Myth:
The City of Athens was known for being a very well-run state. Under King Stathopoulos, citizens were very pleased with the way the city was run and was hopeful that his leadership shall continue. Athens was not a very diverse state, with the majority of citizens being white and a small minority,(about 40,000), of citizens, were black. Fortunately, no racial differences were made by King Stathopoulos and respected black citizens for many years.
One day, King Stathopoulos had been given the terrible news that his son, Anders, was murdered. The person who committed the act was never identified, but Dolos, one of the greats at trickery and an apprentice to Prometheus, decides to tell King Stathopoulos that Anders was killed by a group of black people. Dolos tricks Stathopoulos as his wife, Kassandra, had an affair with an unidentified black person. Dolos felt betrayed by his wife but never knew how to effectively deal with the situation without knowing the person who had sexual relations with his wife. So, attacking the black community was thought of as the most effective way of getting his revenge.
After being informed by Dolos, King Stathopoulos began to attack the black community. He sent them to Cleruchy, a small, underdeveloped city in Athens. After this, Stathopoulos forces black people to perform slave labor by making them build houses, contribute to the production of crops, etc. Without a sufficient amount of food or water, the black community in Cleruchy began to suffer. This torture, which was implemented by Stathopoulos, continued after his death and many decades after.
Now, in the 8th century BC, the racial injustice against the black community of Cleruchy remains to be prominent. However, Thodoris Tassos, a twenty-seven-year-old decided to fight back against the king and his soldiers to restore the quality of life the people of Cleruchy once had. However, this idea does not align with what the others had in mind. The members of the black community thought that fighting against them would only do more harm than good. A fight against the king would most likely be fatal for all members as none of them had extensive combat training. Since nobody was willing to support him, Thodoris began to ask for help from the gods. To his surprise, Prometheus, the god of forethought and creator of mankind, answered his cry for help. Prometheus decides to help Thodoris as he learned that Dolos, his apprentice, was the one that tricked the king. Prometheus agrees to lead the fight against the king and support the black community. After many days of battle, the king was murdered by Thodoris and the people of Cleruchy won the battle. Now, black people have gained the equality they deserved and can live the lives they once had. Unfortunately, racial discrimination against black people is still common as the stereotypes against them have been engraved in the minds of others.
Analysis:
The myth that has been described outlines racial injustice and how citizens in the black community were able to rise from their torment. In this myth, we can learn about the past, before the times when racial discrimination was prominent. During this time, citizens were being treated fairly and the race of a person never seemed to matter. Based on this form of treatment, the citizens of Athens were a lot more content with the work that King Stathopoulos made. However, the turning point was made when the king learned that his son had been murdered. Through Dolo’s trickery, he was able to persuade that a group of black people were the ones that committed the crime. Dolo’s act of trickery is what causes racial injustice to take storm in Athens. After being persuaded, the king begins to remove the basic rights from the black community by sending them into Cleruchy, a small city in Athens. He also makes them perform forced labor as well. This form of torment that Stathopoulos would force on the black community is similar to what has been seen during the times of slavery in America and the events that took place after it was abolished. I believe that this myth signifies racial injustice as it highlights the clear difference of treatment that both black and white civilians would receive. In the myth, black people are being treated much more harshly than white people. Therefore, clear discrimination against a different race is evident. Not only that, racism across the globe is influenced by misconceptions on a certain race and their activities. In America, black people are made out to be seen as thugs or problematic citizens, which is certainly untrue. In comparison to the myth provided, black people are being blamed for a certain crime that they did not commit. With that in mind, undeserved hate towards a certain race is evident in the real world and also evident in the myth provided.
Multiple characters were used in the myth to provide help signify the meaning of racial injustice. Each character was useful as they were key to making the point across. Prometheus is one of the main characters that was taken from Greek mythology. Prometheus was a titan god of forethought, meaning that he was capable of taking time to plan out what could happen in the future and what would be necessary to prepare for it. In, “Prometheus Bound,” Aeschylus writes, “Prometheus : Who else but I definitely assigned their prerogatives to these upstart gods? [i.e. because his advise helped them win the war against the Titanes.],"(Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 439). Through this quote, what becomes evident is that Prometheus is capable of taking the necessary steps to win a war. His power of forethought allowed him to make effective plans that were necessary to win the war against the titans. This situation that Prometheus prevails in can also be seen in the myth regarding racial injustice. Prometheus answers Thodoris’ call for help as his community was being racially targeted. He helps Thodoris by leading the battle against the king, and with the help of his forethought, he was able to win that battle. Not only that, but as mentioned in the myth, Prometheus is the creator of mankind. In, “Fables Aesop,” Aesop writes, "This is also something that Aesop said. The clay which Prometheus used when he fashioned man was not mixed with water but with tears,”(Aesop, Fables 516). This quote also signifies the importance of having Prometheus in the racial injustice myth. Prometheus is a caring God who created man out of clay. His efforts to create men were seen as he used his tears to create them rather than water. Therefore, Prometheus aiding Thodoris in his fight against the king shows further proof that he is a God who is against the torture his people are going through.
Dolos was another character in the myth that was taken from Greek mythology. Dolos was the representational spirit of trickery and deception. This characteristic of Dolos was proven in, “De Natura Deorum,” by Cicero. He says, “...whom the ancient genealogists name Amor (Love), Dolus (Guile)...,”(Cicero, De Natura Deorum 3. 17). This quote proves that Dolos was very skilled at being sly and cunning. An example of Dolos’ trickery was proven by Aesop. He says, “Prometheus, that potter who gave shape to our new generation..is sure to prevail,”(Aesop, Fables 530). Through this quote, we learn that Dolos is capable of creating ways to use his trickery when needed. His skill of deception was so great to a point where he was able to make a very similar version to Veritas, which amazed Prometheus. For this reason, Dolos was added to the myth as he would be able to make the story change for the worse. In the myth, Dolos tricks the king into thinking that a group of black people were the ones that killed his son. Through his trickery, the king becomes extremely angry with the black community and begins to remove their rights solely for their race. Although Dolos’ acts are extremely harmful, he is still very significant to the story as he is the person that causes the change in the king’s belief regarding the black community.
Thodoris is the protagonist of the racial injustice myth. He was integral to the collapse of king Stathopoulos as he was the one who got Prometheus to help with the battle. The importance of having Thodoris in this myth is that it shows that with enough courage, it does not take much to go against the king. I decided to make Thodoris a courageous character because I wanted to emulate the similar traits that Hercules had. In Greek mythological texts, Hercules was seen as a courageous person. Throughout his life, Hercules had to go through countless daunting tasks to earn the reward of living among the gods on Mount Olympus,(History.com Editors). Based on his difficult tasks, a character trait that can be connected to Hercules would be bravery. In Hesiod's story titled, “theogony,” Hesiod says, "The Nemean (Nemean)...Herakles (Heracles) subdued him,”(Hesiod, Theogony 327). Through this quote, we learn that during his battle against the Nemean lion, Hercules’ bravery was key to winning the battle,(Madeleine). Thodoris emulates the same bravery as Hercules as he was able to gain the determination to go into battle against the king, although the odds were against him. Even when black people were being attacked by the king, Thodoris was still able to rise and speak out against the injustice that his community was facing.
King Stathopoulos was the antagonist of the racial injustice myth. Before he began to racially attack the black community, the king treated everyone fairly and with respect. However, through Dolos’ trickery, his opinion on the black community quickly changed for the worse and caused great pain towards them. His part of the myth is significant as it shows how misinformation can quickly change a person’s opinion on a certain group. The black community did not murder the king’s son, but due to the misinformation that was spread by Dolos, they faced unnecessary attacks by the king, who used to treat that same community with respect.
Although Cleruchy is used in the myth, the state was also a colony for ancient Greece in the real world. During that time, Cleruchy was an independent country where grants of land were held by Athenian citizens as it was awarded by Athens,(Cleruchy). One of the most important reasons as to why Cleruchy was chosen for the racial injustice myth was that there was a separation in prestige and privilege between Athenian Cleruchs and the native people,(Cleruchy). This piece of information was significant as it shows that there was a clear social class difference between the Athenian Cleruchs and the native people. The same social class difference was also seen in the myth. Black people were being treated unfairly by the king, whilst the white people were being treated much more fairly. Therefore, adding Cleruchy to the myth is very significant as it shows that the same treatment that the black community faced in the myth was the same as what the native people had to endure.
Work Cited List:
Aeschylus.5th B.C. prometheus bound. Translation by Vellacot, P. London: Penguin books.439 ff
Aesop, fables.C6th B.C. Aesop, Fables. Translated by Herbert Weir Smyth. Oxford: Oxford University Press.516
Aesop, fables.C6th B.C. Aesop, Fables. Translated by Herbert Weir Smyth. Oxford: Oxford University Press.530
Cicero. 45 B.C. Nature of the Gods, Academics. Translation by Rackham,M.A. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 3.17
“Cleruchy.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/cleruchy.
Hesiod.8th-7th B.C.The Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycle, Homerica.Translated by Evelyn-White, H.G.Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 327 ff
History.com Editors. “Hercules.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 7 Feb. 2011, www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/hercules.
Madeleine. “What Were the 12 Labors of Hercules?” THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY - Exploring Mythology in Classical Literature & Art, 16 Sept. 2019, www.theoi.com/articles/what-were-the-12-labors-of-hercules/.