Astrape and Bronte (

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

: Astrapē", lit. "Lightning" Brontē", lit. "Thunder" are, in

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...

, the goddesses of

lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...

and

thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...

. As members of Zeus' entourage, they were his

shield bearer Shield bearer usually refers to a Macedonian version of a heavy armored hoplite, whose tasks were protecting flanks of the sarrisa phalanx, and carrying a shield to protect other men in same ranks. A commander might be protected by several shield ...

s, given the task of carrying his thunderbolts along with Pegasus. Astrape's

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

counterpart is Fulgora. Philostratus the Elder (3rd century BCE Greek rhetorician), in ''Imagines'' 1.14, gave this description:Trans. by Fairbanks. " rom_a_description_of_an_ancient_Greek_painting_depicting_the_death_of_ rom_a_description_of_an_ancient_Greek_painting_depicting_the_death_of_Semele">Semele.html"_;"title="rom_a_description_of_an_ancient_Greek_painting_depicting_the_death_of_Semele">rom_a_description_of_an_ancient_Greek_painting_depicting_the_death_of_SemeleBronte_(Thunder),_stern_of_face,_and_Astrape_(Lightning),_flashing_light_from_her_eyes,_and_raging_fire_from_heaven_that_has_laid_hold_of_a_king’s_house,_suggest_the_following_tale,_if_it_is_one_you_know._A_cloud_of_fire_encompassing_Thebes,_Greece.html" ;"title="Semele.html" ;"title="Semele.html" ;"title="rom a description of an ancient Greek painting depicting the death of Semele">rom a description of an ancient Greek painting depicting the death of Semele">Semele.html" ;"title="rom a description of an ancient Greek painting depicting the death of Semele">rom a description of an ancient Greek painting depicting the death of SemeleBronte (Thunder), stern of face, and Astrape (Lightning), flashing light from her eyes, and raging fire from heaven that has laid hold of a king’s house, suggest the following tale, if it is one you know. A cloud of fire encompassing Thebes, Greece">Thebes breaks into the dwelling of Kadmos as Zeus comes wooing Semele; and Semele apparently is destroyed, but Dionysos is born, by Zeus, so I believe, in the presence of the fire." In an Apulian vase painting, Astrape stands beside the throne of Zeus bearing the armaments of the sky-god. She also wields a torch and is a crowned with a shining aureole. Bronte should not be mistaken with Brontes, one of the three Hesiodic

Cyclopes In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...

who, along with his brothers, Steropes, Arges, Akmonides, Pyrakmon, Euryalos, Elatreus, Trakhios and Halimedes, forged Zeus'

thunderbolt A thunderbolt or lightning bolt is a symbolic representation of lightning when accompanied by a loud thunderclap. In Indo-European mythology, the thunderbolt was identified with the 'Sky Father'; this association is also found in later Hel ...

References

External links

ASTRAPE & BRONTE from The Theoi Project
Greek goddesses Pegasus Thunder goddesses Sky and weather goddesses Personifications of weather Personifications in Greek mythology {{Greek-deity-stub