| Garamas | |
|---|---|
First Born | |
 | |
| Venerated in | Numitheism |
| Major cult centre | Germa |
| Abode | Ancient Libya |
| Adherents | Garamantes (Berbers) |
| Gender | Male |
| Ethnic group | Berbers |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | |
| Spouse | Tritonis |
| Children | Nasamones, Caphaurus |
| Equivalents | |
| Greek | Amphithemis |
| Part of a series on |
| Libyco-Berber religion |
|---|
 |
In Greek mythology, Garamas (Ancient Greek: Γαράμας) was the mythical ancestor of the faction of Garamantes.[2][3] The city of Garama in Libya was named after him.[4] He was born in Libya, to where Minos had banished his pregnant daughter, Acacallis in retribution for her having an illicit relationship with the sun god.[5] Garamas was the first mortal born, the Libyans claimed that Garamas was born before the Hecatoncheires and that, when he rose from the plain, he offered Mother Earth a sacrifice of the sweet acorn.[6]
Etymology
[edit]Garamas is a Berber name, as well as an eponym of the Garamantes, an ethnic group in Libya, and of their main city Garama.[7]
Genealogy
[edit]Garamas is known as the ancestor of the faction of Garamantes,[2][3] an ancient Berber faction that was very often discussed by both the ancient Greek historian Herodotus and the ancient Roman historian Pliny the Elder. Garamas consorted with a Libyan lake nymph, Tritonis, who bore him two sons, Nasamon[8] and Caphaurus. The name of Caphaurus (who is also known as Cephalion) means 'camphor', which is presumably meant to indicate his somewhat exotic African origin.[9] He was a shepherd who slew the Argonauts Eurybate (son of Teleon) and Canthus after they plundered his flocks.[10]
Archaeology
[edit]By AD 500, the last of the Garamantes people had either died or abandoned Garama, as underground water supplies dried up as a result of overexploitation.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "ToposText". topostext.org. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
- ^ a b Gazeau, Véronique; Bauduin, Pierre; Modéran, Yves (2008). Identité et ethnicité: concepts, débats historiographiques, exemples (IIIe-XIIe siècle) (in French). Publications du CRAHM. ISBN 978-2-902685-36-3.
- ^ a b Naji, Salima (2009). Art et architectures berbères du Maroc: atlas et vallées présahariennes (in French). Eddif. p. 13. ISBN 978-2-35270-057-9.
- ^ Galanti, Giorgio (2004). Country Series – Libya. White Star. ISBN 978-88-540-0023-0.
- ^ "Appolonius". topostext.org. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica - 'chaste maiden Acacallis, whom once Minos drove from home to dwell in Libya, his own daughter, when she was bearing the gods' heavy load; and she bare to Phoebus a glorious son, whom they call Amphithemis and Garamas.'
- ^ Pindar, fr. 84 (ed. Bergk)
- ^ Sourvinou-Inwood, Christiane (2005). Hylas, the Nymphs, Dionysos and Others: Myth, Ritual, Ethnicity : Martin P. Nilsson Lecture on Greek Religion, Delivered 1997 at the Swedish Institute at Athens. Paul Aaström. ISBN 978-91-7916-051-7.
- ^ Bulletin de la Société de géographie de Rochefort (in French). Imprimerie Ch. Thèze. 1901.
- ^ Room, Adrian (2003). Who's Who in Classical Mythology. Random House Value Publishing. ISBN 978-0-517-22256-0.
- ^ Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 4.1490 ff.; Hyginus, Fabulae 14
- ^ Wallace, Jonathan (2004). Doing Business with Libya. Sterling, VA : Kogan Page. ISBN 978-0-7494-3992-7.
Further references
[edit]- Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica translated by Robert Cooper Seaton (1853–1915), R. C. Loeb Classical Library Volume 001. London, William Heinemann Ltd, 1912. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
- Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica. George W. Mooney. London. Longmans, Green. 1912. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
- Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca translated by William Henry Denham Rouse (1863–1950), from the Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 1940. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
- Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca. 3 Vols. W.H.D. Rouse. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1940–1942. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.