Mythology

classics

REVISION NOTES FOR GREEK MYTHOLOGY
 
 
 
JASON AND THE GOLDEN FLEECE
 
  • Jason sails to Colchis in the Argo with the Argonauts
  • King Aeetes tells Jason to yoke 2 fire-breathing bulls, plough a field with the bulls and sow the dragon’s teeth, and take the fleece alone from a tree guarded by the snake.
  • Medea, Aeetes’ daughter, gives advice and magic potions to Jason.
  • Jason yokes the bulls by magic and ploughs the field.
  • Jason sows the dragon’s teeth: they become soldiers but Jason makes them fight each other by throwing a rock among them.
  • Jason takes the fleece by charming the snake to sleep.
  • Jason and Medea escape.
  • Medea delays Aeetes’ pursuit by throwing her brother’s body into the sea.
 
 
 
PERSEUS AND THE GORGON MEDUSA
 
Perseus, the son of Zeus and Danae, is told to collect the head of the Gorgon Medusa as a wedding present for Polydectes.
 
  • Hermes gives Perseus winged sandals.
  • Athena gives Perseus a reflective shield and tells him to visit the Graeae.
  • Perseus steals the single eye of the Graeae (3 sisters of the Gorgons): they send him to the Stygian Maidens.
  • Stygian maidens give Perseus:      (a) a curved sword
(b) a goatskin wallet
(c) a helmet of invisibility
  • Perseus chops off the head of Medusa and puts it in his wallet.
  • Perseus flies away: with the help of the winged sandals and the helmet of invisibility he escapes from the other 2 Gorgons.
  • From the blood of Medusa, the winged horse Pegasus springs.
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE LABOURS OF HERCULES
 
Hercules, son of Zeus, performed 12 labours for king Eurystheus, because of the jealousy of Hera.
 
  • Killing the Nemean Lion
  • Killing the Hydra of Lerna
  • Fetching the golden stag of Artemis.
  • Fetching the boar of Erymanthus.
  • Cleaning the stables of King Augeas.
  • Killing the Stymphalian birds.
  • Fetching the Cretan bull.
  • Taming the horses of Diomedes.
  • Fetching the girdle of Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons.
  • Fetching the oxen of Geryon.
  • Fetching the golden apples of the Hesperides.
  • Fetching Cerberus, three-headed dog of the underworld.
 
 
 
THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR
 
THE JOURNEY TO ATHENS
 
  • Periphetes, the club-bearer.
  • Sinis, the pine-bender.
  • The sow of Crommyon.
  • Sciron and his cliff.
  • Procrustes, the stretcher.
  • Medea and Aegeus in Athens.
 
THE MINOTAUR
 
  • 7 boys and 7 girls go each year to Crete in a black-sailed ship.
  • Theseus’ promise to Aegeus about changing the sails to white.
  • Minos, king of Crete.
  • Ariadne, daughter of Minos, gives sword and thread to Theseus.
  • Theseus kills the Minotaur in the labyrinth.
  • Theseus escapes from Crete with Ariadne.
  • Theseus leaves Ariadne on the island of Naxos.
  • Return to Athens, leading to Aegeus’ suicide.
 
 
ULYSSES/ODYSSEUS
 
THE JOURNEY FROM TROY
 
  • Polyphemus, the Cyclops (and son of Poseidon), eats some men, is blinded, and curses Odysseus’ voyage.
  • Circe, the witch, turns men into pigs, then back into humans again.
  • The Sirens – Odysseus puts wax into his men’s ears.
  • Scylla (the six-headed monster) and Charybdis (the whirlpool).
  • Calypso, the lonely sea-nymph, keeps Odysseus for 7 years.
 
THE HOMECOMING TO ITHACA
 
  • Odysseus returns alone.
  • Athena tells him of the many suitors, led by Antinous, and their unruly behaviour.
  • Odysseus meets his swineherd, Eumaeus, and his son, Telemachus.
  • Odysseus arrives at the palace, disguised as a beggar.
  • Odysseus’ dog, Argus, dies of joy at his master’s return.
  • Odysseus’ old nurse, Eurycleia, recognises him by an old boar scar.
  • Penelope sets up contest (to select a new husband) – stringing Odysseus’ bow and shooting an arrow through 12 axe-heads.
  • The suitors try to string the bow but are not strong enough.
  • Telemachus almost strings the bow; Odysseus signals that he shouldn’t.
  • Odysseus strings the bow.
  • Helped by Athena and Telemachus, Odysseus kills all the suitors.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE TROJAN WAR
 
THE JUDGEMENT OF PARIS
 
  • Paris chooses Aphrodite, not Hera or Athena.
  • Paris takes Menelaus’ wife, Helen, and returns to Troy.
  • Agamemnon, Menelaus’ brother, leads the Greek forces to Troy.
 
THE DEATHS OF PATROCLUS AND HECTOR
 
  • Achilles and Agamemnon argue over Briseis (Achilles’ slave girl)
  • Achilles refuses to fight and asks his mother (Thetis) to ensure Trojan victories.
  • Hector, son of Priam, leads the Trojans to a series of victories.
  • Patroclus, dressed in Achilles’ armour, helps the Greeks.
  • Hector kills Patroclus and takes Achilles’ armour.
  • Achilles returns to battle and kills Hector after chasing him round the walls of Troy.
  • Achilles drags Hector’s corpse round Patroclus’ tomb.
  • Priam begs Achilles to return Hector’s body – Achilles does so.
 
THE WOODEN HORSE
 
  • Odysseus devises the plan.
  • The Greeks leave Troy, leaving their best men in the wooden horse.
  • Cassandra, Trojan priestess and prophet, tells them to destroy the horse.
  • Laocoon, Trojan priest, throws spear at horse – he is killed by two sea-snakes.
  • Sinon, a Greek, persuades the Trojans to take the horse in.
  • Trojans celebrate and fall asleep.
  • The Greeks destroy Troy.
  • Aeneas and a few other Trojans escape to go and found the Roman race.

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