Ganymede (mythology)

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In Greek mythology, Ganymede ( GAN-im-eed) or Ganymedes ( GAN-im-EE-deez; Ancient Greek: Γανυμήδης, romanized: Ganymēdēs) is a divine hero whose homeland was Troy. Homer describes Ganymede as the most handsome of mortals and tells the story of how he was abducted by the gods to serve as Zeus's cup-bearer in Olympus. While classical traditions follow this narrative, a different account by Dictys Cretensis instead states that Ganymede was abducted by the Cretans. The Latin form of his name was Catamitus (and also "Ganymedes"), from which the English word catamite is derived. While the earliest forms of the myth have no erotic content, by the 5th century BCE it was believed that Zeus had a sexual passion for him. Socrates says that Zeus was in love with Ganymede, called "desire" in Plato's Phaedrus; but in Xenophon's Symposium, Socrates argues Zeus loved him for his mind and their relationship was not sexual.

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