Iapetus

In Greek mythology, Iapetus (/aɪˈæpɪtəs/)[1] (also Japetus (Ancient Greek: Ἰαπετός

Iapetus
Iapetos))[2] was a Titan, the son of Uranus and Gaia[3][4][5][6] and father of Atlas,
Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius. He was also called the father of Buphagus[7] Member of the Titans
and Anchiale[8] in other sources. Abode Tartarus
Battles Titanomachy
Iapetus has been equated with Japheth (‫ )יֶפֶת‬the son of Noah as the progenitor of mankind
Personal information
based on the similarity of their names and the tradition. Iapetus was linked to Japheth by
17th-century theologian Matthew Poole,[9] Robert Graves,[10] and John Pairman Parents Uranus and Gaia
Brown.[11] Siblings Titans
Coeus
Crius
Contents Cronus

Mythology Hyperion

Genealogy Oceanus
Mnemosyne
Notes
Phoebe
References
Rhea
Tethys
Mythology Theia

Iapetus ("the Piercer") is the one Titan mentioned by Homer in the Iliad as being in Themis
Tartarus with Cronus. He is a brother of Cronus, who ruled the world during the Golden Hekatonkheires
Age[12]. Briareos
Cottus
Iapetus' wife is usually described as a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys named either
Gyges
Clymene (according to Hesiod[13] and Hyginus) or Asia (according to Pseudo-
Apollodorus). Cyclopes
Arges
In Hesiod's Works and Days Prometheus is addressed as "son of Iapetus", and no mother Brontes
is named. However, in Hesiod's Theogony, Clymene is listed as Iapetus' wife and the
Steropes
mother of Prometheus. In Aeschylus's play Prometheus Bound, Prometheus is son of the
Other siblings
goddess Themis with no father named (but still with at least Atlas as a brother). However,
in Horace's Odes, in Ode 1.3 Horace writes "audax Iapeti genus ... Ignem fraude mala Gigantes
gentibus intulit" ("The bold offspring of Iapetus [i.e. Prometheus] ... brought fire to Erinyes (the Furies)
peoples by wicked deceit"). Meliae

The sons of Iapetus were sometimes regarded as mankind's ancestors, and as such some of Consort Asia or Clymene
humanity's worst qualities were said to have been inherited from these four gods, each of Offspring Atlas, Prometheus,
whom were described with a particular moral fault that often led to their own downfall. Epimetheus, Menoetius,
For instance, sly and clever Prometheus could perhaps represent crafty scheming; the Anchiale
inept and guileless Epimetheus, foolish stupidity; the enduring, strongest and powerful
Atlas, excessive daring; and the arrogant Menoetius, rash violence.[14]

Genealogy
Iapetus's family tree [15]

Uranus Gaia Pontus

Oceanus Tethys Hyperion Theia Crius Eurybia

The Rivers The Oceanids Helios Selene [16] Eos Astraeus Pallas Perses
 Cronus Rhea Coeus Phoebe

Hestia Hera Hades Zeus Leto Asteria

Demeter Poseidon

IAPETUS Clymene (or Asia) [17] Themis (Zeus) Mnemosyne

Atlas [18] Menoetius Prometheus [19] Epimetheus The Horae The Muses

Notes
1. Wells, John (14 April 2010). "Iapetus and tonotopy" (http://phonetic-blog.blogspot.com/2010/04/iapetus-and-tonoto
py.html). John Wells's phonetic blog. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
2. Of uncertain etymology; R. S. P. Beekes has suggested a pre-Greek origin (Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Brill,
2009, pp. 573–4).
3. Hesiod, Theogony, 135 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Aca
rd%3D104).
4. Diodorus Siculus. Bibliotheca historica, 5.66.3 (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Sic
ulus/5D*.html#66.3)
5. Clement of Alexandria. Recognitions, 31 (http://www.theoi.com/Text/ClementRecognitions.html#31)
6. Pseudo-Apollodorus. Bibliotheca, 1.1.3 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.
01.0022%3Atext%3DLibrary%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D1%3Asection%3D3)
7. Pausanias. Description of Greece, 8.27.17 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1
999.01.0160%3Abook%3D8%3Achapter%3D27%3Asection%3D17)
8. Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. s. v. Anchiale
9. Matthew Poole, Commentary on the Holy Bible (1685), vol.1, 26
10. Robert Graves, The Greek Myths vol. 1 p. 146
11. John Pairman Brown, Israel and Hellas (1995), 82
12. Homer. Iliad, 8.478–481 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hom.+Il.+8.478&fromdoc=Perseus%3Ate
xt%3A1999.01.0134:book=8&highlight=Iapetus)
13. Hesiod. Theogony, 507 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Aca
rd%3D507)
14. Smiley, Charles N. "Hesiod as an Ethical and Religious Teacher", The Classical Journal, vol. XVII, 1922; pg. 514
15. Hesiod, Theogony 132–138 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+132), 337–411 (http://www.
perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+337), 453–520 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.
+Th.+453), 901–906, 915–920 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+901); Caldwell, pp. 8–11,
tables 11–14.
16. Although usually the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, as in Hesiod, Theogony 371–374 (http://www.perseus.tufts.
edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+371), in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes (4), 99–100 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/
hopper/text?doc=HH+4+99&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0138), Selene is instead made the daughter
of Pallas the son of Megamedes.
17. According to Hesiod, Theogony 507–511 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+507),
Clymene, one of the Oceanids, the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys, at Hesiod, Theogony 351 (http://www.perse
us.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+351), was the mother by Iapetus of Atlas, Menoetius, Prometheus, and
Epimetheus, while according to Apollodorus, 1.2.3 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atex
t%3A1999.01.0022%3Atext%3DLibrary%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D2%3Asection%3D3), another Oceanid,
Asia was their mother by Iapetus.
18. According to Plato, Critias, 113d–114a (http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0059.tlg032.perseus-e
ng1:113d), Atlas was the son of Poseidon and the mortal Cleito.
19. In Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 18, 211, 873 (Sommerstein, pp. 444–445 n. 2 (http://www.loebclassics.com/vie
w/aeschylus-prometheus_bound/2009/pb_LCL145.445.xml), 446–447 n. 24 (http://www.loebclassics.com/view/ae
schylus-prometheus_bound/2009/pb_LCL145.467.xml), 538–539 n. 113 (http://www.loebclassics.com/view/aesch
ylus-prometheus_bound/2009/pb_LCL145.539.xml)) Prometheus is made to be the son of Themis.

References
Caldwell, Richard, Hesiod's Theogony, Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Company (June 1, 1987). ISBN 978-0-
941051-00-2.
Clement of Alexandria, Recognitions from Ante-Nicene Library Volume 8, translated by Smith, Rev. Thomas. T. &
T. Clark, Edinburgh. 1867. Online version at theio.com (http://www.theoi.com/Text/ClementRecognitions.html)
Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History translated by Charles Henry Oldfather. Twelve volumes. Loeb Classical
Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3.
Books 4.59–8. Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diod
orus_Siculus/home.html)
Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B.
G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888-1890. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/
hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0540).
Hesiod, Theogony from The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White,
Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. Online version at the Perseus
Digital Library. (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Acard%3D1)
Greek text available from the same website (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.
0129).
Hesiod, Works and Days from The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-
White, Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. Online version at the
Perseus Digital Library. (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0128) Greek text
available from the same website (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0131).
Homer, The Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard
University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. (http://ww
w.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0134)
Homer. Homeri Opera in five volumes. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1920. Greek text available at the Perseus
Digital Library (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0133).
Homeric Hymn to Hermes (4), in The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G.
Evelyn-White, Cambridge, Massachusetts., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library (http://data.perseus.org/texts/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0013.tlg004.perseus-
eng1).
Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A.,
in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. Online version at
the Perseus Digital Library (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+1.1.1)
Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0159).
Pseudo-Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2
Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. Online version at the
Perseus Digital Library. (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022) Greek text
available from the same website (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021).
Stephanus of Byzantium, Stephani Byzantii Ethnicorum quae supersunt, edited by August Meineike (1790-1870),
published 1849. A few entries from this important ancient handbook of place names have been translated by
Brady Kiesling. Online version at the Topos Text Project. (https://topostext.org/work/241)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iapetus&oldid=937217801"

This page was last edited on 23 January 2020, at 17:37 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.