CARPO (Karpo) - Greek Goddess Hora of Fruit (original) (raw)

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Translation

Fruit (karpos)

Carpoicis (Carpo) holding a basket of fruit, Charites, Erotes and Aphrodite, Greco-Roman floor mosaic, Church of the Virgin Mary (in situ), Madaba

KARPO (Carpo) was the goddess of the fruits of the earth. She was numbered amongst the Horai (Seasons). Karpo was worshipped in Athens alongside the goddesses Auxo (Growth) and Hegemone (Leader).

Karpo (Fruiting) was probably originally just a title of Demeter as the goddess of the earth's fruits, just as Auxo (Growth) was a title of Persephone as the goddess of spring growth, and Hegemone (Leader) was a title of Artemis or Hekate as leader of the processions the Mysteries.

PARENTS

Nowhere stated

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Pausanias, Description of Greece 9. 35. 2 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"The Athenians from of old have worshipped two Kharites (Charites, Graces), Auxo (Growth) and Hegemone (Queen). [The third] Karpo (Carpo, Fruit) is the name, not of a Kharis (Charis), but of a Hora. [N.B. All three were probably Horai.] The other Hora is worshipped together with Pandrosos by the Athenians, who call the goddess Thallo (New Shoots)."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 183 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"The names of the Horae . . . Auxo (Growth), Eunomia (Order), Pherusa (Substance), Carpo (Fruit), Dice (Justice), Euporia (Abundance), Irene (Peace), Orthosie (Prosperity), Thallo (Green-shoots)."
[N.B. These appear to be three distinct sets of Horai.]

SOURCES

GREEK

• Pausanias, Description of Greece - Greek Travelogue C2nd A.D.

ROMAN

• Hyginus, Fabulae - Latin Mythography C2nd A.D.

OTHER SOURCES

Other references not currently quoted here: Athenaeus 2.38.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.