Tithonus the Cicada

Tithonus was a hero of the Trojan war and boyfriend of Eos, goddess of the dawn. Since Tithonus is mortal and she’s not, Eos convinces Zeus to grant Tithonus eternal life. Unfortunately, in the spur of the moment, she forgets to also ask for eternal youth. And so over the years Tithonus become older, and older, and older, while Eos, being a goddess, doesn’t. Tithonus becomes so old that he can hardly lift a finger but despite being a complete wreck he cannot die. He eventually begs Eos to put him out of his misery. But even a god cannot undo a wish once it is done. Although this is not how the original myth is told Tithonus then finds an ultimate answer to his misery as he starts to shrink, as old people tend to do, to an ever diminuitive size. Inspired by this sight Eos, although unable to take his life, releases him from his miserable situation by transforming him into a cicada. Tithonus the cicada, forever chirping, symbolizes his endless, unchanging existence, his lament, and perhaps also his ingenuity.

A few thing make this an interesting story. There’s the well established link between smallness and very old age. This link is most clear on the islands of Okinawa where people are very small and live very long. Coincidentally the cicada features very prominently on Okinawa, where its sound is associated with a feeling of melancholy. Shrinking does indeed inspire new possibilities, new perspectives, and new solutions. Smallness, even with old age as in the story of Tithonus the Cicada, has magical properties. We just have to read between the lines to recognize it.