Transcript Edith Hamilton: Chapter 9-12

Edith Hamilton: Chapter 9-12
The Great Heroes before
the Trojan War
Vocabulary
• Abode:
– A residence, a home
• Forewith:
– Archaic immediately,
instantly
• Raze:
– To destroy completely
• Sanctuary:
– A place of refuge and
safety
• Shroud:
– To wrap or cover, as if from
view
• Arduous:
– Hard, difficult, challenging
• Coverts:
– Covers, shelters
• Defiled:
– Sullied, marred, and soiled
• Exonerate:
– To acquit, to absolve from
a crime
• Expiating:
– Atoning for guilt or sin
Vocabulary
• Invariable:
– Never changing,
constant
• Penitence:
– Remorse for past
conduct
• Pestilence:
– Fatal epidemic disease
• Undaunted:
– Not intimidated or
discouraged by difficulty,
danger, or
disappointment
Perseus
Perseus
• King Acrisius of Argos had a daughter, Danae
and was told by the oracle that he would
never have a son and that his grandson would
kill him.
• Because he feared retribution from the gods
for killing his daughter, he built a bronze
house with only one window for light and air
and sunk it into the ground and put Danae in
it.
Perseus
• Despite this, Zeus visited Danae and she had a
son, Perseus.
• When Acrisius found out, he put them both in
a chest and tossed it into the sea.
• Somehow they survived and were discovered
by a fisherman, Dictys. He took them home to
his wife and they cared for Danae and Perseus.
Perseus
• Dictys brother, Polydectes, was the ruler of
the small island and was the opposite of his
brother – very cruel and ruthless.
• He wanted Danae for his own, but didn’t want
Perseus so he decided to get rid of him.
• He pretended to marry someone else and
invited everyone, including Perseus. Custom
dictated that everyone must bring a gift and
Perseus couldn’t afford one.
Perseus
• Being young and proud, he declared he would
give the King anything he wanted and was
sent to bring back the head of Medusa, a
Gorgon – fearsome monster who had deadly
powers.
• Perseus left immediately and sailed to Greece
to learn where to find the monsters. He went
to Delphi and then to Dodona and no one
could help him.
Perseus
• Eventually, Hermes and Athena came to his
aid. They told him that they were his siblings
since he was the son of Zeus and gave him
gifts to aid him. They also told him that he
needed to see the nymphs of the North and to
find them, he must see the Gray Women
(Graeae).
• These three women shared an eye and
Perseus used that to his advantage.
Perseus
• He stole the eye when they were swapping it
out and blackmailed them until they told him
how to get to the nymphs.
• Hermes gave him a sword that could not be
broken and Athena gave him her shield so that
he would not be turned into stone.
• The nymphs gave him the Cap of Darkness to
turn him invisible and Hermes then gave him
his winged sandals.
Perseus
• Using the hat, Perseus snuck into the lair and
while the Gorgons slept, he used the sword
and cut off Medusa’s head. He used the shield
to pick it up and put it in a bag since it still
worked. Unfortunately, this woke up the
sisters who tried to attack him but couldn’t
see him.
• He used the winged sandals and got away.
Perseus
• On his way back, he stopped in Ethiopia and
saw that a young woman had been chained in
sacrifice to a sea monster. Andromeda’s
mother, Queen Cassiopeia, had boasted that
she was more beautiful than the Nereids and
the sea monster was killing everyone until the
daughter was sacrificed. Perseus undid her
chains and when the sea monster appeared,
he used Medusa’s head to turn it to stone.
Perseus
• After this, Perseus and Andromeda were
married and continued on their journey.
• They stopped in Larissa to participate in an
athletic contest and during a discus-throwing
event, Perseus threw a heavy missile and it
swerved and hit a participant. Turns out it was
Acrisius and the disc killed him – so the
oracle’s prediction came true.
Perseus
• When they arrived at home, they found no one and
realized that the King had never been married and that
Danae had been taken into his service as a
handmaiden.
• Furious, Perseus went to the palace and turned
everyone but his friends into stone. They all lived
happily for a while, including their son Electryon
(grandfather of Hercules).
• Eventually, Perseus was killed by Dionysus. To be
immortalized, Perseus and Andromeda were turned
into stars and would live together in the sky.
Theseus
Theseus
• Theseus was a Greek hero in Greek mythology. While
having all the qualities of a traditional hero, such as
strength and courage, he was also intelligent and wise.
• His early adventures benefited the city and region of
Athens, helping in the consolidation of the Athenian
power through shrewd political maneuvering. He also
led the Athenian army on a number of victorious
campaigns.
• He was also credited as the founder of democracy,
voluntarily transferring many of his powers as king over
to an elected assembly. He gained a reputation for
helping the poor and oppressed.
Theseus
• His shedding of power also made it easier for him
to continue going on adventures after his rule.
"Not without Theseus" became a popular
Athenian saying, reflecting the belief he should
be included in any important undertaking.
• While growing up, he looked up to his older
cousin Heracles. Theseus and Heracles later saved
each other's lives; Heracles through his strength;
Theseus through his wisdom.
Theseus
• In middle age, his wisdom deserted him. He began going on
foolish adventures, and making bad decisions. His efforts to
produce an heir for the throne led to more problems. The
people of Athens grew tired of the turmoil he produced.
Eventually, he died in exile. The city did not bother to bring
his body home.
• Generations passed without much thought being given to
Theseus. Then, during the Persian wars, Athenian soldiers
reported seeing the ghost of Theseus and came to believe
that he was responsible for their victories. The Athenian
general Kimon received a command from the Oracle at
Delphi to find Theseus' bones and return them to Athens.
He did so, and he was reburied in a magnificent tomb that
also served as a sanctuary for the defenseless.
Theseus’ Adventures
• Once, there was a young boy named Theseus.
Nobody knew who his father was, for both King
Aegeus of Athens and Poseidon had been fond of
his mother Aethra.
• Right before Theseus was born, Aegeus said to
Aethra, "If we shall have a son, then when he
becomes of age, tell him to lift this rock and take
my sword and sandals." Aegeus then hid both his
sword and his sandals under a large boulder and
set sail for Athens.
Theseus’ Adventures
• This happened in a small town called Troezen,
where Theseus grew into a strong, young man.
• When Aethra thought it was time, she took
Theseus to the large boulder and told him to lift
it. Theseus wrapped his mighty arms around the
boulder and lifted it with no difficulty at all.
• Then, he threw the boulder into a nearby forest.
Aethra then told him to take the sword and
sandals and go to Athens.
Theseus’ Adventures
• Aethra and her father begged Theseus to go to
Athens by seas since bandits and robbers had
taken over the roadway, but Theseus was
stubborn and went by land anyway.
• He first encountered Periphetes, a large man
with a shiny club. He took the club away from
him and bashed his head in.
• Next he saw the giant, Sciron, with a battle
axe standing on the side of the road.
Theseus’ Adventures
• Sciron told him he had to was his feet as toll or could
pass. Turns out this was the giant who threw people off
the cliff to feed his man eating turtle. Instead, Theseus
hurled him off the cliff.
• Next he saw another giant, Sinis the pine-bender. He
told Theseus to hold down the pine tree, expecting
when he let go, that Theseus would be catapulted in
the air. However, Theseus held it down.
• When Sinis looked down to see if the tree was broken,
Theseus let go of the tree and knocked Sinis out. Then
he tied his arms to one tree and legs to another and let
go, ripping Sinis in half.
Theseus’ Adventures
• Theseus went on his way again. After a few miles, it got dark.
Theseus saw a large house up ahead of him. He decided to ask the
owner for a bed for the night, so he walked up to the door and
knocked.
• A man, Procrustes, came to the door and told him that he had a
magic bed. Theseus had been warned about a man named
Procrustes. His so called "magic" bed did fit anyone, but in an
unpleasant way.
• If a person was too short, Procrustes would chain their arms and
legs and stretch them. If they were too tall, he would chop off their
legs until they were just right.
• Procrustes led Theseus into the room where the bed was. Theseus
pushed Procrustes onto the bed and chopped off his legs; and just
so Procrustes wouldn't feel any pain, he sliced his head off too.
Theseus’ Adventures
• The next morning Theseus reached Athens. It was the
largest city he had ever seen. He went to the palace where
Aegeus lived.
• Aegeus had married Medea, who (being a sorceress) had
him under her power. With her powers, Medea recognized
Theseus and knew that he would try to get rid of her.
• So she told Aegeus that Theseus had come to kill him and
that she would give Theseus poisoned wine. Aegeus,
unaware that Theseus was his son, agreed.
• He invited Theseus to a banquet; however, when Theseus
was just about to drink his wine, Aegeus recognized the
sword and threw the wine cup to the floor. Theseus and
Aegeus were filled with happiness. Medea left in a chariot
drawn by dragons.
Theseus’ Adventures
• Theseus and Aegeus were happy for a long time, but when
the time of the spring equinox came, all Athenians were in
desperation, as a ship with black sail approached Athens.
Theseus begged his father to tell him why the Athenians
were sad, but Aegeus said nothing.
• Theseus went down to the harbor and asked the captain of
the black-sailed ship what was happening. The captain told
him about how Androgeus, the eldest son of King Minos of
Crete, had accidentally been killed in Athens.
• Minos was very angry. He attacked Athens and demanded
that the Athenians pay a yearly tribute of seven young man
and seven young women to be fed to the Minotaur. The
Minotaur was a monster, half man and half bull, residing in
the Labyrinth, a large maze under King Minos' palace.
Theseus’ Adventures
• Theseus decided to volunteer to go as a tribute and once inside, to
kill the Minotaur. He and Aegeus fought, but eventually Aegeus let
him go, but only if he promised that if he returned to Athens alive,
he would change the black sails to white ones.
• When they landed at Crete, Minos welcomed them and asked who
they were. Theseus told him that he was a prince of Athens and the
son of Poseidon and Minos didn’t believe him. Minos threw his ring
in the sea and told Theseus to prove it. So he prayed to Poseidon
and jumped in the water. The nymph Thetis gave him the ring and
an old crown and when he returned to land, Minos just laughed.
• That night, Minos’ daughter Ariadne visited Theseus. She made him
promise to make her his queen and take her to Athens in exchange
for her help against the Minotaur. She gave him a ball of silk thread
and told him to tie it at the entrance of the Labyrinth and it would
lead him back to the entrance.
Theseus’ Adventures
• The next day, they were forced in the Labyrinth. He tied the string
on a rock and told everyone to follow him. He went to the center
where the Minotaur was and when they got there, the Minotaur
was sleeping. He jumped on it and ripped off one of the horns. He
started poking it with it’s own horn and infuriated it. Then Theseus
ran to a safe distance and threw the horn like a javelin. It ripped
into the monster’s neck and stuck there. The Minotaur charged at
Theseus but fell dead before it got there. They all followed the
thread back and they boarded the ship and headed to Athens.
• One night, Dionysus came to Theseus and told him not to marry
Ariadne because he had chosen her as his bride. So Theseus did as
the god told him and left her on the island of Naxos. He was so sad,
he forgot to change the sails. As the ship approached Athens,
Aegeus was waiting on a cliff for a sign of Theseus to come. When
he saw the black sails, he jumped into the sea and that is how that
stretch of water became known as the Aegean Sea.
Thesus
• He had a child, Hippolytus, with an Amazon
women, Antiope or Hippolyta.
• Saved Hercules when he killed his wife and kids
and was trying to kill himself.
• Married Phaedra, Ariadne’s sister, who fell in love
with her stepson who wanted nothing to do with
women and so she killed herself. Her suicide note
blamed Hippolytus and he was exiled. On his way
out, he was killed in an accident.
Hercules
Hercules
• Heracles (or Hercules) is best known as the
strongest of all mortals, and even stronger
than many gods.
• He was the deciding factor in the triumphant
victory of the Olympians over the giants.
• He was the last mortal son of Zeus, and the
only man born of a mortal woman to become
a god upon his death.
Hercules
• Offsetting his strength was a noticeable lack of
intelligence or wisdom. Once, when the temperature
was very high, he pulled his bow out and threatened to
shoot at the sun. He was very ruled by his emotions.
• While his friend and cousin Theseus ruled Athens,
Heracles had trouble ruling himself. His pride was
easily offended. He took up grudges easily and never
forgot them. His appetites for food, wine, and women
were as massive as his strength. Many of Heracles'
great deeds occurred while doing penance for stupid
acts done in anger or carelessness.
Hercules
• He is often portrayed as a muscle-bound buffoon, but he would do
anything to help out a friend. He was very violent, used a massive
club and loved to wear a lion skin with the head still attached. He
created most of his own problems. However, after his anger died
down, he normally regretted his actions.
• Hera hated him and because of this, terrible things happened to
him. He suffered through many punishments because of this but
showed patience, fortitude and endurance.
• The view of Heracles shifted considerable over time. The early view
focused on how badly he managed despite his obvious gifts. As
time passed the focus shifted to his virtues. The Romans valued him
highly as he best fit their idea of a hero. He eventually had a fair
sized cult that worshiped him as a god.
Hercules
• He was born in Thebes and was believed to be
the son of Amphitryon and at one time, he
was called Alcides, for his grandfather.
• Actually was the son of Zeus who had visited
Alcmena while her husband was away. This is
the main reason why Hera hated him.
• Killed two snakes in his crib when he was just
a child while his brother Iphicles was next to
him.
Hercules
• His first kill was by accident. He was angry with
his music teacher and killed him with a lyre.
• The second time was a Thespian lion in the
woods of Cithaeron when he was 18. He wore the
skin as a hood from then on.
• Next, he fought and conquered the Minyans and
won the hand of Princess Megara.
• When she bore him three sons, Hera sent a
madness upon him and he killed them all.
Hercules
• When he came to, he had no idea what had
happened and was ready to take his own life
when Theseus grasped his bloody hands.
• By doing this, he took part of the guilt
according to their customs. However, this did
not stop the guilt that Hercules felt.
• He consulted the oracle at Delphi and told him
that he needed to be purified.
The 12 Labors of Hercules
• The Twelve Labors of Heracles were a number of
tasks that the mythical hero Heracles was told to
complete by King Eurystheus.
• When he realized what he had done, he deeply
regretted it and went to the Oracle of Delphi to
ask for penance. There, he was told to serve
Eurystheus, king of Tiryns, for twelve years; if he
completed all tasks he would be given, he would
become immortal.
• Although Heracles did not like this as he
considered Eurystheus to be a lesser person than
himself, he decided to follow the Oracle's advice.
The 12 Labors of Hercules
• When he arrived in Tiryns, Eurystheus initially asked Heracles to
perform ten labors. These ten labors were:
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to kill the Nemean Lion,
to kill the Lernaean Hydra,
to capture the Ceryneian Hind,
to capture the Erymanthian Boar,
to clean the stables of Augeas in one day,
to kill the Stymphalian Birds,
to capture the Cretan Bull,
to steal the Mares of Diomedes,
to steal the girdle of the queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, and,
to steal the cattle of the monster Geryon.
Labor 1
• The first labor was to kill the lion of Nemea, a
beast that no weapon could kill.
• Hercules killed it by choking the life out of it.
• He then used the lion’s claw to cut off its skin
and wore it like a coat.
• When Eurystheus saw him, he would not let
him back in the city and gave him orders from
afar.
Labor 2
• The 2nd labor was to go to Lerna and kill the
Hydra – a creature with 9 heads – that lived in a
swamp.
• Hydras had one immortal head and others that
every time you cut off a head, two would grow
back.
• His nephew, Iolaus, helped him by bringing a
cauterizing iron and seared the neck before the
head could grow back.
• Finally he cut off the immortal head and buried it
under a rock.
Labor 3
• The 3rd task took a year to complete.
• He was to bring back a stag with horns of gold
that lived in the forests of Cerynitia.
• Key was to take it alive and it was also sacred
to Artemis.
Labor 4
• The 4th task was to capture a great boar that
had a lair on Mount Erymanthus.
• He chased it all over the place until the boar
was exhausted and then he drove it into deep
snow and trapped it there.
Labor 5
• For the fifth labor, Hercules had to clean the
Augean stables in one day. They had thousand
of cattle and had not been cleaned out for
years.
• Hercules rerouted the course of two rivers and
had them flood the stable which cleaned
them out in no time.
Labor 6
• Next he had to drive away the Stymphalian
birds. They were plaguing the people with
their enormous numbers.
• Athena helped him drive them out of hiding
and he shot them all in the air.
Labor 7
• His next task was to bring back the bull that
Poseidon had gifted to Minos.
• He tamed him, put him in a boat, and brought
him back to Eurystheus.
Labor 8
• He then had to get the man-eating mares of
King Diomedes of Thrace.
• He killed the king first and then drove off the
mares.
Labor 9
• For the ninth labor, he was to bring back
Hippolyta’s girdle. She was the Queen of the
Amazons and was very kind about it. She told
him that she would give it to him.
• Hera stirred up more trouble and made the
Amazons think he was there to kidnap their
queen. They attacked his ship and Hercules
acted without thinking and killed Hippolyta
and took her girdle and headed home.
Labor 10
• Next he was to bring back the cattle of Geryon
– a monster with 3 bodies living on Erythia.
• Hercules stopped on his way there and set up
a memorial of his journey called the pillars of
Hercules – now known as Gibraltar and Ceuta.
• He was able to get the oxen and return to
Mycenae.
Labor 11
• For the 11th task, he was to return with the Golden Apples of the
Hesperides, but he didn’t know where to locate them.
• He decided to ask Atlas, who was the father of Hesperides, and
offered to take away the burden of the world while he got them for
him.
• Atlas gladly agreed and left to get them. He returned with the
apples but didn’t give them to Hercules. He decided that Hercules
could hold the world and he would take the apples to Eurystheus.
• For once, Hercules used his wits. He agreed but asked Atlas if he
could take the world back for just a moment so he could put a pad
on his shoulder since he wasn’t as strong as Atlas was.
• Atlas agreed and once the world was back on his shoulder, Hercules
grabbed the apples and took off.
Labor 12
• The final labor was the worst of them all. He was sent
into the Underworld and there he was able to free
Theseus from the Chair of Forgetfulness.
• He was tasked to bring Cerberus back from Hades.
Pluto (Hades) gave him permission as long as he used
no weapons to subdue him.
• It took all his strength but he managed to overcome
him and carried him all the way to Mycenae.
• When Eurystheus saw, he smartly decided he didn’t
want the dog and sent Hercules back to Hades with
him. This was the end of the tasks.
Hercules
• After the 12 Labors, Hercules thought he would feel
forgiven for murdering his wife and children, but he
never fully felt at ease. He joined Jason and the
Argonauts on their adventures to find the Golden
Fleece but didn’t stay long.
• He tried to fight everyone he could. After a while, no
one wanted to fight him.
• He fought the river-god Achelous because they were
both in love with Deianira, a young princess.
• Achelous tried to talk Hercules out of it, but he would
have nothing to do with it and so Achelous became a
bull, but Hercules still won and married Deianira.
Hercules
• During the tasks, he freed the daughter of
King Laomedon but when he was cheated
himself, he killed the King and gave the
daughter to his friend.
• He also freed Prometheus by killing the bird
that plagued him and cutting him free from
the rock that bound him.
Hercules
• Hercules was trying to take his bride home, he
had to cross the Evenus River. Nessus, a centaur,
served as ferryman. First, he rowed Hercules
across and then, as he started to row Deianeira
across, he tried to rape her.
• Hercules, justly enraged, drew one of his
poisoned arrows and shot the centaur. Before he
died, the centaur persuaded Deianeira to take
some of his blood - which, unbeknownst to her,
was tainted with poison - to give her hubby as a
love potion if he ever tried to stray.
Hercules
• In time, Deianeira became suspicious of Hercules'
interest in another woman, his ex, Iole. So she smeared
some of the carefully-saved centaur blood on a tunic
and gave it to Hercules, trusting that it would act as a
love potion and return him to her.
• Of course, the centaur had lied. The blood contained
not a love potion, but a powerful toxin from the poison
with which Hercules had tipped his arrows. It had come
from the Lernaean hydra that the hero had killed in his
second labor. This was Nessus's ultimate revenge.
Hercules
• When Hercules put on the tunic, it burned his skin. He
was in such excruciating pain that he wanted to die.
Note that the burning would have killed an ordinary
human, but Hercules was not such a one.
• After consulting an oracle for advice, he had a funeral
pyre built for himself. He then mounted it and
eventually persuaded a friend, Philoctetes, to light it.
He was then allowed to die and went to the gods
where he was reconciled with his tormenter, the queen
of the gods, Hera. She event adopted him and allowed
him to marry her daughter Hebe; they lived among the
gods thereafter.
Atalanta
Atalanta
• Atlanta's parentage is uncertain. Her parents may have
been King Iasus and Clymene. She came into the world in
the "undesirable state" of being female. As a result, her
father had her carried into the woods on a mountainside
and left to die.
• However, a bear found her and adopted her. As she grew
older, she began to spend time with hunters and was soon
the best amongst them. She loved hunting and the
outdoors and had no use for a man in her life. She also
received an oracle that her marriage would end in disaster.
She had no compunction in defending her virginity. When
the centaurs Rhoecus and Hylaeus attempted to rape her,
she quickly killed them with her arrows.
Atalanta
• Her shooting skills allowed her to draw first blood
during the Calydonian Boar Hunt. Her
contribution to the hunt was marred when a
quarrel over giving her a trophy of the hunt
resulted in the death of Meleager and his uncles.
• She wished to join the Argonauts, but Jason
thought it was ill-fated to have a woman among
the crew, fearing problems might occur, similar to
those during the boar hunt.
Atalanta
• At the funeral games honoring Pelias, Atlanta entered the wrestling
contests. There, she gained more fame by scoring a victory over Peleus.
• She achieved enough that her father forgave her for not being a son and
allowed her to return home. Once there, he attempted to fulfill his
fatherly obligations by finding her a husband. For her to simply refuse
might arouse dangerous resentment. Instead she proposed a test. The
successful suitor would have to beat her in a foot race. Losing suitors
would be beheaded by her. As Atlanta was one of the fastest mortals this
appeared to ensure her maidenhood.
• For quite some time this worked. Some say that she evened the odds by
wearing armor while she ran. Others say that she gave the suitors a head
start of half the distance. In any case the heads stacked up.
Atalanta
• Melanion or Hippomenes fell in love with her. He
knew that he was not fast enough to win the
race.
• So he did what many frustrated lovers had done;
he prayed to Aphrodite for help. Aphrodite had a
weakness for lovers and a concern about those
that rejected romance to the degree that Atlanta
did.
• Aphrodite presented Melanion with three golden
apples and a plan. In return, Melanion was to
sacrifice to Aphrodite.
Atalanta
• Melanion then ran his race with Atlanta and he carried the apples
with him. When Atlanta caught up to him, he tossed the first apple
at her feet. The sight of the magic golden apple was irresistible to
Atlanta. She stopped to pick it up confident that she could make up
the time. Soon enough she was once again passing Melanion. He
threw the second apple, this time further to the side. Again, she
lost time retrieving the apple. As she again caught up the finish line
was near and chasing the third thrown apple cost her the race.
• Despite her resistance, marriage seemed to suit Atlanta. Melanion's
happiness and joy was so great he completely forgot his obligations
to sacrifice to Aphrodite. As usual when messing up with the gods
payback was severe.
Atalanta
• Aphrodite waited until Melanion and Atlanta were passing a shrine
to a god, possibly Zeus. She then hit them with overwhelming
desire. Melanion took Atlanta into the shrine and lay with her. At
that point, the infuriated god turned them both into lions. This was
regarded by the Greeks as particularly poetic as they believed that
lions could mate only with leopards.
• There is one other mystery concerning Atlanta. Somehow, despite
her vaunted virginity, she had a son - Parthenopaeus. The father is
uncertain. Melanion and Meleager have both been suggested, but
both of them were with Atlanta only briefly. Aris has also been put
forward as the father. Out of embarrassment, she left the child
exposed on a mountain. He was found and raised, eventually
becoming a hero in his own right.