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CHRISTOPHER WELSER

Colby College

Poet and cithara‐player who was saved from drowning by a dolphin (1.23–24). According to Herodotus, Arion was an associate of the Corinthian tyrant PERIANDER. Returning to CORINTH from a lucrative journey to ITALY and SICILY, he was set upon by his ship’s crew, who wanted to steal his MONEY, and was forced to choose between killing himself on board ship and jumping into the SEA to drown. Arion asked to be permitted first to sing, promising to throw himself overboard at the conclusion of his song. When his request was granted, Arion donned his formal costume, performed the nomos orthios (νóμον τòν ὄρθιον, 1.24.5), a hymn in honor of APOLLO, and dived into the waves. He was rescued by a dolphin which brought him safely to shore at Cape TAENARUM. From there he returned to Corinth. Periander initially disbelieved Arion’s story and held him under guard until the crew of Arion’s ship arrived in Corinth and were confounded by the presence of the poet, still wearing the costume he had on when he leapt into the sea.

According to various ancient sources, Arion was the son of Cycleus and a native of METHYMNA in LESBOS who lived in the late seventh century BCE. He was credited with the invention of musical genres associated with DIONYSUS, particularly the dithyramb, as Herodotus himself mentions (1.23). Herodotus is our first surviving source to tell the tale of Arion’s miraculous rescue, which was subsequently mentioned or retold, with minor variations, by many ancient writers, including Ovid (Fast. 2.79–118) and LUCIAN (Dialogi Marini 8). The popularity of the story seems to be attested by the images of a man riding a dolphin found on the coins of TARENTUM, Methymna, and Corinth, all three of which are associated with Arion by Herodotus. Herodotus claims to have heard the story from “the Lesbians and the Corinthians” (1.23, 24.8) and mentions a small BRONZE statue of a man riding a dolphin which he says Arion dedicated at Cape Taenarum to commemorate his miraculous salvation (1.24.8). The statue was also apparently seen, centuries later, by Pausanias (3.25.7) and Aelian (NA 12.45); the latter claims to quote not only the inscription on the statue but the text of a hymn of thanksgiving written by Arion for POSEIDON after his rescue. Many other stories of individuals saved by dolphins circulated in antiquity, of which Arion’s was only the most popular.

Figure 4 Silver stater of Taras in Italy, first quarter of the fifth century BCE. mfaimages@mfa.org. Reproduced with permission of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston/Bridgeman Images.

The significance of this SHORT STORY in Herodotus has been the subject of much scholarly attention. Its connection to the surrounding narrative of ALYATTES’ war with MILETUS seems tenuous, and it is often identified as Herodotus’ first DIGRESSION. Arion’s story is also the first of many things and events whose inclusion in the Histories seems to be justified on the grounds that they are wonders (θῶμα μέγιστον, 1.23; see THŌMATA). Furthermore, the likely implication that Arion has been saved by Apollo makes the story one of Herodotus’ many apparent examples of divine intervention.

SEE ALSO: Dedications; Gods and the Divine; Music; Poetry; Theft