The Bull from the Sea
Encyclopedia
The Bull from the Sea is the sequel to Mary Renault
's The King Must Die
. It continues the story of the mythological
hero Theseus
after his return from Crete
.
palace of Knossos
. The novel follows his later quests, his friendship with Pirithoos
, and his liaison with Hippolyta
and marriage to Phaedra
.
along with the other Athenian bull-leapers
. His father, Aigeus, has committed suicide
, which leaves the kingdom to the young Theseus. He soon meets Pirithoos
, the rebellious pirate king of the Lapiths, and the two go on several adventures. Pirithoos talks Theseus out of going to Crete to meet his bride-to-be, Phaedra
, and instead the two journey to Euxine, home of the Amazons
. There, Theseus falls in love with Hippolyta the leader of the Amazons, and after defeating her in single combat, takes her home to Athens with him. She is boyish and athletic, and in additional ways a personification of qualities that he admires in himself -- physical fearlessness, pride in 'kingship', etc.
Hippolyta bears Theseus a son, Hippolytus
, and continues to fight and hunt alongside him. Theseus, feeling pressure from his advisors, agrees to marry the Cretan princess Phaedra. Hippolyta advises him to make this marriage, regarding herself now as his vassal who must serve his interests. Phaedra bears him a son, Akamas, but continues living in Crete; in Athens, Hippolyta is queen in all but name, and unsurprisingly, Phaedra remains jealous of her, for Theseus treats Phaedra with cold insensitivity, making no secret of his preference for Hippolyta.
When the Scythia
ns (allied with the Amazons) attack Athens, Hippolyta helps defend the Acropolis
and is killed in battle, sacrificing herself in his place.
Years pass. Theseus finally invites Phaedra to Greece, but it is too late to repair relations between them. She meets the now-grown Hippolytus and conceives an unrequited passion for him. After being unable to secure his affection, she convinces Theseus that he attempted to rape her. Theseus curses Hippolytus, but quickly realizes that his wife is the real culprit. His realization comes too late: Hippolytus, fleeing his father's wrath, crashes his chariot during an earthquake
and is killed. Theseus kills his wife (making it look like suicide) by throttling her slowly and spends the rest of his days alone. He expresses no contrition for this murder for the remainder of the novel but seems to have been rendered embittered and hopeless.
The final section of the book deals with Theseus' decline and final years. On another roving expedition, he suffers a stroke. At last, having become old and frail from years and illness, he throws himself off a cliff while visiting the king of Skyros
, fulfilling the titular motif of sacrifice in The King Must Die
. Intriguingly, all his three consorts have died in one way or another through his actions.
Mary Renault
Mary Renault born Eileen Mary Challans, was an English writer best known for her historical novels set in Ancient Greece...
's The King Must Die
The King Must Die
For the song by Elton John, see The King Must Die The King Must Die is a 1958 bildungsroman and historical novel by Mary Renault that traces the early life and adventures of Theseus, a hero in Greek mythology. Naturally, it is set in Ancient Greece: Troizen, Corinth, Eleusis, Athens, Knossos in...
. It continues the story of the mythological
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
hero Theseus
Theseus
For other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
after his return from Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
.
Plot introduction
The story is a retelling of the life of mythological hero Theseus after his return from the MinoanMinoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
palace of Knossos
Knossos
Knossos , also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square...
. The novel follows his later quests, his friendship with Pirithoos
Pirithous
In Greek mythology, Pirithous - Πειρίθοος was the King of the Lapiths in Thessaly and husband of Hippodamia, at whose wedding the famous Battle of Lapiths and Centaurs occurred....
, and his liaison with Hippolyta
Hippolyta
In Greek mythology, Hippolyta or Hippolyte is the Amazonian queen who possessed a magical girdle she was given by her father Ares, the god of war. The girdle was a waist belt that signified her authority as queen of the Amazons....
and marriage to Phaedra
Phaedra (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Phaedra is the daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus and the mother of Demophon of Athens and Acamas. Phaedra's name derives from the Greek word φαιδρός , which meant "bright"....
.
Plot summary
Theseus returns to AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
along with the other Athenian bull-leapers
Bull-leaping
Bull-leaping is a motif of Middle Bronze Age figurative art, notably of Minoan Crete, but also found in Hittite Anatolia, the Levant, Bactria and the Indus Valley. It is often interpreted as a depiction of a ritual performed in connection with bull worship...
. His father, Aigeus, has committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, which leaves the kingdom to the young Theseus. He soon meets Pirithoos
Pirithous
In Greek mythology, Pirithous - Πειρίθοος was the King of the Lapiths in Thessaly and husband of Hippodamia, at whose wedding the famous Battle of Lapiths and Centaurs occurred....
, the rebellious pirate king of the Lapiths, and the two go on several adventures. Pirithoos talks Theseus out of going to Crete to meet his bride-to-be, Phaedra
Phaedra (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Phaedra is the daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus and the mother of Demophon of Athens and Acamas. Phaedra's name derives from the Greek word φαιδρός , which meant "bright"....
, and instead the two journey to Euxine, home of the Amazons
Amazons
The Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
. There, Theseus falls in love with Hippolyta the leader of the Amazons, and after defeating her in single combat, takes her home to Athens with him. She is boyish and athletic, and in additional ways a personification of qualities that he admires in himself -- physical fearlessness, pride in 'kingship', etc.
Hippolyta bears Theseus a son, Hippolytus
Hippolytus (mythology)
thumb|260px|The Death of Hippolytus, by [[Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema]] .In Greek mythology, Hippolytus was a son of Theseus and either Antiope or Hippolyte...
, and continues to fight and hunt alongside him. Theseus, feeling pressure from his advisors, agrees to marry the Cretan princess Phaedra. Hippolyta advises him to make this marriage, regarding herself now as his vassal who must serve his interests. Phaedra bears him a son, Akamas, but continues living in Crete; in Athens, Hippolyta is queen in all but name, and unsurprisingly, Phaedra remains jealous of her, for Theseus treats Phaedra with cold insensitivity, making no secret of his preference for Hippolyta.
When the Scythia
Scythia
In antiquity, Scythian or Scyths were terms used by the Greeks to refer to certain Iranian groups of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who dwelt on the Pontic-Caspian steppe...
ns (allied with the Amazons) attack Athens, Hippolyta helps defend the Acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
and is killed in battle, sacrificing herself in his place.
Years pass. Theseus finally invites Phaedra to Greece, but it is too late to repair relations between them. She meets the now-grown Hippolytus and conceives an unrequited passion for him. After being unable to secure his affection, she convinces Theseus that he attempted to rape her. Theseus curses Hippolytus, but quickly realizes that his wife is the real culprit. His realization comes too late: Hippolytus, fleeing his father's wrath, crashes his chariot during an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
and is killed. Theseus kills his wife (making it look like suicide) by throttling her slowly and spends the rest of his days alone. He expresses no contrition for this murder for the remainder of the novel but seems to have been rendered embittered and hopeless.
The final section of the book deals with Theseus' decline and final years. On another roving expedition, he suffers a stroke. At last, having become old and frail from years and illness, he throws himself off a cliff while visiting the king of Skyros
Skyros
Skyros is an island in Greece, the southernmost of the Sporades, an archipelago in the Aegean Sea. Around the 2nd millennium BC and slightly later, the island was known as The Island of the Magnetes where the Magnetes used to live and later Pelasgia and Dolopia and later Skyros...
, fulfilling the titular motif of sacrifice in The King Must Die
The King Must Die
For the song by Elton John, see The King Must Die The King Must Die is a 1958 bildungsroman and historical novel by Mary Renault that traces the early life and adventures of Theseus, a hero in Greek mythology. Naturally, it is set in Ancient Greece: Troizen, Corinth, Eleusis, Athens, Knossos in...
. Intriguingly, all his three consorts have died in one way or another through his actions.