THESEUS
Hero of Athens
Early Myths of Athens
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Cecrops – serpent shaped, founder of
Attica
Erichthonius – serpent shaped
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son of Ge and Hephaestus
Athena
Chest
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daughters of Cerops, driven mad, threw
themselves off Acropolis
first Panathenaia & first wooden statue
Early Myths of Athens
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Erechtheus – grandson of Erichthonius,
ruler, bulls sacrificed
Erechtheum – place of worship
Eleusianians – sacrifices daughter(s)
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Kills son of Poseidon
Struck by Poseidon
Euripides - ‘Ion’ = daughter, Creusa,
escapes death
Philomela, Procne & Tereus
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Tereus aids Pandion (Athenian king)
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Itys
Philomela, sister, violated : tongueless and shut
up in building
Sisters revenge
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daughter Procne
Tapestry, taken to Procne
Festival of Dionysus, madness (faked), rescues
Philomela, brought to palace
Death of Itys, stabbed & throat cut, ripped apart,
Hmmm, dinner
Procne – nightingale; Philomela – swallow,
Tereus – a bird of prey
Theseus
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Alternative father = Poseidon
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King Aegeus childless – Delphi
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violated Aethra
“do not open a wineskin’s mouth”
Troezen, Pittheus, Aethra – gets drunk & loves
her
Two tokens of recognition
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sandals & sword (under stone) for the (possible) son
of his
Theseus born
Theseus
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Earlier links weakened
Scarcely known before 6th cent BCE
In 6th BCE, appears more on art
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epic ‘Theseis’ (lost)
Similar deeds
famous because Athenian writers
writings still exist, so we know more
Theseus
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Deeds of Pisistratus (6th BCE)
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Unification of Athens, coinage
Panathenaic games
friendly to refugees – Oedipus, Orestes
Parallels increased reputation of Pisistratus
Credited with democracy, Cleisthenes introduced
it
490 BCE, Miltiades pushes Persians back
Labors of Theseus
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Theseus claims sword
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way to Athens - performs various heroic tasks
1. Periphetes – Corynetes (club man)
2. Sinis – Pityocamptes (pine-bender)
3. A man-eating sow
4. Sciron – feet-washer
5. Cercyron – the wrestler
6. Procrustes – “one bed fits all”
Arrival at Athens
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Witch Medea & son Medus (by Aegeus –
cured infertility)
poison Theseus
Recognized sword
Pallas and sons
Medea and Medus leave for Asia
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winged chariot, pulled by snakes/dragons
Bull of Marathon
 Same as Heracles
 Sacrifices to Apollo
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Minotaur
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half man /half bull
son of Pasiphae, wife
of Minos and bull
Daedalus = Labyrinth
The Minotaur
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Androgeos killed - Panathenaia games: too
successful
Minos sends army, defeats Megara
Treaty with Athens: 7 youths & 7 maidens
Chosen by lot, Theseus volunteers
On route: Minos attacks maiden, Theseus
intervenes
Theseus tested : ring overboard, Theseus
follows, dolphins
Amphitrite - purple robe & wreath
Returns to ship
The Minotaur
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Ariadne - thread
Alternate version:
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Wreath
Sails back home with youths & maidens
Ariadne on Naxos
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Naxos – deserted
Dionysus arrives & marriage
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constellation “Ariadne’s wreath”
killed by Artemis
 she eloped with Theseus
 betrothed to Dionysos
die in childbirth
Theseus sets up ritual and cult
Delos - sacrifices to Apollo – crane dance (labyrinth)
Theseus and Pirithous
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Centauromachy
Wife selection
Theseus kidnaps Helen – retrieved with Aethra,
becomes nurse - until end of Trojan war
Theseus & Pirithous - Hades
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Pirithous & Persephone –magical chairs
Theseus released by Heracles
Minos
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Daedalus
Kills Perdix - invented saw
Crete, works for Minos
Minos’ trick
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Pasiphae’s love for bulls
Hollow bull and maze
Icarus
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Leaving Crete
Wax wings - for himself and son Icarus
Icarus flies to close to the sun
Mare Icarium
Daedalus - Sicily
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Minos drowned