Classical Mythology, 7th Edition - obinfonet: dia logou

212
THE MYTHS OF CREATION: THE GODS
somehow Hippolytus himself were a typical ancient Greek male. It is abundantly
clear from the play that he is anything but that. Aphrodite herself punishes him
for his aberration, and his father hates him for his religious fanaticism and cannot
believe his virginal protestations; Theseus hastily convinces himself that Hippolytus
raped Phaedra because he never could believe that his boy does not like
women. Theseus is the archetype of the traditional, extrovert father who loves
his wife and is disappointed by his son who has turned out to be an introvert,
different from him in almost every way. If one were to pick an average Athenian
(a dangerous, if not foolish, game to play), it would be Theseus.
Misandry, Artemis, and the Amazons. Misandry, hatred of men, rather than misogyny
is a more immediate theme in connection with Artemis, where it manifests
itself in the close religious bonds of her group, which excludes the male,
as made evident in the stories of Actaeon and Callisto. In this connection the
Amazons are relevant, important figures not only in the legends of Theseus, but
also in those of Heracles and of the Trojan War; the Amazons developed a society
not unlike that of Artemis the huntress, which excluded men. The Amazons,
however, were devoted to the pursuits of battle and determined to become
invincible warriors. Their arete ("excellence") was to be the same and in no way
different from that of a male.
Lesbian Themes. Lesbianism is a latent motif in stories about the strong bond of
affection among Artemis and her band of female followers. The atmosphere is
virginal and the relationships pure, although the success of Jupiter with Callisto,
when he takes the form of her beloved virgin goddess Diana, is fraught with
Freudian overtones and makes one wonder. Athena, another virgin goddess, has
close female companions. We learned in Chapter 8 about the tragic story of her
relationship with Pallas; and she was also closely linked to the nymph Chariclo,
who became the mother of Tiresias. Because of the avowed purity of these two
virgin goddesses, it seems appropriate that Aphrodite (and not Artemis or
Athena) preside over more sensual female relationships.
The society and mores of the warlike Amazons may also be subjected to lesbian
interpretations, if one so desires.
ADDITIONAL READING
SELECTIONS FROM EURIPIDES' HIPPOLYTUS
The scene of Euripides' Hippolytus is in front of the palace in Troezen, a city
linked to Athens and the hero Theseus. In a typically Euripidean prologue (cf.
the opening of the Bacchae in Chapter 13), the mighty goddess Aphrodite proclaims
the universality of her power and establishes the action of the play. She
is outraged because the young and virginal hunter Hippolytus slights her and
bestows all his love and attention upon Artemis, and she explains how she will
exact vengeance (1-28):