Heros Flashcards
Mythological defn of a Hero
Powell (Classical Myth)
“someone who stands out from others, someone distinguished by prominence, bravery, or merit”
Oxford English Dictionary defn of a Hero
A name given (as in Homer) to men of superhuman strength, courage, or ability, favoured by the gods; at a later time regarded as intermediate between gods and men, and immortal.
A man distinguished by extraordinary valour and martial achievements; one who does brave or noble deeds; an illustrious warrior.
A man who exhibits extraordinary bravery, firmness, fortitude, or greatness of soul, in any course of action, or in connection with any pursuit, work, or enterprise; a man admired and venerated for his achievements and noble qualities.
The man who forms the subject of an epic; the chief male personage in a poem, play, or story; he in whom the interest of the story or plot is centred.
Hero types
Quest – the primary focus of this week.
Perseus, Heracles, Odysseus, Jason
Warrior (we’ve seen these – think Iliad!)
Achilles
Special contributions that might be deemed ‘heroic’.
Daedalus, Cadmus
Supporting (?) Figures
Heroes, as we shall see, are often accompanied or surrounded by a series of figures who either help or hinder their heroic journey/aims/attributes:
Helpers
Gods & goddesses
Women
Enemies
Gods & goddesses (again!)
Humans
Monsters
Vladimir Propps’ Motifs of the heroic quest
9 in total
Vladimir Propp = Russian folklorist
Analysis of recurrent pattern
31 motifemes
Functions or units of action
Propp – 9 hero motifs (structure of Quest folktales)
- Extraordinary birth & childhood
- Hero faces opposition
- Hero is set a task
- Hero helped by divine or human allies
- Faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles
- Conflicts with opponents involve physical, sexual, spiritual challenges
- May have to observe certain taboos
- Final conquest is death – journey to underworld
- Hero’s ultimate success brings rewards
Calydonian Boar Hunt:
Meleager and Calydonian Boar Hunt
Meleager = son of Oeneus and Althaea.
Oeneus’ offence against Artemis.
Artemis sends huge boar to ravage Calydon.
Gathering of heroes Nestor, Jason, Dioscurri, etc. by Meleager.
Atalanta, daughter of Schoeunus, Boeotian king.
Atalanta is 1st to wound boar; Meleager delivers killing blow
Meleager favours Atalanta.
Death of Meleager.
Atalanta
Virgin huntress.
Exposed by father – later reconciled.
Father attempts to find her a husband.
To wed her – must defeat her in foot-race.
Penalty – head on a stake.
Hippomenes ultimately victorious.
3 golden apples & Aphrodite’s help.
Successful suitor did not thank Aphrodite – sex in a sacred sanctuary.
Husband & wife turned into lions.
Bellerophon and Pegasus:
Bellerophon: Grandson of Sisyphus Poseidon’s son? Bellerophon’s blood guilt – fratricide. Exiled – to Proteus. Proteus’ wife = Stheneboea Accusations against Bellerophon. Sent to Iobates to be killed.
Bellerophon Panel
Exploits of Bellerophon imposed by Iobates – help by Pegasus: Chimaera Solymi Amazons An ambush
Bellerophon has kids with Philopoe.
End of Bellerophon:
Attempt at heaven on Pegasus.
Perseus: Orgins
Acrisius has a daughter (Danaë) but wants sons
Oracles says Danaë will have a son, but that he will kill him Acrisius
Zeus’ “rain shower” impregnates Danaë
Set adrift in a wooden box
Dictys at Seriphos
Polydectes
Perseus tricked into going on quest for head of Gorgon
Hermes & Athena help
Perseus and Medusa:
Graeae (old women)
1 eye & 1 tooth shared between them
Nymphs
Cap of invisibility, pair of winged sandals, bag/kibisis, scimitar from Hermes
Gorgons Gorgons at end of world Pindar, Pythian Ode 10 Medusa – mortal gorgon Turn men to stone Birth of Chrysaor & Pegasus from her body
Perseus and Medusa in Ovid Book 4
“And then by trekking through remote and distant byways, through fearful forests and rough rocks, he came at last to where the Gorgon lived. And everywhere, in fields, along the roads, he witnessed the sad forms of men and beasts no more themselves, but changed now into stone, misfortunates, who’d glimpsed Medusa once. He too had once looked` upon her image, but it had been reflected in the shield of bronze our hero bore in his left hand; and while sleep held Medusa and her snakes, he struck her head off; from their mother’s blood sprang swift Pegasus and is brother both…
[Perseus speaking] ‘She was at one time very beautiful, the hope of many suitors all contending, and her outstanding feature was her hair (this I have learned from one who saw her then). But it is said that Neptune (=Poseidon) ravished her, and in the temple of Minerva (=Athena), where Jove’s daughter turned away from the outrage and chastely hid her eyes behind her aegis. So that this action should not go unpunished, she turned the Gorgon’s hair into foul snakes; and she, to overwhelm her foes with terror, bears on her breast the serpents she created.”
Gabarti’s Medusa over Cellini’s medusa
reclamation of power after the rape and victim-blaming of medusa
Perseus and Andromeda
Perseus to Seriphos
Cepheus’ daughter Andromeda sacrificed to sea monster
Hubris of Cassiopeä (Nereids)
Perseus given Andromeda & kingdom for having freed her
Phineus
Andromeda’s betrothed
killed with his men by head of Medusa
Perseus and Andromeda in Ovid book 4
“At sight of her, bound high upon a cliff, he would have thought that she’d been carved from stone were it not for the breeze that stirred her hair and for the warm tears flowing from her eyes; the woman’s beauty quite astounded him, and left him witless, to the point that he almost forgot to keep his wings in motion.
‘Oh!’, he said. ‘These chains don’t do you justice; the only chains that you should wear are those that ardent lovers put on in their passion. But what’s your name and land of origin, and why are you chained up?’.
At first the maiden would not address the man, for modesty, and would have used her hands to hide her face were they not tightly bound; her eyes, however, as they welled up with tears, said everything.”
Polydectes & Perseus’ return to Argos
Polydectes & followers turned to stone
Dictys becomes king of Seriphos
Return of magic objects
Gorgon’s head to Athena – placed on her shield
Death of Acrisius
Acrisius’ flight to Larissa in Thessaly
Perseus kills Acrisius with ill-aimed discuss
Perseus & Megapenthes swap kingdoms (Argos for Tiryns)
Perseus founds Mycenae
Perseus – Hero and Quest motifs
Vladimir Propp: Extraordinary birth & childhood Hero faces opposition Hero is set a task Hero helped by divine or human allies Faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles Conflicts with opponents involve physical, sexual, spiritual challenge May have to observe certain taboos Final conquest is death – journey to underworld Hero’s ultimate success brings rewards
BUT…. Is he actually ‘heroic’?!
Who is Jason
Known primarily for his quest with the Argonauts for the Golden Fleece.
Son of Aeson (rightful King of Iolchos) – the fight over Iolchus is key to Jason’s entire narrative.
Relationship with Medea (but also other women – surprise surprise!).
In literature:
Apollonius of Rhodes – The Argonautica = the definitive literary account of Jason’s adventures AND the only surviving Hellenistic epic, written in the third-century BCE.
Gaius Valerius Flauccus = an alternative (fragmentary?) version of the Argonautica – finishes very abruptly at an odd point in the narrative, written in the late first-century CE.
Jason is also mentioned briefly in Homer, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and Statius’ Thebaid.
The Battle Over the Throne of Iolchos
As a child, Jason was caught up in the interfamilial war for the throne of Iolchus:
While he was still a baby, Pelias (his half-uncle) overthrows King Aeson (his father) and kills all of Aeson’s children.
BUT Jason survives (secretly).
Jason is sent to Chiron the Centaur, who nurtures and trains him into adulthood.
Back in Iolchus, Pealias learns from an oracle that he must be wary of a man wearing a single sandal and coming from the country.
Jason Returns to Iolchus
Now a man, Jason returns to Iolcus to attend games held by Pelias.
Loses one of his sandal in the river helping Hera (in disguise).
Jason presents himself to Pelias – FACE-OFF!!
Pelias recognizes the danger of the single sandal.
Calls Jason’s bluff…. BRING ME THE GOLDEN FLEECE!
Assembles the Argonauts – huge group of heroes (Heracles, Philoctetes, Peleus, Orpheus, Castor and Pollux, Atalanta, Meleager, Euphemus).
