FINAL REVIEW

• PART 1:

• THE GODS

Mythos and Logos

• Mythos = true, divine story

• Logos = human discourse

Myth and…

Religion Eliade Sacred time

Etiology ------ origin, reason

Rationalism Max Müller allegory

Psychology 1 Freud sexuality, dreams

Psychology 2 Jung collective unconscious

Sociology 1 Frazer, Harri-son, Graves

forgotten rituals

Sociology 2 Malinowski social charter

Structuralism Lévi-Strauss binary oppositions

Narratology Propp motifems, elements

HISTORIC BACKGROUND

– 1600 – 1400 Minoan Prosperous sea-power– Linear A – 1400 – 1100 Mycenean Palace structures with

monumental walls– Linear B– 1200 Trojan War– 1000 – 800 Dark Ages– 750 - 500 Archaic Period Homer, Hesiod– 500 - 323 Classical Period Plato

Writing Systems

• Linear A

- Used by the Minoans

- So far not deciphered

• Linear B- Used by the

Mycenaeans- Deciphered by Ventris

and Chadwick - Texts are in Greek

Troy

– Located by H. Schliemann– 9 settlements found at Troy.– Troy 6 or 7 identified as the Homeric Troy.

Generations of Gods

• 1. From Chaos emerged:

• Gaia, Tartarus, Night, Erebus, Eros

• 2. Gaia gave birth to

• Uranus, Mountains, Pontus

• 3. Uranus and Gaia had 18 Children

• 3 Hekatonchires, 3 Cyclopes, 12 Titans

The Offspring of the Titans

• Oceanus and Thetis/Tethis:

• 50 daughters named Oceanides

• 2. Hyperion and Theia:

• Helios (Sun) Selene (Moon) Eos (Dawn)

• Cronus and Rhea

• Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Poseidon, Hades,

• Zeus

Cronus

• - Castrated his father Uranus from whose blood Erinyes (Furies) were born

• - Swallowed all his children except Zeus

• Was castrated by Zeus and vomited his other children

• Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Poseidon, Hades

Titanomachy

• Zeus

• His siblings

• Prometheus

• Cyclopes

• Hekatonchires

• Cronus• Titans led by Atlas

Gigantomachy

• Zeus • Giants, sons of Gaia• Typhon• Otus and Ephialtes

Creation of Human Beings

People created by Zeus or the Olympians:

1. Generations- Gold (O)- Silver (O)- Bronze & Heroes (Z)- Iron (Z)

2. Z. sends the flood3. Deucalion and Pyrrha throw

stones

People created byPrometheus1. P. steals fire2. P. deprives Zeus of a

better part of the sacrifice

3. Zeus sends Pandora 4. Bird of pray eating

P’s liver in Caucasus

Anthropomorphic Gods

• Human in form an character• Idealized mortals endowed with • - physical beauty • - intense emotions• - superhuman powers to:• * change shape• * become invisible• * fly

Divine anatomy

• ICHOR = divine blood

• NECTAR = divine drink

• AMBROSIA = divine food

Olympians Chthonic Deities

• Twelve major deities

• Dwelling on Mt. Olympus

• Gods of the Earth

Nymphs

• Female spirits who animate aspects of nature

• Not necessarily immortal

• NAIADS inhabit waters

• DRYADS inhabit trees

FATES Personifications of Destiny

• Parents: Zeus & Themis / Night & Erebus

• CLOTHO: spins out the thread of life

• LACHESIS: measures the thread

• ATROPOS: cuts the thread

14 MAJOR GREEK DEITIES

• 6 Children of Cronus and Rhea:

• Zeus, Poseidon, Hades

• Demeter, Hestia, Hera

• 7 children of Zeus

• Hephaestus, Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Heremes, Athena, Dionysus,

• Aphrodite

ZEUS & HERA

• God of the sky• Incarnation of justice and

order • Bearded man with a

scepter and a bolt of lightening and thunder in his hand.

• Often carries his shield, the AEGIS

• Mother earth• Presides over marriage• Stately woman• Accompanied by birds• Often shown with Iris

the goddess of Rainbow

SOME Children of Zeus

• …and HERA Hephaestus, Ares, Hebe,• Eileithyia• …and LETO Apollo and Artemis• …and METIS Athena• …and MAIA Hermes• …and SEMELE Dionysus

Two stories about the birth and youth of HEPHAESTUS

Version A • Son of Hera alone• Lame from birth • Cast out of Olympus

by Hera

Version B • Son of both Zeus and

Hera• Interfered on behalf of

Hera• Hurled down from

Olympus by Zeus• Fell on Lemnos

“Adult” Life of Hephaestus

• Restored to Olympus

• Married Aphrodite

• God of the forge and its fire

• Assisted by the three Cyclopes

• Created masterpieces

HEPHAESTUS, APHRODITE, AND ARES

GANYMEDES

• Zeus kidnapped GANYMEDES

• He became cupbearer to the gods

6 out of 9 Muses Daughters of Zeus & Mnemosyne

• CALLIOPE: epic poetry

• ERATO: love poetry

• MELPOMENE: tragedy

• POLYHYMNIA: hymns

• TERPSICHORE: dancing

• URANIA: astronomy

Poseidon and Sea Deities

• POSEIDON: anthropomorphic god of the sea• AMPHITRITE: Nereid, wife of Poseidon• PONTUS: “open sea” produced by Gaia• OCEANUS: the stream of Ocean• TRITON: son of Poseidon and Amphitrite• NEREUS: Old Man of the Sea 1• PROTEUS: Old Man of the Sea 2

PROTEUS& NEREUS

• Pre-Olympian deity

• Old man of the sea

• Foretells the future

• Changes shape

• Pre-Olympian deity• Old man of the sea • Foretells the future• Changes shape• Fathered 50 daughters

called NEREIDS, among them THETIS, GALATEA, and AMPHITRITE

PELEUS AND THETIS

• Oracle: “Thetis will bear a son mightier than his father

• Gods avoided her

• Peleus, a mortal, become her husband

• The wedding of Peleus and Thetis was famous

• They became the parents of Achilles

SCYLLA & CHARYBDIS

• Daughter of Poseidon and Gaia

• Drew in mountains of water and spewed them out again.

• Poseidon made advances to her

• Amphitrite turned her into a monster encircled with a ring of dog's heads

ATHENA GODDESS OF WISDOM, WAR, AND WEAVING

ATHENAHer mother is Metis (“cunning”)

Born from the head of Zeus, her father

THE CONTEST BETWEEN ATHENA AND POSEIDON

• Object: Control of Athens and Attica

• Poseidon produces a salt spring or a horse

• Athena creates an olive tree and is proclaimed the victor

Athena’s titles

• PARTHENOS, virgin of the citadel

• PALLAS TRITOGENEIA she who accidentally murdered her friend Pallas daughter of Triton

ATHENA AND ARACHNE

• ARACHNE challenged Athena to a weaving contest

• Athena lost and turned her rival into a spider

APHRODITE

ATTENDANTS OF APHRODITE

• CHARITES: 3 Graces

• Feminine personifications of charm and loveliness.

• HORAE: 2 or 4 Hours or Seasons

PRIAPUS

• Son of Aphrodite and Ares/Hermes/Adonis personifies the elemental, sexual side of his mother's nature

PYGMALION

• Pygmalion falls in love with his own creation, a sculpture of a woman named Galatea

• Aphrodite gives live to the statue

APHRODITE AND ADONIS

• Aphrodite’s love for Adonis

• Adonis’s death

• PERSEPHONE also falls in love with in Adonis

• They have to share: Adonis will spend one part of the year below with Persephone and one part in the upper world with Aphrodite

EROS

• EROS 1 came out of Chaos before the birth of Aphrodite.

• EROS 2 the son of Aphrodite and Ares

The Twins

• Children of ZEUS and LETO

• Born on the island of DELOS

• Both experts at archery

• Together killed the 7 sons and daughters of NIOBE

Who?

• Tried to seduce Artemis • The goddess produced a scorpion that

killed him

• Saw Artemis in her bath

• Was transformed into a stag

• His dogs tore him to pieces

Who co-stars the following episodes of the story of Callisto?• Rape

• Rejection

• Giving birth

• Becoming a bear

• Near death as bear

• Being promoted to a constellation

CHARACTERISTICS OF ARTEMIS

• Vehement virgin with characteristics of a fertility goddess

• Moon-goddess linked with the lunar cycle and menstrual period

• Goddess of nature itself personifying its pristine purity

SANCTUARY OF APOLLO AT DELPHI

• Apollo chose a place under Mt. PARNASSUS for his oracle and temple.

• He slew a dragon named PYTHO• Apollo given the epithet PYTHIAN, his

prophetess, PYTHIA

Apollo sitting on the Omphalos

• Silver tetradrachm from 3rd BCE

APOLLO'S LOVES

Sybil Cyrene Coronis Daphne Cassandra

Priestess of Cumae

Lion wrestler

Loved a man

Devoted to Art.

Princess of Troy

Rejection Love Betrayal Rejection Perjury

Eternal life without youth

City of her name

Death by arrow

Turned into laurel

Her prophecies

disbelieved

Aristaeus keeper of bees

Asclepius god of medicine

HYACINTHUS

APOLLO’S MUSICAL CONTESTS

• Picked up the flute invented by Athena.

• Challenged Apollo to a contest

• Apollo won and he decided to flay him alive

• Dared to engage in a contest with Apollo

• TMOLUS the god of the mountain was the judge

• He declared Apollo the victor

THE NATURE OF APOLLO

• God of shepherds, associated with music

• God of medicine

• God of the sun PHOEBUS Apollo "bright."    

• Symbol of classical restraint: "Know thyself"

Demeter and the abduction of Persephone by Hades

• Persephone: daughter of Demeter and Zeus kidnapped by Hades

• Demeter’s grief• Demeter in Eleusis, nurse of Demophoon, is

interrupted when trying to make him immortal• Demeter’s anger• Zeus’ request that P. must return to her mother• Final compromise

The Eleusinian Procession

• Ritual cleansing

• Torches

• Fasting and vigil

• Hymns and obscene jests

The Sacred Rites

• KYKEON the sacred drink

• Dramatic performance

• The revelation of the hiera, "sacred objects"

HADES

• Roman names: DIS, PLUTO (both names mean wealth) ORCUS by the Romans

• God of death and agricultural plenty

Three Judges

• MINOS RHADAMANTHUS, and AEACUS

• Pass sentence on the just and unjust souls.

Identify

Hermes Psychopompus

• Hermes Psychopompus. Hermes as "leader of the soul" takes our souls, after death, to Charon

Poussin: Midas and Bacchus

THE BIRTH of Dionysus

• Zeus loved SEMELE, daughter of CADMUS• Hera convinced Semele to trick Zeus into

revealing himself • Semele was burned, but their unborn child was

saved by Zeus• Dionysus was born from Zeus’ thigh and brought

up by nymphs and Semele's sister Ino on a mountain named Nysa

THE BACCHAE OF EURIPIDES

• Dionysus comes to Thebes where his religion is repudiated

• The women of Thebes become possessed by frenzy

• Deceived by Dionysus, King Pentheus participates in the rites disguised as a woman

• He is discovered and torn to pieces by the Bacchae led by his mother AGAVE

THE NATURE OF DIONYSUS

• God of vegetation

• God of wine

• Represents the irrational in human beings

• Dionysiac ecstasy, MANIA, combines the bestial and the sublime

DIONYSIAC LEXICON

SATYR MAENAD

BACCHA

THYRSUS OMO-PHAGY

THIASUS

part man and part animal, pleasure- loving follower of D.

a) nymph from the retinue of D.

b) woman worshiping D.

a pole wreathed with ivy or vine leaves

eating raw flesh of the sacrificial animal

congregation that engaged in omophagy

DIONYSUS’ FOLLOWERS

DIONYSUS-ZAGREUS

• Son of Zeus and Persephone• At Hera’s request the Titans dismembered

and devoured the child• His heart was saved• Dionysus was born again through Semele • People were created from the ashes of the

Titans

THE HOMERIC HYMN TO HERMES

• Son of Zeus and MAIA

• Invented the lyre

• Stole Apollo’s cattle

• Made the first sacrifice to the 12 Olympians

• Reconciled with Apollo

Hermes and Apollo’s Cattle

Hermaphroditus

THE NATURE OF HERMES

• God of shepherds

• Patron of thieves and business people

• Master of persuasion

• Psychopompus

• Messenger of the gods

• Archetypal trickster

ATTRIBUTES OF HERMES

HERM

FINAL REVIEW

• PART 2: GODS AND HEROES

•

WEEK 4 REVIEW

• ORPHEUS & MYSTERIES

• MYCENAE

• THEBES

THE STORY OF ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE

• Eurydice died of a snake-bite on her wedding day

• Her husband the TRACIAN singer ORPHEUS appealed to the rulers of Hades

• Moved by his music, they granted his request

ORPHEUS’ DEATH

• Unable to keep his word NOT TO LOOK BACK at Eurydice before they leave Hades,

Orpheus lost Eurydice again

• He died torn into pieces by the Maenades

Orphic Message…

Is linked both

to Apollo (music and poetry)

AND

to Dionysus (rebirth)

Orphic Myths of Creation

1. PHANES(= Eros = Dionysus) hatched from the cosmic egg2. Phanes gave birth to Night3. Phanes and Night gave Birth to Gaia and Uranus4. Zeus is born fromCronus and Rhea5. Zeus swallows the world

MYSTERY RELIGIONS

• Main concern: • The fundamental mysteries of human • existence: • life, • death, •

afterlife

Techniques of Immortality

• Secrets are revealed only to members of the religious group, the initiates

• They involve a system of beliefs and principles that assure happiness in afterlife

MYSTERY RELIGIONS OF ANTIQUITY

• Mysteries of Dionysus

• Orphic Mysteries of Dionysus

• Eleusinian Mysteries of Demeter

• Mysteries of Cybele and Attis

• Mysteries of Isis and Osiris

• Mysteries of Mitra

Sagas and Cycles

• Saga, or legend = mythological story that has some basis in history

• Cycle = a cluster of legends concerning a hero, a family, a tribe, or a city

The background of Greek sagas

• Late Bronze Age communities which flourished ca. 1600-1100 B.C

The Mycenaean saga

ELECTRATook part in the murder of

C. and Ae.

ORESTESMurdered C. and Ae.

IPHIGENIAWas sacrificed by

Her father Ag.

AGAMEMNON m. CLYTEMNESTRAA. murdered his daughter,

C. murdred A.

ATREUS m. AEROPEServed his nephews for dinner

to their father

2 sonsmurdered by Atreus,eaten by Thyestes

AEGISTHUSmurdred A.

PELOPIA m. THYESTES

THYESTES m. ?Seduced his brother's wife,

stole the golden fleece

PELOPS m. HIPPODAMIA

Kiled his father-in-law with the help of Myrtilus,then killed his accomplice

TANTALUS m. DioneServed his son for dinner

Orestes pursued by the Furies (Erinyes)

THE SAGAS OF THEBES

CADMUS came to Greece in search of his sister

EUROPA

Cadmus

• Instructed by the oracle at Delphi, he founded Cadmeia, later called Thebes.

• Kills a dragon• Sows its teeth from which sprung the

Spartoi• Served Ares, married his daughter

Harmonia

CADMUS’ DESCENDANTSCadmus' Descendants

PENTHEUS

AGAUEm. Echion

DIONYSUS

SEMELEm. ZEUS

POLYNICESDies attacking Thebes

ETEOCLESDies defending Thebes

ANTIGONEDies for having burried Polynices

ISMENEDies before having children

OEDIPUS m. IOCASTAUnknowingly murdered his father

and married his motherBlinded himself

LAIUS m. IOCASTAWarned by Apollo

expose their son Oe.POLYBUS and MEROPE

LABDACUS m. ?Died when Laius is very youngAsks * LYCUS to be the regent

Polydorus m. Nycteis

CADMUS

* Amphion and Zethus

• Sons of ANTIOPE, the niece of Lycus, and Zeus

• Brought up by a shepherd while Antiope was imprisoned by Lycus and his wife, DIRCE

• Killed Lycus and tied Dirce to the horns of a bull that dragged her to her death

• Became rulers of Cadmeia and sent Laius into exile

Amphion and Zethus

Lycus' family

6 sons 6 daughters

AMPHION m. NIOBE ZETHUS m. Thebe

ANTIOPE m. Zeus

Nyctaeus m. Polyxo LYCUS m. DIRCE

Hyriaos m. Clonia

Meanwhile Laius…

Oedipus’ and the Sphinx

• Name = Swollen foot

• Brought up by Polybus and Merope

• Accidentally killed Laius

• Solved the Sphinx’ riddle

• Married his mother

Oedipus discovers his identity

• Iocasta commits suicide

• Oedipus blinds himself and goes to exile, accompanied by Antigone

• Iocasta’s brother, Creon becomes king

Seven against Thebes

• Eteocles and Polynices agreed to rule in alternate years• Eteocles refused to give up the throne• Polynices raised the army “of seven leaders” and marched

against Thebes• Both brothers died in a duel• Disregarding Creon’s orders, Antigone gave Polynices a

symbolic burial • Creon condemned her to death

Antigone

THE TROJAN SAGAS

• THE ILIAD and

• THE ODYSSEY

LEDA’S CHILDREN

• POLYDEUCES and HELEN were immortal

• CASTOR and CLYTEMNESTRA were mortal

PARIS or Alexander

• Took Helen as a reward for judging Aphrodite to be more beautiful than Hera and Athena…

The Trojan Expedition

• CALCHAS warned Agamemnon that he would have to sacrifice IPHIGENIA

TROJANS

• HECTOR

• Leading Trojan warrior

• Wife: ANDROMACHE; son: ASTYANAX

• AENEAS

• Son of Aphrodite and Anchises

• led a band of survivors to Italy

GREEKS

• DIOMEDES

• With Athena’s help wounded Ares

• GREATER AJAX

• Strongest after Achilles

• Defended the corpse of Patroclus

• Was defeated by Odysseus in the contest for the arms of Achilles

The Illiad

• Agamemnon gives back CHRYSEÏS

• but takes BRISEIS from Achilles

• 2. Achilles withdraws from the battle

• 3. Trojans are successful

• 4. Patroclus joins the battle; Hector kills him

• 5. Achilles returns to battle and kills Hector

• 6. Priam ransoms Hector’s body

Later events

Trojan Horse

Neglected Prophecies

• Cassandra’s warnings were not believed

• LAOCOÖN, priest of Apollo protested

• Poseidon sent two sea-monsters to murder Laokoon and his sons.

The Fall of Troy

• Priam was butchered by Neoptolemus, son of Achilles

• Astyanax, was thrown from the walls

ODYSSEY

Telemachus’ Journey

• Helped by Athena, he goes to Pylos and Sparta to find out news of Odysseus from Nestor, Menelaüs and Helen.

The final stage of Odysseus’ journey

• After the death of all his companions spends 7 years on Ogygia, the island of Calypso before Zeus decides to release him

• He leaves the island on a raft and reaches the Phaeacians

• The Phaeacians send him home

Ithaca

• On Ithaca, he finds his wife harassed by suitors

• He enters his house in disguise and kills all suitors

Odysseus’ Story

• Told to the Phaecians

The Lotus-Eaters

Polyphemus

Poseidon’s curse

• Tied under sheep, three men escaped and went back to their ship.

• As they sailed away, Odysseus shouted out his real name.

• Polyphemus prayed to Poseidon for vengeance

Aeolus

• Aeolus king of winds gave Odysseus a bag holding all the winds

• Just as their ships were approaching Ithaca, the crew opened the bag.

• The winds blew them back to Aeolus, who refused to help

The Laestrygonians

Circe

• The surviving ship sailed to Aeaea, home of CIRCE • She transformed three of Odysseus' crew into pigs• Odysseus himself resisted her and became her lover• After a year, Circe let him go

Underworld

• At the entrance of Hades Odysseus talked with many spirits of the dead

• Teiresias gave him instructions

The Sirens lured sailors onto the rocks

Between Scylla and Charybdis.

• CHARYBDIS sucked in the water three times daily

• SCYLLA snatched six sailors and ate them• Odysseus chose Scylla

The Cattle of Helius

• Odysseus’ men killed some of Helius’ cattle • Zeus raised a storm that sank the ship• Sole survivor, Odysseus drifted to Ogygia