lecture 18 & ch. 17 & 18 Flashcards
main points: cretan myth, thebes
After being abducted by Zeus, Europa bears him
children. Who are their children?
- Minos - becomes king of Crete.
- Rhadamanthys
- Sarpedon
Why is Pasiphae, wife of King Minos, cursed by Poseidon?
When Minos becomes king, he claims to the public that a god would send a magnificent bull to prove that he was meant to be in power.
- Poseidon sends a DIVINE white bull.
- Minos receives the bull, but it’s too perfect and he cannot bring himself to sacrifice it, so he doesn’t. He instead sacrifices another, lesser, bull.
- Poseidon is pissed. To get revenge, he curses Pasiphae to develop an unnatural “passion” for the bull.
How is the Minotaur conceived?
Pasiphae has been cursed by Poseidon to have the hots for the famed Cretan bull.
- She enlists the help of Daedalus to create a contraption for her which would allow her to fuck the bull.
- Daedalus, a great Athenian craftsman, creates a hollow wooden cow with a trap door that would allow for Pasiphae to climb inside.
- The bull fucks her, BOOM, Minotaur.
Why was the labyrinth created?
After Pasiphae fucks the Cretan Bull and births the Minotaur, Minos is unable to kill it as it is his sort of family.
- He enlists the help of Daedalus, Athenian craftsman, to develop a way of trapping/concealing the Minotaur.
- Daedalus comes up with developing the labyrinth, the Minotaur being held in the center, unable to escape.
What (brief) sequence leads to Theseus eventually killing the Minotaur?
- Androgeus, son of Minos, dies during the Panathenaic games in Athens.
- Minos wages war against Athens and wins.
- As punishment, Athens must sporadically send
children to Crete to essentially be sacrificed to the Minotaur. - Theseus tells Aegeus, “send me with the children so I can free Athens of this burden by killing the Minotaur.”
- Theseus kills the Minotaur.
Before attacking Athens, Minos stops at Megara. What notable event occurs in the city?
Scylla, daughter of Nisus, sees Minos and develops a crush<3
- Through a messenger, Scylla informs Minos of a special purple lock of hair that her father has. She says that she will cut the lock, as it acts as her father’s lifeforce, if
Minos marries her and takes her with them back to
Crete.
- Minos agrees, Scylla cuts the lock, Minos captures Megara BUT leaves Scylla behind.
- Minos and crew then head to Athens.
The indebtment of Athens to Crete is all a product of what singular event?
ANDROGEUS’ ACCIDENTAL DEATH DURING THE PANATHENAIC GAMES AT ATHENS.
Who is Ariadne? What happens between her and Theseus?
- She is a daughter of Minos.
- SHE ASSISTS THESEUS IN THE MURDER OF THE MINOTAUR.
Describe the events of interaction between Ariadne and Theseus.
- Theseus arrives on Crete with intentions to kill the Minotaur.
- Ariadne, daughter of Minos, sees Theseus and immediately falls in love.
- Ariadne agrees to help Theseus survive his mission if when he completes it, he agrees to marry her and take her back to Athens with him.
- Theseus agrees; she provides a sword and a ball of string that he can unravel as he explores the labyrinth, allowing him to follow the string back.
- Theseus kills the Minotaur, escapes the labyrinth, takes Ariadne and escapes to Naxos.
- They fuck, then Theseus abandons Ariadne on the island and sails away without her.
What is Ariadne’s “clue”? Where did she get it from?
- The ball of string.
- Daedalus
Why were Daedalus and Icarus imprisoned by Minos? How did they escape imprisonment? What else happened?
- Due to Daedalus’ involvement in the slaying of the Minotaur, Daedalus and Icarus, son of Daedalus, were imprisoned.
- Daedalus crafts wings from wax to enable their
escape. - Daedalus warns Icarus that he cannot fly too low or too high as either will result in irreparable damage to the wings.
- Icarus doesn’t listen, flies too close to the sun, his “wings” melt, he plummets to his death.
To the ancients, what does Icarus become a figure for?
A FIGURE FOR OVERREACH; SURPASSING HIS LIMITS IN A WAY THAT IS DANGEROUS.
What is the sequence of events regarding Oedipus’ prophecy coming to fruition?
HIS PROPHECY: He will marry his mother, and murder his father.
1. Laius and Jocasta of Thebes are desperate for an heir.
2. Laius goes to the oracle of Delphi and receives the prophecy that he will be murdered by his son.
3. A BAN ON SEX until they drunk and fuck and Jocasta gets pregnant.
4. Upon birth, Jocasta and Laius “expose” their baby in the woods. The baby also has its ankles pierced/pinned together to prevent his ghost from haunting the couple.
5. A shepherd finds the baby and brings him to his rulers, King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth, as they were also in desperate need of an heir.
6. Oedipus grows up believing to be Corinthian, until he is insulted by someone saying Oedipus doesn’t even know his real father and mother.
7. He is alarmed and goes to his “parents,” asking them what the person meant. Their answers were unsatisfactory, leading Oedipus to seek the oracle of Delphi.
8. Instead of receiving an answer regarding his parentage, he receives a horrible prophecy. Believing his Corinthian parents to be the recipients of the prophecy by his hand, HE RUNS AWAY.
9. Leaving Delphi, he engages in a confrontation with a chariot and kills all men except one (Laius was one of the men killed)
10. After this altercation, Oedipus reaches a plague stricken Thebes. The Theban Queen’s hand is being offered to the man that can defeat the Sphinx.
11. Oedipus answers the riddle, defeats the Sphinx, frees Thebes from the plague, marries Jocasta.
Thus fulfilling the prophecy.
Briefly describe what happens during Sophocles’ Oedipus/Tyrannus (420 BCE? we don’t actually know)
FOCUS: is on “who killed Laius?”
1. Another plague sweeps the nation after the incestual marriage and their conception of children.
2. The people know the murderer is in Thebes and suspect the plague is because of this blood pollution.
3. Oedipus investigates and discovers that he, himself, murdered Laius.
- in turn, also discovering that Jocasta is his mother/wife.
damn.
Briefly describe what happens during Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus (401 BCE)
FOCUS: the end of Oedipus’ life.
1. After discovering the body of his wife/mother, Oedipus pushes pins into his eyes, blinding himself.
2. Polyneices and Eteocles cast out Oedipus from Thebes, he curses his sons before leaving.
3. He finds refuge in Athens at Colonus (a suburb in Athens)
4. Athenians were not thrilled with Oedipus taking refuge in their city, but Oedipus promised Athens could use his bones after he died for protection.
