#korythos

[thecordedbed]

Genuinely trying not to fall down the rabbit hole that is Konon's Oinone.

There's so much here to unpack, not least that Oinone was a φαρμακουργος - a woman who studied the magical properties of plants. I love the idea (not really supported by Konon's account) that it was Oinone that taught Helen the knowledge that she uses in Odyssey book 4, once she was overcome with remorse at Paris' death and before she took her own life.

[babyrdie]

The 23rd, how the boy Korythos was born to Alexandros of Paris and Oinone, whom he married before kidnapping Helen. He excelled his father in beauty. His mother sent him to Helen, arousing the jealousy of Alexandros and plotting something bad against Helen. As usual, Korythos went to Helen, and Alexandros passing into the room and seeing Korythos sitting beside Helen, was inflamed by suspicion and killed him straightaway. After this outrage to her and killing of her son Oinone cursed Alexandros, and prayed (for she was inspired with prophecy and the knowledge of preparing potions) that he would be wounded by the Achaeans and, unable to find treatment, would ask for her. And she went home. Later Alexandros was wounded by Philoctetes in the battle for Troy with the Achaeans. Suffering terribly, he was taken to Mt. Ida in a wagon, and sending ahead a herald asked for Oinone. She insultingly rejected the herald, saying Alexandros should go to Helen instead. And Alexandros died of his wound on the road. She meanwhile, not knowing of his end, had repented and was feeling terrible. Having harvested herbs she was hastening to reach him. How she learned from the herald that he had died and that she killed him, and she killed the herald, smashing his head with a stone for the insult. After draping herself over the dead Alexandros and reproaching their shared daimon, she hanged herself with her belt.

Narrations, 23. Translation by Brady Kiesling.

Conon's versions aren't very well known, but I really like this one.

I like how Oenone is petty enough to use her son against his father. Yeah, it's not a top 10 mom thing, but I love it. You're pissed off at how Paris just dumped her for a woman he didn't even know and then you see Oenone doing this and you think "oh…she's a victim in this situation, but she's not JUST the victim." And then here she doesn't warn Paris about how he will need her like in some versions, she PRAYS for him to need her. It's not her giving a "you'll regret this" warning, it's her ACTIVELY trying to make him regret it. And then ironically Oenone is the one who regrets it and she KILLS a person with a ROCK. And again we have that "oh. She's a goddess" moment. She's tragic, but not just that. She's genuinely dangerous, bitter, manipulative. And yet, she is a sad figure. I love that.

And then we have Paris, who is still capable of killing a person and even because of a petty reason like being jealous. He won't let Menelaus have Helen, but he also won't let ANYONE have her but him. And considering that Helen was already married when she was taken to Troy, I don't think it would be strange for Paris to be the kind of guy who is afraid of his wife having lovers. It's a pretty common behavior, even if hypocritical. That this person was his own son (I imagine he didn't recognize him, after all it was several years from the time he abandoned Oenone and Korynthos until the last year of the Trojan War. I don't think he knew it was his son he was killing) is even better, it's like he definitely erased the ties he had with his first wife. He wants nothing to do with her. And well, if he doesn't want anything to do with her, then Oenone won't want anything to do with him (until she regrets it). So ironically he pathetically dies alone along the way.

Everything is going so wrong here and that's great.