In the Greek Mythology, Thésée (in Greek old Θησεύς / Thêseús ) is a hero of the Attique, wire of Égée or Poséidon. Its Légende gives place to many interpretations.

Myth

Égée, king of Athens, did not have of child with his various wives and wishes a son. He consults the oracle Delphes in order to put a term at his sterility. The Pythie speaks to him in these terms:

“You should not in no case to untie the collar of tone in addition to inflated wine before to have reached more the high degree of Athens. ”

In front of these enigmatic words, Égée goes to Médée, the magician of Colchide, and against a protection, she promises to find a woman to him. Under the enchantment, Éthra, the girl of the king Pitthée of Trézène, éprend of Égée. After the pressure, the young woman takes refuge in the island of Sphaéra where it is linked with the god Poséidon. Doubly honoured this night, it put at the world a son, Thésée.

Égée, which must set out again in Athens, did not witness its birth but it recommends to Éthra to raise it according to the standards of its row. It deposits, under a rock, a sword and sandals of gold, badges royal which would reveal the secrecy of its birth to him the day when it could raise the rock. Early and vigorous child, Thésée also received shares of it the seduction, the trick and courage. Filled with wonder per so many gifts, his/her mother leads it in front of the rock: it raises it easily and includes/understands its royal identity. He is unaware of however still his filiation with Poséidon, the Master of the marine residences. Thésée takes the road towards Athens; in way, it kills, inter alia, Périphétès, Procuste, Sciron, Cercyon, the Laie of Crommyon and Sinis, of the brigands who were caught some to the travellers.

When Thésée arrives at Athens, it does not reveal its true identity immediately. Égée which accommodates it tests some suspicion with regard to the foreigner while his Médée wife tries to make it kill while asking him to capture the bull of Marathon.

On the way of Marathon, Thésée shelters storm in the hut of an old woman, Hécale. She promises to make a sacrifice with Zeus if Thésée manages to capture the bull. It is what occurs, but on its return, it finds the old woman dead. In its honor, Thésée gives its name to the one of the Dème S of the Attique, making in a certain manner of its inhabitants the adopted children of the late one.

Of return as a winner of the bull in Athens, Thésée is victim of an attempt at poisoning by the queen, but at the last time, he is recognized with his sandals, his shield and his sword by Égée which draws aside the poisoned wine. Thésée consequently divides with him the government of the city. Athens saw a drama: since the death of his/her son and his victory over the Athenians, Minos, king of Crete, requires that the city send to him a tribute of seven young people and seven young girls whom it gives in grazing ground to the Minotaure. Thésée decides to put an end to this carnage and goes to Crete with the young victims in order to kill the monster.

Minos makes fun of this young man who claims to enter the labyrinth of Dédale, to exterminate the monster and to come out from it healthy and except. It is not to take account of his/her own daughter, ARIANE which fell in love with Thésée and will give him a ball of wire to enable him to find the exit. It cuts down the monster with its leather bludgeon, arises from the labyrinth and is run away at sea with his companions, ARIANE and its sister, Phèdre. With Naxos (or more probably Dia), he “forgets” ARIANE deadened (of fear of creating a war against Minos wire of Zeus and Europe) and carries on his road towards Athens without her. Égée awaits top of a headland the return of the boat and watches for the color of the veils: according to an agreement made with his/her son, they will be white in the event of victory. But Thésée “forgot” to change them and the indicator black, Égée is thrown in the sea which from now on, bears its name.

After this tragedy event, Thésée becomes the king of Athens and wife Antiope, queen of the Amazones. Together, they have a son Hippolyte. But the woman of Thésée dies as a combatant at the side of her husband. Thésée remarie with Phèdre, which is cruel to Hippolyte (see Phèdre of Jean Racine).

According to certain authors, it decides to leave Athens to take refuge on the island of Skyros where it finishes its days in peace.

Interpretation: an anti-hero or history of a missed initiation

Since its design, Thésée seems marked by “too early” and the facility. His/her father did not understand that it was to wait, before it to conceive, more the high degree of Athens , that one can interpret like a personal achievement or the apogee of the Greece. Impatient, he prefers to rely on the magic.

Born too early, it is also informed prematurely: his/her mother, under the charm of her force, cannot wait until it is sufficiently “ripe” to raise the mystery of its origins. Also, it takes the overland route, and not that of the sea, to go in his father and it kills Périphétès without recognizing in him his brother, this monster interior which it should have faced and not cut down brutally with the bludgeon. This voyage which could have been initiatory surface and sterile remainder.

At sea, Thésée would undoubtedly have met his/her father divine and undertaken an interior way, which marine depths, would have led it towards the light of knowledge. They is ignorant of itself that it arrives in front of Égée.

Generous but impulsive, Thésée yields once again to the facility. Without questioning itself, it accepts the “magic” assistance which a woman in love tightens to him. However, Minotaure, wire of Pasiphaé and the white bull caused by Poséidon against Minos and overcome by Héraclès at the time of its work, monster devourer and guard of the carry , is another itself. By facing only the tests of the labyrinth, while being confronted with this double animal, by killing it with the gold sword, Thésée could have reached at the following stage of the self-knowledge. But by having recourse to violence and the trick, it arises consequently carries while reconsidering its steps. As much to say that it regresses definitively at the stage of bestiality and gives up the way towards the divine father, towards the authentic light which one draws from the darkness depths.

Thésée, consequently, is let carry by the transitory one and “forgets” ARIANE that he liked only by interest. When it enters to Athens, the procession which should celebrate its exploits is funeral: Égée died and the victory over itself, missed.

Artistic evocations

Literature

Music

Sources

  • (I, 8,2; I, 9,16; III, 15,8), (I, 7; I, 18; I, 24).

  • (IV, 28,3; IV, 59,1).
  • (v. 181).
  • (I, 265).
  • (XIV).
  • (XII, 227).
  • (I, 17,6; II, 22,6-7).
  • ( Thésée ).

See too

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