ANCH2030 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Cretan Bull, Omphale, Aegeus
Lecture 4
Herakles, Theseus and the Laboring Heroes
Heroes:
After they grow up
Have to go on a quest
Something that give them love, wisdom, companionship
Struggle against men and women and monsters
Should gain a wife or a husband and settle down
Lot of interesting variations
Basic is ‘heroic guys finds a woman to be a wife’
Idea of pollution and purification – part of the pattern that plays out
Dramatic death of some sort – in bed or normally something more dramatic and violent
Afterlife expressed as becoming a god – to Mt Olympus or becoming the starts
Then immortal and everlasting as part of the landscape and around the people in the ancient
world with the gods and goddesses
Odysseus:
Not just a hero for his travels – follows a lot of these tropes
Enlists loyal comrades, help of his son and then 3 servants, extended back and forth with his
wife (deliberately ambiguous)
Has to show of his martial abilities before he can come home and have a happy ending to
his quest (stringing bow, shooting through axe heads, uses different weapons of the ancient
Greeks, against 118 suitors), have Athena on their side, executes the maids and finally gets
Pen to admit that he has come back
Always 24 books – gets back with his father and shows his prowess
Ancient Heroes:
Herakles and Theseus
From Homer to Library of Apollodorus
Labors of Hercules one of the major focus areas
Theogony – descendant of Perseus and Andominda
Perseus’ Line:
Heracles and Iphicles – sons of Zeus and Amphitryon and Alcmene
Heracles has a brother who grows up mortal
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Should gain a wife or a husband and settle down. Basic is heroic guys finds a woman to be a wife". Idea of pollution and purification part of the pattern that plays out. Dramatic death of some sort in bed or normally something more dramatic and violent. Afterlife expressed as becoming a god to mt olympus or becoming the starts. Then immortal and everlasting as part of the landscape and around the people in the ancient world with the gods and goddesses. Not just a hero for his travels follows a lot of these tropes. Enlists loyal comrades, help of his son and then 3 servants, extended back and forth with his wife (deliberately ambiguous) Has to show of his martial abilities before he can come home and have a happy ending to his quest (stringing bow, shooting through axe heads, uses different weapons of the ancient.
