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{{other uses|Theseus (disambiguation)}} |
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{{Greek myth}} |
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[[File:Theseus Slaying Minotaur by Barye.jpg|thumb|upright|''Theseus Slaying Minotaur'' (1843), bronze sculpture by [[Antoine-Louis Barye]]]] |
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'''Theseus''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|θ|iː|s|iː|ə|s}}; {{lang-grc|Θησεύς}} {{IPA-el|tʰɛːsěu̯s|}}) was the [[myth]]ical<ref>For the ancient Greeks, convinced that Theseus had actually existed, he was not mythic, of course, but [[legend]]ary.</ref> founder-king of [[Athens]] and was the son of [[Aethra (Greek mythology)|Aethra]] by two fathers: [[Aegeus]] and [[Poseidon]]. |
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Theseus was a founder-hero, like [[Perseus]], [[Cadmus]], or [[Heracles]] (Hercules), all of whom battled and overcame foes that were identified with an archaic religious and social order.<ref>See Carl A.P. Ruck and Danny Staples, ''The World of Classical Myth'' (Carolina Academic Press, 1994), ch. ix "Theseus:Making the New Athens" pp 203–22: "This was a major cultural transition, like the making of the new Olympia by Hercules" (p. 204).</ref> As Heracles was the [[Dorians|Dorian]] hero, Theseus was a founding hero, considered by Athenians as their own great reformer: his name comes from the same root as {{lang|grc|θεσμός}} ("thesmos"), Greek for "The Gathering". The myths surrounding Theseus—his journeys, exploits, and family—have provided material for fiction throughout the ages. |
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Theseus was responsible for the ''[[synoikismos]]'' ("dwelling together")—the political unification of [[Attica, Greece|Attica]] under Athens, represented emblematically in his journey of labours, subduing ogres and monstrous beasts. Because he was the unifying king, Theseus built and occupied a palace on the fortress of the [[Acropolis]] that may have been similar to the palace that was excavated in [[Mycenae]]. [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] reports that after the ''synoikismos'', Theseus established a cult of [[Aphrodite Pandemos]] ("Aphrodite of all the People") and [[Peitho]] on the southern slope of the Acropolis. |
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[[Plutarch]]'s ''vita'' (a literalistic biography) of Theseus makes use of varying accounts of the death of the [[Minotaur]], Theseus' escape, and the love of [[Ariadne]] for Theseus.<ref>"May I therefore succeed in purifying Fable, making her submit to reason and take on the semblance of History. But where she obstinately disdains to make herself credible, and refuses to admit any element of probability, I shall pray for kindly readers, and such as receive with indulgence the tales of antiquity." (Plutarch, ''Life of Theseus''). Plutarch's avowed purpose is to construct a [[Parallel Lives|life that parallels]] the ''vita'' of [[Romulus]] that embodies the [[founding myth]] of Rome.</ref> Plutarch's sources, not all of whose texts have survived independently, included [[Pherecydes of Leros|Pherecydes]] (mid-fifth century BC), Demon (c. 400 BC), [[Philochorus]], and [[Cleidemus]] (both fourth century BC).<ref>Edmund P. Cueva, "Plutarch's Ariadne in Chariton's Chaereas and Callirhoe" ''American Journal of Philology'' '''117'''.3 (Fall 1996) pp. 473–484.</ref> |
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==Birth and early years== |
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[[File:Laurent de la La Hyre 002.jpg|thumb|left|''Theseus and Aethra'', by [[Laurent de La Hyre]]]] |
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[[Aegeus]] (1282–1234 BC), one of the primordial [[kings of Athens]], found a bride, [[Aethra (Greek mythology)|Aethra]] who was the daughter of king [[Pittheus]] at [[Troezen]], a small city southwest of Athens. Still without a male heir, Aegeus asked the [[oracle at Delphi]] for advice. Her cryptic words were "Do not loosen the bulging mouth of the wineskin until you have reached the height of Athens, lest you die of grief." Aegeus did not understand the prophecy and was disappointed. This puzzling oracle forced Aegeus to visit Pittheus, king of Troezen, who was famous for his wisdom and skill at expounding oracles. Pittheus understood the prophecy and introduced Aegeus to his daughter, Aethra, when Aegeus was drunk. But following the instructions of [[Athena]] in a dream, Aethra left the sleeping Aegeus and waded across to the island of Sphairia that lay close to Troezen's shore. There she poured a libation to Sphairos (Pelops' charioteer) and Poseidon, and was possessed by the sea god in the night. The mix gave Theseus a combination of divine as well as mortal characteristics in his nature; such double paternity, with one immortal and one mortal, was a familiar feature of other [[Greek hero]]es.<ref>The theory, expounded as natural history by [[Aristotle]], was accepted through the nineteenth century and only proven wrong in modern [[genetics]]: see [[Telegony (heredity)]]. Sometimes in myth the result could be twins, one born divine of a divine father, the other human of a human sire: see [[Dioscuri]]. Of a supposed Parnassos, founder of [[Delphi]], [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] observes, "Like the other heroes, as they are called, he had two fathers; one they say was the god Poseidon, the human father being Cleopompus." (''Description of Greece'' x.6.1).</ref> After Aethra became pregnant, Aegeus decided to return to Athens. Before leaving, however, he buried his sandals and sword under a huge rock<ref>Rock "which had a hollow in it just large enough to receive these objects," Plutarch says.</ref> and told Aethra that when their son grew up, he should move the rock, if he were heroic enough, and take the tokens for himself as evidence of his royal parentage. In Athens, Aegeus was joined by [[Medea]], who had left [[Ancient Corinth|Corinth]] after slaughtering the children she had borne, and had taken Aegeus as her new consort. Priestess and consort together represented the old order in Athens. |
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Thus Theseus was raised in his mother's land. When Theseus grew up and became a brave young man, he moved the rock and recovered his father's tokens. His mother then told him the truth about his father's identity and that he must take the sword and sandals back to king Aegeus to claim his birthright. To journey to Athens, Theseus could choose to go by sea (which was the safe way) or by land, following a dangerous path around the [[Saronic Gulf]], where he would encounter a string of six entrances to the [[Greek Underworld|Underworld]],<ref>Compared to [[Labours of Hercules|Hercules and his Labours]], "Theseus is occupied only with the sacred Entrances that are local to the lands of Athens" (Ruck and Staples 1994:204).</ref> each guarded by a [[chthonic]] enemy. Young, brave, and ambitious, Theseus decided to go alone by the land route and defeated a great many bandits along the way. |
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===The Six Labors=== |
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[[File:Theseus deeds BM E 84.JPG|thumb|The deeds of Theseus, on an [[Attica|Attic]] [[Red-figure pottery|red-figured]] ''[[Kylix (drinking cup)|kylix]]'', c. 440–430 BCE ([[British Museum]])]] |
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[[File:Theseus Minotaur BM Vase E84 n4.jpg|thumb|Detail of the kylix: Theseus and the [[Crommyonian Sow]], with Phaea]] |
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[[File:Kylix Aisón Teseo (M.A.N. Madrid) 04.jpg|thumb|Theseus captures the [[Cretan Bull|Marathonian Bull]] (kylix painted by [[Aison (vase painter)|Aison]], 5th century BC)]] |
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* At the first site, which was [[Epidaurus]], sacred to [[Apollo]] and the healer [[Asclepius]], Theseus turned the tables on the chthonic bandit, [[Periphetes]], the Club Bearer, who beat his opponents into the Earth, and took from him the stout staff that often identifies Theseus in vase-paintings. |
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* At the [[Isthmus of Corinth|Isthmian]] entrance to the Underworld was a robber named [[Sinis (mythology)|Sinis]], often called "Pityokamptes" (Greek: Πιτυοκάμπτης, "he who bends Pinetrees"). He would capture travelers, tie them between two [[pine]] trees that were bent down to the ground, and then let the trees go, tearing his victims apart. Theseus killed him by his own method. He then became intimate with Sinis's daughter, [[Perigune]], fathering the child [[Melanippus]]. |
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* In another deed north of the [[Isthmus]], at a place called [[Crommyon]], he killed an enormous pig, the [[Crommyonian Sow]], bred by an old crone named Phaea. Some versions name the sow herself as Phaea. The ''[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Bibliotheca]]'' described the Crommyonian sow as an offspring of [[Typhon]] and [[Echidna (mythology)|Echidna]]. |
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* Near [[Megara]], an elderly robber named [[Sciron]] forced travellers along the narrow cliff-face pathway to wash his feet. While they knelt, he kicked them off the cliff behind them, where they were eaten by a sea monster (or, in some versions, a giant [[turtle]]). Theseus pushed him off the cliff. |
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* Another of these enemies was [[Cercyon]], king at the holy site of [[Eleusis]], who challenged passers-by to a wrestling match and, when he had beaten them, killed them. Theseus beat Cercyon at wrestling and then killed him instead. In interpretations of the story that follow the formulas of Frazer's ''[[The Golden Bough]]'', Cercyon was a "[[Sacred king|year-King]]", who was required to do an annual battle for his life, for the good of his kingdom, and was succeeded by the victor. Theseus overturned this archaic religious rite by refusing to be sacrificed. |
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* The last bandit was [[Procrustes]] the Stretcher, who had two beds, one of which he offered to passers-by in the plain of Eleusis. He then ''made'' them fit into it, either by stretching them or by cutting off their feet. Since he had two beds of different lengths, no one would fit. Theseus turned the tables on Procrustes, cutting off his legs and decapitating him with his own axe. |
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==Medea and the Marathonian Bull, Androgeus and the Pallantides== |
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When Theseus arrived at Athens, he did not reveal his true identity immediately. [[Aegeus]] gave him hospitality but was suspicious of the young, powerful stranger's intentions. Aegeus's wife [[Medea]] recognized Theseus immediately as Aegeus' son and worried that Theseus would be chosen as heir to Aegeus' kingdom instead of her son [[Medus]]. She tried to arrange to have Theseus killed by asking him to capture the [[Cretan Bull|Marathonian Bull]], an emblem of Cretan power. |
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On the way to [[Marathon, Greece|Marathon]], Theseus took shelter from a storm in the hut of an ancient woman named [[Hecale]]. She swore to make a sacrifice to [[Zeus]] if Theseus were successful in capturing the bull. Theseus did capture the bull, but when he returned to Hecale's hut, she was dead. In her honor Theseus gave her name to one of the [[deme]]s of Attica, making its inhabitants in a sense her adopted children. |
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When Theseus returned victorious to Athens, where he sacrificed the Bull, Medea tried to poison him. At the last second, Aegeus recognized the sandals, shield, and sword, and knocked the poisoned wine cup from Theseus's hand. Thus father and son were reunited, and Medea, it was said, fled to Asia. |
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When Theseus appeared in the town, his reputation had preceded him, having travelled along the notorious coastal road from Troezen and slain some of the most feared bandits there. It was not long before the [[Pallantides]]' hopes of succeeding the apparently childless Aegeus would be lost if they did not get rid of Theseus (the Pallantides were the sons of [[Pallas (son of Pandion)|Pallas]] and nephews of King Aegeus, who were then living at the royal court in the sanctuary of Delphic Apollo<ref>"...where now is the enclosure in the Delphinium, for that is where the house of Aegeus stood, and the Hermes to the east of the sanctuary is called the Hermes at Aegeus's gate." (Plutarch, 12)</ref>). So they set a trap for him. One band of them would march on the town from one side while another lay in wait near a place called Gargettus in ambush. The plan was that after Theseus, Aegeus, and the palace guards had been forced out the front, the other half would surprise them from behind. However, Theseus was not fooled. Informed of the plan by a herald named Leos, he crept out of the city at midnight and surprised the Pallantides. "Theseus then fell suddenly upon the party lying in ambush, and slew them all. Thereupon the party with Pallas dispersed," Plutarch reported.<ref>Plutarch, 13.</ref> |
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==The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur== |
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[[File:Theseus and the Minotaur.gif|thumb|upright|Theseus and the Minotaur]] |
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[[File:Minotaur.jpg|thumb|upright|Theseus and the Minotaur on 6th-century [[black-figure pottery]]]] |
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[[Pasiphae]], wife of King [[Minos]] of Crete, had several children before the [[Minotaur]]. The eldest of these, [[Androgeus]], set sail for Athens to take part in the Pan-Athenian games, which were held there every four years. Being strong and skillful, he did very well, winning some events outright. He soon became a crowd favorite, much to the resentment of the Pallantides, and they assassinated him, incurring the wrath of Minos. |
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When King Minos had heard of what befell his son, he ordered the Cretan fleet to set sail for Athens. Minos asked Aegeus for his son's assassins, and if they were to be handed to him, the town would be spared. However, not knowing who the assassins were, King Aegeus surrendered the whole town to Minos' mercy. His retribution was that, at the end of every [[Great Year]] (seven solar years), the seven most courageous youths and the seven most beautiful maidens were to board a boat and be sent as tribute to Crete, never to be seen again. |
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In another version, King Minos had waged war with the Athenians and was successful. He then demanded that, at nine-year intervals, seven Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls were to be sent to Crete to be devoured by the [[Minotaur]], a half-man, half-bull monster that lived in the [[Labyrinth]] created by [[Daedalus]]. |
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{{anchor|Labyrinth}}On the third occasion, Theseus volunteered to slay the monster to stop this horror. He took the place of one of the youths and set off with a black sail, promising to his father, [[Aegeus]], that if successful he would return with a white sail.<ref>Plutarch quotes [[Simonides]] to the effect that the alternate sail given by Aegeus was not white, but "a scarlet sail dyed with the tender flower of luxuriant [[holm oak]]." (Plutarch, 17.5).</ref> Like the others, Theseus was stripped of his weapons when they sailed. On his arrival in Crete, [[Ariadne]], King Minos' daughter, fell in love with Theseus and, on the advice of Daedalus, gave him a ball of thread (a [[wikt:clew|clew]]), so he could find his way out of the Labyrinth.<ref>Ariadne is sometimes represented in vase-paintings with the thread wound on her [[spindle (textiles)|spindle]].</ref> That night, Ariadne escorted Theseus to the Labyrinth, and Theseus promised that if he returned from the Labyrinth he would take Ariadne with him. As soon as Theseus entered the Labyrinth, he tied one end of the ball of string to the door post and brandished his sword which he had kept hidden from the guards inside his tunic. Theseus followed Daedalus' instructions given to Ariadne; go forwards, always down and never left or right. Theseus came to the heart of the Labyrinth and also upon the sleeping Minotaur. The beast awoke and a tremendous fight then occurred. Theseus overpowered the Minotaur with his strength and stabbed the beast in the throat with his sword (according to one ''[[scholium]]'' on Pindar's Fifth Nemean Ode, Theseus strangled it).<ref>Noted by Kerenyi 1959:232 note 532.</ref> |
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After decapitating the beast, Theseus used the string to escape the Labyrinth and managed to escape with all of the young Athenians and Ariadne as well as her younger sister [[Phaedra (mythology)|Phaedra]]. Then he and the rest of the crew fell asleep on the beach. Athena woke Theseus and told him to leave early that morning. Athena told Theseus to leave Ariadne and Phaedra on the beach. Stricken with distress, Theseus forgot to put up the white sails instead of the black ones, so the king committed suicide, in some versions throwing himself off a cliff and into the sea, thus causing this body of water to be named the Aegean. [[Dionysus]] later saw Ariadne crying out for Theseus and took pity on her and married her. |
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==Ship of Theseus== |
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According to [[Plutarch]]'s ''Life of Theseus'', the ship Theseus used on his return from [[Minoan civilization|Crete]] to [[Classical Athens|Athens]] was kept in the Athenian harbor as a memorial for several centuries. |
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<blockquote>The ship wherein Theseus and the youth of [[Athens]] returned had thirty oars, and was preserved by the Athenians down even to the time of [[Demetrius Phalereus]],<ref>Demetrius Phalereus was a distinguished orator and statesman, who governed Athens for a decade before being exiled, in 307 BCE.</ref> for they took away the old planks as they decayed, putting in new and stronger timber in their place...<ref>{{cite web | last = Plutarch | first = | authorlink = Plutarch | coauthors = | title = Theseus | work = | publisher = The Internet Classics Archive | date = | url = http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/theseus.html | doi = | accessdate = 2013-01-17}}</ref></blockquote> |
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The ship had to be maintained in a seaworthy state, for, in return for Theseus's successful mission, the Athenians had pledged to honour [[Apollo]] every year henceforth. Thus, the Athenians sent a religious mission to the island of [[Delos]] (one of Apollo's most sacred sanctuaries) on the Athenian state galley – the ship itself – to pay their fealty to the god. To preserve the purity of the occasion, no executions were permitted between the time when the religious ceremony began to when the ship returned from Delos, which took several weeks.<ref>{{cite book|title = Plato: Complete Works|editor-last = Cooper|editor-first = John M.|others = Associate editor, D. S. Hutchinson|year = 1997|publisher = Hackett|location = Indianapolis/Cambridge|isbn = 0-87220-349-2|page = 37}}</ref> |
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To preserve the ship, any wood that wore out or rotted was replaced; it was, thus, unclear to philosophers how much of the original ship actually remained, giving rise to the philosophical question whether it should be considered "the same" ship or not. Such philosophical questions about the nature of [[identity and change|identity]] are sometimes referred to as the [[Ship of Theseus|Ship of Theseus Paradox]]. |
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Regardless of these issues of the originality of the ship's structure, for Athenians the preserved ship kept fresh their understanding that Theseus had been an actual, historic figure – which none then doubted – and gave them a tangible connection to their divine providence. |
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==Theseus and Pirithous== |
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[[File:Theseus and Centaur.jpg|thumb|left|Theseus Defeats the Centaur by [[Antonio Canova]] (1804–1819), [[Kunsthistorisches Museum]]]] |
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Theseus's best friend was [[Pirithous]], prince of the [[Lapiths]]. Pirithous had heard stories of Theseus's courage and strength in battle but wanted proof, so he rustled Theseus's herd of cattle and drove it from [[Marathon, Greece|Marathon]], and Theseus set out in pursuit. Pirithous took up his arms and the pair met to do battle, but were so impressed with each other they took an oath of friendship and joined the hunt for the [[Calydonian Boar]]. In ''Iliad'' I, [[Nestor (mythology)|Nestor]] numbers Pirithous and Theseus "of heroic fame" among an earlier generation of heroes of his youth, "the strongest men that Earth has bred, the strongest men against the strongest enemies, a savage mountain-dwelling tribe whom they utterly destroyed." No trace of such an oral tradition, which Homer's listeners would have recognized in Nestor's allusion, survived in literary epic. Later, Pirithous was preparing to marry [[Hippodamia]]. The [[centaur]]s were guests at the wedding feast, but got drunk and tried to abduct the women, including Hippodamia. The Lapiths won the ensuing battle. |
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In [[Ovid]]'s ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' Theseus fights against and kills [[Eurytus]], the "fiercest of all the fierce centaurs"<ref>Ovid, ''Metamorphoses'', XII:217–153</ref> at the wedding of [[Pirithous]] and [[Hippodamia (wife of Pirithous)|Hippodamia]]. |
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===The abduction of Persephone and encounter with Hades=== |
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[[File:Theseus Helene Staatliche Antikensammlungen 2309 n2.jpg|thumb|right|Theseus carries off the willing Helen, on an [[Attica|Attic]] red-figure [[amphora]], c. 510 BCE]] |
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Theseus, a great abductor of women, and his bosom companion, Pirithous, since they were sons of Zeus and Poseidon, pledged themselves to marry daughters of Zeus.<ref>Scholia on ''Iliad'' iii.144 and a fragment (#227) of [[Pindar]], according to Kerenyi 1951:237, note 588.</ref> Theseus, in an old tradition,<ref>Reported at [[Athenaeus]], ''[[Deipnosophistae]]'' [http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/Literature/Literature-idx?type=turn&id=Literature.AthV3&entity=Literature.AthV3.p0079&q1=helen&pview=hide 13.4 (557a)]; cf. Kerenyi 1959:234 and note.</ref> chose [[Helen of Troy|Helen]], and together they kidnapped her, intending to keep her until she was old enough to marry. Pirithous chose [[Persephone]]. They left Helen with Theseus's mother, [[Aethra (Greek mythology)|Aethra]] at [[Aphidna]], whence she was rescued by the [[Dioscuri]]. |
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On Pirithous' behalf they travelled to the underworld, domain of [[Persephone]] and her husband, [[Hades]]. As they wandered through the outskirts of [[Tartarus]], Theseus sat down to rest on a rock. As he did so he felt his limbs change and grow stiff. He tried to rise but could not. He was fixed to the rock on which he sat. Then, as he turned to cry out to his friend Pirithous, he saw that he himself was crying out too. Around him was standing the terrible band of Furies with snakes in their hair, torches and long whips in their hands. Before these monsters the hero's courage failed and by them he was led away to eternal punishment. |
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For many months in half darkness, Theseus sat immovably fixed to the rock, mourning both for his friend and for himself. In the end he was rescued by Heracles who had come down to the underworld for his 12th task. There he persuaded Persephone to forgive him for the part he had taken in the rash venture of Pirithous. So Theseus was restored to the upper air but Pirithous never left the kingdom of the dead, for when he tried to free Pirithous, the Underworld shook. When Theseus returned to Athens, he found that the [[Dioscuri]] had taken Helen and Aethra to [[Sparta]]. |
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==Phaedra and Hippolytus== |
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[[File:Theseus saves Hippodameia, Athens - Pl. Victoria, 2005.JPG|thumb|260px|''Theseus saves Hippodameia'', work by [[Johannes Pfuhl]] in Athens]] |
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[[Phaedra (mythology)|Phaedra]], Theseus's second wife and the daughter of King Minos, bore Theseus two sons, [[Demophon of Athens|Demophon]] and [[Acamas]]. While these two were still in their infancy, Phaedra fell in love with [[Hippolytus (son of Theseus)|Hippolytus]], Theseus's son by the [[Amazons|Amazon]] queen [[Hippolyta]]. According to some versions of the story, Hippolytus had scorned [[Aphrodite]] to become a devotee of [[Artemis]], so Aphrodite made Phaedra fall in love with him as punishment. He rejected her out of chastity. |
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Alternatively, in Euripides' version, ''[[Hippolytus (play)|Hippolytus]]'', Phaedra's nurse told Hippolytus of her mistress's love and he swore he would not reveal the nurse as his source of information. To ensure that she would die with dignity, Phaedra wrote to Theseus on a tablet claiming that Hippolytus had raped her before hanging herself. Theseus believed her and used one of the three wishes he had received from [[Poseidon]] against his son. The curse caused Hippolytus' horses to be frightened by a sea monster, usually a bull, and drag their rider to his death. Artemis would later tell Theseus the truth, promising to avenge her loyal follower on another follower of Aphrodite. |
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In a version by [[Seneca the Younger|Seneca]], the Roman playwright, entitled ''[[Phaedra (Seneca)|Phaedra]]'', after Phaedra told Theseus that Hippolytus had raped her, Theseus killed his son himself, and Phaedra committed suicide out of guilt, for she had not intended for Hippolytus to die. |
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In yet another version, Phaedra simply told Theseus Hippolytus had raped her and did not kill herself, and [[Dionysus]] sent a wild bull which terrified Hippolytus's horses. |
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A cult grew up around Hippolytus, associated with the cult of [[Aphrodite]]. Girls who were about to be married offered locks of their hair to him. The cult believed that [[Asclepius]] had resurrected Hippolytus and that he lived in a sacred forest near [[Aricia, Italy|Aricia]] in [[Latium]]. |
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==Other stories and his death== |
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According to sources, Theseus also was one of the [[Argonauts]], although [[Apollonius of Rhodes]] states in the ''[[Argonautica]]'' that Theseus was still in the underworld at this time. Both statements are inconsistent with [[Medea]] being Aegeus' wife by the time Theseus first came to Athens. With Phaedra, Theseus fathered [[Acamas]], who was one of those who hid in the [[Trojan Horse]] during the [[Trojan War]]. Theseus welcomed the wandering [[Oedipus]] and helped [[Adrastus]] to bury the [[Seven Against Thebes]]. |
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[[Lycomedes]] of the island of [[Skyros]] threw Theseus off a cliff after he had lost popularity in Athens. In 475 BC, in response to an oracle, [[Cimon]] of Athens, having conquered Skyros for the Athenians, identified as the remains of Theseus "a coffin of a great corpse with a bronze spear-head by its side and a sword." (Plutarch, ''Life of Cimon'', quoted Burkert 1985, p. 206). The remains found by Cimon were reburied in Athens. The early modern name ''Theseion'' (Temple of Theseus) was mistakenly applied to the [[Temple of Hephaestus]] which was thought to be the actual site of the [[temenos|hero's tomb]]. |
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==Adaptations of the myth== |
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===Literature=== |
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[[File:Theseus-SW.jpg|thumb|upright|Theseus with the head of Minotaur]] |
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*[[Sophocles]]' [[tragedy]] ''[[Oedipus at Colonus]]'' features Theseus as a major character. |
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*[[Euripides]]' tragedy ''[[Hippolytus (play)|Hippolytus]]'' and [[Seneca the Younger|Seneca]]'s ''[[Phaedra (Seneca)|Phaedra]]'' revolve around the death of Theseus son. |
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*In Geoffrey Chaucer's epic chivalric romance, "Knight's Tale," one of the Canterbury Tales, Theseus is duke of Athens, husband of Ypolita, and protector of Emelye, Ypolita's sister, for whom the two knights of Thebes, Arcite and Palamon, do battle. |
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*[[Jean Racine|Racine]]'s ''[[Phèdre]]'' (1677) features Theseus as well as Hippolytus and the title character Phaedra. |
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*Theseus is a prominent character as the Duke of Athens in [[William Shakespeare]]'s plays, ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' and ''[[The Two Noble Kinsmen]]''. [[Hippolyta]] also appears in both plays. |
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*[[F. L. Lucas]]'s epic poem ''Ariadne'' (1932) is an epic reworking of the Labyrinth myth: Aegle, one of the sacrificial maidens who accompany Theseus to Crete, is Theseus's sweetheart, the Minotaur is Minos himself in a bull-mask, and Ariadne, learning on Naxos of Theseus's earlier love for Aegle, decides to leave him for the Ideal [Dionysus].<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.cambridge.org/fr/academic/subjects/literature/english-literature-1830-1900/ariadne|title=Ariadne|author=[[F. L. Lucas]]|year=2014|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781107677524}}</ref> |
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*[[Mary Renault]]'s ''[[The King Must Die]]'' (1958) is a dramatic retelling of the Theseus legend from his childhood in Troizen until the return from Crete to Athens. While fictional, it is generally faithful to the spirit and flavor of the best-known variations of the original story. The sequel is ''[[The Bull from the Sea]]'' (1962), about the hero's later career. |
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*[[Stephen Dobyns]], wrote the poem ''Theseus within the Labyrinth'' (1986) which provides a retelling of the myth of Ariadne, Theseus and the minotaur, in particular the feelings of Ariadne. |
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*In issue #12 of [[Fright Night (comics)|''Fright Night'' comics]] entitled ''Bull-Whipped'', Theseus and the Minotaur are resurrected by the comic's Aunt Claudia Hinnault, who is the reincarnation of [[Ariadne]]. |
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*[[Kir Bulychov]]'s 1993 book ''An Attempt on Theseus' Life'' (Покушение на Тезея) is about a plot to assassinate a man during a [[virtual reality]] tour in which he lives through Theseus' life. |
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*[[Troy Denning]]'s 1996 novel ''Pages of Pain'' features an amnesic Theseus fighting to recover his past while interacting with some of the more colorful beings of the [[Planescape]] universe. |
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*[[Steven Pressfield]]'s 2002 novel ''[[Last of the Amazons]]'' attempts to situate Theseus's meeting and subsequent marriage to Antiope, as well as the ensuing war, in a historically plausible setting. |
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*[[Jorge Luis Borges]] presents an interesting variation of the myth in a short story, "La Casa de Asterión" ("[[The House of Asterion]]"). |
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*British comedian [[Tony Robinson]] wrote a version of the Theseus story entitled ''Theseus: Super Hero''. |
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*Author [[Suzanne Collins]] was inspired by Theseus to write [[The Hunger Games trilogy|''The Hunger Games'' trilogy]], which was published from 2008–2010.<ref>{{cite news|author=Zeitchik, Steven|title=Which dystopian property does ''The Hunger Games'' most resemble?|date=March 24, 2012|url=http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/movies/general/view/20120324which_dystopian_property_does_the_hunger_games_most_resemble/|work=Los Angeles Times via Boston Herald|publisher=Boston Herald and Herald Media|accessdate=March 24, 2012}}</ref> |
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===Stage, film and television=== |
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*''[[Thésée]]'' (1675) is an early French opera by [[Jean-Baptiste Lully]] to a [[libretto]] by [[Philippe Quinault]], based on Ovid. |
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*''[[Teseo]]'' (1713) is an [[opera seria]] by [[George Frideric Handel]] to a libretto by [[Nicola Francesco Haym]], based on Quinault. |
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*The opera ''[[Hippolyte et Aricie]]'' (1733) by [[Jean-Philippe Rameau]], based on Racine, features Theseus as a character. |
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*Theseus is played by [[Bob Mathias]] in the 1960 film ''[[Minotaur, the Wild Beast of Crete]]'', and by [[Tom Hardy]] in the 2006 film ''[[Minotaur (film)|Minotaur]]''. |
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*The first episode of the 2001 children's television series ''[[MythQuest]]'', entitled "Minotaur," features a story in which the modern day teen-aged protagonist finds himself unexpectedly thrust into Theseus' role and must follow through with the events of the existing myth, including slaying the Minotaur with the help of Ariadne and Daedalus.<ref>[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/MythQuestE1TheMinotaur TV Tropes – Recap: ''Myth Quest'' E 1 "The Minotaur"]</ref> The storyline was also adapted into a novelization.<ref>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1341248.The_Minotaur</ref> |
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*In the 2003 miniseries ''[[Helen of Troy (TV miniseries)|Helen of Troy]]'', Theseus, played by [[Stellan Skarsgård]], kidnaps Helen with Pirithous and waits for her to reach marriageable age; however, he is slain by [[Dioscuri|Pollux]] and she is returned to Sparta. |
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*In the film ''[[Immortals (2011 film)|Immortals]]'' (2011), directed by [[Tarsem Singh]], Theseus, played by [[Henry Cavill]], leads a war against King Hyperion of Heraklion, played by [[Mickey Rourke]]. |
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*The Indian film ''[[Ship of Theseus (film)|Ship of Theseus]]'' (2012) directed by [[Anand Gandhi]], is an exploration of the philosophical idea underlying the myth. |
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*In the Canadian television series, ''[[Continuum (TV series)|Continuum]]'' (2012–), the leader of an anti-corporate human rights/terrorist group is called Theseus. |
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==Atlantis== |
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*In 2013, BBC series ''[[Atlantis]]'' was released. In the first episode of season one {The Earth Bull.}, Jason enters the labyrinth. He is helped by ''[[Ariadne]]'' to slay him, as the myth of the minotaur. Jason is based on the characters of ''Theseus'', ''[[Perseus]]'' and the myth of ''[[Jason]]'' And The Argonauts. |
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In Season 2 Part 1, ''[[Medea]]'' is introduced. Pasiphaё seeks to take back Atlantis after Ariadne is made Queen. The plot seems to be leading to ''[[Jason]]'' and The Argonauts. |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist|colwidth=30em}} |
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'''Primary sources''' |
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* Pseudo-Apollodorus, ''[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Bibliotheca]]'' |
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* [[Ovid]], [[Metamorphoses]] |
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* [[Plutarch]], ''[http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/theseus.html Theseus]'' |
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'''Secondary sources''' |
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* [[Walter Burkert|Burkert, Walter]], ''Greek Religion'' (1985) |
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* [[Stephen Dobyns]], ''Theseus within the Labyrinth'' (1986) http://www.jstor.org/stable/20600617 |
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* [[Károly Kerényi|Kerényi, Karl]], ''The Heroes of the Greeks'' (1959) |
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* Price, Anne, ''The Quest for Theseus'' (London, 1970) examines the Theseus-Minotaur-Ariadne myth and its historical basis, and later treatments and adaptations of it in Western culture. |
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* Ruck, Carl A.P. and Danny Staples, ''The World of Classical Myth'': ch. IX "Theseus: making the new Athens" (1994), pp. 203–222. |
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* Walker, Henry J., ''Theseus and Athens'', Oxford University Press (US 1995). The most thorough scholarly examination of Theseus's archaic origins and classical myth and cult, and his place in classical literature. |
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== External links == |
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{{Wikisource|Lives (Dryden translation)/Theseus|Theseus}} |
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*{{Commons category-inline|Theseus}} |
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* [http://www.theoi.com/Text/PlutarchTheseus.html (Theoi Project) Plutarch: ''Life of Theseus''] |
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* [http://greekmythcomix.com/comic/theseus-and-the-minotaur-pt1/ Greek Myth Comix: The Story of Theseus, pt.1] [http://greekmythcomix.com/comic/theseus-and-the-minotaur-pt2/ Pt.2] [http://greekmythcomix.com/comic/theseus-and-the-minotaur-pt3/ Pt.3] The story of Theseus in comic-strip format, by [http://greekmythcomix.com Greek Myth Comix] |
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{{s-start}} |
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{{s-bef|before=[[Aegeus]]}} |
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{{s-ttl|title=[[King of Athens]]|years=}} |
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{{s-aft|after=[[Menestheus]]}} |
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{{s-end}} |
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{{Plutarch|state=collapsed}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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[[Category:Theseus| ]] |
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[[Category:Argonauts]] |
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[[Category:Attic culture heroes]] |
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[[Category:Characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream]] |
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[[Category:Characters in Book VI of the Aeneid]] |
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[[Category:Demigods of Classical mythology]] |
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[[Category:Founding monarchs]] |
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[[Category:Greek mythological hero cult]] |
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[[Category:Greek mythology]] |
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[[Category:Heroes who ventured to Hades]] |
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[[Category:Kings of Athens]] |
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[[Category:Male Shakespearean characters]] |
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[[Category:Mythological kings]] |
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[[Category:Mythological sword fighters]] |
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[[Category:Offspring of Poseidon]] |
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