HARPOCRATES IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Harpocrates was the Greek of Silence, a Hellenistic deity, whose roots were to be found in older Egyptian tales.
Greek God of Silence
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The ancient Greeks observed statues of Horus the Child, the offspring of Horus and Isis, depicting the god in child form with his finger on his lips. The ancient Greeks, as with many cultures today, took this as sign of silence, although, in truth, this was the sign of childhood to the Ancient Egyptians.
Isis was of course regarded, by the Ancient Greeks, as just another name for their goddess Io, and so her child, Her-pa-khered, Horus the child, became Harpocrates. |
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In surviving ancient sources, Harpocrates is primarily portrayed in the company of his mother, and is mentioned a couple of times such in the Metamorphoses. There is also some limited thought that the rose was the sacred symbol of Harpocrates, for it is a flower often associated with secrecy. With one tale telling of the rose being given to Harpocrates by Eros, who had received it from his mother, Aphrodite. The rose was given so that Harpocrates would not reveal the secrets of Aphrodite and the other Greek gods.
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Colin Quartermain - Harpocrates - 19th April 2023