Chapter Sixteen, Lecture One Myths of Crete
Europa and the Bull
Europa and the Bull Agenor (Semitic “leader of men”) Brother Belus (=Baal, “lord”) ruled in Egypt Agenor settled in Phoenicia Europa Cadmus Cilix Phoenix
Europa and the Bull Agenor sends sons to look for her Phoenix stays near home = Phoenicia Cilix goes to southern Turkey = Cilicia Cadmus goes to Thebes = Cadmeia
Europa and the Bull Europa’s Sons on Crete Talus (the bronze giant) Minos Sarpedon Rhadamanthys Talus (the bronze giant) Laelaps (the magic dog)
Minos and Pasiphaë
Minos and Pasiphaë As a sign that he should be king, Minos asks Poseidon to send a bull, which he will sacrifice Poseidon sends the bull, but Minos sacrifices another one Married Pasiphaë, a daughter of Helius Ariadne, Androgeus
Minos and Pasiphaë Makes Pasiphaë lust for the bull Daedalus from Athens is in Crete Left Athens after killing his nephew and student Perdix over a patent quarrel about the saw Daedalus makes a device for Poseidon and her “bull-friend” Minotaur is born
Minos and Pasiphaë Minos asks Daedalus to build a prison for the Minotaur Labyrinth
Minos and Scylla
Minos and Scylla Androgeus (a son of Minos) enters athletic contest in Athens and defeats all the local boys Aegeus orders him to fight a wild bull at Marathon and Androgeus is killed Minos collects his fleet and moves to attack Athens
Minos and Scylla On his way, he attacks Megara, ruled by Nisus, a brother of Aegeus Daughter Scylla falls in love with Minos Betrays Nisus by cutting off his protective purple lock of hair The city falls, but Minos abandons her
Theseus and Amphitritê
Theseus and Amphitritê Cannot take Athens Zeus sent a plague and famine Even four human sacrifices couldn’t deliver the Athenians An oracle tells them to surrender
Theseus and Amphitritê Every 9 years (or every year), 7 girls and boys must be sent to Crete to be sacrificed to the Minotaur Theseus, the son of Aegeus, the king of Athens, volunteers to go and face the Minotaur
Theseus and Amphitritê Theseus is also a son of Poseidon Minos is on the ship and makes a pass at one of the girls, Eriboea Theseus warns him off and claims that he is son of Poseidon, just as Minos is a son of Zeus
Theseus and Amphitritê Zeus sends thunderbolts to prove that Minos is his son To test him, Minos throws a ring off the ship and orders him to get it Theseus dives in but returns with a wreath given to him by Amphritritê, the wife of Poseidon
Theseus and the Minotaur
Theseus and the Minotaur On Crete, Ariadne (daughter of Minos) falls in love with Theseus She gives him the ball of thread on the suggestion of Daedalus, with which he returns from the labyrinth after killing the Minotaur
Theseus and the Minotaur But Theseus dumps Ariadne on Naxos, though she is rescued and married by Dionysus Theseus also stops on Delos, Apollo’s sacred island, and dedicates a statue of Aphrodite The youth dance the “crane dance” in celebration
Daedalus and Icarus
Daedalus and Icarus Minos turns on Daedalus He makes wings, bound with wax, and escapes with his son Icarus Icarus flies too close to the sun and falls into the sea
Death of Minos
Death of Minos Daedalus now flies to Sicily, to the court of Cocalus Minos, looking for Daedalus everywhere, arrives in Sicily with a scheme to catch Daedalus: the shell Daedalus is exposed, but the king’s daughters kill Minos in boiling water
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