Classics 10: Chapter 14 Perseus and Myths of the Argive PlainPerseus: Major ThemesPlain of Argos = The ArgolidArgive PlainMyths of the Argive PlainMycenae: Beehive Tomb and Lion GateIo and Her Descendants: The Cow PhaseSlide 8The Wanderings of Io the CowIo’s Egyptian Family TreeBack to ArgosThe Wedding Deed of the DanaïdsThe Punishment of the DanaïdsFrom Danaüs to PerseusDanaë and the Shower of GoldSlide 16The Infancy of PerseusThe Floating Box of Danaë and PerseusDanaë and Perseus RescuedDanaë and the Folklore Pattern of “The Girl’s Tragedy”Perseus’ BoastThe Three GorgonsSlide 23Divine Help for PerseusSlide 25Perseus the Gorgon SlayerPerseus Returns to SeriphosAthena and the Gorgon’s HeadIII. Perseus and AndromedaPerseus and AndromedaSlide 31Greece = Origin of Persia?The Death of AcrisiusThe Founding of MycenaeSummary: Perseus and FolktalePerseus and GilgameshPerseus and FolktaleClassics 10: Chapter 14Perseus and Myths of the Argive PlainI. Io and Her DescendantsII. Perseus and MedusaIII. Perseus and AndromedaAt left, Benvenuto Cellini, Perseus and Medusa, 1554, in bronzePerseus: Major Themes•Descendants of Perseus will rule Mycenae, greatest of Bronze Age Greek cities•As the founder of Mycenae, Perseus involved in great adventures appropriate for his heroic city•Perseus a simple hero, though plots of his stories complicated and interrelated –His myths older than Trojan War myths?•Most of the good guys live happily ever after; many folktale motifs•No major literary account of his deeds (why?)Plain of Argos = The ArgolidArgive PlainMyths of the Argive Plain•Rich and powerful Bronze Age area•Mycenae, with its Lion Gate and amazing “beehive” tombs, founded by Perseus•Tiryns, 10 miles south, amazingly well built stone walls (port town for Mycenae?)–Perseus’ grandson Heracles lived here•Argos, between Mycenae and Tiryns, but on other side of river Inachus–Chief city in classical period, not in Bronze Age–Bronze Age cities already tourist attractions by thenMycenae: Beehive Tomb and Lion GateIo and Her Descendants:The Cow Phase•The local river god Inachus marries the Oceanid Melia and has daughter Io•Although Io was a priestess of Hera, Zeus desired her, put a cloud around her, and raped her•Hera, suspicious of a dense cloud on an otherwise sunny day, comes to investigate•Zeus just has time to finish and tries to deceive Hera by turning Io into a cowIo and Her Descendants:The Cow Phase•Hera figures it out, asks for the cow, tethers her under the watch of Argus•Argus, a child of Gaea, has 100 eyes, and some of them are always awake!•Zeus sends Hermes to free Io; he sings all the eyes shut with a lullaby, kills him•Hermes thereafter known as the slayer of Argus (= “Argeïphontes”)•Hera moves Argus’ eyes to the tail of the peacock (etiological)The Wanderings of Io the Cow•Io free but stung constantly by the gadfly Hera sends to torment her•She is pushed all around the ancient world•The Bosporus, “cow-crossing”, is where Europe meets Asia (now Istanbul)•On the far side of the Black Sea, Io stumbles upon Prometheus bound, losing his liver daily•Great scene in Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound (430 BCE), they commiserate about ZeusIo’s Egyptian Family Tree•Prometheus foretells that Io’s journey will end in Egypt, where Zeus will reappear; she will return to human form–Her descendent Heracles will free him much later•Zeus’ reappearance makes her pregnant, she bears Epaphus (“he who has been touched”)•Epaphus becomes king of Egypt, marries (and founds) Memphis (where Cairo is now)–Memphis is a daughter of Nilus (god of the Nile)•Their daughter Libya has two sons by Poseidon–Agenor, whose (grand)sons Minos and Cadmus will become the rulers of Crete and the Greek city of Thebes–Belus, who becomes of King of Egypt and has two sonsBack to Argos•Belus has two sons–Aegyptus, who rules in Arabia (Africa east of the Nile)–Danaüs, who rules in Libya (Africa west of the Nile)•Aegyptus ends up with 50 sons and Danaüs with 50 daughters –The Danaïds (“descendants of Danaüs”)•Aegyptus proposes a huge family marriage, but Danaüs fears a power grab and that his daughters will lose control of Libya•Danaüs flees to Io’s hometown of Argos, ends up becoming king thereThe Wedding Deed of the Danaïds•Aegyptus’ 50 sons follow to Argos, continue to demand a wedding•Danaüs agrees, but gives each of his daughters a dagger and orders them to kill their husbands on their wedding night•49 wives decapitate their husbands–Hypermnestra spares Lynceus because he spares her virginity–Imprisoned but later released, they end up as queen and king in ArgosThe Punishment of the Danaïds•The Danaïds represent the theme of female resentment against fixed marriages •In the earliest versions of the myth, the Danaïds not punished (they saved Argos from Egyptian rule)•But by the Roman period, Danaïds punished in Hades for killing their husbands–They perpetually fetch water in leaking pots•But weren’t they supposed to obey their father?–Torn between two male obligations?From Danaüs to Perseus•Lynceus and Hypermnestra have Abas, who has twin sons who fight each other–Acrisius ends up king in Argos, Proetus ends up king in Tiryns•Acrisius lacks a male heir, is told by the oracle that his heir will be the son of his daughter, Danaë – and that this heir will kill him (!)–He thus imprisons Danaë in an underground bronze chamber, which results in …Danaë and the Shower of Gold•Zeus lusts for her in her box, but can’t get in•Impregnates her as a golden rain showerAttic vase painting,490-480 BCEDanaë and the Shower of GoldThe Infancy of Perseus•Danaë, still in her underground bronze chamber, bears Perseus (miraculous heroic origins)•Acrisius panics (how did a baby get in there?), but won’t kill his daughter himself•Puts mother and child in wooden box and casts it out to sea (then their death won’t be on his hands)•Castaway = folktale motifThe Floating Box of Danaë and PerseusAttic vase paintingca. 490 BCEDanaë and Perseus Rescued•Dictys (“Netman”) the fisherman nets the box near the island of Seriphos•Perseus grows up there, sort of adopted by DictysDanaë and the Folklore Pattern of “The Girl’s Tragedy”•Pattern has five key elements, all of which clearly appear in this myth1. Prohibition (Danaë forbidden to marry)2.