Homer

The narrator of The Golden Age, Homer introduces each act and closes out the play. He also summarizes the non-dramatized events that occur between each act, serving as the playgoerʼs guide to the world of classical myth.

In the classical context, Homer was credited with writing the epic poems of the Iliad and the Odyssey, as well as the Homeric Hymns through which we know important myths about the gods, such as the story of Persephone, or the story of how Apollo took over the oracle at Delphi.

Saturn

Saturn is the younger son of Uranus and Vesta, the younger brother of Titan, and the father of Jupiter. Because he is more popular with the people, he usurps the throne of Crete from his elder brother, with Vestaʼs support. Saturn plays three distinct roles in The Golden Age: he begins as our tragic hero, before quickly becoming a tyrant, and then finally becoming a fully fledged villain in the final act.

In classical myth, Saturn (Greek equivalent: Kronos/Cronus) was the father of Jupiter and the king of the Titans. Having overthrown his own father Uranus, Saturn was in turn overthrown by his son Jupiter. Although Saturn was originally a god of the harvest, the similarity between the Greek name Cronus and the Greek word for time (chronos) resulted in Saturn becoming associated with time; thus Father Time is still frequently depicted with Saturnʼs scythe.

Many Renaissance writers and artists depicted Saturn as a destructive force of time, possibly due to his association with the scythe; as a result, both Saturn the figure and Saturn the planet were associated with melancholy and various evils (Brumble 300–301).

Vesta

Vesta is the dowager queen of Crete, the widowed wife of Uranus, the mother of Saturn and Titan, and the grandmother of Jupiter. She supports Saturnʼs bid for the throne, and she comes up with the scheme to trick Saturn by presenting him with a bowl of blood and sending Jupiter away to be raised in the court of Melliseus. After this point, Vesta does not reappear in The Golden Age.

In classical myth, Vesta (Greek equivalent: Hestia) was the goddess of the hearth, the sister of Jupiter, and the daughter of Saturn. Vesta was one of the three virgin goddesses of classical myth, the other two being Diana and Minerva.

In the Renaissance, Vesta was the subject of two traditions. Some mythographers described her as the goddess of heavenly fire. However, others described her as the goddess of earthly fire, or sometimes as just the earth. According to mythographer Alexander Ross, when people referred to Vesta as the earth, she was called the mother of Saturn, but when she was referred to as the earthʼs fire, she was his daughter (Brumble 347).

Sibylla

Sibylla is the wife of Saturn and the mother of Jupiter. She aids in Vestaʼs scheme to save Jupiterʼs life, and is later the one who confesses to Saturn that Jupiter is alive.

In the classical context, the term sibyl referred to various oracles and prophetesses throughout antiquity in both Greece and Italy, such as the sibyl at Cumae.

Many Renaissance sources seem to have thought of the sibyls as pagan versions of Old Testament prophets, and several writers and artists suggest that the sibyls gave prophecies of the birth of Christ (Brumble 310).

Titan

Titan is the elder son of Uranus and Vesta, and the elder brother of Saturn. When Saturn takes the throne from him, Titan is upset and declares he will give up his title only if Saturn agrees to kill any sons he might have. Later, when Titan learns that Jupiter lives, he assumes that Saturn has preserved the child on purpose and invades Crete.

In classical myth, titan was a title bestowed upon Saturn and his siblings by their father Uranus after they deposed him; the word roughly means “stretchers”, in reference to how they stretched beyond their means to seek power. The term eventually came to be applied to various gods who existed prior to Jupiterʼs rule.

Lycaon

Lycaon, Titanʼs son, is the king of Pelagia and the father of Callisto. He is the one who suggests to Titan that Saturn not be allowed to have heirs. Later, when Jupiter arrives to end a war between Pelagia and Epyre, Lycaon kills the lord of Epyre he was given as a hostage, attempting to serve his remains to Jupiter and his lords in a stew; for this crime, Jupiter overthrows Lycaon. Later, Lycaon joins his brothers to aid his father in invading Crete.

In classical myth, Lycaon was a mortal king of Pelagia who, wishing to test whether Jupiter was truly omniscient, killed one of his own sons, put his remains in a stew, and served it to Jupiter to see if he would notice. Immediately recognizing what Lycaon had done, Jupiter turned Lycaon into a wolf as punishment.

Clown

The Clownʼs main role in The Golden Age is to provide aid to the royal family of Crete; he first delivers the infant Jupiter to Melliseusʼ court in secret, then later confirms the adult Jupiterʼs true parentage, and finally aids Jupiterʼs quest to seduce Danae by distracting the beldams. On his first appearance, he summons the Nurse to Sibyllaʼs lying-in chamber and volunteers an ecomiastic list of Saturnʼs god-like innovations and achievements.

There is no classical equivalent for the Clown. He is firmly in the native English dramatic tradition.

Nurse

The nurse delivers Jupiter as a baby. She was with Sibylla and Vesta when they attempted to kill Jupiter, and later aided the two in faking Jupiterʼs murder. The nurse is introduced at the same time as the clown.

While there are nurses in classical myth, the nurse in The Golden Age does not have any specific classical equivalent. The character has more in common with comparable figures in English drama.

Jupiter (Jove)

Also called Jove in the text, Jupiter is the main character of The Golden Age after A1. He is the son of Saturn and Sibylla, but is raised in Epyre by Melliseus. Jupiter is shown to be a skilled fighter in his conquering of Pelagia, as well as his defeats of Titan, Enceladus, and Saturn. Jupiter is also characterized as a predatory womanizer: he rapes Callisto, marries his sister Juno, seduces Danae, and is said by his brothers to have lain with many more women besides. In A5 Sc3, Jupiter is appointed by the Fates to preside over Olympus as the god of the heavens.

In classical myth, Jupiter (Greek equivalent: Zeus) is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky, storms, lightning, hospitality, and justice. With his lightning bolts, Jupiter overthrew his father Saturn. Taking all sources into account, Jupiter is the father of over 100 children in classical myth, only three of whom are by his wife Juno.

In Renaissance tradition, Jupiterʼs status as the chief god of the classical pantheon led him to be heavily associated with the Christian God, and he was therefore associated in allegories of Nature with a higher, purer form of air and light. Because of these two associations, Jupiter was generally regarded as a more orderly god like Apollo or Minerva, who could stand against gods of the passions like Venus (Brumble 192–193).

Callisto

Callisto is the daughter of Lycaon. When Jupiter falls in love with her beauty, Callisto flees and takes refuge with Dianaʼs huntresses. Jupiter dresses as a woman to pursue Callisto and forces himself upon her. Exiled from Dianaʼs circle, Callisto gives birth to Archas, who repeatedly tries to kill her until she leaves him in Jupiterʼs care. Callisto then departs the stage and does not return.

In classical myth, Callisto was one of Dianaʼs most loyal huntresses. Jupiter took on Dianaʼs form to trick and rape Callisto, who became pregnant. When Callistoʼs pregnancy was discovered by Diana, she was exiled from Dianaʼs company, whereupon Callisto was transformed into a bear. Later, when Callistoʼs son encountered his mother, he did not recognize her and prepared to kill what he thought was an ordinary bear. To prevent this tragedy, Jupiter turned Callisto into the constellation Ursa Major.

Most Renaissance philosophy and interpretations of the story of Callisto viewed her as an allegory for the bestializing effect of lust (as she transformed into a bear upon losing her virginity, even though she was the victim rather than the lustful perpetrator), and as a warning about the importance of taking action to protect oneʼs (female) virginity (Brumble 62–63).

Satyr

The satyrs in The Golden Age are followers of Diana, and join her company in both song and the hunt.

In classical myth, satyrs were minor gods of (male) fertility, and were primarily associated with the wine god Bacchus. Satyrs were also frequently responsible for acts of rape.

Nymphs

The nymphs are followers of Diana, and seem to be members of her company. They join the satyrs in song.

In classical myth, nymphs were minor goddesses of natural features, such as trees, streams, and mountains. They were frequently pursued by lustful male deities.

Diana

Diana is the goddess of viginity with whom Callisto seeks refuge. She leads a group of young virgin women, all of whom have sworn oaths of chastity. With little effort, Jupiter tricks Diana into believing that he is a woman.

In classical myth, Diana (Greek equivalent: Artemis) was the daughter of Jupiter. She was the goddess of hunting, the wilderness, and virginity. Diana was responsible for watching over girls before they were married, and she was accompanied by a number of nymphs and mortal maidens who had sworn to remain virgins forever. Diana was one of three virgin goddesses in classical myth, the other two being Vesta and Minerva.

Atlanta

Atlanta is one of Dianaʼs huntresses, and appears to be the lead huntress.

In classical myth, Atalanta (the classical spelling for Atlanta) was one of the few female heroes. Although she was associated with Diana, she was not actually a member of Dianaʼs train. Atalanta was raised by a mother bear, slew the Calydonian boar, and joined Jasonʼs argonauts in the Argonautica. Atalanta eventually married the hero Hippomenes.

Aegeon

Aegeon is one of Titanʼs sons, who aids in his invasion of Crete.

He does not have a counterpart in classical myth.

Enceladus

The eldest son of Titan, Enceladus aids his father in his invasion of Crete.

In classical myth, Enceladus was one of the Gigantes, a group of giants spawned by Terra in an attempt to overthrow the Olympians. Enceladus was killed by Minerva and Hercules.

Juno

Juno is the daughter of Saturn and Sibylla. Saturn thinks she is his only living child. She is also the sister of Jupiter, and marries him. Juno becomes jealous when Jupiter mentions other women.

In classical myth, Juno (Greek equivalent: Hera) was the sister and wife of Jupiter, therefore making her queen of the gods. She was the goddess of marriage and adult women. Juno appeared in myth primarily to take revenge on Jupiterʼs lovers and children.

Melliseus

Melliseus is the king of Epyre and foster-father of Jupiter.

In classical myth, Melliseus was the father of the nymphs who nursed Jupiter as an infant. The name roughly means “bee man”.

Arcas

Arcas is the son of Jupiter and Callisto. When Callisto leaves Arcas with Jupiter, Jupiter gives Arcas the kingdom of Pelagia and renames it Arcadia in his honour.

In classical myth, Arcas was the son of Jupiter and Callisto. He was born after Callisto was turned into a bear, and raised by the people of Arcadia, where Arcas became the first king. In some versions of the story, Arcas was transformed into the constellation Ursa Minor alongside his mother.

Neptune

Neptune is the son of Saturn and Sybilla. He is the younger brother of Jupiter, and the elder brother of Pluto. Neptune was sent away as an infant by Vesta, Sybilla, and the nurse, and secretly raised in Athens where he became king and taught the people how to sail. Upon learning of his true parentage, Neptune brings his army to Crete to aid Jupiter against Saturnʼs invasion. In A5 Sc3, the Fates appoint Neptune to be the god of the seas.

In classical myth, Neptune (Greek equivalent: Poseidon) was the god of the sea and earthquakes. He was the elder brother of Jupiter; Neptune complains in the Iliad about the fact that his younger brother can tell him what to do. Neptune was also associated with horses, which he is said to have created from sea foam. Neptune and Minerva competed to be the patron god of Athens. Minerva won, and the city was named after her (Minervaʼs Greek equvalent is Athena).

Pluto

Pluto is the youngest son of Saturn and Sybilla, and the younger brother of Jupiter and Neptune. Like his brothers, Pluto was sent away from Crete in his infancy by Vesta, Sybilla, and the nurse. Pluto established a kingdom of raiders in lower Tartary and gathered great wealth. Upon learning of his true parentage, Pluto brought his army to Crete to aid Jupiter against Saturn. In A5 Sc3, the Fates appoint Pluto to preside over Hell as the god of the dead.

In classical myth, Pluto (Greek equivalent: Hades) was the eldest son of Saturn and the elder brother of Neptune and Jupiter. He was the god of the dead and presided as king over the Underworld. While Pluto accepted all deceased mortals into his realm, he was best known for devising eternal punishments for wicked mortals, such as having Sisyphus roll a bolder uphill for all eternity. Pluto was the husband of Proserpine, to whom he generally remained faithful. Because the Underworld was located under the earth, all of the riches that could be found under the earth were considered part of Plutoʼs domain; thus he was also a god of wealth.

1 Beldam

The four beldams were tasked by King Acrisius to guard Danaeʼs tower against any intruders. Due to the cunning of the clown, the beldams failed in their task.

Acrisius

Acrisius is the king of Argos, and the father of Danae. Having received a prophecy that he will be killed by his grandson, Acrisius constructs a bronze tower in which to imprison Danae, so that she will not encounter any men and therefore will not have any children. After Jupiter sneaks into the tower and impregnates Danae, Acrisius has Danae and her infant son placed on a mastless boat and sent out to sea; he also condemns the beldams to be burned alive.

In classical myth, Acrisius was a former king of Argos. He was the father of Danae, and the grandfather of the hero Perseus. When Acrisius received a prophecy from the oracle that he would be killed by his grandson, he locked his daughter away in a tower. When Danae inevitably bore Jupiterʼs son despite her imprisonment, Acrisius had both her and the infant locked in a box and thrown into the sea. Many years later, while Acrisus was secretly watching a sporting event in which Perseus was participating, a discus thrown by Perseus veered off course and accidentally hit Acrisius in the head, killing him.

Danae

Danae is the daughter of Acrisius. She is locked in a tower by her father in order to thwart a prophecy. Entranced by stories of Danaeʼs beauty, Jupiter sneaks into her tower to woo her. Danae resists Jupiterʼs advances at first, but eventually falls for him, and expresses sadness when Jupiter leaves the next morning. When Acrisius discovers that Danae has had a child, he puts her and her son on a mastless boat, which eventually winds up on the shores of Naples. The king of Naples then makes Danae his queen.

In classical myth, Danae was the mother of Perseus by Jupiter. She was locked in a tower by her father so that she would not bear him the grandson who was fated to kill him. Upon witnessing Danaeʼs beauty, Jupiter entered her tower in the form of a shower of gold, and made her pregnant. Upon discovering that Danae had given birth, her father locked both Danae and her son in a box, and had them thrown into the sea. Fortunately, the box floated. Danae and Perseus eventually washed up on the shores of the island of Seriphos, where they were rescued by a fisherman. Perseus embarked on his quest to slay Medusa so that Danae would not have to marry the king of Seriphos.

Because Jupiter entered Danaeʼs tower as a shower of gold, several Renaissance writers interpret Danae as an allegory for the corruptive power of wealth over womenʼs chastity. Other writers, however, compared Jupiter to the Holy Spirit, and thus compared Danae to the Virgin Mary (Brumble 93–94).

Tros

Tros is the founder and king of Troy. After Saturn has been dethroned and chased from Crete, he flees to Troy and shows King Tros his inventions. Impressed, Tros agrees to lend Saturn the aid of his army in retaking Crete, but their invasion is unsuccessful.

In classical myth, Tros was the mythological founder-king of Troy.

Ganymede

Ganymede is the son of King Tros and therefore a prince of Troy. He accompanies his father in the attempt to help Saturn reclaim the throne of Crete. While the invasion is unsuccessful, Ganymede continues to fight even though the army is retreating. Ganymede challenges Jupiter to a duel and loses; impressed by each otherʼs valour, the two instead embrace in friendship. In A5 Sc3, Ganymede follows Jupiter to Olympus on the back of a giant eagle.

In classical myth, Ganymede was a mortal prince of Troy. One day, while Ganymede was attending to a flock of sheep, Jupiter looked down from Olympus and was struck by the young manʼs beauty. Jupiter took the form of an eagle and carried Ganymede off to Olympus, where he made Ganymede immortal. Ganymede then became Jupiterʼs cup-bearer.

Argos Lord

A lord of Argos who informs Jupiter and company of Danaeʼs fate.

Fates

The Fates appear in the dumbshow at the end of A5 to appoint Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto their godly domains, and present them with their regalia.

In classical myth, the Fates were three immortal sisters who presided over the destinies of all mortals. Their main function was to decide when a mortal would die, which was symbolized when they cut a thread that represented the mortalʼs lifespan. In the Theogony, the Fates are said to be the daughters of Nyx, the personification of night. However, later sources call them the daughters of Jupiter.

Aeolus

Aeouls appears in the dumbshow at the end of A5, where the Fates present him with the winds, over which he will preside.

In classical myth, Aeolus was a mortal king of the floating island of Aeolia, where he controlled the winds. In the Odyssey, Aeolus presents Odysseus with a bag that contains all the storm winds, so that no storm will prevent Odysseus from making it home. However, when Odysseusʼs men open the bag and the ship is blown back to Aeolia, Aeolus considers this accident to be an omen from the gods and refuses to help Odysseus a second time.

Hyperion

A non-speaking character. Enceladus addresses Hyperion in A3 Sc6.

In classical myth, Hyperion was one of the twelve Titans. He was the son of Uranus and Terra, and the brother of Saturn.