Myth and Reality in the Battle between the Pygmies and the Cranes in the Greek and Roman Worlds

Abstract

Ancient writers, such as Homer, Aesop, Hecataeus of Miletus, Herodotus, Aristotle, Philostratus, Pliny the Elder, Juvenal and others have often referred to the enmity and struggle between the Pygmies and the Cranes. It seems that this folk-tale was conveyed to the Greeks through Egyptian sources. Greek and Roman visual works of art depict the Pygmies fighting against the vigorous and violent attack of the birds, which in some cases was vicious. This article sets out to examine the reasons for the literary and artistic portrayals of the Battle between the Pygmies and the Cranes (Geranomachy) in the context of the migration of the cranes in the autumn from the Caucasus (Scythian plains) to Central (Equatorial) Africa. In addition, an attempt will be made to clarify whether the literary sources and visual works of art reflect myth and/or reality.