CLA 10 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Tyrant, Tragic Hero, Euripides
Document Summary
Chapter 18 oedipus and the myths of thebes. Introduction: the myths of thebes: a whole web of stories, interacting over generations; our knowledge is incomplete, repeated destruction of family members. Perhaps a lost greek epic poem about thebes; on the scale of homeric poems. Thebes is the second most important greek city in myth (mycenae is the first) We shall find out: the founding of thebes. Two complete but separate foundations stories, later joined somewhat artificially. The pythia tells him to give up the search and found a city instead. Semel mothers dionysus, gets burned to a crisp by zeus. The twins are abandoned but raised by a shepherd and antiop , mistreated because of her adultery, but escapes and finds her twin sons who avenge her. The other is local and more like folktale. Twins with opposing characters, but saved from early death to return in triumph.
