CLA/SRS 3333CLA/SRS 3333Religions of the Graeco-Roman Religions of the Graeco-Roman

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Jitse H.F. DijkstraJitse H.F. Dijkstra

Historical background: Historical background: Greek historyGreek history

Bronze AgeBronze Age Minoan CivilizationMinoan Civilization3000-1200 BC3000-1200 BC Mycenean Civilization (1600-1200)Mycenean Civilization (1600-1200)

Trojan War?Trojan War?‘‘Dark Ages’Dark Ages’ ca. 1000: Dorian immigration into Greececa. 1000: Dorian immigration into Greece1200-7501200-750 (Spartans and on Peloponnese); Ionians Spartans and on Peloponnese); Ionians

(e.g. (e.g. Athens), Aeolians Athens), Aeolians Archaic PeriodArchaic Period 776: first Olympic games776: first Olympic games750-500750-500 Rise of the City State (polis); colonization of Rise of the City State (polis); colonization of

Italy (‘Magna Graecia’)Italy (‘Magna Graecia’)Homer, HesiodHomer, Hesiod

Classical PeriodClassical Period 490-479: Persian Wars: Herodotus490-479: Persian Wars: Herodotus500-323500-323 431-404: Peloponnesian War: Thucydides431-404: Peloponnesian War: Thucydides

sophists; Socrates/Plato; tragedy writers: sophists; Socrates/Plato; tragedy writers: Aeschylus,Aeschylus,

Sophocles, Euripides; comedy: Sophocles, Euripides; comedy: AristophanesAristophanes

struggle between statesstruggle between states

Greek History (next)Greek History (next)AristotleAristotle338: Macedonia wins battle of Chaeronea; 336: Phillip 338: Macedonia wins battle of Chaeronea; 336: Phillip

deaddead336-323: his son, Alexander the Great conquers the 336-323: his son, Alexander the Great conquers the

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Hellenistic Hellenistic 323: division of Alexander’s empire: Ptolemies in 323: division of Alexander’s empire: Ptolemies in Egypt;Egypt;

PeriodPeriod Seleucids in Persia; Antigonids GreeceSeleucids in Persia; Antigonids Greece

323-30 BC 323-30 BC 148: Macedonia Roman148: Macedonia Roman146: sack of Corinth; Greece Roman province146: sack of Corinth; Greece Roman province64: conquest of Syria; 30: conquest of Egypt64: conquest of Syria; 30: conquest of Egypt27: start Roman Empire under Augustus (27 BC-AD 14)27: start Roman Empire under Augustus (27 BC-AD 14)

Knowledge Greek Religion: mostly Classical and Hellenistic Period!Knowledge Greek Religion: mostly Classical and Hellenistic Period!

1. City/village (polis, astu, kome): where you live

Akropolis (‘upper city’, Athens)

Acrocorinth: the akropolis of Corinth

Mt. Olympus

2. Mountain: where you 2. Mountain: where you don’t livedon’t live

3 symbolic connotations in myth:3 symbolic connotations in myth:1.1. outside/wild (you get raw materials from there: outside/wild (you get raw materials from there:

Argo; strange creatures: Centaurs live there; Argo; strange creatures: Centaurs live there; hunting ground: myth of Aktaion)hunting ground: myth of Aktaion)

2.2. ‘‘before’ (Deukalion and Pyrrha survive flood on before’ (Deukalion and Pyrrha survive flood on Mt Parnassos)Mt Parnassos)

3.3. Reversals: place to meet gods (Aktaion), where Reversals: place to meet gods (Aktaion), where mad women live (maenads)mad women live (maenads)

Rule: what is often ‘real’ in myth is symbolic in Rule: what is often ‘real’ in myth is symbolic in ritual, e.g. maenads were in reality not mad but ritual, e.g. maenads were in reality not mad but taking part in women’s rituals outside of the taking part in women’s rituals outside of the male-dominated world!male-dominated world!

3. Sea: ambiguous