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Anteros



Picture From Anteros by Alfred Gilbert, 1885; from the Shaftesbury Memorial in Piccadilly Circus.












In Greek mythology, Anteros (Greek: Αντέρως, Antérōs) was the god of requited love, literally "love returned" or "counter-love" and also the punisher of those who scorn love and the advances of others, or the avenger of unrequited love.

Anteros was the son of Ares and Aphrodite in Greek mythology, given to his brother Eros, who was lonely, as a playmate, the rationale being that love must be answered if it is to prosper.Physically, he is depicted as similar to Eros in every way, but with long hair and plumed butterfly wings. He has been described also as armed with either a golden club or arrows of lead.

Anteros, with Eros, was one of a host of winged love gods called Erotes, the ever-youthful winged gods of love, usually depicted as winged boys in the company of Aphrodite or her attendant goddesses.

An altar to this god was put up by the metics in Athens in commemoration of the spurned love of the metic Timagoras who was rejected by the Athenian Meles. Upon hearing Timagoras' declaration of love for him, the young man mockingly ordered him to throw himself down from the top of a tall rock. Seeing Timagoras dead, Meles repented and threw himself down from the same rock.

Describing the nature of the emotion, Plato asserts that it is the result of the great love for another person. The lover, inspired by beauty, is filled with divine love and "filling the soul of the loved one with love in return." As a result, the loved one falls in love with the lover, though the love is only spoken of as friendship. They experience pain when the two are apart, and relief when they are together, the mirror image of the lover's feelings, is Anteros, or "counter-love."

Anteros is the subject of the Shaftesbury Memorial in Piccadilly Circus, London, where he symbolises the selfless philanthropic love of the Earl of Shaftesbury for the poor. The memorial is sometimes given the name The Angel of Christian Charity and is popularly called Eros, both of which are incorrect.

Gazing down over Piccadilly Circus the naked angel statue with bow and arrows of Anteros. Built around 1893 as a monument to the philanthropic 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, it created a bit of controversy for the puritanical Christians at the time who felt it was vulgar. In an attempt to appease them it was renamed the Angel of Christian Charity.

These days it is generally referred to as Eros, the frivolous brother of Anteros.

Here's what Wikipedia says about Piccadilly Circus: "Piccadilly Circus is a famous traffic intersection and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster. Built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly (the "circus" refers to "circular open space at a street junction"), it now links directly to the theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue as well as the Haymarket, Coventry Street (onwards to Leicester Square) and Glasshouse Street. The Circus is close to major shopping and entertainment areas in a central location at the heart of the West End. Its status as a major traffic intersection has made Piccadilly Circus a busy meeting point and a tourist attraction in its own right.

The Circus is particularly know for its video display and neon signs mounted on the corner building on the northern side, as well as the Shaftesbury memorial fountain and statue known as 'Eros' (sometimes called 'The Angel of Christian Charity', which would be better translated as 'Agape', but formally 'Anteros'. It is surrounded by several noted buildings, including the London Pavilion and Criterion Theatre. Directly underneath the plaza is the London Underground station Piccadilly Circus."

The history continues: "The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain in Piccadilly Circus was erected in 1893, to commemorate the philanthropic works of Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. During the Second World War, the statue atop the Shaftesbury memorial fountain, The Angel of Christian Charity, was removed, and was replaced by advertising hoardings. It was returned in 1948. When the circus underwent reconstruction work in the late 1980s, the entire fountain was moved from the centre of the junction at the beginning of Shaftesbury Avenue to its present position at the southwestern corner."

It is popularly known as Eros after the mythical Greek God of Love, although he is intended to be Eros' twin Anteros. The statue has become a London icon, and a graphical illustration of the statue is used as the symbol of the Evening Standard newspaper and appears on its masthead.

Gilbert described Anteros as portraying 'reflective and mature love, as opposed to Eros or Cupid, the frivolous tyrant.' The model for the sculpture was a 16-year-old Italian, whose name appears to have vanished from history. The fountain, when originally placed, was meant to have Anteros pointing his bow towards Wimborne Saint Giles in Dorset, which was the Earl's country seat.

During his life-time Gilbert had already said of his sculpture 'There is more than £3,000 worth of copper. take it down, melt it, and turn it into pence and give it to the unfortunate people who nightly find a resting place on the Thames Embankment, to the everlasting shame and disgrace of the greatest metropolis in the world'."


Anteros

What voice, O vengeful Anteros, Has called thee from the seedless weald ?— Dark sower of the tares of loss Amid the foison of love's field! What mouth, O mournful Anteros, Must eat the grain the seasons yield?

Thy touch, O mortal Anteros, Has turned the sapphic laurel sere, Thy wings have cast their night across The dial of our Saturnian year, The cypress, O sad Anteros, Grew darker when thou drewest near. . . .

O lover, thy black prayer unsay, Who called on baleful Anteros! Crown thee with nettles, kneel, and lay Thy brows upon love's altar close, To the departing Eros pray Against the wrath of Anteros.
...............BY:Clark Ashton Smith


The greek word Anteros (AnqhroV) means flowered or "that who flourish every certain time", giving to the poem a reminiscence of a certain time when the "love flourishes", but for Ashton Smith in a similar decadence like Baudelaire sets out that is hate what flourishes not love; so the secret name of Anterion is Hate.


Now, W/we have heard of the statue "Anteros," let U/us now hear of a Man in modern time known to A/all online as Anteros.


The avatar of Anteros today.

There is a Man i know today who in everyway symbolizes love. A Man W/we in the chat program "Palace" know as Anteros. i know no Man who has a kinder heart then this Man, Anteros, whom i call my Master. In the dead of winter He would give the clothes off His own back to someone who needed them. If a person is in need, He is there lending a helping hand or a strong shoulder to cry upon. He knows not how to turn His back to those worthy of help. In my opinion, my Master, Anteros, carries the name of the Greek God of ancient times proudly and i personally can think of no one more deserving to carry the name Anteros than He.


Anteros (Anteros)

¿Qué voz, Oh vengativo Anteros, Te ha llamado desde la insemine extensión?— ¡Sembrador Oscuro de las cizañas de la pérdición Entre la gran cosecha del campo de amor! ¿Qué boca, Oh Anteros fúnebre, Debe comer el grano que las estaciones han producido?

Tu tacto, Oh mortal Anteros, Que ha vuelto al sáfico laurel seco, Tus alas han lanzado su noche a través Del arco estacional de nuestro año en Saturno, El ciprés, Oh triste Anteros, Ha crecido más oscuro cuando tú te has conducido tan cerca...

Oh amante, tu negra oración retracta, ¡Quién llamó al malsano Anteros! Corónenlo con ortigas, arrodíllese, y reposen Sus frentes sobre el altar del amor cerrado, Al Eros que parte orad Contra la ira de Anteros.
.............Greek Translation Of Poem Anteros


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