Back

The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis

 Onwards

Apollodorus Library:

Peleus married Thetis, the daughter of Nereus. Zeus and Poseidon had competed for her hand, only to withdraw when Themis had prophesied that the son born to her would be more powerful than his father. It is said by some, however, that when Zeus was set on having intercourse with her, he was told by Prometheus that the son she would bear to him would become the ruler of heaven; according to others, Thetis was unwilling to have intercourse with Zeus because she had been brought up by Hera, and in his anger at this, Zeus wanted her to marry a mortal.

Now Peleus had been advised by Chiron to seize her and keep a firm grip on her; however, she changed her shape, so he lay in wait and caught hold of her, and though she changed now into fire, now into water, now into a wild beast, he never loosened his grip until she had returned to her original form.

And he married her on Mount Pelion, and the gods celebrated his wedding there with feasting and songs. Chiron gave Peleus an ashwood spear, and Poseidon gave him two horses, Balios and Xanthos, of immortal stock.

Peleus drives Thetis to the wedding in a quadriga, wearing a tunic and red-striped himation. Thetis wears a peplos, himation and red fillet. Behind the chariot stand Dionysos and Apollo, who is playing the kithara. On the far right Artemis, wearing a peplos and red fillet, holds the torches of Hymen aloft in each hand.

Attic black figure krater
c. 520 BC
Chiron, Hebe, Leto and other gods make their way to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis

Attic black figure dinos
c. 570 BC
Eris (Strife). Her name is inscribed beneath her.

Attic black figure cup
c. 560 BC
The Goddess of Discord Choosing the Apple of Contention in the Garden of the Hesperides

Joseph Mallord William Turner
1806
The wedding of Peleus and Thetis, 1636
Peter Paul Rubens
The wedding of Peleus and Thetis
Edward Burne-Jones (1833 - 1898)

To first pageTo previous pageTo next page

 

Site Map   What's New   Search