Dolos

In Greek mythology, Dolos or Dolus (Ancient Greek: Δόλος "Deception") is the spirit of trickery and guile. He is also a master at cunning deception, craftiness, and treachery. He was the son of Gaia (Earth) and Aether (Hyginus, Fabulae Theogony 3)[1] or Erebus and Nyx (Cicero, De Natura Deorum).[2]

Dolos is an apprentice of the Titan Prometheus and a companion of the Pseudea (Lies).[citation needed] His female counterpart is Apate, who is the goddess of fraud and deception. His Roman equivalent is Mendacius. There are even some stories of Dolos tricking gods into lies.

Genealogy
Hyginus' account

Pseudo-Hyginus:

From Aether (Air) and Terra (Earth) [Gaia] [were born] : Dolor (Pain), Dolus (Guile), Ira (Anger), Luctus (Lamentation), Mendacium (Lies), Jusjurandum (Oath), Ultio (Vengeance), Intemperantia (Intemperance), Altercatio (Altercation), Oblivio (Forgetfulness), Socordia (Sloth), Timor (Fear), Superbia (Pride), Incestum (Incest), Pugna (Combat).[1]

Cicero's account

Cicero, De Natura Deorum:[2]

"Their [Aether and Hemera's] brothers and sisters, whom the ancient genealogists name Amor (Love), Dolus (Guile), Metus (Fear), Labor (Toil), Invidentia (Envy), Fatum (Fate), Senectus (Old Age), Mors (Death), Tenebrae (Darkness), Miseria (Misery), Querella (Complaint), Gratia (Favour), Fraus (Fraud), Pertinacia (Obstinacy), the Parcae (Fates), the Hesperides, the Somnia (Dreams) : all of these are fabled to be the children of Erebus (Darkness) and Nox (Night) [Nyx].

Mythology

Dolos became known for his skill when he attempted to make a fraudulent copy statue of Aletheia (Veritas), in order to trick people into thinking they were seeing the real statue.[3] He ran out of the clay he was using to create the statue, and had to leave the feet unfinished as he quaked in fear while his skill-master looked over his attempt at deceitfulness. To his surprise, Prometheus was rather amazed at the similarity between the statues, so Dolos then became a master at his crafty and tricky ways.

Aesop, Fables:[4]

Prometheus, that potter who gave shape to our new generation, decided one day to sculpt the form of Veritas (Truth) [Aletheia], using all his skill so that she would be able to regulate people's behaviour. As he was working, an unexpected summons from mighty Jupiter [Zeus] called him away. Prometheus left cunning Dolus (Trickery) in charge of his workshop, Dolus had recently become one of the god's apprentices. Fired by ambition, Dolus (Trickery) used the time at his disposal to fashion with his sly fingers a figure of the same size and appearance as Veritas (Truth) [Aletheia] with identical features. When he had almost completed the piece, which was truly remarkable, he ran out of clay to use for her feet. The master returned, so Dolus (Trickery) quickly sat down in his seat, quaking with fear. Prometheus was amazed at the similarity of the two statues and wanted it to seem as if all the credit were due to his own skill. Therefore, he put both statues in the kiln and when they had been thoroughly baked, he infused them both with life: sacred Veritas (Truth) walked with measured steps, while her unfinished twin stood stuck in her tracks. That forgery, that product of subterfuge, thus acquired the name of Mendacium [Pseudologos, Falsehood], and I readily agree with people who say that she has no feet: every once in a while something that is false can start off successfully, but with time Veritas (Truth) is sure to prevail. [N.B. This Greek fable is preserved in a Roman compilation so the names have been translated into Latin. Dolos, however, remains Dolus in Latin.]

Notes

Hyginus, Fabulae Preface
Cicero, De Natura Deorum 3.17
Moshe Idel, "Golem: Jewish Magical and Mystical Traditions On the Artificial Anthropoid". p. 4.

Aesop, Fables 530 (from Phaedrus Appendix 5) (trans. Gibbs)

References

Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
Marcus Tullius Cicero, Nature of the Gods from the Treatises of M.T. Cicero translated by Charles Duke Yonge (1812-1891), Bohn edition of 1878. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
Marcus Tullius Cicero, De Natura Deorum. O. Plasberg. Leipzig. Teubner. 1917. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.

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Ancient Greek deities by affiliation
Primordial
deities

Achlys Aether Aion/Chronos Ananke Chaos Erebus Eros/Phanes Gaia Hemera Nyx The Ourea Pontus/Thalassa Tartarus Uranus Fates
Atropos Clotho Lachesis

Titan
deities
Titanes (male)

Coeus Crius Cronus Hyperion Iapetus Oceanus

Titanides (female)

Dione Mnemosyne Phoebe Rhea Tethys Theia Themis

Children of Hyperion

Eos Helios Selene

Children of Coeus

Asteria Leto

Children of Crius

Astraeus Pallas Perses

Children of Iapetus

Atlas Epimetheus Menoetius Prometheus

Olympian
deities
Dodekatheon

Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Athena Demeter Dionysus Hephaestus Hera Hermes Hestia Poseidon Zeus

Theoi Olympioi

Asclepius Eileithyia Enyo Eris Iris Harmonia Hebe Heracles Paean Pan

Mousai (Muses)

Daughters of Zeus
Calliope Clio Euterpe Erato Melpomene Polyhymnia Terpsichore Thalia Urania Daughters of Apollo
Apollonis Borysthenis Cephisso Boeotian Muses
Aoide Melete Mneme Muses of the Lyre
Hypate Mese Nete Muses at Sicyon
Polymatheia

Charites (Graces)

Aglaea Antheia Euphrosyne Hegemone Pasithea Thalia

Horae (Hours)

Dike Eirene Eunomia

Children of Styx

Bia Kratos Nike Zelos

Aquatic
deities
Sea Gods

Amphitrite Benthesikyme Brizo Calypso Ceto Eurybia Glaucus The Ichthyocentaurs Leucothea Melicertes Nereus Nerites The Nesoi Oceanus Phorcys Pontus/Thalassa Poseidon Proteus Rhodos Tethys Thaumas Thetis Triton

Oceanids

Acaste Admete Amalthea Asia Callirrhoe Ceto Clytie Dione Dodone Doris Electra Eurynome Idyia Melia (consort of Apollo) Melia (consort of Inachus) Metis Perse Pleione Plouto Styx Telesto Zeuxo

Nereides

Amphitrite Arethusa Dynamene Galatea Galene Psamathe Thetis

Potamoi

Achelous Almo Alpheus Anapos Asopus Asterion Axius Caanthus Cebren Cephissus Clitumnus Enipeus Kladeos Meander Nilus Numicus Phyllis Peneus Rivers of the Underworld
Acheron Cocytus Eridanos Lethe Phlegethon Styx Sangarius Scamander Simoeis Strymon

Naiads

Aegina Achiroe Aganippe The Anigrides Argyra Bistonis Bolbe Caliadne Cassotis Castalia Cleocharia Creusa Daphne Drosera Harpina The Ionides Ismenis Larunda Lilaea Liriope Melite Metope Minthe Moria Nana Nicaea Orseis Pallas Pirene Salmacis Stilbe The Thriae
Corycia Kleodora Melaina Tiasa

Chthonic
deities
Theoi Chthonioi

Angelos Gaia Hades Hecate The Lampads Macaria Melinoë Persephone Zagreus

Erinyes (Furies)

Alecto Megaera Tisiphone

Earthborn

Cyclopes Gigantes Hecatonchires Kouretes Meliae Telchines Typhon

Apotheothenai

Trophonius Triptolemus Orpheus Aeacus Minos Rhadamanthus

Personifications
Children of Eris

Algos Amphillogiai The Androktasiai Atë Dysnomia Horkos Hysminai Lethe Limos Machai Neikea Phonoi Ponos Pseudea Logoi

Children of Nyx

Achlys Apate Dolos Eleos Elpis Epiphron Eris Geras Hesperides Hybris Hypnos The Keres The Moirai
Atropos Clotho Lachesis Momus Moros Nemesis Oizys The Oneiroi Philotes Sophrosyne Thanatos

Children of Phorcys

Echidna The Graeae
Deino Enyo Pemphredo The Gorgones
Euryale Medusa Stheno The Sirenes
Aglaopheme Leucosia Ligeia Molpe Parthenope Peisinoe Thelxiepeia

Children of Thaumas

The Harpiae
Aello Celaeno Ocypete Podarge Iris

Children of
other gods

Aergia Aidos Alala Aletheia Angelia Arete Astraea Caerus The Younger Charites
Eucleia Eupheme Euthenia Philophrosyne Corus Deimos The Erotes
Anteros Eros Hedylogos Hermaphroditus Hymen Ersa Eupraxia Hedone Homonoia Iacchus The Litae Homonoia Peitho Phobos Tyche

Others

Adephagia Alala Alke Amechania Anaideia Alastor Apheleia The Arae Dikaiosyne Dyssebeia Eiresione Ekecheiria Eulabeia Eusebeia Gelos Heimarmene Homados Horme Ioke Kakia Koalemos Kydoimos Lyssa The Maniae Methe Nomos Palioxis Peitharchia Penia Penthus Pepromene Pheme Phrike Phthonus Poine Polemos Poros Praxidice Proioxis Prophasis Soter Soteria Thrasos

Other deities
Sky

The Anemoi The Astra Planeti
Stilbon Hesperus Phosphorus Pyroeis Phaethon Phaenon Aura Chione The Hesperides The Hyades Nephele The Pleiades
Alcyone Sterope Celaeno Electra Maia Merope Taygete

Agriculture

Aphaea Demeter Despoina Eunostus Philomelus Plutus

Health

Asclepius Aceso Epione Iaso Hygieia Paean Panacea Telesphorus

Rustic
deities

Aetna Agdistis The Alseids Amphictyonis The Anthousai Aristaeus Attis The Auloniads Britomartis The Cabeiri Comus The Dryades
Erato The Hamadryades
Chrysopeleia The Epimeliades Hecaterus Leuce Ma The Maenades The Meliae The Napaeae The Nymphai Hyperboreioi The Oreads
Adrasteia Echo Helice Iynx Nomia Oenone Pitys The Pegasides Priapus Rhapso Silenus Telete

Others

Alexiares and Anicetus Aphroditus Enyalius Palaestra

Greek Mythology

See also : Greek Mythology. Paintings, Drawings

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