Trojan Saga, pt. III (Ch 19)

Post-Iliad Events

Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons, comes to fight for the Trojans but is defeated by Achilles and stripped of her armour. Upon realizing she is a woman, Achilles is smitten, and falls in love with her as he kills her. For this unrequited love, he is jibed by Thersites (Greek joker figure) as being "the ugliest man in Troy". After slaying the joker, a fellow soldier, he must withdraw to Lesbos for blood purification before returning to battle.

Achilles is finally slain by Paris's arrow, guided by Apollo, which punctures his moral heel. Achilles' corpse and armour is fought for by Ajax the Greater and is recovered back to the Achaean camp, where the ghost of Achilles demands the sacrifice of Priam's daughter Polyxena.

Odysseus and Ajax fight over armour, which is eventually arbitrated over by Athena and a Greek jury. Odysseus wins the arms due to cunning, as he blackmails a group of terrorized Trojan prisoners into testifying to his might. Ajax goes insane with incomprehension, and slaughters a flock of sheep under the disillusion they are the jury of Greek leaders. After realizing his "failure as a hero" he commits suicide by falling upon his own sword. The death of Ajax the Greater is a symbol of the end of the "old hero". The last of his kind, he represents a nation of heroes that relied on brute strength over cunning and wiles. From his blood, a hyacinth sprouts, honoring the passing of his spirit.
Odysseus concludes that "we who live are nothing more than ghosts and weightless shades", implying that no matter how great and mighty you are, you will inevitable be levelled by your mortality.

The three conditions foreseen by Helenus, the Trojan seer, are met by the Achaean army:

• Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles, is recovered. He brutally slaughters Priam at an altar.
• The Paladium, the wooden figure of Pallas, friend of Athena, is stolen by Odysseus disguised as a beggar.
• The Bow of Heracles is recovered from Philoctetes in Lemnos.

As such, Odysseus commands Epeus to build a giant wooden horse. While the Greeks feign retreat by sailing away behind the island of Tenedos, they leave behind Sinon, who pretends he's escaped from becoming a Greek human sacrifice. Sinon explains that the horse is an offering to Athena, and is built so large that the Trojans will not be able to fit it inside their walls, but the Trojans tear down their own gates in order to capture it.

The Trojans are warned twice: once by Cassandra, daughter of Prium suffering a curse from Apollo, and the other by Laocoon, who declares Sinon a liar and the horse a ruse. He hurls a spear into the side of the horse and hears the rattling of soldiers' armour, which is miraculously drowned out by the sudden appearance of two sea serpents that drag him and his two children into the sea.

With the city penetrated, the Achaeans mercilessly ransack Troy. Euripedes' Trojan Women, as well as other Greek literary works, depict the Post-Iliad as a powerful anti-war tragedy, as seen through the eyes of prisoner women (Hecuba, Cassandra, Andromache).

• Ajax the Lesser, son of Oileus, attempts to rape Cassandra at the temple of Athena, ensuring his death on the way home. Cassandra herself is taken as concubine to Agamemnon, as told in Aeschylus' Agamemnon.
• Odysseus hurls Hectors son Astyanax from the walls of Troy, before his mother's eyes, because "only a fool kills a father and allows his son to live. Andromache herself is taken as a concubine.

As told in Vergil's Aeneid, Aeneas (Aphrodite + Anchises) is visited upon by Hector's ghost, is told to escape far away, to a land where he is the eventual founder of Rome.

The Mycenaean Saga (Ch 18)

The Mycenaean Saga is oriented around the trials of Pelops and his descendents, namely the House of Atreus.

Etymology: Pelops, pelios "dark" + ops "eye"
Origin: Cult site at Olympia, the Pelopion ("shrine to Pelops") which precedes the worship of Zeus.
Claim to Fame: Eponymous hero of the Peloponnesus ("island of Pelops"), Olympic Games, multigenerational family blood-feud
Literature: Aeschylus' Oresteia (Agamemnon, Choephori/Libation Bearers, Eumenides)

Tantalus, King of Mt. Sipylus, served his son Pelops to feasting Gods at his court. In return he suffered eternal retribution in Hades with an insatiable thirst and hunger, with food and drink just out of reach. Zeus, having mercy on Pelops, restored him almost perfectly to life with a replacement ivory shoulder, for the flesh that was mistakenly consumed by Demeter. He is abducted and brought to Olympia, where he learns the sport of chariot driving.

Once grown, Pelops develops an affection for Hippodamia, daughter of Oenomaus (King of Pisa). First he must complete the marriage challenge forwarded by the King, who defeated 13 prior suitors in a death race and mounted their heads on spikes as a warning.

Pelops enters the competition with a golden chariot and winged steeds, a gift from his abductee Poseidon. He then bribes the King's charioteer, Myrtilus, with a one night stand with Hippodamia if Myrtilus is able to sabotage the King's chariot and ensure Pelops' victory. Oenomaus's lynchpin is replaced with wax, which caused his chariot to fall apart in the race and for Oenomaus to be dragged to death by his own horses. The victorious Pelops renegs on his deal with Myrtilus by pushing him off a cliff. Before his last breath, however, Myrtilus curses the descendants of Pelops.

Now the new King of Pisa, Pelops institutes the Olympic Games (a) in honor of his victory over Oenomaus, and (b) to purify himself of miasma ("blood-pollution").

Hippodamia bears him two sons, Atreus and Thyestes, who quarrel over the kingdom due to an oracle that states the kingdom of Pelops will go to one of his sons. Atreus' claim that it is his right as eldest is bested by Thyestes "divine sign" of a golden-fleeced ram (which he obtained by cuckolding Atreus by sleeping with his wife Aerope and stealing Atreus's own ram).

Atreus feigns reconciliation by inviting his brother for dinner and serving him his own sons, and recieves a curse upon his own descendants as Thyestes goes into exile, where an oracle tells Thyestes that if he bears a son with his own daughter, Pelopia, he will overthrow Atreus.

Atreus has two sons, Agamemnon and Menelaus who each marry the daughters of Tyndareus (Clytemnestra and Helen), and ascend the thrones of Mycenae and Sparta, respectively.

• Agamemnon (King of Mycenae) + Clytemnestra = Orestes (m.), Electra (f.), Iphigenia (f.)
• Menalaus (King of Sparta) + Helen

When Menalaus's wife, Helen, is abducted by Paris (see Trojan Saga pt. ii), all of Greece must go to war. Before they depart, however, the greek seer indicates Artemis is angry and demands the sacrifice of Agamemnon's own daughter, Iphigenia, to gain favourable winds. They depart for 10 years war at Troy.

Aeschelus' Oresteia, "Agamemnon"

 Meanwhile, a vengeful Clytemnestra takes Aegisthus as a lover, and waits for her husband to return. Though his death [and her own] is foreseen by the cursed seer Cassandra, Agamemnon is mercilessly slaughtered by his wife and nephew.

Aeschelus' Oresteia, "Choephori (Libation Bearers)"

Vengeful of her father, Electra pours a libation on her fathers grave begging for Orestes return. Orestes, previously in exile, is divinely sanctioned by Apollo to avenge his fathers death, but as he murders his mother and cousin, he is driven mad by the Erinyes ("furies") for murdering a family member.

Aeschelus' Oresteia, "Eumenides"

Orestes [and his flock of furies] ventures to Delphi to seek purification from matricide from Apollo (animal sacrifice), who then directs him to Athens for total absolution. He pleads his case before Areopagus, the Athenian court. Defended by Apollo, persecuted by the Erinyes, judged by Athena and her Athenians, Orestes is acquitted of his family crime because the murder of his father is considered greater than the murder of his mother. Thus, the curse of Myrtilus is broken.
The Erinyes are appeased, and become known as the Eumenides ("kindly ones") and are integrated into the Athenian rule of law as part of checks and balances.

Moral of the story? Out of murder, blood pollution, family vendetta, and vengeance comes order.

Oedipus (Ch 17)

Etymology: Oedipus, "swollen foot"
Origin: Born to Laius + Jocasta of Thebes, raised by Polybus + Merope of Corinth.
Claim to Fame: Defeats Sphinx. Kills his father, marries his mother.
Literature: Sophocles' Theban Trilogy (Oedipus Rex/Tyrannus, Antigone, Oedipus at Colonus), Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound (Seven Against Thebes)

Precedents

Laius, the great-grandson of Cadmus, breaks Xenia (guest-host relationship) by abducting and raping Pelop's son Chrysippus, and thus his lineage is cursed. Laius returns to Thebes, ascends the throne, and marries Jocasta.He learns of an oracle that proclaims he is destined to die at the hands of his own son, asserting the curse placed upon him by Pelops, so when his son Oedipus is born he is abandoned on Mt. Cithaeron with spikes driven through both ankles (not only is his death likely, his spirit is anchored to one place).
Tiresias, the Theban seer, makes the mistake of striking two snakes that are copulating, and is thus changed into a woman for 7 years. Interested in his experience, Jupiter questions Tiresias if it is man or woman that obtains more pleasure from sex. He agrees with Jupiter that women derives more pleasure, and is struck blind by an enraged Juno. To compensate he is granted the gift of prophecy, despite his physical blindness.

Oedipus Tyrannus

Oedipus is rescued by a Corinthian shepard and delivered to Polybus and Merope (rulers of Corinth), where he receives his name. As he matures, he is mocked for being adopted, so he seeks information of his true parents from the Delphic Oracle, who responds instead that he is fated to kill his father and marry his mother. Under the conception that Polybus and Merope are his parents, he vows never to return home and wanders to Thebes instead.
He encounters a regal procession at a crossroads, whereby he is driven off the road and is struck by a man in a chariot. Unbeknownst to Oedipus, this man is his father Laius (King of Thebes), so when he slaughters all but one (the shepard that saved him as a child) of the offending party he fulfills the first half of the Oracles prophecy.
He continues on into the city, where he meets the Sphinx ("strangler", part lion part eagle) that devours those that cannot answer her riddle (Q: What creature is quadruped, biped, and triped? A: Man. Four-legged as an infant, two-legged as an adult, with a cane as an elder). Because the Sphinx commits suicide, Oedipus is the saviour of the city, and therefore becomes King of Thebes with Jocasta as his wife - who bears him 4 children, Antigone (f.), Ismene (f.), Polyneices (m.), and Eteocles (m.).
A plague strikes Thebes because Laius' murder has never been solved. Ironically, Oedipus becomes the object of his own curse when he vows to uproot and avenge the killer, ignoring Tiresias' warning hint. A messenger from Corinth arrives, bearing news of the death of King Polybus and the ascension of Oedipus to the throne. The truth is revealed that Oedipus was not his biological son, while Oedipus forces the nature of his true parentage out of the messenger and a Theban attendant, Jocasta retreats into the palace to hang herself. In grief, Oedipus blinds himself and commits to self-imposed exile in Colonus, as led by his daughter Antigone.

Oedipus at Colonus

The inhabitants of Colonus reject Oedipus because his reputation precedes him. Theseus (King of Athens) resolves the situation and allows his exile due a the prophecy that states the city possessing the bones of Oedipus cannot be taken, but Oedipus mysteriously disappears into the Grove of Eumenides (Eryines).

Seven Against Thebes

The sons of Oedipus are cursed by their father to die by each others hands, as forseen by the seer Tiresias. While Eteocles ascends the throne, Polyneices is exiled from Thebes but manages to steal the robe and necklace of Harmonia (wife of Cadmus). He uses the necklace to win over 6 allies that declare war on Thebes, to no avail. The seven gates are defended by seven heroes, and the brothers kill each other to fulfill the prophecy. Only Amphiarus (seer) and Adrastas are saved, either swallowed by the earth or saved by the divine steed Arion, and Thebes is momentarily left without a ruler.

Antigone

After the deaths of the brothers, Creon (evil uncle of Antigone) becomes King of Thebes and dictates that Polyneices the Traitor must be denied burial while Eteocles will be given full funeral honors. At her uncle's hubris (damning her brother as a wandering spirit), Antigone takes matters into her own hands and sprinkles dust on her brother's corpse as a symbolic burial. She is thus sentenced imprisonment without food and water, and commits suicide by hanging. Her berothed as well as mother also kill themselves.

Hermes (Ch 12)

Etymology and Epithets:
     (g.) Hermes, from Herma "stone heap", original I.E. apotropeic trail markers
     (l.) Mercury
     Hermes Psychopompus ("soul guide") conveys souls on their final journey to Hades.
     Hermes Argeiphontes ("slayer of Argus")
Domain: Arcadia, mainly the Peloponnesus,
Genealogy: Zeus + Maia, pleiade (daughter of Atlas + Pleione)
Claim to Fame: God of mischief, thieves, merchants, night time travellers, heralds and messengers.
      Trickster god, resourceful rascal. Inventor of the lyre. Deliverer of Dionysus.
Iconography: Petasus ("travellers hat"), Talaria ("[winged] sandals"), Caduceus ("[snaky] staff"")
Literature: Homeric Hymn to Hermes, Homer's Odyssey, Homer's Iliad, Ovid's Metamorphosis,  
      Aechyslus' Prometheus Bound

Myth

I. Theft of Apollo's Cattle - Hermes steals 50 head of Apollo's finest cattle by reversing their tracks in the sand, but he is tracked down by the testimony of the only witness, an old man. Hermes takes refuge in the cave of Zeus and Maia and pretends to be an innocent babe, denying all knowledge of the theft and preventing Apollo from "god-handling" him by letting go an omen ("burp/fart").
Apollo demands justice from Zeus, while Hermes lies charmingly, offering an exchange for a new instrument he invented: the lyre. Not only is her absolved from his crime of theft he is given the responsibility of guide to the gods (perhaps to keep him busy and out of trouble?)

II. Hermaphroditus - Hermes and Aphrodite have a son who has the misfortune of being lusted after by Salmacis,  a naiad ("water nymph"). While he is bathing in her spring unaware, she pounces and clings to his back, praying to the gods they'll never be seperated. The gods answer her prayers and the first hermaphrodite is created.  The pool itself becomes fabled for its emasculation of all male bathers.

III. Slayer of Argus - Io is lusted after by Zeus, but a scornful Hera transformed her into a heifer and set Argus ("one hundred eyes") to watch her. Zeus sends Hermes, who lulls Argus to sleep before killing him, and Io is set free. Hera takes the eyes of Argus and puts them on her favourite bird, the peacock, and sends a Gadfly to plague Io so she must wander the earth in search of relief.

Prometheus

Etymology and Epithets: Prometheus, Pro "before" + Metheus "thought"
Genealogy: Iapetus (titan) + Themis. Brother to Atlas and Epimetheus.
Claim to Fame: Trickster figure. Greek Culture Hero responsible for theomorphism of humans, religious sacrifice, and deliverance of technology and innovation to mankind.
Literature: Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound. Ovid's Metamorphosis.

Myth

I. Anthropogonal: The birth of humankind is rumoured to have been Prometheus' doing, who fashioned our form out of clay and bestowed within all of us a divine spark.
II. Religious Sacrifice: Prometheus, with sympathy for starving humankind at odds with the Gods, sacrificed an ox and portioned the animal evenly. To Zeus he offered the first choice of portions, either the bones,  cleverly and appealingly disguised by the dripping fat and gristle, or the meat, unappealingly disguised and reduced in ration. Zeus foolishly chooses the fat, leaving the sustaining portion to be consumed by humankind.
Etiologically, burnt sacrifice to the gods now holds only bones and fat, the meat and innards we consume ourselves first.

III. Gifts/Curses: Unfortunately Zeus, a young and wrathful god at the time, punishes mortals by removing fire and direct contact with the gods. Prometheus recovers the flame by hiding it in a fennel stalk, the first incidence of technology for humans to develop upon.
A prophecy bestows Prometheus with the knowledge of Zeus' future usurper, but refuses to reveal the information to the sky god. For this, he is shackled by Kratos ("strength") and Bia ("force") to the cliffs of Mt. Caucasus, gorged upon daily by Zeus' eagle, only to have his innards grow back nightly.
Zeus also gives the gift/curse of women in the form of Pandora to Epimetheus, Prometheus' brother, and once her box is opened humankind is faced with infinite scourge.