6 labour of Thesus

• The founding of Athens:

  • Cecrops (founder) build a city in Attica, all god seek ownership of it
  • Zeus ask Athena and poseidon to compete by creating useful object
  • Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and make a well while Athena make a olive tree (wood, fruit, oil) + peace
  • salty well --> Athena named the city Athene
• The adventure of Theseus (unite Attica) :

  • Aegeus (kind of Athens ) went to oracle of delphi to get an heir, he ask Pittheus (king of Trozen) for advice
  • Aegeus get drunk and sleep with Aethra (P's daughter) = Athena visit her dream = go to Sphairia
  • Poseidon slep with her = afraid cousin jealous = sword + sandals under rock
  • Theseus look up to Heracles and travel by land instead of sea
• Founding of Roman race:

  • from Livy, the history of Rome
  • Greek offer wooden horse from Odysseus to Troy, they though it's a symbol of peace.
  • Greek from the horse open the city gate and killed Priam and burned the city
  • Aeneas bring Penates ( sacred object dedicated to the city and leave) --> heroic quality
  • Emperor Augustus legitimise their right to rule Rome by claming his family found Rome
• The escaping of Troy:

  • Aeneas: founder of Rome people, bring Romans to Italy
  • have war with local tributes (King Latinus) = 1. join by alliance of marraige 2.Trojans defeat and make a treaty
  • Aeneas found the city of Lavinium
  • son, Ascanius find city of Alba Longa
  • Alba Longa kings rule
  • Romulus and Remes are born
• starting story of Athens


  -Athena and Poseidon both want the city in Attica which is build by Cecrops-Zeus decide they should compete by who creating the most useful object for athens-Athena build a olive tree(olive oil, wood0, Possseidon make a well but water is too salty to drink.
• before the 6 labour

  -Aegeus(king of Athens) went to oracles of delphi to find an heir, PIttheus (king of Trozen) make him drunk and he slept with his daughter Aethra - Athena tell Aethra to go to the island of Sphairia in the dream and Mars slept with her-Aegeus is worried that his cousin will be jealous of him and left a sandals and sword under the rock, when he is strong enough to lift the rock come and find him.-Theseus chose to travel by land(harder) than sea(easier) as to look up to his cousin (Heracles)
• 6 labour

  -Periphetes - Sinis - the Crommyonian Sow - Sciron - Cercyon -procustus
• Death of Aegeus

  
  

  • When returning to Athens
  • meant to change the black sail(grief) to white sail (safe)
  • Aegeus sad = threw himself off the city walls into the sea
  • honour father in a state burial and sacrafices
  • involve in other adventures
• Theseus Kylix

  -made in Attica

  
• THe birth of Romulus and Remes:

  • AMulius and Numitor is rulling Alba Longa
  • Amulius drive his brother Numitor out of the city + kill his son and forced her daughter Rhea Silvia to become vestal virgin (no heir)
  • Rhea Silvia and God Mars birth Romulus and Remes
  • they are left in Tiber river to die
  • She-wolf fed them
  • Faustulus and his wife find them in Palatine hill and brings them up
• How Romulus become the leader of Rome:

  • remes is captured by Amulius
  • Romulus kill Amulius and restore Numitor as the king of Alba Longa
  • find city ( Remes = Aventine hill, Romulus = Palatine hill)
  • decide by Augury ( Remes = first + 6 vultures, Romulus = 12 vultures)
  • Romulus build a wall, Remes mock him and jump over the wall. Romulus kill him and named the city Rome
• Develop of Rome:

  • Romulus open the city to everyone to increase the population of Rome
  • He organised series of game and invite Sabines to festivals and abduct Sabines woman. HImself marry Hersilia
  • wars broke out and sabine wooman stand out. They joined together
  • Romulus disaapear in a storm and become immortal god
• Plutarch, The Parallel Lives: Comparrison of Theseus and Romulus

  • historians that only consider fact and history than stories
• what is the theme of chapter 1?

  their greatness and deeds
• what does Plutarch say in chapter 1?

  Romulus - only became a hero through fear of poverty and for own benefit Theseus - completed heroic tasks with no incentive of ridding himself of wrong doing
• what is the theme of chapter 2?

  their leadership
• what does Plutarch say in chapter 2?

  - Theseus - created democracy in Athens and appeased to the people - Romulus - wanted absolute power as king, selfish
• what is the theme of chapter 3?

  their reasons for misfortune
• what does Plutarch say in chapter 3?

  - Theseus - his anger was justified and morally acceptable with fewer consequences (his wife tries to get Hippolythus to sleep with him, he refused and she claimed he raped her)- Romulus - his anger resulted in his brother's death and was not justifiable
• what is the theme of chapter 4?

  their achievements
• what does Plutarch say in chapter 4?

  - Theseus - destroyed heritage founded by kings and heroes when uniting attica - Romulus - came from a poorer background and built his way up to help people who were like himself
• what is the theme of chapter 5?

  their relationships with family
• what does Plutarch say in chapter 5?

  - Theseus - responsible for his father's death - Romulus - saved his mother and grandfather to live a better life after finding Rome
• what is the theme of chapter 6?

  their relationship to women and the gods
• what does Plutarch say in chapter 6?

  Theseus - raped many women (e.g. Aridne), oracle suggests it was against the wishes of the gods Romulus- honoured women (rape of Sabine women - took women for Rome), saving Romulus was to do with the goodwill of the gods
• Periphetes

  -cyclops holding a brass club-heracles trick him that it is made of wood instead of brass(take the club with him)
• Sinis

  • Sinis is a robber
  • the giant tie them to the pine trees and launched them into a distance
  • Theseus tricked Sinis by asking him to bend a pine. Once both of them bend. THeseus release his grip and flung him to death
  • In another myth THeseus tie SInis to 2 pines and he is torn in two
• Crommyonian snow

  
  

  • the sow is actually a female theif
  • sow means female pig
  • the woman has a long chiton and a mass of white hair = Phae
  • Theseus has his left hand wrapped in a mantle as a shield
• What does SOW mean?

  female pig
• Sciron

  -The old men robber ask heracles to wash his feet (normally kick ppl down the cliff into sea and they get eaten)

  -man-eating turtle in the sea

  -Theseus caught the old man by the feet and throw him off
• Cercyon

  
  

  • the king of Eleusis challenge heracles in a wrestling game
  • heracles knock him in the wrestling game right into the ground
  • winner become king of Eleusis = Theseus
  • still move on to Athens
• Procustes

  - inn-keeper that claim his bed is suitable for everyone-if people are tall, he chop off their leg-if people are short he stretch him-heracles trick him on the bad and cut off his leg using an axe
• What is the theseus Kylix

  a wine cup made in Attica9city around Athens)
• What is the unexpected labour on the Thesus Kylix

  
  

  • marathonian bull
  • Aegeus married to Medea( witch) made Thesus to prove herosim to kill the marathonian bull in Attica that has once captured by heracles
  • Medea try to poisoned Theseus during the sacrafice. When he pull out his father sword, Aegeus recognise it and knock over poisoned and recognise his heir in front of citizens of Athens. = Medea forced to flee Athens
• What is the labour at the centre of Thesus Kylix

  
  

  • The Minotaur: the son of king minos died (Androgues) when doing the panatheniac game
  • demand 7 boys and and 7 girls to be sent each year to Minotaur (chosen by lot) = Theseus volunteer and blind in
  • Araidne (Mino's daughter) gave him a ball of wool so he won't get lost in labyrinth and a sword to kill Minotaur + left her in the island of Naxos
• Why there is an old women in the crommyonia sow

  there is a myth that the old women is refer as a sow
• Why there is different accountss of stories?

  • They are passed by oral traditions.
  • Livy and PLutarch seem to be aware of the problem of adding their own opinion
  • myth are recorded by wealthy man therefore it might not represent people of the other class
  • myth gives people a sense of unity and patriotism
• Where is the story of the naming of Athens sculptured?

  • Western pediment of Parthenon
  • haven't survive and it's extistence is recorded by Pausanias instead
• Who judge whose gift is more useful for the Athens?

  Cecrops and Zeus
• How has Theseus contribute to the founding of Athens? 


  king Theseus unit Attica under the political leadership of Athens so is a great reformer