[Ponte Alto] Chalice VI Theme -- REVISION!

[Belphoebe]

Greetings everyone!

I don't mean to spam everyone with this topic, but I have received several requests to include Helen of Troy and Clymnestra to the theme, since they were also Leda's twins, and were born from the same clutch of eggs as Castor and Pollux.

Therefore, the theme will be:


CHALICE OF THE SUN GOD VI: LEDA’S TWINS

In Greek mythology, Leda was daughter of the Aetolian king Thestius, and wife of the king Tyndareus, of Sparta. Her myth gave rise to the popular motif in Renaissance and later art of Leda and the Swan. She was the mother of Helen of Troy, Clytemnestra, and Castor and Pollux.

Leda was admired by Zeus, who seduced her in the guise of a swan. As a swan, Zeus fell into her arms for protection from a pursuing eagle. On the same night as Leda lay with her husband Tyndareus.  This resulted Leda producing four offspring from two eggs; Castor and Polydeuces (Pollux) from one egg, and Helen and Clytemnestra from the other. Castor and Clytemnestra were fathered by Tyndareus whereas Pollux and Helen were fathered by Zeus. 

Castor and Pollux are known collectively in Greek as the Dioskouroi or Dioscuri, "sons of Zeus", and in Latin as the Gemini ("twins") or Castores. Castor means "beaver" in both Greek and Latin, and poludeukeis means "much sweet wine". They are sometimes also termed the Tyndaridae in reference to their alternative fatherhood by Tyndareus.  Pollux, the son of Zeus, was immortal while Castor, son of Tyndareus, was not. When Castor died, Pollux asked Zeus to let him share his own immortality with his twin to keep them together and they were transformed into the Gemini constellation. The pair were regarded as the patrons of sailors, to whom they appeared as Saint Elmo's Fire.

Helen (in Greek, Ἑλένη – Helénē), better known as Helen of Sparta later Helen of Troy, was the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta and her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War. Helen was described by Christopher Marlowe as having "the face that launched a thousand ships."

Clytemnestra was the mother of Iphigeneia, Orestes, Chrysothemis and Electra. Clytemnestra's first husband was Tantalus, who was slain by Agamemnon, King of Pisa (in the western Peloponnese), who then made Clytemnestra his wife.  Later, Clymnestra arranged for Agamemnon's death, because he sacrificed their daughter Iphigeneia to the gods so they could get the right winds to sail to Troy at the head of the Greek army, and fight at the Troyan war.  

These are fascinating stories, and we are sure will inspire fascinating entries.