Classical Studies 2200 Lecture 16: Thesus and Thebes
16 Oct 2018
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THESEUS
PARENTAGE AND EARLY LIFE
o Theseus is the son of Aegeus / Poseidon + Aethra (d. of Pittheus, king of Troezene)
- Aegeus was a mythical king of Athens
- Local beings that had a strong connections to where they’re from
o Aegeus lay with Aethra as the result of an obscure oracle
- Daughter of the local king
- Took stopper out of bottle – he will get an heir
- Got her pregnant and flew the coop
o Aegeus returned to Athens, but left tokens that Theseus was to claim upon
reaching manhood
- Under a rock
- When he comes of age, he claims his tokens
- Goes to claim his parentage, rightful place at Athens
o Kings came from/endorsed by Zeus
o This story seems to represent the appropriation of a Troezenian hero by Athens
- Makes Theseus an Athenian
- Traveled Delphi
▪ In many myths
o Athens dominated our view of Greek world after dark ages
o Theseus is probably originally a son of Poseidon, but the Athenian myth makes
him the biological son of Aegeus
THESEUS’ JOURNEY TO ATHENS
o Called “the road of monsters”
o It takes Theseus from Troezene to Athens, travelling along the coast around the
Saronic Gulf
o Theseus tamed the road and proved himself as a hero
o By the time we see the story, the Athenians make it more similar to that of
Heracles
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EPIDAURUS
o Periphetes / Corynetes (‘Clubman’)
o Son of Hephaestus and Anticlia
o Carried a club like Heracles and used it in a similar way
ISTHMUS OF CORINTH
o Sinis
o Also, called Pityocamptes (lit. ‘pine-bender’)
o He killed his victims as the name implies
CROMMYON
o Sow of Crommyon
o Named Phaea after the old woman who looked after it
o In some versions, a real monster (offspring of Echidna and Typhon)
o A rationalization of a female robber?
MEGARA
o Sciron (name suggests limestone)
o Originally a local hero
o Washed wayfarers’ feet
o Then fed them to his man-eating turtle
ELEUSIS
o Cercyon
o A wrestler
o Another local hero
o As long as he touched the ground, he was invincible
o Like Heracles’ encounter with Antaeus
BETWEEN ELEUSIS AND ATTICA
o Procrustes
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o Put his victims on his bed and ‘resized’ them accordingly
THESEUS AT ATHENS
o Acknowledged by Aegeus as his son
- Aegeus has also taken a wife (Medea)
o Intrigue with Medea (who is interested in promoting the interests of her son
Medus)
o Bull of Marathon
- Brought from Crete by Heracles
- Theseus drove the bull to Athens, and sacrificed it to Apollo
THE MINOTAUR
o The central myth goes back to the Bronze Age, and Minoan civilization
o Androgeos, the son of Minos, was murdered in Athens (needed to purify the blood
guilt)
o The Athenians were forced to pay a tribute of 7 youths and 7 maidens (annually or
every 9 years) to Crete
- They were fed to the Minotaur
o The Minotaur was the product of the unnatural union of Pasiphae (wife of Minos)
and a bull
- This mating was facilitated by Daedalus
- Aphrodite’s vengeance was indirect, she might cause you to fall inlove with
something awful (ex. bull and Pasiphae)
o The Minotaur was kept in the labyrinth beneath Minos’ palace
- Perhaps a folk memory of the elaborate palace
o Crete became uneventful according to our sources
- Ties Minos & Crete to Athens
- Myths of Theseus are product of Athenian poets in the 6th century
o Do something to validate status as an adult (puberty)
o One version Minos chooses son of king to be a tribute out of spite
o Other myth says Theseus volunteers
o Most literary versions of this myth don’t focus on the actual killing of the myth
Document Summary
Parentage and early life: theseus is the son of aegeus / poseidon + aethra (d. of pittheus, king of troezene) Aegeus was a mythical king of athens. Local beings that had a strong (cid:272)o(cid:374)(cid:374)e(cid:272)tio(cid:374)s to (cid:449)he(cid:396)e the(cid:455)(cid:859)(cid:396)e f(cid:396)o(cid:373: aegeus lay with aethra as the result of an obscure oracle. Took stopper out of bottle he will get an heir. Got her pregnant and flew the coop: aegeus returned to athens, but left tokens that theseus was to claim upon reaching manhood. When he comes of age, he claims his tokens. Goes to claim his parentage, rightful place at athens: kings came from/endorsed by zeus, this story seems to represent the appropriation of a troezenian hero by athens. Traveled delphi: in many myths, athens dominated our view of greek world after dark ages, theseus is probably originally a son of poseidon, but the athenian myth makes him the biological son of aegeus.
