Cassandra (mythology)
Cassandra is a prominent figure in Greek mythology, known as a Trojan princess gifted with the ability to prophesy, yet tragically cursed so that no one would believe her predictions. She was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, and her story is intertwined with the events of the Trojan War, where she attempted to warn her fellow Trojans of impending doom. This gift and curse were bestowed upon her by Apollo, who became enraged when she rejected his advances. As a result, Cassandra foresaw critical events, such as the fall of Troy and the betrayal awaiting her after being taken to Greece by King Agamemnon, yet her warnings went unheeded.
Her tragic fate underscores her role as a victim of circumstances beyond her control; she was ultimately murdered by Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra, despite foreseeing her own death. Various accounts of her story appear in classical literature, including the "Iliad" and Aeschylus's tragedy "Agamemnon." The term "Cassandra syndrome" has even emerged in modern psychology, highlighting instances where valid warnings are ignored. Through her narrative, Cassandra exemplifies themes of unheeded warnings, the burden of knowledge, and the complexities of human perception.
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Cassandra (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Cassandra was a Trojan princess given the gift of prophecy but cursed so that no one would believe her. Known for her beauty, Cassandra received her gift and curse from the god Apollo, who was angry when she rejected his affections. She is referenced several times in classical Greek literature, including in the epic poem the Iliad and the tragedy Agamemnon. Cassandra played a key role in the legend of the Trojan War, issuing unheeded warnings about the impending fall of Troy. She was later taken back to Greece by King Agamemnon as a prize of war. However, both she and the king were murdered by his wife—Cassandra foresaw this, but their deaths could not be prevented because no one believed her prediction.
Background
The legend of the Trojan War is recounted in many Greek literary works, most famously in the Iliad, an eighth-century BCE epic purportedly written by the poet Homer. According to the myth, the war began when the Trojan prince, Paris, fell in love with the beautiful Helen, wife of Menelaus, king of the Greek city-state of Sparta. Paris was a guest of Menelaus when he stole Helen and returned with her to Troy. Menelaus was furious and enlisted the help of his brother, King Agamemnon of Mycenae, to raise an army to take Helen back by force.
Thousands of warships sailed east to Asia Minor where Greek warriors besieged the city of Troy. The walls surrounding Troy were said to be so strong that the Trojans were able to hold off the Greeks for ten years. After many battles and key losses on both sides, the Greeks devised a plan to gain entrance to the city. Their army faked a retreat and abandoned the area around the city. They left behind a giant wooden horse, supposedly as a peace offering to the people of Troy. The Trojans, believing they had won, took the horse into the city and began celebrating their victory.
However, a small group of Greek soldiers had hidden themselves inside the horse. At night, as the Trojans were feasting, the Greeks snuck out of the horse and opened the gates of the city. The returning Greek army stormed in and destroyed Troy, killing almost all the inhabitants. Those who were not killed were taken back to Greece as slaves.
Overview
Cassandra was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. She had dozens of brothers and sisters, chief among them were her twin brother Helenus and brothers Hector and Paris. In some accounts, Cassandra is known as Alexandra.
Cassandra is mentioned in the Iliad as the most beautiful of Priam's daughters, but she is not portrayed as being able to foretell the future. It is said she was engaged to marry the warrior Othryoneus in return for his support during the Trojan War, but he was killed in the last year of the siege. In Homer's account, Cassandra is the first to see her father returning to Troy with the body of Hector, who died in battle.
Most myths about Cassandra concern her abilities as a renowned prophetess, but the legends differ as to the origin of her gift. In one version, Cassandra and Helenus were left overnight in the temple of Apollo as infants. As they slept, the god sent his sacred serpents to the children. The snakes licked their ears and mouths, giving them the ability to receive and speak prophetic words.
The more common version has Apollo falling in love with the beautiful Cassandra. He offers her the gift of prophecy in return for agreeing to sleep with him. Cassandra accepts the offer, but after Apollo grants her the ability, she goes back on her word and refuses his advances. The angry god decides to curse Cassandra, allowing her to keep the gift but ensuring that nothing she prophesises will be believed.
When her brother Paris was a child, Cassandra foretold that he would bring doom upon Troy, but her words were ignored. She also warned Paris not to go to Greece, knowing that his journey would lead to war. As the war progressed, Cassandra tried and failed to tell her father that the city would fall. She was said to go into a trance-like state when receiving her prophecies, leading people to think she was mentally unstable.
Cassandra was one of the few people in Troy who spoke out against bringing the wooden horse into the city. She told people it was a trick being played by the Greeks, but because of Apollo's curse, no one took her seriously. As the Greeks were destroying the city, Cassandra tried to hide in the temple of Athena but was dragged away by the warrior Ajax and raped. The goddess was so angry at the crime that she cursed the Greeks and caused many of their ships to be destroyed on the journey home.
The victorious Agamemnon took Cassandra as his concubine as a prize of war. Before they set sail for Greece, Cassandra became pregnant by Agamemnon and had twin sons. She foresaw that Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra, was having an affair back home and was plotting to kill him upon his return. She tried to warn the king, but again, her prophecy went unheeded.
In the tragedy Agamemnon, written by the playwright Aeschylus in the fifth century BCE, the king returns home and is stabbed to death by his wife. Cassandra has seen that Clytemnestra will kill her as well and tries to find help, but no one will listen to her. Knowing that she faces certain death, Cassandra accepts her fate and enters Agamemnon's palace to be killed by Clytemnestra. The queen also kills Cassandra's twin sons.
Psychologists in the twentieth century named a condition after the myth called the Cassandra syndrome. The condition refers to instances where people choose to ignore valid warnings of distressing or unpleasant news. Other psychologists have referenced Cassandra to illustrate a tendency for some people to willingly choose to remain ignorant of both positive and negative events.
Bibliography
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Gigerenzer, Gerd, and Rocio Garcia-Retamero. "Cassandra's Regret: The Psychology of Not Wanting to Know." American Psychological Association, 2017, www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/rev-rev0000055.pdf. Accessed 15 Sept. 2017.
March, Jenny. "Cassandra." Dictionary of Classical Mythology. Oxbow Books, 2014, pp. 113-114.
"The Myth of Cassandra." Greek Myths & Greek Mythology, www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/the-myth-of-cassandra/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2017.
Parada, Carlos. "Cassandra." Greek Mythology Link, www.maicar.com/GML/Cassandra.html. Accessed 15 Sept. 2017.