Chapter 16 Lecture Two of Two Theseus ©2012 Pearson Education Inc

Chapter 16Lecture Two of Two

Theseus

©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

THE BEGETTING OF THESEUS


The Begetting of Theseus

• Aegeus, a king of Athens, had no sons• Delphi: do not open the wine skins until you

return home• At Troezen, Pittheus understands the

prophecy• Sends his daughter Aethra• Poseidon also gets involved


The Begetting of TheseusThe sword and the sandal (Fig. 16.6).


(© Trustees of the British Museum / Art Resource, New York

THE LABORS OF THESEUS


Fig. 16.7 The Labors of Theseus


(© Trustees of the British Museum / Art Resource, New York


The Labors of Theseus

1. Periphetes, the Clubber2. Sinis, the Pinebender3. Cormmyonian Sow4. Sciron5. Circyon6. Procrustes


ARRIVAL AT ATHENS


Arrival at Athens

• Under a spell cast by Medea, Aegeus doesn’t realize that this is his son

• Aegeus sends him out to kill a bull on the plains of Marathon

• Then she tries to poison him, but Aegeus recognizes his own sword in time – Medea flees


Fig. 16.9 Theseus and the bull of Marathon.


Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Fig. 16.8 Aegeus greets Theseus in Athens.


Musée du Louvre, Paris; Réunion des Musées Nationaux/Art Resource, New York

THESEUS AND ANTIOPÊ


Theseus and Antiopê

• On his way back from his adventure in Crete with the Minotaur (Chapter 17), Theseus forgets to change the ship’s flag to white

• Aegeus drowns himself in the sea (Aegean Sea)



• Athens is “founded” again with Theseus’s wise reforms– Synoicism– Festival: Panathenaia– social reforms: classes– assembly



• Goes off in search of more adventure– Abducts the Queen of the Amazons: Hippolyta or

Antiopê

• Leads to an Amazonomachy in Athens– The Areopagus


PERSPECTIVESThe Amazons


The Amazons

• Mythic homeland is north of the Black Sea (southern modern-day Russia)– a mazos ?– constructed the temple to Artemis at Ephesus?

• A purely myth invention– the world turned upside down


The Amazons

• Contrary to the ideal for the Athenian woman– Always defeated by Greek heroes

• Given political significance after the Battle of Marathon– The Amazonomachy identified with the Athenian

victory over the Persians


Fig. 16.10Theseus and Perithous battle a mounted Amazon.


Museo Etrusco Gregoriano/Photo Vatican Museums

THESEUS AND HIPPOLYTUS


Theseus and Hippolytus

• Remarries to Phaedra, a daughter of Minos• Their son is Hippolytus• Story told by Euripides in his Hippolytus• Hippolytus worships only Artemis and neglects

Aphrodite• Aphrodite makes Phaedra, his mother-in-law,

lust after him


Theseus and Hippolytus

• The slave intermediary• Hippolytus curses women, but vows not to tell

anyone• Phaedra kills herself, but leaves behind a note

for Theseus• Theseus orders Poseidon to kill Hippolytus


Perspective 16In Boccaccio's De casibus virorum illustrium, Phaedra admits how she falsely accused Hippolytus.


(© British Library Board. All Rights Reserved. Harley 1766, f.39

OBSERVATIONSFolktale of “Potiphar’s Wife"


Folktale of “Potiphar’s Wife"

• Story of the Two Brothers– Anubis (not the god)– Bata

• Joseph and Potiphar’s wife• Bellerophon and the wife of King Proteus


EXPLOITS OF THESEUS AND PIRITHOÜS


Exploits of Theseus and Pirithoüs

• The Battle of the Centaurs and the Lapiths (at Perithoüs’s wedding to a Hippodamia)

• Caeneus (formerly Caenis)• The two now seek appropriate wives


Exploits of Theseus and Pirithoüs

• Theseus tries for Helen, but she is too young and is sent away for safekeeping

• The two visit the underworld for Pirithoüs’s choice: Persephonê

• They are trapped but Theseus is eventually rescued by Heracles


Fig. 16.11 Heracles and Theseus


Johannes Laurentius/Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz/Art Resource, New York

DEATH OF THESEUS


Death of Theseus

• Lost favor of the people of Athens and expelled by Menestheus of Athens

• Fled to Scyros, King Lycomedes• Killed by the king


OBSERVATIONSMyth and Propaganda


Myth and Propaganda

• Theseus originally a minor figure• Becomes more important with the rise of

Athens beginning in the 6th century– Theseïs

• Expansion and popularization begins with Pisistratus– Uses Theseus to glorify his own accomplishments

for the city


Myth and Propaganda

• After the Pisistratid dynasty fell from popularity, Theseus remade again– To a hero of democracy and the defender of

freedom• Cimon (son of Miltiades)

– Modeled some of his career leading the Athenian rise to empire after Theseus

– The “bones” of Theseus; new festivals to Theseus; leader of Ionian Greeks against Sparta


End


Documents

Chapter 16 Lecture Two of Two Theseus ©2012 Pearson Education Inc