1. Escaping the Labyrinth
Greek Mythology
10/28/08

2. Cathedral at Chartres, France

3. Cathedral at Chartres, France

4. The cathedral of Chartres, France
(SW of Paris)
11-circuit labyrinth
Built in the 13th century

5. The cathedral of Chartres, France
(SW of Paris)
11-circuit labyrinth
Built in the 13th century

6. Late Roman villa mosaic labyrinth Salzburg, Austria, late 3rd cent. A
Late Roman villa mosaic labyrinth Salzburg, Austria, late 3rd cent. A.D.
????

7. Coins of Knossos, Crete (of various dates: Classical to early Roman)

8. The dark heart of Greek myth
In the middle of the generations of heroes
On the great island of Crete in the middle of the Aegean
The subtlest craftsman of Athens built a dark, mysterious maze
To hide the bestial shame of the daughter of great king Minos, son of Zeus and Europa

9. “Labyrinthus Hic Habitat Minotaurus” Graffito of 7-circuit labyrinth, Pompeii (before 79 A.D.)

10. Remember Europa…

11. Remember Europa…
European Council -- Brussels

12. Europa and Crete
After Zeus turned into a bull and raped Agenor’s daughter Europa, carrying her across the sea to Crete (Ovid Met. Book 2, end)
She marries king of Crete Asterios, has sons by Zeus: Minos, Rhadamanthys, Sarpedon
[READ ACM pp. 45-6, sect. L1-2]

13. The sons of Europa

14. Minos & Pasiphae Minos becomes king of Crete
Marries Pasiphae, daughter of Helios and Perseis (thus sister of Aietes and Circe)
Among their children: son Androgeos, daughters Ariadne and Phaidra
And Pasiphae’s son, Asterios / Asterion or…

15. The Cretan Bull
King Minos boasted of his power, prayed that Poseidon send a bull up from the sea, said he would sacrifice it
Poseidon sends the bull, but Minos refused to sacrifice it
Or, Pasiphae neglected sacrifices to Aphrodite
So Minos/Pasiphae are punished: queen lusts for the bull

16. Daidalos
Pasiphae gets the clever Athenian craftsman Daidalos to help her
He builds a hollow mechanical cow in which Pasiphae mates with the bull
She gets pregnant and has a son Asterios / Asterion – a.k.a. The Bull of Minos “Minotaur”

17. Daidalos
Minos then has Daidalos build the labyrinth—a maze—in which to hide the shameful monstrous Minotaur
Daidalos and the labyrinth is among the stories which Ovid places in the central book of the Metamorphoses (book 8 of 15)

18. Pasiphae and baby
Minotaur

19. Daedalus & Pasiphae (Giulio Romano 15th century)

20. “Pasiphae” (Henri Matisse, 1869-1954)

21. “Pasiphae” (Diane Victor, 2002)

22. Minotaur and wife (Pablo Picasso 1881-1973)

23. Minotaur in 20th century art
The 20th century saw a resurgence of the minotaur and Cretan myths as themes in art and literature
Recall Europa = Europe
Minos, Pasiphae, Daidalos, Minotaur, Labyrinth become symbols of crisis of modernity

24. Minotaur in 20th century art
Daidalos : the artists (enforced?) collusion in creation of false masks and prisons of “civilized” culture
Pasiphae : primal animal passions which bourgeois culture attempts to conceal
Minotaur : modern man (?) the hybrid man-bull monster
Labyrinth : the dark maze of…human psyche (Freud), technological civilization
Symbolic of the barbarities of war/genocide which erupted in “civilized” Europe

25. Le labyrinthe Andre Masson 1938

27. Picasso Minotaur
“If all the ways I have been along were marked on a map and joined up with a line, it might represent a Minotaur.”
(Picasso, when 80 years old)

28. Minotaur 1933

29. Minotaur 1933

30. Picasso Minotaur

33. Minotaur and his wife 1937

34. Palatte, Candlestick, and head of Minotaur (1938)

35. Blind Minotaur 1934

36. 1937 : Nazis and Italian Fascists bombed Basque town of Guernica, Spain on Apr. 24, 1937 during Spanish Civil War. Painting first displayed at 1937 Paris International Exhibition

38. Picasso’s Guernica
s : toured world, regularly in exhibitions against war
Until 1981 : at MOMA in NYC, became focus of anti-war vigils during Vietnam War
1981 : MOMA gave painting to Spain, following death of Franco and establishment of a democratic constitutional monarchy (in accord with Picasso’s wishes)
1985 : Nelson Rockefeller’s estate bequeaths tapestry copy to UN – it hangs outside Security Council
2003 : Tapestry draped upon occasion of Secretary of State Colin Powell’s presentation to UN arguing case for war in Iraq

39. Minotaure designer fragrance
“The Minotaur is a reoccurring theme in Pablo Picasso's work, and this is where his daughter got the name for her only masculine fragrance. Minotaure cologne by Pablo [sic: should read Paloma] Picasso has top notes of citrus and middle notes of Lavender, Geranium, and Jasmine. Minotaure base notes include Sandalwood, Vanilla, and Leather.”

40. What happens next?
What happens when prince Theseus of Athens is sacrificed to the Minotaur?
How does Minos’ daughter Ariadne become the bride of Dionysos?
How does Theseus escape the murderous wiles of Medea?
Read ACM pp , and stay tuned…
What grade did I get on the midterm?
Check Sakai later today