lecture 4 古希腊罗马神话 英文版 教学课件

1、 1. The story of Perseus 2. The story of Cadmus 3. The labors of Heracles Perseus, founder of Mycenae (迈锡尼迈锡尼), one of the most famous heroes in Greek Mythology, was the son of the god Zeus and the mortal Danae (达达 那厄那厄). Danae was a very beautiful girl, the daughter of King Acrisius. An oracle (神谕神

2、谕) told the king that his own grandson would someday kill him. To prevent this, Acrisius kept her in a bronze tower, so that no man might approach her and that she would have no children. But Zeus fell in love with her, and turned himself into a shower of gold to fall on her. When Danae had a son, A

3、cricius locked them in a chest and cast them into the sea. However, they did not drown. Instead, blessed by Zeus, they drifted to the island of Seriphos (赛里福斯岛赛里福斯岛) and were rescued by Dictys, brother of King of Seriphos and Perseus grew up in his home. Later, Polydectes, the king, fell in love wit

4、h Danae, but his love was not returned. Perseus was now a young man, and Polydectes, fearing that Perseus might interfere with his plan to marry Danae, sent him to fetch the head of Medusa (美杜莎美杜莎), who was a snake-haired monster and whose head was so horrible that anyone who looked at it was turned

5、 to stone. In this way, Polydectes hoped that Perseus would be destroyed, but the gods favored the young man. Perseus: 英仙座英仙座 With the help of Hermes, Perseus made his way to the Graeae(格赖埃三姐妹格赖埃三姐妹), three old ugly sisters who shared one eye and one tooth between them. Perseus took their eye and to

6、oth and refused to return them and forced them to tell him where to find Medusa. Then, Athena lent him a shield that had a smooth surface and could be used as a mirror so that he didnt have to look directly at Medusa; Hermes lent him wings for his shoes and a sword that could never be bent or broken

7、; and Hades lent him a helmet (头头 盔盔) that would make him invisible. Armed with these, Perseus found Medusa and successfully cut off her head. In due course he came in sight of the giant Atlas, to whom the gods had appointed the task of supporting the sky on his shoulders. Perseus had taken off his

8、magic helmet, so Atlas saw him afar off, and was glad. But oh, great Perseus, if ever you felt pity for grief, take pity on me now, who am condemned to support the sky for all eternity, unless you will bring an end to my sufferings! Show me the face of Medusa, and let me be changed into stone! And a

9、 moment only - then Atlas smile froze, and the giants great bulk, slowly solidifying, was transformed to rough and craggy stone and then an immense mountain appeared with its top lost in the rolling clouds. atlas: 地图集，航图集；支撑柱；肌肉发达的男子地图集，航图集；支撑柱；肌肉发达的男子 Still while returning home, Perseus saw a beati

10、ful girl chained to a rock on the seashore. Then he learned that she was Andromeda, the princess of Ethiopia (埃塞俄比亚埃塞俄比亚), was about to be sacrificed to a sea monster. Her mother had boasted that she was more beautiful than the Nereids (sea nymphs) who attended Poseidon, which offended the god of th

11、e sea, who sent a sea monster to attack Ethiopia. An oracle said Andromeda should be sacrificed to the sea monster to save the land. But Perseus fell in love with the girl, killed the monster and married the beautiful princess. Perseus then returned to Seriphos just in time to save his mother from t

12、he violence of Polydectes, whom he turned to stone with the head of Medusa. Later he returned his magical loans to the gods and gave Medusas head as a votive (献祭的献祭的) gift to Athena, who set it on Zeus shield (which she carried), as the Gorgoneion (女魔脸形饰女魔脸形饰). Leaving Dictys as king, Perseus and hi

13、s mother returned to Greece, where taking part in a game, Perseus accidentally killed his grandfather Acrisius with a discus, thus fulfilling the prediction of the oracle. According to one legend, Perseus, unwilling to take the kingdom of his grandfather, went to Asia, where his son Perses became th

14、e ruler of the Persians (波斯人波斯人), who were said to have been named after him. Cadmus (卡德摩斯卡德摩斯) was the son of Agenor, the King of Tyre (泰尔城国王阿哥诺耳泰尔城国王阿哥诺耳), a city in Phoenicia (腓尼基城邦腓尼基城邦). He set out to find his sister Europa after she had been carried off by Zeus in the shape of a white bull. He

15、 wandered years after years in search of his sister without any result. One day, he found himself in the noble city of Delphi, and visited the temple of Apollo. The oracle advised him to give up his search and instead to do something more important. He was directed to follow a cow until she reached

16、a place where she would lie down, and build city on the spot. The cow led him to the site of Thebes. When he sent his companions to fetch water from a nearby spring, they were killed by a dragon that was guarding the source of water. Cadmus killed the dragon and following the instruction of Athena,

17、pulled out the dragons teeth and sowed them in the ground. At once, armed men sprang up and threatened to kill him. By throwing a stone among them, Cadmus caused them to kill each other in the struggle to gain the stone. At last five were left alive, who helped Cadmus build the city of Thebes and be

18、came the ancestors of the noble families of Thebes. Before Cadmus could enjoy his new home, however, he had to accomplish certain difficult tasks to show that he was sorry for killing the dragon, which was sacred to Ares, god of war. After eight years of hard work, Cadmus was made king of Thebes and

19、 was given Harmonia (哈耳摩尼哈耳摩尼 亚亚), the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, as his wife. Although Thebes prospered under his rule, in his old age, two of his daughters and two of his grandsons suffered violent death (暴亡暴亡). Then, he withdrew with his wife to Illyria, where at his death, both of them were

20、 changed into snakes and carried off by Zeus to Elysium (极乐世界极乐世界). Cadmean victory: 付出惨重代价取得的胜利付出惨重代价取得的胜利 to sow dragons teeth: 种下祸根种下祸根 Heracles (Hercules赫丘利赫丘利) was the son of Zeus and Alcmena, a mortal woman. He was the most celebrated of all heroes in Greek myth, famous for his strength, coura

21、ge, good nature and compassion. He was known as a great eater as well as a great fighter. Hera declared war against Heracles from his birth. She sent two serpents to destroy him as he lay in his cradle, but the newborn baby strangled (扼死扼死) them with his own hands. herculean: 如赫拉克勒斯一般身材高大、体如赫拉克勒斯一般身

22、材高大、体 魄强健、肌肉发达、勇气过人的魄强健、肌肉发达、勇气过人的 Heracles: 武英座武英座 He was given lessons in various arts by all the great experts, and became the most accomplished of men. When he was a young man, an incident happened to him, called later . He was wondering in a lonely place which course of life to follow, when two

23、 women, Pleasure and Virtue, appeared before him, one offering a life of ease and enjoyment, and the other a life of hardship, danger, but glory. He chose the latter. Heracles choice: 意为弃绝享乐的人生，意为弃绝享乐的人生， 选择充满苦难和奋斗的人生道路，最终达选择充满苦难和奋斗的人生道路，最终达 到不朽。到不朽。 After he did a great service for the king of Theb

24、es, the king gave him his daughter Megara (墨伽拉墨伽拉) to marry. He was, however, caused by Hera to have a fit of madness, during which he killed his wife and their children. The oracle at Delphi tole him that he had to serve King Eurystheus (欧律斯透斯欧律斯透斯) of Tiryns (提任斯提任斯) for 12 years to purify himself

25、 of the murders. Eurystheus ordered him to perform a succession of most difficult tasks, which are called the . The following are some of the most famous labours. 1. To kill the Nemean lion. 杀死杀死 涅墨亚的狮子涅墨亚的狮子 2. To destroy the Lernaean Hydra. 杀死毒蛇杀死毒蛇许德拉许德拉 3. To capture the Ceryneian Hind. 生擒赤母鹿生擒赤

26、母鹿 4. To capture the Erymanthian Boar. 活捉大野猪活捉大野猪 5. To clean the Augean Stables 清扫国王奥革阿斯的牛圈清扫国王奥革阿斯的牛圈 6. To kill the Stymphalian Birds 消灭食肉怪鸟消灭食肉怪鸟 7. To capture the Cretan Bull. 捕捉克里特疯牛捕捉克里特疯牛 8. To round up the Mares of Diomedes 驯服食人马驯服食人马 9. To steal the Girdle of Hippolyte 夺取亚马逊女王的腰夺取亚马逊女王的腰 带

27、带 10. To herd the Cattle of Geryon 夺取巨人牛群夺取巨人牛群 11. To fetch the Apples of Hesperides 取回金苹果取回金苹果 12. To capture Cerberus 带回带回 地狱看门狗地狱看门狗 1. The fight with the Nemean lion that could not be wounded by any weapons. The lion was sent by Hera to Nemea. Eurystheus ordered Heracles to bring him the skin o

28、f this monster. When he found he could not hurt the lion with his club (大棒大棒) and arrows, he strangled the animal with his hands. Then he separated the skin of the beast from its body by using its own claws, as it was the only way to do so, and clothed himself with the skin. 2. The killing of the Hy

29、dra, a poisonous snake living in Lerna (勒耳那勒耳那). This serpent had nine heads; when one was cut off another grew in its place. Heracles cut off the heads, and Iolaus, his follower, burned the necks with fire to prevent them from growing back. The Hydra had one head that was immortal, which Heracles b

30、uried under a rock. He then dipped his arrows in the Hydras blood to make them poisonous. hydra: 水蛭；又可以指不断铲除又不断孳生水蛭；又可以指不断铲除又不断孳生 的恶势力或丑恶现象的恶势力或丑恶现象 6. Augeas (奥革阿斯奥革阿斯), king of Elis (厄里斯厄里斯), had an enormous herd of cattle, and the stables had never been cleaned for 30 years. Heracles was required

31、 to clean them up in one day. First he tore two opposite big openings in the walls of the cattle-yard of the stables. Next, he dug wide trenches(深沟深沟) to two rivers which flowed nearby and turned the course of the rivers into the yard. Then the rivers rushed through the stables, flushing them out, a

32、nd cleaned the stables. to cleanse the Augean Stables:彻底清除多年彻底清除多年 的积弊的积弊 8. King Diomedes (狄俄墨得斯狄俄墨得斯) of Thrace (色雷斯色雷斯) fed his horses with human flesh, and Eurystheus now ordered Heracles to fetch those animals to Mycenae (迈锡尼迈锡尼). With some companions, he made an unexpected attack on the horse

33、guards, took the animals, and conducted them to the sea coast. But here he was overtaken by the Bistones, and during the fight he entrusted the mares to his friend Abderus, who was eaten up by them. After Heracles defeated the Bistones, killed Diomedes, whose body he threw before the mares, which ha

34、d become tame after eating the flesh of their master. And then he built the town of Abdera, in honour of his unfortunate friend, and after that, he returned to Mycenae, with the horses, which were afterwards set free, and destroyed on Mount Olympus by wild beasts. 10. Eurytheus gave Heracles the tas

35、k of bringing back the cattle, which belonged to the monster Geryon (格律翁，三头六臂的巨人格律翁，三头六臂的巨人). This involved killing the sentinels (哨兵哨兵) who watched over the cattle and their master, then, driving the herd over land and sea back to Greece single handed, which made this a very dangerous adventure. On

36、 his way to the island of Erytheia where the cattle were pastured, Heracles set up two great rocks as landmarks (路标路标) on the two sides of the strait of Gibraltar (直布罗陀海峡直布罗陀海峡), which were then named the Pillars of Hercules (赫拉克勒斯之柱赫拉克勒斯之柱). Having reached the island Heracles killed the giant Euryt

37、ion, the herdsman of Geryon, and finally Geryon himself, who was a fearful monster with three heads. Then Heracles brought away the cattle in safety to Eurystheus. 11. The Garden of the Hesperides (赫斯珀赫斯珀 里得斯三仙女里得斯三仙女) was Heras orchard in the east, where grew either a single tree or a grove of tree

38、s bearing immortality and giving golden apples . These were the apples given by Gaia, the goddess of the earth, to Hera as a wedding present. The tree was guarded by the Hesperides, who were three nymphs and daughters of Atlas. Not trusting them, Hera placed in the garden a never-sleeping, hundred-headed, dragon, named Ladon, as a