1 / 9

Greek Mythology: lecture 5

Greek Mythology: lecture 5. The Theban Cycle: part 2. The curse takes effect. Eteocles & Polynices agree, then disagree on a settlement: Divide inheritance between property & kingship (Stesichorus)

colton
Télécharger la présentation

Greek Mythology: lecture 5

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Greek Mythology: lecture 5 The Theban Cycle: part 2

  2. The curse takes effect • Eteocles & Polynices agree, then disagree on a settlement: • Divide inheritance between property & kingship (Stesichorus) • Agree to take turns ruling; Eteocles reneges on promise (Eur. Phoen., hinted in Supp., Soph. OC) • Eteocles expelled Polynices (Soph. OC)

  3. The lion & the boar • P comes to Argos & gets into fight with Tydeus. • Oracle told Adrastus to marry daughters to ‘the lion & the boar’. • Promises to restore birthright of sons-in-law – P first. • Amphiaraus foresees disaster – Polynices bribes Eriphyle with necklace of Harmonia to support expedition.

  4. The Seven against Thebes • Number made canonical by Aeschylus (identities vary): • Tydeus, son of Oineus of Calydon. • Capaneus, son of Hipponous of Argos. • Eteoclus, son of Iphis of Argos (Capaneus’ brother-in-law). • Hippomedon, brother/nephew of Adrastus of Argos. • Parthenopaeus, son of Atalanta from Arcadia. • Amphiaraus the seer, brother-in-law of Adrastus of Argos. • Polynices, son of Oedipus of Thebes. • (Adrastus, king of Argos)

  5. Battle & aftermath • Sacrifice of Menoeceus (Eur. Phoen.) • Eteocles & Polynices kill each other • Capaneus struck by lightning, Amphiaraus swallowed by earth, Adrastus escapes • Other bodies left unburied; retrieved by Theseus (Eur. Supp.) • Antigone determines to bury Polynices • And is entombed alive (Soph. Ant.) • And goes into exile with Oedipus (Eur. Phoen.)

  6. The sons of the Seven • The Epigonoi: • Diomedes, son of Tydeus • Sthenelus, son of Capaneus • Polydorus, son of Hippomedon (cf. Pausanias) • Promachus, son of Parthenopaeus • Alcmaeon and Amphilochus, sons of Amphiaraus • Thersander, son of Polynices • Aegialeus, son of Adrastus • Euryalus, son of Mecisteus (cf. Apollodorus)

  7. Male & female • Visible in Bacchae: Pentheus’ relationship with Maenads; gender ambiguity. • Proper conduct of marriage relations: Oedipus; also see Suppliants. Reproduction within closed circuit vs. extreme exogamy. • Balance of power: Eriphyle & Amphiaraus, Antigone & Creon.

  8. Public & private • Male & female can be mapped onto wider framework of state vs. family. • Sphinx episode: brings affairs of home into public realm, continues with Theban plague. • Eteocles & Polynices: needs of polis vs. rights of patrimony. • Antigone: edict of state vs. right/duty towards dead.

  9. Divine & human law • Who is ‘right’ and is ‘right’ an absolute category? • From Bacchae to Antigone, ambivalence between divine command & human law/order. • How would audience have viewed situation/perceived ‘meaning’?

More Related