In mythology
* Arion was a legendary
Greek poet.
* Arion (mythology), an extremely swift immortal horse in Greek mythology
Arion (Ancient
Greek: Ἀρίων,
gen.: Ἀρίωνος) was a kitharode in ancient
Greece, a Dionysiac poet credited with inventing the dithyramb: "As a literary composition for chorus dithyramb was the creation of Arion of Corinth," The islanders of Lesbos claimed him as their native son, but Arion found a patron in Periander, tyrant of Corinth. Although notable for his musical inventions, Arion is chiefly remembered for the fantastic myth of his kidnapping by pirates and miraculous rescue by dolphins, a folktale motif. Herodotus (1,23) says "Arion was second to none of the lyre-players in his
time and was also the first man we know of to compose and
name the dithyramb and teach it in Corinth". However J.H. Sleeman observes of the dithyramb, or circular chorus, "It is first mentioned by Archilochus (c 665 BC)… Arion flourished at least
50 years later… probably gave it a more artistic form, adding a chorus of
50 people, personating satyrs… who danced around an altar of Dionysus. He was doubtless the first to introduce the dithyramb into Corinth".
Arion is also associated with the origins of tragedy: of Solon
John the
Deacon reports: “Arion of Methymna first introduced the drama i.e. action of tragedy, as Solon indicated in his
poem entitled Elegies".
