Cassandra
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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In Greek mythology, Cassandra (Κασσάνδρα, "she who entangles men", also known as Alexandra) was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. Her beauty caused Apollo to grant her the gift of prophecy. In an alternative version, she spent a night at Apollo's temple, at which time the temple snakes licked her ears clean so that she was able to hear the future. This is a recurring theme in Greek mythology, though sometimes it brings an ability to understand the language of animals rather than an ability to know the future. (Compare Melampus; Athena cleaned the ears of Tiresias) However, when she did not return his love, Apollo placed a curse on her so that no one would ever believe her predictions. She is a figure both of the epic tradition and of tragedy, where her combination of deep understanding and powerlessness exemplify the tragic condition of humankind.
See also
- Cassandre
- Cassandra (metaphor)
- Apollo
- Apollo archetype
- Novikov Self-Consistency Principle
- The Boy Who Cried Wolf
- Tiresias
- Jonah
