CLAS 160D2 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Opheltes, Infant Mortality, Heroon
25 Nov 2017
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Can"t win glory in war, athletics, and exploration. It would seem-on the surface- like women"s lives are far less conducive to heroic tales. A heroine was understood to be a woman who had died. Similar in many ways to the male version of this characteristic. Close to the gods but no minor deities. Some women, however, end up between gods and mortals avenging female spirits associated with the underworld. Five traits of greek heroines: extraordinary not exemplary. Heroines perform extraordinary deeds that may or may not be moral. For men, this is usually based on great physical strength. For women, it is often the ability to endure physical or sexual violence. Tend to have much more a moral aspect than with me. Men often die prematurely on the battlefield. Suicide is another big cause of heroic death amongst women. Weird death often leads to afterdeath powers. Often will cause famine, plague, infertility, or drought unless placated by worship.
