Matrilineal Relationships

Matrilineal Relationships

Ancient Greek mythology was a genre characterized by patriarchal dominance. Epics heralded heroes such as Heracles, Achilles and Odysseus. Authors chronicled the genealogies of the great Grecian gods, such as Zeus, Dionysus and Apollo, leaving out no detail when describing the powers and strength they wielded. On the other hand, female figures, though less celebrated, played a significant and weighty role as well in Greek mythology. As a whole, mother figures, both mortal and immortal, shared a number of characteristics that bonded them together under a common theme. For the most part, female women and goddesses were described in a negative light, presented as scheming, selfish and vengeful. Their relations with their children were portrayed negatively as well, usually resulting in abandonment, revenge or exploitation. However, when examined closely, it can be argued that the actions of the mothers so harshly critiqued by authors are actually representative of the love they feel for their children. Furthermore, mother figures in Greek mythology seem to be destined to be characterized by sacrifice, vengeance or both. This idea is especially exemplified in the stories of Aphrodite, Demeter, Rhea and Gaia; however, it is also paralleled throughout the rest of the myths. A classic example of these characteristic mother-figure myths ending in loss and abandonment is that of Aphrodite. Aphrodite, the powerful goddess of love, is struck down by Zeus, who has grown tired of her manipulations and boasts. Zeus brings about her demise by turning her own skills against her, forcing her to fall in love with the mortal Anchises. This relationship results in a mortal son, Aenaes, who is promptly abandoned by his mother. Aphrodite’s decision to leave her son with the nymphs-the nurse—figures of Greek mythology-stems from her aversion to death, specifically, the death of her own child. She explains to Anchises, “And distraught have I been who carry a child beneath my girdle, the child of a mortal. Now as soon as he sees the light of the sun, the deep-bosomed mountain Nymphs will rear him, the Nymphs who haunt this great and holy mountain, being of the clan neither of mortals nor of immortal gods” (Anthology 202). Aphrodite gives her child up to the nymphs because she does not want to become emotionally attached to a child who will die. Her role as the goddess of love and desire could be linked to this aversion to emotional attachment, because she knows how heartbroken she would be if a loved one died. She says, “For now my mouth will no longer suffice to speak forth this boast among the immortals, for deep and sore has been my folly, wretched and not to be named” (Anthology 202). This muthos is a powerful speech act that ends her power over the rest of the gods and goddesses. Her story is characterized by abandonment and loss; because of Zeus’ actions she loses both her child and her status as a revered and feared goddess. Another mother figure tied to abandonment is Hera, who attempts to throw her son Hephaistos off Mount Olympus upon realizing he is a cripple. Though a much less sympathetic figure, Hera’s rage and violent action results from her anger at Zeus’ ability to have children without her. Her natural role as a woman and child-bearer has been suppressed by Zeus’ patriarchal dominance, and her abandonment of Hephaistos is a consequence of that. In both instances, the mother figures abandoned their children out of necessity and retaliation against Zeus’ patriarchal authority. Their actions, however, still resulted in personal loss-Aphrodite lost her child, and Hera lost respect and the love of her child.
Rebellion against patriarchal authority leads to a second characteristic of female figures-that of deception, or Métis. This characteristic is especially evident in the stories of Rhea and Gaia. These two mothers not only deceive their male counterparts, but also do so using their children. Gaia, or Earth, deceives Ouranos by creating a scythe, which she then presents to her son Cronos. This is described in the Library, when Apollodorus writes, “Ge (Gaia) grew angry at the destruction of her children who had been thrown into Tartaros. She persuaded the Titans to attack their father and gave an adamantine sickle to Cronos” (Anthology 17). Cronos subsequently severs the genitals of his father, resulting in the immediate end of Ouranos’ reign. Gaia’s deception stems from her anger at Ouranos’ suppression of her children. Her fury causes her to use her children to exact vengeance on Ouranos. As seen in the above quote, Gais is angry at the “destruction of her children”, but also uses them to “attack their father”. Ironically, Rhea, in turn, deceives Cronos by handing him a rock to swallow in place of Zeus. Apollodorus writes, “He swallowed the firstborn Hestia, then Demeter and Hera, and after them Plouton and Poseidon. Rhea grew angry at what he had done, and when it happened that her belly was swollen with Zeus, she went to Crete...Rhea wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes and gave it to Cronos to swallow as if it were their newborn child” (Anthology 18). Zeus is hidden on the island of Crete, where he grows strong enough to defeat his father in the Titanomachy. Both these stories, similarly to those of Aphrodite and Hera, share a common theme of vengeance against patriarchal oppression. However, unlike Aphrodite and Hera, Rhea and Gaia are more successful in their endeavors, as both of their actions result in the overthrow of their oppressors.
Another realm of female figures to address is that of mortal mothers. These stories are deeply intertwined with the themes of loss and revenge. In some of the myths, the theme of female vengeance overcoming male suppression is paralleled; for example, Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon, uses her wiles to lead her husband to his death, in order to ascend to the throne and perhaps in revenge for the death of their daughter, Iphigenia. However, her reprisal, unlike those of Rhea and Gaia, comes with a price-the death of her daughter, and ultimately her own demise at the hands of her son Orestes. This demise is brought on by the curse of the leader in the Agamemnon, who prophecies, “Orestes-If he still sees the light of day, bring him home, good Fates, home to kill this pair at last. Our champion in slaughter!” (The Orestia: Agamemnon 171, lines 11678-1681). In this example, both vengeance and loss are displayed. The stories of Agave and Jocasta conclude even more tragically. Agave, driven mad by Dionysus, is compelled to rip her son Pentheus into shreds, without recognizing him. Penthesus’ fate is foreshadowed by Cadmus’ words, “Look what happened to Actaeon, your cousin-he died horribly. His own dogs (he’d heared them himself to eat raw meat) tore him in pieces, and all because he bragged he was a better hunter in the mountains than Artemis” (Bacchae 13, lines 337-341). Jocasta, mother of Oedipus Rex, kills herself upon realizing that the fate she attempted desperately to escape had come to pass. Destiny seems to be an integral part in the stories of these mortal mothers. Whereas immortal goddesses are sometimes able to escape their fates, mortal women cannot. Furthermore, while mortal mothers are characterized by loss, their stories differ from those of immortal goddesses in that their actions are results of destiny rather than in response to male oppression.
Possibly one of the most renowned stories of a mother figure in Greek mythology is that of Demeter, one of the original Olympians, and goddess of the harvest. The goddess loses her daughter Persephone to Hades, god of the Underworld, in a bargain struck between Hades and Zeus. The Hymn to Demeter chronicles her frantic search for her daughter, leading to her descent into the mortal realm and her exchanges with Meteinera and Demophoon. Though they ultimately clash, there are many similarities between Meteinera and the goddess. They are both driven by a fierce sense of protection towards their children, as well as a fear of losing their children. Demeter also has a parallel to Clytemnestra in that they both lose their daughters to Hades. Demeter, in a way loses her child to the Underworld when Zeus decrees, “…your child for a third of the rolling year shall dwell beneath the murky gloom but the other two parts with her mother and the rest of the immortals” (Anthology, Hymn to Demeter 177). Similarly, Clytemnestra, Agave, Thetis and Aphrodite all lose their children to Hades.
Another way to address the complex relationships between mythical mothers and their children is through punishment, specifically, children as punishment. Aphrodite and Thetis are two prime examples of this idea. As previously stated, Aeneas is a result of Zeus’ actions towards Aphrodite-she is, in a way, punished by having a mortal child because, as an immortal goddess, she will live to see her child die. Zeus’ deception is described in The Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite-“But into Aphrodite herself Zeus sent sweet desire to sleep with a mortal man. This he did so that without delay not even she might be unfamiliar with a mortal bed and might not some day with sweet laughter make her boast among all the gods, the smiling Aphrodite, that she had united the gods to mortal lovers, that they had borne for deathless gods mortal sons, and that she united goddesses with mortal men” (Anthology 198). The same punishment is placed on Thetis, who was prophesied to bear a child who could overthrow Zeus. To prevent this divination, Thetis was married to the mortal Peleus and subsequently bore the strong, yet still mortal, Achilles. Though motherhood is generally seen in modern times as a blessing, the curse for these goddesses comes in having to see their children die. This idea of goddesses’ outliving their mortal children is linked to the idea of goddesses’ attempting to make their children immortal. This theme is displayed especially in the myths pertaining to Demeter and Thetis, when both women attempt to immortalize the children in their care. Demeter becomes nurse to Meteinera’s child Demophoon, and tries to turn him immortal by dipping him into fire. Thetis does the same with Achilles. Therefore, they must endure with the knowledge that they will outlive their children, although they are also responsible in a way for their children’s mortality. A different way to interpret this motif of children as punishment is through the story of Clytemnestra, whose child Orestes was obviously a huge punishment because he ends up killing her.
Greek mythology is full of complex, complicated relationships, between immortals, mortals, and the two together. The relationship between a mother figure and her child is arguably one of the most difficult to understand. Though each female figure is different, with different motives and actions, they all seem to be tied together under two general themes. A number of parallels and crossovers reinforce these themes-vengeance and sacrifice-to convey the idea that whether immortal or mortal, females constantly have to overcome male suppression and force through their own deception and vengeance. Furthermore, it is shown that these mother figures do so sometimes through their own children, oftentimes resulting in personal loss and sacrifice. Female figures in Greek mythology, whether mortal or immortal, are characterized by these two themes, which are united in that they are inextricably linked.