The Hellenic Saga Gaia (Earth) Uranus (Heaven) Oceanus = Tethys Iapetus (Titan) = Clymene Themis Atlas Menoetius Prometheus Epimetheus = Pandora Prometheus • “Prometheus made humans out of earth and water, and he also gave them fire…” (Apollodorus Library 1.7.1) • … “and scatter-brained Epimetheus from the first was a mischief to men who eat bread; for it was he who first took of Zeus the woman, the maiden whom he had formed” (Hesiod Theogony ca. 509) Prometheus and Zeus • Zeus concealed the secret of life • Trick of the meat and fat • Zeus concealed fire • Prometheus stole it and gave it to man • Freidrich H. Fuger, 1751 - 1818 • Zeus ordered the creation of Pandora • Zeus chained Prometheus to a mountain • The accounts here are many and confused Maxfield Parish Prometheus 1919 Prometheus Chained Dirck van Baburen 1594 - 1624 Prometheus Nicolas-Sébastien Adam 1705 - 1778 Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus • Novel by Mary Shelly • First published in 1818. • The first true Science Fiction novel • Victor Frankenstein is Prometheus • As with the story of Prometheus, the novel asks about cause and effect, and about responsibility. • Is man accountable for his creations? • Is God? Mary Shelly • “I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life, and stir with an uneasy, half vital motion. Frightful must it be; for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavour to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world” (Introduction to the 1831 edition) Did I request thee, from my clay To mould me man? Did I solicit thee From darkness to promote me? John Milton, Paradise Lost 10. 743 – 45. Printed on the inside cover of the 1818 edition. Pandora William Waterhouse 1896 Pandora • The name means “all gifts” • Hephaestus made Pandora from earth and water in the shape of the goddesses • Aphrodite gave her grace • Athena gave her skill • Hermes gave her deceit and shamelessness. • Each god gave her an evil, all in one jar Pandora and Epimetheus • Zeus gave Pandora to Epimetheus • Pandora opened her gift jar and the evils that make human existence difficult were released on the world • Only Hope remained in the jar. • The Point is that Hope is one of the things that plague mankind, and Zeus withheld it! • Pandora’s ‘Box’ is a mistranslation by Erasmus Pandora Deucalion • Son of Prometheus • Married Pyrrha • Zeus decided to destroy humanity with a flood • Prometheus warned Deucalion, he and Pyrrha escaped in a wooden chest • Stones of Deucalion Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609 – 1664) Autochthony ‘Born of the Earth’ Deucalion = Pyrrha Hellen Amphictyon Protogeneia = Zeus Dorus Xuthus Aeolus • The descendants of Hellen are the Hellenes, the Greeks • His sons divided Greece • Amphictyon became king of Athens • We will return to him later… Aeolus Dorus Pelasgians Pelasgians Xuthus Greek Migrations • Middle Helladic • 1900 to 1600 BC • First ‘Greek’ Speakers • Mycenaean (Late Helladic) • 1600 to 1200 BC • The Warrior Elite of our Myth Cycles • Dorian • 1200 BC • The Heraclidae The Family of Athamas Athamas, son of Aeolus, son of Hellen Hellen = Orseis Dorus Aeolus = Enarete Xuthus Cretheus, Sisyphus, Canace, Alcyone, Athamas, Salmoneus, Pisidice, Calyce, Deion, Magnes, Perieres Perimede Cadmus = Harmonia Nephele = Athamas = Ino Phrixus Helle • Athamas ruled Boeotia • Married the cloud nymph Nephele first • Married Ino second Boeotia Nephele • A cloud nymph • Ino, jealous of her step-children • Tricked the women into spoiling the seed wheat • Tricked the Pythia, Athamas to sacrifice his son • Nephele • Was given a ram with golden fleece by Hermes • The ram carried her children to Colchis • Helle fell of and drowned: Hellespont The Hellespont Phrixus trying to save Helle Roman wall mural from Pompeii Ino (Leucothea) • Ino, Athamas and Dionysus: • Hermes brought the baby Dionysus to Ino • Hera found out… drove Ino and Athamas mad • When Dionysus grew up, Ino became a Maenad • Athamas tried to kill Ino who leapt into the sea • Ino became a goddess on her death • Or • She was carried by a dolphin to Corinth The Family of Sisyphus Hellen = Orseis Dorus Aeolus = Enarete Xuthus Cretheus, Sisyphus, Canace, Alcyone, Athamas, Salmoneus, Pisidice, Calyce, Deion, Magnes, Perieres Perimede Sisyphus = Merope Glaucus • Sisyphus • Founder of Corinth • Promoted navigation and trade • Various traditions, all negative • Attempts to cheat death? • Betrayed Zeus’ abduction of Aegina • Condemned to role a stone up a hill in Hades Sisyphus The Pleiades Atlas = Pleione Alcyone Merope Celaeno Electra Sterope Taygete Maia = Zeus Hermes • The sisters committed mass suicide • For their sacrifice, they were placed amongst the stars • Visible in Greece from May to November • Signal the farming and sailing seasons The Pleiades Pleiades Glaucus = Eurymede Bellerophon Deliades • Glaucus • Son of Sisyphus and Merope • Liked racing his chariot team • Angered Aphrodite • His team crashed and he was killed Bellerophon(tes) • Accidentally killed his brother • Fled to Proetus, king of Tiryns • Anteia (Stheneboea) • Wife of Proetus • Bellerophon refused her advances so she accused him • Bellerophon sent to Lycia Lycia Bellerophon • Iobates, king of Lycia sent Bellerophon on suicide missions: • Kill the Chimaera • Bellerophon rode Pegasus over the beast and shot him with arrows • Kill the Amazons • Overcame an ambush • Iobates gave Bellerophon his daughter and his kingdom Chimaera The Family of Salmoneus Hellen = Orseis Dorus Aeolus = Enarete Xuthus Cretheus, Sisyphus, Canace, Alcyone, Athamas, Salmoneus, Pisidice, Calyce, Deion, Magnes, Perieres Perimede Salmoneus = Alcidice Tyro = Poseidon Pelias Neleus Admetus = Alcestis Nestor • Pelias • Became king of Iolcus after Cretheus • Nelius • Moved to Messenia and founded Pylos • His son, Nestor, fought at Troy Iolchos Pylos Cretheus = Tyro = Poseidon Polymede = Aeson Pheres = Periclymene Pelias Jason Lycurgus Admetus = Alcestis • Admetus: • Went to Thessaly and founded Pherae • A Calydonian hunter • An Argonaut • Married Alcestis Admetus and Alcestis • Apollo: • Killed the Cyclopes, dear to Zeus • Had to serve a mortal for a year as punishment • Helped Admetus win the hand of Alcestis Alcestis • Euripides Alcestis (438 BC) • Molliere The Misanthrope (1666) • Alceste is the main character • Theme: What will you sacrifice for your love? • Christoph Gluck, Alceste (Opera, 1767) • A total of eight operas based on this story Hercules Fighting Death to Save Alcestis Frederic Lord Leighton The Death of Alcestis Pierre Peyron (1744 – 1814) Cretheus = Tyro = Poseidon Polymede = Aeson Pheres = Periclymene Pelias Jason Lycurgus Admetus = Alcestis Deion Hellen = Orseis Dorus Aeolus = Enarete Xuthus Cretheus, Sisyphus, Canace, Alcyone, Athamas, Salmoneus, Pisidice, Calyce, Deion, Magnes, Perieres Perimede Hellen = Orseis Dorus Aeolus = Enarete Xuthus Deion = Diomede Asteropeia Phylacus Cephalus Aenetus Actor = Aegina = Zeus Zeus = Aegina Endeis = Aeacus = Psamathe Peleus Telamon Phocus • Zeus turned the ants to humans: • The Myrmidons • Aeacus became king of Aegina (the Island) • By Endeis he had Peleus and Telamon • By Psamathe he had Phocus Aegina Temple of Aphaia Aegina East Pediment Example of a Painted Pediment Zeus = Aegina Endeis = Aeacus Thetis = Peleus Telamon = Periboea Achilles Ajax Telamon • Son of Aeacus, of Aegina • Moved to Salamis • One of the Calydonian Hunters • One of the Argonauts • Fought the Amazons with Heracles • Fought at Troy with Heracles • Father of Ajax • The Athenian Philaidae family claimed descent from Telamon Peleus • Son of Aeacus and Aegina • King of the Myrmidons • Moved to Phthia (Pthiotis) • Married Thetis • All the gods invited to the wedding… • except the goddess Discord. Xuthus Hellen = Orseis Erechtheus Dorus Aeolus Xuthus = Creusa Achaeus Ion • Achaeus • Gave his name to the Achaean people • Ion • Gave his name to the Ionian people • But this must be false, the Ionians are Pelasgian Protogeneia Deucalion = Pyrrha Hellen Amphictyon Protogeneia = Zeus Dorus Xuthus Aeolus Protogeneia = Zeus Calyce = Aethlius Endymion = Iphianassa • Aethlius • Led the Aeolians from Thessaly • Founded Elis • Endymion • Selene, the moon, fell in love with him • Asked Zeus to “make him stay like this forever” • But he was sleeping in a cave at the time Endymion Francesco Trevisani (1656 – 1746) Endymion = Iphianassa Aetolus = Pronoe Xanthipe = Pleuron Calydon = Aeolia Agenor = Epicaste Porthaon Demonice = Ares Eurythemis = Thestius Eurythemis = Thestius Eurypylus Iphiclus Plexippus Evippus Tyndarius = Leda Hypermnestra Althaea • Tyndareus, king of Sparta • Zeus appeared to Leda as a swan • Two eggs: • Helen • Castor and Polux • After her death, Leda became the goddess Nemesis Leda and the Swan Giovanni Rapiti Eurythemis = Thestius Eurypylus Iphiclus Plexippus Evippus Leda Hypermnestra Althaea = Oeneus • Oeneus, son of Porthaon, ruler of Calydonia • Received the vine from Dionysus • Failed to sacrifice to Artemis • Visited by the Calydonian Boar Calydonian Boar Calydonian Boar • Oeneus assembled a team of heroes • Included Atalanta, daughter of Schoeneus • Meleager, son of Oeneus, killed the boar • And gave the skin to Atalanta • The sons of Thestius stole if from her • Meleager killed the sons of Thestius • And gave the skin back to Atalanta • War ensued, and Meleager was killed Adrastus Periboea = Oeneus = Althaea Deipyle = Tydeus Diomedes • Adrastus who attempted to recover Thebes for Polynices • Tydeus, who died at Thebes • Diomedes, who was one of the Epigonoi who sacked Thebes.