Achilles Greek Allusion Source:
· Made invulnerable by being dipped into River Styx as a baby.
· His heel was not dipped (so left unprotected).
· He was struck by an arrow in that vulnerable spot.
· Due to being struck on his heel, the “Achilles heel” remark is in reference to a person’s vulnerability
· A person’s “Achilles heel” is seen in everyday life:
o Gambling problem
o Someone being tickle-ish
o “I’m trying to lose weight, but my Achilles’ heel is chocolate.”
o Talented basketball player, but a ball hog.
Example: The Achilles allusion is used in everyday life, not even just literature. It’s a widespread allusion with several uses. Carol Ann Duffy’s poem Achilles portrays the allusion of Achilles’s weakness, his heel.
Antigone Greek Allusion Source:
· Daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta.
· Antigone followed Oedipus into exile until his death.
· The sisters attempted to find peace between their fighting brothers.
· Eteocles was defending the city of Thebes and Polyneices was attacking Thebes.
· Both brothers were killed and their uncle Creon became the new king.
· Creon forbid the removal of Polyneices’s body even though he held an elaborate service for Eteocles.
· Antigone buried Polyneices’s body secretly.
· She was ordered by her uncle to be executed and she hanged herself in a cave.
Example:
Antigone with her deceased brother Polyneices. (Artwork by Nikiforos Lytras)
Daedalus and Icarus Greek Allusion Source:
· Icarus was the son of Daedalus and Nafsicrate
· Daedalus wanted to try and escape the Labyrinth, so created gigantic wings.
· The wings were constructed of branches of osier and connected with wax.
· Daedalus taught Icarus how to fly but instructed him to stay away from the sun in order to avoid from melting the wax.
· Daedalus and Icarus were able to escape the Labyrinth and fly into the sky.
· Icarus flew too high into the sky and his wings melted, causing him to fall and drown in the sea.
Example:
The Fall of Icarus by Charles Griffith
This artwork demonstrates a key part of the myth where Icarus flies too close to the sun, causing the wax to melt and ultimately Icarus to fall.
Eurydice and Orpheus Greek Allusion Source:
· Eurydice and Orpheus got married.
· At the wedding, Hymen (god of marriage) refused to offer any words of encouragement.
· Later that night, Eurydice got fatally bitten by a snake and died.
· Orpheus is grieving and decides to travel to the Underworld and request that Hades let Eurydice go.
· Hades and Persephone agree to let Eurydice out of the Underworld.
· BUT, Hades does have one condition that Orpheus cannot look back at Eurydice until they are completely out of the Underworld.
· Of course, Orpheus fails.
· Orpheus mourns again because Eurydice has been sent back to the Underworld.
· He rejects any advances from other women.
· The Maenads (rejected lovers) rip Orpheus apart, literally.
· The Muses found Orpheus’s body parts from the River and gave them a proper burial.
Example: The poem From `Orpheus´ by Percy Bysshe Shelley gives a glimpse of Orpheus’s great sorrow when he loses his wife Eurydice shortly after marrying her.
Hercules Greek Allusion Source:
· Known for strength and courage.
· Completed 12 labors, including killing/capturing legendary creatures, gaining items, and also changing a river to clean out the stables of Augeas.
· His second wife was taken by Nessus, but Hercules killed Nessus with arrows that were dipped in poisonous blood.
· Hercules was worshipped as a god but was also a hero.
· He was also known for protecting others from different evils.
· When his second wife robed him with a robe covered in blood meant to restore love, it burned him, his moral parts burned, and the rest rose to heaven.
Example: The Walt Disney movie Hercules is a great example of a work that uses the Greek allusion to Hercules by using Hercules himself as the main character in the film where he demonstrates great strength.
Odysseus and the Trojan Horse Greek Allusion Source:
· The Trojans are protected in the walled city of Troy.
· Odysseus wants to invade the walled city.
· The “Trojan Horse” is built by the Greeks.
· The plan was for the Greeks to hide inside the horse and then attack the Trojans when they brought it into the walled city.
· The Trojans accept the horse as a gift from the gods and celebrate.
· Trojans were dunk from celebrating, easy victory for the Greeks.
Example: There are quite a few works that use allusions relating to Odysseus and the Trojan Horse, but one in particular is the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In this story, the witch gives Snow White an apple (toxic) in the hopes of killing (or destroying) her which parallels to the Greeks giving the Trojans the Trojan Horse hoping to also destroy them.
Persephone Greek Allusion Source:
· Persephone is the daughter of Demeter and Zeus.
· She was abducted by Hades (god of Underworld).
· Demeter withdrew her role as a goddess when Zeus would not help find Persephone.
· Without Demeter crops could not grow, causing a famine.
· Persephone reunited with Demeter, but had eaten when in the Underworld so had to spend one-third of her time there every year.
· While gone, Demeter mourns and doesn’t allow crops to grow until Persephone returns.
· This myth goes to show the yearly cycle: growth, harvest, and winter.
Example: Persephone’s abduction is used as an example to a few children’s texts in regards to teaching children to not answer to strangers. Rita Dove’s poem, Persephone, Falling is a great example of this scenario.
Prometheus Greek Allusion Source:
· Prometheus is the god-protector of mankind.
· He made two bags, the first one had flesh and the second had creamy white fat.
· Zeus chose the second bag and punishes Prometheus by taking away fire from mankind.
· A woman (Pandora) is made from clay and given life.
· Pandora opens a jar she is given and releases all the ills of mankind.
· Zeus inflicts great punishment of Prometheus by chaining him to the Caucusas Mountains where a vulture would eat at him.
· Zeus felt bad and ordered Hercules to unchain/save Prometheus from the vultures.
Example: Prometheus created man out of clay which parallels the story of Frankenstein creating man out of body parts.
The Gods of Olympus Greek Allusion Source:
· Zeus: Lord of the Sky, Rain-god, and the Cloud-gatherer.
· Hera (Zeus’s wife and sister), protector of marriage and married women.
· Poseidon, ruler of the sea.
· Hades, Underworld/ruler of the dead and also the God of Wealth
o Wife was Persephone whom he made Queen of the Lower World.
· Pallas Athena- daughter of Zeus, Goddess of the City.
· Phoebus Apollo- son of Zeus and Leto, God of Light and God of Truth
· Artemis- Apollo’s twin sister, daughter of Zeus and Leto, Lady of Wild Things and Huntsman-in-Chief
· Aphrodite- Goddess of Love and Beauty, daughter of Zeus and Dione.
· Hermes- son of Zeus and Maia, Zeus’s Messenger, God of Commerce and the Market
· Ares- God of War, son of Zeus and Hera
· Hephaestus- God of Fire, either son of Hera and Zeus or just Hera alone.
· Hestia- Zeus’s sister, virgin goddess, Goddess of the Hearth.
Example: The film, Hercules, alludes to the Gods of Olympus by mentioning their way of life on Mount Olympus and also referencing a couple of the gods. There are other works that also allude to these Greek myth.
Agamemnon Greek Allusion Source:
· King of Mycenae
· Husband of Clytemnestra, father to Orestes and Electra, and brother to Menelaus.
· Led the Greeks in battle during Trojan War.
· Experienced a plagued, preventing him from reaching Troy right away.
· Sacrificed daughter Iphigenia to please the goddess.
· After victory, took Trojan princess (Cassandra) as a concubine.
· His wife, Clytemnestra killed Agamemnon and Cassandra as a punishment for killing Iphigenia.
Example:
This piece of artwork, The Murder of Agememnon, illustrates Agamemnon’s death which was punishment for killing Iphigenia.
Cupid and Psyche Greek Allusion Source:
· Men started worshipping Psyche as if she were the goddess of love and beauty.
· Venus (the Goddess of Love) asks Cupid to seek out her revenge.
· Cupid attempts, but pricks himself with his arrow.
· Nobody falls in love with Psyche because Venus doesn’t allow it.
· Psyche’s parents consult with Apollo about her future.
· Zephyr takes Psyche from the mountain and presents her to her husband at night in the dark.
· Psyche scares Cupid away after he sees her standing there with a knife.
· Psyche’s sisters jump from the mountain and die.
· Psyche asks Venus to give her another chance and she assigns her a task.
· She’s assigned another task (collect golden fleece from sheep).
· Psyche collects the wool but Venus wasn’t satisfied.
· Venus then orders Psyche to go get something from the Underworld.
· Psyche fails, but Cupid goes to Jupiter to beg for help.
· Jupiter makes Psyche immortal so Venus can’t oppose the reuniting.
· Cupid and Psyche reunite.
Example: Cupid and Pysche is pretty much a myth of two lovers which is evident in a lot of literary works today. A really obvious work is Romeo and Juliet which is a text regarding the unbreakable love between two young people which ends in a tragedy because of their love for one another.
Echo and Narcissus Greek Allusion Source:
· Echo loved Narcissus, but Narcissus didn’t think anyone was worthy of himself.
· Echo talked a ton and always had to have the last word.
· Juno took away Echo’s ability to speak except when she was spoken to when Juno found out about Echo betraying her.
· Echo found Narcissus in the woods, but Narcissus rejected her and threw her onto the ground.
· Echo fled to the mountains and there her body became one with the mountains and all that remained was her voice.
· Narcissus did this to many other nymphs and the gods got mad at him and cursed him.
· The gods made it that Narcissus could love but couldn’t be loved back.
· Narcissus died mourning just as Echo did.
Example:
Narcissus is pictured in the piece of art near the water where he mourned and became one with the ground.
Hector Greek Allusion Source:
· Hector was a noble warrior.
· He killed the first Greek warrior that stepped on Trojan land.
· Hector consulted his father when wartimes were tough.
· Said farewells to wife and children with loss of confidence.
· Hector killed Patroclus and took his armor.
· Achilles faced off with Hector.
· Achilles killed Hector and dragged his body around until he was satisfied.
· This angered Zeus, and Hector’s body was returned to his father, Priam.
· An elaborate funeral was thrown for Hector.
Example: Hector was a very noble and brave warrior that fought hard in the Trojan War. The poem, The Census, by Wislawa Symborska, describes the Trojan War itself, and alludes to Hector through “Hector’s nameless extras, no less brave than he […]”
Jason and the Golden Fleece Greek Allusion Source:
· Jason went to return to Iolcus.
· He lost a sandal in the river while helping the Queen of Gods, Hera.
· Jason wanted to claim the kingdom, but in order to do so he had to get the Fleece of the Golden Ram.
· Jason and the Argonauts set out to see to go in search of the Golden Fleece.
· The Argo ship had to pass through the Clashing Rocks, but the crew made it through relatively damage-free.
· Jason had to face additional challenges from King Aeetes.
· The King’s daughter, Medea, was fond of Jason and allowed him access to the fleece with the promise of help with farmyard chores.
· Jason had to harness the fire-breathing bulls, plow, sow, and harvest the field in one day and then he could have the Golden Fleece.
· Medea gave Jason a salve that protected him from the bulls.
· The seeds sown grew into fully-armed warriors.
· Jason successfully harvested the crop.
· Aeetes did not want to give Jason the fleece, so Medea took him to it at night and gave a sleeping potion to the dragon guarding it.
· He got the fleece and successfully made it back but abandoned Medea for another princess.
Example:
The painting, Jason and The Argonauts, is an illustration of the voyage Jason took with the Argonauts to reach the land where he would obtain the Golden Fleece in order to conquer the kingdom. The painting also illustrates a few of the obstacles along the way.
Oedipus Greek Allusion Source:
· Oedipus was the son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta (of Thebes).
· Laius had a curse on him that any son born of Jocasta would in turn kill him.
· When Oedipus was born, his feet were pierced and he was left to die.
· Oedipus was found by a shepherd and King Polybus adopted him.
· An oracle told Oedipus that he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother.
· Since Oedipus though Polybus was his father, he fled the kingdom.
· He was confronted by Laius who was rude and Oedipus killed him.
· Oedipus killed the monster Sphinx and married his mother.
Example: The poem, Oedipus Rex, is a great demonstration of Oedipus’s feelings. It emphasizes Oedipus’s fate from birth throughout the poem and his destiny to eventually kill his own father.
Perseus Greek Allusion Source:
· Perseus’s mother (Danae) was impregnated by Zeus through the form of a golden shower.
· Perseus and Danae were put in a chest and into the sea.
· Perseus was summoned to bring back the head of Medusa.
· He acquired a magical sword and winged sandals.
· He beheaded Medusa in her sleep.
· Perseus killed the sea monster that Andromeda was a sacrifice to.
· Perseus then claimed the throne when he arrived back in Seriphos.
Example: The myth of Perseus is shown in literature in many different scenarios whether it be poetry, literary texts, or paintings. The poem, Perseus and the Gorgon’s Head, gives a glimpse at the beheading of Medusa by Perseus.
River Styx Greek Allusion Source:
· The River Styx separated the world of the living from the world of the dead.
· Charon gave the souls that arrived at the river a ride, but it wasn’t free.
· One’s family had to have buried you with a coin as payment, otherwise the soul would be stuck.
· On the side of the dead, the souls waited to be reborn into a new body.
Example:
Styx – This illustration gives a good look at the River Styx. It very evidently shows the people attempting to swim across the river when it is in reality, nearly impossible.
Theseus Greek Allusion Source:
· Theseus had strength and courage, and was intelligent and wise.
· Theseus successfully led Athens’s army.
· He had a reputation of helping the poor and oppressed.
· Theseus and Heracles (his cousin) were good friends.
· When Theseus was middle aged, he lost his wisdom and started making poor decisions.
· Later, he died in exile from Athens.
Example: In The Hunger Games, Katniss can be related to Theseus when looking at both of their characteristics and thoughts. They very well parallel one another as well as Katniss succeeding through her personal strength and love just the same as Theseus.
· Made invulnerable by being dipped into River Styx as a baby.
· His heel was not dipped (so left unprotected).
· He was struck by an arrow in that vulnerable spot.
· Due to being struck on his heel, the “Achilles heel” remark is in reference to a person’s vulnerability
· A person’s “Achilles heel” is seen in everyday life:
o Gambling problem
o Someone being tickle-ish
o “I’m trying to lose weight, but my Achilles’ heel is chocolate.”
o Talented basketball player, but a ball hog.
Example: The Achilles allusion is used in everyday life, not even just literature. It’s a widespread allusion with several uses. Carol Ann Duffy’s poem Achilles portrays the allusion of Achilles’s weakness, his heel.
Antigone Greek Allusion Source:
· Daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta.
· Antigone followed Oedipus into exile until his death.
· The sisters attempted to find peace between their fighting brothers.
· Eteocles was defending the city of Thebes and Polyneices was attacking Thebes.
· Both brothers were killed and their uncle Creon became the new king.
· Creon forbid the removal of Polyneices’s body even though he held an elaborate service for Eteocles.
· Antigone buried Polyneices’s body secretly.
· She was ordered by her uncle to be executed and she hanged herself in a cave.
Example:
Antigone with her deceased brother Polyneices. (Artwork by Nikiforos Lytras)
Daedalus and Icarus Greek Allusion Source:
· Icarus was the son of Daedalus and Nafsicrate
· Daedalus wanted to try and escape the Labyrinth, so created gigantic wings.
· The wings were constructed of branches of osier and connected with wax.
· Daedalus taught Icarus how to fly but instructed him to stay away from the sun in order to avoid from melting the wax.
· Daedalus and Icarus were able to escape the Labyrinth and fly into the sky.
· Icarus flew too high into the sky and his wings melted, causing him to fall and drown in the sea.
Example:
The Fall of Icarus by Charles Griffith
This artwork demonstrates a key part of the myth where Icarus flies too close to the sun, causing the wax to melt and ultimately Icarus to fall.
Eurydice and Orpheus Greek Allusion Source:
· Eurydice and Orpheus got married.
· At the wedding, Hymen (god of marriage) refused to offer any words of encouragement.
· Later that night, Eurydice got fatally bitten by a snake and died.
· Orpheus is grieving and decides to travel to the Underworld and request that Hades let Eurydice go.
· Hades and Persephone agree to let Eurydice out of the Underworld.
· BUT, Hades does have one condition that Orpheus cannot look back at Eurydice until they are completely out of the Underworld.
· Of course, Orpheus fails.
· Orpheus mourns again because Eurydice has been sent back to the Underworld.
· He rejects any advances from other women.
· The Maenads (rejected lovers) rip Orpheus apart, literally.
· The Muses found Orpheus’s body parts from the River and gave them a proper burial.
Example: The poem From `Orpheus´ by Percy Bysshe Shelley gives a glimpse of Orpheus’s great sorrow when he loses his wife Eurydice shortly after marrying her.
Hercules Greek Allusion Source:
· Known for strength and courage.
· Completed 12 labors, including killing/capturing legendary creatures, gaining items, and also changing a river to clean out the stables of Augeas.
· His second wife was taken by Nessus, but Hercules killed Nessus with arrows that were dipped in poisonous blood.
· Hercules was worshipped as a god but was also a hero.
· He was also known for protecting others from different evils.
· When his second wife robed him with a robe covered in blood meant to restore love, it burned him, his moral parts burned, and the rest rose to heaven.
Example: The Walt Disney movie Hercules is a great example of a work that uses the Greek allusion to Hercules by using Hercules himself as the main character in the film where he demonstrates great strength.
Odysseus and the Trojan Horse Greek Allusion Source:
· The Trojans are protected in the walled city of Troy.
· Odysseus wants to invade the walled city.
· The “Trojan Horse” is built by the Greeks.
· The plan was for the Greeks to hide inside the horse and then attack the Trojans when they brought it into the walled city.
· The Trojans accept the horse as a gift from the gods and celebrate.
· Trojans were dunk from celebrating, easy victory for the Greeks.
Example: There are quite a few works that use allusions relating to Odysseus and the Trojan Horse, but one in particular is the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In this story, the witch gives Snow White an apple (toxic) in the hopes of killing (or destroying) her which parallels to the Greeks giving the Trojans the Trojan Horse hoping to also destroy them.
Persephone Greek Allusion Source:
· Persephone is the daughter of Demeter and Zeus.
· She was abducted by Hades (god of Underworld).
· Demeter withdrew her role as a goddess when Zeus would not help find Persephone.
· Without Demeter crops could not grow, causing a famine.
· Persephone reunited with Demeter, but had eaten when in the Underworld so had to spend one-third of her time there every year.
· While gone, Demeter mourns and doesn’t allow crops to grow until Persephone returns.
· This myth goes to show the yearly cycle: growth, harvest, and winter.
Example: Persephone’s abduction is used as an example to a few children’s texts in regards to teaching children to not answer to strangers. Rita Dove’s poem, Persephone, Falling is a great example of this scenario.
Prometheus Greek Allusion Source:
· Prometheus is the god-protector of mankind.
· He made two bags, the first one had flesh and the second had creamy white fat.
· Zeus chose the second bag and punishes Prometheus by taking away fire from mankind.
· A woman (Pandora) is made from clay and given life.
· Pandora opens a jar she is given and releases all the ills of mankind.
· Zeus inflicts great punishment of Prometheus by chaining him to the Caucusas Mountains where a vulture would eat at him.
· Zeus felt bad and ordered Hercules to unchain/save Prometheus from the vultures.
Example: Prometheus created man out of clay which parallels the story of Frankenstein creating man out of body parts.
The Gods of Olympus Greek Allusion Source:
· Zeus: Lord of the Sky, Rain-god, and the Cloud-gatherer.
· Hera (Zeus’s wife and sister), protector of marriage and married women.
· Poseidon, ruler of the sea.
· Hades, Underworld/ruler of the dead and also the God of Wealth
o Wife was Persephone whom he made Queen of the Lower World.
· Pallas Athena- daughter of Zeus, Goddess of the City.
· Phoebus Apollo- son of Zeus and Leto, God of Light and God of Truth
· Artemis- Apollo’s twin sister, daughter of Zeus and Leto, Lady of Wild Things and Huntsman-in-Chief
· Aphrodite- Goddess of Love and Beauty, daughter of Zeus and Dione.
· Hermes- son of Zeus and Maia, Zeus’s Messenger, God of Commerce and the Market
· Ares- God of War, son of Zeus and Hera
· Hephaestus- God of Fire, either son of Hera and Zeus or just Hera alone.
· Hestia- Zeus’s sister, virgin goddess, Goddess of the Hearth.
Example: The film, Hercules, alludes to the Gods of Olympus by mentioning their way of life on Mount Olympus and also referencing a couple of the gods. There are other works that also allude to these Greek myth.
Agamemnon Greek Allusion Source:
· King of Mycenae
· Husband of Clytemnestra, father to Orestes and Electra, and brother to Menelaus.
· Led the Greeks in battle during Trojan War.
· Experienced a plagued, preventing him from reaching Troy right away.
· Sacrificed daughter Iphigenia to please the goddess.
· After victory, took Trojan princess (Cassandra) as a concubine.
· His wife, Clytemnestra killed Agamemnon and Cassandra as a punishment for killing Iphigenia.
Example:
This piece of artwork, The Murder of Agememnon, illustrates Agamemnon’s death which was punishment for killing Iphigenia.
Cupid and Psyche Greek Allusion Source:
· Men started worshipping Psyche as if she were the goddess of love and beauty.
· Venus (the Goddess of Love) asks Cupid to seek out her revenge.
· Cupid attempts, but pricks himself with his arrow.
· Nobody falls in love with Psyche because Venus doesn’t allow it.
· Psyche’s parents consult with Apollo about her future.
· Zephyr takes Psyche from the mountain and presents her to her husband at night in the dark.
· Psyche scares Cupid away after he sees her standing there with a knife.
· Psyche’s sisters jump from the mountain and die.
· Psyche asks Venus to give her another chance and she assigns her a task.
· She’s assigned another task (collect golden fleece from sheep).
· Psyche collects the wool but Venus wasn’t satisfied.
· Venus then orders Psyche to go get something from the Underworld.
· Psyche fails, but Cupid goes to Jupiter to beg for help.
· Jupiter makes Psyche immortal so Venus can’t oppose the reuniting.
· Cupid and Psyche reunite.
Example: Cupid and Pysche is pretty much a myth of two lovers which is evident in a lot of literary works today. A really obvious work is Romeo and Juliet which is a text regarding the unbreakable love between two young people which ends in a tragedy because of their love for one another.
Echo and Narcissus Greek Allusion Source:
· Echo loved Narcissus, but Narcissus didn’t think anyone was worthy of himself.
· Echo talked a ton and always had to have the last word.
· Juno took away Echo’s ability to speak except when she was spoken to when Juno found out about Echo betraying her.
· Echo found Narcissus in the woods, but Narcissus rejected her and threw her onto the ground.
· Echo fled to the mountains and there her body became one with the mountains and all that remained was her voice.
· Narcissus did this to many other nymphs and the gods got mad at him and cursed him.
· The gods made it that Narcissus could love but couldn’t be loved back.
· Narcissus died mourning just as Echo did.
Example:
Narcissus is pictured in the piece of art near the water where he mourned and became one with the ground.
Hector Greek Allusion Source:
· Hector was a noble warrior.
· He killed the first Greek warrior that stepped on Trojan land.
· Hector consulted his father when wartimes were tough.
· Said farewells to wife and children with loss of confidence.
· Hector killed Patroclus and took his armor.
· Achilles faced off with Hector.
· Achilles killed Hector and dragged his body around until he was satisfied.
· This angered Zeus, and Hector’s body was returned to his father, Priam.
· An elaborate funeral was thrown for Hector.
Example: Hector was a very noble and brave warrior that fought hard in the Trojan War. The poem, The Census, by Wislawa Symborska, describes the Trojan War itself, and alludes to Hector through “Hector’s nameless extras, no less brave than he […]”
Jason and the Golden Fleece Greek Allusion Source:
· Jason went to return to Iolcus.
· He lost a sandal in the river while helping the Queen of Gods, Hera.
· Jason wanted to claim the kingdom, but in order to do so he had to get the Fleece of the Golden Ram.
· Jason and the Argonauts set out to see to go in search of the Golden Fleece.
· The Argo ship had to pass through the Clashing Rocks, but the crew made it through relatively damage-free.
· Jason had to face additional challenges from King Aeetes.
· The King’s daughter, Medea, was fond of Jason and allowed him access to the fleece with the promise of help with farmyard chores.
· Jason had to harness the fire-breathing bulls, plow, sow, and harvest the field in one day and then he could have the Golden Fleece.
· Medea gave Jason a salve that protected him from the bulls.
· The seeds sown grew into fully-armed warriors.
· Jason successfully harvested the crop.
· Aeetes did not want to give Jason the fleece, so Medea took him to it at night and gave a sleeping potion to the dragon guarding it.
· He got the fleece and successfully made it back but abandoned Medea for another princess.
Example:
The painting, Jason and The Argonauts, is an illustration of the voyage Jason took with the Argonauts to reach the land where he would obtain the Golden Fleece in order to conquer the kingdom. The painting also illustrates a few of the obstacles along the way.
Oedipus Greek Allusion Source:
· Oedipus was the son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta (of Thebes).
· Laius had a curse on him that any son born of Jocasta would in turn kill him.
· When Oedipus was born, his feet were pierced and he was left to die.
· Oedipus was found by a shepherd and King Polybus adopted him.
· An oracle told Oedipus that he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother.
· Since Oedipus though Polybus was his father, he fled the kingdom.
· He was confronted by Laius who was rude and Oedipus killed him.
· Oedipus killed the monster Sphinx and married his mother.
Example: The poem, Oedipus Rex, is a great demonstration of Oedipus’s feelings. It emphasizes Oedipus’s fate from birth throughout the poem and his destiny to eventually kill his own father.
Perseus Greek Allusion Source:
· Perseus’s mother (Danae) was impregnated by Zeus through the form of a golden shower.
· Perseus and Danae were put in a chest and into the sea.
· Perseus was summoned to bring back the head of Medusa.
· He acquired a magical sword and winged sandals.
· He beheaded Medusa in her sleep.
· Perseus killed the sea monster that Andromeda was a sacrifice to.
· Perseus then claimed the throne when he arrived back in Seriphos.
Example: The myth of Perseus is shown in literature in many different scenarios whether it be poetry, literary texts, or paintings. The poem, Perseus and the Gorgon’s Head, gives a glimpse at the beheading of Medusa by Perseus.
River Styx Greek Allusion Source:
· The River Styx separated the world of the living from the world of the dead.
· Charon gave the souls that arrived at the river a ride, but it wasn’t free.
· One’s family had to have buried you with a coin as payment, otherwise the soul would be stuck.
· On the side of the dead, the souls waited to be reborn into a new body.
Example:
Styx – This illustration gives a good look at the River Styx. It very evidently shows the people attempting to swim across the river when it is in reality, nearly impossible.
Theseus Greek Allusion Source:
· Theseus had strength and courage, and was intelligent and wise.
· Theseus successfully led Athens’s army.
· He had a reputation of helping the poor and oppressed.
· Theseus and Heracles (his cousin) were good friends.
· When Theseus was middle aged, he lost his wisdom and started making poor decisions.
· Later, he died in exile from Athens.
Example: In The Hunger Games, Katniss can be related to Theseus when looking at both of their characteristics and thoughts. They very well parallel one another as well as Katniss succeeding through her personal strength and love just the same as Theseus.