Theseus
In Greek mythology , Theseus (in Greek / is a hero of Attica , son of Aegean and Aethra. Founder-heroes like Perseus and Heracles , Theseus is the hero founder of Ionians and is considered by Athenians as their great reformer. Its name comes from the same root as (thesmos "), Greek institution.
His grandfather Pittheus was rumored that Theseus was the son of Poseidon. . As a unifying king, Theseus is said to have built a palace and occupied the fortress of the Acropolis that may have been similar to the palace excavated in Mycenae. The geographer Pausanias reports that after the synoikismos, Theseus established a cult of Aphrodite Pandemos ("Aphrodite of all the people") and Peitho on the southern slope of the Acropolis.
In Frogs , Aristophanes credited with having invented the many Athenian traditions.
His most famous and his legend gave rise to many interpretations. Some specialists in the history of religions have stressed the importance of lunar mythology in the legends of Theseus .
Summary |
Myth
Aegean , King of Athens , had no children with his various wives and wants a son. He consults the oracle of Delphi to terminate its sterility. The Pythia speaks to him in these words:
"You must under no circumstances release the neck of your wine also inflated before reaching the highest degree of Athens. "
Faced with these enigmatic words, Aegean goes to Medea , the sorceress of Colchis and cons protection, it promises to find him a wife. Under the spell, Aethra , daughter of King Pittheus of Troezen , falls for Aegean. After the embrace, the young woman takes refuge on the island of Sphaera where it unites with the god Poseidon. Doubly honored that night, she gave birth to a son, Theseus.
Aegean, which has to return to Athens, was not present at birth but he recommends that Aethra according to elevate the standards of his rank. He shall, under a rock, sword and sandals gold regalia which he would disclose the secret of his birth on the day he could lift the rock. Child early and vigorous, Theseus also inherited the charm, cunning and courage. Amazed by so many gifts, his mother brought before the rock: it lifts easily and includes his royal identity. It ignores, however, still its affiliation with Poseidon, the master of marine residences. Theseus takes the road to Athens and on the way it kills, among others, Periphetes , Procrustes , Sciron , Cercyon , the sow of Crommyon and Sinis , robbers who preyed on travelers.
When Theseus arrived in Athens, he did not immediately reveal his true identity. Aegean which hosts had some suspicions about the stranger, while his wife Medea tries to kill him by asking him to take the bull of Marathon.
On the way to Marathon , Theseus takes shelter from the storm in the cabin of an old woman, Hcale. It promises to make a sacrifice to Zeus if Theseus manages to capture the bull. This is what happens, but on his return, he finds the old woman dead. In her honor Theseus gave her name to one of the demes of Attica , making some manner of its inhabitants adopted children of the deceased.
Return to Marathon winner in the bull in Athens, Theseus was the victim of an attempted poisoning by the queen, but at the last moment, he is acknowledged to his sandals, shield and sword which separates the Aegean from poisoned wine. Theseus therefore share with him the government of the city. Athens saw a drama since the death of his son and his victory over the Athenians, Minos , king of Crete , requires that the city sent him a tribute of seven youths and seven girls he gives fodder to the Minotaur. Theseus decides to end the carnage and went to Crete with young victims to kill the monster.
Minos mocks the young man who claims to enter the labyrinth of Daedalus , destroy the monster and come out unharmed. It does not reflect his own daughter, Ariadne who fell in love with Theseus and will give her a ball of thread to enable him to find the exit. He shoots the monster with his club leather, spring from the labyrinth and escapes to sea with his companions, and her sister Ariadne, Phaedra. At Naxos (formerly Dia ), according to Pausanias , he "forgets" the sleeping Ariadne. For others, it requires removing the island of Naxos, the most abundant and most beautiful (for fear of creating a war against Minos son of Zeus and Europe ) and continues his journey to Athens without it. Aegean expects the top of a hill back of the boat and watch the color of sails: according to an agreement with his son, they will be white if they win. But Theseus forgot to change them and seeing them black, flows into the Aegean sea that now bears his name.
After this tragic event, Theseus becomes king of Athens and married Antiope , queen of the Amazons. Together, they have a son Hippolytus. But the wife of Theseus died fighting alongside her husband. Theseus marries Phaedra , who seems cruel to Hippolytus (see Phaedrus of Jean Racine and Hippolytus of Euripides )
According to some authors, he decided to leave Athens and took refuge on the island of Skyros Interpretation: an anti-hero or the story of a failed initiation artistic evocation Literature
Music
Cinema
See also
Related articles
Bibliography
Sources
Kings of Athens Predecessor:
Aegean Theseus Successor:
Menestheus Romulus and Theseus Numa Pompilius and Lycurgus Valerius Publicola and Solon Coriolanus and Alcibiades Camille and Themistocles Fabius Maximus and Pericles Claudius Marcellus and Pelopidas Scipio Africanus and Epaminondas Cato and Aristides Aemilius Paullus and Timoleon Quinctius Flaminius and Philopoemen Tiberius Gracchus & Gaius Gracchus and Agis & Cleomenes Marius and Pyrrhus Sylla and Lysander Sertorius and Eumenes Lucullus and Cimon Cicero and Demosthenes Crassus and Nicias Pompey and Agesilaus Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great Cato of Utica and Phocion Brutus and Dion Mark Antony and Demetrius Galba and Otho and Aratus and Artaxerxes List of publications Translation online at: Hodoi Elektronikai remacle.org Wikisource
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5, rated)
Loading ...