Dione

Διώνη

The Mother Goddess

Dione was a resident of Mount Olympos and even though she was not one of the twelve Olympians, she was honored by Zeus and the other Immortals. Dione was only mentioned several times in the ancient Greek texts but there is no doubt she was held in the highest esteem. Dione could heal the other Immortals with just the touch of her hands.

Dione was called Mother by Aphrodite (goddess of love), which is significant because Aphrodite is a very ancient goddess. Aphrodite was created from the blood of Ouranos (Heavens) as it mixed with the foam of the sea. In the chronology of the Greek Immortals, Ge (Earth) was the second Immortal to come into existence and Ouranos was Ge's son ... that would mean that Aphrodite is older than Dione. For Aphrodite to refer to Dione as Mother might be interpreted as a sincere gesture of respect.

In the Iliad by Homer, Dione tended Aphrodite's wounded wrist after she was stabbed by the Achaian hero Diomedes. He had been infused with vigor and boldness by the goddess Athene and told to avoid all Immortals on the battlefield except Aphrodite ... Athene told Diomedes to attack Aphrodite if he saw her.

Aphrodite's son Aineias was in danger of being killed, so Aphrodite swooped into the fighting and tried to shield Aineias with her robe. At that moment, Diomedes lunged at the goddess and wounded her on the wrist. Aphrodite was assisted from the battlefield by the goddess Iris. They mounted the chariot of Ares, god of war, and flew to Mount Olympos. Once she reached the sacred mountain, Aphrodite went to Dione.

Dione wiped away the oozing ikhor from Aphrodite's wounded wrist and tried to comfort the sobbing goddess. Dione sought to make Aphrodite realize that even though she was immortal, she was still subject to pain and injury. When Dione spoke to Aphrodite, she revealed priceless information about the vulnerabilities of the Immortals. Ikhor was the juice, not blood, that flows in the veins of the gods.

First, Dione told Aphrodite how Ares had once been bound and held prisoner by the gigantic brothers, Ephialtes and Otos. They confined Ares inside a brass cauldron for thirteen months ... Ares would have died if Eeriboia, the stepmother of Ephialtes and Otos, had not alerted Hermes, who rescued Ares.

Also, Dione told Aphrodite that Herakles had done harm to the goddess Hera as well as Hades (lord of the dead). Hera had been struck in the right breast with a tri-barbed arrow by Herakles and Hades was wounded in the shoulder by an arrow from Herakles's bow.

Dione remains one of the more mysterious Greek goddesses. It has been suggested that she is the personification of a more ancient Mother Goddess (Goddess of the Oak from Asia Minor) and that the Greeks simply adopted her into their pantheon. Regardless, we know without doubt that Dione was an honored resident of Mount Olympos at the time of Trojan War, i.e. 1250 BCE.

Dione in the Iliad

(listed by book and line from four different translations)

Richmond Lattimore

Iliad—book 5, line 371—... and now bright Aphrodite fell at the knees of her mother, Dione, who gathered her daughter into her arms' fold and stroked her with her hand and called her by name ...
Iliad—book 5, line 381—Dione the shining among the divinities answered Aphrodite saying, 'Have patience, my child, and endure it, though you be saddened. For many of us who have our homes on Olympos endure things from men, when ourselves we inflict hard pain on each other. ...'
Iliad—book 5, line 416—She (Dione) spoke, and with both hands stroked away from her (Aphrodite's) arm the ichor, so that the arm was made whole again and the strong pains rested.

Loeb Classical Library

book 5, line 370—... the fair Aphrodite flung herself on the knees of her mother Dione. She clasped her daughter in her arms, and stroked her with her hand and spoke to her ...
Iliad—book 5, line 381—To her (Aphrodite) then made answer Dione, the fair goddess: "Be of good heart, my child, and endure for all your suffering; for many of us who have dwellings on Olympus have suffered at the hands of men, while bringing grievous woes on one another. ..."
Iliad—book 5, line 416—She (Dione) spoke, and with both her hands wiped the ichor from the arm (of Aphrodite); the arm was restored, and the grievous pains assuaged.

Robert Fagles

Iliad—book 5, line 417—The deathless Aphrodite sank in Dione's lap and her mother, folding her daughter in her arms, stroked her gently and whispered her name ...
Iliad—book 5, line 431—Dione the light and loveliest of immortals tried to calm her (Aphrodite): "Patience, oh my child. Bear up now, despite your heartsick grief. How many gods who hold the halls of Olympus have had to endure such wounds from mortal men, whenever we try to cause each other pain ..."
Iliad—book 5, line 477—Soothing words, and with both her hands Dione gently wiped the ichor from Aphrodite's arm and her wrist healed at once, her stark pain ebbed away.

Robert Fitzgerald

Iliad—book 5, line 426—In Diônê's lap Aphrodítê sank down, and her dear mother held and caressed her, whispering in her ear ...
Iliad—book 5, line 440—Then said Diônê, the loveliest of goddesses: "There, child, patience, even in such distress. Many of us who live upon Olympos have taken hurt from men, and hurt each other.
Iliad—book 5, line 477—Diônê soothed her, wiped away the ichor with both hands from Aphrodítê's palm—already throbbing less, already healing.

Other References in Classical Literature

Theogony

line 17—Fair Dione is mentioned as one of the goddesses praised by the Muses with song and dance.

Hymn to Delian Apollon

line 93—Dione was one of the many goddesses who were with Leto when she was preparing to give birth to Apollon on the island of Delos.