Phylius and Cycnus

Speranza



"Phylius refused to obey the young man's orders. A frightful thought took hold of Cycnus when he found himself spurned against his expectation. Demoralised, he jumped into a lake and disappeared. Phylius's tomb is near."


Phylius differs from Ercole in one essential respect:

Ercole is a hero of strenght, Phylius is a hero of ruse.

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Ercole performs his deeds alone, whereas Phylius acts out of love for a beautiful boy.

In the text of Antoninus, Phylius obviously sets himself up as Cycnus's educator, so that the trials that he faces to do not relate to his own initiation and promotion to adult status (for otherwise he could not have fallen in love with Cycnus).

Rather, these trials are models, indicating what a docile eromenos must do in order to prove himself ready to assume the prestigious role of adult warrior.

True, we are told that, as erastes of Eurstheus, who oders him to perform his feats, Ercole seems to be the prototype for the character of Phylius. But this is a later addition.

There is a transformation of an institutional, pedagogical relationship into an affective, erotic relationship.

Rather, the relationship Phylius/Cycnus compares with the relationship Heraacles/Iolaus, undeniably a couple of ancient date.