lecture 15 & ch. 13, 14 Flashcards
main points: io, perseus (medusa, andromeda), heracles
What are some key places within the Argive plain? Why are these places important?
- Tiryns - bronze Age site; most likely a port of Mycenae, fortress surrounded by immense stone
- Mycenae - bronze age site; founded by Perseus
- Argos - classical period site; principal settlement of the Argive plain
- Heraeum - classical period site; holiest temple to Hera in mainland Greece
- Lerna - a swamp; BAD port option
- Inachus River - also personified as a deity
What is the story of Zeus and Io?
Zeus likes her and decides that he wants to do what Zeus does.
1. He appears to her and seduces her as a cloud of mist
2. The Argive plain is Hera’s territory, she sees a strange looking cloud and investigates it. Zeus turns Io into a cow to hide his infidelity.
3. Knowing that Zeus is lying, Hera requests the cow as a gift which he grants. Hera then appoints Argus to watch over the cow.
4. Zeus enlists Hermes to help free Io from the gaze of Argus (he has 100 eyes)
5. How is does some recon and then disguises himself as a shepherd, causing all of Argus’s 100 eyes to fall asleep
6. Hermes beheads Argus in frees Io. Hera takes the one hundred eyes and combines them with a peacock
What occurs during the second half of the story of Io and Zeus?
- Io was driven from the Argive plain and wanders, Hera sends a gadfly to torture Io.
- WANDERS SO GODDAMN FAR; Bosporus received its name from this wandering - Io ends up in the east, meeting Prometheus.
- She ultimately ends up in Egypt, where Zeus frees her by touching her. She is impregnated upon this touch and births Epaphus.
Who are two descendants of Epaphus? When hearing of these two descendants, one may hear the song “Sweet Home Alabama.” Why is this the case?
- Danaus
- Aegyptus
Danaus had 50 daughters and Aegyptus had 50 sons (I think you see where I’m going with this)
- The 50 daughters were forced to marry the 50 sons but the daughters were unwilling and fled to Argos.
- The sons chased after them and ultimately, the daughters had to get married.
- 49 of the wives murdered their husbands on their wedding night per instruction by their father.
- Hypermestra was the only daughter who did not kill her husband, Lynceus
In the underworld, what was the punishment received by Danaus’ daughters?
They had to carry pots filled with water, back and forth, to fill up a vessel.
- The punishment was that the pots had many holes; filling up the vessel was near, if not, impossible
Who is a significant descendant from Hypermestra and Lynceus? What is the significance?
ACRISIUS
- my guy wants an heir so he goes to an oracle to find out if he will have one.
- he finds out that he won’t, but that his daughter, Danae, will and that her son will kill him.
- he is not pleased by this prophecy so he locks up his daughter in a bronze “tomb” but Zeus is a horny guy and gets to her anyway, appearing as a golden mist. She bores Perseus.
- eventually Acrisius finds out that Danae had a child. He puts them both into a wooden crate and throws the crate into the sea.
- Danae prays to Zeus and eventually they wash up on the shore of an island, rescued by Dictys
Describe the steps that occurred in the myth that result in Perseus killing Medusa.
- Polydectes has the hots for Danae, Perseus’ mom, but she is not into him.
- Polydectes gives up (not really) and marries another, requesting a horse as a wedding present from each person
- Perseus cannot grant a horse so he offers to do anything else instead. Polydectes requests the gorgon’s head, believing that Perseus will be killed during his attempt.
- Perseus says “okay” but needs help because how tf do you kill a gorgon. He requests Athena’s assistance, she tells him that he needs to find the Graeae because they know where special nymphs are that can give Perseus special items that are needed to defeat Medusa.
- Perseus finds the Graeae and takes their one eye to force them to tell him where the nymphs are. They tell him.
- He finds the nymphs and obtains his special Medusa slaying care package
- Perseus uses his new special gorgon killing care package and kills Medusa.
What were the contents found within the special gorgon killing care package that Perseus received?
- Harpe - curved blade
- Cap of invisibility
- Flying sandals
- Super duper insanely polished shield
- Gorgon head carrying pouch
In art, what are some features of a gorgon?
- Snake hair
- gold wings
- THEY STARE INTO YOUR SOUL; they are positioned to stare at the viewer- this is NOT normal in depicted characters in antiquity
- tongues out
- tusks cuz hell yeah
Which creatures sprang from Medusa’s severed torso?
- Pegasus
- Chrysaor
How did Polydectes die?
Perseus returned, successful in his quest but shocker shocker Polydectes was not happy that Perseus survived. - idk maybe he was rude, i can’t remember, and Perseus flashed Medusa
- BOOM, everyone turned to stone
- Danae was free from the harassment of Polydectes:)
Grandpa Acrisius died, like the prophecy said (sooo crazy that throwing your child and grandchild into the ocean didn’t stop a prophecy from occurring), how did this happen?
Perseus, wanting to meet his grandfather, attempted to find him.
- Acrisius, like a little bitch boy, fled.
- Finally, Perseus found it way into the city that Acrisius was hiding in and joined an athletic competition without Acrisius knowing
- Perseus throws a discus and BAM its veers off course and kills Acrisius (rip Hyacinth)
What is the story of Perseus and Andromeda?
- Queen Cassiopeia, boasts the she is more beautiful than he sea nymphs (which girl boss you are in a coastal community right by the sea, what are you doing??)
- The nymphs go to Poseidon and ask him to defend their honor, Poseidon sends Ceto (the Kraken)
- Andromeda gets offered to Ceto as a sacrifice in an effort to rid the community of Poseidon’s punishment.
- On the way back after defeating the Gorgon, Perseus sees Andromeda changed to a rock and falls in love<3
- He goes to the king saying, “I will kill the Kraken if you let me marry your daughter and also give me your kingdom,” the king agrees (even though Andromeda was already betrothed to Phineus)
- Perseus, being the swag guy he is, slays the Kraken, gets the girl, gets the kingdom, they are having a great time.
- Phineus is like “yo she was my bride. what the heck” and then Perseus goes “oh is that so? well here’s what i think about that” and whips out Medusa’s head and turns him into stone
the end<3
What are three big themes seen with Heracles?
- Hera’s wrath - idk she fucking hates him
- A comic figure - lol prof said, “not a thinking man’s hero” hehe
- The hero - an uncivilized, civilizing hero
What name did Hermes receive during the mythological account of Io and Zeus?
Argeiphontes - “argus killer,” literally he fucking killed argus and that’s all
