Test 2 Flashcards
Symplegades
Crashing rocks blocking passage to the Euxine Sea (Black Sea). Jason and the Argonauts made it through with the help of Athena.
Medea
One of Aeetes daughters. Hera got Aphrodite to prick her with a love spell so that she would fall in love with Jason and protect him from Aeetes’ labours.
Talus
Bronze giant who guarded an island that Jason landed on. Bronze nail in his ankle kept the blood in his body, so when he attacked, Jason pulled the nail out and defeated him.
Creusa
King Creon’s daughter - he offers her to Jason if he gets rid of Medea. Medea sends a poisoned tiara and gown as a wedding gift, which sets Creusa on fire. Creon attempts to help her, but also dies in the flames.
Cadmus
Son of Agenor - sent to find Europa, but instead follows a cow and founds Thebes where the cow stops. He defeats the serpent which guards the spring that is sacred to Ares, then plants the teeth of the dragon. Sparti (sown men) spring up and fight until there are 5 left - they become the ancestors of Thebes.
Europa
Daughter of Agenor - Zeus came to her as a bull and took her to Crete, where she mothered Minos.
Minos
Son of Europa?
Thebes
Founded by Cadmus and the 5 Sparti.
Sparti
Sown men who grew when Cadmus planted the teeth of Ares serpent. There were lots of them, but only 5 were left when Cadmus told them to stop killing each other. Ancestors to the prominent families in Thebes. (Note: no relation to Sparta).
Laius
Descendant of Cadmus - exiled from Thebes when the throne is taken over by Amphion and Zethus, his cousins. King Pelops takes him in, but he breaks xenia, then returns home to take the throne. Pelops curses him, and the curse transfers to his child, Oedipus.
King Pelops
Takes Laius in when he is exiled, then curses him when he breaks xenia. The curse becomes the story of Oedipus.
Xenia
The rules of guest friendship.
King Polybus and Merope of Corinth
Adoptive parents of Oedipus - he is given to them by a shepherd who did not want to kill him as a baby.
Oedipus
Raised as Prince of Corinth - then told he is adopted. He goes to Delphi and is told that he is going to marry his mother and kill his father. Leaves Corinth to prevent this, but the prophecy comes true anyway.
Miasma
Pollution caused by the wrongs of the elite (eg. plague). Since Oedipus killed his father and married his mother and had children with her, he causes miasma on Thebes until the problem is solved.
Seven Against Thebes
The battle to take back Thebes led by Polynices and 6 other generals - Tydeus, Adrastus, Capaneus, Hippomedon, Parthenopaeus, and Amphiaraus. Seven generals for the seven gates of Thebes.
Polynices and Eteocles
Sons of Oedipus - agree to take turns ruling, but after his first time frame Eteocles decides to continue his rule. Polynices then goes to war with him, and they both end up dying (they kill each other).
Amphiaraus
Foresees the death of all Thebes’ attackers except Adrastus. He dies by falling through the earth when Zeus opens it up. First though, he kills Tydeus’ opponent out of spite.
Capaneus
Scaled the walls of Thebes, then said that not even Zeus could stop him. Zeus, of course, proceeded to stop him by throwing a lightning bolt at him.
Hippomedon
Pushed back into a river, and emerges without his armour on. He is killed by missiles due to his lack of armour.
Tydeus
Challenges 50 men to one on one combat at the gate of Thebes - kills all but one. He is loved by Athena, so when he is mortally wounded she gets an immortality potion from Zeus to save him. When Amphiaraus kills his opponent and throws Tydeus the head, he starts to eat the brains. Athena doesn’t like that, and throws the potion on the ground, letting him die.
Parthenopaeus
Killed when a pile of rocks lands on his head while he is fighting at Thebes.