Orion in Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
（Ὀρίων,) a son of Hyrieus, of Ilyria, in Boeotia, a very
handsome giant and hunter, and said to have been called by
the Boeotians Candaon. (Hom. Od. 11.309; Strab. ix. p.404;
Tzetz. ad Lyc. 328.) Once he came to Chios (Ophiusa), and
fell in love with Aero, or Merope, the daughter of Oenopion,
by the nymph Helice. He cleared the island from wild beasts,
and brought the spoils of the chase as presents to his
beloved; but as Oenopion constantly deferred the marriage,
Orion one day being intoxicated forced his way into the
chamber of the maiden. Oenopion now implored the assistance
of Dionysus, who caused Orion to be thrown into a deep sleep
by satyrs, in which Oenopion blinded him. Being informed by
an oracle that he should recover his sight, if he would go
towards the east and expose his eye-balls to the rays of the
rising sun, Orion following the sound of a Cyclops' hammer,
went to Lemnos, where Hephaestus gave to him Cedalion as his
guide. When afterwards He had recovered his sight, Orion
returned to Chios to take vengeance, but as Oenopion had
been concealed by his friends, Orion was unable to iind him,
and then proceeded to Crete, where he lived as a hunter with
Artemis. (Apollod. 1.4.3; Parthen. Erot. 20; Theon, ad Arat.
638 ; Hygin. Poet. Astr. 2.34.) The cause of his death,
which took place either in Crete or Chios, is differently
stated. According to some Eos, who loved Orion for his
beauty, carried him off, but as the gods were angry at this,
Artemis killed him with an arrow in Ortygia (Homrn. Od.
5.121); according to others he was beloved by Artemis, and
Apollo, indignant at his sister's affection for him,
asserted that she was unable to hit with her bow a distant
point which he showed to her in the sea. She thereu:pon took
aim, and hit it, but the point was the head of Orion, who
had been swimming in the sea. (hygin. 1. c.; Ov. Fast.
5.537.) A third account states that he harboured an improper
love for Artemis, that he challenged her to a game of
discus, or that he violated Upis, on which account Artemis
shot him, or sent a monstrous scorpion which killed him.
(Serv. ad Aen. 1.539 ; Hor. Carm. 2.4.72; Apollod. 1.4.5.) A
fourth account, lastly, states that he boasted he would
conquer every animal, and would clear the earth from all
wild beasts; but the earth sent forth a scerpion by which He
was killed. (Ov. Fast. 5.539, &c.) Asclepius wanted to
recall him to life. but was slain by Zeus with a flash of
lighting. [ASCLEPIUS.] The accounts of his parentage and
birth-place are varying in the different writers, for some
call him a son of Poseidon and Euryale (Apollod, 1.4.3), and
others say that He was born of the earth, or a son of
Oenopion. (Serv. ad Aen. 1.539, 10.763.) He is further
called a Theban, or Taiagraean, but probably because Hyria,
his native place, sometimes belonged to Tanagra, and
sometimes to Thebes. (Hygin. Poet. Astr. 2.34; Paus. 9.20 §
3; Strab. ix. p.404.) After his death, Orion was placed
amniong the stars (Hom. Il. 18.486, &c., 22.29, Od. 5.274),
where he appears as a giant with a girdle, sword, a lion's
skin and a club. As the rising and setting of the
constellation of Orion was believed to be accompanied by
storms and rain, he is often called imbrifer, nimbosus, or
aquosus. His tomb was shown at Tanagra. (Paus. 9.20.3.) - A
Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology,
William Smith, Ed.
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