CLASSICS 2B03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Melqart, Ekam, Kleos
3 Dec 2014
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Exposition: aphitryon, king of thebes: megara, three children of heracles. Heracles returns form labours, avenges himself and family. Arrival of iris and madness: heracles murders family. Arrival of theseus: heracles departs with him into exile. Innovations: lycus, position of amphitryon, timing of heracles" labours, theseus and athens. Reclaim homeland of argos (homeland of amphitryon, alcmena) And so he, wanting to lighten my burden and to find a home in his own land, offered that man eurystheus a great price for my recall: to free the world of savage monsters. (cp 199) If he perform these labours, he can bring back argos and his family can live there again. Euripides places the labours first before the murder. See heracles as a son doing anything for his father more heroic wanting his father to live in peace from where he is from, more selfless. When place after murder, he is simply doing them to fulfill his inner guilt.
