The Danaid - University of Albertaegarvin/assets/4.-danaid.pdf · The Danaid The Danaans of Argos...
Transcript of The Danaid - University of Albertaegarvin/assets/4.-danaid.pdf · The Danaid The Danaans of Argos...
Inachus
• First priest-king of Argos
• Chose Hera over Poseidon
• Father of Phoroneus by a mortal woman
• Phoroneus had a daughter, Niobe
• By Zeus, Niobe had two sons, Pelasgus and Argus.
Pelasgus
• Son of Niobe and Zeus
• Founder of the Pelasgian people• Divine Riddles 70 – 71.
• Received Demeter in her search for Core• Divine Riddles 43 – 51 (excuse the error on p. 51).
• His son, Triptolemus, was first to sow seeds for cultivation
• His son Lycaon was king of Arcadia
Niobe = Zeus
Pelasgus Argus
Lycaon
• Lycaon had fifty sons
• Practiced human sacrifice
• Zeus turned them all into wolves• Wolf-man legend (Pausanias viii.2.6)
• Lycaon also had a daughter, Callisto
Callisto
• Daughter of Lycaon
• Companion of Artemis
• Swore to remain a virgin
• Zeus raped Callisto - turned her into a bear
• Artemis killed her for loosing her virginity
• Or
• Arcas killed her
• Callisto became Ursa Major, Arcas Ursa Minor
Niobe = Zeus
Lycaon
Zeus = Callisto
Argus Pelasgus
Arcas
Io• Zeus attempted to seduce Io
• Hera was jealous of Io, so Zeus turned her into a white cow
• Hera gave the cow to Argus, son of Niobe
• Zeus sent Hermes to kill Argus• Hera made his eyes the tail of the peacock
• Hera sent a fly to torment Io
• Io fled to Egypt, guided by Hermes• Where she returned to a woman
Io in Egypt
• Io becomes the priestess of Isis
• Epaphus m. Memphis, daughter of Nile• Becomes king of Egypt and founds Memphis
Egyptian Connection
Zeus = Io
Epaphus = Memphis
Poseidon = Libya Lysianassa
Belus Agenor = Telephassa
Children of Libya
• Agenor migrated to Phoenicia
• Egyptus had 50 sons
• Danaus had 50 Daughters• Fled to Argos, became king
Libya = Poseidon
Agenor Belus
Egyptus Danaus
Aeschylus, Suppliant Women
• Early Greek Tragedy• Little in the way of plot
• Set pieces focussing on the main theme of a well known story
• Produced in 459 BC.• Athens and Sparta are at war
• Corinth and Epidaurus fight on the side of Sparta
• Athens is aiding an Egyptian rebellion
Aeschylus, Suppliant Women
• Egyptus and Danaus• Egyptus, king of Egypt
• 50 Daughters each.
• Danaus and his daughters arrive in Argos
• Themes:• Line 144: invocation of Athena
• Line 340ff: the king’s duty to the suppliants and opposed to his duty to protect his city.
• Lines 274 – 326, The Test.
The Danaids
• Danaus• Secured their protection in Argos
• Sons of Egyptus attack the city.
• Agreed to the marriage to end the war
• The Daughters• Each ordered to kill their husbands
• Hypermnestra• Refused to kill Lynceus
• Danaus had no sons and was succeeded by his son in law, Lynceus, son of Egyptus
• Acrisius and Proetus warred over the kingdom
• First to invent shields
Danaus
Abas = Aglaia
Eurydice = Acrisius Proetus
Lacedaemon = Sparta
Hypermnestra = Lynceus
Egyptus
Proetus
• Lost the war
• Fled to Lycia in Asia Minor
• Married Antea (Stheneboea), the daughter of king Iobates of Lycia• The woman who tried to wreak vengeance on Bellerophon (See
Aetolian Saga)
• Returned to Greece with a Lycian force and established Tiryns
• Acrisius warned about a son to overthrow him
• Danae seduced by Proetus or Zeus• Zeus came to her as a shower of gold
• Acrisius cast Danae and Perseus to sea
• Perseus raised by Dictys of Seriphos
Abas = Aglaia
Eurydice = Acrisius Proetus = Stheneboea
Zeus = DanaeLysippe Iphinoe Iphianassa
Perseus
Perseus
• Polydectes, king of Seriphos• Sent Perseus to fetch the head of Medusa
• Nymphs gave Perseus winged sandals, a bag and the helmet of Hades to make him invisible
• Athena gave Perseus a mirror
• Hermes gave him a sickle
• Perseus cut off the head of Medusa• Looking at her only through the mirror
Perseus at Argos
• With Medusa’s head:• Perseus travelled to Ethiopia
• Met and married Andromeda
• Turned Polydectes to stone
• Gave Medusa’s head to Athena
• Returned to Argos:• Killed Acrisius
• Became king of Tiryns
• Founded Mycenae
Oops.
• Perseus succeeded at Mycenae by Electryon
• Alcaeus founded Troezen
• Perses established Persia
Perseus = Andromeda
Perses Mestor AclaeusSthenelus
ElectryonHeleus Gorgophone
• Amphitryon killed Electryon
• Sthenelus became king – banished Amphitryon
• Amphitryon and Alcmeme went to Thebes
Perseus = Andromeda
Perses
Mestor AclaeusSthenelus
Electryon =
Heleus
Gorgophone Anaxo
Alcmene = Amphitryon
• Zeus raped Alcmene (disguised as Amphitryon)
• Sthenelus’ wife, Nicippe was also pregnant.
Perseus = Andromeda
Perses
Mestor AclaeusSthenelus
Electryon =
Heleus
Gorgophone Anaxo
Alcmene = AmphitryonEurystheus
Heracles