Pegasos (Pegasus)
		Bacchos/Dionysos (Bacchus/Dionysus)
		Gaia
		Ganymedes
		Vineyard

Mythology at Clos Pegase

The rich and convivial culture of ancient Greece provides many splendid images to accompany and express our celebration of Art and Wine and how they contribute to our joie de vivre. Here is some background information regarding the principle figures represented in our art and architecture.

Pegasus is, of course, our namesake. His father was Poseidon, known to the Romans as Neptune, god of the sea and earthquakes. One of Poseidon's many affairs was with the gorgon Medusa (famous for having snakes for hair). The hero Perseus cut Medusa's head off and out of her blood came Pegasus, the mighty steed ridden into battle by Bellerophon. Together steed and rider slew the terrible she-dragon Chimera with the divine bridle from the goddess Athena. The scene of Athena taming Pegasus is depicted by a sculpture in our cave theatre.

Pegasus is an apt symbol of the marriage of art and wine; it was he who unleashed the Spring of the Muses, the goddesses of poetry, music, drama, painting, and basically all the arts. Pegasus landed on Mount Helicon, his powerful hooves ripping open the peak and releasing the waters within, which gave life to wine and art. The Spring irrigated the vines and wine was born; the Muses were "inspired" by wine and art was born. His divine presence, of course, permeates our premises as he appears on the label of most of our wines.

For over 1,000 years Bacchus was god of vegetation and fertility until he was promoted to god of wine; he was thought to inhabit the very wine we imbibe. He was pruned and left as a dead stump but he was always brought back to life, giving birth to the concept of the immortal soul. Among his emblems were a reed pipe and a theatrical mask, Bacchus having given birth to the theater as well.

Bacchus was the son of Zeus and Princess Semele, whom Zeus seduced in human form. His wife Hera plotted her demise with the prospect of having Zeus reveal his full divine presence. Since Zeus was the god of lightning, she was burned to ashes; but not before Zeus snatched Bacchus from her womb and sewed him up in his right thigh. That's why his primary nickname in Homeric epic is "The Twice-born One" because he was born a second time from Zeus' thigh.

Gaia

The Henry Moore in our entrance portico depicts Gaia, "Mother Earth," and no survey of the characters inhabiting and inspiring this temple to art and wine could ever be complete without tribute to her. In Greek mythology Gaia, which is simply the poetic form of the word for "earth," was one of the first beings spontaneously born from nothing. Gaia, momma earth, gave birth to father sky, Uranus and the two mated and became the parents of Chronos and Rhea. Chronos and Rhea were the parents of Zeus and his siblings. She is the ultimate source of all living things and to her great homage is due.

The figure in one of the niches in our caves, the naked man with goblet and decanter, is Ganymede. He is the cup-bearer for the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus. His job was to pour the wine, as is ours.