Admetus and Alcestis: The Ultimate Sacrifice
Do you remember Aesculapius? He was a son of Apollo who matured to become the world's greatest healer. In fact, he was so skilled at this craft that he was able to resurrect Orion the Hunter soon after Scorpius the Scorpion slew him. Hades, god of the underworld, appealed to his brother Zeus to reverse the resurrection and strike down Aesculapius. "Surely," Hades argued, "to have a mortal invested with such power imperils the order of the world and also jeopardizes our positions, does it not?" Zeus acknowledged that Hades' argument was sound. With regret he killed both Orion and Aesculpius at once. (Zeus later placed Aesculapius in the sky as the constellation Ophiuchus as a tribute to him for both his prodigious skill and compassion.) Apollo became so enraged at his son's death that he killed the three Cyclopes who had served as Zeus' workmen. Apollo's vengeful act precipitated a violent fight between the two gods in which Zeus ultimately prevailed. Even though Zeus couldn't kill Apollo due to his immortality, he did threaten to imprison him in Tartarus, the under world's most dreaded region. "However," Zeus said, "your grief is understandable and I, in the same situation, might have behaved in a similar manner. I shall not condemn you to Tartarus. Instead, you shall work for a mortal for one year as a punishment for slaying the Cyclopes."
Apollo, relieved at having been spared the worst punishment, chose Admetus, King of Pherae, as his employer. Admetus had developed a sterling reputation for both kindness and hospitality throughout his kingdom. He shared a great portion of his wealth with poor subjects and always opened his palace to strangers in distress. Apollo disguised himself as a poor beggar who then approached Admetus' palace seeking shelter. The king gave the beggar admittance at once and offered him a large meal and a room. The next day, the beggar offered to work for him for one year in exchange for his hospitality. King Admetus accepted the offer immediately, though it is not clear if he did so naturally or under divine influence. With this strange mendicant on his payroll, Admetus' life improved immeasurably. First, all of his cows gave birth to twins. Secondly, Admetus won the hand of Alcestis, daughter of Pelias, king of Iolcus. Admetus had coveted Alcestis for quite some time, but never thought they would wed because her father imposed one seemingly impossible condition on any one who sought to marry her. In order to wed Alcestis, a suitor had to yoke a lion and a boar to a chariot. Three men had tried to do so and were all devoured in the attempt. Admetus might have loved Alcestis, but he loved life more. However, the simple beggar somehow persuaded the king to travel to Iolcus and make an attempt to achieve the feat. "I shall aid you, sire," the beggar assured him. Remarkably, Admetus managed to yoke both the lion and boar to the chariot almost without effort. Both creatures, though usually ferocious, were subdued when the king approached them. They allowed themselves to be yoked without any resistance. Admetus drove the chariot to Pelias and asked Alcestis to become his wife. She accepted at once and, though disgruntled, her father had no choice but to consent.
Such was Admetus' eagerness to be married that the wedding was a hasty affair. Too hasty, as it turned out. During the ceremony, he neglected to offer propitiatory sacrifices to Artemis. Consequently, when the newlyweds retired to their bedchamber, they found it teeming with serpents. Apollo, still in beggar form, entered the chamber after having watched Admetus and Alcestis flee from it. He killed the serpents at once and then pleaded with Artemis -who was his twin sister- to desist in her persecution. She promptly appeared before him and sneeringly told him, "I have done all I need to do. I have just been among the Fates and persuaded them to sever Admetus' life cloth. If I am not mistaken, dear brother, Lachesis is preparing to cut it away now." Apollo immediately traveled to see the Fates. He arrived just in time to restrain Lachesis's hand as she was about to cut Admentus' cloth. He tried to persuade the Fates to draw out more cloth, but they refused. However, they did tell Apollo that they would permit Admetus to live provided he could find someone who would be willing to die in his stead.
Apollo returned to the palace at once. By the time he arrived, Admetus and Alcestis were sleeping in their bedchamber. Apollo awakened the King at once and summoned him into the other room. Once there, he transformed himself into his undisguised form, much to Admetus' shock and fright. Apollo quickly explained to him that he was destined to die unless he could find someone to die in his place. "You have until sunrise to find a replacement. If not, you will perish." Admetus wept openly and begged Apollo to space his life. Apollo shook his head sadly. "Alas, it is beyond my powers to prevent your death. Only you can do that, provided you can persuade someone to die in your place." Admetus hurried to his mother's bedchamber. (His father had died some years before.) He roused her from sleep and told her of his plight. "Please, dearest mother, you are old and infirmed. Will you not die for me?" His mother clasped his hand and said, "Son, as dear as you are to me, I cannot. I am indeed old and my remaining days are few. For this reason, every day is all the richer and sweeter. I cherish every breath and cannot relinquish a single moment of my life...not even for you." Admetus angrily left her chamber and roamed the palace in desperation. He knew that he had been a good and kindly king and so was beloved of all. Certainly, he thought, he could find one person who would offer their life for him. He woke up many people one by one and pleaded his case. Yet, nobody would consent to perish in his stead. He must have awakened around twenty people by the time the eastern horizon started to grow bright. Miserably, he returned to his chamber, collapsed into bed and cried aloud with grief. Alcestis awoke and embraced her husband. "What is the matter?" she asked him. He told her that he would be dying very soon unless he could find someone to die in his place. "Nobody in the palace, not even my own mother, will die in my stead. Dear wife, I am doomed." Alcestis kissed him softly. "You are not. I shall die for you." Admetus wiped away his tears. "You?!" he asked. His wife smiled. "Yes, I shall die for you. We are now wed and my life would be like a cold death in your absence."
Admetus called out to Apollo, who -disguised as a beggar again- entered the chamber. The king told him of his wife's decision. "I shall live now," he announced, much relieved. Apollo looked sadly at Alcestis, who bowed her head solemnly and remained silent. So, Apollo spirited Alectis away to a distant shore where she was to await the arrival of Thanatos (death). Meanwhile, Admetus gathered all the people in the palace together that day to conduct a funeral in Alectis' honor. He prepared a great feast and allowed everyone a day off from work. Everyone dutifully gathered, but the funeral was not what the king had expected. Yes, the mood was appropriately solemn, but very few of the attendees showed him any sympathy for the loss of his wife. In fact, they were rather cool toward him and, unless he was mistaken, he could have sworn that they often cast scornful looks toward him on occasion. Admentus suddenly experienced a profound sense of shame and would have disbanded the funeral had Heracles, himself, not suddenly arrived. The great warrior was en route to Diamedes* and wished to lodge for a night with his kind old friend Admetus. Heracles did not expect to enter such a morose house and demanded to know the cause of their grief. Admetus sadly told Heracles about his wife's passing and the circumstances leading up to it. The warrior was so appalled at the story that he raged, "And your wife is now awaiting death even as we speak?!" Trembling, Admetus nodded hastily. Heracles smashed a table with his fish. "Where is she?! Someone tell me at once!!" Everyone hastened to move away from the infuriated Heracles except for the beggar. He approached the warrior undaunted and said, "I shall show where she is. Follow me."
Once they were alone, Apollo revealed himself to Heracles and directed him toward the shore where he had left the condemned queen. Heracles rushed to the shore where he saw Thanatos approaching Alcestis. Whenever anyone dies by conventional means, such as a soldier in war or an old person succumbing to a disease, Thanatos is summoned at once. He captures the shade and conducts it to the ferry. However, when Alcestis offered herself to death, his arrival was delayed until he found time to attend to her. He happened to arrive just before Heracles did. Before Thanatos could embrace Alcestis, Heracles attacked him. They wrestled and, naturally, Heracles won. He pinned Thanatos to the ground and would not release him until death agreed not to take Alcestis. Heracles delivered her back to Admentus' palace, much to his -and everyone else's- delight. "How can I ever thank you?" he said to Heracles. "You may stay as long as you wish." Heracles turned away and as he walked out the door said, "I no longer wish to avail myself of your hospitality." Admentus turned to Alcestis. "I am so happy you have returned," he declared as he moved to embrace his wife. She shied away from him and said, "I think I shall like to lie down now." Admentus smiled. "Of course. You've had quite a day." he said with a nervous laugh. As she left the room, so, too, did everyone from the palace who had gathered for the funeral. Admentus then found himself still alive and completely alone.
*Heracles was preparing to complete his eighth labor: stealing the flesh eating mares of Diomedes
THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM
70 Falmouth Street Portland, Maine 04103
43.6667° N 70.2667° W
Altitude: 10 feet below sea level
Founded January 1970
Julian Date: 2459172.16
2020-2021: XLVII
THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Remote Planetarium 126: Dark Energy Questions
Well, that is appropriate. The last two articles about dark energy elicited two questions about dark energy. That will make for a shorter Remote Planetarium, but, perhaps after today's mythological excursion, one might think the shorter, the better.
"Is it possible that dark energy doesn't exist?"
-LC.
Yes, it is possible. Researchers at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea and Lyon University recently published a paper in the Astrophysical Journal that claimed that the luminosities of Type Ia Supernovae were not consistent over time, but varied with age. Were this variation to be real, the fundamental assumption which led to the development of dark energy theory (that Type Ia supernovae are of equal brightness and so the observation of fainter) would no longer be valid. However, many other researchers believe that the research on which the aforementioned paper is based is flawed. More observations will be required, of course. That having been said, most cosmologists accept the existence of dark energy, but not all.
"Could there be a lot of other 'energies' that astronomers haven't yet discovered besides dark energy?" -B.F
We have no idea. It is said that while the physicist learns more and more about less and less, astronomers learn less and less about more and more. If astronomy has taught us anything, it is that we can never safely assume that we have observed and understood everything. As the search for dark energy commences, we are not sure what astronomers will discover. We'll just wait and see.
To subscribe or unsubscribe from the Daily Astronomer: