Goddess Aura: The Victim of Jealousy and Hatred in Greek Mythology
Goddess Aura was most frequently associated with the light wind more like a breeze. She was written about in both Greek and Roman mythology which makes her even more important and famous.
The Goddess lived a life full of interesting twists and events. Here we bring you a detailed account of the goddess, her origin, her friendly affairs, and her abilities.
Who Was Goddess Aura?
The goddess Aura was one of a kind goddess who did not care about anything in the world other than her beauty, looks, and friends. In addition, she was the Titans goddess of fresh air, breeze, and the early morning cool air. Later on, she had twin boys.
Family of Goddess Aura
The goddess Aura was the daughter of the Titan god Lelantos and Periboea. Both of her parents have their own interesting stories. Lelantos was one of the youngest Titans from their second generation. He was not part of Titanomachy and hence was not enslaved or killed by Zeus and his siblings.
Periboea was one of the 3000 Oceanids, water nymph daughters born to the Titans Oceanus and his sister-wife Tethys. Therefore she was also from the second generation of Titans and did not participate in the Titanomachy.
Periboea and Lelantos fell in love and bore only one child named Aura. Aura lived and grew up in Phrygia which was known to house many important gods and goddesses from different times and ages.
Aura had no siblings so she made a lot of allies and friends in Phrygia. Some poets regarded her friends as her siblings but that was not the case. She was the only daughter of Lelantos and Periboea. They gave her full liberty to be who she was and never let anyone discourage her free nature and breezy personality.
Physical Features of Goddess Aura
Goddess Aura was regarded as the most beautiful deity in all of Phrygia. Her beauty was unmatchable. She was the daughter of a Titan and a water nymph, she was bound to have the most beautiful physical features. According to the literature, Aura wore beautiful flowy dresses that complimented her breezy personality, she had a peaceful heart.
She had the whitest skin and the sharpest yet elegant features. She had the most extended blond hair which complimented her skin very well. However, she always carried a bow with her because she was a fierce hunter, this was one of her skills and it also showed bravery in different ways. To elaborate the latter further, her sacred animal is a wild bear because of her wild tendency to stay among nature and spend time with the animals.
Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that her symbols are billowing garments because she wore such clothes and was always running around like the wind, additionally, Aura was also very proud of her origin and looks. She had no idea that this pride would cost her dignity and life.
Characteristics of Goddess Aura
Goddess Aura was the goddess of a gentle breeze and cool fresh morning winds. She could control and manifest the winds in each of the directions. She was also a very good huntress and loved running in the wild with the bears. She also prides herself on being a virgin and the purity of her body.
She was unlike the normal girls of her age in Phrygia, she was herself, finding joy and grace in her beauty. Many people criticized her openness and boldness to her parents, Periboea and Lelantos but they did not care. As she was their only child, they wanted her to live her life to the fullest without a care in the world and so she did. She did not care much about the people’s words and was a free soul, free like the breeze.
She was a very close friend and a companion of the Greek goddess Artemis and that is why she was called her maiden. The latter is why combining her wind-manipulating abilities and maiden-ship, she was very famously referred to as Aura the Windmaid. This name came from the help of Artemis.
As she was very accomplished in chores and the basic art of living, she frequently used to teach her friends and other children in Phrygia. Her teachings were very far spread which made her even more famous and friends with all kinds of people, especially the passing travelers.
Aura and Artemis
The biggest tragedy and sadness in the story of Aura was her friendship with Artemis. Even though they were good friends before, it didn’t last long. This friendship led to the decline of Aura and her precious breezy nature. It all started because of jealousy and ultimate betrayal and revenge from Artemis’ side.
One day, Artemis and Aura were taking a walk in the forest like they usually did. As Aura was a bold soul, she did not shy away from stating the facts. The pair were talking about their bodies and how they transform over time. The conversation led to a dark point where Aura made fun of Artemis’s body.
According to Aura, her body was very young and beautiful because she is still a virgin and when Artemis claimed the same, Aura replied that Artemis’s body was too womanish for her to be a virgin. She mocked her looks, physical appearance, and purity all at once. This angered Artemis.
Artemis and Her Revenge
Artemis left Aura in the forest and wet back. She was very furious and wanted revenge. She was young blood so the idea that came to her mind was very obnoxious and cruel but she did not care. She called Dionysus, who was a nature god of fruition, vegetation, winemaking, and ecstasy.
It is vital to note that she asked Dionysus to rape Aura and strip her virginity off her. Dionysus agreed to the filthy act and raped Aura in the forest. However, Aura had to lay in there with her pride snatched away from her, because she wasn’t conscious of the moment and what had happened. She did not understand what happened to her body in addition to the notion to why she was subjected to such horrors.
Dionysus impregnated her with twin boys. She did not plan on keeping any of them or even remaining alive herself. Somehow time passed and she went into labor. She gave birth to two healthy twin boys which she put in front of a lioness to eat but the lioness refused. She killed one of the boys herself and threw the other one away.
Death of Aura
After losing her pride and joy to Dionysus and having killed her child, Aura had no will to live. She drowned herself in the nearest river which was the river Sangarios. She died in the river but her story was not finished there and then. Zeus was watching all of her life from Mount Olympus.
After she drowned herself, Zeus turned her body into a stream, her breasts became spouts of falling water, and her hair became flowers. Every part of her being became something and she became part of the river.
Her death is one of the most tragic deaths in all of Greek mythology and rightfully so. Nevertheless, she got a very beautiful afterlife as being s stream and flowing like her breezy nature and personality. The luminous goddess was laid to rest in the river Sangarios.
Legacy of Aura the Windmaid
As explained above, Aura bore twin children, a set of twin boys. One of the boys was killed by Aura before she drowned herself in the river and the other boy survived. He outlived Aura and Dionysus, and his name was Iacchus.
Iacchus was a minor deity in Greek mythology and was a part of the cult of Eleusinian mysteries. This was the last surviving memory of Aura in the world and also her legacy. Iacchus never blamed Aura, his mother for leaving him like this and killing his brother because he knew the tragedy she went through.
Aura in the Writings of Nonnus and Ovid
Other than Homer and Hesiod, Nonnus was another epic poet who wrote about the minor deities of Greek mythology. His work is not very well-known or credited because he wrote about the lesser-known deities that didn’t play any role or participated in the infamous succession war, Titanomachy, or any other wars in Greek mythology. However, this does not in any way mean that they lived a simple life.
Ovid on the other hand was an ancient Roman poet who wrote some of the most well-known epics of Roman mythology. He is regarded as one of the three best Latin writers and rightfully so. His works portray exceptional details and are all very beautifully written and explained.
Both of these writers had written about Aura in their works. In Roman mythology, Aura was translated to Aurora. These works are the only source of information about the Goddess because she is not part of any stories written by Hesiod, Homer, or any other Greek or Roman poets.
FAQ
Who Was Artemis in the Greek Mythology?
Artemis was the Greek goddess of the wilderness, vegetation, wild animals, nature, fruition, chastity, and childbirth. She was the daughter of the Olympian god Zeus and goddess Leto. She was a very well-known goddess but her jealous nature made her commit a heinous crime against Goddess Aura of Phrygia.
Who Is the Roman Equivalent of Dionysus?
Bacchus was the Roman equivalent of Dionysus. Both were the gods of winemaking, vegetation, fruition, and ecstasy so they had a lot in common. The Romas celebrated their god Bacchus in annual festivities. They also formed a very famous but controversial cult named Bacchanalia that was shut down by the government for various illegal activities in the region.
Conclusions
Goddess Aura was the Greek god of wind and morning breeze. She was talked about in the works of Nonnus, the Greek poet, and Ovid, the Roman poet. The life of Goddess Aura went through a great tragedy which ultimately led to her death. Following are the points that will summarize the life and death of Goddess Aura in Greek mythology.
- Goddess Aura was the only daughter of the second generation Titan god, Lelantus, and one of the 3000 Oceanids born to Oceanus and Tethys, Periboea. She was very loved and cared for by her parents. They all lived in the famous city of Phrygia.
- She was a minor deity herself and was the goddess of the wind. She could manipulate the direction of the wind according to her liking. She was a free spirit and loved to spend time in the forest along with the animals who she had befriended since her childhood.
- Aura was the maiden of Artemis and a friend. Aura made fun of Artemis’s body which left her furious. Artemis ordered Dionysus to rape Aura and strip her virginity and pride of her and so he did. Aura was impregnated with twins, one of them Iacchus survived, and the other one was killed by Aura.
- Aura died by drowning in the river Sanagarios. Zeus transformed her body and made it into a stream and her hair became flowers. This was the resting place of the Goddess Aura.
In all of Greek mythology history, Goddess Aura had a very sad and disturbing ending. Nonnus and Ovid explain this tragedy in a very heart-touching manner in their poems. Here we come to the end of the article about the Goddess Aura. We hope you find all that you were looking for.
