The Spartan Saga
Atlas = PleionePrometheusEpimetheus
Gaia (Earth)
Uranus (Heaven)
Iapetus (Titan) = Clymene
Oceanus = Tethys
Themis Pluto
The Pleiades
• When the sisters died, they were placed amongst the stars
• Visible in Greece from May to November• Signal the farming and sailing seasons
Alcyone Merope Celaeno Electra
Sterope Taygete Maia
Atlas = Pleione
= Zeus
Hermes
Atlas = Pleione
Taygete = Zeus
Sparta = Lacedaemon
• Eurotas, grandson of Lelex, an autochthon.– Without a male heir, he was the last of his line.
• Lacedaemon– Founded Sparta (named for his wife)
• The people are called Lacedaemonians• The lambda Λ is always on their shields
Eurotas
Sparta
Sparta
• Amylcas was second king of Sparta• Hyacinthus was loved by Apollo• Apollo killed him accidentally• Turned him into a flower
Diomede = Amylcas Eurydice = Acrisius
Hyacinthus Cynortas
Sparta = Lacedaemon
• Hyacinthus
• Merry Joseph Blondel
• (1781 – 1853)
• la muerte de jacinto
Diomede = Amylcas Eurydice = Acrisius
Hyacinthus Cynortas Perseus
Oebalus = Gorgophone
Sparta = Lacedaemon
Perieres = Gorgophone
Arsinoe = Apollo
Aesculapius
Leucippus
• Gorgophone was first married to Perieres, a son of Aeolus and Enarete.
• This is an alternative genealogy!
Asclepius (Aesculapius)
• Alternative: Son of Apollo and Coronis
• Raised by Cheiron, the centaur– Taught the art of healing
• A snake, wound on a staff, brought Asclepius healing herbs
• Zeus killed him so that humans would not escape death
Asclepius
Seeking a cure in the temple of Asclepius
Oebalus = Gorgophone
Tyndarius = Leda = Zeus
CastorClytemnestra HelenPollux
• Althernative:
• Zeus raped Nemesis and she lay an egg
• Leda found the egg and when Helen hatched Leda raised her as her own daughter
• Helen and Theseus
The Dioscuri
• Rape of Helen:– Theseus abducted Helen when she was
underage.
– Castor and Pollux attacked Athens
– Found Helen at Aphidnae
– Revealed by Academus• His land was a mile north of Athens
• A shrine to Academus was called the Academy
• Plato built his school there.
Dioscuri
• Calydonian Boar Hunt• Voyage of the Argo
– Stars over the heads of the Dioscuri
• The Aphareidae– Idas and Lyncaeus: cheated the Dioscuri– In the war Castor was killed– Pollux asked Zeus that he might die with
his brother.– Both elevated to the heavens
Castorand
Pollux
Temple of the Dioscuri in Rome
Gemini
Gemini
Agamemnon
• Tantalus was king of Phrygia (or other)– But not Argos: although a more common version, it
doesn’t work.
• Tantalus was entrusted with Zeus’ secrets
• Revealed the secrets and was cast into Hades
Rhea = Cronos = ?
Tantalus = Dione
Zeus = Pluto
• Pelops was expelled from Phrygia by Ilus
• Moved to Elis, ruled by Oenomaus, father of Hippodameia
• Pelops won Hippodameia in a chariot race
• Became king of Elis
• The Peloponnese is named for him
Tantalus = Dione
Pelops = Hippodameia
Phrygia
• Atreus and Thyestes fled Elis after they killed their half brother
• Sthenelus of Mycenae took them in
• After the death of Eurystheus, Atreus became king of Mycenae
Atreus Thyestes Nicippe = Sthenelus
Pelops = Hippodameia
Aegisthus
Aerope = Atreus Thyestes Nicippe
Clytemnestra = Agamemnon Menelaus = Helen
Pelops = Hippodameia
• Atreus and Thyestes in a bloody rivalry
• Atreus killed two sons of Thyestes
• Finally, Aegisthus, son of Thyestes, killed Atreus and expelled Agamemnon and Menelaus
• Both taken in by Tyndarius of Sparta
Sins of the Fathers
• Curse of the House of Atreus– Was it the sin of Tantalus?
– The murder of Chrysippus by Atreus and Thyestes?
– The murder of the sons of Thyestes by Atreus?
• Returned to Mycenae…– ExpelledThyestes and banished Aegisthus
• Consolidated power and became the ‘king of kings’
Clytemnestra = Agamemnon
Iphegeneia Chrysothemis Laodice Orestes
The Marriage of Helen
• Suitors came from all of Greece• Tyndareus feared a war• Odysseus’ idea:• Each suitor to swear an oath to abide
and defend the chosen one and the marriage
• Menelaus, son of Atreus, was chosen• He succeeded Tyndareus as king of
Sparta
Menelaus and Helen
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