Greek Mythic History

Eternal Year
Late Helladic Bronze Age (LHIIIB);
Part of Hesiod’s Age of Heroes

Listen to me. All men have to pay the debt of death, and there is not a mortal who knows whether he is going to be alive on the morrow. The outcome of things that depend on fortune cannot be foreseen; they can neither be learned nor discovered by any art. Hearken to this and learn of me, cheer up, drink, reckon the days yours as you live them; the rest belongs to fortune.
—Herakles in Euripides’s Alcestis, fifth century BCE

May Leto, nurturing Leto, give you fine children
And Cypris, goddess Cypris, equal love for each other
And Zeus, Kronian Zeus, prosperity without end.
—Theokritos of Syrakuse, Helene’s Wedding Song, third century BCE

The Heroic Age peaked during the eternal year in which Herakles earned immortality by successfully completing twelve seemingly impossible labors. Gods and men never interacted more often than they did during this eternal year (eight solar years).

1239T/989R BCE
Herakles begins his labors in the service of King Eurystheus.

Herakles Begins His Labors

1) Nemean Lion: Herakles hunted a fierce man-eating lion terrorizing the Argeia for thirty days before finding it listless after a large meal. Herakles shot the lion, but the thick hide of the baleful monster was impervious to the arrows. When the annoyed lion leapt at his tormentor, Herakles struck him on the head with a mighty blow from his massive club made of wild olive wood. The club broke into two pieces while the lion fell, midleap, to the ground. The lion stood on unsteady feet, shaking his head in befuddled pain. Quickly, before he recovered, Herakles jumped on the beast’s muscular back and strangled him. During the struggle, Herakles lost a finger. Herakles skinned the lion and wore its tough hide for protection. King Eurystheus of Tiryns was so terrified at his cousin Herakles’s appearance when he returned in the hide of the beast that he commanded that henceforth Herakles was to display his trophies outside the city gates. Moreover, all communication would be conducted through his herald Kopreus, son of Pelops. Image 10.1
Map of First Six Labors of Herakles

2) Hideous Hydra: Next Herakles boldly drove his chariot into the Lerne swamp, which had been created by the waters Poseidon caused to flow for the Danaid Amymone. He leapt out of the car, grabbed the seven-headed serpent by the neck, and cut off the first head that lunged at him. But alas, every time Herakles cut off one of its heads, two heads grew in its place. The situation became increasingly grim until the great hero bellowed to his squire Iolaos (Iphikles’s son), asking him to quickly bring burning brands. Then every time Herakles cut off a venomous head, Iolaos cauterized the wound before new heads appeared. In this manner the beast was killed. Herakles buried the immortal head. Then Herakles smashed an annoying crab that Hera had sent to pinch his heel the whole time he fought the Hydra. Golden-throned Hera put her loyal subject into the heavens as the constellation Cancer.

1238T/988R BCE
All-seeing Zeus reverses the course of the sun and stars to award Atreus the kingdom of Mycenai, Polypheides raises Glaukos from the dead, Zeus ravishes Leda on her wedding day, Herakles performs two labors, and Theseus gains fame by clearing the road to Athens of highwaymen.

Atreus and Thyestes Compete for the Kingdom When King Koiranos of Mycenai (son of King Abas II, son of King Melampous) died, an oracle proclaimed that the citizens must place the kingdom into the hands of a Pelopid, for the gods gave the sons of Pelops wealth. Pelops’s twin sons Atreus and Thyestes had been serving as regents for young king Adrastos of neighboring Midea. They both applied for the job. Koiranos was the last king from the House of Amythaon, whom the gods gave wisdom. He was the son of Abas II and grandson of the seer Melampous, who traded Argos for Mycenai at the instigation of Perseus.

The Mycenaian aristocrats could not choose between the brothers until Thyestes suggested the throne be given to the one who could produce a golden sheepskin. Atreus confidently agreed, not realizing that the Golden Fleece he possessed had been stolen. The aristocrats agreed that such a fleece would be proof of divine approval.

Atreus and Thyestes had inherited rich Akarnanian pastureland filled with a great flock of sheep from their father, Pelops, who had passed away while they were regents of Adrastos (1242T/992R BCE). In thanks Atreus vowed to sacrifice the finest sheep in the herd to Artemis. Sly Hermes took this opportunity to sow seeds of discord between the brothers, for he held a grudge against Pelops for treacherously murdering his son Myrtilos. Fulfilling Myrtilos’s dying curse, scheming Hermes aimed to tear apart Pelops’s descendants with bitter hatred. To do this he made a wondrous golden-fleeced ram appear among the flocks that grazed in rich pastureland of Akarnania. Atreus, mindful of his oath to wild Artemis to sacrifice the best in the herd to her, slaughtered the ram and offered the meat to Artemis, but he kept the fleece in a box instead of presenting it to the goddess.

Artemis was livid over the ingenuous sacrifice and turned Thyestes against his brother, reminding him that he was entitled to the fleece as well. Atreus’s second wife, Airope, had scandalously slept with lovers before her marriage and had afterward made advances toward Thyestes. Hereto he had brushed aside her advances, but he now slept with her in exchange for the box that contained the hidden fleece. At the appointed time, Thyestes produced the fleece, which duly impressed the Mycenaian nobles, and he was anointed king. Scheming Hermes was well pleased.

Atreus cried foul but had no proof that the article had been stolen from him. But the son of Kronos, Zeus, favored Atreus and sent his messenger Hermes to suggest that Atreus propose a new challenge. Atreus complied and proclaimed that the lords should reverse their decision if he could reverse the sun’s flight and change the course of the Pleiades. Confident that his brother could not perform such a feat, Thyestes sarcastically agreed. To everyone’s astonishment, the sun and stars changed just as Atreus predicted. The people were amazed and gave Atreus the illustrious title of wanax (meaning “great-king”). All of the sons of Pelops agreed that Atreus deserved to wield the royal scepter of their father. Hephaistos crafted it on lordly Zeus’s command and gave to the bright pathfinder Hermes to present to Pelops. Seated on his jewel-studded throne in the great hall of his palace, Atreus stamped his scepter on the polished tile and proclaimed his first decree—Thyestes was to be banished.

Exhibit 10.1
Mycenaian Walls

Despite its great and growing wealth during the reign of Atreus, Mycenai was a less confident place than before. Instead of palaces or tombs, the great construction project of the era was the building of massive new walls to protect the city. They replaced older, smaller walls and enclosed both the citadel (where the palace was) and the Circle A shaft graves, but not the older Circle B shaft graves. The crowning achievement of the fortifications was the famous Lion Gate, the only example of monumental sculpture found in Bronze Age Hellas. It took twenty years and a great expenditure of resources to complete this fourth and final major building program of Mycenaian Hellas. During this time the shaft graves and older tholos tombs were restored and became public cult sites for the first time.