Myth 15
Theseus and the myths of Athens
Origins of Athens: Confused at best
3 possible origins:
1. descended from a mortal: Cecrops
2. they were autochthonus, "sprung from the earth" — like grasshoppers
3. descended from Athena (even though she's a virgin)
Cecrops brought civilization to Athens—end human sacrifice
· build cities
· bury the dead
· Monogamy
during his reign, Athena and Poseidon compete for sponsorship of city
Athena—olive tree
Poseidon—a spring—salt water
Athens was much more of a land-based power until the 5th c, when they built their navy
Erichthonius—another early king
Hephaestus tried to rape Athena—spills his seed on her leg
OVID
tells some weird stories concerning early Athens
Procris and Cephalus
(7.755-960)
Procne and Philomela (6.472-780)
Tereus charges at them with a sword—they turn into birds
(Philomela —nightingale)
(Procne —sparrow)
Tereus—a hoopoe
OVID's myths
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THESEUS
Aegeus—descendant of Erechtheus (brother of Procne and Philomela)
goes to oracle to find out how to have an heir—
interpreted by Pittheus, who gets him drunk and sends in his daughter Aethra
after sex, Aethra
(Aithra) alos has sex with
Poseidon
Aegeus puts sword and sandals under a large rock
—when he's old enough ...
Theseus goes to Athens when he's old enough
takes the land route and performs six labors
1. "clubber"
2. pine-tree giant
3. giant pig
4. Sciron—feet washer/kicker
5. wrestler
6. Polypemon/Procrustes—"who
likes symmetry"
In Athens is not recognized—
Medea the sorceress (having fled Jason) is jealous
he
overcomes the Bull of Crete
(Marathonian Bull)
Theseus goes off the kills the MINOTAUR of Crete
Theseus
is disgusted by her treachery to her father, and abandons
her there
she laments on the shore as he sails away
seems likely to
die—but is actually found by Dionysus
Theseus and Amazons:
Amazons—goes off to abduct Antiope (sometimes Hippolyta)
they are actually very friendly to him
abducts Antiope
leads to Amazonomachy—defeated
Antiope and Theseus have son: Hippolytus
new wife: Phaedra, Cretan —falls in love with her stepson
story told in Euripides: Hippolytus
(428 BC)
Phaedra is dying of lovesickness
is shown sympathetically—
torn between uncontrollable passion and womanly duty
Hippolytus is a woman hater—offers invective
Theseus uses one of his three wishes to get his son killed by Poseidon
(then
learns truth from Artemis)
Dangerous women—but sympathetic in Euripides
cf. Potiphar's wife, Delilah, Aphrodite
Pirithous king of the Lapiths
Pirithous gets married and invites Centaurs
unaccustomed to wine
ACM 227, 239 (Hyginus, 33,
79)
New wives!
Theseus: wants Helen, but she's too young
abducts her and leaves her with his mom Aethra
Pirithous wants Persephone (!)
Hades listens politely to their request, then glues them to their chairs
Pirithous is still there (?)
DEATH:
Theseus returns to the upper world—it's in chaos—Athens ruled by a tyrant
flees to Scyros—hoping for hospitality
local jealous king pushes him off a cliff
Theseus and propaganda:
Highly politicized myths—directly attached to Athens and its ascendancy
Theseus was barely known before the Classical period
· Minotaur and Centauromachy
· Passing refs in Homer
· sixth century epic—Theseis ?
· Classical period—really takes off
Much like Vergil’s Aeneas in the Aeneid
old mythic figure appropriated by a particular group
