Thebaid 2: Oedipus Descendants of Cadmus Cadmus = Harmonia Aristaeus = Autonoe Ino Semele Agave = Echion Pentheus Actaeon Polydorus (?) Autonoe = Aristaeus Actaeon Polydorus (?) • Aristaeus • Son of Apollo and Cyrene • Actaeon • While hunting he saw Artemis bathing • Artemis set his own hounds on him • Polydorus • Either brother or son of Autonoe • King of Cadmeia after Pentheus • Jean-Baptiste-Camile Corot ca. 1850 Giuseppe Cesari, ca. 1600 House of Cadmus Hyrieus Cadmus = Harmonia Dirce = Lycus Nycteus Autonoe = Aristaeus Zeus = Antiope Nycteis = Polydorus Zethus Amphion Labdacus Laius Tragedy of Antiope • Polydorus: • king of Thebes after Pentheus • m. Nycteis, sister of Antiope • Polydorus died before Labdacus was of age. • Labdacus • Child king after Polydorus • Regency of Nycteus, Lycus Thebes • Laius • Child king as well… second regency of Lycus • Zethus and Amphion • Sons of Antiope by Zeus • Jealousy of Dirce • Antiope imprisoned • Zethus and Amphion raised by shepherds Zethus and Amphion • Returned to Thebes: • Killed Lycus • Tied Dirce to a wild bull • Fortified the city • Renamed it Thebes • Zethus and his family died of illness Death of Dirce • The Farnese Bull • 2nd cent. BC • Asinius Pollio, owner • 1546: • Baths of Caracalla • Cardinal Farnese • Pope Paul III Farnese Bull Amphion • Taught the lyre by Hermes • First to establish an altar to Hermes • Married Niobe, daughter of Tantalus • They had six sons and six daughters • Boasted she was better than Leto • Apollo and Artemis slew every child • Amphion died of a broken heart Niobe Jacques Louis David, 1775 Cadmus = Harmonia Aristeus =Autonoe Ino Semele Agave = Echion Nycteis = Polydorus Pentheus Labdacus Menoecius Laius = Iocaste Creon Oedipus Laius • Laius and Iocaste • Childless, asked Delphi for advice: • “Lord of Thebes famous for horses, do not sow a furrow of children against the will of the gods; for if you beget a son, that child will kill you, [20] and all your house shall wade through blood.” (Euripides Phoenissae) • Accidentally, they had a son anyway. Oedipus • Laius and Iocaste expose the baby • Found by Polybus, King of Corinth • Raised as prince of Corinth • His parentage challenged: • Oedipus went to Delphi for confirmation • “You will kill your father and through incest with your mother you will have children” Oedipus and Laius • Oedipus resolves never to go home • Believing that Polybus and Merope were his real parents • On the road he meets an old man in a chariot • “stranger, make way for a king” but Oedipus “because he was proud” • Oedipus kills Laius and his charioteer Problems… • Delphic oracles are (almost) always ‘if A then B’ formulae • If Laius has a son, then his son will kill him • Theodore Buttrey: • “if you kill your father, then you will commit incest with your mother and produce children” • 52 English translations… all wrong? Biggest Problem • If divine pronouncements do not include choice and or interpretation, then what is left of free will? • Is life tolerable if fate is predetermined? • Is ‘god’s plan’ written and are we just going through the motions like actors on a stage? Cadmus = Harmonia Aristeus =Autonoe Ino Semele Agave = Echion Antiope = Polydorus Pentheus Labdacus Menoecius Laius = Iocaste Creon Oedipus Creon • King (Regent?) on the death of Laius • Brother of Iocaste • When the sphinx came, Creon’s son Haemon was one of those killed • Creon offered his throne to anyone who could solve the riddle The Riddle • Version One: • What is a being with four feet, two feet, three feet and once voice and is weakest when it has the most feet? • Version Two: • What has four feet in the morning, two feet in the afternoon, and three feet in the evening? • Gustave Moreau • 1864 • ‘Oedipus and the Sphinx’ A man… • Who crawls on all fours as a baby, walks on two feet as a man, and uses a cane in his old age Oedipus and Iocaste • Oedipus becomes king of Thebes • Marries the queen, Iocaste • A plague descends on Thebes • Oedipus seeks divine guidance • The murder of Laius must be avenged! • Oedipus consults Teiresias The Accursed Children Oedipus = Iocaste Polynices Eteocles Ismene Antigone Aftermath • Iocaste hung herself • Oedipus gouged out his own eyes • Polynices and Eteocles banished Oedipus • Antigone took her father to Attica • Received by Theseus • Died at Colonus Oedipe et Antigone Charles Francois Jalabert 1842 Sophocles • Sophocles • 496 – 405 BC • 120 productions… only 7 extant. • Won the Dionysia 18 times. • Oedipus Rex (Tyrannus, The King) (429) • Oedipus at Colonus (401 posthumous) • Antigone (441) Battle for Thebes • Polynices and Eteocles agree to share the throne alternatively • Etoecles first year • But refused to step down • Polynices • Gains the aid of Adrastus of Argos Seven Against Thebes • Adrastus of Corinth • Polynices of Thebes • Tydeus of Calydonia in Aetolia • Amphiaraus of Argos • Capaneus of Argos • Hippomedon of Argos • Parthenopaeus of Arcadia Seven Gated Thebes • Each champion stormed one of the seven gates of Thebes • Suicide of Creon’s son, Meneoceus • All of the seven but Adrastus were killed • Etoecles and Polynices killed each other • Creon of Thebes, victorious, forbade the burial of the bodies Antigone • Daughter of Oedipus and Iocaste • The ‘noble maiden’ • Escorted Oedipus to Colonus • After he died she returned to Thebes • Edict of Creon • Antigone buried the body of Polynices • She was buried alive as punishment Antigone and Polynices Nikoforos Lytras (1832 – 1904) Antigone • Sohocles, Antigone • ca. 442 BC • A question for the age of heroes? • A question for the age of democracy? • Good of the individual vs. good of the state • Courage in the face of Tyranny Creon and Antigone Creon and Antigone? The Epigoni • Alcmaon, son of Amphiaraus • Amphilochus, son of Amphiaraus • Aegialeus, son of Adrastus • Diomedes, son of Tydeus • Promachus, son of Parthenopaeus • Sthenelus, son of Capanaeus • Thersander, son of Polynices • Euryalus, son of Mecisteus War of the Epigonoi • The Argives invaded Boeotia • Laodamas, son of Eteocles led the Thebans • Laodamas killed, Thebes abandoned • Epigonoi raze the city Sources • Homer Iliad; Odyssey • Hesiod Theogony; Works and Days • Apollodorus Library • Pausanias Description of Greece • Aeschylus Seven Against Thebes • SophoclesOedipus Rex; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone • Euripides Phoenissae.