Royal House of Thebes

1. Royal House of Thebes TRAGEDY!

2. Europa • Phoenician • Who else was Phoenician? *Hint: Carthage*

4. Europa • Phoenician • Who else was a Phoenician? • Dido • Seduced by Zeus, who was in the form of a white bull

5. Titian (1562 AD)

6. Rembrandt (1632)

7. Frescoe in Pompeii (covered in 79 AD)

8. Teracotta figurine from Athens, ca. 480 B.C.

9. Europa • Phoenician • Who else was a Phoenician? • Dido • Seduced by Zeus, who was in the form of a white bull • Her brothers ordered not to return until they found her • Cadmus, Cilix, Phoenix • Hopeless quest, she never could be found because she was on Crete!

11. Europa on Crete • Europa landed on Crete and gave birth to Zeus’ children • Minos, Sarpedon, Rhadamanthys • Sarpedon founded the kingdom Lycia (not the Sarpedon who fought in the Trojan War) • Minos  Minoans, ancient civilization on Crete • Minos = Pasiphea, Pasiphea  Minotaur whom Theseus killed • Minos and Rhadamanthys become 2 of the 3 judges in the underworld • 3rd was Aeacus

12. Minoans • Civilization named by Sir Arthur Evans in 1900 • Google it, really interesting, but essential info • Minoans as early as 2600, lasted until 1150 BC • Significant trade routes – had contact with Egypt and Asia • Height of the Minoans – 1900-1400 BC • Even the lower class people had houses modeled on the palaces • Weakened by an earthquake or a volcano disaster • Eventually taken over and absorbed into “Hellenic” Culture

13. Palace of Knossos today

14. Minoan Palace

15. Fresco, ca. 1400 BC

16. Ladies in Blue Fresco

17. Cadmus • Consulted oracle at Delphi • Told to follow a cow until it lay down • Yes, lay is the past tense of lie, an intransitive verb • Where it lay down, he was to found a city • Thebes!! Eventually, for now Cadmeia

19. Cadmus • Consulted oracle at Delphi • Told to follow a cow until it lies down • Where it lay down, he was to found a city • Thebes!! Eventually, for now Cadmeia • Men killed by dragon, Cadmus killed Dragon, Athena advised • Dragon teeth  Spartoi! • Cadmus threw a stone in the middle of them • Spartoi thought one of them had attacked • Fought until only 5 left – helped build Thebes • Ares mad because Cadmus killed sacred Dragon

20. Cadmus fighting the dragon. Side A of a black-figured amphora from Euboea, ca. 560–550 BC

21. Cadmus • Married Harmonia, daughter of Ares and Aphrodite • Wedding gift from Aphrodite/Hephaestus – necklace of Harmonia, made by Hephaestus • Why is this weird? • Cursed to bring disaster to any who wore it BUT also gives the wearer everlasting youth and beauty • Later used as a bribe to start a war against Thebes (more on that later) • Cadmus and Harmonia – four daughters, one son • Ino, Semele, Autonoe, Agave • Polydorus • Cadmus and Harmonia turned into serpents • All the children ill-fated

22. Semele - Opera by Handel (1744)

23. Semele • Semele catches Zeus’ eye • She gets pregnant • Hera (in disguise) convinces her to ask Zeus to see him in all his true glory, or his real godly form • Zeus promises her by the river Styx anything she asks of him before she asks her question (rash boon)

24. Semele • Semele vaporized • Zeus rescues Dionysus (Twice Born) • Sews him into his thigh • Raised first by Aunt Ino and her husband Athamas • Then by nymphs

25. Birth of Dionysus, Italian Vase, ca. 405-385 BC

26. Ino • Married Athamas • Athamas married to Nephele, but he got tired of her, so he married Ino • Athamas sent messengers to Delphi to ask why famine • Ino intercepted the messengers on the way back, lied to Athamas, said Oracle commanded the sacrifice of Phrixus, son by Nephele • This way, one of her sons would be the king instead

27. Helle and Phrixus • Athamas was about to sacrifice Phrixus when a golden ram appeared • Golden ram took Phrixus and sister Helle on its back and flew away • Helle fell off Hellespont • Phrixus ended up in Colchis, across the Black Sea • Sacrificed the Ram to Zeus to show appreciation • Gave the Golden Fleece to Aeetes, king of Aea • Jason and the Argonauts

29. Mirror, From a tomb at Vetralla, Imperial period

30. Mosaic in Naples (?)site was in German . . .

31. Back to Ino • Athamas first wife, Nephele complained to Hera about Athamas taking a second wife • OR • Ino helped raise Dionysus, making the Jealous Hera furious • Two versions of the results

32. First Ino version • Hera drove Athamas mad • Athamas killed one son (Learchus) with an arrow and then came after the other son (Melicertes) • Ino grabbed M, ran until they came to a cliff and jumped into the water below • She drowned, but because she helped raise Dionysus, Zeus turned her into a sea diety (Leucotha) and her son into a sea diety (Palaemon)

33. John Flaxmann (1755-1826)“The Fury of Athamas”

34. Second Ino Version • Athamas and Ino both went mad • Athamas kills L. • Ino boils M. in a cauldron and jumps into the river holding the cauldron in her arms • No matter what version, the boys and the mother die • Athamas fled from Boetia (area around Thebes)

35. Autonoe • Mother of Actaeon • Actaeon • Out hunting • Stumbled upon Artemis while she was bathing • Maiden Goddess upset he saw her naked in her secret bathing place

36. Titian

37. Autonoe • Mother of Actaeon • Actaeon • Out hunting • Stumbled upon Artemis while she was bathing • Maiden Goddess upset he saw her naked in her secret bathing place • Turned him into a stag • Set his own dogs loose on him

38. The Fountain of Diana and Actaeon (sculptures by Paolo Persico, Brunelli, Pietro Solari) – at the Palace of Caserta near Naples, 18th century

39. Agave • Married to one of the Spartoi (Serpent teeth man), had son Pentheus • Pentheus • Refused to accept cousin Dionysus as a god and did not allow him to have his center of worship in Thebes

40. Agave • Agave was a Maenad – female follower of Dionysus • Mistook Pentheus for a wild animal in the forest (Dionysus made them all crazy) • Ripped him to pieces

41. Pottery, ca. 480 BC

42. Fresco in Pompeii

43. Amphion and Zethus • Twin sons of Zeus and Antiope • Zeus seduced her in the form of a satyr • Antiope’s Uncle Lycus – regent of Thebes (first to Labdacus, then to Labdacus’ son, Laius) • Lycus ordered his great nephews to be exposed • They were discovered and raised by a cowherd • Gave Antiope to wife, Dirce, who treated her very cruelly

44. Amphion and Zethus • Mom Antiope escaped wicked Aunt Dirce and found her two sons • Amphion and Zethus returned to Thebes • Killed Dirce • Had her tied to the horns of a bull • Forced Lycus out of Thebes (or they killed him) • King Laius was spirited away • Became co-rulers • City finally named “Thebes” after Zethus’ wife, Thebe

45. Fresco in the house of Vetii in Pompeii

46. Amphion and Zethus • Built the walls of Thebes with 7 gates • Zethus very strong – he carried the rocks • Amphion very talented musician – got the rocks to follow him as he played his lyre • Amphion married Niobe • Had 7 daughters and 7 sons, • Niobe boasted she was a better than Leto, the mother of Apollo and Artemis, because she had more children • Apollo and Artemis killed all or most of the children

47. Jacque Louis David – 1772 - Neoclassical

48. Hellenistic Statue – in the Uffizi

49. Niobe being turned to stone – vase, 4th century B.C.

50. Laius • Amphion and Zethus died of old age, Laius returned and became king of Thebes • Laius married Jocasta • Prophecy that Laius’ son would kill him and have children with his own mother, Jocasta