希腊神话中的“弑亲”母题刍议

Study on the Motif of Killing Relatives in Greek Mythology

在古希腊神话中,弑亲的故事情节反复出现,已成为一个重要的母题。梳理这些弑亲事件不难发现,惨剧的酿成多数源自当事人在复仇、名利等外因诱导下所实施的主动性行为,也有少数是偶然的无心之失。血浓于水,弑亲有违天道人伦,为世人所不齿。无论是有心之行,还是无意之举,实施弑亲行为的当事人最终都受到严厉的惩罚。透过这些弑亲故事的结局,可以管窥古希腊人惩恶的伦理取向。这对处理现实社会中的类似案件具有启示意义。

In the ancient Greek mythology, the narration of killing one’s relatives is an important motif. Revenge, fame and fortune are some major causes for these inhuman actions, although some tragedies are caused by accidental and unintentional fault. Anyway, blood is thicker than water. Any actions involving killing one’s relative is against morality and regulation.Finishing reading these stories, we can find all the criminals get their due punishment in the end. This reflects the ethical orientation of the Greek people in punishing the evils. As a conclusion, it can provide us with useful suggestions in handling similar events in the real life today.