Heroes

Activity - Heroes

This activity is accompanied by a worksheet to be completed afterwards.

Americans enjoy reading tales of heroic deeds: the rescue of a child, a man who trudged miles through the snow to find help for his family, a dog who alerts a family of a fire, an Olympic star who performs despite pain. Romans too had heroes. Without easy access to information about the wonderful feats that ordinary man has performed as we have via newspaper, radio and television, they relied more on the stories that were handed down through oral tradition.

In Latin I, you were introduced to the Olympian gods of the Greeks and Romans. You read love myths and creation myths and were introduced to some of the minor deities and monsters of the same era. You probably found them amusing and perhaps pondered how the ancients could have woven such tales. Indeed you are not alone in this thought. Several of the ancients did question faith in the Olympians and sought out the idea of a single god, adopting the god of the Jews, the cult of Mithras and that of Isis. (Learn more about the religions and philosophies of the ancients on the MORES section of the Latin II web site).

So why do we take time today to learn about the myths of the Greeks and Romans? There are not any facts that can attest to the real existence of these gods. We have little evidence of Olympian worship over the last 1000 yeears. There are but statues of stayrs and wood nymphs. No bone fragments or other tangible evidence has been found by archaelologists. Despite this lack of evidence, we need to know about these stories because they do still exist in today's world. They are in statues, poems, mystery stories, paintings, music and fantasy tales. From the time of the Greeks and Romans these tales have been intertwined into the arts. It is indeed difficult to read the symbolic poetry of the 19th century, visit an art museum or enjoy an opera without understanding the mythological references.

In Latin II we will reference the stories and mythological figures you studied in Latin I as we increase the awareness of the importance of, the character of and the tales of such heroes as Aeneas, Perseus, Theseus, Jason and Hercules. Since monsters of mythology often played an important role in the stories of heroes, we will also take a closer look at them. The characters of the Underworld also have significant importance in the accomplishments of the heroes.

The hero stories share several common traits. Mindful that not every hero will fit into each category, reference this list as you read the stories and see how parallel many of the tales are:

The Myth of Theseus

Theseus was a great a great hero who participated in so many adventures that the Athenians had a saying "Nothing without Theseus". His adventures were chronicled by many: Ovid, Apollodorus, Plutarch, Euripides, and Sophocles to name a few. Poets, novelists, artists, composers, men and women of creative bent throughout the ages have looked at the tales of Theseus as source for their creative output.

Who was he, this son of the Athenian king, Aegeus? He spent his youth with his mother in southern Greece, not knowing his father. His father, prior to the son's birth, had placed a sword and pair of shoes under a great stone with the instructions that if the child were a boy, when he developed strength to enable him to raise the stone and retrieve the items, he was to come to Athens. (This was a creative way to avoid middle of the night feedings.)

Theseus did grow to a strong young man and easily raised the rock when his mother deemed him ready. His grandfather offered a ship for Theseus to use for his voyage, but Theseus, seeking adventure, chose the land route. He looked to the adventures of his cousin, Hercules, as an example of what he would like to accomplish.

The journey was long and dangerous. Theseus encountered bandits along the way and killed them all. His idea of justice was simple; whatever the evil man had done to his victim, he was made to accept as his fate. For example, Sciron made those he captured kneel to wash his feet and then kicked them into the sea. Theseus threw him off a cliff. Sinis fastened his victims to two trees which were bent to the ground with ropes. He cut the ropes, making the trees into a giant sling shot. He too died in this manner. Procrustes died on the iron bed which he had used to torture and kill his victims when he either stretched or cut off the individual in order to fit the bed.

Stories travel faster than man and reports of the justice provided by Theseus began to make their way about Greece. When he arrive in Athens, he was greeted as a hero and invited to a banquet hosted by the king. The king of course did not know Theseus to be his son. In fact, the king was a bit afraid that this popular individual might be a threat to him. Indeed, Medea (the same who helped Jason with the Fleece etc.) who had fled to Athens after fleeing from Corinth (reference Jason myth for more details) suggested that Theseus be poisoned at the banquet.

As Aegeus was about to hand him the poisoned drink, Theseus pulled out the sword to make his father aware of his identity. Recognizing his son, Aegeus struck the cup from his hand. (Medea fled to Asia) Aegeus happily introduced his son to the city.

The youth soon had an opportunity to endear himself to the people of Athens. Years earlier, a prince of Crete was visiting Greece and was killed by a bull during a wild beast hunt. Minos, the king of Crete and father of the unfortunate lad, invaded and captured Athens. He threatened to raze the city unless the people agreed to send him a tribute of seven maids and seven lads every nine years. Once the youths arrived in Crete, there were killed by a horrid monster, half bull-half man, called Minotaur.

The Minotaur was the offspring of Minos' wife Pasiphae and a beautiful bull. The bull had been given to Minos by Poseidon and was to have been used in a sacrificial offering. Minos thought the bull too grand to sacrifice. For his defiance, Poseidon tricked Pasiphae into falling in love with the bull.

When the Minotaur was born, Minos did not destroy it. Rather, he brought to Crete a great architect, Daedalus, who constructed a labyrinth in which to keep the bull (Reference Daedalus and Icarus tale) It was to this labyrinth that the Athenians youths were brought and from which there was no escape.

Shortly after Theseus reached Athens, the time came when the 14 youths were to be sent to Crete. At once, Theseus offered to be one of the victims. (Recall that he really wanted to be a great hero.) His father protested but he convinced him that he would kill the bull and end once and for all the senseless slaughter of Athenians. The Athenian people loved Theseus for this gesture. Theseus told his father that the ship would sail home with a white sail if he succeeded in his task. Normally, the ship used a heavy weather sail for the return trip since it was a trip of mourning and this sturdy sail was black.

The young victims arrived in Crete and were paraded to the labyrinth. Ariadne, Minos' daughter, saw Theseus and it was love at first sight. She summoned Daedalus and asked for the secret to the labyrinth. She then sent for Theseus to tell him she would help him if he brought her back to Athens with him. This seemed a good plan to Theseus.

Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of yarn one end of which he attached to the entry door. He proceeded to the Minotaur, battered him to death with his fists and returned to the entrance by winding back the yarn. All the youths followed and together, with Ariadne, they fled to the ship and set sail for Athens.

En route, they stopped at the island of Naxos and here the story becomes obfuscated. Some say Theseus abandoned Ariadne here; others say Ariadne was very seasick and Theseus set her on the island while he made repairs to the ship. A violent wind arose and carried him out to sea. On his return to Naxos, he discovered Ariadne had died in the storm.

Both stories agree that as the ship neared Athens, the joy of their success against the Minotaur or the grief of losing Ariadne made all forget the promise to set the white sail. The king, impatiently awaiting their return, strolled the cliffs day after day. At last he saw the ship. Distressed to see the black sails, he threw himself into the sea and drowned.

Theseus was now the king of Athens and a wise king he was. He declared that he did not want to rule over people but rather to have the people rule themselves. He abandoned his royal power and established a commonwealth. He became the commander in chief of the city. Athens became the true home of liberty and democracy.

Theseus was respected by those outside of Athens as well. When the Thebans refused to bury the bodies of their enemies after a battle, the conquered people turned to Theseus for help. Theseus led an army against Thebes, conquered her and forced her to bury the bodies. That was all he did as victor. He did not allow looting. His goal in conquering the Thebans was only to insist that they bury the bodies of his fellow Greeks, and obey the rules of war.

Many other stories abound. He received Oedipus when he was an outcast. (Reference Oedipus myth) When Hercules, who, after killing his wife and children in a fit of madness, tried to kill himself, Theseus alone came to his aid, told him suicide was a cowardly deed and took him to Athens. And always loving the thrill of danger, Theseus sailed with Jason in the quest for the golden fleece. He participated in the great Calydonian Hunt to find and kill a wild boar that was ravaging the countryside. He even went to the land of the Amazons and brought away one of their group named Antiope. (AKA Hippolyta) She bore them a son named Hippolytus. Shortly after his birth, the Amazons came seeking revenge, invaded Attica and were eventually defeated. After this invasion, no other enemy invaded Attica while Theseus lived.

In later years, Theseus married Phaedra, sister of Ariadne. He sent his young son Hippolytus to the region where Theseus himself had grown up. The boy grew to a splendid youth who scorned all who led soft lives. He disliked Aphrodite, choosing Artemis, goddess of the hunt as his paragon.

When Phaedra and Theseus visited, Hippolytus adored his father and wished to spend all his time with him, rejecting his step-mother. Aphrodite, who did not take scorn will, made Phaedra fall in love with Hippolytus. In her agony over his indifference, she resolved to take her life. Learning this, her servant went to Hippolytus, imploring him to return the love Phaedra had for him. He was revolted by this thought. Phaedra did kill herself, leaving a letter claiming that Hippolytus had caused her to take her life. She did not explain this was his rejection leaving Theseus to assume his son had raped her. He banished Hippolytus from Athens. Soon after leaving Attica, the son was killed by a monster from the sea.

Theseus learned from Artemis that Hippolytus was blameless, and that because of his chastity and honor, men would sing his praises for years to come.

Theseus finally met his death at the hands of a friend in a manner of which we are not told. The Athenians built a tomb for him and decreed it forever a santuary for slaves, the poor or helpless, in memory of him who always came to the aid of the helpless.

The Labyrinth

by Edwin Muir

Since I emerged that day from the labyrinth
Dazed with the tall and echoing passages,
The swift recoils, so many I almost feared
I'd meet myself returning at some smooth corner
Myself or my ghost, for all there was unreal
After the straw ceased rustling and the bull
Lay dead upon the straw and I remained,
Blood splashed, if dead or alive I could not tell
In the twilight nothingness (I might have been
A spirit seeking his body through the roads.

This is one part of a lengthier poem which you will hear read in class. You might try your hand at writing a poem on the subject.

Another suggestion... Watch an episode of Star Wars---note any similarities to the myth of Theseus or any of the other heroes you have read about on the web. Send me your thoughts. adenny@ket.org

Other Significant Legendary Heros

Jason

The story of Jason begins with a wicked queen who attempts to kill her stepchildren so her own children will inherit the kingdom. As one was about to be sacrificed, a magical ram with a fleece of pure gold rescued the boy and his sister Helle. Carrying them on his back he flew north from Greece to Colchis on the eastern shore of the Black Sea. On the way the girl fell and drowned in the waters that separate Europe from Asia now known as the Hellespont. The boy, Phrixus, arrived in Colchis, was welcomed and later married the daugher of the king. He sacrificed the ram to Jupiter and hung the golden fleece in a tree, guarded by a fierce dragon.

Now enters Jason who also encountered bad family relations when his uncle Pelias stole the kingdom from his father. Father and son fled. When Jason reached manhood, he decided to go back and demand his rightful role as king of Iolcus but Pelias had planned for this day. He told Jason that if he needed to prove himself worthy of this role and to do so must travel to Colchis and retrieve the golden fleece. He assumed that Jason would die in the effort but he underestimated our hero.

Jason sent out word that he was about to embark on a great adventure and many come to join him. He commissioned a ship from Argus and the group were henceforth known as the Argonauts. They set sail and began a series of adventures. There was Phineas, being punished by the gods by being denied food. Whenever food was set before him, Harpies-shrieking birds with female heads- swooped down and stole the food. The Argonauts helped him by either chasing away or killing the Harpies. In return Phineas told them how to get to Colchis and escape the dangerous clashing rocks of the Symplygades. A dove was sent from the ship. They watched it fly quickly through with the rocks crashing together after they had sensed the dove. While the rocks were in their opening mode, Jason put everyman on the oars and they rowed very fast, allowing the ship to escape the return closing of the rocks. Since that escape, the rocks are said to have never crushed another ship. Finally at Colchis, he met Medea the daughter of the king and with her help stole the fleece. Medea however was a witch who knew the tricks of poison and magic. She also tricked her father by taking her brother as a hostage as she and Jason and the fleece set sail for Greece. With her father in pursuit, she killed her brother and tossed parts of him, little by little, into the sea. Seeing this, the father stopped the pursuit and collected the remains of his son. Thus Jason and Medea and the fleece returned to Iolcus and Pelias. But the story does not end here.

Pelias tried to reason with Jason who was a good hearted soul and was willing to allow his uncle to die as king. Medea however had other plans. She tricked Pelias' daughters into killing him, thinking they were giving him eternal life. Remember she was a witch. The people of Iolcus were outraged and thus drove Jason and Medea from the city. They went to Corinth where the king Creon offered the famous Jason his daughter and his kingdom. Medea, feigning approval, created a beautiful cape for the bride. When she put it on, she was consumed by fire.

She then killed the sons she had by Jason and fled Corinth alone. The devastated Jason, sat on the beach near his beloved boat, now old and rotting. A piece of the boat broke away, struck him in the head and thus died our hero.

Hercules (Herakles)

The story, rather stories, of this very strong man are on the web where you will read the tales in simple Latin.

Perseus

Perseus, mortal son of Jupiter and Danae was destined said the oracle to kill his grandfather. Thus the baby Perseus and his mother were placed in a chest and set off to drown in the sea. The chest arrived safely on an island where Perseus grew to a stong young man. Her mother's beauty appealed to the king of this island who intended to kill her protector son so he could steal Danae. He tricked Perseus by saying that he was to wed a princess from a near by island and Perseus needed to give him a gift for the wedding . Perseus had no gift and so offered him his services. The king demanded the head of Medusa, thinking no one could survive such an adventure and he would be free to take the reluctant Danae as his wife. So who was this Medusa. She had been a lovely lady with beautiful hair. She boasted that she was more beautiful than even Minerva (Athena in Greek literature). Oops, never do that! Minerva changed her hair into snakes and anyone who looked at Medusa directly was turned into stone.

Our hero Perseus took on the task of killing Medusa, now a Gorgon. With the help of Mercury and Minerva and a bronze shield crafted by Vulcan, he came to the land of the Gorgan. To avoid looking at Medusa he used his shining shield as a mirror and cut off her head as she slept. From the blood, the winged horse Pegasus appeared

After killing Medusa he either rode Pegasus or used Mercury's sandals to fly over the coast of Ethiopia where he saw a beautiful woman chained to a rock. Andromeda's mother Cassiopeia, had angered the gods (get the picture?) by boasting that the beauty of her daughter surpassed that of the sea nymphs. Neptune thus flooded the countryside, saying the flood would subside only if Andromeda was sacrificed to a sea monster. Thus the poor Andromeda was chained to a rock to be devoured at will by the monster. Enters our hero who killed the monster and married the beautiful Andromeda.

Aeneas and Odysseus are other significant heroes.

Aeneas was introduced to you in Latin I when we traveled with him to create a new city that would be the progenitor of Rome. Much of the tale of Aeneas was based on the Homeric Greek Epic of Odysseus and the many trials he had trying to return home to the island kingdom of Ithaca and his faithful wife Penelope.

Click here for the Heroes worksheet.