This week, some of us took a look back to The Epitome from The Library of Greek Mythology as we had tabled its reading and discussion until after we finished the Iliad.

Reading through it this past week felt like a bit of a blast from the past, as it touches back on Madea/Theseus, the Trojan War, and the Pelopids.

As always, summaries are below and questions are in the comments.

Summaries: Epitome 1 - The Kings of Athens (end of Book 3 Section 11) Theseus fights hard on the road to Athens, defeating many cunning opponents including Cercyon and Sceiron. When Theseus gets to Athens, Aigeus doesn't recognize his own son. At Medea's urging, Aigeus nearly poisons These use, however, These use presents Aigeus with a sword and at the last minute, Aigeus slaps the poisoned drink out of Theseus's hand. Medea is banished. Theseus goes to Crete to fight the Minotaur, with a request from Aigeus to fly white sails ok his return so he would know Theseus was victorious. In Crete, Ariadne falls in love with Theseus and offers to help him escape the labyrinth in exchange for marrying her and taking her away from Crete. Theseus agrees. Daidalos gives instructions to use a spool of thread to find his way out of the labyrinth. Theseus defeats the Minotaur with his bare hands and follows the thread to safety. He and Ariadne travel back to Athens, but when they stop in Naxos, Ariadne is abducted by Dionysos. Lost in his grief, Theseus doesn't fly a white sail when he returns to Athens and Aigeus, thinking his son dead, throws himself into the sea. Theseus becomes King of Athens. Daidalos and Icarus are locked up for helping Theseus escape the labyrinth. Daidalos builds wings out of feathers and wax for their escape. He warns Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, but Icarus doesn't listen and plummets to his death in the sea. Daidalos finds refuge in Camicos. Minos hints Daidalos down, and using a sea shell test, realizes Daidalos is in Camicos. Minos is killed in the bath by the daughters of Cocalos. Theseus joins Heracles in fighting the Amazons. Theseus abduct one of them, and as a result the Amazons march on Athens. The Amazons lose, and Theseus is given Phaedra for a wife. Eventually, Phaedra falls in love with Theseus's son Hippolytos, but is rejected. Phaedra accuses Hippolytos of rape and Theseus prays to Poseidon to kill his son. Poseidon obliges. Theseus joins Peirithoos in fighting the Centaurs. After winning the war, they both agreed to marry daughters of Zeus. Theseus abducted Helen (at age 12) and then went to Hades with Peirithoos to try to secure Persephone as his bride. Whole there, they were tricked into sitting in the chair of forgetfulness. Peirithoos remained in Hades forever, but Theseus was saved by Heracles. In trying to win back Athens, Theseus was defeated by Meneatheus and thrown into an abyss.

Epitome 2 - Section 12 - The Pelopids

Tantalos is punished in Hades by being set in a lake up to his neck with vast fruit trees on the bank but a rock suspended over his head. Whenever Tantalos is thirsty, the lake drains of all water, and when he's hungry the fruit trees Re blown out of his grasp. Pelops wins the heart of Hippodemia, whose father had killed all other suitors for her hand. Oinomaos, Hippodemia's father, challenged Pelops to a charity race, where Hippodemia had persuaded her father's charioteer to sabotage his chariot. Ultimately, Oinomaos dies, and Pelops wins Hippodemia's hand. When he takes over the kingdom, he renames it Peloponnese. The sons of Pelops fight a despicable war over the throne, which results in Zeus feeding Thyestes sons to him at a banquet. Thyestes also fathers a son with his daughter, and when Aigisthos comes of age and realizes his birthright, he kills Areeus and restores Thyestes to the crown. Agamemnon and Menelaos expell Thyestes from his kingdom, and in turn Agamemnon becomes King of Mycenae, and Menelaos marries Helen to become King of Sparta Epitome 3 - Section 13 - The Trojan War Alexander (Paris) abducts Helen from Sparta when Menelaos departs for Crete to attend his grandfather's funeral. Fearing pursuit, Paris delays a long time in Phoenicia and Cyrpus. Here it is said that Helen was stolen by Hermes and replaced with a phantom Helen. Helen was taken to the King of Egypt for protection. Agamemnon and Menelaos assemble the Greek armies. At Aulis, a snake darts from the altar during a sacrifice to Apollo. It swallows 8 sparrow chicks and the mother, before turning to stone. Calchas says this is a sign that it will take 10 years to take Troy. The fleet doesn't know the way to Troy and spends 8 years sacking and pillaging before gathering in Argos again. Achilles helps cure Telephos who reveals the route to Troy. The fleet is held back by adverse winds until Agamemnon agrees to sacrifice his most beautiful daughter to Artemis. Artemis takes Iphigeneia as a priestess to the Taurians. The Greek fleet finally makes it to Troy and they skirmish for nine years. The wrath of Achilles is felt when he quits fighting for the Greeks and they're nearly defeated by Hector. When Patroclus dies Achilles fights again, driving the Trojans back and killing Hector. Achilles dies at the Trojan gates, shot by an arrow from Paris/Apollo through his ankle. Alas grabs Achilles body and Odysseus fought off the attackers so Aias could make it back to the ships. Achilles is buried with Patroclus. Aias resented Odysseus being chosen as the winner during the games held in Achilles honor, that he went mad. Athena set Aias after the cattle, rather than the army and when Aias regained his wits, he killed himself. Aias was not given the same burial rites as the others and his stone coffin us at Rhoiteion. Odysseus has the idea to construct a wooden horse, that was hollow on the inside that could hold 50 of the bravest men who would sack Troy. The Greeks pretend to abandon their camp, and leave the horse as a gift for the Trojans.
That night, the men descend from the horse, the Greek fleet returns, and Troy falls.

Epitome 6 - Section 14 - The Returns

On his return to Mycenae, Agamemnon is murdered by Aigisthis and his wife Clytemnestra. Menelaos wandered Egypt for 8 years, finding the real Helen, returned to Mycenae and helped Orestes avenge his father's murder. Helen and Menelaos return to Sparta. Odysseus spends decades being moved off course with his crew (see the events of The Odyssey) before returning to Ithaca and taking hisbolace as King. Odysseus is eventually accidentally killed by Telegonos, his son with Circe.