Arimoi facts for kids

In Greek mythology, the Arimoi were a group of people or a place. It was believed that the mighty monster Typhon was trapped underground in their land.

The ancient Greek poet Homer wrote about a place he called the "bed of Typhoeus." He said this place was in the land of the Arimoi. According to Homer, the powerful god Zeus used his thunderbolts to strike the land around Typhon there. Another poet, Hesiod, also mentioned Arima. He said that Typhon's mate, a creature named Echidna, guarded a spot "in Arima."

However, neither Homer nor Hesiod gave clear directions to where the Arimoi or Arima might be. For a very long time, people have wondered if this place was real. They have debated where it might have been located.

Where Were the Arimoi?

The ancient writer Strabo talked a lot about where the Arimoi might have lived. He suggested several places that were linked to the monster Typhon. These included Cilicia, Syria, Lydia, and the island of Ischia.

Cilicia and Syria

The poet Pindar wrote that Zeus defeated Typhon in Cilicia, "among the Arimoi." A historian named Callisthenes (who lived in the 300s BC) believed the Arimoi and the Arima mountains were in Cilicia. He said they were near the Calycadnus river, a famous cave called Corycian, and a place called Sarpedon promontory.

Another ancient text also said Typhon was born in Cilicia, "under Arimon." The writer Nonnus mentioned Typhon's "bloodstained cave of Arima" in Cilicia. However, Diodorus Siculus thought the Arimoi were located in Phrygia.

Across the Gulf of Issus from Corycus, in ancient Syria, there was a mountain called Mount Kasios (now Jebel Aqra). The Orontes River was also nearby. These places were connected to the big battle between Typhon and Zeus. Strabo also mentioned that a historian named Posidonius (around the 100s BC) thought the Arimoi were the same as the Aramaeans people of Syria.

Lydia and Mysia

Strabo also noted that some people believed the Arimoi were in a place called Catacecaumene. A historian from Lydia, Xanthus, added that a ruler named "Arimus" once lived there.

Strabo also shared that some thought Homer's "bed of Typhon" was in a "wooded place, in the fertile land of Hyde." Hyde was another name for Sardis, an important city. Demetrius of Scepsis (who lived in the 100s BC) thought the Arimoi were most likely in the Catacecaumene country in Mysia. A poet from the 200s BC, Lycophron, also placed Echidna's home in this area.

The Island of Ischia

Another place linked to Arima by Strabo was the island of Ischia. According to Pherecydes of Athens, Typhon had escaped to this island. Pindar and others also said Typhon was buried there.

The connection to Arima comes from Ischia's Greek name, Pithecussae. This name comes from the Greek word for monkey. Strabo said that people living on the island believed "arimoi" was also the Etruscan word for monkeys.

In history

Some Assyrian kings and scholars believed that the name "Arimoi" referred to the Arameans people.