Download Greek myth 6

Greek Mythology: lecture 6
The House of Atreus
Genealogy
Tantalos + Dione
Broteas
Niobe
Pelops + Hippodamia
Chrysippus
Pittheus
Atreus + Aerope
Thyestes
Agamemnon + Clytemnestra
Aethra + Aegeus
Theseus
others
3 sons
Iphigenia
Chrysothemis
Electra
Orestes
Menelaus + Helen
Hermione
Pelopia (+ father)
Aegisthus
Tantalus
King of Sipylus, friend of gods
 Stole ambrosia (Pindar)
 Revealed divine secrets (Euripides)
 Banquet of gods: served Pelops –
cannibalism
 Punished in Hades – ‘tantalise’
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Pelops
Beloved of Poseidon
 Loved Hippodamia – chariot-race at Elis
 Corruption of Myrtilus
 Pelopid curse – ancestral guilt/sexual
transgression
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Atreus & Thyestes
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Murder of brother Chrysippus - fratricide
Ruled Mycenae after Eurystheus
Golden lamb
Seduction of Aerope – sexual transgression
Feast of Thyestes – cannibalism
Rape of Pelopia & birth of Aegisthus – incest
Murder of Atreus & restoration of Thyestes
Agamemnon & Menelaus
Restored by Tyndareus, marriage to his
daughters (rape?)
 Sacrifice of Iphigenia – infanticide
 Seduction of Clytemnestra – sexual
transgression
 Rape of Cassandra – sexual transgression
 Murder of Agamemnon
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Orestes & Electra
Orestes sent to Phocis
 Returns & reunited with sister
 Killing of Aegisthus, murder of
Clytemnestra – matricide
 Punished by mother’s Erinyes (Furies)
 Acquitted at Athens – foundation of
Areopagus murder court (Aeschylus)
 Electra married to Pylades
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Alternatives
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Euripides:
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Andromache (428-24BC)
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Iphigenia in Tauris (412BC)
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Conflict between Hermione & Andromache
Elopement with Orestes after death of Neoptolemus
Orestes sent to claim cult-statue of Artemis after acquittal
Rescue of Iphigenia from the Taurians
Orestes (408BC)
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Orestes charged with matricide by Mycenaeans
Threats to Helen and Hermione to blackmail Menelaus
Divine epiphany – happy ending
Meanings?
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Exploration/violation of taboos?
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Infanticide
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Violence
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Connected with…
Sexual transgression
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Fratricide, matricide, vendetta killings
Cannibalism
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Murder, sacrifice, exposure
Rape, adultery, incest
Like Labdacids, line is eventually wiped out by
new settlers…