Mythology Final Paper
Some themes or scenarios portrayed in myths are similar due to the fact that writers create their own spin to the myths that inspired them. This can be seen in the different instances of the destruction of mankind by the gods, the types of generations that are described by the narrators, the kidnapping of Persephone into the underworld, the deception of the Muses/the gods/Clytemnestra versus the truth by Cassandra, the origin of the lyre, plots made by Gaia and transformations of individuals.
The theme regarding the destruction of mankind by the gods was prominent in the “Metamorphoses book 7” and “Hesiod Work and Days”. It is first shown in “Hesiod Work and Days” when Pandora was too curious and opened the box prepared by Zeus containing evils/hope. However, she closed the box before hope could escape. As shown in the text “Full is the earth of evils, full is the sea. Diseases for humans are a day-to-day thing. Every night, they wander about at random, bringing evils upon mortals silently”. Therefore, after Pandora opened the box and let all evil escape, diseases became common for mankind. A similar occurrence where mankind was mostly destroyed by gods was during “Metamorphoses book 7”. In book 7, Hera caused a plague to occur because the island took after the name of her nemesis. The result of the plague was stated during “the unexpected power of the disease surprised us, at first, with its destruction of dogs, sheep and cattle, wild animals and birds. The pestilence spreads to the luckless farmers themselves…there was no one left to mourn”. This quote showed that the plague first infected the animals and then spread to the townspeople, killing mostly everyone. Both texts showed how mankind was destroyed by gods which in this case were Zeus and Hera.
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Another retelling similar to the different kinds of generations told by the narrator in “Hesiod Work and Days” was mentioned in “Metamorphoses book 1”. In “Hesiod Work and Days”, there were five generations, “the Golden Generation, having all manner of good things, the Silver, suffering pains/disregarding others, the Bronze, violent/overconfident, the Demigods, overcome by war/battle and the Iron generation, known for their never-ending suffering”. This was also similar to “Metamorphoses book 1”. However, the myth was written with a twist, talking about different generations than in “Work and Days”. In “Metamorphoses book 1”, the generations were “the Golden Age, who lived safely without protection, the Silver Age, where individuals are inferior to gold/more valuable than yellow bronze, the Bronze Age, where individuals were ready to indulge in savage warfare, but not yet vicious and lastly, the Iron Age, who were horribly wicked”. Although similar, the generations can be compared as suffering and the value of individuals didn’t appear in both myths.
Various themes appeared in the Metamorphoses books which can be compared to other myths. One theme is the idea of being kidnapped/killed and taken to the underworld. In “Metamorphoses book 10”, this is shown when “Eurydice, was walking through the grass…she was killed, by a bite on her ankle, from a snake, sheltering there”. Eurydice was then taken into the underworld. The idea can be compared to “Homeric Hymn to Demeter” when Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, taken into the underworld and forced to become his wife. Both myths portray the idea of Eurydice and Persephone being taken into the underworld but for different reasons. Eurydice who died by the snake, had her soul taken into the underworld. Persephone however was taken into the underworld, as it is the location that Hades, the one who took her, resides in.
Throughout all of the Homeric Hymn myths, the idea of deception versus truth was a major theme regarding the gods and certain individuals. In “Homeric Hymn to Hermes”, the idea of deception is first introduced through Hermes’s actions. Hermes, as a newborn baby snuck out of his house and went to steal Apollo’s cattle. Upon finding out that his cattle were missing, Apollo went searching for them, knew it was Hermes and went to his house. Hermes in response to being asked where the cattle were by Apollo said “I haven’t seen them…Do I look like a cattle driver? A big strong guy?...I am interested in other things…I am willing to swear a great oath by my father’s head, and vow that I didn’t steal your cows”. Therefore, this shows that Hermes planned to deceive Apollo when asked about the location of the cows. Later on in the hymn, the idea of truth is partly shown when Hermes swears not to take anything from Apollo.
Deception and truth in “Hesiodic Theogony” and “Agamemnon” however are not portrayed as straightforward as in “Homeric Hymn to Hermes”. In “Hesiodic Theogony”, this is apparent through the Muses when it is stated “We know how to say many deceptive things looking like genuine things, but we also know how, whenever we wish it, to proclaim things that are true”. In this case, it is harder to tell apart the truth and the lie since the Muses know how to tell both. The same concept is also similarly seen in “Agamemnon” when Cassandra states “Evil woman!...You will perform the deed? Your husband, the man in your bed…after you have made him happy with a bath, will you…No, it’s her! His wife who does the murder”. The truth is being portrayed when Cassandra speaks of Agamemnon’s fate: being killed by his wife. However, it is not accepted because of a curse laid upon her that whenever the truth is spoken, no one will believe her. In both instances of “Hesiod Theogony” and “Agamemnon”, the truth is hidden behind the Muses and the curse laid upon Cassandra unlike in “Homeric Hymn to Hermes” when the truth and lie are known/more apparent.
The theme of truth can also be related to the origin of the lyre in “Homeric Hymn to Hermes and Apollo”. In “Homeric Hymn to Hermes”, Hermes first created the lyre using a turtle. This is shown when he “scraped the marrow from her shell…cut stalks of reed…fitted them through the shell, and fastened their ends across the back…tightened a piece of cowhide, set the arms in place, fixed a yoke across them, and stretched seven sheep-gut strings to sound in harmony”. This shows that Hermes first constructed a lyre using a turtle. However, this contradicts what is seen in “Homeric Hymn to Apollo”. Apollo is first seen as having the lyre when the text states “Glorious Leto’s son, as he plays a refrain on his hollow lyre”. Both hymns can be compared in regards to the origin of the lyre since Hermes first created the instrument yet Apollo is seen with it also.
Another major theme present in “Hesiod Theogony and Homeric Hymn to Demeter” were Gaia’s schemes. In “Hesiod Theogony”, Gaia conceived a plan with Kronos, a Titan, against Ouranos, their father. This plan was created to “avenge the baneful injury of your father as a result of him hating the Titans that he produced with Gaia and forcing them back to her womb”. Therefore, Kronos, armed with a curved sickle produced by Gaia cut off Ouranos’s genitals. However, this was not the only plan that Gaia made as she took part in two more schemes. In the same text, Gaia along with Rhea made a plan to trick Kronos and prevent him from eating the children that Rhea bore. This was because the text stated “For he had heard from Earth and starry Sky that it was fated for him, strong though he was, to be subdued by his own child, through the counsels of mighty Zeus”. As a result, Kronos, not wanting to be defeated, swallowed all of his children so that this could not come true.
The last scheme that Gaia took a small part in was shown in “Homeric Hymn to Demeter”. This was seen during the kidnapping of Persephone by Hades when she was picking flowers. The text shows this by stating “And the narcissus, which was grown as a lure for the flower-faced girl by Gaia [Earth]…She [Gaia] was doing a favor for the one who receives many guests [Hades].” It can be seen that Gaia took a part in the scheme to capture Persephone by growing a flower as a lure. Comparing these three stories together shows that although Gaia played a part in the schemes, the motives behind each one was different. The first motive was revenge while the second and third were providing help to the other gods.
The last major theme, transformations is shown differently throughout certain myths. Transformations are shown in “Metamorphoses book 1” such as when Apollo, falling in love with Daphne, chases after her. Daphne running away pleads to her father, which turns her to a laurel bough as a result. Another instance of transformations is shown in the text when Poseidon finds a nymph and rapes her. Poseidon then turns the nymph into a cow to avoid suspicion from his wife, Juno who was looking for him. However, the nymph is turned back at the end unlike the first transformation where Daphne was transformed into a laurel bough permanently.
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