The Spartan Saga

Atlas = PleionePrometheusEpimetheus

Gaia (Earth)

Uranus (Heaven)

Iapetus (Titan) = Clymene

Oceanus = Tethys

Themis Pluto

The Pleiades

• When the sisters died, they were placed amongst the stars

• Visible in Greece from May to November• Signal the farming and sailing seasons

Alcyone Merope Celaeno Electra

Sterope Taygete Maia

Atlas = Pleione

= Zeus

Hermes

Atlas = Pleione

Taygete = Zeus

Sparta = Lacedaemon

• Eurotas, grandson of Lelex, an autochthon.– Without a male heir, he was the last of his line.

• Lacedaemon– Founded Sparta (named for his wife)

• The people are called Lacedaemonians• The lambda Λ is always on their shields

Eurotas

Sparta

Sparta

• Amylcas was second king of Sparta• Hyacinthus was loved by Apollo• Apollo killed him accidentally• Turned him into a flower

Diomede = Amylcas Eurydice = Acrisius

Hyacinthus Cynortas

Sparta = Lacedaemon

• Hyacinthus

• Merry Joseph Blondel

• (1781 – 1853)

• la muerte de jacinto

Diomede = Amylcas Eurydice = Acrisius

Hyacinthus Cynortas Perseus

Oebalus = Gorgophone

Sparta = Lacedaemon

Perieres = Gorgophone

Arsinoe = Apollo

Aesculapius

Leucippus

• Gorgophone was first married to Perieres, a son of Aeolus and Enarete.

• This is an alternative genealogy!

Asclepius (Aesculapius)

• Alternative: Son of Apollo and Coronis

• Raised by Cheiron, the centaur– Taught the art of healing

• A snake, wound on a staff, brought Asclepius healing herbs

• Zeus killed him so that humans would not escape death

Asclepius

Seeking a cure in the temple of Asclepius

Oebalus = Gorgophone

Tyndarius = Leda = Zeus

CastorClytemnestra HelenPollux

• Althernative:

• Zeus raped Nemesis and she lay an egg

• Leda found the egg and when Helen hatched Leda raised her as her own daughter

• Helen and Theseus

The Dioscuri

• Rape of Helen:– Theseus abducted Helen when she was

underage.

– Castor and Pollux attacked Athens

– Found Helen at Aphidnae

– Revealed by Academus• His land was a mile north of Athens

• A shrine to Academus was called the Academy

• Plato built his school there.

Dioscuri

• Calydonian Boar Hunt• Voyage of the Argo

– Stars over the heads of the Dioscuri

• The Aphareidae– Idas and Lyncaeus: cheated the Dioscuri– In the war Castor was killed– Pollux asked Zeus that he might die with

his brother.– Both elevated to the heavens

Castorand

Pollux

Temple of the Dioscuri in Rome

Gemini

Gemini

Agamemnon

• Tantalus was king of Phrygia (or other)– But not Argos: although a more common version, it

doesn’t work.

• Tantalus was entrusted with Zeus’ secrets

• Revealed the secrets and was cast into Hades

Rhea = Cronos = ?

Tantalus = Dione

Zeus = Pluto

• Pelops was expelled from Phrygia by Ilus

• Moved to Elis, ruled by Oenomaus, father of Hippodameia

• Pelops won Hippodameia in a chariot race

• Became king of Elis

• The Peloponnese is named for him

Tantalus = Dione

Pelops = Hippodameia

Phrygia

• Atreus and Thyestes fled Elis after they killed their half brother

• Sthenelus of Mycenae took them in

• After the death of Eurystheus, Atreus became king of Mycenae

Atreus Thyestes Nicippe = Sthenelus

Pelops = Hippodameia

Aegisthus

Aerope = Atreus Thyestes Nicippe

Clytemnestra = Agamemnon Menelaus = Helen

Pelops = Hippodameia

• Atreus and Thyestes in a bloody rivalry

• Atreus killed two sons of Thyestes

• Finally, Aegisthus, son of Thyestes, killed Atreus and expelled Agamemnon and Menelaus

• Both taken in by Tyndarius of Sparta

Sins of the Fathers

• Curse of the House of Atreus– Was it the sin of Tantalus?

– The murder of Chrysippus by Atreus and Thyestes?

– The murder of the sons of Thyestes by Atreus?

• Returned to Mycenae…– ExpelledThyestes and banished Aegisthus

• Consolidated power and became the ‘king of kings’

Clytemnestra = Agamemnon

Iphegeneia Chrysothemis Laodice Orestes

The Marriage of Helen

• Suitors came from all of Greece• Tyndareus feared a war• Odysseus’ idea:• Each suitor to swear an oath to abide

and defend the chosen one and the marriage

• Menelaus, son of Atreus, was chosen• He succeeded Tyndareus as king of

Sparta

Menelaus and Helen