Herakles and Theseus were two of the great Athenian heroes – renowned for their feats of strength and bravery in myth as they rid the world of monsters and other threats. Yet these myths were far from set in stone, and could be manipulated to reflect the priorities of the contemporary world in 6th century and also democratic Athens. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo examines the role of Herakles and Theseus in Athenian thought and culture.

Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Herakles and Theseus were two of the great Athenian heroes – renowned for their feats of strength and bravery in myth as they rid the world of monsters and other threats. Yet these myths were far from set in stone, and could be manipulated to reflect the priorities of the contemporary world in 6th century and also democratic Athens. In this lecture Dr Heather Sebo examines the role of Herakles and Theseus in Athenian thought and culture. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Athenian Heroes: Herakles and Theseus

This subject deals with the cultural history of the ancient Greek world through both textual sources and the material evidence of art and archaeology. The period covered runs from the Iron Age world of Archaic Greece through to the late Classical period (roughly from the 8th century to the 4th century BCE). We will concentrate mainly on Athens and mainland Greece, but we will also focus on the Greek expansion into other parts of the Mediterranean world (Sicily and South Italy) in the process of colonisation. Historical texts will be combined with literary sources and archaeology to explore the physical nature of ancient Greek cities and social issues such as the position of women, ethnicity, sexuality and slavery in the ancient Greek world.

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Athenian Heroes: Herakles and Theseus

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