Class 1+2 - Interpretation and Definition; Historical Background, Ch 1 + 2 Myth (mythos), literal Greek meaning True Myth/Myth Proper Saga/Legend Folktale vs Fairytale How truthful were and are myths Etiological uses of myth Psychological interpretation form of metaphor study: Freud, Jung o Dream-work o Collective unconscious o Archetypes (ie anima) Structuralism o Levi-Strauss o Vladimir Propp Burkert and his 4 theses Nature and 'status' of oral tradition Status of Women and Theme of Rape, what did that term mean to Greeks? Homosexuality in Ancient Greece Morford et al's definition of Classical Myth. Potential problems with ideas like 'sophisticated' vs 'primitive' Sources - Homer: Iliad, Odyssey; Hesiod: Theogony, Works & Days; Vergil: Aeneid; Ovid: Metamorphoses; Pausanius; Plato; Homeric Hymns. Know general when written and significance of each. Historic periods of Greece - Neolithic, Early/Middle Bronze Age, Mycenaean, Early Iron Age, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman Linear B Class 2 - Myths of Creation, Ch. 3 Hesiod, Theogony, and role of Muses Theogony Chaos - cf Hesiod and Ovid 1st "gen" - Gaia/Gaea/Ge, Tartarus, Eros, Erebus, Night/Nyx 2nd "gen" - Uranus, Mountains, Pontus. sacred marriage concept. 3rd "gen" - Titans, Cyclopes, Hecatonchires (names of notable figures in each category) Oceanus and Tethys - Oceanids Coeus and Phoebe - Leto (Zeus) - Artemis and Apollo Hyperion and Theia - Helius (father of Phaethon) Selene and Endymion Apollo and Artemis - discussion of merging of identities. Eos and Tithonus Cronus, story of uprising against Uranus, genitals, birth of Aphrodite Cronus and Rhea - their kids - Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus. Story of their 'capture' and release Birthplace of Zeus Religious and Historical Views - merging of two cultures Class 3 Zeus' Rise to Power, Ch 4 Titanomachy - who is on each side. Punishment for losing side - Atlas Creation of mortals - Prometheus (also later Prometheus against Zeus as in Theogony) Gigantomachy - Gegeneis and Typhoeus o Portrayal of Gigantomachies and civic pride. Altar at Pergamon Five Ages and Races - general characteristics and order Prometheus, Zeus, and Epimetheus Pandora Interpretation of Prometheus and Pandora myths - etiology. Commonalities between cultures. Lycaon Deucalion and Pyrrha Succession Myths Term - eponymous Class 4 - The 12 Olympians Ch 5 Distinguish between original 6, growth to 14, and adjustment to 12 How does the universe get divided up? Amongst what gods? Know genealogies/relationships, concerns, and iconography of the 12 Olympians Specific deities. Know general characteristics, genealogy, tales associated with them, what areas of life they hold power over o Hestia o Zeus Aegis We had a lot of primary readings here. Don't memorize things, but be prepared to analyze the passages on the midterm or quiz Particularly diverse nature that changes over time o Hera o Eileithyia (also keep in mind she appears in multiples on art) o Hebe o Hephaestus (note some differences in stories concerning how he was birthed crippled). Marriage with Aphrodite and trickery of Ares o Ares The "others" o Muses - Mnemosyne o Fates Sanctuaries. What happens at each? General characteristics (ie. Games vs oracle). o Olympia Myths portrayed via architectural sculpture. What and where Cult statue o Dodona Nature of oracle here Class 5 - Nature of Gods and Religion Ch 6 This chapter overall contains some more overarching questions about the nature of gods, religion, and the complexity of each Human-like qualities of the Olympians. They're like humans, but idealized and intensified o Association of individual gods with a particular animal Divine Hierarchy. Along with the Olympians are other things like Demigods, nymphs, and heroes. How do they all rank against each other o What happens with foreign gods? Monotheism vs Polytheism o Are these two concepts hard divisions in Greek religion? How do they interact and pivot off each other. o General philosophical trends described - Hesiod's harsh god, Xenophanes' view of a single non anthropomorphic supreme god, Aeschylus' generic calling to Zeus Humanism o How can this be defined? o Use and interpretation of in Classics and the study of Greek myth Herodotus o Who is he? What did he write? Why did he write it? o Tale of Croesus. General plot and characters. What does it teach/reveal? o In looking at Herodotus, do we view it as fact or fiction? Class 6, Poseidon Ch 7 General characteristics of Poseidon o Physical appearance and symbols - Trident o Attitude o Dual nature of supporter and shaker of earth Parents and siblings - where does he fall in the godly lineage Potential differences between sources: Homer Iliad 15.187-193, Homeric Hymn, and Ovi Origins of Poseidon o Cultural origins. What elements suggest he may have been something earlier o Regional stories o Significant presence in Iliad and battle for Athens Important family/creatures o Oceanus o Oceanids o Nereus o Nereids. For the following three, know general story and who they are Thetis Achilles Galatea Amphitrite Triton o Proteus How does he intersect with Triton and Nereus? o Scylla and Charybdis o Progeny of Pontus and Ge Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto, and Eurybie Know what pairings resulted in Iris, Harpies, Graeae, and Gorgons Charts on page 172-73 help o Monsters from Medusa Cerberus (and difference between it and Orthrus) Hydra Also Pegasus! Imagery o What were decorated ceramics used for? o Be able to identify individuals/creatures visually Mystery Cults o General nature of them. What sets them apart from other forms of Greek "Religion" Seers o General nature The Sacrifice o Role in culture, earliest description, change in ritual over time Class 7, Athena Ch 8 General characteristics of Athena o Parentage ] o Status in the pantheon o Goddess of what elements/realms o Attributes o Primary "residence" or patronage - how did that come about? Epithets. What does each represent. Where was it displayed/honoured? o Promachos o Parthenos o Polias o Nike Sources. What can we glean from them? How do they differ? Specifically we looked at her birth o Homeric Hymn 28 o Theogony Stories to know general idea of o Birth (including version with Metis) o Pallas/Tritogeneia o Arachne o Battle with Poseidon Athenian Acropolis o Erechtheion What is its significance? Why is it strangely organized? Named after who? Athena Polias o Parthenon Pedimental sculpture and what is featured on each Metopes and the themes on each side. What ties them together? Ionic Frieze Cult statue - Athena Parthenos Summary of Athena leading to next discussed gods o Often paired with Hephaestus - patrons of all arts and crafts o Certain aspects of war and victory (Nike) Class 8, Aphrodite Ch 9 Birth and origins o Castration of Uranus o Aphros, foam o Connection with Cythera and Cyprus o Alternative birth story with Zeus and Dione as parents. Dione feminine form of Zeus. Dione may be a (Oh! I was going for "feminine form" when I typed "fenububue fin" on the slide!) Nature of love o Urania vs. Pandemos (Greek term - demos) Nature of Aphrodite o Varied facets depending on place of worship o Athens vs. port city Attendants o Graces o Horae/Seasons - daughters of Zeus and Themis Priapus o Confusion with Pan or Dionysus Pygmalion Adonis o Myrrha Parallels to other regions - Phrygia o Cybele and Attis o Worship of Cybele - frenzied devotion o Attis - resurrection god o Association with springtime Aphrodite and Anchises o No power over Athena, Artemis, and Hestia o Aphrodite's son (via Anchises) = Aeneas o Use of parallel myths of Ganymede and Tithonus Eros o Early deity or son of Aphrodite and Ares Plato's Symposium o Different versions of the nature and power of love o Aristophanes vs Socrates Cupid and Psyche o We didn't go over this one in detail. Important thing here is that it's a Roman story that possesses many universal myth motifs. (see CM p. 216) Class 9, Artemis Ch 10 Essential qualities o Huntress, golden arrows, virgin, close connection to Apollo (her twin brother) Birth o Zeus and Leto o Born at Mt. Cynthus - Cynthia o Wanderings of Leto and connected stories - Lycians Niobe o Niobe Krater Actaeon - myth and what we can interpret from what happens Callisto and Arcas - etiological use of their story o Ursa Major and Ursa Minor Orion o Pleiades, Sirius o Multiple highly variable versions of his story. Common elements. Arethusa Francois Krater Artemis Brauronia o Brauron, precinct on Acropolis, bear attendants Ephesian Artemis Connections with other goddesses o Selene and Hecate o Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. Connection to moon Euripides Hippolytus o Artemis and Aphrodite used as foils against each other o Misogyny vs Misandry Class 9 - Apollo + Delphi Ch 11 Nature of Apollo o o o o o Birth of o o Contradictions in character. Bringer of death in Iliad vs. enlightenment at Delphi Origins from beyond Greece? Assumption of sun-god role Anthropomorphic god - calm and intelligent - Pediment at Olympia Rational aspect of the mind (Apollonian) Apollo Focus on Delos, differences in where Artemis was born (Hymn 3 says Ortygia) Nature of the island - unwanted. Leto's wandering o Hera forcing her to wander o Trying to find city that would be home to Apollo - oath with Delos o 9 days of labour. Why? Eileithyia's assistance Hecatombs Deliads and what they're associated with Anius and his daughters Delphi o Difference between nature of this site and Delos o Pytho - snake and meaning in Greek o Historic nature of the site of Delos (Ge-Themis) o Omphalos o Crisa - how it became Delphi o Epithets of Apollo - Delphinius (and others in the chapter, such as Loxias) Site of Delphi o General description of what's there o Mt. Parnassus The Oracle o Tripod o Pythia - nature of role and who could be one o Controversies surrounding the Pythia o Pythia vs Cumaean Sibyl Apollo's loves o Cassandra, Cyrene, Daphne o Coronis and connection to Asclepius Asclepius o Connection to Chiron o His staff - what is it described as vs. what it becomes in popular media o His nature - mortal vs mythical o Children as abstract concepts (Hygieaia) o Incubation Class 10 - Hermes Ch 12 Birth story - parental genealogy Main stories/plots from Homeric Hymn 4 o Invents Lyre o Steals Cattle o Confrontation with Apollo o Intercession and judgement of Zeus o Apollo and Hermes exchange gifts - transference of areas they oversee Nature of Hermes o Character qualities o Numerous areas he oversees. Multifaceted and extreme anthropomorphism o Indicia - Petasus, Talaria, Caduceus o Psychopompos Slayer of Argus Other Qualities/Elements o Sarpedon Krater Hermes Trismegistus o Another syncretism Hermes and Aphrodite o Hermaphroditus Class discussion on pottery o Black figure vs Red Figure o Why are myths on vessels? Use and setting Class 11 - Dionysus Ch 13 Dionysus o Nature of Dionysus/defining qualities o Dionysus = Bacchus o Birth - Zeus and Semele, Semele burns, Dionysus survives, Zeus sews baby up in thigh o Childhood - taken by Hermes to Mt. Nysa - FOREIGN upbringing, starts a cult and as he grows up brings to spread it o A kind of prophet - message of happiness and prosperity, DEATH if it is rejected Dithyramb Maenads o Who are they? What are their insignia? o Thrysus o Nature of worship in the cult Euripides Bacchae o Know general plot o Dionysus' connection with Thebes. King Pentheus o Women of Thebes struck with madness o Cadmus and Tiresias - what do they think of the cult o Agave - Pentheus' mother. What does she do? And what is her fate? Tales of the spread of the cult o Tiryns - daughters of Proetus. Melampus. o Orchomenos - daughters of Minyas Companions of Dionysus o Satyrs and Sileni. Characteristics Connection of Dionysus to drama o Theatre of Dionysus in Athens and the Dionysia Alternate Origin Story - Zagreus Syncreticism Side stories: o Dionysus and the pirates, Midas, Pan, Echo and Narcissus Class 12 - Demeter Chapter 14 Demeter, Persephone, and Hades o Relationships o General overview of myth o Emotional nature of narrative in the myth Establishment of the Mysteries o Eleusis o Doso o Metarneira and her child o Rebirth - you must die in order to become something new Sacred marriage Hecate's role Eleusis o Where is it? What went on there? o Teleston The Mysteries o Stages of initiation o Hierophant o Hiera o Don't worry about all the days and specifics of each, but the general flow of action o Iacchus Class 13- The Afterlife Chapter 15 Know general characteristic of the afterlife as discussed by Homer Odyssey Bk 11, Plato Myth of Er, Vergil's Aenid Elysium - earliest mention in Homer Od , although nothing too specific Glimpse of afterlife also present in Hesiod's description of 4th race of men Earliest 'fleshed-out' description comes form Odyssey, Bk 11 o Odysseus heads to underworld to find spirit of Tiresias o Blood sacrifices used to fill a pit, and the collected blood allowed spirits to talk o Elpenor can talk as his body was not yet properly dealt with and Tiresias could speak b/c he's a seer (without blood) BUT - blood sacrifice in the ground - chthonic libation o Odysseus goes through various stages as he interviews spirits - lamentation over Elphenor and his mother o Converses with heroes and also sees major criminals who have a particularly individually tailored punishment (ie. Tityus). Homeric underworld o Difficult to interpret due to apparent discrepancies in text - is this a reflection of concepts put together by on man or by several? o Vague description and geography. Located at edge of world. Has Oceanus as a barrier, but other rivers are later mentioned o Mortals seem to all occupy the same plane together o Those that had extra punishment were mythical, not mortal Plato's Er o Four doors with judges sitting between them passing sentence o ALL souls must suffer an appropriate penalty for each and every sin TEN TIMES OVER. But REWARDS given for good deeds in same proportion o Some mortal souls were so bad they were just cast into Tartarus o Once souls are purified they go on a journey that leads to the spindle of Necessity (Ananke) - Different cosmological explanation of the universe - involving heavenly spheres, the Moirai, etc. o Reincarnation - but it is a choice that many souls don't get correct Plato's underworld o Conglomeration of sources that are no longer extant and notably different than Homer o Perhaps new creation of Plato o Now there is a clear depiction of heaven AND hell for all mortals o Special torment for extreme sins Vergil's Book of the Dead o Book 6 in the Aeneid - hero goes to the underworld to visit someone o A detailed account of a shadowy afterlife fraught with tears and pathos o Sibyl from Cumae acts as guide. Sacrifices required to open the gates to the underworld o Encounter spirits that cannot cross the river Tartarus until bodies in real life are properly dealt with o Aeneas is let in and past the river after assuring Charon they weren't up to any trouble o Degrees of heaven - neutral zone, Fields of Mourning, Tartarus, and Elysium o Paradise linked to ideal life of Roman or Greek male Common Elements o Tartarus/Judges/Rivers/Rulers/Canonical sinners/furies