Theseus

Parents, Birth, Childhood Aegeus of Athens Aethra of Troezen Young princess who sleeps with Aegeus, who’s visiting her dad Dream from Athena leads Aethra into the sea Poseidon; Double Paternity? Sword & Sandals

The Adventure Begins

Periphetes Roamed road, beat and robbed with a bronze club. Theseus asked to see if the club was really bronze, beat him with it.

Sinis/Pityocamptes Version 1: Lets go Version 2: Tying and tearing

Crommyonian Sow Sow – female pig Ravaged countryside; Theseus kills it

Sciron Sciron forces you to wash his feet, or he cuts your head off. While you’re doing it, he shoves you off the cliff to the monster/turtle.

Procrustes

In Athens Daddy Aegeus & Queen Medea Marathonian Bull Medea tries poison Flees after failing Next Task: Minotaur

Minotaur Background King Minos & Queen Pasiphae of Crete Minos & Poseidon Cretan Bull Minos tries to trick Poseidon Pasiphae & the bull Daedalus’s help

Minotaur Background The Labyrinth Minos’s son in Athens 7 Athenian youths & 7 maidens Theseus volunteers

Theseus’s Quest Setting sail Minos’s daughter Ariadne helps Slays Minotaur Escapes with Ariadne & sister Phaedra

Sad Times Ariadne; Dionysus Oops, the sails… Aegean Sea

Theseus & Pirithous Pirithous, Prince of the Lapiths Lapiths vs Centaurs Pirithous’s great idea Chair of Forgetfulness

Theseus & Phaedra Ariadne’s sister who wasn’t abandoned Theseus marries Phaedra Phaedra & Hippolytus, one of Theseus’s sons Aphrodite made advances on Hippolytus Hippolytus rejected her because he was a virgin follower of Artemis Aphrodite punished Hippolytus by having Phaedra fall in love with him Hippolytus rejects Phaedra as well Phaedra accuses him of rape, Theseus kills his own son, Phaedra commits suicide

Theseus and Athens Theseus brings together Attica, region around Athens, under one rule Transfers much of his power to the assembly Helps poor & oppressed Bad decisions in middle age; loses popularity Pushed off island of Scyros – various/unclear reasons Body not returned to Athens for burial Bones “found” during Persian Wars, returned, buried

23 Hero Traits Mother is a royal virgin Father is a king Father often a near relative to mother Unusual conception Hero reputed to be son of a god Attempt to kill hero as an infant, often by father or maternal grandfather Hero spirited away as a child Reared by foster parents in a far country No details of childhood Returns or goes to future kingdom Is victor over king, giant, dragon or wild beast Has a helper, sidekick, or group of them Marries a princess (often daughter of predecessor) Becomes king For a time he reigns uneventfully He prescribes laws Later loses favor with gods or his subjects Driven from throne and city Meets with mysterious death Often at the top of a hill His children, if any, do not succeed him His body is not buried Has one or more holy sepulchers or tombs