21: Perseus Flashcards
1
Q
who is danae’s father and his brother
A
- danaes father is Acrisius, king of argos, father of Danae
- Proteus: king of Tiryns and brother of Acrisius
2
Q
What was the oracle regarding Danae and the solution
A
danae’s child will kill Acrisius. His solution is to imprison Danae in an underground chamber said by Roman poet Horace as Brazen Tower
3
Q
Zeus and Danae
A
- Zeus falls for Danae and enters chamber as shower of gold
- he impregnates her and Perseus is born
- Danae is punished by Acrisius by denying her divine parentage
- Perseus and Danae sent away together
4
Q
Rescue of Danae and Perseus
A
- Dictys (‘Net-man’) on Island of Seriphos, rescues them and shelters them
- Polydectes, King of Seriphos and brother of Dictys falls for Danae but she rejects him
- to get rid of Perseus he requests him to bring Gorgon’s head
5
Q
divine assistants of Perseus
A
hermes and athena. earlier tradition was just Hermes
6
Q
perseus’ journey
A
- Graeae (Gr. Graiai: ‘grey ones’) are the daugthers of sea god Phorcys and Ceto, sisters of gorgons
* 1 eye and 1 tooth between them and perseus steals both
* they reveal location of 3 nymphs - 3 nymphs give him cap of invisibility, winged sandals, and leather pouch (kibisis)
- Hermes gives Perseus Scimitar
* in artistic representations he has polished shied
7
Q
who were the gorgons
A
- 3 gorgons
- daugthers of Phorcys and Ceto: 2 immortal and 1 mortal (medusa)
- appearance so frightening they can turn anyone into stone
- gargoyl like
8
Q
What is Gorgonomachy
A
- perseus beheads medusa and athena guides him to look into polished shield
- he puts medusa’s head into leather pouch. she was pregnant by poseidon
- Chrysaor: ‘he of the golden sword’, who is the father of the monster: Geryon
- Pegasus: ‘winged horse’ whose hoof strikes Mt. Helicon
- Hippocrene: horse’s fountain as the source of poetic inspiration
9
Q
Who is andromeda and what was her story
A
- daughter of king cepheus and queen cassiopea in ethiopia or near east
- cassiopea boasts that shes more beautiful than nereids and as a result poseidon floods the kingdom and sends sea monster
- oracel of zeus ammon consulted and it said must sacrifice andromeda
10
Q
perseus and andromeda
A
- perseus defears andromeda’s husband, phineus
- perseus and andromeda have a child named Perses, the founder of Perseid dynasty and the ancestor of heracles/hercules
- other etiologies: libyan snakes, atlas mountains, coral
11
Q
perseus and danae
A
- perseus rescues danae by turning polydectes to stone
- perseus makes dictys the ruler of seriphos, danae is released, and all return to argos
- his magical implements are return ed to the gods:
sandals, kibisis, and cap to hermes. Gorgon head to Athena, which is set on the shield. Shield with medusa head called Gorgoneion
12
Q
death of acrisius
A
- acrisius flees argos and hides out in larissa, thessaly
- perseus enters discus competition and a discus kills acrisius so the oracle is fulfilled
- perseus is the founder of mycenae, ancestor to heracles and eurystheus
13
Q
who is bellerophon and what happened ot him
A
- grandson of sisyphus, from corinth
- he is exiled because unintentionally kills brother, received by Proteus, King of Tiryns
- Sthenboea, wife of proetus, falls for him but he rejects his advances
- she accuses him of attempted seduction: potiphar’s wife motif
14
Q
bellerophon and chimera
A
- bellerophon is sent to lycia with sealed letter –> ‘kill bearer of letter’
- his quest is to kill chimera: lion head, serpent tail, goat midriff and aided by athena, who give him a golden bridle to tame –> pegasus
15
Q
bellerophon’s rise and fall
A
- he attempts ascent to mt. olympus on the back of pegasus
- zeus annoyed at his hubris so he sends gadfly which makes pegasus buck and he falls, he surives but gets crippled and pegasus by itself reaches olympus
