Galaxy/The codex of Iphimedeia

Wife of Aloeus who declared that she had lain with Poseidon and bore him two sons, Otus and Ephialtes — short of life, yet reared by the grain-giving earth as the tallest and comeliest of men after Orion.1

I

Odysseus saw her shade among the heroines in the house of Hades. Iphimedeia, wife of Aloeus, declared that she had lain with Poseidon; from that union she bore two sons, godlike Otus and far-famed Ephialtes — short of life, yet whom the earth, giver of grain, reared as the tallest and far the comeliest of men after the famous Orion.2

II

Her sons grew into a threat against heaven. At nine years they were nine cubits in breadth and nine fathoms in height, and they were fain to pile Ossa upon Olympus and wooded Pelion upon Ossa, that the sky might be scaled, and to raise the din of furious war against the immortals.3

III

The genealogists fix her parentage and the manner of the god's coming. She was Iphimedia, daughter of Triops, wedded to Aloeus; falling in love with Poseidon, she would go often to the sea and draw up the waves with her hands and pour them into her lap, until the god met her and begat Otus and Ephialtes, who are called the Aloadae.4

IV

Hyginus likewise names the brothers sons of Aloeus and Iphimede, daughter of Neptune, and of extraordinary size — growing nine inches every month, so that at nine years old they tried to climb into heaven, setting mountain upon mountain.5

V

She kept her place in cult as well as song. Pausanias saw the graves of the children of Iphimedeia and Aloeus at Anthedon, and recorded that great honors were paid to Iphimedeia herself by the Carians at Mylasa.6

the spine ignites as you read · hover a bond on the card — every mention of them lights in the story

BEYOND THE POETS

How the centuries since have seen Iphimedeia — art, artifacts and echoes.

Diana between Two Giants (Diane entre deux géants)
Illustration to Homer's Iliad (the Aloadae and Ares)
The Giants — Inferno, Canto XXXI (Plate 65)
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