Final Exam Notes from Module 13 - 22
Module 14
Theban Saga
Foundation of Thebes
- Thebes located in Boetia, northwest Athens
- founded by Europa’s brother, Cadmus
- Zeus abducted Europa as a bull
- Cadmus went to Delphi to the oracle of Apollo
- oracle told him to follow a bull and forget about Europa his sister
- followed cow to Boetia, founded Cameia which became Thebes
- has to sacrifice cow, snake of Areas guards water, Cadmus eventually kills the snake
- Athena says to sow the teeth of serpent into the ground
- armed men, Spartoi grow up from earth and fight until there are only 5
- Thebans descended from the Spartoi
- Cadmus given Harmonia the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite
- four daughters Ino, Semel, Agave, Autonoe of Cadmus and Harmonia
Oedipus
- Laius cursed lineage by abducting Pelop’s son Chrysippus
- Laius was destined to be killed by his son
- Laius and wife Jocasta pierce ankles on Mt. Cithaeron
- servant take the baby to the mountains but pitied him and gave him to a Corinthian shepherd
- Oedipus learns the truth that he is destined to marry his mother and murder his father
- for this reason doesn’t return to Corinth, but goes to Thebes and fulfills the prophecy
- blocked by Laius on the way there and in anger slew him fulfilling the prophecy
Thebes and Oedipus
- sphinx, face of woman, lion body, wings of bird
- asked riddle, anyone who failed was killed
- riddle was four feet, two feet, three feet, which is a human at different ages
- Creon, Jocasta’s brother offered the throne to the person who could solve the riddle and Oedipus became king with the mother, Jocasta as his wife
Oedipus Blindness
- two sons Polynices and Eteocles, two daughters Antigone and Ismene with Jocasta
- plague comes, oracle of Delphi says to rid land of pollution
- Oedipus vows to do so, unaware his is the pollution
- Oedipus’ father in Corinth, Polybus reveals the truth of his birth
- he discovers he is the son of Jocasta, Jocasta hangs herself
- slower to understand, but blinds himself by poking his eyes with pins
- Sigmund Freud desire of young men to sleep with their mothers Oedipus Complex
- motif of recognition and understanding
- divine will expressed as the oracle of Delphi and impossibility of avoiding it