CLAS 2520 Lecture 12: Theban Saga (Slides w/ Extra Lecture Notes)
27 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
The key names of the theban generation are: The city of tyre was ruled by king agenor, who has a daughter named europa. King agenor knows that his daughter is missing and asks his son, cadmus, to go find. Europa: if cadmus can"t find europa, then he cannot return home. Cadmus spends a year searching for europa with his followers and eventually heads to. Thebes is famous for being a seven gated city with seven entrances: this is an omen that the city of thebes is likely to always be at odds with itself and begin things with civil war. Ares is annoyed at cadmus for killing his pet serpent, and makes cadmus his slave for a year: cadmus does such a good job that ares gives him harmonia as a wife. Laius is driven out of the city by amphion and zethus, twins of a rival aristocratic family: amphion and zethus take over the rule of thebes.
