Gods and men alike were horrified
by Ixon’s murder of his father-in-law Deïoneus
none were willing to purify him
Zeus took pity on him
not only purified him
but took him to heaven
Ixion, in turn,
committed the ultimate hybris
by attempting to seduce Hera
(Zeus deceived him into lying instead
with a cloud in her shape)
Ixion was then bound to a wheel
on which he rolls around everywhere,
proclaiming to mortals that
they must repay their benefactors
with kind deeds in return
The Fragments…
Death is less disgraceful than a wretched life.
***
The half-size pipe is easily trounced
by the big one
Hendrick Goltzius, Ixion, from the series The Four Disgracers, 1588
Location…
Ross Alley, Chinatown, San Francisco
