Legendary Myth Flashcards
What is the difference between divine myth, legendary myth, and folktales?
With divine myth, the main characters are gods and the stories talk about their exploits
With legendary myth, the main characters are special humans
With folktales, the main characters are ordinary humans
How was the city of Thebes founded (the story of Europa and Cadmus)?
It was founded by Cadmus, a Phoenician prince. Zeus fell in love with his sister, Europa, and turned himself into a bull with golden horns to approach her. He threw her onto his back and swam to Crete and then turned back into human form and mated with her. Cadmus realizes that she is missing and starts to look for her until he eventually comes to the Oracle of Delphi. The oracle tells him to not look for Europa anymore, but instead to find a cow with a half moon symbol on it and follow it until it lies down and found a city there. So he does, but there is a dragon there too. Athena gives him advice on how to kill the dragon and he does. Cadmus then plants the teeth in the ground and men grow from them but Cadmus throws a rock into them and they fight until only 5 remain. These men are Spartoi and they become the original population of Thebes. Cadmus marries Harmonia, and their children marry some of the Spartoi
Who are the members of the Theban royal family?
Semele is a daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, and so is Agave. Agave marries one of the Spartoi, Echion, and they have Pentheus, who later becomes king. Dionysus is also part of the royal family.
What happens when Jocasta and Laius are ruling Thebes?
They have a child called Oedipus, who is fated to destroy Thebes and is abandoned to die. But he doesn’t, and is raised by a Shepard in Corinth without knowing who he is. Meanwhile, there is a sphinx in Thebes, who is causing a plague and killing anyone who can’t solve her riddle, ad Oedipus wants to help so he goes to Thebes. On the way, he fights with Laius who was also travelling, and accidentally kills him, bringing miasma onto himself. He continues on and solves the sphinx’s riddle and lifts the plague. Jocasta is now a widow, and offers her hand in marriage to Oedipus for solving the sphinx’s riddle. They have Antigone, Ismene, Polyneices and Eteocles, and Oedipus brings more miasma onto himself. The gods then punish Oedipus for the accumulating miasma, and the oracle of Thebes tells Oedipus what he did. Oedipus blinds himself and goes into exile with his children. But Eteocles and Polyneices insult him, so he curses them to have to rule Thebes alternating each year, which leads up to the wars at Thebes
What happens in the wars at Thebes?
The invading Argive army had 7 generals attacking the 7 gates of the city each with a Theban defender. Eteocles had refused to give up the kingship when the year was up, so Polyneices amassed an army at Argos and attacked. Only 1 of the generals at the gates survive, and Eteocles and Polyneices kill each other. In the next generation, their sons return and Polyneices’ sons win
Why did the voyage of the Argo happen?
Pelias, the king of Iolcus, had deposed the rightful king, Aeson. Aeson’s son Jason was studying with Chiron, a wise centaur, and starts to return to Iolcus to reclaim the kingship. On the way he meets an old woman that is Hera in disguise trying to cross a river, and helps her. She grants him favour for helping her, and Jason continues on, but had lost a sandal in the process. Pelias had been told to beware a man with one sandal, so he sends Jason to get the Golden Fleece, which is designed to get rid of Jason
Who are some of the most important Argonauts?
Peleus, Heracles, Orpheus, Telamon
