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IO and her descendants. ARGIVE PLAIN: richest area in Greece in myths and in Bronze Age archaeological finds. Oceanus +Tethys Oceanids; One of these = MELIA – ash tree nymph MELIA + INACHUS (Argive River god) 2 sons + daughter IO Best known version:
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IO and her descendants • ARGIVE PLAIN: richest area in Greece in myths and in Bronze Age archaeological finds. • Oceanus +Tethys Oceanids; One of these = MELIA – ash tree nymph • MELIA + INACHUS (Argive River god) 2 sons + daughter IO • Best known version: • IO = priestess of HERA, Zeus lusted after her, surrounded her w/mist to hide affair from Hera. Hera suspicious of mysterious cloud-investigated • Zeus turned IO into cow. Hera not fooled – asked for cow as gift. • H. tied cow to olive tree in grove near Mycenae & Set up monster ARGUS (100 eyes, never slept) to watch her. • Zeus sent Hermes to free IO. When some eyes slept, some would always be awake. Hermes’ sang lullaby to get all eyes asleep + cut off his head. Hera put eyes in tail of peacock. • ARGEÏPHONTES – epitithet of HERMES – “Argos-killer”.
Wanderings of IO • Hera now sent gadfly to torment IO. Stung constantly. Wanderings = • Greece to northwest • IONIAN sea • Across PINDUS range to Macedonia • Through THRACE to straights diving EUROPE from ASIA = BOSPORUS ‘cow-crossing’ • SCYTHIA (southern Russia), Anatolia Caucaus mnts. • May possibly be HERA herself in origin? • Hera’s animal = the cow • Called “BOÔPIS” “cow-eyed” by Homer. • Greeks identified IO with the Egyptian goddess ISIS. ?????? HATHOR????
Perseus • Perseus • Hero Story
Birth • Grandfather = ACRISIUS king of ARGOS (a city in southern Greece.). Twin brother of Acrisius = PROETUS. Enemies since birth. Supposed to grow up to rule Argos together, instead when grew up they fought over throne. Victorious A. forced P. into exile. • P. became king of TIRYNS (a city in ARGOLIS, the region surrounding ARGOS. The huge blocks of stone which composed its fortifications were said to have been the result of the labor of CYCLOPS, because of their prodigious size. This belief is the origin for the modern term CYCLOPEANarchitecture. • Acrisius married to AGANIPPE. 1 child, daughter DANAË. • A. consulted an oracle, found that not only would he have no sons, but his sole male heir – the son of Danaë would kill him. • Locked her in underground chamber. Danaë became pregnant anyway • Official version of the myth: ZEUS visited Danaë in the form of a shower of gold. • A. found out- more than one version: some claim was immediate – alerted by cry of baby, others say Danaë and son PERSEUS spent more than a year imprisoned before they were discovered. • A. Put Danaë and son Perseus into a wooden chest and set them adrift on the Aegean sea. • Zeus guided chest to island of SERIPHUS.
Cyclopean • Name often applied to a primitive method of prehistoric masonry construction, found throughout Greece, Italy, and the Middle East. The term is derived from Cyclopes, the mythological beings who were supposed to have built walls in this manner. The Cyclopean technique involves the use of huge, irregular boulders, carefully fitted together without the use of mortar, thereby creating a massive wall with an uneven face. These walls were characteristic of Mycenaean civilization. Remaining examples are found at Knossos, Mycenae, Tiryns, and Athens. There are many Cyclopean walls in Etruscan and Anatolian architecture. Somewhat similar examples are seen in China, Japan, and Peru.
Danaë. Waterhouse, 1892. Stolen 1947.
SERIPHUS • Brothers • POLYDECTES – king • DICTYS – poor fisherman • Dictys caught chest in his net and rescued Danaë and Perseus. Took them into his home claiming that they were distant kin (actually true – (D. and P. were descendants of DANAUS, a former king of Argos).
Polydectes as 2nd Hostile Father Figure? • P. fell in love with Danaë, asked her to marry him but she refused. Perseus full grown and strong, so he was afraid to do anything rash and pretended to accept her rejection, but in actuality did not stop scheming. • Soon after P. announced his intention to ask for the hand of HIPPODAMEIA, a daughter of king OENOMAUS of PISA (city in southwestern Greece). • P. arranged banquet in which each guest traditionally woulfd have brought a gift for the bride to be – P. Demanded that each of his subjects bring a horse as a gift. Bad for Perseus – poor, had no horses. P. might have have hoped that Perseus would have been shamed into fleeing the kingdom. Perseus said that instead of a horse he would bring anything P. wanted, even if it was the head of Medusa. P. accepted – Task impossible to survive.
The QUEST • P. arranged banquet in which each guest traditionally would have brought a gift for the bride to be – P. Demanded that each of his subjects bring a horse as a gift. Bad for Perseus – poor, had no horses. P. might have have hoped that Perseus would have been shamed into fleeing the kingdom. Perseus said that instead of a horse he would bring anything P. wanted, even if it was the head of Medusa. P. accepted – Task impossible to survive.
MEDUSA • Version 1 • One of three monstrous sisters called the Gorgons. • EURYALE • STHENO • MEDUSA • Of the three only Medusa could be killed – other two were immortal. • Features of Gorgons • Serpents for hair • Eyes that turned anyone who looked upon them into stone. • Huge snake-like tongues • Teeth as long and sharp as the tusks of a wild boars. • Bodies covered in scales so hard that no weapsns could pierce them. • Golden wings. • Claws forged of brass. • Version 2 • Once a beautiful maiden. Turned away all suitors, but finally consented to Poseidon – either in a field of flowers or in the shrine of Athena. • Angered the goddess – either jealous of M’s beauty, or angered that she had defiled the temple of the goddess. Athena transformed the once beautiful Medusa into the monster we all know and love.
A few major problems: • To kill Medusa the slayer must approach her lair without being seen by her or her two sisters. • In order not be ‘petrified’ would have to slay her without looking at her face. • After the deed would need to escape with tremendous speed to escape the two remaining winged monsters.
