Limos Explained

In Greek mythology, Limos (; Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Λιμός|Līmós; 'Famine', 'Hunger', 'Starvation'),^[1] is the personification of famine or hunger. Of uncertain sex, Limos was the offspring of Eris, with no other mythology.^[2] Limos was held in particular regard at Sparta. The equivalent in Roman mythology is Fames.

Family

According to Hesiod's Theogony, Limos was the child of Eris (Strife), with no father mentioned. The other children of Eris were Ponos (Hardship), Lethe (Forgetfulness), Algea (Pains), Hysminai (Battles), Machai (Wars), Phonoi (Murders), Androktasiai (Manslaughters), Neikea (Quarrels), Pseudea (Lies), Logoi (Stories), Amphillogiai (Disputes), Dysnomia (Anarchy), Ate (Ruin), and Horkos (Oath).^[3] All of these offspring of Eris are little more than allegorizations of the meanings of their names, with virtually no other identity.^[4]

Gender

The gender of the Greek word limos can be either masculine or feminine.^[5] The same gender uncertainty applied also to the personification, which could be considered as either a man or a woman. At Byzantium there was a statue of Limos as a man, while there was a painting of Limos as a woman at Sparta.^[6]

Descriptions

In Hesiod's Works and Days, Limos is presented as the antithesis of Demeter (the goddess of grain).^[7] According to Hesiod, in contrast to Demeter, who loves the hard-working man, filling his "granary with the means of life", Limos hates him, and "is ever the companion of a man who does not work".^[8] The Greek Iambic poet Semonides (c. seventh century BC), describes Limos as "a hostile housemate, enemy of the gods".^[9] These archaic descriptions of Limos as a "companion" and "housemate" seemingly regard Limos as a being able to enter one's house and dwell there.^[10]

At Sparta

Limos was one of seven abstractions respected, and possibly deified, at Sparta. The other six were Phobos (Fear), Aidos (Modesty or Reserve), Hypnos (Sleep), Thanatos (Death), Gelos (Laughter), and Eros (Love). These were all abstractions associated with physical states of the body, or psychological states with physical manifestations.^[11] Also at Sparta, there was a painting of Limos (as mentioned above) at the temple of Apollo^[12] "in the form of a woman"^[13] and described as "a woman pale, and emaciated, with her hands tied behind her."^[14]

References

• Athenaeus, The Learned Banqueters, Volume V: Books 10.420e-11, edited and translated by S. Douglas Olson, Loeb Classical Library No. 274, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 2009. . Online version at Harvard University Press.
• Caldwell, Richard, Hesiod's Theogony, Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Company (June 1, 1987). .
• Codinus, George, De signis, Statius et Aliis spectatu dignis Constatinopoli in Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae: Georgius Codinus, edited by Immanuel Bekker, translated into Latin by Peter Lambeck, Bonn, Impensis Ed. Weberi, 1843. Internet Archive.
• Farone, Christopher, A., "Boubrôstis, Meat Eating and Comedy: Erysichthon as Famine Demon in Callimachus’ Hymn to Demeter" in Gods and Religion in Hellenistic Poetry, edited by M.A. Harder, R.F. Recruit, G.C. Walker, Peeters Publishers, 2012. .
• Gantz, Timothy, Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996. Two volumes: (Vol. 1), (Vol. 2).
• Giuseppetti, Massimo, "Two Poets for a Goddess: Callimachus’ and Philicus’ Hymns to Demeter" in Gods and Religion in Hellenistic Poetry, edited by M.A. Harder, R.F. Recruit, G.C. Walker, Peeters Publishers, 2012. .
• Grimal, Pierre, The Dictionary of Classical Mythology, Wiley-Blackwell, 1996. . Internet Archive.
• Hard, Robin (2004), The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology: Based on H.J. Rose's "Handbook of Greek Mythology", Psychology Press, 2004, . Google Books.
• Hesiod, Theogony, in Hesiod, Theogony, Works and Days, Testimonia, Edited and translated by Glenn W. Most. Loeb Classical Library No. 57. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 2018. . Online version at Harvard University Press.
• Hesiod, Works and Days, in Hesiod, Theogony, Works and Days, Testimonia, Edited and translated by Glenn W. Most. Loeb Classical Library No. 57. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 2018. . Online version at Harvard University Press.
• Hodkinson, Stephen, and Anton Powell. 1999. Sparta: new perspectives. London: Duckworth. .
• Kilarski, Marcin, Nominal Classification: A History of its Study From the Classical Period to the Present, John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2013, .
• Richer, Nicolas, "Aidōs at Sparta" in Sparta: new perspectives, edited by Stephen Hodkinson, and Anton Powell, 1999, London: Duckworth. .
• Semonides in Greek Iambic Poetry: From the Seventh to the Fifth Centuries BC, edited and translated by Douglas E. Gerber. Loeb Classical Library No. 259. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1999. Online version at Harvard University Press.
• Shpherd, R., Polyænus's Stratagems of war; translated from the original Greek, London, 1793.
• West, M. L. (1966), Hesiod: Theogony, Oxford University Press. .

Notes and References

1. 'Limos' is variously translated as 'Famine' (Hard, p. 31; Gantz, p. 10), 'Hunger' (Most, p. 21) or 'Starvation' (Caldwell, p. 40 on 212–232).
2. Grimal. s.v. Limos.
3. Caldwell, p. 42, lines 226-232, with the meanings of the names (in parentheses), as given on p. 40 on 212–232; Gantz, pp. 9 - 10; Hesiod, Theogony 226 - 232.
4. Gantz, p. 10, which notes the possible exception of Ate.
5. Farone p. 67.
6. West, p. 231 n. 227 Λιμόν. For the statue at Byzantium see Codinus, p. 60 Bekker, which mentions statues of the biblical pair of Adam and Eve as being located alongside those of Limos paired with the female Euthenia (Prosperity). For the painting at Sparta see Athenaeus, 10.452a-b [= [[Callisthenes]] FGrH 124 F 13]; Polyaenus, 2.15.
7. Hopkinson, 135.
8. West, p. 231 n. 227 Λιμόν; Hopkinson, 135; Hesiod, Works and Days 299 - 302.
9. [Semonides]
10. Giuseppetti, p. 114 n. 52.
11. Richer p. 92 - 93.
12. Richer p. 102 n. 26; West, p. 231 n. 227 Λιμόν.
13. [Athenaeus]
14. Richer p. 102 n. 26; Polyaenus, 2.15. Polyaenus is relating the same anecdote about Hippodamas as Callisthenes, and so is presumably describing the same painting, although according Polyaenus, the painting "hung in the temple of Chalcioecus", presumably referring to the sanctuary of Athena Chalkiokos at Sparta.