Section 105:
1. Who’s the biological son of Laius and grandson of Labdacus?
2. What told Laius that any child he had by Iocaste / Jocasta would murder him?
3. What is the more common name of the heroine Homer called Epicasta?
4. Whose name means “swollen foot”?
5. After he was exposed on Mt. Cithaeron, but rescued by a Corinthian shepherd, who
raised Oedipus?
Word bank for # 1-5: Oedipus, King Polybus of Corinth, Jocasta, Delphic Oracle, Oedipus
6. In less common version, Oedipus was locked in a
and set adrift, but washed up
on shore at Sicyon, where he was found by Periboea, Polybius’ queen.
7. Who told Oedipus that he would marry his mother and kill his father?
8. Whom did Oedipus kill in a narrow section of road by dragging him to death?
9. Who was Laius’ charioteer?
10. What monster was the daughter of Typhon and Echidne; or daughter of Orthrus and the
Chimaera?
10a. [Fill in the blank] The Sphinx had the head of a
, the body of a
, the tail of a
, and the wings of an
Word bank for # 6-10: The Sphinx, chest, Polyphontes, Pythoness, Laius
11. Who sent the Sphinx to punish Laius and Thebes for the abduction of the boy Chrissipus
of Pisa?
11a. What is the riddle of the Spinx and what is its answer?:
11b. What did the Sphinx do when Oedipus answered the riddle?
12. Oedipus then went to
where he was proclaimed king.
13. But then, a terrible
beset the Thebans.
13a. Oedipus again consulted the Delphic Oracle, and this was the response:
14. Teiresias informed Oedipus that the curse would stop only when a Sown Man died for the
sake of the city? So, what father of Jocasta threw himself from the walls?
15. Who was turned into a woman after being bitten by a snake, then later turned back into a
man after again being bitten by a snake?
15a. Explain the “contest” or bet Zeus & Hera had over Teiresias:
Word bank for # 11-15: plague, Teiresias, Hera (Juno), Thebes, Menoeceus
16. Who hanged herself (& why) after the letter of Periboea arrived in Thebes?
17. Who blinded himself with his mother’s/sister’s brooches?
18. Acc. to some tales, Oedipus wandered for many years with his daugher
19. Oedipus died at
near Athens.
20. The Furies who are called in Greek, in Latin the Dirae, chase people who murderer
within their own families. They were later transformed into the Eumenides.
Word bank for # 16-20: Jocasta, Antigone, Oedipus, Erinnyes, Colonus
Section 106:
21. Aegeia and Deipyle were the daughters of King
, “The Unlucky”
22. The Delphic Oracle advised Adrastus to “Yoke to a 2-wheeled chariot a , ...”
23. Who was the twin brother of Polyneices (“many fights”) who refuse to let him take the
throne of Thebes?
24. Who had killed his own brother, Melanippus, in the Calydonian boar hunt?
25. King Adrastus married off his daughter Aegeia to , & Deipyle to Tydeus
Word bank for # 21-25: Adrastus, Polyneices, Eteocles, Tydeus, boar and a lion
26. Adrastus mustered Capaneus, Hippomedon, Amphiarus, Parthenopaeus, Polyneices,
Tydeus to march on Thebes. Collectively called
27. Which one was a seer who did not want to join the expedition? Why was he unwilling?
28. Who was the sister of Adrastus and the wife of Amphiarus who stopped them from
killing each other?
29. Who was originally given a magic necklace by Aphrodite as a wedding present? (And this
necklace was given to Eriphyle by Polyneices to entice Amphiarus to come along.)
30. In some versions, who is the chieftain who marches on Thebes, instead of Polyneices?
Word bank for # 26-30: 7 against Thebes, Eriphyle, Harmonia, Eteoclus, Amphiarus
31. Lycurgus, the king of
, famed for its lion killed by Hercules, allowed the 7
and their troops to water their horses.
32.
was the baby son of Lycurgus & Hypsipyle who was killed by snakebite; a bad omen!
33. Amphiarus interpreted the omen & advised them to set up the quadrennial Nemean
Games. The judges wear black robes, and winners received crowns of
.
34. Adrastus sent
as a messenger to demand that Eteocles resign the kingdom of Thebes
35. Tydeus challenged all the chieftains of
to a duel & defeated them all.
Word bank for # 31-35: Nemea, parsley, Opheltes, Tydeus, Thebes.
36. Because Teiresias proclaimed that the Thebans would win if a prince of the royal house
sacrificed himself to Ares, who committed suicide like his namesake uncle?
37. Which of the seven was struck by Zeus’ thunderbolt?
38. Which of the 7, now wounded, did Athena want to give a life-restoring potion?
39. Which of the 7, out of hatred, decapitated Melannipus and urged Tydeus to eat his brains?
40. So, only 3 of the seven were now alive: Amphiarus, Adrastus and
.
Word bank for # 36-40: Amphiarus, Polyneices, Menoeceus, Tydeus, Capaneus
41. Who challenged his twin brother, Eteocles, to a duel whereupon they were both killed?
42. Who then took command of the Theban army and routed the Argives?
43. Who was the charioteer of Amphiarus, who was also rescued by Zeus, who opened up the
earth and took them to the Underworld, where Amphiarus rules among the dead?
44. The winged horse of Adrastus, who helped the Argives flee when all was lost.
45.
marched on Thebes, captured the city & Creon, and permitted public burial.
Word bank for # 41-45: Polyneices, Baton, King Theseus of Athens, Creon, Arion
46.
, the wife of Capaneus, flung herself on his funeral pyre.
47. She disobeyed Creon’s orders not to bury traitors & buried her brother, Polyneices;
Sophocles wrote a tragedy about her with her name as a title.
48. He was the son of Creon, and the fiancé of Antigone. His name means “bloody.”
49. In most versions of the tale,
condemns Antigone to death by starvation in Polyneices’
tomb; but eventually Haemon and Antigone kill themselves a la Romeo & Juliet.
50. In other versions, Antigone was secreted away to live with shepherds, where she bore
Haemon a son. This boy later competed in games but was recognized by Creon for this
mark of
, which all descendants of Cadmus have.
For questions 46-50: Evadne, Creon, serpent, Antigone, Haemon
Section 107:
51. Literally, “the ones born after,” the sons of the 7 Against Thebes who swore revenge.
52. The Delphic Oracle promised victory if
, son of Amphiarus, took command.
53. Thersander, the son of Polyneices, bribed Eriphyle (the widow of Amphiarus) with a
(Athena’s wedding present to Harmonia) in order make her, Eriphyle, choose war and
force Alcmaon to join the expedition.
54. The first of the Epigoni to die at Thebes was
, son of Adrastus.
55. He prophesied Thebes would fall when Adrastus, the sole survivor of the original 7 died?
For questions 51-55: Epigoni, Aegialus, magic robe, Teiresias, Alcmaon
56. Who fled with the Thebans and suddenly died at the spring of Tilphussa?
57. Who found the city of Thebes evacuated?
58. The daughter of Teiresias who sent to Delphi along with much booty, and was made the
Pythoness.
59. Who killed Eriphyle, when he learned that she had received the bribe from Thersander?
60. Whom did Eriphyle call upon as she was dying to pursue ad haunt Alcmaon?
For questions 56-60: Teiresias, Manto (Daphne), The Erinnyes (Furies/Dirae), Argives, Alcmaon
61. Alcmaon fled to Thresprotia, then to Psophis, where King Phegeus purified him of his
murder & married him to his daughter,
, to whom Alcmaon gave the famous necklace
and magic robe.
62. A plague hit Psophis, so Alcmaeon consulted the Delphic Oracle which advised him to
purify himself again in the waters of the river.
63. The river god, Achelous, gave to Alcmaeon his daughter,
, whose name means
“beautifully flowing.”
64. At Callirrhoë’s insistence, Alcmaeon deceived into forcing Arsinoë to give up the
necklace and magic robe, by saying they were to appease the Erinnyes (Furies/Dirae)
65. A servant of Alcmaeon revealed the truth to Phegeus who ambushed and killed
For questions 61-65: Arsinoë, Alcmaeon, Phegeus, Achelous, Callirrhoë
66. Who witnessed the murder of Alcmaeon, and was sent to the king of Nemea as a slave?
67. He commanded his sons to take the necklace and magic robe to Delphi.
68. Who prayed to Zeus to have her sons avenge the murderers of Alcmaeon, which they did
by killing the sons of Phegeus at Nemea, then Phegeus at Psophis.
69. The sons of Callirrhoë later colonized
near Epirus.
70. He was the famous soothsayer, son of Manto.
For questions 66-70: Callirrhoë, Acarnania, Arsinoë, King Phegeus of Psophis, Mopsus
Section 108
71. His mother was Pluto (daughter of Cronus and Rhea) and his father either Zeus of Mt.
Tmolus. And he was either a king of Argos, Corinth, or in Paphlagonia.
72. Tantalos was the father of Pelops,
, and Broteas.
73. Tantalus’ first crime was deceiving
, his divine friend, by stealing food to share
with mortals.
74. Tantalus’ 2nd crime was to cut up his son, , and feed him to the gods.
75. Who was the only god to eat Tantalus’ food.
For questions 71-75: Pelops, Tantalus, Demeter (Ceres), Niobe, Zeus (Jupiter)
76. Tantalus is condemned with eternal
. Explain the punishment.
rd
77. Tantalus’ 3 crime was to lie about having the golden
made by Hephaestus to watch
over baby Zeus in Crete. Pandareus stole it and gave it to Tantalos, or vice versa.
78. Pandareus and his wife, Harmothoë, were either killed or turned into stone. Their
orphaned
, Merope and Cleothera, were raised by Aphrodite.
79. Aëdon, another daughter of Pandareus and wife of Zethus, was envious of Niobe and her
children. In trying to kill one of them (Sipylus), she accidentally killed her own son,
80. Zeus then transformed Aëdon into a
.
For questions 76-80: hunger and thirst, Itylus, nightingale, daughters, dog,
81. Zeus ordered this god
to collect the body parts of Pelos and reboil them.
82. This god gave Pelops an ivory shoulder.
83. This god fell in love w/ Pelops & carried him up to Olympus via chariot to be a cupbearer
84. The mother of Pelos who was not aware of his ascension to Olympus and lamented.
85. The ugly son of Tantalus and good hunter who was driven mad by Artemis (Diana)
For questions 81-85: Poseidon (Neptune), Hermes (Mercury), Broteas, Demeter (Ceres), Eurynassa
Section 109:
86. Pelops, King of Paphlagonia, was driven out. Later, tried for the hand of , daughter of
Oenomaus, who feared that a son-in-law would kill him.
87. Oenomaus was famed for his love of
.
88. Oenomaus challenged all potential suitors of Hipodameia to a
.
89. The prize for winning was Hippodameia, but the penalty was
.
90. This god and father of Oenomaus gave wind-begotten mares, Psylla & Harmonia, to him.
For questions 86-90: Hippodameia, death, horses, Ares (Mars), chariot race
91. The charioteer of Oenomaus.
92. Pelops was given a golden winged chariot by his lover,
, which he drove over the
Aegean Sea.
93. The charioteer of Pelops.
94. Because she loved Pelops, she persuaded Myrtilus to loosen the lynch pins and joints on
Oenomaus’s chariot.
95. Who saw the ghost of Cillus in a dream and in the morning burned & buried Cillus’ body.
For questions 91-95: Hippodameia, Pelops, Myrtilus, Poseidon (Neptune), Cillas (Cellas)
96. There is one tale that
gave Pelops a magic object, which he buried, and caused the
horse of Oenomaus to wreck the chariot, so Pelops could win.
97. On the island of
, near Euboea, Pelops searched for water, and then he and
Myrtilus quarreled over Hippodameia.
98. At the Cape of Geraestus, Pelops kicked
over the cliff.
99. This god catasterized or turned Myrtilus into a star.
100.
Pelops drove all the way west to the river Oceanus, cleansed himself, then returned to
Pisa to rule in place of
.
For questions 96-100: Amphion, Oenomaus, Helene, Hermes (Mercury), Myrtilus
101.
This land mass, where Sparta & Olympia are located, is literally “the island of Pelops.”
102.
Pelops cut up this king of Olympia at a banquet & scattered his limbs.
103.
Most people think that,
, the son of Hermes, is the true horse-scarer.
104.
Annually at Elis, a black ram is sacrificed to him, roasted on a fire of white poplar.
105.
Pelops is also called the “Cronian One” and the ; & is the ancestor of the Achaeans.
For questions 101-105: Pelops, Peloponnese, Epeius, “The Horse-Beater”, Myrtilus
Section 110:
106.
She thanked Hera for helping her with her marriage to Pelops by founding the
Herean Games at Elis, and the order of the 16 Matrons – who weave a special robe for Hera.
107.
The only surviving daughter of Niobe,
, won the 1st Heraean Games.
108.
This son of Pelops and Hippodameia killed Callipolis by striking him dead with
burning log.
109.
Hippodameia killed the boy Chrysippus with his sword, & he was accused of murder
110.
Hippodameia fled to
, where she killed herself.
For questions 106-110: Hippodameia, Chloris, Laius, Alcathous, Argolis
Section 111:
111.
In one version, the Mycenaeans proclaimed him king of Mycenae, after Eurystheus
was killed by children of Hercules.
112.
Another version has
banishing Amphitryon and summoning Atreus & Thyestes.
113.
Some tales have Atreus and Thyestes fighting a fratricidal war. Other tales have Pan
making a special
with horns and a golden fleece as a test for Atreus.
114.
Aerope, the wife of Atreus, fell in love with
, and demanded the lamb as a
present for their love.
115.
because he now possessed the lamb, he was proclaimed king of
.
For questions 111-115: Atreus, lamb, Mycenae, Sthenelus, Thyestes
116.
Zeus, aided by the goddess Eris (Strife) caused to reverse the chariot of the sun, and
thus bring about the omen so that Atreus could claim the kingdom of Mycenae.
117.
Aerope bore to Atreus, Agamemnon,
, & Anaxiba.
118.
Atreus offered a share of his kingdom to Thyestes, but then slaughtered his :
Aglaus, Orchomenus, and Callileon; then Atreus killed Pleisthenes and Tantalos the 2nd.
119.
Who unwittingly ate his own sons served up to him by Atreus?
120.
Urged by the Delphi oracle, the exile Thyestes ravished
, but she stole his sword.
For questions 116-120: Pelopia, Helios, Thyestes, Menelaus, sons (of Thyestes)
121.
Atreus, told by the Delphic Oracle to “Recall Thyestes from Sicyon”, found
and fell in love with her. They were married, and she bore Thyestes’ son to him.
122.
His name means, “goat-strength”; the son of Pelopia and Thyestes who was exposed.
123.
He believed that Aegisthus was his own son and rescued him from the shepherds.
124.
Atreus ordered the 7-yr. old Aegisthus to kill him, but he failed.
125.
Thyestes recognised his own which Aegisthus had gotten from Pelopia.
For questions121-125: Pelopia, sword, Atreus, Thyestes, Aegisthus
126.
Thyestes told Aegisthus to summon her, who promptly killed herself with the sword. Why?
127.
He is the murderer of Atreus.
128.
He then regained the throne of Mycenae, after the death of Atreus.
129.
This animal appeared and appears for every new Pelopid king.
For questions 126-129: Pelopia, Aegisthus, Thyestes, golden-fleeced lamb.
Section 112:
130.
After spending some time with Oeneus, a king in Aetolia, King
of Sparta
restored Agamemnon and Menelaus to power.
131.
Tyestes and
fled when Agamemnon and Meneleos advanced on Mycenae.
132.
Agamemnon first made war on
, the son of his ugly uncle Broteas.
133.
Agamemnon killed Tantalos the younger in battle and married his widow,
134.
Clytemnestra was the daughter of Tyndareus, the sister of the Dioscuri (Castor and
Pollux), and the sister of Helen, whom Tyndareus gave in marriage to
135.
Agamemnon ruled Mycenae, while Menelaos ruled
For questions 130-135: Aegisthus, Menelaus, Tantalos, Tyndareus, Sparta, Clytemnestra
136.
Clytemnestra bore to
, one son, Orestes, and 2 daughters: Electra (or
Laodice) and Iphigeneia.
137. He did not sail to Troy to rescue Helen from Paris, but stayed behind to plot vs. Agamemnon.
138. He (whose name means “ship sailor”) sailed around the Peloponnese, encouraging wives (bereft of
their husbands who were off fighting the Trojan War) to commit adultery.
139.
Aegisthus won over her to commit adultery and kill Agamemnon upon his return.
140.
This god was sent by Zeus to dissuade Aegisthus from killing Agamemnon.
For questions 136-40: Agamemnon, Nauplius, Clytemnestra, Aegisthus, Hermes
141.
This god was nursing a grudge against the House of Atreus. Why?
142. This is the name of the port of Mycenae where the Greek ships assembled to sail to Troy.
143.
Clytemnestra wanted to kill Agamemnon for his sacrificing their daughter,
144.
Agamemnon returned from Troy with his mistress,
, whom Aegisthus and
Clytemnestra also killed.
145.
Agamemnon lit watch fires, signaling his return from Troy, but he, Agamemnon’s
brother, was blown off course to Egypt. Agamemnon returned home the quickest.
For questions 141-145: Cassandra, Artemis, Menelaus, Iphigeneia, Aulis
146.
Clytemnestra rolled out a purple carpet (!) for Agamemnon, then killed him in the
147.
To what creature is Clytemnestra compared? Why?
148.
After Agamemnon and Cassandra were killed, a battle broke out between Aegisthus’
men and Agamemnon’s. Who won.
149.
Aegisthus also killed the twin sons of Cassandra and
.
150. In Egypt, Menelaos learned of his bother’s murder from
For questions 146-150: Aegisthus, bath, Proteus, spider, Agamemnon
, the prophet of Pharos.
151.
152.
153.
154.
Section 113:
Who was only 10 yrs. Old when Agamamenon and Cassandra were murdered.
Arsinoë, the nurse of Orestes, sent her own son to be killed by
in his stead.
Orestes hid with King Strophius of Crisa, where he made a friend of
Aegisthus ruled for 7 tormented years in
, after the murder of Agamamnon.
155. Aegisthus, fearing a future avenger, announced that no one was permitted to marry her.
For questions 151-155: Orestes, Electra, Pylades, Mycenae, Aegisthus
156. She bore to Aegisthus 3 kids: Erigone, Aletes and another Helen (not the famous Helen)
157.
Electra despised her sister,
, because she would not denounce Clytemenestra as an
adulteress and murderer.
158.
The Delphic Oracle told him he would be afflicted with leprosy unless he avenged his
father’s murder.
159.
The Pythoness gave Orestes a bow made of animal horn to repel the
160.
Where must Orestes ultimately go to gain refuge from the Furies/Dirae (Erinnyes)?
For questions 156-160: Clytemnestra, Orestes, Delphi, Erinnyes (Furies/Dirae), Chrysothemis
161.
Orestes and Pylades first visited the tomb of , where he cut a lock of his hair.
162.
Clytemnestra ominously dreamed that she had given birth to
.
163.
Who recognized Orestes’ lock of hair on Agamemnon’s tomb? There was also a ring.
164.
Who interpreted the Clytemenstra’s dream of the serpent as representing himself?
165.
Orestes and Pylades gained entrance into the palace by deceit: they said they were
foreigners carrying the
of dead Orestes. This “news” made Clytemnestra rejoice.
166.
In some versions, Electra recognised Orestes by that he received when they were
young and chasing deer.
167. Whom did Orestes and Pylades kill first in most tales? In other tales, Electra enticed Clytemenstra
out of the palace supposedly to see her (Electra’s) baby, then Orestes killed her.
168.
She bore her breast to Orestes, hoping that he would not kill her. Why?
For questions 161-168: ashes, Electra, Orestes, Clytemnestra, Aegisthus, the scar, Agamemnon, a serpent.
Section 114:
169.
Who appeared to Orestes and Pylades at the tomb of Clytemnestra?
169a. The Erinnyes or Furies (Dirae) have hair of
, the heads of a
, and
wings of
, and they swing scourges or whips.
170.
Harassed by the Furies or Dirae (Erinnyes), he lay ill for six days, before his courtdate.
171.
The father of Clytemnestra,
, brought a charge of matricide against Orestes.
172. Menelaus sent her ahead to verify the news of the death of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra.
173.
She is the daughter of Helen, and now the brilliant student in Harry Potter.
174.
Who had been forbidden to enter Sparta until he punished Orestes and Electra.
For questions 169-74: Tyndareus, Helen, Erinnyes (Furies/Dirae), Orestes, Menelaus, Hermione
175.
Who was now promised in marriage to Electra? He is the famous friend of Orestes.
176.
Whom did Orestes, Pylades and Electra try to kill after the trial at the tomb of
Clytemnestra, but Apollo wrapped her in a cloud and immortalized her.
177.
Orestes then to capture and kill Hermione, daughter of Helen & him, but again
Apollo intervened and stopped this murder.
178.
Apollo ordered Menelaus to take a new wife, and married her to Orestes.
179.
By embracing the statue of this goddess at Athens, Orestes annulled the curse.
For questions 175-179: Hermine, Menelaus, Pylades, Helen, Athena
180.
Whose ghost roused the Erinnyes (The Furies/Dirae) to continue chasing Orestes.
181.
He, now insane, wandered over a year, purifying himself with the blood of sacrificial victims.
He was purified at Troezen at the Sacred Rock, near the temple of Wolfish Artemis (Diana).
182. At Messene at the sanctuary of the Mad Goddess, Orestes bit off a
& regained his sanity.
183.
After a year, Orestes returned to
where he again embraced Athena’s statue.
184.
The trial of Orestes took place at the homicide court called the
or “rock of Ares.”
For questions 180-184: Athens, Clytemnestra, Areopagus, Orestes, finger
185. The father of Clytemnestra & Helen appeared with his granddaughter, Erigone, to accuse Orestes.
186.
Who cast the deciding vote which broke the tie and acquitted Orestes.
187.
Who hanged herself after the verdict and acquittal of Orestes.
188.
He returned to Argolis and ruled as a king. He was also an ally to Athens.
189.
There are at least 3 other versions of the story of her, including one story that she
lived happily with Menelaus; another that she and Menelaus were sacrificed to Artemis
by Iphigeneia (the same Iphigeneia that in most tales is sacrificed at Aulis). The last that
Polyxo had her handmaidens dress up as Erinnyes (Furies/Dirae) and hang her.
For questions 185-189: Helen, Tyndareus, Orestes, Erigone, Athena
Section 115:
190.
Because of Orestes’ acquittal, the Erinnyes threatened to let
start a famine.
191.
This god offered the Erinnyes special rights and a home if they ceased their “fury.”
192.
The Erinnyes (Furies/Dirae) now called the Sollemn Ones or more commonly
accepted the offer, and settled in a cave at the base of the Areopagus, which is a refuge for
suppliants.
193.
The reconstituted Eumenides now help the city,
, in war and marriages.
194.
The Eumenides also have special connections with terrestrial and infernal
For questions 190-194: Athens, gods, a drop of blood, Eumenides, Athena
Section 116:
195.
In one version, Iphigeneia was not sacrificed at Aulis by Agamemnon and Calchas
(the priest), but was rescued by this god, and brought to Taurus in Northern Greece.
196.
She was made a priestess, called “Artemis”, and put in charge of human sacrifice
(ironically) and the sacred image of Artemis that Orestes had to embrace.
197. Orestes and he, hiding in a cave near Taurus, were discovered by shepherds, who first thought
they were gods, then, after Orestes went mad & tried to kill their sheep, were brought to the king.
198.
The king, Thoas, ordered them to be
by the priestess (Iphigeneia)
199.
Orestes, Pylades and Iphigenia carried the
of Artemis on board their ship
and sailed away from Taurus. A storm dove them back, but Poseidon calmed the storm.
For questions 195-199: Artemis, sacrificed, Pylades, Iphigeneia, sacred image or statue
200.
The king of Taurus,
, pursued them to the island of Sminthos, home of Chryses.
201.
Now, since Chryses was the son of Chryseis, who was Agamemnon’s mistress at Troy
(before Cassandra), Chryses was the half-brother to him.
202.
Orestes and Chryses killed King Thoas, and Orestes sailed home to
where
the Furies (Dirae) finally stopped haunting him.
203.
Towards the end of his life, Orestes wandered with the image of
204. The bones of Orestes, acc. to some tales, lie in the city of
.
in Italy. (But read below)
For questions 200-204: Thoas, Rome, Orestes, Mycenae, Artemis (Diana)
Section 117:
205.
Because of the rumor that Orestes & Pylades had been sacrificed in Taurus suposedly
by Iphigeneia, he
, the son of Aegisthus, usurped the throne at Mycenae.
206.
She
almost blinded or killed Iphigeneia at Delphi, before Orestes intervened.
207. From Delphi, the reunited children of Agamemnon returned to Mycenae, where he killed Aletes.
208.
Orestes and Hermione had a son,
, who became Orestes’ heir.
209.
After Menelaus died, the Spartans asked Orestes to be their
.
For questions 205-209: Aletes, Orestes, Tisamenus, king, Electra
210. Orestes, in obedience to the Delphic oracle, left Mycenae for Arcadia, where he died how?
211.
He was first buried at Tegea, but his bones were dug up by the Spartans at the urging
of the Delphic oracle and brought to Sparta. (This is historical legend, not myth!)
212.
Who showed the Spartan Lichas a huge coffin, 7 cubits long (i.e., bones of Orestes)?
213.
Orestes and his grandfather Pelops both wielded the
214.
Orestes’ son,
, lost control of Sparta, Argos and Mycenae, driven out
by the sons of Heracles.
For questions 210-214: a blacksmith, Tisamenus, a snake bite, scepter-spear, Orestes,
Section: 58
215.
Poseidon and Libya had a son,
, who in turn was the father of Cadmus.
216.
Agenor married
and begot Cadmus, Phoenix, Cilix, Thasus, Phineus
and one daughter, Europa. They lived in Tyre in land of Canaan (modern day Lebanon)
217.
Zeus, desiring Europa, desguised himself as a snow-white
.
218.
She, holding a basket, decided to mount the bull, who then swam away from shore.
219.
Coming to shore on the island of Crete, Zeus turned into an
and amavit
Europa. She bore to Zeus 3 famous sons: Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon.
For questions 215-219: Agenor, bull, Europa, eagle, Telephassa
220.
He sent his sons out to find Europa. They each founded famous places/peoples:
Phoenix sailed to Carthage and gave his name to the Punic people, then returned to
Canaan which is called Phoenicia; Cilix founded the Cilicians; Phineus went to Thynia
where he was harassed by the Harpies; etc.
221.
Cadmus sailed with his mother,
, to Rhodes. She died on the journey.
222.
Cadmus asked the Delphic Oracle about Europa; the response was to forget about her,
and instead follow a
and build a city wherever she lay down.
223.
Cadmus purchased a cow which had a
on each side.
224.
In Boeotia, Cadmus built the city of
where the cow sat down.
For questions 220-224: Agenor, Thebes, cow, Telephassa, white full moon
225.
Cadmus erected a statue to
, “Onga” in Phoenician.
226.
Cadmus sent his men to fetch water from the Spring of Ares, now called the Castalian
Spring, but they were killed by a giant
227.
Cadmus smashed the serpent’s head with a rock, & Athena ordered him to sow its
228.
The buried teeth of the serpent turned into “sown” men in full armor, called the
229.
Cadmus threw a
at the Spartoi who began to fight and kill themselves
230.
Only five Spartoi survived. They pledged their allegiance to Cadmus, who was then
forced to be a slave to
for eight years killing the giant serpent.
For questions 225-230: Ares, large stone, teeth, serpent, Athena, Spartoi
231.
232.
233.
Section 59:
After 8 years of servitude to Ares, Cadmus married
, daughter of Ares & Aphrodite
All the Olympian gods came to the wedding; Aphrodite gave Harmonia a
Athena gave her a
and a set of flutes; Hermes gave her a lyre.
234. In his old age, Cadmus gave the kingdom of Thebes to his grandson,
, the son of
Agave. Agave was the daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia. Agave married one of the Spartoi.
235. Pentheus, whose name means “suffering” was torn apart by his mother, Agave, who
under the spell of
mistook him (Pentheus) for a lion.
For questions 231-235: golden robe, Pentheus, Harmonia, Dionysus/Bacchus, golden necklace
236.
Cadmus & Harmonia were prophesied by Dionysus to rule over barbarians, and
eventually they would be turned into
.
237.
She left Thebes and remarried Lycotherses, King of Illyria, who she killed in order to
hand his kingdom over to Cadmus and Harmonia.
238.
At the point of death, Cadmus and she were turned into blue-spotted black serpents.
239.
Zeus allowed them (Cadmus and Harmonia) to dwell on the Islands of the
For questions 236-239: Blessed, snakes, Harmonia, Agave,
Section 14:
240.
Zeus begat the twins Apollo and Artemis (Diana) via Leto (Latona) on the islands of
Delos & Ortygia; Zeus turned himself and Leto (Latona) into
when they coupled.
241.
Zeus disguised himself as a mortal, and loved
, the daughter of Cadmus,
whose name means “moon.”
242. She, being jealous, tricked Semele, who was 6-mo. Pregnant, into asking Zeus his real identity.
243.
Semele was burnt to a crisp by Zeus’ real self and his lightning bolts. Hermes
(Mercury) rescued the unborn child and sowed him into the
of Zeus.
244.
Thus, he was born, whose name means “twice-born” or “child of the double-door.”
For questions 240-244: quails, Dionysus/Bacchus, Hera (Juno), thigh, Semele
Sections 27 f., 27 k.
245.
Pentheus, as king of Thebes, tried to lock the long-haired Dionysus up. But the god
made him mad, and he shackled a
instead of Dionysus.
246.
There is a famous historical account of how the Roman Crassus was decapitated and
his actual head was used a stage prop for
in a production of Euripides’ Bacchae.
247.
Who, the mother of Pentheus, led the other Maenads in attacking Pentheus?
248. Dionysus descended into Hades & bribed
with a myrtle branch to release his mother Semele.
249. Dionysus, bringing her up from Tartarus (Hades) up to Olympus, changed her name to Thyone.
For questions 245-249: Agave, Semele, bull, Pentheus’ head, Persephone (Proserpina)
Sections 82.e; et alia.
250.
Autonoë, daughter of
and Harmonia, whose name means “mind of her own,”
married Aristaeus. Autonoë bore ill-fated Actaeon and Macris.
251.
Actaeon, the son of Autonoë, was turned into a
& torn apart by his own
hunting dogs, after he happened upon Artemis (Diana) bathing. (peeping-tom myth)
252.
Macris, the daughter of Autonoë, was the nurse maiden to
, the divine son
of Semele. (Remember, Semele had been scorched by the magnificence of Zeus)
253.
She (the wife of Zeus), Pasiphaë, and Ino (daughter of Cadmus) were all titles of the
triple goddess, symbolized by the tripod. (51.5)
For questions 250-253: Cadmus, Dionysus (Bacchus), Hera, deer
Section 70:
254.
Athamas, the brother of Sisyphus, though married to Nephele, fell in love with
, the daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia. She bore Learchus and Melicertes.
255.
Nephele found out about the affair between Athamas and Ino, and tried to get
Athamas killed. But the men of
(where Thebes is located) did not kill him; the
women of
, persuaded by Ino, ruined the crops.
256.
Ino predicted that Athamas would consult the Delphic oracle, so she bribed the
messenger’s to say that her son, Phrixus, should be sacrificed to Zeus. (Thankfully, Heracles
intervened, the a golden ram came down from heaven and told Phrixus and his sister Helle to get on his back. This is the
story of the famous golden fleece that Jason and the Argonauts retrieved)
257.
Hera was angry at Ino because of the lies that almost brought about Phrixus’ death
AND because she was helping to take care of the baby Dionysus; Hera made Athamas
mad, and he suddenly shouted “look, a white stag!” and he shot Learchus, the
of Ino.
258.
Ino picked up her younger son,
, and ran away, eventually jumping off
a cliff to her death.
259.
Zeus, turned Ino into a sea goddess, named
or “white goddess” ,
and Zeus deified her son Meliertes into the god Palaemon, and sent him to the Isthmus of
Corinth riding on dolphin-back. [There is another tale about Ino going off to hunt,
becoming mad and ripping a lynx to shreds, and not returning for over a year – but let’s
hope it’s not on the test.]
For questions 254-259: Nephele’s, Ino, son, Melicertes, Boeotia, Leucothea
Section 77:
260.
Niobe, sister of Pelops, married Amphion, the King of Thebes, and bore to Amphion
7
&7
261.
She boasted of her 14 children, and mocked Leto (Latona) for only having two
children, Apollo and Artemis (Diana).
262.
He shot 6 of the seven sons of Niobe and Amphion, sparing Amyclas, because he had
prayed to Leto (Latona).
263.
She shot 6 of the seven daughters of Niobe and Amphion, sparing Meliboea, because
she had prayed to Leto (Latona).
264.
Amyclas and Meliboea quickly built a temple to
265.
Niobe cried for 9 days and nights, but no one buried her dead kids because Zeus
turned the Thebans into stone. Niobe fled to the home of her father, Niobe fled to the
home of her father,
, where Zeus turned her into a statue, a weeping
statue.
For questions 260-265: Niobe, sons/daughters, Artemis (Diana), Tantalus, Leto (Latona), Apollo
Section 76:
266.
He (King of the Olympian gods) and Antiope, the daughter of Nycteus of Thebes,
gave birth to Amphion and Zethus. (Amphion and Zethus are on the Medusa list!!!)
267.
Lycus, the uncle of her, exposed the babies Amphion and Zethus on Mt. Cithaeron
(presaging Oedipus myth), but they were rescued by cowherders.
268.
Dirce, Antiope’s aunt and his wife or sister (?), mistreated Antiope for many years.
269.
When Amphion and Zethus were full grown they tied Dirce’s hair to a
, and
thus Dirce was shaken and stomped to death. (See famous Farnese Bull statue)
Supposedly a spring (Dircean Spring) spouted forth where Dirce had been stomped.
270.
Amphion and Zethus visited
and dislodged Laius from the throne.
271.
Amphion was given a lyre by the god
and could move stones with the
power of its song. Thus Amphion built most of the lower part of the city of Thebes. The
upper part had been built by Cadmus. Amphion married Niobe.
272.
Thebes was originally called Cadmeia, but was renamed after Thebe, the wife of
273.
He, brother of Zethus, was killed by Apollo at Delphi, for trying to avenge the death
of his and Niobe’s 12 children whom Apollo and Artemis shot, because of Niobe’s boast.
For questions 210-214: Zeus, Thebes, Lycus’, bull, Antiope, Zethus, Hermes, Amphion
Other random questions:
274.
There is a story that Typhon & Zeus fought, and Typhon cut the sinews from Zeus’
hand and gave them to Delphyne, a serpnt-tailed monster. He, the founder of Thebes,
wrestled the sinews from Delphyne and use them to string his lyre.
275.
Cadmus brought the Pelasgian
to Boeotia, and rearranged the letters of the
276.
She had a face that launched a thousand ships to Troy.
277.
Zeus turned himself into a
and loved Leda, who produced an egg with Helen
inside.
278.
He is characterized in ancient tragedy for being a harsh, rigid and procrustean king.
For questions 210-214: Cadmus, swan, Helen, Creon, alphabet
Time permitting, read more about Agamemnon, Menelaus, and Helen; especially their
adventures at Troy and return home.
****Also, study the family trees of the House of Cadmus (Thebes) and the House of
Atreus (Mycenae)