CLAA06 Ancient Greece/Rome Post-Midterm Textbook Notes (1)

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1 CLAA06 Ancient Greece/Rome Post-Midterm Textbook Notes (1) Ch. 16 Theseus and the Myths of Athens Theseus-king of Athens famous for various exploits, will be explained later Cercops, Erichthonius, and the Daughters of Cecrops Cercops-mortal half man & half snake, born from the earth/soil; he s legendary ancestor of the Greeks/first king of Athens ->in a golden age, he introduced arts of civilization & monogamous marriage to his ppl -> taught how to worship Zeus, abandoning human sacrifice, to build cities & how to bury dead properly (during his reign was when Poseidon & Athena contended for recognition as patron of Athens); the fact that Athena was chosen demonstrates that the olive tree (land) was more important to Athenians than gift of the sea ->in his honor, the Acropolis of Athens was named Cecropia Erichthonius-Athenian mythical king who succeeded Cercops; recall that he was born when Hephaestus was pursuing Athena & he ejaculated on her leg-> in disgust, she wiped off the semen with a piece of wool (throwing it onto the ground)->then sprang Erichthonius ->since Gaia didn t like this, she didn t want the child so Athena took care of him ->she brought Erichthonius within a closed basket into Acropolis sanctuary & gave the basket to daughters of Cecrops (Aglaurus (shining), Herse (dew) & Pandrosus (all-dew)) & insisted them not to open the basket ->while Pandrosus obeyed, Aglaurus & Herse let curiosity get the better of them & they saw a serpent (possibly entwined with a child s body), driving them insane ->the sisters leaped from Acropolis to their deaths & Athena took back her child to raise him herself; thus with Athena s protection, Erichthonius became king of Athens ->in honour of his mother, he set up a wooden image of her on the Acropolis (where Pandrosus & Aglaurus also had shrines) Observations: The Festival of the Dew Carriers -story of Cercops daughters reflect annual ritual (end of year) on Acropolis called the Arrhephoria ->Arrhephoroi-two young girls, lived year-long on special house on Acropolis, weaving robe offered annually to statue of Athena, when festival came, Athena s priestess sent them at night into a grove of Aphrodite (located on northern edge of Acropolis) ->the women took baskets on their heads & descended down a secret stairway in the rock, leaving them at the bottom->then they climbed back with a covered basket containing something mysterious; this myth is built on motif of maiden s sacrifice, entrance into the grove represents parthenos loss of sexual innocence, which parallels with Hades carrying Persephone into the underworld to make her his bride ->as Aglaurus & Herse die, ritual means girls die symbolically (ending their life as a virgin)

2 ->the serpent that drove the sisters insane can rep. the phallus (again disrupting sexual innocence); parthenos must undergo in order to become a woman ->loss of virginity & death of daughters brings promise of new life, the daughters names relate to shining dew that appears on the ground in morning after dark (moisture from dark nourishes the day) Procris and Cephalus -in Ovid s version, all 3 of Cercops daughters survive viewing of Erichthonius, years after, Hermes (Mercury) notices Herse in a procession ->trying to search for her on the Acropolis, Aglaurus offers to lead him to Herse s bed in exchange for gold, Hermes agrees ->Athena, angry that Aglaurus looked inside the basket, became ferociously jealous of her; in spite of the bribe, Hermes turned Aglaurus into stone & impregnated Herse ->Herse gave birth to Cephalus, who married Procris-the daughter of King Erechtheus ->before the marriage, Eos, the goddess of dawn, lusted for Cephalus; she carried him away to Syria where they bore a son named Phaethon (although he s a child of the sun in another story) ->Cephalus became suspicious of Procris b/c of his good fortune from the marriage so to test her love, Cephalus disguised herself & tempted her wife with all sorts of rewards to sleep with him ->Procris gave into the gift of a golden crown, in rage, Cephalus revealed himself & Procris, shamed & frightened, fled to the court of Minos in Crete ->Procris attracted King Minos; she cured him of a curse by his wife Pasiphae (his semen was turned into spiders & scorpions that ate his mistresses genitalia) ->in return, Minos gave her magical hound named Laelaps that always caught what it chased & a magical spear that never missed its mark (both were gifts by Artemis) ->fearing Pasiphae s anger, Procris soon regretted her behavior & fled back to Athens with gifts, disguised as a boy, as she joined a hunting expedition of her husband, Cephalus wanted Procris gifts but she didn t to give it for anything else, only for his love ->at first Cephalus resisted but then he gave in & the couple became reunited ->Artemis, however, was not pleased b/c her gifts were going from one hand to the other so she filled Procris' head with jealous thoughts against Eos ->when Cephalus was leaving for a hunting trip early in the morning, Procris suspected that he was going to visit Eos so she followed him secretly (this part of the myth was recounted in Metamorphoses & the Ara amatoria (Art of Love)) ->but while in the forest, Procris made a noise & Cephalus, assuming it to be a wild animal, shot it with his magical dart, wounding his own wife ->Procris, after explaining her mistake, died in his husband s arms, Cephalus was then exiled b/c of his actions

3 ->Cephalus went to Thebes, where at the time, he was persecuted by a wild fox fated never to be caught, to forestall worse disaster, the Thebans sacrificed the son of a prominent citizen monthly ->Amphitryon (mortal father of Heracles), under obligation of King Creon of Thebes at the time, offered Cephalus an island (to be named after him called Cephellenia) in exchange for the hound ->the hound that always caught would chase the fox that can never be caught, Zeus, annoyed by this contradiction, turned them both into stone Procne and Tereus -when Erichthonius died, is son Pandion became king, Pandion had 2 daughters: Procne & Philomela (sisters to Erechtheus) ->Pandion summoned Tereus (king of Thrace & a son of Ares) to fight when war broke out b/t Athens & Thebes (Athens eventually wins the war) ->in gratitude for his help, Pandion offered Tereus, Procne, as his wife ->Tereus & Procne bore a son named Itys ->Tereus lusted for Philomela so he raped her & then cut her tongue out so that she can t tell anyone of his crime; however, Philomela wove a tapestry which revealed everything to Procne ->as an act of revenge, Procne & her sister kill Itys with a sword & cooked him so that Tereus ate his own son for a dinner banquet; when Tereus discovered this, he pursued both women (trying to kill them) but before the chase could end, all 3 were turned into birds by the Olympian gods: Tereus into a hoopoe (bird with feathery crown), Procne into a swallow & Philomela into a nightingale (the nightingale is often called a "Philomel" in poetry) ->it s unclear though, which sister became which bird, Philomela may have become the songless swallow b/c she had no tongue & Procne the nightingale Observations: Ovid s Literary Myth -in the Metamorphoses, Ovid constructs melodramatic situations & images, story of Procne & Philomena proves one shouldn t give in to irrational desire ->conflicts of Procris & Cephalus plus Procne & Philomela are within family, Procris & Cephalus is a story of loving too much until suspicion destroys them, Procne & Philomela show profane acts but punishments are equally as brutal The Begetting of Theseus -when Pandion died, Erechtheus became king; he had several children which included Procris, a 2 nd Cercops & Orithyia, whom Boreas, the winged north-wind, loved & carried off ->Orithyia + Boreas gave birth to Zetes & Calais (winged warriors discussed in legend of Jason & the Golden Fleece) ->when Erechtheus died, the 2 nd Cercops became king & then when he died, his son, the 2 nd Pandion, inherited his throne ->the 2 nd Pandion was driven out of Athens where he became the king of Megara; he married Creusa (daughter of Corinthian king Creon)

4 ->Pandion + Creon bore 4 sons: Niscus, Lycus, Pallas & Aegeus ->when 2 nd Pandion died, his sons regained control of Athens; Aegeus though he had the most power but it was threatened b/c he was sterile (he couldn t impregnate any woman), Pallas despised his brother Aegeus (Pallas had 50 sons) ->to solve this, Aegeus consulted Delphic Oracle, Pythia replied with the following: Do not loosen the bulging mouth of wineskin until you have reached the height of Athens." ->confused, Aegeus went back to Athens, he rested a night at the town of Troezen (located in the northeastern tip of the Peloponnesus) ->Pittheus, king of Troezen was famous for his wisdom so Aegeus asked him what he thought of the strange prophecy; Pittheus understood it (he was to have a child with next woman he had intercourse with) ->Pittheus caused Aegeus to become drunk & then introduced him to his daughter, Aethra (after having intercourse, he realized she was Pittheus' daughter & understood what had happened) ->Aethra, instructed by a dream, then travelled to a nearby island to offer sacrifice; Poseidon sprang out of the sea & possessed her; this is how Theseus became conceived (immortal Poseidon & mortal Aegeus) ->Aegeus told Aethra that he would leave a sword & a pair of sandals under a great rock in Troezen; if she bore a son (which she did), he (Theseus) was to collect these when he was strong & old enough & travel to Athens, he asked her to tell her son to travel in secret, as Aegeus feared that Pallas 50 sons were plotting against him The Labours of Theseus -when Theseus grew up, Aethra did what Aegeus told her; using his strength, he lifted the rock, acquired the sword & sandals & set off for Athens via land (despite Aethra & Pittheus warnings not to & travel via sea b/c there were many infamous bandits on his route) ->imitating the 12 labours, Theseus performed 6 famous deeds on strength on his route to Athens: 1. North of Epidaurus, he killed Periphetes (clubber), a son of Hephaestus who liked to bash passerby s; Theseus took the club, killed Periphetes with it & claimed it as his own 2. At the Isthmus of Corinth, he killed Sinis (giant & son of Poseidon pine bender ) who forced travelers to help him bend a pine tree to the ground; he then unexpectedly let go, catapulting victim through the air (or he would tie victim to 2 bent trees, cut ropes to rip victim apart), Theseus did this to Sinis 3. North of Isthmus, at a place called Crommyon, he killed an enormous pig (Crommyonian sow, which was bred by an old woman named Phaea) 4. Near Megara, he killed Sciron (a rascal who made travellers bend over to wash his feet, then kicked them down a steep slope to the rocks below, where victim is devoured by giant turtle); Theseus tricked Sciron into washing his feet, then kicked him down the slope 5. On the way to Eleusis, he crushed to death Cercyon, a powerful wrestler 6. Finally, Theseus killed Procrustes (stretcher), a legendary robber of ancient Attica, he lived in Eleusis & captured passing travelers to fit them in one of his two beds (he had one long & one short bed; victims

5 who were small he placed on the long bed & stretched their limbs until they would fit while those who were tall, he placed on the small bed, essentially both killed the victims)->to end this, Theseus forced Procrustes into one of his own beds Arrival at Athens -entering as a conqueror into Athens, Aegeus didn t recognize him; he had fallen under influence of sorcerer Medea, who cured Aegeus infertility by magic/drugs ->recognizing Theseus & fearing him as a rival to the child she was carrying (Medus), she persuaded Aegeus to kill his son by having him attempt to capture the savage Marathonian Bull ->Theseus succeeds & sacrifices it to Apollo, as a 2 nd attempt, Medea tells Aegeus to give his son poisoned wine, as he is about to do so, Aegeus recognizes Theseus' sword & knocks the goblet from his lips at the last second; in disgrace, Medea fled to Asia, where she gave birth to Medus ->when Pallas 50 sons learned that Theseus was going to inherit his father s throne, they laid an ambush to kill Theseus, but Theseus killed them all (his famous adventure with Cretan Minotaur in next chapter) ->folktale motifs: wicked step-mother, impossible tasks, tokens Theseus and Antiope -upon Theseus return, he became king of Athens, he promised to his father that if he killed the Minotaur, he would change the sail on his ship from black to white but if he died, Theseus companions would leave the black sail up so his father could know the truth before ship docked ->however, Theseus got too excited & forgot to change the sail so when Aegeus saw the black sail, he threw himself in despair into the sea to his death (hence became known as the Aegean Sea) ->as king, Theseus brought Attica citizens into single federal system (syonecism), instituted Panathenaic festival (symbol of Attic unity), founded popular assembly (where ppl debated/voted on state decisions) ->Theseus wanted adventure so he sailed to land of Amazons to abduct queen Antiope (Hippolyta); her kidnapping led to the Amazonomachy (battle with Amazons) ->eventually Athenians defeat Amazons (the Amazons were all-female warriors who were portrayed as barbaric/savage) Observations: The Amazons -the Amazons defied their destinies as women (extreme feminists), they hated men & would only tolerate them as slaves, in myth they re perversion to all that s correct & a threat to family (basis of civilization) ->Theseus victory over the Amazons symbolizes Athens moral & political superiority over anyone who imposed its imperial democracy Theseus and Hippolytus

6 -Hippolytus was the son of Theseus + Hippolyta (rmb Theseus abducted her), when Hippolyta died, Theseus decided to marry Phaedra (daughter of king Minos of Crete & sister of Ariadne) ->Hippolytus had meanwhile grown into young, strong & handsome man & Phaedra fell in love with him->hippolytus rejected Phaedra's advances, which hurt her deeply, to extent that she wrote a letter to Theseus telling him that Hippolytus had seduced her & then hanged herself ->Theseus took revenge by using a curse which was one of 3 he had been given by Poseidon; while Hippolytus was out driving his chariot, a huge bull sent by Poseidon frightened the horses, dragging Hippolytus to his death, but Artemis later told Theseus the tragic truth (he killed his own son even though he was loyal) ->Hippolytus avoidance of sexual desire (like the Amazons) is what leads him to his death- >Euripides explains that to live without sex is a destructive illusion Observations: The Folktale of Potiphar s Life -in Homer s Iliad: story of Corinthian hero, named Bellerophon, son of King Glaucus ->when he turned 16, Bellerophon set out for adventure, along the way he met Proteus, though they became friends, Proteus was jealous of Bellerophon & sought to cause his death ->Proteus was the son-in-law of Iobates, King of Lycia->Proteus gave Bellerophon a sealed message to carry to Iobates, upon his arrival in Lycia, Bellerophon found out about the Chimera, (recall monster with head of a lion tail of a dragon) who swept down upon & carried off women, children & livestock (bones of his many victims lay strewn along the mountainside); Lycia s population lived in constant fear ->When Iobates read the letter Bellerophon had delivered, he found that Proteus requested Bellerophon be put to death (though he wanted to please his son-in-law, he knew that an outright execution would risk war against the Corinthians) so he sent Bellerophon to slay the Chimera to make sure that he would never return alive ->Bellerophon, excited, was eager to defeat the Chimera, he set out on his quest & sought the advice of Polyidus (wisest man in Lycia), impressed by the youth's courage, Polyidus told Bellerophon of legendary Pegasus; he advised him to spend a night in Athena's temple & offer her many gifts->in return, Athena may help him obtain the flying horse ->B. took his advice & Athena appeared to him that night in a dream; she gave him a golden bridle & instructions as to where to find the well from which the Pegasus drank->in the morning, Bellerophon awoke to find golden bridle beside ->B. journeyed into the forest, locating the well of which Athena had spoken, he hid in the bushes by the well & when Pegasus finally arrived, Bellerophon waited till it kneeled over to drink & then jump upon it (from his hiding place), slipping bridle onto its head->pegasus flew into the air, desperately trying to shake Bellerophon off, but Bellerophon was up to the challenge, skilled in the handling of fierce horses->pegasus then understood he had a new master

7 ->B. then set out to the ledge where the Chimera dwelt (armed with a long spear, he charged the Chimera), Chimera exhaled a puff of its horrible fire & Pegasus darted backward to evade the burning breath; but before the Chimera could breathe again, Pegasus renewed its advance & B. drove the spear through Chimera's heart ->upon return, carrying Chimera s head, the ppl of Lycia admired his bravery & Pegasus, as reward, King Iobates gave his willing daughter to B. as a bride ->when Iobates died, B. took his place but B. wanted more adventures, one day he decided to ride up to Mount Olympus to visit the gods ->Zeus, displeased with B's arrogant attempt to scale Mount Olympus' heights, sent a gadfly to punish him for daring to ascend to the home of gods, the fly stung Pegasus, & startling the horse that he suddenly reared; B was hurled off of his back & plummeted to his death ->alternate ending: Athena spared him by causing him to land on soft ground but for the rest of his life, Bellerophon traveled lonely and crippled, in search of Pegasus, but never returned The Exploits of Theseus and Pirithous Pirithous-son of Ixion who befriended Theseus, he was related to the Centaurs, who were descended from Ixion (recall * Ixion + cloud that looked like Hera = race of Centaurs->half men/half horse) ->Theseus had one of the most famous male friendships in classical mythology, Pirithous was a Lapith prince (Thessalian tribe) when Theseus was king of Athens, before they met, Pirithous had heard about Theseus' reputation for strength & bravery, he wanted proof of this reputation, so he drove Theseus' cattle from the plains of Marathon (as Pirithous expected, Theseus set out in armed pursuit) ->Pirithous, also armed, turned to meet his pursuer but as the men confronted each other, both were so impressed other's beauty & daringness that they didn t fight, they became friends ->the pair helped hunt the Calydonian boar, and they also took part in the battle between the Lapiths & the Centaurs->Centauromachy, which symbolized struggle b/t civilization & barbarism ->on another occasion, after their wives died, Theseus & Pirithous promised that they would help each other wed daughters of Zeus; Theseus desired Helen of Sparta (she was 12 at the time, but Theseus and Pirithous carried her off to wait for the time when she would be old enough to marry) ->after they had succeeded in abducting Helen, Pirithous announced that he had chosen to wed Persephone (having left Helen with Aethra, they travelled to the underworld), Hades hospitality led the 2 friends to sit down but as soon as they were seated, serpents coiled around them & binded them quickly ->when Heracles visited underworld to fetch Cerberus, he saw Pirithous &Theseus and took pity on them->with a great pull he freed Theseus, but the earth shook when he tried to free Pirithous (Theseus returned to Athens to discover that Dioscuri (sons of Zeus) had taken Helen & Aethra back to Sparta, but Pirithous remained fastened to the seat in Hades for eternity) ->as Athens plunged into chaos, Theseus fled to island of Scyros (east of Euboea) hoping for hospitality but the local king, envious of Theseus greatness led him to a cliff to see the view & pushed him off (Theseus died shamefully & by treachery), similar to how his father Aegeus died

8 Observations: Myth and Propaganda Pistratus-tyrant who rules in Athens from BC, credited for giving legacy to Panathenaic games (established by Theseus), hero of Athenian democracy & encouraged production of plays Ch. 17 The Myths of Crete Europa and the Bull -Io + Zeus = Epaphus Epaphus + Memphis = Libya Libya + Poseidon = Agenor->Agenor, descendant of Zeus, travelled to east coast of Mediterranean (Phoenicia) where he had 3 sons: Cadmus, Phoenix & Cilix & 1 daughter: Europa ->Zeus fell in love with Europa & came to her in form of bull (took her away, when Agenor discovered her daughter was missing, he sent his 3 sons to find her; unsuccessful & afraid to return home, Phoenix settled in Phoenicia (modern day Lebanon), Cilix settled in Cilicia (SE Turkey) & Cadmus in Thebes (central Greece) ->Zeus + Europa = Minos, Sarpedon & Rhadamanthys, to protect Europa, Zeus gives her Laelaps & Talus (giant bronze robot that pelted boulders at ships) Minos and Pasiphae -tired of Europa, Zeus returns to Olympus; a local Cretan named Asterius marries Europa & looks after her 3 sons; the sons grew up & fought over a boy in which Minos manages to drive Sarpedon to Lycia (SW Anatolia) & Rhadamanthys to Boeotia ->Rhadamanthys & Minos become judges among dead after death ->upon Asterius death, Minos claimed kingship ( boasting Poseidon for promising throne), he asks a bull to rise from the sea for sacrifice but the bull was so magnificent; Minos decided to keep it himself ->Minos (now king of Crete) + Pasiphae (all-shining, daughter of Helius, the sun) = Catreus, Deucalion, Androgeus, Ariadne & Phaedra ->angry that Minos doesn t sacrifice bull, Poseidon causes Pasiphae to fall in love with bull, to control her passion, Pasiphae confided to Daedalus (Athenian living on Crete, skilled craftsman/architect, inventor of statues) ->Daedalus was exiled for murdering one of his students, Pedrix, fearing he would surpass his artistic talent (Pedrix invented the saw) ->Daedalus constructs a wooden cow for Pasiphae, she climbs inside & the bull impregnates her ->Pasiphae + bull = Minotaur-man eating monster with head of bull & body of man ->Minos, shamed by his wife s behaviour, orders Daedalus to construct a maze known as the Labyrinth, where he imprisons the Minotaur (anyone who enters maze was doomed to be eaten)

9 Minos and Scylla -Minos son, Androgeus, was an exceptional athlete who travelled to Athens to partake in Panathenaic games (held annually on Athena s birthday)->he defeated every contender in every contest which annoyed Aegeus ->t/f, Aegeus orders Androgeus to fight the same bull that impregnated Pasiphae & the one Heracles transported as one of his 12 labours->androgeus was then killed ->upon learning of his son s death, he travelled with his fleet to attack Athens; on the way he laid siege to coastal town of Megara, ruled by King Nisus (brother of Aegeus) ->Nisus had a single lock of purple hair which granted him invincibility, his daughter/princess of Megara, Scylla, admired Minos from afar & fell in love, to win Minos heart; she decided to grant victory to him by cutting purple lock from her father s head ->disgusted with her betrayal, Minos left Megara; Scylla, betraying her father couldn t stay in Megara so she swam after Minos & clung onto his ship ->Nisus turned into an osprey (sea eagle), swooped down on Scylla & drowned her; she turned into a seabird (ciris shearer ) & then escaped Theseus and Amphitrite -having captured Megara, Minos turned his attention to Athens (but he was unsuccessful in conquering it), he prayed to Zeus for help, who then plagued the city with famine ->an oracle advised Athenians to surrender to Minos->as punishment for Androgeus death, every 9 years (or annually), the Athenians had to send 7 boys & 7 girls to be eaten by the Minotaur in Labyrinth ->Theseus, who just arrived at Athens from Troezen, bragged that his ancestry was as glorious as Minos (son of Zeus), b/c he was son of Poseidon ->to prove it, Minos threw a ring into sea, ordering Theseus to fetch it; Theseus did & came back instead with a wreath from Amphitrite (wife of Poseidon), nothing further heard about ring though Theseus and the Minotaur -to end the Minotaur & sacrificing tributes, Theseus volunteered to travel to Crete as a victim; upon his arrival he met Minos daughter, Ariadne, who fell in love with Theseus->she promised to show Theseus how to subdue Minotaur only if he d take/marry her away ->following instructions Daedalus gives to Ariadne, Theseus ties the end of a ball of thread to maze entrance & unrolls it behind him as he made his way through it; Theseus finds the Minotaur, slays it with his swords & leads the tributes back to entrance by following thread ->Theseus + Ariadne flee to Cycladic island of Naxos (*recall Dionysus took her away->ch.11) Daedalus and Icarus

10 -Minos, enraged at her daughter s betrayal, punishes Daedalus & his son Icarus (mother was a Cretan slave girl) by imprisoning them in Labyrinth ->to escape, Daedalus builds wings for himself & Icarus; they successfully flew away from Crete but Icarus wings melted when he flew too close to the sun & he drowned in the sea (Icarian Sea) The Death of Minos -Daedalus, giving up his initial plans to land in Attica, flies east to Sicily, taking refuge at court of Cocalus-king of Camicus (located in central SE coast of Sicily) ->wanting revenge, Minos pursues Daedalus, offering reward to whomever could thread a spiral conch shell he carried with him (he knew only Daedalus could accomplish task b/c of his skills) ->eventually, Minos comes to Camicus & presents his contest before Cocalus ->Cocalus gives shell to Daedalus, who ties thread to an ant by drop of honey, allowing it to walk through shell until it came out through other end ->seeing that his puzzle was solved; Minos demanded Cocalus surrender Daedalus, Cocalus agrees but he persuades Minos to take a bath before a feast; Cocalus daughters filled tub with boiling water, killing Minos; how Daedalus died though remains unknown Observations: Archaeology and Cretan Myth -Minoan power ended around 1450 BC, during this time, archaeological evidence shows ritual cannibalism of children/human sacrifice -Ariadne ( the holy one ) may have been name for a mother-goddess that Cretans worshipped -bull->embodiment of divine power, historically Zeus animal, to whom bull was sacrificed -Labyrinth->Cretan word for double-edged ax is labrys, t/f Labyrinth = place of double ax (where Athenian youths were sacrificed) -queen Pasiphae: conforms to Greek stereotype of women as hopelessly lustful & unashamed -betrayal: Ariadne betrays Minos, Scylla betrays Nisus -steps in male initiation ritual compared to Theseus myth: Journey->overcoming death/monster->sexual adventure->kingship/maturity ->Theseus: protective spirit of male initiates (ephebes-verge of adulthood) -Daedalus is prototype of passionate artist->attributed to invention of realistic sculpture & construction of many famous buildings Ch. 18 Oedipus and the Myths of Thebes Boeotia-principal city of Thebes, centre of power in Bronze Age/Classical Period

11 The Founding of Thebes: Cadmus and the Dragon (serpent) -*recall Cadmus & his brothers searching for Europa; Cadmus went to Delphi where Pythia told him to give up searching; instead he should follow a cow with special markings the cow led Cadmus to hill in southern Boeotia, where he built city of Thebes ->wanting to sacrifice cow to Zeus/Athena, Cadmus sends his men to water spring but men were all killed by giant dragon/serpent sacred to Ares ->Cadmus defeats dragon in great battle; at Athena s suggestion, he knocked out the serpent s teeth & sowed them->from teeth sprang armed men->cadmus stoned them & thinking they were being attacked, the newborn warriors battled each other until only 5 remained ->the 5 sown men were known as the Sparti (Chthonius, Echion, Hyperenor, Pelorus &Udaeus), the Sparti have no connection with city of Sparta ->joining Cadmus in founding of Thebes, Sparti are ancestors of principal aristocratic Thebans ->as punishment for slaying dragon/serpent, Cadmus was forced to serve Ares for 8 years ->after, Cadmus married Harmonia (daughter or Ares +Aphrodite), at their wedding, Harmonia was given a robe (gave owner royal dignity) & a necklace (Hephaestus made) by Aphrodite ->however, the objects cursed their offspring ->Cadmus + Harmonia = Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, Polydorus, *recall that Ino killed her children & then jumped off a cliff, Semele was burned by Zeus thunderbolt, Agave rips his son Pentheus to shreds & Actaeon (Autonoe s son) is eaten by hounds ->upon old age. Cadmus + Harmonia leave Thebes & went to Illyria (modern Albania), where Cadmus became king & according to prophecy they would transform into serpents->they did & after death, the couple were sent by Zeus to live forever in Elysian Fields The Twins Amphion and Zethus -Polydorus marries a woman named Nycteis (daughter of Nycteus who inherited Cadmus throne) ->meanwhile Zeus impregnates Nycteus other daughter Antiope; ashamed, Nycteus drives Antiope out of Thebes where she took refuge with king of Sicyon (in Peloponnesus) & marries him ->Nycteus orders his brother, Lycus to kill Sicyon king; he does & takes Antiope as prisoner back to Thebes, on the way though, she gives birth to twins: Amphion & Zethus (on Mount Cithaeron) ->Antiope returns to Lycus, leaving twins to be raised by a shepherd, Lycus gives Antiope as a slave to her wife, Dirce-who mistreats Antiope ->Antiope manages to escape Dirce & reunites with her sons; in revenge, the twins track down Dirce; they tie her to a wild bull which drags her to death->then they threw Dirce s body into a spring (Dirce spring) & then kills Lycus

12 ->the twins brothers help build walls of Thebes for protection, later Zethus marries woman named Thebe & Amphion marries Niobe (*recall Niobe is daughter of Tantalus; Niobe s 7 sons & 7 daughters killed by Apollo & Artemis) Observations: the Two Founding s of Thebes -story of Cadmus &dragon parallels Meso. Creation myth (Marduk kills Tiamat) -twins myth is folktale, they discover who they are, Amphion is artistic & played the lyre, he is a man of intellect in contrast to Zethus, a cattle breeder & passionate hunter, a man of action -Cadmus found higher city of Thebes on Acropolis (Cadmeia) while twins found lower city Oedipus the King Polydorus + Nycteis = Labdacus (Greek alphabet lambda, swollen foot), Labdacus has a son called Laius (3 rd in descent from Cadmus), Laius takes refuge in court of Pelops on Elis (NW Peloponnesus) ->Laius falls in love with Pelops son, Chrysippus; he took him out of town & raped him ->outraged from violating xenia, Pelops curses Laius, Laius flees back to Thebes where he becomes king & marries Jocasta, a descendant of the Sparti ->learning of an oracle by Apollo that his own son will kill him, Laius avoids sex with Jocasta but one night he gets drunk & sleeps with her wife anyway ->Laius + Jocasta = Oedipus, Laius wanted Oedipus to die so he pins his child s feet with iron pin & left him to die on Mount Cithaeron (near Thebes), shepherd who took Laius orders takes pity on child & gives it to a Corinthian visitor, who delivers it to Polybus (king of Corinth), Polybus wife, Merope, names child Oedipus (swollen foot) ->upon adulthood, Oedipus goes to Delphi to ask if he s adopted; instead of answering him, the Pythia told him he was going to kill his father & marry his mother->believing he was going to murder Polybus & Merope, Oedipus fled to Thebes, on the way he meets an old man in a chariot with his men coming the opposite way on narrow road ->the man runs over Oedipus foot & strikes him with a goad (spiked stick), in rage, Oedipus kills the stranger & continues on to Thebes ->*recall Sphinx (daughter of Typheus)->plagues Thebes by eating ppl who couldn t solver her riddle: what goes on 4 legs in the morning, 2 at midday & 3 in the evening? ->Laius s brother in law, Creon, declares that whoever solves riddle & frees Thebes could marry Jocasta & become king; intelligent Oedipus solves riddle, the answer is a human (anthropos)- >infants on all 4 s, walking on 2 legs at maturity, 3 at old age (with cane) ->Sphinx, mortified that someone solved her riddle, casts herself down from rock she was sitting on & fell to her death Oedipus + Jocasta = 2 sons: Polynices & Eteocles, 2 daughters: Antigone & Ismene ->Laius, who went to Delphi to see what Oedipus was up to turned out to be the stranger that was killed->by coincidence, Oedipus meets the shepherd Laius delivered him & was the only survivor while he was attacking Laius & his men in chariot

13 ->shepherd reveals truth: Polybus isn t his father & he killed his actual father ->Jocasta, realizing she married her own son, hangs herself->oedipus takes 2 pins from her dress & blinds himself with them, driven to exile, he goes to Athens Observations: Heroic Sufferer for Truth or Victim of Curiosity? -in Sophocles play: Oedipus the King, Oedipus becomes homeless outcast whereas in Homer s Odyssey, Oedipus continues his reign (after truth is discovered) -tragic elements: anagnorisis (recognition & disguise) & peripeteia (turning around, fortunes go from good to bad)->oedipus is a victim of fate but highly intelligent, yet on the other hand, he s the worst of criminals (blind to his origins, outcast/object of horror to begin with) -Oedipus is also symbolic of restless human intelligence, when riddles are solved, human happiness is compromised/an illusion The Seven Against Thebes -with Oedipus gone, Eteocles & Polynices agree to share power of Thebes equally & rule on alternating years, but after the 1 st year, Eteocles (true glory) refuses to give up his throne & drives out Polynices (filled with contention) ->Polynices flees to Argos, taking with him Harmonia s necklace & robe ->Adrastus, king of Argos, discovers Polynices fighting with Tydeus (son of Oeneus & halfbrother to Deianira & Meleager->all of which were exiled for homicide from Calydon to Aetolia, north across Corinthian Gulf in SW mainland) ->Adrastus sees one man had a boar painted on his shield, the other a lion->he settled the fight & married them to his daughters; promising both to restore Polynices & Tydeus to their kingdoms, first to attack Thebes, then Calydon ->Adrastus summoned his men for battle, among them was Amphiaraus, a seer with exceptional oracular talent->he argued that everyone was going to die in the war anyways & became frustrated ->to avoid further argument, Adrastus arranged his sister, Eriphyle to marry Amphiaraus, but only on the condition that Eriphyle decide what was to happen ->Polynices, learning of the agreement, offered Eriphyle Harmonia s necklace if she decides the argument about the upcoming war in his/adrastus favour ->t/f Amphiaraus was forced to accept the decision but before leaving, he told his son Alcameon to avenge his inevitable death->the army set out with 7 heroes leading the way: Adrastus, Amphiaraus, Capaneus & Hippomedon (all from leading houses of Argos); Polynices from Thebes, Tydeus from Calydon & Parthenopeus from Arcadia Oedipus at Colonus -Oedipus, reaching Athens, wanders into the Grove of the Furies at Colonus (a suburb of Athens); the Thebans wanted him to come back, believing he would give them good luck->t/f his own sons try to abduct him but king Theseus orders them to leave

14 ->furious, Oedipus curses his sons, foreshadowing their deaths ->then Oedipus dies at Colonus, the presence of his grave there was said to bring good fortune to Athens The Battle Before Thebes -Tiresias, (*recall the blind prophet) informs Thebans that they could only win the war if King Creon s son, Menoeceus, was sacrificed to Ares; overhearing this, Menoeceus willingly kills himself outside one of the gates->the Theban heroes drew lots for the gates they will defend, Polynices is paired with Eteocles ->the battle begins & the Thebans are driven into their city, Capaneus throws a ladder against walls, climbing to the top & taunting that no one could stop him, not even Zeus; Zeus however kills him with his lightning bolt ->the Theban hero Melanippus dueled with Tydeus, but both became wounded->athena loved Tydeus & begged Zeus to give him potion of immortality but Amphiaraus, who hated Tydeus for favouring the war, cut off Melanippus head & gave it to Tydeus ->Tydeus broke open his skull & ate the brains; Athena arrives & in disgust, throws potion to the ground->t/f Tydeus dies ->Amphiaraus flees in his chariot but is speared in the back (Zeus who loves seers, causes the ground to open & swallow Amphiaraus alive) ->as Oedipus curse was still in effect, Eteocles & Polynices kill each other, the Thebans win & only Adrastus escapes alive in his chariot drawn by magical horse Arion Sophocles Antigone -after war, king Creon, who now takes power in Thebes, declares that, as he was protector of city, Eteocles' body will be properly buried, but Polynices, because he attacked Thebes, will be left unburied on the battlefield ->Antigone decides she must disobey & is determined to give Polynices a proper burial->she sprinkles dust over his body but she is then taken away by guards & before King Creon ->Creon declares that Antigone be buried alive in a sealed cave; Creon s son, Haemon, however, is betrothed to Antigone & protests her sentence, Creon refuses to change his mind ->but when prophet Tiresias informs Creon that the gods are now angry with his pronouncement concerning Polynices, he changes his mind but it s too late; Antigone has hanged herself ->angry, Haemon tries to kill Creon with his sword but fails, so he kills himself instead->upon returning to his palace, Creon also learns that his wife killed herself too when she heard what had happened->t/f Creon is forced to accept that he is now a ruler over an orderly city, but has lost everything Observations: Revenge of the Parthenos -political level: Antigone with righteous indignation, Creon repels with insistence of abstract law & societal rights->antigone s voice is in a way, a voice of the people, she advocates old ways of family right against modern authority of state

15 -Creon on the other hand, justifies human sacrifice & cannibalism; although Antigone forces herself to be killed, she puts Creon in a vulnerable position->with Creon s artificial laws of the polis, Creon depends on his subjects to rule but has lost confidence -philosophical level: conflict b/t laws of custom (nomos), from which Creon derives authority & laws of nature (physis), from which Antigone derives hers -power of untamed female, Antigone, the female, acts on Creon, the male->b/c Antigone is still a parthenos, nothing can destroy her->more suicidal then unafraid of death, she ruins Creon (tyranny) The Epigoni -Adrastus escaped to Athens, taking refuge at Altar of Mercy->Theseus takes pity on him & leads him on expedition to Thebes, Capaneus wife, Evadne, throws herself on her husband s funeral pyre & is burned alive ->10 years later, sons of the 7 against Thebes, called the Epigoni (descendants), organized 2 nd attack against Thebes, again Eriphyle was bribed, this time with Harmonia s robe, who fell into Thersander (Polynices son), Eriphyle persuaded Amphiaraus s son, Alcmaeon, to go to war ->this time, the Epigoni were able to successfully raid Thebes, but Laodamas, son of Eteocles & now ruler of Thebes, survived & led his ppl to Illyria ->10 years earlier, Amphiaraus ordered Alcmaeon to kill Eriphyle, to avenge his death; encouraged by Delphic oracle, Alcmaeon did as he was told but he was driven insane by his murder & eventually he himself, was murdered