Who is tyukhe in Greek mythology. Female archetypes

Who is the Greek god of wealth? He is not alone with them. Ancient Greek mythology is striking in its versatility. It combines morality, ethical principles and culture of many European nations. Mythology is distinguished by special thinking, the study of the world and the place of man in it. For help in all undertakings, the ancient Greeks turned to powerful deities, guiding them on the right path and giving them good luck in everything. Who are the gods of wealth among the Greeks? It is about them that will be discussed in the article.

Attitude towards wealth in ancient Greece

In ancient Greece, they were skeptical about wealth: it was believed that making money is much easier than earning a good name and fame. In ancient Greek mythology, there are often cases when a poor man from the people took precedence over a rich aristocracy, which did not have authority and respect among the Greeks. Before Greece became an economically developed state, priority was given to non-material areas: medicine, philosophy, science and sports.

Later, agriculture, crafts and trade began to actively develop. It was then that the ancient Greek gods of wealth, fertility and trade came to the fore of the pantheon: Demeter, Mercury, Hermes and Plutos.

At first, the ancient Greeks grew crops, but with the development of trade, this became an unprofitable occupation, and an enterprising people began to trade in crops that Greece is rich in - olive oil and grapes. Along with the development of trade, money began to appear.

In parallel, the slave-owning system developed: slaves were traded, their labor was used in crafts.

The Greek god of wealth is Plutus. With its appearance, such a concept as "money" becomes popular. They were treated with respect and tried to save every coin. Each polis made its own money, and the trade extended far beyond the borders of Greece. Traveling intermediaries were wandering colonies, traces of which were found in the Black Sea, not far from the present Sevastopol, Kerch and Feodosia.

With the development of the economy, resellers appeared who changed money among policies. They gambled at interest, lent money, and took deposits. The bankers collected huge sums, and they had the opportunity to earn on repurchases.

As mentioned earlier, the first goddess related to enrichment was Demeter.

Demeter

Demeter is one of the most influential and respected goddesses in Greece. She is the goddess of wealth and fertility. In her honor, celebrations and honors were held throughout Greece, especially during the months of sowing and harvesting. It is believed that without the assistance and will of Demeter there will be no harvest: the farmers turned to her for help and blessing for crops, and the women asked for fertility and the opportunity to bear a child. An interesting feature is that Homer paid very little attention to this goddess: she almost always remained in the shadow of even less powerful gods. Based on this, we can conclude that in the early years other ways of enrichment prevailed in Greece, and agriculture came to the fore much later, displacing cattle breeding. The location of the goddess promised the farmer the accompanying weather conditions and a rich harvest.

According to the legends, Demeter was the first to plow the land and sow seeds in it. The Greeks who witnessed this were sure that the grains would spoil in the ground, but after a while the harvest came up. Demeter taught people how to care for crops and grow grain, and later gave them other crops.

Demeter is the daughter of Kronos and Rhea, the only girl in the family. Her brothers are the mighty Hades, Poseidon and Zeus. Demeter had a strange relationship with her brothers: she did not like Poseidon, and she hated Aida at all. Demeter had a marriage with Zeus, who gave birth to a daughter, Persephone.

Demeter and Persephone - ancient Greek gods of wealth and fertility

Persephone took over from her mother and became the goddess of fertility and agriculture. Demeter loved her only golden-haired daughter very much and passed on her wisdom to her. She responded to her mother in return.

One day, an incredible grief happened that knocked down Demeter: her daughter was kidnapped. This was done by the god of the underworld Hades, brother of Demeter. Permission for this was given by Zeus himself, who promised his brother his daughter as his wife.

Unsuspecting Persephone was walking with her friends through the green meadows, and then her future husband kidnapped her. He hid the girl deep underground, and her heartbroken mother wandered the lands looking for her. Demeter did not eat or drink for several months, the productive pastures dried up, and her daughter still did not appear. Zeus told Demeter about the agreement, but she refused to share her beloved daughter with her brother, whom she had hated since childhood.

Zeus turned to Hades with a request to return the mother's daughter, but he agreed with one condition: Persephone would spend two-thirds of the year with her mother of fertility, and for one-third of the year she would descend into the underworld, swallowing a pomegranate seed before that. Thus the ancient Greeks explained the change of seasons and crops.

Demeter and Triptolemus

Triptolemus is also the god of wealth among the ancient Greeks. Once the goddess of fertility decided to give a gift to the son of King Eleusis - Triptolemus. She taught him how to plow the land, how to cultivate it, and gave him seeds for sowing. Triptolem plowed the fertile heavenly lands three times and threw wheat grains into them.

After some time, the earth brought a rich harvest, which Demeter herself blessed. She gave Triptolemus a handful of grain and a magical chariot that could move across the sky. She asked her mentor to go around the world, teaching people about agriculture and distributing fertile grains. He followed the instructions of the goddess and moved forward.

Wherever the god of wealth visited (this is how it is described in this) on his chariot, fields with a rich harvest stretched. Until he arrived in Scythia, to the king of Linha. The king decided to take all the grains and the glory of Triptolemus for himself by killing him in his sleep. Demeter could not allow the death of her assistant and came to his aid, turning Linh into a lynx. He fled into the forest, and soon left Scythia altogether, and the Greek god of money and wealth - Triptolem - continued on his way, teaching people agriculture and farming.

Plutus

The ancient Greek god of wealth Plutos is the son of Demeter and the titan Iasion. According to the myths, lovers Demeter and Iasion indulged in temptation on the island of Crete and conceived Plutos on a thrice-plowed field. Seeing the couple in love, Zeus became furious and incinerated his father Plutos with lightning. The upbringing of the boy was carried out by the goddesses of peace and chance - Eirene and Tyche.

It is believed that Plutos, the god of wealth, was blind and gifted people arbitrarily, without paying attention to their appearance or status in society. Those gifted with Plutos received unprecedented material benefits. Jupiter blinded the god, who was afraid that Plutos would be unfair and biased in the distribution of wealth. Therefore, luck in material terms can overtake both bad and good people.

In art, the god of wealth is depicted as a baby with in his arms. Most often, either the goddess of fortune or the goddess of peace holds the baby in her arms.

Most often, the name Plutos is associated with Demeter and Persephone. He accompanies and helps everyone who is favored by the goddess of fertility.

The Greek god of wealth Plutos introduced such a thing as "goods". People began to take care of material wealth: save money and increase it. Previously, the Greeks did not attach much importance to material values, they were not worried about the improvement and standard of living.

Comedy "Plutus"

The comedy was written and staged by the ancient Greek comedian Aristophanes. In it, the Greek god of wealth, Plutos, is depicted as a blind old man, unable to properly distribute wealth. He gives gifts to dishonest and vile people, because of which he himself loses all his wealth.

On the way, Plutos comes across an Athenian who returns his sight. The God of wealth sees again, and this helps him to fairly reward people according to their merits. Plutos becomes rich again and regains the respect of the people.

Plutus in the Divine Comedy

Plutos, the god of wealth in Greek mythology, was depicted in the poem The Divine Comedy, which was written in 1321 by Dante Alighieri. He was the gatekeeper of the fourth circle of hell and had the appearance of a bestial demon. He guarded the circle of hell, where there were misers, spendthrifts and greedy souls.

Plutocracy

In honor of the god of wealth, one of the political regimes was named - plutocracy. The term was introduced at the end of the 19th century and characterizes a form of government in which state decisions are made not by the will of the majority (by the people), but by a small group of oligarchic clans in the shadows. Such a state is ruled primarily by money, and a legitimately elected government is completely subordinate to wealthy clans.

Plutos and Pluto: the ancient Greek gods of money, wealth and abundance

At some point in ancient Greek mythology, two deities were identified - Pluto (the god of the underworld) and Plutos (the god of wealth and abundance). This is explained by the fact that Hades has countless riches stored deep underground. There are also many myths that unite these gods.

According to older myths, Hades is the brother of Plutos' mother, Demeter, and therefore is his uncle. But in later myths it was claimed that this is one deity. This is confirmed by the consonance of their names: Pluto and Pluto.

Cornucopia

This is a symbol of endless wealth, originating from the myths of ancient Greece. The horn belongs to the goat Amalthea, who nursed little Zeus with her milk, hiding from her father Kronos on the island of Crete.

There is another legend about its origin. Hercules rolled the horn of the river god during the fight. He showed mercy and returned the horn to its owner. He did not remain in debt and gave the world a cornucopia filled with riches.

In art, this symbol is depicted upside down, through a hole in which various fruits erupt: fruits and vegetables, sometimes coins. Most often, the cornucopia is held in the hands of the god of wealth among the Greeks - Plutos. Some sculptures with this symbol depict the goddess of justice - Themis.

In ancient Greece, coins were minted with the image of a cornucopia on the reverse side. This was supposed to attract new money and help keep their property.

In the Middle Ages, the cornucopia was transformed into the Holy Grail, which is the source of eternal life and wealth.

Mercury (Hermes)

Mercury is the god of wealth, trade and the patron of thieves. He is depicted wearing a helmet and sandals with wings, a conciliatory wand and a bag filled with gold coins.

The Greek god of wealth Mercury was borrowed by the Romans from the Greeks after their conquest. In ancient Greece, Mercury was called Hermes. Initially, it was the god of cattle and cattle breeding. In the time of Homer, he became an intermediary between the gods. It was then that he received wings on his sandals and helmet to move quickly while performing various tasks. He also had a conciliatory stick made of gold, with its help he resolved conflicts and disputes.

With the development of agriculture, he became the patron of bread and grain, later, when market relations were actively developing, he became the god of trade and the patron of merchants. He was approached for help in repurchases, trade transactions and in the exchange of goods.

It is believed that it was Hermes, the Greek god of wealth, who gave the Greeks numbers and taught them how to count. Before that, people paid by eye, not attaching much importance to the amount of money.

Even later, Hermes became the patron saint of thieves: he was depicted with a purse in his hands or with his hands tied next to Apollo - a hint of theft.

When the Romans conquered Greece, they borrowed the god Hermes, renaming him Mercury. For them it was the god of prosperity, enrichment, trade and profit.

In our time, the image of Mercury can be found on the emblems of banks, large trading companies and auction exchanges.

King Midas and gold

In Greek mythology, Midas was the king of Phrygia. From childhood, he knew that he would be a rich and influential person: all the signs of fate pointed him to this. Even small ants brought grains and put them in his mouth.

Once, Silenus, the teacher of Dionysus, fell into the possession of Midas. He got lost in the forest when Dionysus was leading his army through Phrygia. King Midas saw this and added wine to the streams that ran through the forest. Silenus drank water mixed with wine and immediately became intoxicated. Unable to get out of the forest, he wandered through it for a long time until Midas met him and took him to Dionysus.

Happy Dionysus invited Midas to make any wish. He wished for a “golden touch”: that everything that his hand touches becomes golden.

Dionysus obeyed the desire of the king, and he arranged a magnificent celebration, covering the table with various drinks and dishes. But at the table, he realized that he would die of thirst and hunger, because food and drinks in his hands turned into gold.

The king rushed to Dionysus with a request to deprive him of the gift, and he ordered him to bathe in the river Pactol. Midas lost the ability to turn everything into gold, and the river then became gold.

In our time, the expression "Midas touch" means the ability to quickly earn money "out of thin air" and be successful in all endeavors.

Kairos

Kairos is a revered deity of the ancient Greeks. He was the patron of chance - a happy moment that can give good luck and prosperity, if you seize on it in time. He is always somewhere near Chronos - the patron of the sequence of time. But unlike Chronos, Kratos is very difficult to meet and catch: he appears only for a second and disappears instantly.

The Greeks believed that Kairos could point them to a happy moment, in which luck would smile on them, and the gods would be supportive in all endeavors.

God silently and quickly moves among mere mortals, to face him face to face is a great rarity and good luck. At this moment, the main thing is not to get confused, grab Kairos by the long forelock and ask fate for whatever you want. Missing a chance is a big sin, as it is given only once in a lifetime.

Kairos is depicted as a young man with wings behind his back and wearing sandals. On his head is a long golden curl, for which you can try to grab him. Kairos holds scales in his hands, which indicates that he is fair and sends good luck to those who work hard and wish for success.

Tyukhe

In ancient Greek mythology, she is the goddess of luck, good luck and the patroness of chance. Tyukhe is the daughter of the ocean and Tetia (mother of the gods and patroness of all rivers).

Tyche became a cult deity when ordinary people lost faith in the gods and in their abilities. The ancient Greeks believed that Tyche accompanies people from birth and throughout their lives. Many cities considered Tyukhe their patroness, her image was minted on coins, and her statues adorned houses.

They portrayed the goddess in a crown and with the main attributes: a wheel (symbolizing the changeability of luck, hence the expression "wheel of fortune") and a cornucopia. Tyche often holds little Plutos in her arms - the god of wealth, whom she raised on the island of Crete in secret from him.

Fortune

When the Romans conquered Greece, they adopted the goddess Tyche, calling her Fortuna. She is the goddess of good luck, happiness, prosperity and success.

According to mythology, Fortune threw off her wings when she arrived in Rome and promised to stay there forever. Over time, the cult of Fortune developed rapidly, overshadowing the rest of the gods. She was thanked for sending good luck and even for failures and grief. She was also called the Firstborn, Happy, Kind and Merciful. All babies and newborns were dedicated to her, her touch determined the fate of a person.

Later, when the moral and ethical foundations began to gradually collapse, the goddess Fortune became the patroness of the hearth, love and family happiness for both women and men.

Fortune adorned and in art was depicted as a woman with a cornucopia on her shoulder, from which wealth erupted - fruits, vegetables and gold. Sometimes she held a chariot in her hands or stood at the prow of a ship. It symbolized the change of fate.

Many Greek gods of wealth and good fortune still live in mythology to this day. Is there any truth in this or is a myth always a myth? Everyone has their own opinion on this matter. Either way, it's interesting and educational.

Tyche (Tyuhe, Fortuna)- an archetype that combines conflicting desires for unlimited control over one's own and other people's lives, and absolute fearlessness in the face of consequences.

Tyche is a woman who has a lot of ideas and emotions associated with them, which are constantly changing, and ideas can be radically opposite. This is the archetype of a light and cheerful, but at the same time very powerful and emotionally excitable woman.

Such women are very fond of observing the lives of friends and acquaintances, advising them how to act. Tyche often shapes and directs the lives of her family members. This woman always knows how to act correctly at the moment, but cannot plan for the future, since much in her life depends on momentary impulse.

Tyche builds relationships with people a little paradoxically, she chooses a social circle according to the “like - dislike” type, without having quite good reasons for this. The raging emotionality in such cases is expressed either in complete acceptance despite the shortcomings or in the constant struggle with imaginary enemies despite their merits. Just like in myths - if someone is at the top of the Wheel of Fortune, then someone must always be at the bottom.

Tyche is perceived by women as an emotional, kind and sympathetic girlfriend. Tyche loves to listen to frank female conversations in which her thought is valued and taken into account. Her friends are often guided by the advice of Tyche, thereby removing some of the responsibility for their actions, but she likes the opportunity to manage, and the feeling of power and control associated with it. She rarely feels genuine pity for the suffering of others.

Tyche is a pretty good manipulator, she can attract someone into her circle of friends, but if for some reason a person becomes unpleasant to her, she skillfully makes sure that the circumstances themselves and the attitude of others do not allow him to stay in the same place and in the same position . All these logical actions are usually provoked by a powerful emotional impulse - through one wrong step of a friend, a careless word or action. But emotionality also plays a role when, after a relatively short period of time, friendship is restored as suddenly as it stopped.

In relations with men, she is somewhat reminiscent of Athena with her coldness in achieving her goal, but Tyche can quite often, vividly and sensually fall in love with men of different status and appearance, with whom she should be interested. If Tyche falls in love, she tries to help the object of sympathy, but she cannot but show her essence, and over time begins to manipulate him, taking part in all his undertakings, guiding him in his work or simply working side by side, giving advice. Such a woman will certainly want to know everything about her man, what is happening to him and how he feels.

Tiha (Tikhe, Tiheya, Tyukhe), Greek - the daughter of the Ocean and Tethys, the goddess of chance, a happy occasion.

She lived on Olympus, was part of the retinue of Zeus; of the other gods, the god of wealth Plutos was closest to her, whom she took care of from his birth, along with the goddess of the world, Eirene. Her cornucopia entered the proverb - the goat's horn accidentally broken off, which fed Zeus with her milk. Zeus himself filled this horn with various gifts, and Tycha distributed them to her favorites. (According to some authors, this horn once adorned the head of the river god Aheloy, and Hercules, who fought with, broke off the horn.)

Initially, Tycha was considered only a companion of other gods; she became an independent deity only at the end of the classical era. As the cult of Tikha spread, many Hellenistic cities began to consider her their patroness. The Roman goddesses and Felicitas (Felitsa), the goddess of happiness, largely merged with Ticha.

Ancient artists usually depicted Tikha on a ball, with outstretched wings, which was supposed to symbolize her instability, inconstancy. And vice versa, Tikha, the patroness of cities, was depicted sitting, with a crown in the form of city walls with gates. Among her best statues are “Tycha from Ostia” (with a cornucopia in her left and with a steering oar in her right hand), “Tykha of Antioch” (a copy of the work of Eutykhides of the 3rd century BC), “Tykha from Prusa” ( 2nd century AD) and “Tycha of Thessaloniki” from the triumphal arch of Emperor Galerius (4th century AD).

Age of Astrea

blind happiness

Hand of Nemesis

Nemesis (Νέμεσις) the Greeks called the goddess of revenge and harsh justice. They portrayed her in the form of a winged woman with a bridle and a sword in her hands, as an omnipresent deity, punishing the violation of social and moral norms.

At present, the word "Nemesis" is used with the meaning "just retribution"; and by "the hand of Nemesis" is meant the power and authority of the state court.

There is such a popular expression as "four" k "". This refers to four German words beginning with the same letter: Kinder, Kuche, Kirhe, Kleider (children, kitchen, church, outfits).

So, the once German emperor Wilhelm II spoke about the feminist movement and the idea of ​​women's equality in general, saying that a German woman is only required to know "children, cuisine, church and outfits."

However, the German emperor probably forgot that the ancients associated the golden age of mankind with a woman. In addition, in antiquity, again, happiness and retribution were in the hands of women.

Age of Astrea

The expression "Age of Astrea" today can only be found in old, old books, and then quite rarely. In today's everyday speech, "golden age" is much more often said.

So, who was Astrea after all, and why do we use the phrase "golden age"?

In the myths of antiquity, Astrea was the goddess of justice, the daughter of the almighty Zeus, the father of gods and people, and the goddess of justice, Themis.

The goddess Astrea was sent by her parents to live on earth in order to help people live honestly and justly. However, unable to bear their crimes, she ascended to heaven. It was then that the “Age of Astrea”, the “golden age”, that is, the golden time of fabulous happiness, ended. Later, this expression began to characterize a happy streak of life or a time of joy.

As for the goddess Astrea, since then she has been shining in the sky in the constellation of the Zodiac under the name of the Virgin.

blind happiness

Very often in museums of sculpture and painting you can see the image of a young woman rolling somewhere on a winged wheel, symbolizing the instability and changeability of the world. This is the ancient Greek goddess Tyche (Tyhi) - the goddess of chance and luck, abundance and happiness, with whom the Romans identified their goddess Fortuna. She has a cornucopia in her hands, and a bandage closes her eyes: that is why happiness is considered blind.

The ancients believed that a person's luck does not depend on any other reasons than chance. In addition, any happiness is short-lived. It is no coincidence that the goddess flies around the world with her eyes closed, pouring her gifts from the cornucopia: you look, they hit you too ... However, the “wheel of Fortune” turned, and the goddess is already far away ...

Of course, today we understand that our happiness is in our hands, thanks to a positive attitude and thoughts (not to the detriment of others) that turn the wheel of Fortune in your direction...