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Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2001 14:33:06 -0400
To: classics@u.washington.edu
From: "James M. Pfundstein" <jmpfund@bgnet.bgsu.edu>
Subject: Re: swimming ram?
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At 8:43 AM -0500 4/21/01, John_Thorburn wrote:
>In Wilk's new book on Medusa, the author writes "Phryxus clinging rather
>precariously to a swimming ram. (I know of no example that shows Helle being
>rescued by the ram...)"
>
>Several questions...
>
>1. Why the 'y' in Phryxus' name?  Is this a new trend?  I thought his name
>was usually spelled with an iota.

A very old trend-- used in archaic English and archaizing poets like Morris

	But through the straits passed Phryxus, sad enow,
	And fearful of the wind that by his brow
	Went shrieking, as without all stop or stay,
	The golden wings still bore him on his way
	Above the unlucky waves of that ill sea
	That foamed beneath his feet unceasingly.
		--William Morris, _Life and Death of Jason_
			(towards the end of Book II)

There's a type of moth called "phryxus," too-- maybe Wilks is a bug-collector?

>3. I also seem to recall seeing an icon that shows Helle also clinging to a
>ram that is skimming the surface of the water.  Is this the case or am I
>dreaming?

I remember a Roman era wall-painting that shows Helle sinking in the 
Hellespont as Phrixus flies on. I can't remember its provenance more 
specifically, and I couldn't find an image of it of on the web. But 
here's a (rather blurry) image of a mosaic depicting the same event, 
which I found at VRoma.

http://www.vroma.org/images/bonvallet_images/bonvallet1-15.jpg

JM("Mothra")P

.