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Home , Antiope (Amazon), Athenian Treasury, Oschophoria, Procrustes, Sinis (mythology)

THE QUEST FOR

The Plane Tree Of Gortyn: Here is said to have raped Europa Daedalus, Pasiphae and the Wooden Cow:

A representation of the story from a Roman fresco in Pompeii “The

Family”

-Erika Meriaux

Ariadne gives her famous clew to Theseus to aid him in his quest Theseus defeats the as watches:

A kylix from c. 420 BCE Theseus is summoned away from a sleeping on Naxos:

Details of a red-figure vase from The Francois Vase (c. 570 BCE):

This scene was long interpreted as a representation of the original Crane Dance (Geranos) celebration on the island of . Although the picture does depict the Theseus myth (the characters are labelled on the vase), it probably portrays the arrival of Theseus on . King Aegeus, waiting at Cape Sounion, sees the black sail of the returning ship Frederick Leighton,

“Daedalus and

Icarus”

(ca. 1869) Pieter Bruegel, “Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus”

The reconstructed Palace at Knossos The Lions Gate at The two sons of Theseus, Demophon and Acamas, are shown escorting their aged grandmothers from . (Red-figured wine bowl c. 490 BCE)

The small island of Dia just off the northeast coast of Crete: Here, says , killed Ariadne The Sacrifice of Iphigenia as represented in a fresco from Pompeii The History Of The Minotaur by Cassone (16th century)

1) King Minos is assumed to sacrifice the white bull of 2) Minos decides to sacrifice another bull 3) The ritual of sacrifice to the gods 4 & 5) Poseidon causes Pasiphae to fall in love with the bull of Poseidon Pasiphae And The Minotaur (a kylix, 340-320 BCE, Vulci) Theseus pursues Helen “Theseus And The Minotaur,” Antonio Canova Europa rides Zeus as bull outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg INTERPRETATIONS OF LABYRINTH MYTH

1) A civilizational parable: The forces of light and order triumphs over darkness and bestiality.

2) A symbolic representation of the historic movement of people and transfer of ideas, culture and civilization from the Near East to Crete and Europe

3) A symbolic representation of the fall of and the rise of Mycenaean civilization.

3a) A founding myth for . Julie Bell,

“Bacchus and Ariadne”

Antoine-Louis

Barye,

“Theseus” INTERPRETATIONS OF LABYRINTH MYTH

4) A myth in which a civilizational balance between male and female is replaced by a patriarchal hierarchy

5) A symbolic representation of journey within to explore one’s own psyche

6) A disguised Freudian wish-fulfilment in which the young man kills the symbol of his father (and perhaps also beds a symbol of his mother)

7) A contested Athenian story that is both promoted and changed with specific political reasons The Mare Nostrum: Our hotel in Vravrona The Deeds Of Theseus (An Attic red-figured kylix, ca. 440-430 BCE)

Theseus with Aethra

The stone of is lifted and Theseus’ destiny revealed Theseus triumphs over Periphetes

Theseus dispatches Theseus and Perigune: The corpse of Sinis is in the background Theseus and Sinis the Pine- Bender:

A kylix from c. 490-480 BCE Theseus and Phaia, the Crommyonian Sow The cliffs near the lair of the robber Theseus turns Sciron into soup for a turtle Theseus meets “Do I have a bed for one extra North Island College student? . . . Why, yes I do.” Theseus cuts Procrustes down to size

In the vicinity of Agios Savvas Church on the north side of the King Aegeus and Medea with Theseus in Athens Theseus captures the Bull of Marathon and drags it to the Theseus greets the refugee Oedipus just north of Athens Theseus carries off the Amazonian queen

(A sculpture from , c. 510 BCE) The meeting of Theseus and Pirithous The wedding of Pirithous and Hippodamia , Theseus and from the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia Theseus abducts a young Helen from The Dioscuri: Helen’s twin brothers Castor and Pollux Theseus is chained in while Cerberus tears at Pirithous Theseus rescued from Hades by According to myth, an elderly Theseus was thrown from the cliff of Skyros Town to his death.

A Mycenaean tholos tomb The remains of the megaron at Mycenae BROAD PHASES IN DEVELOPMENT OF THE THESEUS MYTH

1) ARCHAIC ERA • Before last part of sixth century BCE • Limited number of artistic and literary representations

2) CLASSICAL ERA • From late sixth century to fall of Athens in 404 BCE • Myth is fully attested • Theseus clearly has become national hero of Athens

3) 404 BCE - PRESENT • Continual study and reinterpretation of the myth by historians, writers, artists and others A 19th-century representation of the poet Homer “ And The Muse”

Gustave Moreau (1891) The lyric poetess Band-cup by Archikles and Glaukytes (c. 540 BCE):

Theseus kills The Minotaur. Athena, lyre in hand, is present to encourage Theseus. Ariadne holds her ball of thread with her nurse beside her. The Athenian youths are portrayed as observers. Francois Vase (c. 570 BCE) Proto-Corinthian arballos of the seventh century BCE showing the Abduction of Helen by Theseus and her rescue by her brothers.

The face that launched a thousand ships? Remains of the Walls of Aphidna Theseus abducts Helen (an Attice red-figure amphora, c. 510 BCE) ATHENIAN TIME-LINE 560-338 BCE

• 560-546 BCE: Pisistratus consolidates control as tyrant of Athens • 510 BCE: Overthrow of Hippias and the Pisastratids • 508-507: Reforms of Cleisthenes lays foundation for • 493: begins building harbor at Piraeus • 490: Persian invasion of : • 480-79: Second Persian invasion: , Burning of Acropolis, Salamis • 477: Athens founds • 461-429: is such a preeminent politician that the period itself is commonly called the “Age of Pericles” • 431-404: Second Peloponnesian War – Athens vs. Sparta • 429: Death of Pericles from the plague • 404: Surrender of Athens • 399: Death of for corrupting the young • 338: Philip of Macedon crushes the Athenians at the Battle of Chaeronea in

Pisistratus rides into Athens accompanied by a tall woman dressed as Athena An artist’s representation of the Panathenaia, the Athenian festival that Pisistratus both revised and expanded. Pnyx Hill: The Birth-place of Democracy

A sculpture of

Cimon from the island of Cyprus

(510-450 BCE) The remains of a

Mycenaean-era tholos tomb on

Skyros The Hephaeisteion, long mis-identified as the Theseum, stands in the shadow of the Acropolis in an old photograph. Theseus carries off the Amazon Antiope with Pirithous. Detail from an Athenian red-figure vase now in the Louvre (c. 490 BCE) Evidence of Cimon’s success in his political struggle with Themistocles. An ostrakon vote against Themistocles. The reconstructed Stoa Poikile in Athens

Theseus fights The Minotaur on the southern side of the Theseus fights with Skiron in an Athenian Treasury metope Theseus and Antiope in a representation of the at Metopes of the AthenianTreasury at Delphi

1-8: Adventures of Theseus

9-14: fighting

15-22: Adventures of Heracles

23-27: Heracles and Geryon Phidias’ statue

of Athena

Parthenos

(A re-creation on

view at the

Parthenon in . . .

Nashville) A copy of the shield of Athena Parthenos with Theseus at its centre The view towards the Hephaeisteion from the Acropolis A portion of west frieze of the Hephaeisteion The drinking cup of Phidias The statue of Zeus at Olympia Heracles, driven mad by , kills his own children TRAGEDIES THAT INCLUDE THESEUS AS A MAIN CHARACTER

• , Hippolytus (428 BCE)

• Euripides, Suppliant Women (423 BCE)

• Euripides, Heracles Driven Mad (c. 422BCE)

• , Oedipus At Colonus (c. 406 BCE) CULT OF THESEUS

SANCTUARIES • Theseion • Colonus • Piraeus • Western suburbs

FESTIVALS • Oschophoria • Theseia It has recently been argued that this scene from the ruins of Herculaneum may represent not the Dionysian Festival but rather the Oschophoria.

A mosaic portraying Theseus from Paphos, the sacred site of on Cyprus Theseus, Antiope and their son Hippolytus. It is an adult Hippolytus who is featured in the Euripides play. “,” Alexandre Cabanel (1880): A late 19th-century representation of the former Minoan princess as suicidal. The death of Hippolytus – Another bull from the sea! presents Erechtheus to Athena Paris Bordone,

“Athena Scorning the Advances of ”

(1555-1560) “Discovery of the Child Erechtheus,” Pieter Paul Rubens (c. 1615) The Erechtheum on the Acropolis

The Ruins Of Troezen Today The Decree Of Themistocles

Theseus is welcomed beneath the sea by his stepmother Oedipus goes into exile with his daughter Antigone