Founding Stories

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Founding Story: Greece

King Cecrops didn't have a name for his new city

Poseidon and Athena both went to claim it as their own

Poseidon, as a gift to persuade Cecrops to let him be the patron, struck the ground with a trident to make a spring. However the water was too salty to use

Athena gave them an olive tree which was useful for oil, food and wood.

She won the contest and named Athens after herself

Aegeus had been to visit the oracle at Delphi asking how to get an heir

On his way home he visited his friend King Pittheus of Troezen who realised that Aegeus would produce an heir with the next woman he slept with

He got Aegeus drunk and him and Pittheus' daughter Aethra slept together

She became pregnant. That night Poseidon slept with her also and so her son Theseus was a demi-god

Aegeus placed his sandals and sword under a boulder and left. He said that if Theseus was his son, he would be able to lift the boulder and retrieve the items and bring them back to him

Theseus was able to do this and on his way to his father he took a dangerous route

Sinis- the pine bender. He would tie his victims to bent pine trees and release them, tearing them in half. Theseus did this to Sinis himself.

Crommyonian sow. Theseus kills the sow, who in other versions was actually a female thief.

Sciron. The old man would ask people to wash his feet and them kick them off the cliff into the water where a giant turtle ate them. Theseus dragged the man off the cliff by his feet.

Cercyon- the wrestler. Theseus beat him.

Procrustes. He had a magical bed he would tie his victims to and either stretch them or cut off their feet and head. Theseus cut his head off.

The minotaur. Every year 7 boys and 7 girls were sent as food for the minotaur. Theseus volunteered. Ariadne, King Minos' daughter gave him a ball of wool so he didn't get lost.

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Founding Story: Rome

Aeneas is the son of Venus and Anchises

He escaped Troy with his father Anchises and his son Ascanius

The story of Aeneas was written at the time Augustus was ruling Rome. Augustus was the nephew/adopted son of Julius Caesar. The Caesars traced their family lineage back to Aeneas to legitimise their right to rule Rome.

Ascanius founded Alba Longa, where Romulus and Remus' grandfather Numitor ruled.

Numitor's daughter Rhea Silvia, a Vestal Virgin, became pregnant by Mars.

Numitor's brother Amulius had dethroned him and made Rhea Silvia become a Vestal Virgin so Numitor had no heirs

Numitor ordered a servant to kill the twins but the servant takes pity. He leaves them by the Tiber in a basket.

They are raised by a she-wolf and eventually Faustulus the shepherd.

They kill Amulius.

They decide to found a city but can't decide where. Romulus wanted to build on the Palatine Hill and Remus wanted to build on the Aventine Hill so they have a contest of augury. Remus is the first to see birds, but Romulus sees more birds.

Remus jokingly jumped over Romulus' city wall and Romulus killed him out of anger.

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