CLASSICS 2D03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Chariot Racing, Sicyon, Aerope
24 Oct 2014
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Document Summary
The carrying out of an act of vengeance was normally associated with bloodguilt: mark of criminality: this bloodguilt persists down the lineage. Tantalus invites the gods to dinner: used to be a favourite of the gods. Was a twisted prankster: once stole ambrosia the gods let it slide, than decided to trick the gods, inviting them to a feast and served his son pelops. He gods were aware of this except for demeter: she was so distraught having lost persephone, takes a bite and than realizes she ate his shoulder. He is struck down by zeus and locked away in tartarus. They punish him by strapping him to a tree: every time he tries to reach low hanging fruit it moves away from him, when he is thirsty, the water moves away from him. This is the origin of the world tantalizing : intriguing just out of reach. Pelops is put back together by the gods.
