Antimachus’s Enigma: On Erytheia, the Latvian Sun-goddess and a Red Fish

In this paper I focus on a character named ERYTHEIA (‘the red
one’), who, according to Antimachus of Colophon, escorts
Helios’s golden cup. I compare the characteristics and the role
played by this figure with those of the Latvian Sun-goddess
Saule, who is associated to the color red in various ways. In
particular, in one Latvian Daina, it is a red fish, the rauda, which
guides Saule’s vehicle. Therefore, I argue that the rauda fish,
whose name is etymologically related to Greek 􀀏􀀊􀀎􀀅􀀄􀀆􀀂, has a
similar role as that of Helios’s red guide. Finally, I compare the
Latvian tradition about the solar fish with the iconography of the
Danish razors from the Late Bronze Age, on which a fish escorts
the Sun-boat between the end of the night and the beginning of
the day.