A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 47. (Nyíregyháza, 2005)
Régészet - János Makkay: The Miracle Stag in Ancient Greek mythical stories and their Indo-Iranian counterparts
Makkay János of Ares, that he kept his savage horses fastened with iron chains to their bronze manger and fed them on the flesh of unfortunate strangers {Diodoros Siculus 4.15.3.). To tame them, Heracles threw their master himself to the steeds to devour and brought the beasts with him to Mycenae (KERÉNYI 1959/ 1974. 154-156.). Boreas had two sons, two daughters, and twelve mares which are said to be able to run across a field of grain without trampling the plants. He mated with his mares. Pliny thought that these mares might stand with their hindquarters to the North Wind, and bear foals without a stallion {Pliny: Natural History IV.35 and VIII.67.). Avion. According to the Thebaid (dating from after 573) Adrastus was one of the three kings at Argos. When his sons-in-laws were chased out of Thebes, Adrastus helped organize the attack of the Seven against Thebes. Adrastus was the only survivor of the battle, thanks to the marvellous horse Ar ion: Poseidon fell in love with Erinys, and changing his form into a horse he had intercourse with her. She conceived and gave birth to a horse, which was called Arion because of its supremacy. Copreus, who was king at Haliartis, a town in Boeotia, received him from Poseidon as a gift. He gave him to Heracles when the latter stayed with him. Heracles used him to compete against Ares' son Cycnus in a horse race, and won. Then Heracles gave the foal in turn to Adrastus, and thanks to him Adrastus alone was saved from the Theban war when all the others perished {Scholiast to the II. 23. 346: WEST 2003. 53., no. 11. on p. 53., and also p. S.,Apollodorus III. vi. 6.). According to Pausanias, Demeter bore the horse Arion the sable-haired by Poseidon. Later poets hint at Arion uttering prophetic speech at the Games for Archemoros at Nemea {Propertius 2.34.37) or when Adrastus fled from the war at Thebes {Statius: Thebaid 11.442) (WEST 2003. 55.). Achilles had horses, Xanthus ('yellow') and Balius, of supernatural pedigree who are capable of speaking to him. We find the name Xanthus in the Iliad (19. 399—417) as one of these divine horses, who had a conversation with the hero: Achilleus in a clarion voice ... shouted to the horses of his father: 'Xanthus and Balius! Known to the world as foals of great Podarge! In this charge care for your driver in another way! Pull him back, I mean, to the Danaans, back to the main body of the army, once we are through with battle; this time, no leaving him there dead, like Lord Patroklus! ' To this, from under the yoke, the nimble Xanthus answered, and hung his head, so that his mane dropped forward from the yoke-pad to the ground ... 'Yes, we shall save you, this time, too, Achilles in your strength! (Cf. WEST 1997. 391.) The horses ofHippolytus. In Greek mythology, Hippolytus was a son of Theseus and Hippolyta. When he was riding in his chariot and driving beside the sea, Poseidon sent up a bull from the surf, and the horses were frightened, the chariot dashed to pieces, and Hippolytus, entangled in the reins, was dragged to death. (For the sources, see PARADA 1993. 90., s.v. Hippolytus 4.) Bukephalos, meaning ox-head, was Alexander the Great's horse. Bucephalus was supposedly a terror, unable to be ridden and devouring the flesh of all who tried. Alexander, however, managed to tame him.
