by Archintus of Meletus around the 7th century BC. 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:37.039 The full text was lost probably during the early Middle Ages, but we do have a significant quotations and fragments for it. 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:45.759 The Post-Homerica, written by Quintus of Smyrna, contains all the stuff that happens after Homer during the Trojan War. 00:16:45.919 --> 00:16:49.840 It starts about where Homer leaves off and continues through the sack of Troy. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:54.399 The epic survives in its entirety, but we don't really know that much about it. 00:16:54.639 --> 00:17:03.360 The author Quintus of Smyrna was a Greek poet living in the Roman Empire at some point between the mid-3rd and late 4th centuries AD. 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:07.680 We do not know anything about him or the details of his poetry. 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:16.079 The duel between Achilles and Memnon comes from Quintus of Smyrna's post Homerica, Book 2, verses 525. 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:23.599 Aeneas and Neoptolemus's duel is from Quintus of Smyrna's post Homerica, Book 11, verse 237. 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:32.400 Ano and Eris enjoying Neoptolemus and Eurypolis duel comes from the Post Homerica, Book 8, verse 186. 00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:42.720 Eris and Ano enjoying Cadmus the Dragonslayer fighting his enemies comes from Nonus of Panopoulos's Dionysia, written in the 5th century AD. 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:45.680 Book 5, verse 40. 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:53.359 Pausanius calls Ano and Athena supreme in war in his travelogue, The Description of Greece. 00:17:53.680 --> 00:17:57.440 Book 4, chapter 30, section 5. 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:01.599 Nonus of Panopoulos came from the 5th century AD. 00:18:01.839 --> 00:18:08.880 At this late date, many of the gods and goddesses who had been discrete abstractions had been rolled into one. 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:14.079 Athena and Nike are one example of two figures who were distinct at one point. 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:27.440 Nonos uses Nike Athena as one being most of the time, but during the duel between Zeus and Typhoon, it's not actually made clear whether Nike is Athena or an isolated abstraction. 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:36.400 Ano watching Zeus and Typhoon is from Nonos Dionysia, Book 2, verse 358 through 475. 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:46.640 Ares's magnificent chariot with route and terrorist squires, Ano as a pilot, and rumor as the herald, comes from Statius Thebiad, Book III. 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:50.640 Statius was a Latin poet who wrote in the first century AD. 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:55.440 The Thebiad is an epic treatment of the Seven Against Thebes. 00:18:56.960 --> 00:19:05.440 Eris appearing on the shield of Achilles next to Ano is drawn from Quintus of Smyrna, Book 5, verse 25. 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:08.480 That's all for this week, folks. 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:12.559 We'll see you in two weeks for our discussion of Iakos and Misa.