Inherited Guilt, Bloodshed, and Inevitability of Fate in Ancient Greek and Roman Myths - Essay Example

Inherited Guilt, Bloodshed, and inevitability of fate in ancient Greek & Roman myths: The Tragedies of House of Atreus The great gods and goddessesof ancient Greece, as described in mythology, lived, laughed and feasted on nectar on the imaginary yet supremely magnificent Mount Olympus. They also, on the other hand, fought, deceived, conspired and engaged in bloodshed after bloodshed resulting in cross-generational tragedies. Brother against brother, father against son, son against mother were among some of the most prominent motifs; and guilt, bloodshed and inheritance - the prominent themes commonly found in most of these ancient epics. The sins committed by the mighty gods and goddesses or heroes, as is apparent from the tragic plays, are severely punished by way of divine hostility and curses that span generations (Garvie 69). The historic Greek epics have been famous for the flamboyant portrayal of the gods and goddesses, the sheer magnificence of their power and character, and for the depiction of their heroic deeds, where nymphs and the heavenly mingled with the mere mortals. Among such mystical and fascinating Greek myths, the House of Atreus and the Thebian cycle command considerable attention, mainly due to the sheer scale of the tragedies that befell them, and recurrence of familiar and now popular motifs and themes that highlight the social fabric of the ancient Greek societies. The tragedies begin with the story of Tantalus, the progenitor of the of the House of Atreus, whose grave sin against the god, invited their wrath and an eternal curse that spanned three generations of his family (Lloyd-Jones 187). This play is a prime example of the recurring themes of inherited guilt, eternal damnation and the consequent misfortune and bloodshed that followed, as a result. It reaffirms the archaic beliefs of the ancient Greeks in the fact that guilt and sins committed by one is inheritable and the misfortunes that befalls them is the direct consequence of their acts that enraged the gods and invoked their curse. The discussion will investigate the horrific portrayal of the two generations along the themes and motifs mentioned in the title. This will include the discussion of the horrific deeds of Atreus and Thyestes; their inevitable fates that caused cross-generational tragedies and bloodshed, and invited the wrath of the gods in the form of curses that destroyed families and brought eternal doom. The house of Atreus, for instance, depicts the manner in which their immoral acts led them to (Burn 43) undergo intense power struggle as it fought with both succession and devolution of power. While such wars were characterized by horrific acts, they marked the development of various territories thus validating that power struggles and the change of political systems always exhibit violent traits. Other manifestations of horror include the Mycenae’s tragedy of the devolution of power in which the Thyestes and its descendants were major characters. The essay finally concludes that despite the prominent motifs and themes surrounding the vital concepts of inherited guilt, hubris, vengeance and political struggle, these ancient epics also indicated the positive consequences that followed such intense power struggles. It also highlights the moral grounds on which the ancient Greek society was established and the immense significance attributed to traits such as filial piety, and avoiding to partake in sins or sinful activities, since it destroys not only the sinner him/herself but has a fatal consequence on their successors as well. Prominent themes & motifs: Some of the most significant and apparent motifs and themes in the Greek tragedies include hubris, thirst for power, bloodshed, vengeance, inherited guilt and the inevitability of fate, among others. Among them, the one discussed in this essay includes the eternal damnation that the families of noble men are made to endure and suffer as a result of invoking God’s wrath, for sins committed by one of the members of their family. The curse that befalls these families, is highly tragic since it not only condemns those who committed it but also their families for eternity, who are now made to suffer indefinitely, and shall be passed on from generation to generation. These tragedies and the consequent chaos and bloodshed that surrounds it, are often invoked by the divinity or the supernatural that continue to torment and haunt the families and off springs of the oikos (Sewell-Rutter). The key causes behind these recurring motifs have been historically debated in scholarly literature, with an objective to ascertain whether it is the wrath of Gods, that condemns the families of those who have sinned to an eternity of doom and hell, or is it on account of the inherent characteristic flaws of the off springs themselves that invite such ill fate. The answer to this question is provided in the following discussion. Furthermore the recurrent theme of inherited guilt and the children being forced to pay for the crimes and sins committed by their forefathers, indicate the tendency of the ancient Greeks toward the concept of ‘delayed punishment’ whereby people are made to consider the consequences of their actions or face the wrath of Gods for an eternity. This is apparent in the tragedies of the House of Atreus as well as in the Theban cycle where ancestral curses is seen as running the lives of entire generations altogether, and where even the innocent is punished and made to suffer due to a family curse (Hogan 104). The fury of Gods that is unleashed on the families of those who commit grave sin, represents the highly complex relationship between the almighty Gods and the powerless and relatively weak, mortals. The catastrophic tragedies to which the families of the sinners are condemned is hence perceived as a form of moral justice carried out by the divinity, and is also one of the most common and recurring themes in the Greek tragedies, wherein it is referred to as Dike – the goddess of justice in Greek mythology. It is a most common form of punishment that is meted out to those who defy God’s laws by punishing their families over a long period of time (Heath 23). The theme of inherited guilt, ancestral curses, and the inevitable fate of the families that are condemned to eternal damnation are hence often discussed in the context of and along with, the divine concepts of Dike (moral justice); Erinyes (fury); Atë (the personification of ruin, folly or delusion in Greek mythology) thus indicating the manner in which the divine forces control the actions of the humans, and reaffirm the role and existence of divine or supernatural power in shaping the fate of the mere mortals (Hall). The discussion of these themes is hence of utmost significance to better understand the tragedies of the House of Atreus and the Theban cycle. Inherited guilt is one of the most commonly cited occurrences in the Greek tragedies and assumes great significance in the ancient Greek society, culture as well as religious beliefs. The concept/ motif of Inherited guilt is defined as: "The inheriting of liability for transgressions committed by ones ancestors (whether or not the ancestors are also liable), and thereby paying some arbitrary penalty caused or at least sanctioned by the gods" (Gagne 14). The concept of inherited guilt is however different as compared to the concept of ancestral guilt or inevitability of fate that awaits the off springs of the sinner. Inherited guilt refers to the punishment that is meted out to the successors of the original sinner, and is a part of moral justice, which called for life-long consequences for people defying God’s law. It is hence a natural form of justice in sync with the cosmic principle of divine retribution that calls for harsh punishment for the kins of those who have sinned and is meant to be treated as a warning sign for the others to obey and honor the words of the Gods (Lloyd-Jones 14). Ancestral curse on the other hand, comes from the individual who was offended by the actions of the sinner, rather than from the Gods and is meant to be passed on to the off springs of the sinner. Curses are usually harsh words used by the victim against the perpetrator of an offensive act / behavior and is uttered by the victim for being wronged. It originates from the helplessness of the victim to seek any effective method of redress and hence differs drastically from the divine concept of Erinyes, the female deities of vengeance. Another dominant theme often observed in ancient Greek & Roman mythology, is the inevitability of fate that is often described through tragedy, calamity or disaster that befalls the hero, due to their follies, and immoral acts against those of their own kin. The concept of ancestral curse in itself supports and promotes the notion of deferred punishment whereby the punishment meted out to an individual for his/her own wrong doing is passed on to his family for generations together, thus making the fates of those in receipt of such a curse, an inevitable fate that awaits them, regardless of their own actions (Morford and Lenardon 321). The House of Atreus: Inherited guilt and ancestral curse The magnificent and highly popular Greek tragedies of all times, namely the House of Atreus and the House of Thebes, were written by some of the most popular playwrights and Greek tragedians Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. The House of Atreus was written by Euripides and tells the tragic tale of Tantalus, the son of Zeus and the progenitor of the House of Atreus and the manner in which his “Hubris” and sheer arrogance angered the gods and led to eternal condemnation of his entire family, who eventually fell victim to the ancestral curse. The House of Atreus: Family Tree The character of Tantalus is described as a mere mortal, who was bestowed with the privilege of dining and socializing with the Gods, and was often a regular visitor to the Mount Olympus where the Gods lived. However, due to sheer arrogance and confidence in his ability to trick the almighty Gods, he once decided to kill and serve his son Pelops, to the Gods as a feast. Tantalus was believed to be inexplicably angered by Gods and wanted to punish them by turning them into cannibals, a highly detestable deed. Such irrational act on the part of Tantalus invites the wrath of the Gods on not only him but on his entire family and the generations to come. Tantalus himself was punished for his heinous crime by being sent to Hades, where he is tormented by hunger and thirst, and the eventual downfall of his kingdom. It is believed that he is resigned to Tartarus, the deepest of hell, cursed with a bloodline of filth and deceit in its veins; made to stand in a pool of water which he is unable to quench his thirst and despite being surrounded by fruit laden trees, he is unable to satisfy hunger (Daly and Rengel 137). The impact of the ancestral curse begins to show in the subsequent generations which results in one of the worst known tragedies of all times in the Greek mythology causing bloodshed and chaos. Pelops, who was killed by Tantalus is restored to life by the Gods and enjoys a relatively stable life. However the ancestral curse strikes after he wins the hand of the princess Hippodamia in marriage, by beating her father in a chariot race. Destined to be filled with malice and deceit in his veins, due to the curse, Pelops commits a treacherous act by murdering the charioteer Myrtilus, who helped him win the race, thus brining further bad luck to the family (Roman and Roman). Tantalus’s daughter Niobe also suffers a similar fate whereby possessed with arrogance she commands the people of Thebes to worship her. She is immediately punished by the Gods Apollo and Artemis who kill all her children and turn her into a stone (Graves). Pelop’s twin sons further carry the ill fate of their cursed father, who ridden with guilt of murdering Meritless, passes the curse forward to his twin sons Thyestes and Arteus, who both suffer unspeakable tragedies, that not only ruins the lives of those around them but also spells doom for their kingdom as well. Where Thyestes seduces Arteus’ wife, Arteus in turn avenges the dishonor caused by his brother, by killing his sons and serving them to Thyestes. Both the brothers were destined to a life of misery and doom due to the acts of their forefathers and true to the ancestral curse, fall victim to acts of treachery, lust, deceit and murder, further condemning their coming generations into a life of misery and bloodshed (N. Sewell-Rutter). The tragedy continues throughout the fourth generation where Arteus’ son Agamemnon is killed by his wifes (Clytaemnestra) lover Aegisthus in a fit of jealousy and rage. Furthermore Agamemnon too falls prey to the cursed lineage whereby Tantaluss misdeeds were condemned with a progeny of filth, and destined to indulge in treacherous and immoral acts. Agamemnon too commits a crime that invokes his wifes anger and rage. He sacrifices his oldest daughter Iphigenia, as a favor to the Gods of the wind, in a bid to ensure safe passage of his ships to Troy. His wife, in the meanwhile takes in a lover Aegisthus, and together with him, conspires kill her husband to avenge the death of her daughter (Thompson 74). The cycle of revenge and bloodshed continues throughout the fifth generation as well, whereby Agamemnons son Orestes, is called on to avenge the death of his father, who was killed by his mother and her lover. Orestes, exemplifies the true meaning of an ancestral curse, whereby he inherits the curse and is made to face the worst fate ever that entails him to kill his mother to avenge the death of his father. Orestes finally accepts his ill fate and together with his sister Electra kills their mother, finally fulfilling the duty of a son, and the condition of filial piety, which was he (Ormand)ld in high regard in ancient Greek societies (Thompson 76). However, despite being filial he is pursued by the Gods of fury and vengeance for murdering his mother but is eventually spared by Athena on Apollos appeal, and finally acquitted of the murder charge. The curse is hence finally broken by the fifth generation, but not without causing cross-generational bloodshed and destruction of the kingdom (Ormand 300). The defiance of Tantalus was hence heavily paid by his successors with their blood. Implications and consequences: The fifth century B.C. Greece saw some of the greatest playwrights of all times who were capable of spinning stories that were mythical but carried an aura that made the heroes and divine characters look larger than life. Some of the greatest plays emerged in this era by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides whose plays were nothing short of reservoirs of drama, intrigue, mythology, and heroism on one hand and bloodshed, deceit, and treachery on the other. The plays that were popularized during this era including the tragedies of the House of Atreus, contained a fine balance between facts and fiction and myth and rationality. The Greek mythologies were highly appealing and relevant; and continue to be so even today, due to its unwavering belief in the concept of guilt being passed on to the members of the family of the sinner. This concept of inheritance of guilt seems to be highly popular and was embraced readily by the ancient Greeks, as is apparent from some of the common and recurring motifs in the plays depicting the stories of the House of Atreus, and Oedipus both belonging to generations of families whose members committed a grave sin and were eventually doomed to a life of pain, regret and guilt as a consequence. It is also believed that the key cause behind the popularity of the motifs of guilt and inheritance of fate, is attributed to the fact that the ancient Greeks gave supreme significance to families and hence the wellbeing of the family and one’s own blood was considered more noble than pursuing one’s own selfish interests. Although in contemporary society, the focus seems to have shifted drastically to individuals rather than the entire household, as in the past. All the great epics of ancient Greece indicate to the fact that nothing good can ever be achieved by revenge and it only results in bloodshed after bloodshed. It condemns entire generations to a life of suffering and pain, and the motif is highlighted and most apparent in the tragedies that befall the House of Atreus, where brothers thirst for each other’s blood, and son is compelled to kill his own mother to avenge the death of his father. It indicates the manner in which meaningless violence results in more chaos and disrupts the lives of those we are bound to love and protect. The tragedy of the House of Atreus is one of the greatest and most tragic epics in ancient Greek mythology where one mindless and unprovoked act on the part of Tantalus spiraled into destruction of over four generations of his own kin, thus further highlighting the fact that bloodshed begets more bloodshed and inevitability of fate doesn’t end with murders. Works Cited Burn, Lucilla. Greek Myths. 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Classical Quarterly 12.2 (1962): 187. Hall, Edith. Greek tragedy: Suffering under the sun. London: OUP Oxford Publication, 2010. Lloyd-Jones , Hugh. "Curses and divine anger in early Greek epic: The Pisander scholion." Classical Quarterly 52 (2002): 1-14. Sewell-Rutter, N. Guilt by descent: Moral inheritance and decison making in Greek tragedy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Thompson, Diane. The Trojan war: Literature and legends from the Bronze age to the present. Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data, 2013. Ormand, Kirk. A companion to Sophocles. London: Wiley Blackwell Publishing, 2012. Read More