Lyssa

vol. XIV p.69-71

Lyssa (Λύσσα, Λύττα)

Frenzy. In Homer, she often falls upon Hektor (Il. IX 239. 304f.), for which reason Teukros names him κύνα λυσσητῆρα (VIII 299); likewise, she seizes Apollo on the battlefield (XXI 540f.). She appears in perseon in Aeschylus’ Χάντριαι (FTG p. 56 frg. 169), <10> in order to spur on the bacchants (Phot. p. 326. Suid. s. ὀκτώπουν). Euripides is imitating this in H. F. 822f., where she appears along with Iris and attacks the hero with madness so that he kills his wife and children. Because of this, Poll. IV 142 names Lyssa as one of the allegorical figures which are ἔκσκευα πρόσωπα of drama. Moreover, the poet describes Orestes’ frenzy as the work of Lyssa: Or. 254. 326. 401. 793. 845; <20> she herself and her dogs are released to bewitch the already ecstatic bacchae and Agave (Bacch. 851. 977), so that they punish the despiser of the gods Pentheus (see below). Her description even goes so far as to provide her with a family tree; she is descended from Nyx and from the blood of Uranos (H. F. 822. 834. 844. 884. 899) which he spilt when he was emasculated by Kronos (Hesiod. Theog. 154f. 173f. Apollod. bibl. I 2 W). Sometimes, Lyssa described the madness of love: <30> Lyssa is among the many names which Sophokles gives to Kypris (FTG p. 329. frg. 855, 4); even Aphrodite’s own captivated love for Adonis is called Lyssa in Theokr. III 47, and Plat. leg. VIII 839 A speaks of λύσσα ἐρωτική. However, more than bacchic lust and love-frenzy characterise the personified term Lyssa, the frenzy of madness which swept Io away, and the dreadful drive to blood vengeance which drove Orestes to kill his own mother (Aesch. Prom. 881. Choeph. 280 Kirchh.). <40> Because of this, Lyssa is very similar to the Erinyes in her nature, without actually belonging to them; she isn’t even their mother (in contrast to Höfer Myth. Lex. II 2213). When Plutarch brings up Herakleitos’ words again (Vorsokr. frg. 94 Dls), saying that the Λύτται were helpers (ἐπίκουροι) of Dike (de Is. et Os. 48), and contradicts it, giving his interpretation that it’s actually the Erinyes (de exil. 11), it is because of a mix-up owing to the similarity of their nature. <50> In illustrations, these and Lyssa are hard to tell apart (see below). Closely connected with her are also the abstract though personified terms Mania and Oistros (see there), which were conflated with the Erinyes sometimes (Paus. VIII 34, 1. Quint. Smyrn. V 451f.; cf. Dilthey Arch. Ztg. XXXI 1874, 88f. Rohde Rh. Mus. L. 16. 19). Oistros serves Lyssa according to Nonn. paraphr. evang. Joh. θ 158: νῦν ἐδάημεν ἐτήτυμον, ὅττι σε Λύσσης δαίμονος ἠερόφοιτος ἀλάστορος οἶστρος ἐλαύνει. <60> Both powers are described as the effect of the devil (δαιμόνιον); see Joh. evang. VIII 52. Occasionally, the three bewitching daemons worked together; supported by Mene (Selene) and Oistros, Lyssa mystifies Pentheus’ spirit, meaning that he heads off to Kithairon with his mother Agaue in women’s clothing: Nonn. Dion. XLVI 97f., cf. XLIV 227. <page break 69/70> It’s easy to recognise Lyssa in depictions of the myth of Pentheus; of course, she is never attested by inscriptions; also, the only epithet μαρμαρωπός, with flashing eyes (Eur. H. F. 884), is not a sufficient trait to recognise her by. A vase fragment from Avellino shows, over Pentheus attacked by the maenads (with inscription), an only partially extant erinys-like form with a short chiton, <10> hunting boots, and snakes around the arm (Bull. Nap. IV tav. 2, 3). Just like these, there is a female attacker in a hunting outfit (cf. Bruhn on Eur. Bacch. 977) on a drinking cup from Cales, who, following Aesch. Xantriai (see above), is interpreted as Lyssa by Dilthey 80f. with Taf. 7, 3. On the other hand, Rapp (Myth. Lex. III 1939) sees her as one of the maenads. Roughly the same idea is brought to mind by the erinys-like figure in hunting clothes on two marble reliefs depicting Pentheus being torn apart (Matz and Duhn Bildw. in Rom nr. 2266. 2267). <20> Lyssa is depicted at the criminal court about Pentheus on a bronze plate of Collegio Romano (Jahn Arch. Ztg. XXV Taf. 225. Myth. Lex. III 1943f. Ribbeck R. Tr. 575) in a considerably different way, and she is difficult to differentiate from the maenads there in her long robes, even holding a torch like them. Of course, it’s impossible to clear up the doubt on this interpretation of the plate here too. <30>

Lyssa is also met on works of art to do with the myth of the Thracian Lykurgos. A sarcophagus-relief from the Villa Borghese (Matz and Duhn nr. 2269) shows the king at the nymph Ambrosia’s death; in the presence of a number of deities, two women spur him on to this bloody deed. The woman on the right, who is touching Lykuros’ head with a staff to bewitch him, is sometimes called Dike (Milchhöfer Arch. Jahrb. VII 1893, 203), sometimes Lyssa; <40> on versions of the main scene cf. Matz Arch. Ztg. XXVII Taf. 21, 2. 3. Lyssa is probably present at the killing of Lykurgos’ son on a relief of the Mattei sarcophagus (Matz and Duhn nr. 2271). However, a female form is much more clearly separated from her surroundings as a specific figure on two vase paintings (Denkm. d. alten Kunst II 38, 442 and Mon. d. Inst. V 23). The feathered figure, surrounded by a circular beam of light, descends and directs her [? - Kentron] against Lykurgos, <50> and drives him to constantly new furies, though he has already killed his son, and is now making a lethal blow against his wife. In general, this clear embodiment of fury is taken as being Lyssa (Dilthey 85. G. Körte Personifikationen psych. Affekte 21f. Rapp Myth. Lex. II 2197). An erinys-like form, who is interpreted as Lyssa, in hunter’s clothes with fury-inducing snakes (Münchner Vase nr. 853) or with imperial justice opposing Lykurgos (Mon. d. Inst. IV 16. Myth. Lex. II 2198) keeps raising new concerns. <60> It is either explained as the myth of Pentheus or Lykurgos on a relief in which we think we can recognise Lyssa (Matz and Duhn nr. 2839. Myth. Lex. II 2214, 5).

Lyssa is also the name of rabies in dogs (and in wolves), and the name of a worm which allegedly caused it, <page break 70/71> cf. Xen. anab. V 7, 26. Aristot. hist. an. VIII 142. Aelian. hist. an. VIII 9. IX 15. Plin. n. h. XXIX 98f.; see vol. VIII p.2569f. This is important for the etymology of the word: *λύκjα, which actually means the ‘wolflike’ (Gruppe Gr. Myth. 806, 7; cf. Curtius Etymol.⁵ 553), because of the wolflike aggression of the wild animal; in contrast, according to Bopp Gloss. and Benfey Wurzellex. II 5, it belong to skr. rush to be angry, cf. Curtius 665f. <10> Differently Boisacq Dict. étymol. 592. Near the Arcadian village Κύναιθα, ie Hound’s Fire, there was a spring Ἄλυσσος under a plane tree. Drinking from it was said to heal a bite from a rabid dog (Paus. VIII 19, 2f.); cf. Preller-Robert Griech. Myth. I⁴ 464. Bädeker Griechenl.⁵ 308.

[Joh. Schmidt.]