Salmacis

Ersan (Greek Σαλμακίς, latin Salmacis ) is a figure from Greek mythology, a nymph, the only one of the Naiads (according to Ovid ) not the Diana appears to belong. According to mythology, it was combined with the Hermaphroditos into a single bi-sexual beings. Ersan is also the name of the source, to have lived in the Salmacis.

Independence of Salmacis

The most popular version of this myth comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses. Here is told why Ersan is not counted to Diana, goddess of the hunt, following and why they occupied a special position among the nymphs. It says in lines 302-315:

Ersan thus separated themselves before their encounter with the Hermes son of her companions from and was vain and smug.

Tradition of Hermaphroditos history

On his way from his home where he grew up on Mount Ida in Phrygia, after Halicarnassus in Caria Hermaphroditos meets Ersan. This took him for Cupid and immediately falls passionately in love with him. However, the fifteen year old Hermaphroditos rejects. However, when he was bathing at a later date once accidentally in their source, they hugged him and pulled him into the deep, to the bottom.

In Ovid, this is described as follows:

Here they prayed to the gods that they both like to be together forever. It was answered, and it merged the two bodies. It was a cross between them, which, however, had male genitalia size and female breasts. This new entity, also called Hermaphroditos, now prayed that all people who bathed in this source, this fate befell. Hermaphroditos parents Hermes and Aphrodite responded to this request, and the source was transformed from now on people in hermaphrodites. However, Vitruvius certifies source a good-tasting water and denied that the water makes emasculated or venereal disease.

Ersan in antiquity

In the city of Halicarnassus, in the vicinity of the source of Salmacis has determined there was a district which was called as the nymph. There was also a Hermaphroditos sanctuary. The name of the Salmacis comes from the small Asian linguistic heritage. The story in which Hermaphroditos meets Ersan, is only a secondary, young legend of the young son of the gods. Maybe it's an invention of Ovid, who wanted to explain the shape of the Hermaphroditos.

Ersan in art and music

In ancient art, but also in Renaissance and early modern period the legend was a popular motif for artists. There were usually two styles. Either Salamakis was portrayed as pretty, amorous nymph, or rather clumsy, lecherous and ugly creature that mimics the youth.

Musically, the nymph Salmacis in " The Fountain of Salmacis " by the rock group Genesis in the album " Nursery Cryme " (1971) has been processed.

A literary treatment of the topic can be found in the novel " Middlesex " by Jeffrey Eugenides, who was honored in 2003 with the Pulitzer Prize.