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Cyrene (Xena)
Encyclopedia
Cyrene is a fictional character
in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess
. She was portrayed by the actress Darien Takle.
, Lyceus, and Toris, and the widow of Atrius. She owns a tavern in Amphipolis
, and is a prominent matriarchal figure in the community. We first meet her when Xena travels back home after renouncing her violent past. Cyrene shows her own strength of will when she walks right up to her daughter and removes her sword, stating that weapons are not welcome in her tavern; it is clear where Xena gets her fighting spirit from. Xena warns her mother and the other villagers that an evil warlord
, Draco, is planning on attacking the village and Xena offers to help the village fight him. Cyrene tells her the village does not need her help referencing a past battle in which Xena led the village against an invading warlord, Cortese, and many villagers perished. She then tells Xena she is not welcome in Amphipolis anymore. Draco begins torching the village and the villagers, believing that Xena is in league with Draco, go after her. Gabrielle comes and persuades them to let Xena go. Not wanting to cause any trouble in the village, Xena leaves with Gabrielle
. Later, Xena realises she cannot turn her back on her village and her mother so she returns home. There, she challenges Draco to duel. Draco accepts and they fight on some scaffolding with the condition that the first to touch the ground is to be killed. Xena wins, but spares Draco's life. Upon witnessing this, Cyrene can see that her daughter really has changed and forgives her. The rift between mother and daughter slowly begins to heal.
convinces The Furies to make Xena mad for not avenging her father's murder, we discover that Cyrene is the person responsible for Atrius' death and that she faces the possibility that Xena may kill her to appease The Furies, so that they will remove her madness. Cyrene, like a true warrior
, faces up to this, just like she stood up to her husband and killed him because it was the only way to prevent him from sacrificing
their daughter to Ares.
Cyrene, again shows off her leadership skills and steadfast spirit many years later, when she stands up to Athena, and the other Olympian
Gods, who wish to destroy Xena's daughter, before she can bring about the Twilight of the Gods. Xena, Gabrielle
, and Eve
return to Amphipolis to seek refuge from the Gods. The villagers call a meeting to discuss whether to support the Gods or help Xena and her newborn baby and risk their lives. Athena appears while the meeting is in session, and asks Xena if she is willing to destroy her neighbours' faith in the Gods for the sake of a single child. Cyrene, holding Eve in her arms, challenges the Goddess, "Hasn't this village given up enough of its children? I've already lost a son and a grandson I've never even met. Well, I won't give up this child, not even for the Gods themselves." Athena then addresses the rest of the village, asking them if they are so willing to die for this child, but before she can finish Cyrene begins singing Amphipolis' anthem, Glede ma glede, a song of defiance and hope. The other villagers slowly join in the singing, proclaiming their unity against the Gods.
After Xena and Gabrielle's 25 year slumber encased in ice on Mount Etna
, they travel to Amphipolis with Eve, so she can meet her grandmother. When they arrive they find the village deserted. They enter Cyrene's tavern to investigate and look for Cyrene, but the place is run-down. While searching the tavern Eve sees the apparition
of a man dragging a woman, who both pass through her. She tells Xena that her mother is dead; she could feel Cyrene's spirit as she passed through her. She tells Xena that Cyrene's spirit is in pain and trapped in some kind of limbo
. Eve says that the village has become a spiritual gateway, with good and evil fighting to claim it. Xena visits Cyrene in the family tomb and swears to her that she will make things right, while there she meets a man who tells her that evil spirits were sent to the tavern years ago and the village, thinking she was a witch, burned Cyrene at the stake. Xena finds Eve and Gabrielle and tells them of Cyrene's fate. Xena fights Mephistopheles, defeats him and frees the trapped souls, her mother and the others are now at peace, living a happy after-life in the Elysian Fields
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
. She was portrayed by the actress Darien Takle.
Character history
Cyrene is the mother of XenaXena
Xena is a fictional character from Robert Tapert's Xena: Warrior Princess franchise. She first appeared in the 1995–1999 television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, before going on to appear in Xena: Warrior Princess TV show and subsequent comic book of the same name...
, Lyceus, and Toris, and the widow of Atrius. She owns a tavern in Amphipolis
Amphipolis
Amphipolis was an ancient Greek city in the region once inhabited by the Edoni people in the present-day region of Central Macedonia. It was built on a raised plateau overlooking the east bank of the river Strymon where it emerged from Lake Cercinitis, about 3 m. from the Aegean Sea. Founded in...
, and is a prominent matriarchal figure in the community. We first meet her when Xena travels back home after renouncing her violent past. Cyrene shows her own strength of will when she walks right up to her daughter and removes her sword, stating that weapons are not welcome in her tavern; it is clear where Xena gets her fighting spirit from. Xena warns her mother and the other villagers that an evil warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
, Draco, is planning on attacking the village and Xena offers to help the village fight him. Cyrene tells her the village does not need her help referencing a past battle in which Xena led the village against an invading warlord, Cortese, and many villagers perished. She then tells Xena she is not welcome in Amphipolis anymore. Draco begins torching the village and the villagers, believing that Xena is in league with Draco, go after her. Gabrielle comes and persuades them to let Xena go. Not wanting to cause any trouble in the village, Xena leaves with Gabrielle
Gabrielle (Xena)
Gabrielle is a fictional character played by Renée O'Connor in Xena: Warrior Princess. She is referred to by fans as the Battling Bard of Potidaea. Her trademark weapons are the Amazon fighting staff and later, the sais...
. Later, Xena realises she cannot turn her back on her village and her mother so she returns home. There, she challenges Draco to duel. Draco accepts and they fight on some scaffolding with the condition that the first to touch the ground is to be killed. Xena wins, but spares Draco's life. Upon witnessing this, Cyrene can see that her daughter really has changed and forgives her. The rift between mother and daughter slowly begins to heal.
The Furies
About three years later, when AresAres (Hercules and Xena)
Ares is a character on the television shows Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Young Hercules. He was portrayed by New Zealand actor Kevin Tod Smith...
convinces The Furies to make Xena mad for not avenging her father's murder, we discover that Cyrene is the person responsible for Atrius' death and that she faces the possibility that Xena may kill her to appease The Furies, so that they will remove her madness. Cyrene, like a true warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
, faces up to this, just like she stood up to her husband and killed him because it was the only way to prevent him from sacrificing
Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or the lives of animals or people to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artifacts...
their daughter to Ares.
The siege
Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
Gods, who wish to destroy Xena's daughter, before she can bring about the Twilight of the Gods. Xena, Gabrielle
Gabrielle (Xena)
Gabrielle is a fictional character played by Renée O'Connor in Xena: Warrior Princess. She is referred to by fans as the Battling Bard of Potidaea. Her trademark weapons are the Amazon fighting staff and later, the sais...
, and Eve
Eve (Xena)
Eve | Livia is a fictional character created by Robert Tapert for the popular TV series Xena: Warrior Princess. She is portrayed by Adrienne Wilkinson...
return to Amphipolis to seek refuge from the Gods. The villagers call a meeting to discuss whether to support the Gods or help Xena and her newborn baby and risk their lives. Athena appears while the meeting is in session, and asks Xena if she is willing to destroy her neighbours' faith in the Gods for the sake of a single child. Cyrene, holding Eve in her arms, challenges the Goddess, "Hasn't this village given up enough of its children? I've already lost a son and a grandson I've never even met. Well, I won't give up this child, not even for the Gods themselves." Athena then addresses the rest of the village, asking them if they are so willing to die for this child, but before she can finish Cyrene begins singing Amphipolis' anthem, Glede ma glede, a song of defiance and hope. The other villagers slowly join in the singing, proclaiming their unity against the Gods.
Cyrene's death
Mount Etna
Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania. It is the tallest active volcano in Europe, currently standing high, though this varies with summit eruptions; the mountain is 21 m higher than it was in 1981.. It is the highest mountain in...
, they travel to Amphipolis with Eve, so she can meet her grandmother. When they arrive they find the village deserted. They enter Cyrene's tavern to investigate and look for Cyrene, but the place is run-down. While searching the tavern Eve sees the apparition
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
of a man dragging a woman, who both pass through her. She tells Xena that her mother is dead; she could feel Cyrene's spirit as she passed through her. She tells Xena that Cyrene's spirit is in pain and trapped in some kind of limbo
Limbo
In the theology of the Catholic Church, Limbo is a speculative idea about the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the damned. Limbo is not an official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church or any other...
. Eve says that the village has become a spiritual gateway, with good and evil fighting to claim it. Xena visits Cyrene in the family tomb and swears to her that she will make things right, while there she meets a man who tells her that evil spirits were sent to the tavern years ago and the village, thinking she was a witch, burned Cyrene at the stake. Xena finds Eve and Gabrielle and tells them of Cyrene's fate. Xena fights Mephistopheles, defeats him and frees the trapped souls, her mother and the others are now at peace, living a happy after-life in the Elysian Fields
Elysium
Elysium is a conception of the afterlife that evolved over time and was maintained by certain Greek religious and philosophical sects, and cults. Initially separate from Hades, admission was initially reserved for mortals related to the gods and other heroes...
.