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44 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Demeter
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- goddess of grain, "earth mother"
- development of agriculture & earth religion (seasons, calendar, moon cycle, awareness of threats to agriculture fertility) - daughter: Persephone - commonly seen with a torch |
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Myth of Iasion
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- son with Demeter: Plutus, usually represented as a boy holding a cornucopia
- was a human, inferior to Demeter |
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Peresphone
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- daughter of Demeter
- raped by Hades and taken into Underworld; Demeter becomes depressed and neglects her duties as goddess of agriculture and wanders in guise of Doso |
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Ascalabus
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- mocks Demeter for drinking kykeon so quickly
- Demeter throws the rest of the kykeon at the boy - he develops spots on his skin and changes into a spotted lizard |
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Eleusis
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- palace of King Celeus
- King's daughters befriended Demeter |
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Iambe
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- told Demeter dirty jokes and made her laugh, bringing her out of her depression (Eleusis)
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Demophon
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- Demeter made his nurse and considered making him a god ("adopting him") by anointing his skin and roasting him over the fire
- one day the queen found Demeter doing this and she dropped the boy; had to reveal herself as a goddess - Demeter instructs Eleusinians to build her a temple - she sat in it, famine continued to spread |
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Triptolemus
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- given agriculture instructions by Demeter
- spread agricultural knowledge across the world |
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Thesmophoria festival
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- took place in every Greek city after time of harvest but before fall planning
- only celebrated by married women (no men or virgins) - 3 days away from - provided women with temporary release from institution of marriage (believed it strengthened marriage and supported agricultural & reproductive fertility) |
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Anodos
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- 1st day of Thesmophoria festival
- "path upward" - sacrificed pigs into chasm/pit at temple of Thesmophorian - cleaned pit first, mixed dead pigs with seeds to make a fertilizer (represents new life) |
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Nesteia
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- 2nd day of Thesmophoria festival
- day of fasting/hunger - symbolically reenacts famine that took place during Demeter's wandering - women slept on temple ground, ate nothing, remained in grim/sour mood, hurled obscene insults at one another - made women feel more in contact with reproductive processes, reminded them of their status as reproductive creatures |
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Kalligeneia
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- 3rd day of Thesmophoria festival
- "beautiful birth" - feast - women ate pomegranate seeds instead of sacrificial meat - represents Persephone's ascent back to earth & reunion with her mother |
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Eleusinian Mysteries
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- voluntary association, like a cult
- requirements: speak Greek, haven't murdered anyone - 9-day process: - festival at Eleusinium - mortar & pestle to prepare food (fertility & reproduction) - procession to seashore - each initiate washed piglet in the sea & sacrificed it upon returning to Athens - public sacrifice - more public ceremonies - fasting - procession to Eleusis - aischrology (ugly/shameful/obscene speech); gephyrismos - bridge crossing ceremony representing transition/transformation - rites in Telesterion - initiates brought into temple and blindfolded during sacred rites - libations for the dead - return to Athens |
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Athena
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- Protector of Acropolis
- one of 3 virgin goddesses (along with Artemis, Hestia) - many fights with Poseidon; Poseidon represents old aristocracy and Athena democracy - Pallas Athene (name) |
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Erichthonius
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- Hephaestus attempts to rape Athena, does not succeed but creates Erichthonius from the earth
- becomes king of Athens |
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Herse & Aglaurus
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- Athena gives them a chest that contained Erichthonius but told them not to open it
- they opened it and found he had taken the form of a snake and were frightened (eventually he did take the form of a human) |
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Athena's Aegis
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- breastplate
- originally made of goatskin, in the middle was the head of Meduse (she had turned her into a Gorgon after she was raped by Poseidon) |
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Athena as Patron of Heroes
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- would help heroes manifest their own skill and intelligence
- provided encouragement, advice (was a facilitator) - Perseus - where to go; Bellerophon - gave him a tool that would make it easier to tame pegasus - Odysseus - made him invisible or change his appearance; Achilles) |
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Athena & military arts
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- goddess of defensive warfare (female)
- Ares - war in irrational aspect (male) |
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Arachne
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- challenged Athena to weaving contest
- Athena discovered that Arachne was as good at weaving as she was - turned her into a spider |
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Athena & carpentry
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- ship building: helped build first ship that sailed the seas
- chariot-building and horse-taming |
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Metis and the birth of Athena
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- Zeus was worried about the birth of a child that would be greater than him, so he swallowed Metis
- Athena born out of Zeus' head (thinking part of his body) - Because she was born out of Zeus, Athena did not have a real mother - why she is masculine and sexually pure |
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Apollo
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- god of music, prophecy, healing (refinements of advanced culture, visionary experiences)
- association with a crow - perpetual youth among male gods - Asian identity - always on side of Trojans; many cults in Asia Minor but not in Greek areas; Hittites refer to god Apulunas - perhaps a violent god |
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Leto & the birth of Apollo
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- persecuted by Hera, could not give birth anywhere on the earth
- wandered around the earth, found floating island Delos and gave birth |
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Tityus
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- tried to rape Leto
- Apollo & Artemis shot him with their arrows |
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Niobe
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- mocked Leto for not having many children
- Apollo & Artemis shot every one of her children - became so sad that she turned into a weeping stone - warning to those trying to deny the divinity of a new god |
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Python
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- giant snake that guarded the Oracle at Delphi
- killed by Apollo and as a result the oracle became his |
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Pythian games
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- one of 4 great Hellenic game festivals
- created to commemorate Apollo's slaying of Python |
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Pythian oracle
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- people consulted the oracle for political or personal decisions
- questions had to be presented as either/or alternatives - first had to make a sacrifice - could also consult priestess - Amphictyonic League: board of 12 members from Greek city-states |
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Cassandra
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- Apollo gave her the gift of prophecy to win her love but she rejected him
- as punishment Apollo cursed her so that no one would believe her prophecies even though she was right |
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Cumaean Sibyl
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- Apollo gave her immortality in order to seduce her, promised her eternal youth if she would sleep with him but she declined
- remained immortal but continued to age and became so small that she disappeared altogether - allegory for disappearance of the oracle |
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Hades
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- god of the Underworld who raped and kidnapped Persephone
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Helios
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- sun god who told Demeter about Hades and Persephone.
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Nike
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- Athena's companion
- goddess of victory |
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Metis
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- Titan
- mother of Athena - swallowed by Zeus - name means cunning wisdome |
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Poseidon
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- god of sea
- raped Demeter - competed with Athena to be patron god of Athens |
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Hephaestus
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- attempted to rape Athena
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Medusa
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- beautiful maiden raped by Poseidon that Athena turned into a gorgon
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Perseus
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- killed Medusa with Athena's aid
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Bellerophon
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- tamed Pegasus with Athena's aid
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Odysseus
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- advised and made invisible by Athena
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Jason
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- built the first ship to tame the seas with Athena's aid
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Artemis
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- twin sister of Apollo
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Oracle of Delphi
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- most important cult center for Apollo
- main function was prophecy |
