Astrape And Bronte – Twin Goddesses Of Lightning And Thunder Carried God Zeus’ Thunderbolts

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - In Greek mythology Astrape and Bronte were twin goddesses of lightning and thunder. They were attendants of Zeus and responsible for carrying his powerful and dangerous thunderbolts.

From previously published articles on Ancient Pages we know that Zeus, the Greek god of order, law and justice was the Master of Thunderbolt.

As the most powerful god of Olympian gods, he possessed a formidable weapon in form of a handgun launching a death ray, which he received from the masters of lightning - the Cyclopes, the first generation of giants in Greek mythology.

After being liberated from Tartarus, the Land of the Dead where they were imprisoned, they bestowed Zeus with the craft of generating thunderbolts. It was their gift of gratitude, and the thunderbolt became a symbol of Zeus.

Zeus used his thunderbolts frequently, sometimes to cause fear, and other occasions to kill.

Interestingly, the first generation of the Cyclopes were named Brontes (thunderer), Sterops (lightener) and Arges (thunderbolt). They were monstrous children of Gaia, Mother Earth and Uranus (Ouranos) means ‘sky’. It is very possible that the later accounts of twin goddesses Astrape and Bronte were a personification of the first generation of giants who had similar names.

According to Philostratus of Lemnos (c. 190 – c. 230 AD, a Greek sophist of the Roman imperial period who was also known as Philostratus the Elder, Astrape And Bronte had a very frightening appearance. On an ancient Greek painting depicting the death of God Semele, there was an account describing the twin goddess, as follows:

"Bronte (Thunder), stern of face, and Astrape (Lightning), flashing light from her eyes, and raging fire from heaven that has laid hold of a king’s house, suggest the following tale, if it is one you know. A cloud of fire encompassing Thebes breaks into the dwelling of Kadmos as Zeus comes wooing Semele; and Semele apparently is destroyed, but Dionysos is born, by Zeus, so I believe, in the presence of the fire.

Astrape and Bronte can perhaps be best described as mythical female warriors, similar to the shieldmaidens we are familiar with from Norse mythology. It should be added though that archaeologists have proven the existence of Norse shieldmaidens, but Astrape and Bronte still remain two mythological characters.

In the Apulian vase painting, Astrape stands beside the throne of Zeus bearing the armaments of the sky-god. She also wields a torch and is a crowned with a shining aureole. Credit: Public domain

There is not much information about the Greek goddesses of lightening and thunder. In Homer's epic poems Iliad and Odyssey, Astrape and Bronte appear as two wonderful horses of Helios.

"Among the immortals who give good gifts to men, there is no one more kind than Helios, the bestower of light and heat. Every morning when the Dawn with her rosy fingers illumes the eastern sky, good Helios rises from his golden couch, and rom their pasture calls his milk-white steeds.

See also:

Hermes – Messenger Of The Gods, Divine Trickster, Patron Of Merchants And Thieves In Greek Mythology

Hades – ‘The Unseen’ God Of The Dead, Fertility, Wealth And Earth’s Minerals

Athena – Goddess Of Wisdom Delivered Punishments And Gifts

More Myths And Legends

By name he calls them— " 'Eos, Æthon, Bronté, Astrape!' "Each hears his master's voice, and comes obedient. Then about their bright manes and his own yellow locks he twines wreaths of sweet-smelling flowers,—amaranths and daffodils and asphodels from the heavenly gardens. And the Hours come and harness the steeds to the burning sun-car, and put the reins into Helios Hyperion's hands.

He mounts to his place, he speaks,—and the winged team soars upward into the morning air; and all earth's children awake, and give thanks to the ruler of the Sun for the new day which smiles down upon them. “

Written by Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com

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