Himeros

This article is about the mythological figure. For other uses, see Himeros (disambiguation).
Himeros
God of desire and lust
Member of the Erotes
Aphrodite with Himeros, detail from a silver kantharos, c. 420-410 BC
AbodeMount Olympus
SymbolBow and arrows
Genealogy
SiblingsErotes: Anteros, Eros, Hedylogos, Hermaphroditus, Hymen, Pothos

In Greek mythology, Himeros (Ancient Greek: Ἱμερος, lit. 'desire') is one of the seven Erotes, a group of winged love deities, and part of Aphrodite's procession. Often described as "sweet", he is the god and personification of desire and lust. In Hesiod's Theogony, Eros and Himeros were present at Aphrodite's birth and escorted the goddess as she emerged out of the sea foam and joined the assembly of the gods.[1][2] Earlier in Theogony, Himeros is mentioned as a resident of Mount Olympus, being a neighbor of the Muses and the Charites.[3] Himeros (desire) and Philotes (affection) were bestowed upon the world by Aphrodite initiating sexual encounter;[4] they spoke words of love and winning talk that affected the minds (nous) and hearts of mortals and gods alike.[5]

Himeros is closely associated with Pothos, the personification of passionate longing. In his dialogue Cratylus,[6] Plato points out the difference between the two concepts explaining that, in the case of Himeros, the object of desire is present and thus the desire is ready to be satisfied; whereas, in the case of Pothos, the individual longs for something that is absent or out of reach.[7][8] Subsequently, Pothos is unfulfilled and potentially a suffering.[8] Though Himeros is the standard term for erotic desire, it can also appear in different contexts carrying an alternative meaning, like desire for grieve (after a tragic event) or for food; e.g. the "himeros for sweet food" that a laborer feels after a long day at work.[4] Though these figures inspired artistic and poetic creations, they had no mythological stories or cults of their own.[7]

Seated Dionysus crowned by Himeros and surrounded by Satyrs and Maenads. Attic red figure calyx-krater, c. 425–400 BC.
  1. ^ Calame 2013, p. 45.
  2. ^ "Hesiod, Theogony, 200–205". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  3. ^ Breitenberger 2013, pp. 71–72.
  4. ^ a b Liebert 2017, p. 85.
  5. ^ Calame 2013, p. 44.
  6. ^ "Plato, Cratylus, section 420a". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  7. ^ a b Pownall, Müller & Asirvatham 2022, Alexander's Pothos.
  8. ^ a b Vernant & Zeitlin 1991, p. 101.