SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔3 Claims to origin of Athens (Athenians) - ✔✔1) descended from a mortal named
Cecrops
2) They were autochtonous (sprung from earth)
3) They were descended from Athena (City named after)
✔✔Cecrops - ✔✔-taught monogamy, to worship Zeus, abandon human sacrifice, to
build cities, to bury dead properly
-Born from Hephaestus getting semen on Athena's leg
-Loss of Athena's sexual innocence
-Became king of Athens
-Now festival of girls losing viriginity "Festival of dew carriers"
✔✔Erichthonius - ✔✔-another king of Athens, the theme of Athenian autochthony
-gave birth to Pandion who had daughters; Procne & Philomela
-Terus (king of Racias, son of Areas) was assistance in war
-Terus wanted Procne as wife, they bore son Itys
-Philomena loses tongue, so as revenge she & Procne kill Itys & heed him to Terus
-Terus turns procne into bird (one should not give into irrational desire)
-Pandion died, Erechtheus (son) became king and had seven kids (2nd cecrops)
-2nd Cecrops has 2nd Pandion, who married Creusa. They had 4 sons, including Aegus
& Pallas.
-Sons gained power, Aegus had more power but was sterile while Pallas had 50 sons.
-Oracle said that the next intercourse would produce heir, so Pittheus tricked him to
sleep with his daughter Aethra who later was possesed by Poseidon-->Theseus
✔✔Birth of Theseus - ✔✔-son of mortal Aegeus
-son of immortal Poseidon
✔✔Labors of Theseus - ✔✔o Killed Periphetes "clubber"-son of Hephaestus
• Killed him with his own club then took it
o Slew Sinis- giant and son of Poseidon "Pinebender"
• Catapulted victims through air or tie them to 2 bent trees and let go (Theseus gave
same treatment)
• Killed enormous pig in Cromnyon
• Turned tables on Sciron. Forced him to wash Theseus' keet and then kicked him down
the slope
• Crushed powerful wrestler, Cercyon to death
• Killed Procrustes who offered travelers a place to sleep for the night. Had big bed and
small bed and because he liked symmetry he would cut off or stretch people to fit the
bed
, ✔✔Theseus' Arrival in Athens - ✔✔o Theseus arrived, but Aegeus would not
acknowledge him because of sorcerous Medea, so sent him after bull, which he killed
o Madea (antagonist) tried to poison him but Aegeus stopped him
o 50 sons of Pallas tried to kill Theseus, but he instead killed them
• Theseus became king by accident when he forgot to change the sails on his boat,
making his father believe that he was dead-->made him toss himself into the sea
(Aegean Sea)
o Made Greek Synocism "Living with" ATTICA
o Instituted Panathenaic fest- Attic unity
o Abducted Antiope (or Hippolyta) queen of amazons and provoked Amazonomachy
"battle with amazons"
o *Amazons hated men and would tolerate as slaves
• Would cut off right breast to help with Archery
• Follows Artemis
• Constructed temple of Artemis at Ephiesus
• Amazons vs Athenian Women
• Victory over Amazons symbolized and Justified Athens moral and political superiority
✔✔Theseus/Antiope - ✔✔-Have a son, named Hippolytus
-he left her for Phaedra
✔✔Phaedra - ✔✔o But later cast her off for new wife Phaedra Daughter of Minos
• Hippolytus devoted himself to virgin huntress Artemis and despised his own gender
• Phaedra fell in love with Hippolytus (her stepson)
• Her nurse told him and he was disgusted
• Scared Hippolytus would tell Theseus, Phaedra killed herself saying she had too much
shame after Hippolytus assaulted her
• Theseus curses his own son- bull causes Hippolytus to be reared into the ocean and
dies- Later Theseus learns truth
• From this story came "Potiphar's Wife"
• Bellerophon
✔✔Pirithous - ✔✔-son of Ixion
-King of Lapiths
-Theseus almost killed him but they become friends like Gilgamesh and Enkidu
-Maried Hippodamia and invited Centaurs to wedding
-Centaruomachy
✔✔Theseus & Pirithous Wives - ✔✔-looked for new wives together when their wives
died
-Helen for Theseus (too young for intercourse)
-Pirithous wanted to Persephone (wife of Hades) and they were bound to chairs until
Heracles saved them
-Theseus returned to upper world in which Athens was in turmoil
-Theseus took Helen and his mom (aethra) to Scyros for hospitality
-He is then pushed off cliff by local king (carless/shameful death)