Definition Ambrosia is very closely related to the gods' other form of sustenance, nectar. The two terms may not have originally been distinguished;"Attempts to draw any significant distinctions between the functions of nectar and ambrosia have failed." Clay, p. 114. though in Homer's poems nectar is usually the drink and ambrosia the food of the gods; it was with ambrosia that Hera "cleansed all defilement from her lovely flesh",Homer, Iliad xiv.170 and with ambrosia Athena prepared Penelope in her sleep,Homer, Odyssey xviii.188ff so that when she appeared for the final time before her suitors, the effects of years had been stripped away, and they were inflamed with passion at the sight of her. On the other hand, in Alcman,Alcman, fragment 42 nectar is the food, and in SapphoSappho, fragment 141 LP and Anaxandrides, ambrosia is the drink.When Anaxandrides says "I eat nectar and drink ambrosia", though, Wright, p. 5, suggested he was using comic inversion. A character in Aristophanes' Knights says, "I dreamed the goddess poured ambrosia over your head—out of a ladle." Both descriptions could be correct, as ambrosia could be a liquid considered a food (such as honey).
Definition Ambrosia is very closely related to the gods' other form of sustenance nectar The two terms may not have originally been distinguished;"Attempts to draw any significant distinctions between the functions of nectar and ambrosia have failed" Clay p 114 though in Homer's poems nectar is usually the drink and ambrosia the food of the gods; it was with ambrosia that Hera "cleansed all defilement from her lovely flesh"Homer Iliad xiv170 and with ambrosia Athena prepared Penelope in her sleepHomer Odyssey xviii188ff so that when she appeared for the final time before her suitors the effects of years had been stripped away and they were inflamed with passion at the sight of her On the other hand in AlcmanAlcman fragment 42 nectar is the food and in SapphoSappho fragment 141 LP and Anaxandrides ambrosia is the drinkWhen Anaxandrides says "I eat nectar and drink ambrosia" though Wright p 5 suggested he was using comic inversion A character in Aristophanes' Knights says "I dreamed the goddess poured ambrosia over your head—out of a ladle" Both descriptions could be correct as ambrosia could be a liquid considered a food (such as honey)