CLAS104 Chapter Notes - Chapter 25: Acontius, Cydippe, Heroides
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In his early poetry he create poems such as the amores which used mythological legends for decorative purposes. Later he composed the heroides which were 15 letters from mythological heroines to their absent lovers. (ie penelope, helen, ariadne, medea) Setting is hellespont, leander is a young man from abydos who is in love with hero, aphrodite"s priestess, thus he swims across the hellespont each night to be with his love. He is guided by a light that hero puts in the tower. One night because of a storm, light goes out, thus leander drowns and washes up to shore. Hero sees this and killer herself in despair. Acontius loved cydippe, but was of much lower status thus could not approach her. He thus carved out an apple to read i swear before artemis to marry only acontius . She found the apple and read the words aloud. Whenever her parents found her a suitor she would become really sick.