Myth and the City: ATHENS Foundation Stories Flashcards
Foundations
Could there be only one foundation story?
- No; the stories were passed down orally so opinions and beliefs differed.
- Evidence: the sculpture of Zeus’ temple at Olympia and the involvement of Herakles and Zeus in founding the Olympic games.
What is a function of a foundation myth?
Creates a sense of unity and patriotism.
Sense of being blessed by the gods.
Gives a heroic cult behind the city.
Greece
Where does the Athens foundation legend come from?
- There was no single definitive version
- But a single story was sculptured into the western pediment of the Parthenon in the 5thC.
- That story was recorded by Pausanias in the 2nd century AD.
Greece
What was the main story of the founding of Athens?
- Legendary King Cecrops founded a city in Attica.
- The gods were wandering looking for patronages to offer.
- Athena and Poseidon (worshipped by Cecrops) came to the city to make it their own.
- First Poseidon: he struck the centre of the Acropolis with his trident; a hole appeared and sea water sprang up.
- Second Athena: on the Acropolis she planted an olive tree.
- Zeus and Cecrops judged the gifts. Poseidon’s water was salty, so undrinkable.
Athena’s gift was central to Greek life as food and as oil. - Athena, the winner, named the city after herself.
Athens
What is the Erechtheion
- Part of Pericles’ building programme on the Acropolis (420s BC)
- A temple dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and a legendary king, Erechtheus.
- It contained a well, where Poseidon allegedly struck his trident to produce a well and the olive tree that Athena allegedly planted.
- The graves of legendary kings Cecrops and Erechtheus were also incorporated.
Athens
What is the Theseus story regarding the development of Athens?
- He underwent Herculean adventures to prove his worth as king.
- Theseus was a reformer, who united the small warring neighbouring cities in Attica under the leadership of Athens by negotiating and promising democracy. All cities would be equal.
- The small townships’ halls and council chambers were destroyed and replaced by a town hall and council chamber in Athens.
- To unite the religions of the area, he initiated the Panathenaic Games (pan - all, athenaic - to do with Athens).
Athens
What was the story about Theseus’ birth?
King Aegeus of Athens had been to the oracle of Delphi. On his return he stayed with King Pittheus to see if he could make sense of her riddles. Pittheus surmised that Aegeus’ next child would be a son, so he got Aegeus drunk and had him impregnate his daughter, Aethra. Aethra received a message from Athena to go to the island of Sphairia and to lie down on the shore - up popped Poseidon, who also mated with her, so her son would be half-human, half god.
To avoid her son being killed by potentially jealous relatives, Aethra left baby Theseus on the mainland, Troezen (see map). Aegeus left his sandals and sword under a rock so, if Theseus were worthy, he would discover them and bring them back to Aegeus.
What happened prior to Theseus’s journey to Athens
On coming of age, Aethra, his mother, led him to the rock that his father Aegeus had left his sword and sandals under. Theseus lifted the rock and retrieved his father’s items. Aethra explained to Theseus that should he go to Athens, he would become king, but please would he take the safe sea route, since the land route would be dangerous (Herakles had fought villains and monsters on the land route, and after his death they were once more troublesome). Theseus took the land route.
Athens
What did Theseus do in Athens when he arrived after his labours?
He found his father, Aegeus, under the spell of Medea.
Though not announcing himself, Medea recognised Theseus as Aegeus’ son and encouraged Aegeus to set a challenge for Theseus - to kill the Bull of Marathon, which Theseus did.
Medea then tried to poison Theseus at a feast; but using his father’s sword to carve the meat, he was immediately recognised by his father who jumped up and accidentally knocked over the poison. Medea’s machinations were uncovered and she was forced to flee.
Athens
Key aspects of the British Museum Kylix of Theseus’ labours
Dated: 440-430 BC
Style: red figure (on black)
Artist: the Codrus Painter
Held: at the British Museum
Image: Theseus’ six labours and the defeat of the minotaur
Significance: finely detailed red figure and well preserved kylix.
What is the story of Theseus and the Minotaur?
Minos in Crete had enacted a policy of sacrificing seven boys and girls chosen by lot annually from Athenian familes to the minotaur.
Thesus volunteered.
He meets Ariadne, Minos’ daughter, who falls in love with him, and to protect him offers him a ball of wool to navigate the labyrinth and a sword to kill him.
He does so and then Ariadne runs off with her beloved; he leaves her on the isle of Naxos.
Stories then differ - he was caught up in a storm and unable to return to her, she gave birth to his son and lived on Naxos; another story has him falling in love with another woman and abandoning Ariadne. Another story has Athena explaining to Ariadne that Dionysus wanted her as his bride, so she had to give up Theseus.
The black versus white sail: Theseus forgot to change his sail - his father believed him to be dead, so committed suicide off a clid. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-thud.
Greece
Theseus’ death, burial, and significance
Plutarch wrote: the Athenians honoured Theseus as a demi-god. Those who fought at Marathon thought that they saw his apparition in fighting with them against the Persians. He was buried near the gymnasium and his tomb is a sanctuary - a refuge for all fleeing unjust rulers, as Theseus was a champion of the poor and needy.
Overall:
- Credited with uniting the city with its neighbours.
- Introduced democracy in Athens.
- Theseus was an Athenian hero to match Herakles.
Second labour of Theseus
Sinis the pine bender
- Sinis was a robber who tied his victims to the ends of bent pine trees then released them tearing them to pieces.
- Theseus either got Sinis to help him bend a pine back then let go, flinging him to his doom, or tied him up between two pines and ripped him apart.
- Theseus then had a son called Melanippus with Sinis’ daughter Perigune.
On the kylix Sinis is seated on a hill-top, Theseus is holding his right arm and with his free hand he draws the pine back. Sinis is holding the pine and resting on the rock
A tortoise has been erroneously started
Third Labour of Theseus
Crommyonian sow
- Theseus sought her out so as to risk himself not by compulsion
- Some variants say the sow was a nickname for a female thief
- Theseus kills her.
On the Kylix the sow springs up against him, while he advances with sword drawn back and left hand raised and wrapped in a mantle asa shield. Beside the sow his probable Phaea who reared the sow.
Fourth labour of Theseus
Sciron
- Old man, sat on a path by the cliff edge and asked passers by to wash his feet. He would then kick them into the sea to be consumed by a giant turtle.
- Theseus caught his feet and threw him off the cliff
On the kylix Theseus swings the foot-stall over his head to strike Sciron down who has fallen over the hill in a manner to balance Procrustes.
Sciron is bald over the forehead with shaggy hair and beard, and the tortoise is half seen as though rising from water at the foot of the hill.
