Damasen

In Nonnus's epic poem the ''Dionysiaca'', '''Damasen''' ({{langx|grc|Δαμασῆν|Damasên}}, derived from ''damazô'' or ''damasô'' "to subdue") is a Lydian giant. He is the son of Gaia (the Earth),<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Nonnus|first=of Panopolis|title=Dionysiaca|date=1940|publisher=Harvard University Press|others=W. H. D. Rouse|isbn=0-674-99379-9|location=Cambridge, Mass.|oclc=685107}}</ref> and was nursed by Eris, the goddess of discord.<ref name=":0" /> The story of Damasen is only recounted by the late antiquity epic poet Nonnus in his poem, and he does not appear in any other text of the ancient Greek and Roman corpus.

== ''Dionysiaca'' == At birth, Damasen was born with a spear and had a thick hairy beard that covered his chin.<ref name=":0" /> Due to his large stature, he was described as "warlike".<ref name=":0" /> In his childhood, he wielded lances and spears. The Greek goddess of childbirth, Eileithyia, bestowed him with a shield.<ref name=":0" />

When the hero Tylon or Tylus ('knot' or 'phallus') was fatally bitten by a poisonous serpent, his sister Moria appealed to Damasen to avenge her brother.<ref name=":0" /> Damasen agreed to avenge Tylus and pulled a tree out of the ground to fight the serpent.<ref name=":0" /> The serpent fought back by wrapping itself around Damasen and spitting poison into his face.<ref name=":0" /> Despite the attack, the giant threw the serpent off of him and brought down the tree he was holding.<ref name=":0" /> The tree collided with the serpent's head before it sunk its roots into the ground, taking the serpent into the ground with it.<ref name=":0" />

Another serpent, a female one, then fetched 'the flower of Zeus' from the woods, which was a painkilling herb.<ref name=":0" /> She laid it on the lips of the dead serpent, bringing it to life. Moria saw this and also got the flower of Zeus to bring to her dead brother, Tylus.<ref name=":0" /> The flower brought him back to life as he stood up again on both his feet.<ref name=":0" />

== See also == {{portal|Mythology|Ancient Greece}}

* Glaucus * Porphyrion * Picolous * Orion

== Notes == {{reflist}}

== References == * Nonnus of Panopolis, ''Dionysiaca'' translated by William Henry Denham Rouse (1863-1950), from the Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 1940. [https://topostext.org/work/529 Online version at the Topos Text Project.] * Nonnus of Panopolis, ''Dionysiaca. 3 Vols.'' W.H.D. Rouse. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1940-1942. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0485 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].

== External links == * [https://www.theoi.com/Gigante/GiganteDamasen.html DAMASEN from The Theoi Project]

Category:Greek giants Category:Children of Gaia