Cassandra was one of the most famous prophets in Greek mythology.
She was known for her accurate predictions, but she was also cursed so that no one would ever believe her. Cassandra is a figure that is often associated with tragedy, and her story is one that is still remembered to this day.
According to Greek mythology, Cassandra was one of the Trojan princesses, daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba.
There are several different versions of the story of Cassandra, but the most popular one is that she was cursed by Apollo after she refused his advances.
He granted her the gift of prophecy, but also placed a curse on her so that no one would believe her words or predictions. This gift became a source of frustration and despair for Cassandra.
Cassandra and The Trojan War
In the tragedy Agamemnon, Cassandra pleaded with the God Apollo to become her husband but then broke her promise, consequently angering him.
As a result, Apollo gave her the gift of prophecy but cursed her so that no one would ever believe her again.
Cassandra predicted Troy’s destruction at the hands of the Greeks in the Trojan War, yet no one heeded her warnings.
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
The phrase “Beware of Danaos (Greeks) bearing gifts” is attributed to her, although it has also been said by different characters in tragedies such as Ajax and Virgil’s “Aeneid”.
Cassandra warned the Trojans not to bring the wooden horse inside the city walls of Troy, but her warnings fell on deaf ears. If they had only listened, they could have avoided complete ruin.
After Troy fell to the Greeks, Cassandra attempted to take refuge in Athena’s temple. However, she was abducted by Ajax and brought to Agamemnon’s home as a concubine against her will.
Later, Cassandra died in Mycenae alongside Agamemnon after being murdered by Clytemnestra (Agamemnon’s wife) and Aegisthus.
The Cassandra Syndrome
The Cassandra complex, also known as the Cassandra syndrome, is a condition in which an individual issues accurate warnings that are ignored.
The term originated with French philosopher Gaston Bachelard in 1949 and has since been applied mostly to cases in psychology, politics, and science.
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