chapter 16 lecture two of two theseus ©2012 pearson education inc
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Chapter 16Lecture Two of Two
Theseus
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THE BEGETTING OF THESEUS
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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
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The Begetting of TheseusThe sword and the sandal (Fig. 16.6).
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(© Trustees of the British Museum / Art Resource, New York
THE LABORS OF THESEUS
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Fig. 16.7 The Labors of Theseus
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(© Trustees of the British Museum / Art Resource, New York
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The Labors of Theseus
1. Periphetes, the Clubber2. Sinis, the Pinebender3. Cormmyonian Sow4. Sciron5. Circyon6. Procrustes
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ARRIVAL AT ATHENS
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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
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Fig. 16.9 Theseus and the bull of Marathon.
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Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Fig. 16.8 Aegeus greets Theseus in Athens.
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Musée du Louvre, Paris; Réunion des Musées Nationaux/Art Resource, New York
THESEUS AND ANTIOPÊ
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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)
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Theseus and Antiopê
• Athens is “founded” again with Theseus’s wise reforms– Synoicism– Festival: Panathenaia– social reforms: classes– assembly
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Theseus and Antiopê
• Goes off in search of more adventure– Abducts the Queen of the Amazons: Hippolyta or
Antiopê
• Leads to an Amazonomachy in Athens– The Areopagus
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PERSPECTIVESThe Amazons
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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
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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
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Fig. 16.10Theseus and Perithous battle a mounted Amazon.
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Museo Etrusco Gregoriano/Photo Vatican Museums
THESEUS AND HIPPOLYTUS
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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
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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
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Perspective 16In Boccaccio's De casibus virorum illustrium, Phaedra admits how she falsely accused Hippolytus.
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(© British Library Board. All Rights Reserved. Harley 1766, f.39
OBSERVATIONSFolktale of “Potiphar’s Wife"
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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
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EXPLOITS OF THESEUS AND PIRITHOÜS
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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
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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
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Fig. 16.11 Heracles and Theseus
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Johannes Laurentius/Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz/Art Resource, New York
DEATH OF THESEUS
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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
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OBSERVATIONSMyth and Propaganda
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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
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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
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End
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