The history of the Argolida

The history of the Argolida

When Zeus fell in love with Io:

-Now Is genia- iron anymore, laments the era of (Z century BC) that Hesiod, as well as any old should, lamented the plight of young people. And people counting five genera (gold, silver, bronze, and iron heroes) provides that the war began with the third (bronze). Zeus, Hera, Poseidon and responsible with their activities, creating kingdoms in Greece and across North Africa, the Mediterranean coast of Asia and Asia Minor. Until they shuffled, peace reigned in the human genus. And the archaeological findings indicate that the transition from the Neolithic era to the Late Bronze Age, was peaceful, without conflicts. In Greece, the beginning of the war events coincides with the time of the Achaeans. It is the struggle of the new with the old that still resonates in the myths that came to our days. And echoing the strange relationship between the Greeks and North Africa. Anyway, Argolikos valley witnessed terrible conspiracy, sex offenses and perpetual power struggle. By the gods of Olympus have put their hand and carry a large share of the responsibility for all evil.

Apollodorus the Athenian and Apollonius Rhodius tells us how things were. Everything started from the river Inachos, had the father and mother of the Ocean Tethys (the female version of the ocean). This mainly awarded the Argolid to Hera and provoked the anger of Poseidon. Heras wrath caused to his daughter, Io, without particularly to blame. A dream, he saw made ​​her go to the parts of Lerna, where she waited for Jupiter, in love with her, as he had been drinking a magic love potion. In others, Zeus seduced taking the form of a cloud. The daughter, after her adventure, he had to leave and Zeus transformed her into a cow to escape the jealousy of his wife.

Hera kamothike she wanted the cow and the gift of gods ordered to the gift. The goddess gave to the Dashboard Argus guard. He was the son of the river and called Dashboard Inachos because he had covered his entire body with eyes. When asleep, half of them remained open and half closed. Tied Io in a tree. Moo all day, regret and so told -Mykines- region (from the verb mykaomai = growl like a cow).

O Zeus, however, did not stop the regrets. He sent Hermes to calling the shots. Argos slept with half closed eyes and half open. Hermes managed to plunge into such a sleep, which safeguards all of the eyes. Thus, fteropodaros god managed to kill him and release the cow. Hera took the eyes of Argos and placed them on the tail of the peacock and sent a gadfly to torment huge cow Io, started running like crazy.

Hes the sea that her name was baptized Ionian Sea, turned north and gave the name Bosporus (Bovis resource = pass) straits, to finally end up in Egypt, where the hunt Zeus, touched and restored so the previous form, leaving her pregnant.

She delivered the contact (the contact), who stole the Curetes at the behest of Hera. Raged the leader of the gods, and destroy them, while Io found the newborn in Syria. The suffering of hapless mother ended the marriage with the king of the country, Tilegono. When the son grew up, married Memphis, which had three daughters: On Libya, Thebes and Lysianassa. Poseidon fell in love with all three.

Libya gave its name to the whole land, from the land of the Blackfeet as the ocean. Since its union with Poseidon, the habit katapos semen of God, born twins, the Vilos and Agenor. The Vilos, which seems to be different from the Babylonian god Baal, married average intelligence, daughter of the Nile, and had children in Egypt and the Danaos, in Virgil, the Dido, who, after various adventures, he founded the African Member of Carthage, Romes opponent in historical times.

Danaos, the Danaids and Danae:

The Vilos distributed its own territory to his sons: The Egypt took Arabia and conquered the country of the Blackfeet, in which he gave his name. Danaos took Argos. In another embodiment, the Danaus fell out with Egypt and moved to Argos from where there dethroned king Gelanora. In mythology, Danaos is brought to Greece letters, taught agriculture and construction first pentikontoros (ships with 50 oars). From its name, the Greeks also called Danaans.

Married ten women and acquired fifty daughters, the Danaids. His brother, Egypt acquired fifty sons. The fifty daughters of Danaus married to as many cousins​​, which, with the encouragement of their father, killed the first night of marriage. Alone, not obeyed, was Ypermistra who saved her husband, lynx.

Lynx killed Danaos and the 49 Danaids condemned in Hades to fill a leaky jar, the known -pitho of Danaidon-. Alone now with his wife, became king of Argos, founding the first dynasty of Argos. Son of the Abbot who was identified with the patriarch of the people of Havana who married Okaleia.

The Twins Avanta and Okaleias (Akrisios and Products) began to quarrel, than when they were still in their mothers womb. When they grew up, the Proetus Acrisius drove and took the throne of Argos. The product fled to Asia Minor, in the court of King Iobates kalodechtike him and gave him the womans daughter. With his army father in law, the Products marched against his brother, but during the battle were: The product took Tiryns and Argos Acrisius. Undisputed king, Acrisius married Eurydice, daughter of Lacedaemon, and prepared to become mighty dynasty founder. However, the resulting Danae, beautiful daughter but female. He fled to Delphi asking, what should I do to obtain male offspring. The answer startled him: You should not have male offspring because it was meant to kill his grandson. Turned the Argos having lost all desire to have more children. And not to suffer from a son of Danae, put and built a bronze (or, according to others, gold) room, shoved deep into the earth and there ended his beautiful daughter.

Perseus and Andromeda:

The problem for him was that Acrisius Zeus saw the beautiful Danae and craved. Transformed into golden rain, passed through openings in the underground cell, regained its form, won Danae and left. In nine months, was born last year. The furious Acrisius took mother and son, to a closed casket and threw them into the sea. This writing, however, did not write it off. The urn tangled in the nets of a fisherman from the sheriff pulled, opened it and decided to save mother and baby.

Growing up, Perseus killed his grandfather and accidentally wandered seeking clearance. He made incredible feats, among them the murder of Medusa and the liberation of Andromeda.

Andromeda was the daughter of the Ethiopian king, Cepheus, Cassiopeia and egomaniac, who boasted that it is more beautiful than the Nereids. Angry Poseidon and Medusa goes to destroy the place. To appease the god, the Ethiopians tied her daughter on a rock in order to offer sacrifice to the monster. Just in time, passing by Perseus, saw her, fell in love and decided to save her, no easy thing.

Medusa was a monster with scary face, with snakes instead of hair, teeth boar bronze hands and gold wings. The terrible weapon, though, was the look of that ossify, anyone who dared to confront. Born rival Poseidon, the goddess Athena was presented at the right time and advised Perseus Medusa duel looking through the reflection in his shield. By doing this, Perseus was able to decapitate Medusa, to give the head (without looking) to the goddess and to liberate his beloved. Athena shield adorned with the head of the monster and gave Asclepius a magic blood: It came from the right side of Medusa healed people, while those from the right, kill them.

When Medusa was beheaded by mid sprang a winged horse Pegasus, which no one could tame. Someone advised clairvoyant hero Bellerophon to sleep a night in the temple of Athena. The view presented in his sleep and gave him a magic bridle. With this, the Bellerophon was able to tame Pegasus and make his legendary feats.

Son of Poseidon or King Glaucus of Corinth, the Bellerophon owes its name to the fact that he killed his brother Belleros (Belleros Slayer). To purify himself, fled to Tiryns, where he found refuge in the king, Proetus. But the wife of the king and smear the product in the xapesteile father in law, or Iobates Amfianakta. The last hero commissioned a series of labors hoping that someone will be killed by everyone. The hero, thanks to the skills of the winged horse, Pegasus, defeated and killed the Chimera, defeated the Amazons, salmon and Lycia and turned in Iobates winner and triumphant. He marveled at him, give him his daughter to wife, and gave him half the kingdom. All would end well if the hero did not decide to climb Mount Olympus to see how they live there the gods Zeus was angry, blinded him and sentenced him to wander in the rest of his life.

Saving Andromeda, Perseus was able to marry her. He turned in the Peloponnese, Argos exchanged with Tiryns, Mycenae built, dioikontas there, and became founder dynasty. His son, Sthenelos, reigned simultaneously at Mycenae and Tiryns. Sthenelas son and grandson of Perseus was Eurystheus who katatalaiporise Hercules.

Later, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Perseus, Andromeda and Pegasus became stars in the Northern Hemisphere.

The origin of Hercules:

George Thompson, the historian he somewhat extreme positions since 1949 (in his book -H ancient Greek society and prehistoric Aigaio-) expressed the view that federal union detached Dorian was an artificial construct formed in Central Greece under the influence they had on the prehistoric cultures of Delphi and Boeotia. He argued that the genealogy of the Greek with his three sons were inventing the historical period that had nothing to do with genealogy -alithini- mythology.

These views perhaps today could find more followers, under the light of the findings and forced a revision of theories about the appearance of the Dorians. T Following the footsteps of the goddess Demeter, Thompson expressed the view that Hercules comes from Crete as a partner of the Asian goddess, while others have said previously that its origins are Phoenician and even the hero Melkart. And insists that Hercules was initially tied with Hera and let us deliver mythology the goddess of hatred for the son of Alcmene. The name, writes, says -he him cry (called) by the name of Iras-​​. And lists a series of arguments about the good old relations goddess and demigod:

In Sparta, Heracles founded the temple to Hera, because the goddess helped him kill the usurper and twelve sons, when restored Tyndareus to the throne. And when Hera was fighting with the giant Porfyriona during the Gigantomachy, Hercules was the one who freed the opponent, killing him with an arrow. And Hera was that greeted him in the garden of the Hesperides and Mycenae, when he returned there with the three golden apples.

All of these are disputed. Since ancient times, they believed that the heroes were two: A Cretan and an Argos. And then sprang and the Doric, but coincides with the Argive. The Hercules changed camp and by the Achaean hero, Doric was standard, so tropopoioutan and form. From hard and relentless avenger of injustice and protector of the weak and wronged, turned into a benevolent and good-hearted giant, not so famous for his mind. And as this image is entrenched, the estimate rose to undisputed hero of the Achaeans, Theseus.

Zeus and Alcmene:

Already mentioned that Ypermnistra was the only survivor of the Danaids, daughters of Danaos, who took the ancient kingdom of Argos, when he left Africa. The lynx was the only son of Egypt, who survived a total of fifty. Their son was the abbot, who had children Proetus, king of Tiryns, and Acrisius, who succeeded him in Argos. This last child was beautiful Danae, who for the sake of Zeus became golden shower and gave her son Perseus.

The founder and first king of Mycenae, Perseus, took his wife Andromeda, which has four sons and one daughter: the Persians, Alcaeus, Ilektryona, Sthenelos and Mistora. And while his wife was late Sthenelas to become pregnant, the Ilektryon beauty had a daughter, Alcmene with beautiful hair, black eyelid and long beautiful legs. And when Alcmene grew up, married the love of Amphitryon, son of Alcaeus and protoxaderfo, crown prince of Tiryns.

The Sthenelos managed to clear the area of Amphitryon and he fled to Thebes, together with his wife. Zeus saw Alcmene and fell in love so much that has never xanasyndethike with mortal! The Alcmene, however, loved her husband and was completely loyal. The leader of the gods was only one way to achieve the purpose of: fraud.

One day when Amphitryon was absent hunting, took his form and appeared before the supposedly tired of the day-long effort. They fell back to sleep, but she had to know what the side. By order of Zeus, indeed, the sun did come out for three days and that night the magic lasted three 24hours. He turned and his Amphitryon jaded, so Alcmene realized what had happened. Slept and she became pregnant. She gave birth to twins, Heracles of semen of Zeus and the weak Iphicles of the Amphitryon.

The birth of demigod:

At nine months, Zeus lived with the memory of hours spent near Alcmene. And as we approach the time of birth, the chief of the gods was not accepted. Critical day, began to boast to others of Olympus for his son was going to get. Hera skyliase of evil. The cheat was born in her.

Translation is, as you say, then you must swear that the prince will be born today first will prevail in all of at neighbors said.

-And Course will swear self, replied Jupiter and quick to do. Hera did not waste time. Poured in Thebes and made the pain of childbirth Alcmene stop. Then she was cast in the plain of Argolis, where finally pregnant wife Sthenelas spent time of waiting, and he was born to Eurystheus, eptaminitikos. Then he returned to Olympus and announced the news in naive husband. When Hercules was born, was already tied to the wills of his uncle. But it was powerful and the appearance of the herald that he would dominate the Earth. Hera sent two snakes in her crib to smother him. Hercules took the game, the DESE knot between them and threw them, dead at the feet of parents who entered the room in terror.

Hercules grew up in Thebes, causing and solving problems (see. Relating to the history of Boeotia). He married Megara, the daughter of King Creon, but what became her children, killed them in a moment of fury. Then, he took the road to the Argolid, to enter the service of Eurystheus.

The twelve labors:

He served twelve years, performing twelve labors, one harder than the other:

First mission was to bring in Mycenae his skin the Nemean lion, which invulnerable and invincible lived in a cave with two exits. Hercules tried to untangle using his bow. Arrows, but not penetrated the beast. Blocked one entrance, entered the cave on the other, fought with him and finally strangled. More time got to scratch your ass and wear. Is the lion skin, which throughout his life he never separated.

The second feat, Hercules had friends and his friend Iolaus, who was driving the chariot. Had to kill the Hydra, a monster with nine heads or hundred. Found in Lerna, where he resided. The battle was difficult, because every time she cut a head, peering into place other two.