Greek Mythology: lecture 3

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Greek Mythology lecture 3
HERACLES
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Birth Ancestry
3
Youth

• Attacked by serpents in cradle
• Taught by Amphitryon (chariot), Autolycus
  (wrestling), Eurytus (bow), Castor
  (sword/javelin), Linus (lyre)
• Murdered Linus
• Slayed Cithaeronian lion
• Bedded 50 daughters of Thespius

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Labours

• Bring skin of Nemean lion
• Kill Lernaean hydra
• Capture Cerynitian (Ceryneian) hind
• Capture Erymanthian boar
• Clean stables of Augeias
• Drive away Stymphalian birds
• Capture Cretan bull
• Capture mares of Diomedes
• Get belt of Hippolyta
• Bring cattle of Geryon
• Fetch apples of the Hesperides
• Bring Cerberus from Hades

5
Minor labours (parerga)

• Rescued Hesione from sea-monster
• Battled Achelous for Deianeira
• Slew centaur Nessus as he tried to rape her
• Slew giant Alcyoneus
• Slew earthborn giant Antaeus
• Captures Cercopes (thieves)
• Slew eagle set to torment Prometheus
• Slew centaur Eurytion
• Battled centaurs

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a) Killing monstrous animals
LION
HYDRA
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b) Capturing edible animals
HIND
BULL
MARES
BOAR
BIRDS
CATTLE
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c) Labours for/against humans
STABLES
GIRDLE
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d) otherworld labours
APPLES OF HESPERIDES
CERBERUS
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Wives, lovers dynasties

• 52 sons by 50 daughters of Thespius (kings of
  Thespiae/founded colony of Sardinia)
• Echidna (Dracontidae house of Cadmus)
• Megara (Therimachus, Deicoon, Creontiades
  murdered)
• Deianeira (Hyllus, Ctesippos, Glenos, Oneites,
  Macaria Dorian/Spartan kings)
• Omphale (Agelaus Lydian kings)
• Iole (given to Hyllus)
• Full list http//homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Her
  acles1.html

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Eromenoi

• Iolaus (Argos/Thebes)
• Hylas (Dryopian/Chios)
• Elacatas (Sparta)
• Abderus (Abdera)
• Philoctetes, Nestor, Iphitus, Nireus, Adonis,
  Jason, Corythus, Stichius, Phrix/Trinx

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Fundamental ambiguity

• God/apotheosised
• Son of Zeus
• Name means glory of Hera
• Culture hero
• Hyper-masculine

• Mortal/dead
• Eternally in service
• Hounded by stepmother
• Destructive brute
• Gender ambiguity

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Explanations?

• Burkert 1985
• Conglomerate of tales with no authoritative
  poetic definition?
• Wish-fulfilment its antithesis extreme must
  turn to opposite to reaffirm itself?
• Sergeant 1987
• 2 different Heracles in ancient tradition
  Argive wild-man Boeotian culture hero?