Vengeance In Ancient Greece

Alexandre Dumas once said, “Vengeance is the pleasure of the Gods.” Greek mythology has been told for thousands and thousands of years. They impart lessons, join people together, and relates to anyone that reads it. It has also influenced the stories we see today. The different elements of action and drama in these tales is why they are cherished throughout generations. In Greek Mythology, examples of vengeance can be seen in “The Golden Fleece”, “Perseus”, and “The Wanderings of Odysseus” to explain how anyone can act upon vengeance, even our heroes. In Anne Terry White’s “The Golden Fleece”, examples of vengeance can be seen through King Pelias, King Aeetes, and Jason. For instance, an example of vengeance is seen when King Pelias sends

The golden fleece is guarded by a sleeping dragon. Pelias sending Jason on this mission might cause him his life. This shows how afraid King Pelias was of losing the throne and Jason overthrowing him. This is significant to the theme because this was Pelias’ way of killing Jason for his benefit, not for the good of other people. Furthermore, vengeance in the story can be seen when Jason beat King Aeetes’ challenge for the golden fleece. Madea informed Jason, “My father is planning fearful vengeance. Save yourselves and me...stranger in your native land”(19). When Jason wanted the golden fleece from King Aeetes, the king set a challenge that guaranteed failure. Despite the strenuous trials, Jason succeeded. This is important since the king did not think that he would win. Following Jason’s advancement, Aeetes’ plotted revenge so he would not be in possession of the fleece. In the end, both King Pelias and King Aeetes immediately looked to revenge for their own

For example, vengeance is seen when King Acrisius put Danae and Perseus in a chest and tossed them into the ocean. Acrisius says, “The oracle Delphi never lies and I must protect myself”(38). It shows that King Acrisius was eager to save himself by displacing Danae and Perseus. This is significant to the theme because of how King Acrisius dealt with the prophecy. His way of handling the situation hurt those who loved him. Along with that, another example of vengeance is seen when Polydectes tells Perseus to retrieve Medusa’s head as a wedding gift. Polydectes says, “I want you to bring me the head Medusa, the horrible Gorgon”(39). When Perseus protected Danae from marrying Polydectes, Polydectes planned to get rid of him. This shows that Polydectes will do anything to marry Danae, including killing her only child. This is important to the theme because Polydectes challenging Perseus to get Medusa’s head was his way of getting vengeance for not marrying Danae. King Acrisius and Polydectes both sought vengeance, but it did not help in the