(1) Cretan story--son of Minos Murdered, Labyrinth a jail,
Tauron (Bull) man who ill-treated Athenian slaves
(2) Plutarch gives this story because of his faith in reason-
-not many Minotaurs around today, Minos's better
portrait in non-Athenian legends
(3) What Sir. Arthur Evans found on Crete--Labyrinth, bull-
dancing, lack of walls=navy.
1. Vindication of the pattern, again--Varying legends of
Ariadne
2. What does Plutarch tell us of Greek religion? "Man's
struggle to come to terms with what he does not
understand. " (e.g., Quantum physics, the graviton, and
the Big Bang!)
a) Purification of Theseus by the Phytalidae at the river
Cephisus--blood-guilt of even legitimate killing (p.8)
(1) Rough-Justice: Code of Hammurabi, Old Testament,
Theseus killing robbers by own means
(2) Violation, however, of basic social contract, therefore
need to expiate pollution to avoid defending watchful
gods.
(3) Claim (p. 17) that Theseus began Isthmian games to
expiate kin-murder of Sciron--Athletic competitions
actually religious rite and sign of restoration of Greek
unity--describe Olympics.
b) Rituals
(1) Story of how the herbs saved Perigune, hence family
taboo against cutting asparagus, Thyme
(2) Plutarch's analysis of Myth of Hecale--old woman who
entertained Theseus, "not devoid of all truth" because
of sacrifice still offered
(3) Re-enacting the myths
(a) The stew marking the return from Crete
(b) The "supper carriers"
(c) Rituals with varying explanations, but still carried out.
3. Greek Historical Consciousness
a) Theseus's triakontor
(1) Plutarch uses for evidence of historicity
(2) Mentions philosophical utility of the plank replacement
(3) Gives a pretty good idea of his source (p. 14)-
Demetrius of Phaleron, c. 350-297--Tyrant of Athens,
philosopher, pupil (like Alexander) of Aristotle, ruled
Athens for Cassander until expelled in 307, wrote book
of philosophical anecdotes.
(4) Compare--the U.S.S. Constitution
b) "George Washington" sanction for
(1) Unification of Attica, which reveals strains there
(2) Proto-democracy, (p. 15), Panathenaia, state-house,
etc.
(3) Ghosts of the Athenian future--legend of Menestheus,
"first to have affected popularity and ingratiated
himself with the multitude." (p. 21)--Cleon (What am I
doing here? Compare it with Plutarch!)
c) Cimon's recovery of Theseus's Body in 474 (p. 23)
(1) Sanction for the conquest of Scyros
(2) Greek awareness of gulf--Bronze spearhead, large
body (cattle herding Myceneans)
(3) Theseus's ghost at Marathon
d) A sense of the Past Gives Security
VII. Life of Romulus--Fundamental Differences
A. Romulus as leader vs. Theseus as Hero
1. Romulus wins spoila opima vs. Acron and Sabines (p.34)
2. Romulus and Remus lead the cowheards against those of
Numitor (p. 27)
3. Theseus slays thieves, Minotaur single handed
4. Greek individualism vs. Roman officium
a) Plutarch confirms this attitude in the comparison when he
points out the Theseus's exploits were performed on his
own, while Romulus had others' help (pp. 46-47)
B. Roman desire to connect their history to the Greeks/Greek
history to the Romans
1. Romans wanted sanction of Greek antiquity, justification
for adoption of Greek culture
2. Greeks wanted Romans to be Greeks, since it's easier
being conquered and ruled (Taxed!) by your own kind.
3. Additional point--Roman vs. Greek pairs of divine Twins--
Castor and Pollux, Romulus and Remus
4. Parallel does NOT necessarily mean derivative
a) Indo European joint origin
b) (topos) Similar folklore motif
C. Vergil (70-19 B.C.)--secured fame by adaptation of Roman
values and history to (epic) paradigms of Greek culture.
1. Aeneas--one Trojan warrior spared in Homer
2. War with Greeks
a) Rome first fought with Greek Colonists (Dorian colonization
of 800-600, Pithecusa in 760, Sybaris in 721, Croton in 703
b) Macedonian War,s (201-168), Syrian War (192-189),
Actium, (31)
3. Roman Divine mission (Venus); cf. Theseus and
Ariadne/Aphrodite
D. Plutarch and the Pelasgioi --proto-Greeks
E. Allusion to Vergil and the Burning of the Ships
F. Reference to BAD epic tradition--Romanus? Son of Ulysses
and Circe--Scrabbling for Sources
G. Mythic Sources--Same as in Livy's History (again)
1. Roman lack of a dominant early myth led to confusion
2. Vergil in 1st c. B.C. vs. Homer in 8th
3. Fabius Pictor (c. 201--2nd Punic War) 1st Roman Senatorial
historian, wrote in Greek, accepts Greek mythographer
Diocles or Peparethus's reconciliation of legend of Aeneas
with Kings of Alba
H. Compare: Theseus's false (as reported by Plutarch) parentage
by Poseidon to Romulus and Remus's divine parentage by
Mars
1. Substantiating miracles--Could Plutarch (a priest) doubt
them?
2. Roman national myth --Could Plutarch (a Greek) doubt and
live?
3. Plutarch's reconciliation of Reason and Faith (p. 29)--
Others doubt, but would the Romans have attained such
power
4. "What a poet fortune is (p.29)="Only the authors of fiction
have to restrict themselves to the probable."
5. YOU don't have to believe a word of it--but THEY believed
it! What does that teach you?
I. Plutarch's (Aristotelian) use of etymology to get at the truth
1. Lupa/lupa (p. 26) vs. Phaea the pig (p.7).
2. Romulus (common)/ruminate/ruma for Ruminalis, cult-site
of the goddess Rumina.
3. Presumably false etymology--manipuli is a handful, but in
the Roman army it meant "a handful of men," and the
leader of such a handful was the manipularis, and you
never hear about the grass elsewhere (p. 29)
J. Moral Lesson of Romulus vs. Remus
1. Remus preferred Greek-style natural fortification of the
Remonium/Rignarium
2. Romulus preferred castra-style "Roma Quadrata" exposed,
but indicated greater faith in the soldiery
3. For all that, the Capitoline Hill was, in fact, Rome's
acropolis
4. One interpretation--any of your own?
K. Plutarch's description of Roman Religion (p. 31)
1. Etruscu ritu (Translations' Tuscans)
a) Romans and Greeks both agreed Etruscans very old, very
different culture
b) Modern controversy of Native/Asian origins
c) Roman attitude: Etruscans=Gypsies
2. Pax Deorum--Good terms with gods End as of 1/30/95