Greek miracle worker Aristaeus, who was resurrected before Jesus
Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead. However, in the
history of mythology, Jesus Christ is not the first to rise from the
dead. Before him, there were many characters who made a similar
journey from the underworld to the world of people. In this article,
I would like to draw attention to the semi-legendary miracle worker
and poet Aristaeus from Proconnes. Herodotus writes about him
in the fourth book of "Melpomene" of the treatise "History"
(
https://bit.ly/39lJRlL).
Aristaeus lived around the 7th-6th century BC. Herodotus writes
that he was the son of Caistrobius of Proconnese (western territory
of modern Turkey). Aristaeus wrote poems, it was he who first
reported on the Hyperboreans. One day Aristaeus went into the
fuller's shop and died. The owner locked the workshop and ran
to tell the relatives of Aristaeus about the tragedy. Rumors of death
spread throughout the city. But a certain person from the city of
Artaki disputed the rumors. He said that he saw Aristaeus on the
way to the city of Cyzicus, and even communicated with him.
When relatives came to the fuller's workshop with the necessary
utensils for burial. The doors were opened, but Aristaeus was not
there. Seven years later, Aristaeus appeared in Prokonnes and
composed the poem "The Epic of the Arimaspians", then disappeared
again. After 240 years in southern Italy, in the city of Metapont,
Aristaeus appeared to the locals and ordered them to erect an altar
to Apollo, and next to him put a statue with the name of Aristeas.
After the spoken words, Aristaeus disappeared again.
Aristaeus was not crucified or tortured for the sins of people, but
in ancient Greek mythology he appears in the form of a miracle
worker, like Jesus. The circumstances of the resurrection of
Aristaeus coincide with the story of Jesus. His body disappeared
from the premises, like the body of Jesus from the tomb. Then he
returned to tell people about the Arimaspians, a mysterious
Hyperborean people who fight griffins. The purpose of the first
return of Aristaeus does not coincide with the gospel story, but the
second return to the "God's chosen people" has parallels with the
coming of Jesus. Aristaeus, as a servant and messenger of Apollo,
came to the Metapontians and ordered them to build an altar.
