Chapter Fifteen, Lecture Two Theseus

The Begetting of Theseus

Aegeus, a king of Athens, had no sons Delphi: do not open the wine skins until you return home At Troezen, Pittheus understands the prophecy Sends his daughter Aethra Poseidon also gets involved

The Begetting of Theseus The sword and the sandal

The Labors of Theseus 1.Periphetes, the Clubber 2.Sinis, the Pinebender 3.Cormmyonian sow 4.Sciron 5.Circyon 6.Procrustes

Arrival at Athens Under a spell cast by Medea, Aegeus doesn’t realize that this is his son Aegeus sends him out to kill a bull on the plains of Marathon Then she tries to poison him, but Aegeus recognizes his own sword in time – Medea flees

Theseus and Antiopê

On his way back from his adventure in Crete with the Minotaur (Chapter 16), Theseus forgets to change the ship’s flag to white Aegeus drowns himself in the sea (Aegean Sea)

Theseus and Antiopê Athens is “founded” again with Theseus’s wise reforms –Synoicism –Festival: Panathenaia –social reforms: classes –assembly

Theseus and Antiopê Goes off in search of more adventure –Abducts the Queen of the Amazons: Hippolyta or Antiopê Leads to an Amazonomachy in Athens –The Areopagus

The Amazons

Mythic homeland is north of the Black Sea (southern modern-day Russia) –a mazos ? –constructed the temple to Artemis at Ephesus? A purely myth invention –the world turned upside down

The Amazons Contrary to the ideal for the Athenian woman –Always defeated by Greek heroes Given political significance after the Battle of Marathon –The Amazonomachy identified with the Athenian victory over the Persians

Theseus and Hippolytus

Remarries to Phaedra, a daughter of Minos Their son is Hippolytus Story told by Euripides in his Hippolytus Hippolytus worships only Artemis and neglects Aphrodite Aphrodite makes Phaedra, his mother-in- law, lust after him

Theseus and Hippolytus The slave intermediary Hippolytus curses women, but vows not to tell anyone Phaedra kills herself, but leaves behind a note for Theseus Theseus orders Poseidon to kill Hippolytus

The Folktale of “Potiphar’s Wife”

Folktale of “Potiphar’s Wife Story of the Two Brothers –Anubis (not the god) –Bata Joseph and Potiphar’s wife Bellerophon and the wife of King Proteus

Exploits of Theseus and Pirithoüs

The Battle of the Centaurs and the Lapiths (at Perithoüs’s wedding to a Hippodamia) Caeneus (formerly Caenis) The two now seek appropriate wives

Exploits of Theseus and Pirithoüs Theseus tries for Helen, but she is too young and is sent away for safekeeping The two visit the underworld for Pirithoüs’s choice: Persephonê They are trapped but Theseus is eventually rescued by Heracles

Death of Theseus

Lost favor of the people of Athens and expelled by Menestheus of Athens Fled to Scyros, King Lycomedes Killed by the king

Myth and Propaganda

Theseus originally a minor figure Becomes more important with the rise of Athens beginning in the 6 th century –Theseïs Expansion and popularization begins with Pisistratus –Uses Theseus to glorify his own accomplishments for the city

Myth and Propaganda After the Pisistratid dynasty fell from popularity, Theseus remade again –To a hero of democracy and the defender of freedom Cimon (son of Miltiades) –Modeled some of his career leading the Athenian rise to empire after Theseus –The “bones” of Theseus; new festivals to Theseus; leader of Ionian Greeks against Sparta

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