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68-623: The Pyanopsia is linked to Theseus , the mythical king and founder-hero of Athens. In specific, the festival is linked to one of the Six Labours of Theseus, which was to kill the Minotaur on the Greek island of Crete. Before facing the Minotaur Theseus promised a thank offering to Apollo in rewards for favoring him during his quest. As a result of Apollo's divine favor, it is said that Theseus established

136-512: A black sail, promising to his father, Aegeus, that if successful he would return with a white sail. 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 clew), so he could find his way out of the Labyrinth. That night, Ariadne escorted Theseus to

204-453: A capacity due to its prominence in the procession. In understanding the eiresione in such a way, the connections between the offerings given at the Pyanopsia and the success of the city are elucidated. According to Chisholm, "it was intended as a thank-offering for blessings received, and at the same time as a prayer for similar blessings and protection against evil in future; hence, it was called

272-518: A distinct set of four Horae, the daughters of Helios . Quintus Smyrnaeus also attributes the Horae as the daughters of Helios and Selene , and describes them as the four handmaidens of Hera . The seasons were personified by the ancients, the Greeks represented them generally as women but on some antique monuments they are depicted as winged children with attributes peculiar to each season. The Greek words for

340-466: 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. Theseus, in an old tradition, chose Helen , and together they kidnapped her, intending to keep her until she was old enough to marry. Pirithous chose Persephone , even though she was already married to Hades , king of the underworld. They left Helen with Theseus's mother, Aethra at Aphidna , whence she

408-414: A huge rock 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 Corinth after slaughtering the children she had borne to Jason , and had taken Aegeus as her new consort. Thus Theseus was raised in his mother's land. When Theseus grew up to be

476-435: A mortal princess, who was later deified as a goddess of cold mountain winds), and the goddess/personification of snow and winter . Along with Chione, Thallo, Auxo, and Carpo were a part of the entourage of the goddess of the turn of the seasons, Persephone . Of the second triad associated to Themis and Zeus for law and order: The last triad of Horae was identified by Hyginus : Nonnus in his Dionysiaca mentions

544-466: 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 demes of Attica, making its inhabitants in a sense her adopted children. When Theseus returned victorious to Athens, where he sacrificed the Bull, Medea tried to poison him. At the last second, Aegeus recognized

612-532: A suppliant branch (εἶρος)." The principal eirisione was carried in a procession by a group of singing boys who carried it to the Athenian Temple of Apollo, where it was suspended on the gate. Smaller eirsiones were also left by the boys on private households, in return for which the boys would receive presents. The branch was said to bring good fortune to the homes at which it was left, and would have been replaced on an annual basis during next year's Pyanopsia. There

680-510: A wheat-sheaf; Autumn, as a Bacchante, in a violet-coloured garment, pressing grapes with one band into a golden cup, which she holds in the other; and Winter as an aged person, placed in the shade at a great distance from the god. Finally, a quite separate suite of Horae personified the twelve hours (originally only ten), as tutelary goddesses of the times of day. The hours run from just before sunrise to just after sunset, thus winter hours are short, summer hours are long: According to Hyginus ,

748-399: A whole. In performing acts such as preparing and eating the Pyanopsia, Athenian citizens and those who participated across Attica were making use of a tradition whereby private actions were done to help the state as a whole. To be considered a proper and functioning Athenian, participation in civic feasting by both men and women was essential. By taking part in the preparation and consumption of

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816-534: A wild bull that terrified Hippolytus's horses. 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 in Latium . According to some sources, Theseus also was one of the Argonauts , although Apollonius of Rhodes states in

884-478: A 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 the 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

952-570: Is connected to other Greek Festivals. One such festival is the Thargelia, another Attic agricultural festival related to the god Apollo, which occurred in the Spring. Just as at the Pyanopsia, the Thargelia was staged by children of Athens who performed offerings with musical features, connected to the song sang at the Pyanopsia. An additional festival which the Pyanopsia seemingly resembles is the Procession of

1020-678: Is his slaying of the Minotaur, half man and half bull. He then goes on to unite Attica under Athenian rule: the synoikismos ('dwelling together'). As the unifying king, he is credited with building a palace on the fortress of the Acropolis . Pausanias reports that after synoikismos , Theseus established a cult of Aphrodite ('Aphrodite of all the People') on the southern slope of the Acropolis. Plutarch 's Life of Theseus makes use of varying accounts of

1088-615: Is in the Iliad where they appear as keepers of Zeus 's cloud gates. "Hardly any traces of that function are found in the subsequent tradition," Karl Galinsky remarked in passing. They were daughters of Zeus and Themis , half-sisters to the Moirai . The Horai are mentioned in two aspects in Hesiod and the Homeric Hymns : Of the first, more familiar, triad associated with Aphrodite and Zeus

1156-524: Is their origins as emblems of times of life, growth (and the classical three seasons of year): At Athens, two Horae: Thallo (the Hora of spring) and Carpo (the Hora of autumn), also appear in rites of Attica noted by Pausanias in the 2nd century AD. Thallo, Auxo and Carpo are often accompanied by Chione , a daughter of Boreas (the god/ personification of the North Wind ) and Orithyia/ Oreithyia (originally

1224-620: 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 . Lycomedes of

1292-777: The Horai themselves wear. The number of Horae varied according to different sources, but was most commonly three: either the trio of Thallo , Auxo , and Carpo (goddesses of the order of nature), or Eunomia (goddess of good order and lawful conduct) and her sisters Dike (goddess of Justice) and Eirene (goddess of Peace). In Argos , two Horae, rather than three, were recognised, presumably winter and summer: Auxesia (possibly another name for Auxo) and Damia (possibly another name for Carpo). In late euhemerist interpretations, they were seen as Cretan maidens who were worshipped as goddesses after they had been wrongfully stoned to death. The earliest written mention of Horai

1360-622: The Panathenaic 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, who assassinated him, incurring the wrath of Minos. When King Minos heard what had befallen his son, he ordered the Cretan fleet to set sail for Athens. Minos asked Aegeus for his son's assassins, saying that if they were to be handed to him,

1428-555: The Underworld , each guarded by a chthonic enemy. Young, brave, and ambitious, Theseus decided to go alone by the land route and defeated many bandits along the way. The six entrances to the underworld, more commonly known as the Six Labours, are as follows: When Theseus arrived in Athens, he did not reveal his true identity immediately. Aegeus gave him hospitality but was suspicious of

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1496-463: The goddesses of the seasons and the natural portions of time. The term hora comes from the Proto-Indo-European *yóh₁r̥ ("year"). The Horae were originally the personifications of nature in its different seasonal aspects, but in later times they were regarded as goddesses of order in general and natural justice. "They bring and bestow ripeness, they come and go in accordance with

1564-516: 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 . On the third occasion, Theseus volunteered to talk to the monster to stop this horror. He took the place of one of the youths and set off with

1632-573: The Bouleuterion and the Prytaneion - though only remains of the Prytaneion are still present. It is of special notice that even when much of the business of the old Agora, where the buildings were located, moved to the new Agora, the Prytaneion maintained the function of housing the Archon. The importance of this building is connected to its "sacred hearth" which is where the Pyanopsia departed from, emphasizing

1700-545: The Girls festival performed in Sparta. Though in a different region of Greece and occurring in modern-day May, the festival bears a number of striking resemblances to the Pyanopsia. The Procession of the Girls involved Spartan women bringing offerings to the altar of Artemis at Orthia, whilst singing a hymn. The Pyanopsia is also connected to a common Greek practice of offering firstlings - the first and foremost produce of agriculture - to

1768-514: The Gods. The festival also gave its name to the month in which it occurred, Pyanepsion. The name Pyanopsia derives from the Greek term "pyana" which meant the "cooked beans" which were given to all members of an Athenian household during this festival. The Pyanopsia is also related to the buildings of the Ancient Athenian city center. During his time as king of Athens, Theseus constructed two buildings -

1836-411: 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 doorpost 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

1904-535: The Pyanepsion, is unique given the fact that Theseus is inherently an outsider to the Athenians, being born in Megara. Theseus, despite his status as a foreign entity in an intensely nationalistic city-state (he would later be named an honorary citizen in the 5th century BCE), became representative of many essential Athenian traits. In fact, it has even been proposed that his actions in and his journey to Crete came to represent

1972-465: The Pyanopsia, a tradition which was later continued by his hero-cult. The offerings given during the festival also relate to this founding myth, as Theseus' promised thanks came in the form of the eiresione (εἰρεσιώνη). The bean stew is related to the meal prepared by Theseus' crew following their landing back in Attica. Theseus' status in the cultic calendar of Athens, as represented by festivals such as

2040-436: The ages. Theseus is sometimes described as the son of Aegeus , king of Athens, and sometimes as the son of the god Poseidon . He is raised by his mother, Aethra , and upon discovering his connection to Aegeus, travels overland to Athens, having many adventures on the way. When he reaches Athens, he finds that Aegeus is married to Medea (formerly wife of Jason ), who plots against him. The most famous legend about Theseus

2108-414: The childless Aegeus would be lost if they did not get rid of Theseus (the Pallantides were the sons of Pallas and nephews of King Aegeus , who was then living at the royal court in the sanctuary of Delphic Apollo). 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

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2176-522: The city of Athens, is connected to the success and fortune of the city and its denizens. During the Pyanopsia, the Athenians seem to have also venerated the Horae (the goddesses of the seasons) and Helios , the god of the sun, with a feast as gods with connection to agriculture; a procession in their honour is attested, separate from the one at the Thargelia , and perhaps related to the Pyanopsia. The Pyanopsia

2244-463: The city would be spared. However, not knowing who the assassins were, King Aegeus surrendered the whole city to Minos' mercy. His retribution was to stipulate that at the end of every Great Year , which occurred after every seven cycles on the solar calendar, 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. In another version, King Minos had waged war with

2312-659: The daughter of King Minos, bore Theseus two sons, Demophon and Acamas . While these two were still in their infancy, Phaedra fell in love with Hippolytus , Theseus' son by the Amazon queen Hippolyta . According to some versions of the story, Hippolytus had scorned Aphrodite to become a follower of Artemis , so Aphrodite made Phaedra fall in love with him as punishment. He rejected her out of chastity. Alternatively, in Euripides' version, Hippolytus , Phaedra's nurse told Hippolytus of her mistress's love and he swore he would not reveal

2380-522: The death of the Minotaur, Theseus's escape, and his romantic involvement with and betrayal of Ariadne , daughter of King Minos . Plutarch's avowed purpose is to construct a life that parallels the Life of Romulus , the founding myth of Rome. Plutarch's sources, not all of whose texts have survived independently, include Pherecydes (mid-fifth century BC), Demon (c. 400 BC), Philochorus , and Cleidemus (both fourth century BC). As

2448-405: The eiresione is principally composed of an olive branch is of great importance. Due to its connections with Athena and the importance of olives to the wealth and success of the city of Athens, olive branches were seen as a representative of life and therefore vital to the spread of blessings to the people of Athens. The eiresione served as the most prominent example of the olive branch serving in such

2516-507: The fair-haired Horai , together with the Charites and Peitho crown Pandora —she of "all gifts"—with garlands of flowers. Similarly Aphrodite , emerging from the sea and coming ashore at Cyprus , is dressed and adorned by the Horai , and, according to a surviving fragment of the epic Cypria , Aphrodite wore clothing made for her by the Charites and Horai, dyed with spring flowers, such as

2584-494: The firm law of the periodicities of nature and of life", Karl Kerenyi observed, adding " Hora means 'the correct moment'." Traditionally, they guarded the gates of Olympus , promoted the fertility of the earth, and rallied the stars and constellations. The course of the seasons was also symbolically described as the dance of the Horae, and they were accordingly given the attributes of spring flowers, fragrance and graceful freshness; for example, in Hesiod 's Works and Days ,

2652-467: The form of a stew made of boiled beans, grains, and other vegetables and cereals. This stew would have been prepared by the various households of Athens and then consumed on a community-wide basis as a part of the tradition of public-feasting in Athens. Athenian festivals were seen to be done in benefit to the state. The Attic calendar was one marked by frequent festivals to the gods which offered some form of divine patronage or assistance for Athenian state as

2720-478: The four seasons of year: Here Spring appears with flowery chaplets bound. Here Summer in her wheaten garland crown'd; Here Autumn the rich trodden grapes besmear. And hoary Winter shivers in the rear. Nicolas Poussin has represented the four seasons by subjects drawn from the Bible : Spring is portrayed by Adam and Eve in paradise: Summer, by Ruth gleaning: Autumn, by Joshua and Caleb bearing grapes from

2788-476: 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. 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 remained, giving rise to the philosophical question of whether it should be considered "the same" ship or not. Such philosophical questions about

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2856-408: The heart of the Labyrinth and upon the sleeping Minotaur. The beast awoke and a tremendous fight 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). After decapitating the beast, Theseus used the string to escape the Labyrinth and managed to escape with all of

2924-440: 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 Theseus ). The remains found by Cimon were reburied in Athens. The early modern name Theseion (Temple of Theseus)

2992-510: The island of Sphairia that lay close to Troezen's shore. There, she poured a libation to Sphairos (Pelops's 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 heroes . After Aethra became pregnant, Aegeus decided to return to Athens. Before leaving, however, he buried his sandals and sword under

3060-703: The literary epic. Later, Pirithous was preparing to marry Hippodamia . The centaurs were guests at the wedding feast, but got drunk and tried to abduct the women, including Hippodamia. The Lapiths won the ensuing battle. In Ovid 's Metamorphoses Theseus fights against and kills Eurytus , the "fiercest of all the fierce centaurs" at the wedding of Pirithous and Hippodamia . Also according to Ovid, Phaedra, Theseus' wife, felt left out by her husband's love for Pirithous and she used this as an excuse to try to convince her stepson, Hippolytus, to accept being her lover, as Theseus also neglected his son because he preferred to spend long periods with his companion. Theseus,

3128-619: The nature of identity are sometimes referred to as the " Ship of Theseus " paradox. Regardless of these issues, the Athenians preserved the ship. They believed that Theseus had been an actual, historical figure and the ship gave them a tangible connection to their divine provenance. Theseus's best friend was Pirithous , king 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 and Theseus set out in pursuit. Pirithous took up his arms and

3196-500: The naval power of the Athenians after the Persian Wars. This reveals the dynamic nature of Athenian festivals, as new understandings and depictions of founding myths may in turn lead to new understandings of the festival. The Pyanopsia and other Theseus-based Greek festivals may not have only symbolically thanked Apollo for his actions and agricultural abundance, but also represented the values of their founders. The Pyanopsia also involved

3264-442: 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

3332-485: The old planks as they decayed, putting in new and stronger timber in their place... The ship had to be maintained in a seaworthy state, for, in return for Theseus's successful mission, the Athenians had pledged to honor 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

3400-663: The pair met to do battle but were so impressed with each other's gracefulness, beauty and courage they took an oath of friendship and joined the Calydonian boar hunt . In Iliad I, 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

3468-522: 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. Pasiphaë , wife of King Minos of Crete, had several children. The eldest of these, Androgeus , set sail for Athens to take part in

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3536-411: The promised land; and Winter, by the deluge . In more modern representations the seasons are often surrounding Apollo: Spring, as Flora, crowned with flowers, and in a shaded green drapery over a white robe: Summer, standing under the lion in the zodiac, with a gold-coloured drapery over a white gauze vestment, the edges of which are tinged by the yellow rays of the sun, holding a sickle, having near her

3604-473: The sacred nature of the festival and its connections to the city. Theseus Theseus ( UK : / ˈ θ iː sj uː s / , US : / ˈ θ iː s i ə s / ; Ancient Greek : Θησεύς [tʰɛːsěu̯s] ) was a divine hero in Greek mythology , famous for slaying the Minotaur . The myths surrounding Theseus, his journeys, exploits, and friends, have provided material for storytelling throughout

3672-458: The sandals and the sword and knocked the poisoned wine cup from Theseus's hands. Thus father and son were reunited, and Medea fled to Asia . When Theseus appeared in the town, his reputation had preceded him, as a result of his having traveled 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

3740-532: The sea, causing this body of water to be named the Aegean Sea. According to Plutarch 's Life of Theseus , the ship Theseus used on his return from Minoan Crete to Athens was kept in the Athenian harbor as a memorial for several centuries. 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 , for they took away

3808-478: The stew, Athenian men and their family members not only represented the agricultural abundance of the state and gave thanks to the gods, but also reinforced their status. The other offering was the eiresione - εἰρεσιώνη . The eiresione was a branch of olive bound with purple or white wool, and hung with various fruits of the season, pastries, small jars of honey, oil, and wine, all of which served as symbols of agricultural abundance in thanks to Apollo. The fact that

3876-509: The subject of myth, the existence of Theseus as a real person has not been proven, but scholars believe that he may have been alive during the Late Bronze Age, or possibly as a king in the 8th or 9th century BC. Aegeus , one of the primordial kings of Athens , was childless. Desiring an heir, he asked the Oracle of Delphi for advice. Her cryptic words were "Do not loosen the bulging mouth of

3944-659: The truth, promising to avenge her loyal follower on another follower of Aphrodite. In a version recounted by the Roman playwright Seneca , entitled Phaedra , after Phaedra told Theseus that Hippolytus had raped her, Theseus called upon Neptune (as he did Poseidon in Euripides' interpretation) to kill his son. Upon hearing the news of Hippolytus' death at the hands of Neptune's sea monster, Phaedra committed suicide out of guilt, for she had not intended for Hippolytus to die. In yet another version, Phaedra simply told Theseus Hippolytus had raped her and did not kill herself. Dionysus sent

4012-541: 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 Heracles tried to free Pirithous, the underworld shook. They then decided the task was beyond any hero and left. When Theseus returned to Athens, he found that the Dioscuri had taken Helen and Aethra to Sparta . Phaedra , Theseus' second wife and

4080-406: The wineskin until you have reached the height of Athens, lest you die of grief." Aegeus did not understand the prophecy and was disappointed. He asked the advice of his host Pittheus , king of Troezen . Pittheus understood the prophecy, got Aegeus drunk, and gave Aegeus his daughter Aethra . But following the instructions of Athena in a dream, Aethra left the sleeping Aegeus and waded across to

4148-471: The worship of the Horae - the daughters of Themis , the goddess of divine law and order. By being worshipped at the Pyanopsia and a spring festival called the Thargelia, the Horai – Eunomia (well ordering) and Dike (right and justice) – are revealed as being connected to agriculture and vegetation. There were two offerings given to Apollo by the people of Athens during the Pyanopsia. One of these offerings came in

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4216-407: The young Athenians a dance still performed by the inhabitants of the island, consisting of twisting and twisted movements that reproduce the shapes of the labyrinth. Dicearchos states that this dance is called 'Crane'." Theseus forgot to put up the white sails instead of the black ones, so his father, the king, believing he was dead, committed suicide, throwing himself off a cliff of Sounion and into

4284-417: The young Athenians and Ariadne as well as her younger sister Phaedra . Then he and the rest of the crew fell asleep on the beach of the island of Naxos, where they stopped on their way back, looking for water. Theseus then abandoned Ariadne, where Dionysus eventually found and married her. On his way back from Crete, he also stopped on the island of Delos , where, according to Plutarch , "Theseus danced with

4352-514: The young, powerful stranger's intentions. Aegeus's consort 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 Marathonian Bull , an emblem of Cretan power. On the way to Marathon , Theseus took shelter from a storm in the hut of an ancient woman named Hecale . She swore to make

4420-430: Was also a chant sung during the procession which was recorded by Plutarch and went as follows: "Eiresin carries figs and rich cakes; Honey and oil in a jar to anoint the limbs; And pure wine, that she may be drunken and go to sleep"." In this song, the eiresione is effectively personified. By personifying the branch it was awarded special importance showing how the olive tree, an important cultic image of Athena and therefore

4488-404: Was crying out. Around him gathered 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 he was led away to eternal punishment. For many months in half-darkness, Theseus sat immovably fixed to the rock, mourning for both his friend and for himself. In the end, he was rescued by Heracles who had come to

4556-472: Was mistakenly applied to the Temple of Hephaestus which was thought to be the actual site of the hero's tomb . Primary sources Secondary sources Horae In Greek mythology , the Horae ( / ˈ h ɔː r iː / ), Horai ( / ˈ h ɔː r aɪ / ) or Hours ( Ancient Greek : Ὧραι , romanized :  Hôrai , lit.   'Seasons', pronounced [hɔ̂ːrai̯] ) were

4624-418: Was rescued by the Dioscuri . On Pirithous's behalf they rather unwisely traveled 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. As he turned to cry out to his friend, he saw that Pirithous too

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