Perseus wearing the Cap of Invisibility while carrying Medusa's head.

In Greek mythology, the Cap of Invisibility (aidos kyneê in Greek) is a mysterious helmet or cap that possesses the ability to turn the wearer invisible.^[1] Also known as the Cap of Hades or Helm of Hades^[2] It was used by numerous figures, including the goddess of wisdom, Athena, the messenger god, Hermes, and the hero, Perseus. The Cap of Invisibility is said to inable^{[attribution needed]} to hide the user from the eyes of other supernatural beings, functioning much like the cloud or mist that the gods surround themselves in to become undetectable.^{[citation needed]} Perseus with the head of Medusa, by Antonio Canova, completed 1801 (Vatican Museums) Perseus, Perseos, or Perseas (Greek: Περσεύς, Περσέως, Περσέας), the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits helped establish the hegemony of Zeus and the Twelve... Medusa, by Arnold Böcklin (1878) Medusa is the most misunderstood of all the Goddesses. ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the telling of stories created by the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and their own cult and ritual practices. ... An example of how an object could appear to be invisible through the use of mirrors Invisibility is the state of an object which cannot be seen. ... Helmeted Athena, of the Velletri type. ... Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus, by Praxiteles, found at the Heraion, Olympia, 1877 Hermes Greek IPA: ), in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures... Perseus with the head of Medusa, by Antonio Canova, completed 1801 (Vatican Museums) Perseus, Perseos, or Perseas (Greek: Περσεύς, Περσέως, Περσέας), the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits helped establish the hegemony of Zeus and the Twelve...

Origins

According to the mythographer Apollodoros, the Cap of Invisibility (among other items) was created by the Cyclops^{[citation needed]} during the War of the Titans (Titanomachy). The Cyclops gave the thunderbolt to Zeus,^{[citation needed]} the trident to Poseidon, and the Cap of Invisibility to Hades.^{[citation needed]} Other than this, however, it was never said that Hades ever used the Cap of Invisibility,^{[attribution needed]} nor was it said that any of the users of the Cap ever borrowed it directly from him.^{[attribution needed]} A mythographer, according to a strict dictionary definition, is a compiler of myths. ... Apollodorus was a common name in ancient Greece. ... Polyphemus the Cyclops. ... In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy, or War of the Titans (Greek: Τιτανομαχία), was the eleven-year series of battles fought between the two races of deities long before the existence of mankind: the Titans, fighting from Mount Othrys, and the Olympians, who would come to reign on Mount Olympus. ... The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Phidias created the 12-m (40-ft) tall statue of Zeus at Olympia about 435 BC. The statue was perhaps the most famous sculpture in Ancient Greece, imagined here in a 16th century engraving Zeus (in Greek: nominative: Zeús, genitive: Diós), is... Neptune reigns in the city of Bristol. ... Hades, Greek god of the underworld, enthroned, with his bird-headed staff, on a red-figure Apulian vase made in the 4th century BC. For other uses, see Hades (disambiguation). ...

Users

Athena

The goddess of wisdom, Athena, used the Cap of Invisibility in one instance during the Trojan War.^[3] She used it to become invisible to Ares when she aided Diomedes, his enemy. Her assistance even enabled Diomedes to injure the god of war with a spear.^{[citation needed]} Image:J G Trautmann Das brennende Greeks), after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. ... In Greek mythology, Ares (in Greek: - Aris (Battle Strife))[1] is the son of Zeus (king of the gods) and Hera. ... Diomêdês (Gk:Διομήδης - God-like cunning) is a hero in Greek mythology, mostly known for his participation in the Trojan War. ...

Hermes

The messenger god, Hermes, wore the Cap during his battle with Hippolytos, the giant.^{[citation needed]} Jack the Giant-Killer by Arthur Rackham. ...

Perseus

In some stories, Perseus received the Cap of Invisibility (along with the Winged Sandals and a special pouch) from Hermes when he went to slay the Gorgon Medusa.^[4] In other myths, however, Perseus obtained these items from the Stygian nymphs.^[5] The Cap of Invisibility was not used to avoid the Gorgons' petrifying gazes, but rather to escape them later on after he had decapitated Medusa's head.^[6] See also Gorgona, for the Colombian/Italian islands. ... Medusa, by Arnold Böcklin (1878) Medusa is the most misunderstood of all the Goddesses. ... For other uses of nymph see Nymph (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Cloak of invisibility
• Cloaking device

A cloak of invisibility is a theme that has occured in fiction, and more recently, reality. ... A Klingon Bird of Prey from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country fires while using a cloaking device In several science fiction universes, a cloaking device is an advanced stealth system which causes a spaceship or individual to be invisible and extremely difficult to detect with normal sensors. ...

References