The Battle Between The Lapiths And Centaurs Flashcards
What was the centauromachy ?
Mythical battle between the centaurs and Lapiths
Where did the centauromachy take place ?
The wedding of the Lapith King Pirithous, son of Ixion
How does the story of the centauromachy go ?
The centaurs where invited to the Lapith wedding by Pirithous
The centaurs became drunk and laid hands on the women
The Lapiths took revenge by killing some and fighting others
Theseus was also present and fought along side the Lapiths
Which important mythological character was at the wedding ?
Theseus who aided the Lapiths in their fight against the centaurs
What happened to the centaurs ?
Most where killed or chased of by the Lapiths and Theseus
What did the story come to represent ?
Civilisation vs barbarism
How are the centaurs portrayed as uncivilised ?
They don’t correctly drink the wine as they don’t mix it with water
This shows a parallel between them and Polyphemus which could highlight their barbarism
Why did the Lapiths invite the centaurs in the first place ?
They where keen to make up for the exploits of Ixion however they where victims of an unprovoked attack by the uncivilised centaurs
