Classic Myth Study Guide Europa – daughter of Agenor, king or Tyre in Phoenicia. Zeus, disguised as a white bull, enticed the girl to sit on his back and then rushed into the sea and made his way toward Greece. Was raped by Zeus and bore a son Minos.Minos – son of Zeus and Athena, king of CreteCadmus – the brother of Europa, he built the city of Cadmeia (Thebes), around a spot where he saw a cow lie down. He married Harmonia and became the father of Ino, Semele, Autonoe, Agave, and Polydorus. Sowed dragon teeth into ground and Spartoi emerged. Thebes – Found be Cadmus after he followed a cow there. Known for being the location of bad things. Cadmeia – citadel of Thebes named after its founder CadmusSpartoi – emerged from the seven teeth of the dragon of Ares. Fought each other until only 5 were left. The remaining five helped Cadmus build the city of Thebes. Actaeon – a hunter who spied on the goddess Artemis bathing and was transformed into a stag and torn apart by his hounds. Dionysus – the son of Zeus and Semele, god of vegetation, particularly the grapevine and wine. Also the god of resurrection and leader of mystery cult. Raised by the Baccantes.Pentheus – the son of Echion, one of the Sparoi, and king of Thebes. Agave, his mother, became a devotee of Dionysus, but Pentheus opposed the god. Encouraged by Dionysus to dress up as a maenad and infiltrate the rite of Dionysus’ followers. The followers tore him apart, under the direction of Dionysus.Ladbdacus – the son of Polydorus and Nycteis, he became the king of Thebes. He warred over boundaries with Pandion, king of Athens, and died young. Grandson of Cadmus and was killed by Bachaeafter disrespecting Dionysus. Antiope – a Boiotian princess seduced by Zeus in the guise of a satyr. She bore him two sons, Amphion and Zethos. Lauis – he was king of Thebes who, while a guest in the home of Pelops, fell in love with and abducted Chrysippus, the son of Pelops. His punishment was to have a son who would kill him. Xenia – ancient Greek philosophy of hospitality. “guest friendship”Jocasta – the mother of Oedipus and later became his wife, but hung herself when it was discovered that she had married her sonOedipus – the son of Lauis and Jocasta. Was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. Saved Thebes from the Sphinx and became king of Thebes. Then blinds himself. Polybus – king that Oedipus thinks is his real dad. Really king of Corinth. Also husband of Merope. Merope – daughter of Atlas and Pleione, thus one of the Pleiades. Married Sisyphus. Sophocles – classical playwright wrote Oedipus. Aeschylus – classical playwright, wrote Seven against Thebes and Agamemnon.Euripides – Last of the great Greek playwrights. Wrote Andromache and Hecuba. Dionysia – festival where comedies and tragedies are shared. In honor of Dionysus. Aeschylus spoke there. Oedipus Tyrannus – story of Oedipus written by Sophocles. Kills his father and marries mother.Oedipus at Colonus – second part of the Oedipus trilogy by Sophocles. Chronicles the end of Oedipus’ life.Antigone – third part of the plays. Chronicles the story of Creon and Antigone.Polyneices – son of Oedipus and Jocasta and brother of Eteocles. See below. Eteocles – the son of Oedipus and Jocasta. Was to alternate rule of Thebes with his brother, Polynices, each brother ruling for one year at a time and then stepping down. Refused to hand over throne to Polynices, so he led six others against city. The brothers killed each other. Antigone – the daughter Oedipus and sister of Polynices and Eteocles. Buried Polynices despite Creon’s decree that whoever buried him would be killed. Creon confined her to a sealed cave, where she would die.Ismene – daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, sister of Antigone. She refused to help Antigone bury the body of Polynices. Creon – the son of Menoeceus, brother of Jocasta, and uncle of Oedipus. Became king of Thebes when Oedipus’s sons, Eteocles and Polynices, who killed each other during the attack of the Seven against Thebes. He decreed that anyone who buried Polynices would be put to death. Tiresias – blind fortuneteller. Prophesied the Seven against Thebes. Sphinx – plagued the city of Thebes. Asked riddles to travelers and killed them when they failed. Oedipus solved her riddle.Bacchae – Play by Euripides. Dionysus visits Thebes expecting to be worshipped. Pentheus, the young king tries to arrest him. He is driven mad and killed by the crazy women of Thebes. Hubris – excessive pride. Cornerstone to many mythsEumenides – female deities of revenge. Correspond to the Furies. Seven Against Thebes – Written by Aeschylus. Third play in the Oedipus trilogy.Adrastus – son of Talaus and Lyscimache and one of the Seven against Thebes. He institute the Nemean Games in honor of the infant Opheltes, who died tragically at Nemea. Tydeus – the son of Oeneus and father of Diomedes. One of the Seven against Thebes. Gravely injured by Melanippus in the attack on Thebes, but killed Melanippus and ate his brains. Menoeceus – grandfather of Oedipus.Amphiaraus – father of Alcmaeon. Commanded his son to kill his wife. He joined the Seven against Thebes, knowing it would be fatal to him.Epigoni – descendants of the Seven against Thebes who avenged the defeat of their forebears at Thebes by attacking and sacking the city. Alcmaeon – the son of Amphiaraus, who was one of the Seven against Thebes. He avenged the death of his father by leading the Epigoni in a successful attack against Thebes and by killing his mother, who bribed Amphiaraus to join in the earlier, ill-fated expedition to Thebes. Eriphyle – Bribed by Polynices with the necklace of Harmonia. Wife of Amphiaraus and mother of Alcmaeon. Haemon – Married Antigone and was killed by Creon. Other versions say he committed suicide. Tantalus – sometimes called a son of Zeus. Cut up and served his son, Pelops, to the gods at a banquet. Demeter was only god to not realize it was human flesh and ate his left shoulder. Zeus caused Pelops to be put back together, and Demter replaced the shoulder with ivory. His punishment was to stand in a pool of water that receded whenever he bent over to get a drink. Over his head dangled fruit, but a gust of windblew it out of reach when he tried to get some. Pelops – Fed to gods by Tantalus. Demeter ate his shoulder. When revived, his shoulder was replaced by ivory. Wed Hippodamia and killer
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