Aitana Soria 2ºAAlba Alonso 2ºA

Daniel Isidro 2ºA

Some Greek and Roman myths

1. The rape of Proserpina2. Atlas holding the world3. Hercules and the Lion of Nemea4. The rape of Helene5. Laooconte and his sons6. Romulus and Remus

Índex

Artist: Gian Lorenzo Bernini Ubication: Galery Borghese Date of creation: 1621–1622 Technique: Marble Period: Baroque

1. The rape of Proserpina

The rape of ProserpinaOne day, Proserpina (daughter of Jupiter and Ceres, goddess of the spring) was picking up flowers. Pluto saw her and fell in love with her, He didn’t know how to court her. Pluto asked his brother Jupiter for advice, and he said that Pluto must rape her and pick her to the underworld.Pluto did what his brother said.Ceres was very angry and she asked for help. Hecate used her torchs to light the night and a prince, Triptolemus, helped her too ( he was converted in god of agriculture). Finally, she discovered that Pluto had taken her to the underworld and she demanded to Jupiter to bring her daughter back. Jupiter could do nothing and Ceres didn’t let the plants to grow, so the humans were all dying.Finally, the three parts reached an agreedment. Proserpina would remain two thrids of the year with her mother and the rest of the year with Pluto, in the underworld (she must remain there because she had eaten a grain of pomegranate).The third of the year that Proserpina stood in the underworld, Ceres was sad and she didn’t let the plants to grow and that’s why winter exists.

2. Atlas holding the world

Sculpture by Lee Lawrie, placed in Rockfeller centre.

Roman sculpture

Atlas holding the worldAtlas was a titan that was sentenced to maintain the sky separated from the Earth (Urano and Gea).He was the son of Japeto and the nymph Climene, another versions said that was the son of Gea and Urano. He was the leader of the titans in the titanomaquia that were battles occurred before there were humans in the Earth. The titans fought against the gods for eleven years that war was also known as The Battle of the Titans. Finally the titans were defeated so Zeus gave him a punishment that was to carry the weight of the sky in his shoulders.

• Ubication: barrio de los Jerónimos, Madrid• Technique: marble

3. Hercules and the lion of Nemea

The rape of HelenHercules was a Greek hero who had to do ten tasks (that in the end were twelve) for his relative, the king Eurystheus as punishment for killing his wife and sons. One of this tasks was killing the legendary lion of Nemea. Its skin protected it from being hurt. It was bigger than the largest horse you can imagine. Firstly Hercules shot at him with his bow, but the lion wasn’t hurt. He also tried to cut of his head but he couldn’t. Finally he cornered the lion in a cave and he fought with his own hands. He killed the lion by not letting him to breath.

4. The rape of Helen

• Artist: Johann Wilhelm Beye• Ubication: Gardens of the Palace of

Schönbrunn (Viena)• Date of creation: 1773 – 1780• Technique: stone

The rape of HelenEverything had started because Afrodita , goddess of love, had promised the love of the most beautyful girl in the world (Helen of Troy) to Paris, if he choose her in the beauty contest between Afrodita, Hera and Athena.Paris went to Sparta, where he was received with hospitality by Menelao and his wife, Helen. However, during his stay, Menelao had to travel to Crete to assist to the burying of his grandfather Catreo.Afrodita caused that Helen fell in love with Paris and that they scaped together from Sparta with the treasure of Helen while Menelao was still in Crete.

5. Laocoonte and his sons

• Artist: Agesandro, Polidoro and Atenodoro de Rodas

• Ubication: Museum Pío-Clementino• Material: Marble

Laocoonte and his sonsLaocoonte was the priest of the temple of Apollo Trimeo in Troy; he warned the Trojans that if they let the Trojan horse enter the city, they will fall in a trap set by the Achaean Greeks.Laocoonte tried to destroy the horse, but the Trojans didn’t let him, because they taught that it was a sacred image of Athena; he tried to made a sacrifice for the god Apollo, but suddenly two sea snakes called Porces and Caribea, or Curisia, or Peribea came from Tenedos and Calidnes; they left the sea and attacked the twin sons of Laocoonte (called Atifante and Thymbraeus or Melanto) wounded around their bodies. Laocoonte tried to save them, but he was caught to. The snakes are like a divine punishment for trying to destroy the horse, so the Trojans taught was a sign that the horse was a sacred objet.There is another version of the myth that explains that was a punishment for Laocoönte because he got married with Antiopa and for having sex with his wife in front of the sculpture of the god that was a sacrilege since he made a vow of celibacy.

Artist: anonymus, the children were added by Antonio Pollaiuolo.

Ubication: Museos Capitolinos Technique: Bronze

6. Romulus and Remus

Romulus and RemusNumitor , who was descendant of Eneas (son of Venus and Anquises andfounder of the city of Albalonga) was dethroned for his brother Amurrio. Marth, god of the war, had two sons with the princess of the city, Rea Silvia. This two boys were called Romulus and Remus. For saving them from death, Her mother threw them to the river Tiber in a basket. A female wolf, called Lupa, went to drink water and saw the twins. She breastfed them in her lair in mount Palatin. Finally, a shepherd found them and his wife took care of them. They succeded Numitor in the throne of Albalonga and founded a colony in the right bank of the river, in the place where Lupa had breastfed them. Remulus and Remus fought about the place in which they will place the city, so they decided to consult the flight of the vultures. Romulus saw twelve vultures flying over the Palantin and Remus saw just six vultures over the other hills.Romulus, to delimit the city, used a plough, and sweared that he would kill anyone who passed it. Remus disobeyed and Romulus killed him, so Romulus was the only king of Rome. This happened in 752 b.C.