Poems of the Epic Cycle. Theogony Titanomachy. Oedipodi

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Heracles and Theseus

• Pan-hellenic/Dorian and Athenian
• Wild beasts and criminals
• Servant and king

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• Homeric Hymn 15 I will sing of Heracles, the son
  of Zeus and much the best (aristos) of those on
  earth. Alcmene bore him in Thebes, the city of
  lovely dances, when the dark-clouded Son of
  Cronos had lain with her. Once he used to wander
  over unmeasured tracts of land and sea 5 at the
  bidding of King Eurystheus, and himself did many
  reckless (ata-sthala) deeds and endured many but
  now he lives happily in the glorious home of
  snowy Olympus, and has neat-ankled Hebe for his
  wife.

3
Homer, Iliad 19. 95 Once Hera blinded Zeus,
although men say that he is the greatest among
men and gods yet even him Hera, though feminine,
beguiled in her craftiness on the day when
Alcmene in fair-crowned Thebe was to bring forth
the mighty Heracles. 100 Zeus indeed spoke
proudly among all the gods Listen to me, all
you gods and goddesses, that I may speak what the
heart in my breast bids me. This day shall
Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, bring to
the light a man who shall be the lord (anax) of
all them that dwell round about, 105 even one
of the race of those men who are of me by blood.
But with crafty mind the queenly Hera spoke to
himYou will play the cheat, and not bring your
word to fulfillment. Come, Olympian, swear to me
now a mighty oath that in very truth that man
shall be lord of all them that dwell round about,
110 whoever this day shall fall between a
woman's feet, even one of those men who are of
the blood of your stock. So she spoke and Zeus
in no way noticed her craftiness, but swore a
great oath, and in so doing was blinded sore.
4
But Hera darted down and left the peak of
Olympus, 115 and swiftly came to Achaean Argos,
where she knew was the stately wife of Sthenelus,
son of Perseus, that carried a son in her womb,
and the seventh month was come. This child Hera
brought forth to the light even before the full
tale of the months, but stayed Alcmene's bearing,
and held back the Eileithyia. 120 And she spoke
to Zeus, son of Cronos Father Zeus, lord of the
bright lightning, a word will I speak for your
heeding. Look, even now, there is born a valiant
man that shall be lord over the Argives, even
Eurystheus, son of Sthenelus, the son of Perseus,
of your own lineage not improper is it that he
be lord over the Argives. 125 So she spoke,
and sharp pain struck him in the deep of his
heart, and he quickly seized Ate by her brightly
clad head, angry in his soul, and swore a mighty
oath that never again to Olympus and the starry
heaven should Ate come, she that blinds all.
130 So said he, and whirling her in his hand
flung her from the starry heaven, and quickly she
came to the tilled fields of men. At thought of
her would he ever groan, when he beheld his dear
son in unseemly labour beneath Eurystheus' tasks.
5
Birth of Hercules
Met. 9. 310 Whoever you may be, congratulate our
mistress, Lady Alcmena is delivered.
Met. 9.66 Mastering snakes is childs play,
Achelous!
6
Od. 11.269 And Megara I saw, daughter of Creon,
high-of-heart, 270 whom the son of Amphitryon,
ever stubborn in might, had to wife.Pausanias
9.11.2 They show also the tomb of the children of
Heracles by Megara. Their account of the death of
these is in no way different from that in the
poems of Panyassis and of Stesichorus of Himera.
But the Thebans add that Heracles in his madness
was about to kill Amphitryon as well, but before
he could do so he was rendered unconscious by the
blow of the stone. Athena, they say, threw at him
this stone, which they name Chastiser.Euripides,
Heracles
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• Amphitryon, Eurystheus,
• Athloi, ponoi
• Nemean lion
• Lernaean Hydra
• Ceryneian hind
• Erymanthian boar
• Augean stables
• Stymphalian birds
• Cretan bull 9.75 my third shape still remained,
  a savage bull.
• Horses of Diomedes Alcestis
• Girdle of Hippolyta
• Cattle of Geryon
• Apples of the Hesperides
• Cerberus

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Metope
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Hercules, Nessus and Deianira
9.132 Ill not die unavenged, he thought and
gave his shirt soaked in warm gore to Deianira.
12
Apotheosis of Hercules the labours 9.180-205
9.270 The almighty father carried him away, swept
in his four-horse chariot through the clouds, and
stationed him among the shining stars.
13
Alcestis 438 BC 4th play A Satyr play?1-76
Prologue 1. Apollo 2. Death77-135
Parodos136-212 3. Maid213-243
Ode244-434 1. Admetus 2. Alcestis 3.
Boy435-475 Ode476-568 1. Admetus 2.
Heracles569-605 Ode606-740 1. Admetus 2.
Pheres741-746 Ode 747-860 2. Heracles 3.
Servant861-934 Kommos Admetus935-961 1.
Admetus962 -1007 Ode1008-end 1. Admetus 2.
Heracles
445 Poets shall sing often of you both on the
seven-stringed mountain tortoise-shell and in
songs unaccompanied by the lyre when at Sparta
the month of Carnea comes circling round 450
and the moon is aloft the whole night long, and
also in rich, gleaming Athens. Such is the theme
for song that you have left for poets by your
death.
14
Euripides, Alcestis 438 BCMythology of the
playApollo Asclepius CyclopesZeus Heracles
Death Zeus was the cause he killed my son
Asclepius, striking him in the chest with the
lightning-bolt, 5 and in anger at this I slew
the Cyclopes who forged Zeus's fire. 65 The
man to make you do so is coming to the house of
Pheres sent by Eurystheus to fetch the horses and
chariot from the wintry land of Thrace. I see
that Death (Thanatos), the priest of the dead, is
already drawing near. 25 He is about to take
her down to the house of Hades.
15
the MythApollodorus 1.9.15 When Admetus reigned
over Pherae, Apollo served him as his labourer
while Admetus wooed Alcestis, daughter of Pelias.
Now Pelias had promised to give his daughter to
whoever yoked a lion and a boar to a car, and
Apollo yoked and gave them to Admetus, who
brought them to Pelias and so obtained Alcestis.
But in offering a sacrifice at his marriage, he
forgot to sacrifice to Artemis therefore when he
opened the marriage chamber he found it full of
coiled snakes. Apollo bade him appease the
goddess and obtained as a favour of the Fates
that, when Admetus should be about to die, he
might be released from death if someone chose
voluntarily to die for him. And when the day of
his death came neither his father nor his mother
would die for him, but Alcestis died in his
stead. But the Maiden (Kore) sent her up again,
or, as some say, Hercules fought with Hades and
brought her up to him.850 But if I fail to
catch this quarry and he does not come to the
blood offering, I shall go down to the sunless
house of Persephone and her lord in the world
below and shall ask for Alcestis, and I think I
shall bring her up and put her in the hands of my
friend. Iliad 2 And they that dwelt in Pherae .
. . and well-built Iolcus, these were led by the
dear son of Admetus with eleven ships, Eumelus,
whom Alcestis, queenly among women, 715 the
most beautiful of the daughters of Pelias, bore
to Admetus.
16
Folktale Orpheus965 I have found nothing
stronger than Necessity, nor is there any cure
for it in the Thracian tablets set down by the
voice of Orpheus nor in all the drugs which
Phoebus 970 harvested in aid of
trouble-ridden mortals and gave to the sons of
Asclepius.If I had the voice and music of
Orpheus so that I could charm Demeter's daughter
or her husband with song and fetch you from
Hades, 360 I would have gone down to the
Underworld, and neither Pluto's hound nor Charon
the ferryman of souls standing at the oar would
have kept me from bringing you back to the light
alive.Death as inevitable vs. death as
deceivable Only Phoebus' son, if he still
looked upon the light of the sun, 125 would
cause her to leave behind the gloomy realm and
the portals of Hades. For he used to raise the
dead, until the two-pronged goad of the
lightning-fire killed him.
17
Alcestis Best (aristos) of women Thucydides,
2.45.2 If I must say anything on the subject of
female excellence (arete) to those of you who
will now be in widowhood, it will be all
comprised in this brief exhortation. Great will
be your reputation (doxa) in not falling short of
your natural character and greatest will be hers
about whom there is the least talk (kleos) among
the men whether for good or for bad. 1000
Someone walking a winding path past her tomb
shall say, This woman died in the stead of her
husband, and now she is a blessed divinity. Hail,
Lady, and grant us your blessing! Best
(aristê) indeed! Who will say she is not? What
should we call the woman who surpasses her? How
could any woman give greater proof 155 that
she gives her husband the place of honor than by
being willing to die for him?
18
Plato, Symposium Only those in love (eros) will
consent to die for others not merely men will do
it, but women too. Sufficient witness is borne
to this statement before the people of Greece by
Alcestis, daughter of Pelias, who alone was
willing to die for her husband, though he had
both father 179c and mother. So high did her
love exalt her over them in philia, that they
were proved alien to their son and but nominal
relations and when she achieved this deed, it
was judged so noble by gods as well as men that,
although among all the many doers of noble deeds
they are few and soon counted to whom the gods
have granted the privilege of having their souls
sent up again from Hades, hers they thus restored
in admiration of her act. Aeschylus, Eum. 723
You (Apollo) did such things also in the house of
Pheres, when you persuaded the Fates to make
mortals free from death.420 I understand
that, and this sorrow did not fall upon me
unexpected. I have long been worn down with the
knowledge of it.
19
Xenia and mourningHeracles I shall go to the
house of some other guest-friends.Admetus No no,
my lord! Heaven avert such a misfortune!Heracles
540 To mourners the arrival of a guest is
vexing.If I had driven from my house and city a
guest (xenos) who had just arrived, would you
have praised me more? 555 No, indeed, since
my misfortune would have been in no way lessened,
and I would have been less hospitable. And in
addition to my ills we would have the further ill
that my house would be called inhospitable. I
myself find in this man the best host (xenos)
560 whenever I go to thirsty Argos.857 What
Thessalian is more hospitable than he, what
Greek?
20
Admetus - adamastos 10 I am myself holy
(hosios), and in Admetus, son of Pheres, I found
a holy man. And so I rescued him from death by
tricking the Fates.823 Yes, for his modesty
(aidos) kept him from thrusting you from his
house.Aristotle Eudemian Ethics 1233b he who
regards the opinion of those who appear fair is
modest.And anyone who is my enemy will say,
955 Look at this man who lives on in
disgrace! He did not have the courage to die but
in cowardice escaped death by giving his wife in
his place. And after that can we think him a man?
He hates his parents though he himself is
unwilling to die. Beside my sorrows I will have
to endure this kind of repute (kleos).For his
noble nature runs towards modesty. Among the good
everything is possible. I marvel at his wisdom.
And sure confidence sits in my heart 605 that
the god-fearing man will prosper. I, who ought
not to be alive and have escaped my fate, 940
shall now live out my life in pain. Now I
understand. 1093 I commend you, truly. But
you deserve the name of fool.
21
Pheres and the agon (629-738)Admetus Pheres
no friend (philos) no slave bad
timing excessive hybrisnot truly
parents no patroos nomoscowardice you should
have died your wife outdared youno thanks
(charis) everyone likes his own lifeno burial
for you you are her murdereryour
mistake no mistake
22
Melodrama?Admetus 527 The one doomed to die
is gone, has died and is no more.Heracles To
be and not to be are deemed to be separate
things.Admetus You have your view on this,
Heracles, and I have mine.You have touched my
heart, you have touched my soul.When the noble
are afflicted, 110 those who all their lives
have been deemed loyal must mourn.An image of
you shaped by the hand of skilled craftsmen shall
be laid out in my bed. 350 I shall fall into
its arms, and as I embrace it and call your name
I shall imagine, though I have her not, that I
hold my dear wife in my arms, a cold pleasure, to
be sure, but thus I shall lighten my soul's
heaviness.Pygmalion and Galatea Met. 10
23
HeraclesBut never yet have I welcomed 750 a
worse guest to our hearth than this one. 840
For I must save the woman who has just died and
show my gratitude (charis) to Admetus by
restoring Alcestis once more to this house. One
should speak freely to a friend, Admetus, and not
silently store up reproaches in the heart.
1010 I thought it right that I should stand by
you in your misfortune and give proof that I was
your friend. Yet you did not tell me your wife
was laid out for burial but feasted me in the
house, saying that you were busy with a grief not
your own.
24
Hamartia 342 Do I make a mistake to mourn when
I have lost such a wife as you? 615 For you
have lost, as no one will deny, a noble and
virtuous wife..709 But if it pains you to hear
the truth, you should not be wronging me.
710 If I were dying on your behalf, I would be
more mistaken. What greater sorrow can a man
have than the loss 880 of his faithful wife?
1099 And yet you will be making a mistake if
you do not.
25
I do not hate you, although it is you alone that
cause my death 180 it is because I shrank
from abandoning you and my husband that I now
die. Some other woman will possess you, luckier,
perhaps, than I but not more virtuous. I need
not have died in your place 285 but could
have married the Thessalian of my choice and
lived in wealth in a royal house. But I refused
to live torn from your side with orphaned
children and did not spare my young life, though
I had much in which I took delight.Keep them as
lords of my house 305 and do not marry again,
putting over them a step-mother, who will be less
noble than I and out of envy will lay a hostile
hand to your children and mine.
26
1050 For she is young, as is evident from
her clothing and adornment. Shall she stay in the
men's quarters? And how, moving among young men,
shall she remain untouched? 1072 I wish I had
the power to convey your wife to the light from
the halls below and could do you this service
(charis).Admetus My lord, you compel me to
do this against my will.Heracles Have the
courage to stretch out your hand and touch the
stranger. Admetus There, I stretch it out, as if
I were cutting off a Gorgon's head.
27
You are not yet allowed to hear her speak to you,
1145 not until she becomes purified in the
sight of the nether gods when the third day
comes. But take her in. Continue, Admetus, to
show your guests the piety of a righteous man.
28
1-57 Prologue Aphrodite summarizes the
plot58-120 Hippolytus and Servants worship
Artemis121-69 Parodos women of Troezen show
concern for Phaedra170-266 Phaedra and
Nurse267-524 Chorus, Phaedra and Nurse525-64
First Stasimon the power of Eros565-600 Phaedra
and Chorus601-668 Hippolytus and
Nurse669-731 Phaedra, Nurse and Chorus732-775
Second Stasimon desire for escape776-901 Theseus
, Nurse and Chorus902-1101 Hippolytus and
Theseus the agon1102-52 Third Stasimon the
injustice of Hippolytus exile1153-1267
Messenger and Theseus1268-1282 Fourth Stasimon
Reverence for Aphrodite1283-1341 Artemis and
Theseus1342-1466 Hippolytus, Artemis and Theseus
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Euripides Hippolytus24 One day when he came
from Pittheus' house 25 to the land of
Pandion to see and celebrate the holy mysteries
of Demeter, his father's high-born wife Phaedra
saw him, and her heart was seized with a dreadful
longing by my design.
30
Auto/chthony - from the land itselfCecrops -
serpent lower half34-5 since Theseus has left
the land of Cecrops, fleeing the blood-guilt he
incurred for the murder of the PallantidaeEricht
honius/Erechtheus - born from Hephaestus semen
wiped off Athena by a piece of wool (erion) and
given to daughters of Cecrops in a basket, which
they look into1095 Now farewell, city and
land of Erechtheus!
Athenian mythology
31
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32
Erechtheon
33
Aegeus, son of Pandion, identified with
Poseidonconsultation with oracle and trick by
Pittheus of TroezenTheseus born from Aethra,
sword and sandals
1284 Nobly-born son of Aegeus!
794-6 Has anything happened to old Pittheus? He
is far on in years, and yet his going from this
house would be a grief to me.
Athens
1318-19 Your father, the sea-lord, kindly
disposed as he was towards you, granted what he
had to grant since he had made this promise.
Pittheus Poseidon/Aegeus Aethra Theseus
Troezen
34
978-80 For if I am to be bested by you when you
have done this to me, Isthmian Sinis shall no
longer attest that I killed him but say it was an
idle boast, and the Skironian rocks near the sea
980 shall deny that I am a scourge to
evil-doers.
35
Cercyon at Eleusis, wrestling match
Periphetes at Epidaurus armed with club
Procrustes bed
sow of Crommyon
Sinis the Pine bender at Corinth
Sciron at cliffs, Megaran hero
Bull of Marathon
36
recognition, Medeas plot, Pallas
revoltMarathonian bull, Minos and
PasiphaëMinotaur - help of Amphitrite,
abandonment of Ariadne at Naxosblack sail
unchangeddeath of Aegeus
337-9 Phaedra Unhappy mother, what a love
you felt! Nurse For the Cretan bull? Or what
is this you mean? Phaedra And you, poor
sister, Dionysus' bride.
37
synoecism, refounding of Isthmian Gamesjoins
Heracles against Amazons Amazonomachy fathers
Hippolytus by Hippolyte/AntiopeCentauromachy
Pirithous and the Centaurskidnaps Helen, who is
rescued by the Dioscouri
38
Folk-tale motif Potiphars wife Genesis 39 6 So
Potiphar left in Joseph's care everything he had
with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself
with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph
was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while
his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said,
"Come to bed with me! 8 But he refused. . . .
My master has withheld nothing from me except
you, because you are his wife. How then could I
do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" 10
And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he
refused to go to bed with her or even be with
her. 11 One day he went into the house to attend
to his duties, and none of the household servants
was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and
said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his
cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. 13
When she saw that he had left his cloak in her
hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called
her household servants. "Look," she said to them,
"this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport
of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I
screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he
left his cloak beside me and ran out of the
house. 16 She kept his cloak beside her until
his master came home. 17 Then she told him this
story "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to
me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I
screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me
and ran out of the house. 19 When his master
heard the story his wife told him, saying, "This
is how your slave treated me," he burned with
anger. 20 Joseph's master took him and put him in
prison, the place where the king's prisoners were
confined.
39
Euripides first Hippolytus veiledPhaedra a
shameless woman, she kills herself after
Hippolytus death and she is exposed action at
AthensSophocles PhaedraTheseus presumed
dead, Phaedra makes advances, is rejected,
Hippolytus drives off in horror and is killed,
Action at Athens
40
10 Hippolytus, Theseus' son by the Amazon
woman and ward of holy Pittheus, alone among the
citizens of this land of Trozen, says that I am
the basest of divinities. He shuns the bed of
love and will have nothing to do with
marriage.Yet for his sins against me I shall
punish Hippolytus this day. the poor woman,
groaning and struck senseless by the goad of
love, means to die 40 in silence, and none of
her household knows of her malady. But that is
not the way this passion is fated to end.Lady,
lady most revered, daughter of Zeus, my greeting,
daughter 65 of Leto and of Zeus, of maidens
the fairest by far, who dwell in the broad heaven
in the court of your good father, the gilded
house of Zeus.
41
Aidos tends this garden with streams of
river-water, for those to pluck who have acquired
nothing by teaching but rather in whose very
nature 80 sophrosyne in all things has ever
won its place the base may not pluck.Servant
The rule observed by mortals do you know
it?Hippolytus No. What is the law you question
me about?Servant To hate what's semnon and not
friend to all. 93102 Hippolytus I greet her
from afar, for I am hagnos. Servant Yet she's
revered and famous among mortals.
42
Oh, oh! How I long to draw a drink of pure water
from a dewy spring 210 and to take my rest
lying under the poplar trees and in the uncut
meadow!248 For to be right in my mind is
grievous pain, while this madness is an ill
thing. Best is to perish in unconsciousness.283
Aren't you then applying force, trying to find
out her malady, what is causing her wits to
wander?327 Phaedra To learn the truth, poor
woman, will be your doom!Nurse What doom is
worse for me than losing you? 380 we know
and understand what is noble but do not bring it
to completion.Life's pleasures are many, long
talks and leisure a pleasant evil 385
and aidos. Yet they are of two sorts, one being
no bad thing, another a burden upon houses.
Cf.335 your suppliant hand compels my reverence
43
433-7 Mistress, just now the troubles of your
heart gave mine a sudden pang of senseless fear,
but second thoughts show me how dull I was - and
everyone knows that second thoughts are
wiser.612 It was my tongue that swore it, not
my mind.730 By sharing with me in this sickness
he will learn sophrosyne.
44
But, father Poseidon, with one of the three
curses you once promised me kill my son, and may
he not live out 890 this day, if indeed you
have granted me curses I may rely on. Merciful
gods! So you were after all truly my father,
Poseidon, 1170 since you have heard my
prayer. How did he perish? Tell me, how did
Zeus's cudgel strike him for dishonoring me?
1321-3 You waited for no proof or prophetic
utterance, you conducted no investigation and
allowed no long time for an injury, but with
reckless haste you hurled a curse upon your son
and killed him
45
Charter MythsAnd before she came to this land of
Troezen, 30 she built, hard by the rock of
Pallas Athena, a temple to Aphrodite overlooking
this land since she loved a foreign love. After
ages shall call this foundation
Aphrodite-Beside-Hippolytus. To you, unhappy
man, I shall grant, in recompense for these
sorrows, supreme honors 1425 in the land of
Troezen. For unmarried girls before their
marriage will cut their hair for you, and over
the length of ages you will harvest the deep
mourning of their tears. The practiced skill of
poetry sung by maidens will for ever make you its
theme, and Phaedra's love for you 1430 shall
not fall nameless and unsung.
46
Adonis and Aphrodite 1416-22
You who were Hippolytus shall now be Virbius,
Ovid, Me. 15.542