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127 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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potnia theron
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cycladic mother figurine, c 3000 bce, figure of artemis, role was to promote abundance of game
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mesopotamia
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"land between two rivers", between Tigris and Euphrates, modern day Iraq. Many Greek myths (especially creation myths) originate here, probably came in bronze or dark age
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sumerian myth
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4000 BC-2000 BC: Sumerian myth
• Mesopotamia • great culture —> irrigation agriculture, cities, cuneiform writing (first true writing) • earliest recorded myths • polytheistic: An, Innana, Enlil, etc. |
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Semitic myth
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• Akkadians
- Sargon the Great, c. 2340 BC • took over Sumerian culture and refashioned their myth, similar to how the Romans reworked Greek myth • Babylonians (c. 1750 BC), Hammurabi • Hebrews (c. 2000 BC) |
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akkadians
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a semetic tribe tat took over Sumeria in 2340 BCE, refashioned and documented myths
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hebrews
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basically Jews, lived in modern day Palestine and practiced monotheism
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hittites
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non Semitic people who controleld Asia minor from 1600-1200 BCE. preserved myths on clay tablets
• Indo-Europeans, inherited the Sumerians' culture • controlled central Anatolia |
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homer
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(8th c. BC)
- key works: Iliad (16000 lines), Odyssey (16000 lines) • they are monumental epics and deal with the Trojan War - reality of Homeric world debated • how much of it is actually accurate to his time period, and how much is being brought in from remembrances of the past? • he knows little of real Bronze Age customs, and a lot of his descriptions of warfare and weapons, etc. don't reflect the realities of the age |
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epic
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long narrative poem celebrating the deeds of heroes
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hesiod
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(7th c. BC)
- key works: Theogony, Works and Days • Theogony owes much to Near Eastern myth • Works and Days resembles Near Eastern "wisdom literature" (ie issues |
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homeric hymns
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7/6th c. BC
- they are anonymous, in the style of Homer - hymns to various gods and goddesses - very unlike Near Eastern hymns - probably performed publicly before a mixed (men and women) audience |
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humanism
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ethic (a way of telling right from wrong) and secular law (rules of behavior depending on human intervention) combined together
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choral song
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made possible by writing
• writing enabled choral works because people have to have a script to work together to perform in unison |
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tragedy
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• most imp. source of mythological material
• tragedy was highly linked to Athens • mostly based on mythological material, adapted it to the author's intent • key authors (only a fraction of their works have survived) - Aeschylus • 525-456 BC • 7 extant plays - Sophocles • 496-406 BC • 7 extant plays - Euripides • 484-406 BC • 19 extant plays • playwrights would compete with each other to create plays • tragedies usu. performed in threes - the performance would then end with a more light hearted play to compensate for the emotionally draining tragedies that went before |
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aeschylus
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525-456 BCE, the earliest tragedian whose works survive. loved long descriptions of foreign lands and high-flown metaphorical language, used myth to explore grand moral issues and his characters tend to be types or embody some principle
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sophocles
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c 496-406 BCE, tragedian, wrote with vivid characters in tight plots and bitter conflict. wanted to show the dignity of human beings in conflict with superior, often divine forces. lonely and stubborn heroes who learn too late how they should act. influenced by folklore, especially the theme of fulfillment of an oracle
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euripides
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c 484-406 BCE subjected myths to scrutiny and sometimes criticism. characters were deflated heroes caught up in human squabbles, sometimes veering into abnormal mental states. plays centered on long debates, preferred emotion to reason
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apollonius of rhodes
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3rd century BCE, Roman poet who wrote an epic poem on Jason in the style of Homer
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library of apollodorus
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c AD 120, a straightforward account of mythical events from the creation of the world to the death of Odysseus -- good source of information about greek myths
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vergil
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70-19 BCE, Roman poety who told the story of Aeneas in the Aeneid. describes underworld and sack of Troy
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ovid
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Vergil's successor, c 43 BC-AD 17, good source of information about the early Roman empire, liked to write love stories. was eventually exiled
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metamorphoses
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an influential and substantial repertory of Greek myth, written by Ovid
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boeotia
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southern plane, big city is Thebes
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attica
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plain southeast of Boeotia, Athens is capitabl
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peloponnesus
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south of Athens, small peninsula connected to the mainland by an Isthmus
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laconia
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territory around the town of Sparta
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euboea
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island east of the mainland not far from Athens, had deposits of limestone and clay
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aegean sea
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between Balkan peninsula and Asia Minor, Greece's greatest natural resource
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cyclades
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one principal island group, placed in a rough circle around the tiny central island of Delos, scared to Apollo and Artemis
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indo-europeans
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greeks originate from them, original homeland was in central Asia, perhaps east of Caspian Sea. We know little about them or their language, but some argue that Greek myth got its basic patterns from them
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early bronze age
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early Minoan Period: 3000-2100 BC
- Minoan refers to the mythological king of Crete, Minos - so the Minoan Period focuses on the civilization centred on Crete • they were great merchants, v. powerful on the sea and created great artwork —> trade • they were a thalassocracy - imp. thing about Crete: they had a writing system! • Linear A writing system recorded a non-Greek language, it hasn't been decoded yet so we still don't know what it says - Crete was a dominant culture, and there are many references to it in Greek myth - matriarchal religion? • many of the archeological finds we have portray the female figure as dominant |
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middle bronze age
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2100-1600 BC
- this is the period of the invasion of the Indo-Europeans • 2100-1900 BC: first wave of Indo-Eu. invaders arrive • they started taking root there, bringing their own language which developed into what we know as Greek • brought a pantheon of gods that were male dominated, located on Mount Olympus • had a writing system - Linear B: writing system that was recording an early form of Greek called Mycenaean Greek, it has been decoded - 1630: eruption of Thera • a major event, had huge impact on the surrounding area • played a role in the declining power of the Minoans |
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neolithic age
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Age (BC)
Neolithic 6500-3000 farming villages pottery, domesticating animals |
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late bronze age
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Mycenaean Period: 1600-1150
- 1600-1450: Mycenaean takeover - it is imp. to know where Mycenae is, it is an imp. area for myth! - during this period, the balance of power shifts —> the Minoans decline as the Mycenaeans rise in strength until they are the dominant force in the region - Mycenaean major cities: Mycenae, Tiryns, Argos, Thebes, Troy - invasion of Crete • 1373: Cnossus destroyed - 1250-1223: Trojan War • this is what brings the period to the end —> drains the Mycenaeans' power |
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dark age
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1150-800
- 1200: second wave of Indo-Eu. invaders —> the Dorians - collapse of Mycenaean civilization - migrations to Ionia • an indication that people were running for their lives, leaving Greece - loss of Linear B writing system • because we don't have written sources during this time, we only have archeological evidence - oral transmission of Bronze Age stories - 800: alphabet adopted from the Phoenicians • introduces a new period as we start having written evidence again |
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archaic period
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800-490 BC
- we have more concrete evidence for this period, incl. more complete archeological findings —> buildings, artwork that is more advanced and tells us more than what earlier geometric designs could - major period for literature • Homer —> the Iliad, the Odyssey, Homeric hymns • Hesiod - 776: Olympic Games - city states emerge - colonization of the west - Persian Wars • 490 BC: Marathon • 480-479 BC: Salamis and Plataea |
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Classical
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490-337 BC
- this period is almost equated with Athens - the development of the tragedy • Athenian tragic poets: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides - Athenian democracy - Athenian empire - 431-404 BC: Peloponnesian War • Athenian empire defeated • Macedonian Conquest: 337-323 BC - Philip of Macedon, followed by Alexander the Great - end of the Classical Period - this period ends with the death of Alexander the Great |
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myth
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comes from the Greek word "mythos", meaning "utterance"
- not limited to the Greeks, it is a universal phenomenon among human beings and is as old as language itself (much older than written stories) • its oral aspect is key - the earliest written myth is the Epic of Gilgamesh (~7th c. BC) • of course the myth itself is much older than the 7th c. date of the first written record of it - difficult to define - traditional story with collective importance |
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the flood tablet
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relates part of the Epic of Gilgamesh
- an ex. of hard evidence of a myth existing at a certain time - come from Hineveh, northern Iraq, neo-Assyrian, 7th c. BC |
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elements of myth
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- plot
- characters - setting • time: past or unreal • place: real, surreal, past real - transmission: spoken, anonymous • subject to constant change • teller: no claim of responsibility for content |
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myth classification: divine myth
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necessary for divine myth: gods, the divine
- types of myth by character • divine myth: focus on supernatural beings - immortality • the basic characteristic of divine myth, a major separation between supernatural/gods and human beings - personifications of natural forces, ex. the sea - abstractions, ex. love (Eros) - superior to humans in power - control forces of nature - supernatural characteristics: size, power, appearance • ie above humans - events in unreal time and place • ex. the time of the creation of the world is an example of an unreal time |
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myth classification: legend
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legend focuses on human beings —> heroes: more than human
• the goal of any hero is trying to cross the boundary between human and supernatural and becoming immortal (ie through being remembered, having some kind of metamorphosis that changes you so that you are immortal/remembered, ex. by being made into a constellation) - heroes have: • extraordinary qualities: courage, strength, beauty, skill • in Greek mythology, a hero tends to have a divine parent (usu. the father, usu. Zeus) or has some kind of divine input (esp. Athena helps) • doers of great deeds - great wars - great quests - slaying of monsters - founding of cities • assumed by Greeks to have really lived • set in distant past/unreal place • may contain element of historical truth |
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myth classification: folktale
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ex. Lord of the Rings, Cinderella, etc.
- folktale focuses on human beings —> ordinary men and women • low social status, victims, persecuted • they have some unrecognized virtue • often has a happy ending, with a just reward for the virtuous person • supernatural is present, but it's tboned down and present more as magic, spirits, etc. • great variety of tales • distinctive aspect: motif (regularly appearing, identifiable narrative pattern) • type: larger pattern of motifs • most Greek myths: mix of legend and folktale |
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myth classification: etiology
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etiology: why things happen —> ie myth tries to explain the world
- etiological myths • divine myths: explain the way the world is - the origins, destruction of the elements of the universe - ex. creation myths • legends: explain events in the human past - explain and justify human present • folktales: explain patterns of human behaviour • entertain, teach |
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study of myth: recording and compiling the myths of a given culture
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recorded by members of the culture for goals other than that of
study/preservation of myth • many variants: confusing, incomplete • primary source: literature • oral and written works differ significantly • written text not necessarily a true record of oral tale —> may reflect previous literary versions • archeology: artifacts and art clues to myth: who told them, when/where they were told |
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study of myth: analysis of the role specific myths played within the culture
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examine the functions of specific myths in the context of a given society
• myths told by/to someone on some occasion: identify teller, audience: gender, status, etc. • function: etiological? enhanced prestige of teller/listeners? justified order of society? expressed protest? • what made the myth interesting? |
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study of myth: study of how the myths of one culture are related to the myths of other
cultures |
examine migration patterns
• examine transformations and adaptations of myth to the needs and traditions of the adoptive culture |
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study of myth: interpretation
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ex. Freud and Oedipus
• long history of interp. dating back to antiquity • allegorical, philosophical, psychological, structural, etc. • never conclusive |
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Macedonian Conquest: 337-323 BC
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Philip of Macedon, followed by Alexander the Great
- end of the Classical Period - this period ends with the death of Alexander the Great |
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Hellenistic Period
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323-30 BC
- 146: Greece becomes Roman province —> ceases to exist as an independent country (though you could argue it was never a cohesive country given the various city states) |
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Roman History: mythological history
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1175 BC: Aeneas' conquest of Latium
• 1150: Alban kings • 1100: foundation of Alba Longa (Ascanius/Iulus) • 753: foundation of Rome (Romulus and Remus) |
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Roman history: political/social
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• 753-509: Etruscan kings
• 509-60: Roman Republic (Plautus: 250-184 BC) • 60-30: Civil War (Catallus: 87-54 BC) • 30 BC - 14 AD: Augustus (Vergil: 70-19 BC, Ovid: 43 BC - 17 AD) • 14-476: Roman Emperors |
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significance of society in myth
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imp. because myth functions within society and is highly related to it
- very limited knowledge of Bronze/Dark Ages • no written texts except Linear B tablets (household accounts) - general aspect of Greek society reflected in myth • but we can't rely on myths to indicate specifics - myths recorded by free aristocratic males • this means that myth was influenced by this perspective, doesn't represent the experiences of everybody in society - written sources may reflect the customs of 'times gone by', but also society which recorded them |
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three main classes of Greek society
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• free males were dominant in public and private sphere
- held final authority over wives and households - fought wars • females restricted to domestic sphere - unclear on how much women were able to go out in public - were powerful in two fundamental areas of life because they controlled birth (via motherhood) and death (women were responsible for funerals and funeral customs) • slaves were chattel, had no enforceable rights - one source of slaves was war - used for agriculture, mines, domestic work - could sometimes purchase freedom |
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Greek religion
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- polytheistic, anthropomorphic
• gods look like human beings - gods do not create world; dwell within it • gods are part of creation, no one god is overwhelmingly superior, even Zeus is not omnipotent - no god is all powerful: each has own sphere of influence - gods exhibit humanlike behaviour: love, hate, ambition, greed, etc. • gods interact with humans but don't always love human beings the way that god is often depicted in Judeo-Christian religions - gods can communicate with mortals by oracles • gods sometimes show themselves to people, but it's not common, so oracles, priests, seers and prophecy were the common modes for godly communication with people • Apollo is the god of prophecy, and the Temple of Apollo at Delphi was a key location for oracle - gods honoured and placated by means of sacrifice • human beings had to recognize that they were limited and were less powerful than gods, and the primary way to display this recognition was through sacrifice • sacrifices included: grain, animals, sometimes the daughter of a king (!) |
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Greek beliefs in myth
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- belief in magic: manipulation of outside world by rituals and spells
- belief in curses: words embody power - belief in spirits: ghosts of the dead could interact with people and human affairs - belief in miasma (pollution): blood guilt of murderers affects those around them |
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overlap of human/natural world in myth
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- animals with human qualities (ex. speech)
- birth of humans from non humans (ex. tree) - metamorphoses of humans into gods, animals, trees, constellations, etc. |
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Greece and Rome -- relationship
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- Romans adopted and 'remade' Greek myth in their own image
- own culture, religious heritage, but few known trad. stories - differences in society, beliefs evident in 'reworking' of myths (ex. lessened imp. of the sea) - adopted Phoenician alphabet around 600 BC • passed alphabet and classical trad. to following generations |
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- myth transmission in the Archaic Period
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• most of knowledge of myth derives from this and later periods
• poems composed orally, by aoidoi (bards) • performed for elite groups of men • great number of vase paintings, many showing mythological scenes |
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myth transmission in the Hellenistic Period
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- an imp. period for Greek literature
• Mouseion: first library (in Alexandria) • literature now read aloud in small groups —> decline of oral presentation, increasing lean towards literature as text - literature written to be read • first scholars in the modern sense, edited 'standard texts' |
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myth transmission in the Classical Period
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- no "canonical version" of each myth
- rhapsodes: public performers of memorized texts; popularized myths • oral transmission shifts —> so instead of training towards creating new oral works, there is a shift to rhapsodes as writing develops - choral song - tragedy |
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cosmogony
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the coming into being of the universe (Greek: kosmos = order)
- several layers of creation, rather than a single figure that creates everything |
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theogony
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the coming into being of the gods (Greek theos = god)
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the ancient world view was of an Earth-centred cosmos
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- the Earth was the centre of the universe, with all the other bodies around it
- the Near Eastern model of the universe: gods were above and the underworld was below, with the realm of people in the middle |
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Chaos
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first generation of gods
"void" - unclear exactly how this one arises, the first to appear - the abyss, chasm, an unorganized place - capable of asexual reproduction - Chaos gives rise to: • Erebus: Darkness - formless, darkness - personification of natural phenomenon - reflects qualities of Chaos (as does Nyx) |
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Nyx
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- night, female
- gives rise to many children, the children of night • the most imp.: the 3 Moerae, or Fate —> they control the length of a human's life • also: Death, Sleep, Dreams, Doom, Nemesis, etc. • Nyx and Erebus beget Aether (Radiance) and Nemera (Day) —> children opposites of parents - personification of natural phenomenon |
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Gaea
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"Earth"
- key figure in Greek mythology, personification of the Earth - primordial entity that gives life, always fertile and producing - the other first generation gods tend to fade after the Olympians are introduced, but Gaea remains in focus - solid foundation of the 'cosmos' - never loses ability to reproduce - capable of asexual, sexual reproduction —> source of life - feminine - asexual begetting from Gaea • Uranus: the Heavens, Sky - masculine - consort of Gaea: the first hieros gamos, or "sacred marriage" - covers Gaea and impregnates her • mountains • Pontus: the Sea - difference between Pontus and Oceanus • the 3 Erinyes: the Furies - their main role is to drive men mad as punishment for murder/killing • Giants: born from the blood of Uranus that fell on Gaea - sexual begetting from Gaea • Gaea + Tartarus —> Typhoeus - tremendous monster - 100 flaming heads of dra |
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Tartarus
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- masculine, v. powerful
- dwells beneath Hades - the "oubliette" of the universe |
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Eros
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"love"
- physically experienced, v. powerful - often portrayed with wings - necessary for sexual union and reproduction - two geneaologies |
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layers of the universe
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• above
- Olympus - Uranus - Helius: the sun - Selene: the moon • earthly layer/middle - Gaea/Earth - Oceanus: the oceans - Atlas • below/underworld - Hades - Tartarus |
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common features of ancient Near Eastern creation myths
• creation |
- separation of initial primordial mass
• ie between earth and sky, etc. - succession of generations locked in conflict • we have a first generation, which is then succeeded by a second generation (their children) who overthrow them —> it is usually the youngest offspring that takes over - brings the present world order into being - so: gods do not make the world but dwell within it, and no god is omnipotent/all powerful —> each controls its own sphere of interest |
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Titans
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- there are 12 of them —> the number 12 is a recurring motif, born from Uranus and Gaea
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Cronus
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• Cronus (last born son) and Rhea —> next hieros gamos
- brother and sister, but this doesn't matter incest-wise because the gods are beyond criticism - produces the next generation of gods: the Elder Olympians |
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Iapetus
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- not all that imp. in himself, but his three children are v.
key: Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus |
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Coeus
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- not imp. beyond his production of daughter Leto, she
gives birth to Olympians, and daughter Mnemosyne ("Memory") who gives birth to the 9 Muses |
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Hyperion
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- produces Helius (Sun), Selene (Moon), Eos (Dawn)
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Hecatonchires
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also born from Gaea and Cronus
- the "hundred handers" - there are three of these |
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Cyclopes
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born from Gaea and Cronus, there are three
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Phaethon
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sun myth
(we get this story from Ovid's Metamorphoses) • Phaethon was the son of Helius and a mortal woman, he is mortal and grows up thinking that he is normal • eventually he finds out the truth and asks that his mother prove it, she tells him to find Helius and ask him • Helius makes an oath on Styx that he will do what Phaethon asks to prove that he is Phaethon's father - when a god breaks an oath he swears on the Styx, it has major consequences for the god, so they keep these promises - oaths are dangerous for humans because they often ask for things that cost them their lives • Phaethon asks to drive the chariot of the Sun, Helius warns him of the dangers of driving it and how he must be careful • Phaethon can't control the chariot, and burns both Earth and Sky (devastation of the kosmos), and Zeus is obliged to strike Phaethon down —> he dies and his ashes fall into the Eridanus River • typical theme: hybris —> pride/arrogance against the gods, trying to cross the barrier between human and god |
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Selene and Endymion
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sun myth
• Selene falls in love with Endymion, a beautiful human, and she comes to him in the night • she asks Zeus to grant her a favour —> Endymion is given eternal youth, but at the cost of eternal sleep |
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Eos (Dawn) and Tithonus
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sun myth
• Homeric hymn to Aphrodite • the pairing of a human and a god is always fruitful • men tried to avoid sleeping with goddesses, because it was thought that after they did they would be good for nothing after that • Eos also asks that Tithonus is given eternal life, but forgets to also ask for eternal youth, so he ages and ages • Eos takes care of him as much as she can, but eventually she locks him into a chamber until he fades so much so that only his voice is left —> he is the origin for the cicada - an etiological myth |
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separation myth: succession myth
Uranus and Gaea |
• if these two aren't separated, humans basically don't have anywhere to
exist —> we live in the separation • youngest son (Cronus) overthrows father - Gaea plots with Cronus to do this because she's sick of being impregnated by Uranus on a constant basis - Cronus stops Uranus by castrating him, so he is no longer capable of impregnating her —> separates Sky and Earth • also! a king has to be capable of reproduction, so once Uranus is castrated, he is deprived of his kingship - so: he succeeds his father as the king of the gods • the blood of Uranus' severed genitals drip on Gaea - this gives rise to the Erinyes and Giants • Uranus' semen falls into the sea - this produces Aphrodite |
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second succession myth: overthrow of Cronus by youngest son Zeus
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- oracle foretells that Cronus will be overthrown by his son
• there is a theme of the fate the oracle foretells happening no matter what a person/god does to try to avoid it —> by doing things to keep the fate from occuring, they bring it on - Cronus swallows each of his children (Elder Olympians) at birth in the hopes that this will keep him safe from being overthrown • this doesn't endear him to his wife, Rhea • with her youngest son (Zeus), Rhea is determined that Cronus will not swallow him —> she goes to Crete and gives birth at Mt. Dicte - nymphs at the birth play music loudly to cover up the sounds of her giving birth - she goes back and leaves Zeus in a cave on Mt. Dicte - Amalthea is a nanny goat that nurses Zeus - Rhea goes back to Cronus and pretends to give birth —> gives him a rock (the omphalos) in swaddling clothes and tricks him into swallowing the rock - trick suggested to her by Metis (Cleverness): she suggests that Zeus overcome his father by giving him a substance that makes him throw up all the other children —> they come to power and Cronus is deposed • arrival of the third generation |
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third succession myth: overthrow of Zeus
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- this one is unique because it's the only prophecy/oracle that doesn't come true
—> in all other cases they do come true - so: oracle tells of the overthrow of Zeus • Zeus reacts by following in his father's footsteps somewhat —> Metis is pregnant with Zeus' child so he doesn't waste time and swallows Metis rather than waiting to swallow the child - so when Metis gives birth, Athena is born from Zeus' head • Athena is conveniently the goddess of wisdom • Zeus makes Haephastus split his head open because his head hurts and Athena emerges - Zeus begets the younger Olympians |
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The Elder Olympians: children of Cronus and Rhea (6)
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- Zeus
- Poseidon - Hades - Hera • she and Zeus form the next hieros gamos - Demeter - Hestia |
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the younger Olympians: children of Zeus and Hera (8)
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- Hephaestus
- Ares - Athena - Aphrodite - Apollo - Artemis - Hermes - Dionysus |
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The Twelve Olympians (the Olympian Pantheon)
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- note that there are more than 12 Elder and Younger Olympians, that's
because two of them aren't counted as part of the pantheon - pantheon has more men than women |
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Zeus
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• the sky king, god of justice (dispense of justice is the trad. role of a king)
• the thunderbolt was one of his weapons |
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Poseidon
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• god of the sea
• symbol: trident • he and Zeus are the two Elder Olympians who remain in the pantheon, all the others are children of Zeus |
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Hephaestus
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• a younger god
• god of forge and fire —> associated with useful fire (ie fire that is used to create rather than destroy) • symbol: usu. associated with tools, like a hammer or forceps |
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Ares
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god of war
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Apollo
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god of prophecy and music, symbol is usually a lyre
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Hermes
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god of travellers, messenger
symbol: conical traveler's hat, his staff, and his winged sandals |
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Dionysus
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god of wine, symbol is a cup, only Olympian born of a mortal woman, Semele
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Hera
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queen, goddess of the family
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Demeter
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goddess of crops, she and Hera are sometimes hard to differentiate in artwork as they are
both motherly figures |
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Athena
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• goddess of wisdom, rational control and elements of war (Ares is the
god of uncontrolled warfare, bloodlust, while Athena is the goddess of rational, controlled warfare) • symbol: her shield and armour |
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Artemis
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• goddess of the hunt
• symbol: bow and arrow |
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Aphrodite
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• goddess of sexual attraction
• symbol: usu. portrayed nude —> the only one portrayed that way regularly |
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Titanomachy
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- battle with the Titans, who somehow escape Tartarus and want to
reclaim their power - a massive ten year struggle (ten years is a common motif) - Themis (means lawful; the only Titan to fight on the side of the Olympians, and justifies Zeus' claim to power), Prometheus (Themis' son) help Olympians - Hecatonchires and Cyclopes rescued from Tartarus to help Oympians (they had been put there by the Titans) • the three Cyclopes forge the thunderbolts of Zeus - Gaea scorched by the battle's intensity - Olympians win and Titans exiled to Tartarus forever - one of the Titans, Atlas, is punished by being placed in North Africa where he must support the heavens for the rest of time |
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Typhonomachy
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- battle with Typhoeus (Typhon)
• Gaea begets Typhoeus —> she produces him because she's angry at how she was treated in the Titanomachy - battle with Zeus has various versions • Zeus fights alone • Zeus aided by Hermes - version where Zeus is captive in a cave and Hermes has to come help him so he can continue to fight - Zeus victorious - Typheous buried under Mt. Etna (Sicily) |
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Gigantomachy
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- battle with the giants
- giants attack Olympus, urged by the still angry Gaea - mortal Heracles helps Olympians —> an interesting element • Heracles is the mortal offspring of Zeus, the greatest of the Greek heros - giants defeated, imprisoned under Earth (Mt. Etna) - this is the final challenge to the rule of the Olympians, after this they divide the spoils (different domains of power) • Zeus takes control of the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the underworld • Hades getting the underworld means that he's not part of the pantheon because he doesn't live on Mount Olympus like the others • earth is common to all —> Gaea never loses her power |
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Prometheus
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forethinker, heroic trickster
• maker, protector of humans - interestingly, Greek myth/cosmogony doesn't focus very much on how humans were created - he fashions human beings, then in his role as culture bearer he decides that he needs to ensure that humans have a right relationship with the gods (this leads to the trick at Mecone) - Prometheus teaches humans to make sacrifices to the gods —> have to acknowledge that they are lesser than gods and make a sacrifice accordingly (and you need to sacrifice something valuable) • the trick at Mecone - Prometheus takes an ox and divides it, wraps the meat in the skin and wraps the bones in the fat —> so the meat/skin pile looks not valuable but contains the meat, and the bones/fat pile looks valuable but is worth less - he takes the piles to Zeus and asks him which he wants —> Zeus sees through the trick but plays along with it - Zeus punishes humans for this trick by removing heavenly fire from the Earth —> imp. cos fire distinguishes people from animals because we cook our food • stealing of fire ("hybris") - Prometheus steals heavenly fire and gives it to the humans |
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the punishment of human beings/Pandora
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- Zeus punishes humans by creating woman
• Pandora: woman is man's greatest affliction - created by Hephaestus - Athena gives her the skill of weaving - Aphrodite gives her beauty - Hermes gives her the heart of a bitch and the mind of a thief • Pandora is sent down to Earth - Epimetheus, the hindsighter (the dummy), accepts her as his wife - she has a box given to her by the gods that she wasn't supposed to open but she does —> releases all the woes that afficlt human beings (sickness, death, etc.) - the meaning of hope: Pandora manages to shut the lid on hope - motif: violated prohibition |
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Differences between golden age, present age
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- Golden Age
• gods and men united • divine fire • foods appear spontaneously • spontaneous birth • no disease, old age • so: unmixed good - Present Age • gods and men separated • Promethean fire • agriculture • marriage with women • disease, old age released • so: good mixed with evil |
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Five ages of human beings
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- gold: Cronus —> humans long lived, healthy, no strife or warfare, and when
they die they become blessed spirits - silver: Olympians —> humans still live for a long time, but most of that time as a child and little time as an adult, there is strife, they become subterranean spirits when they die - bronze: Zeus —> age in which humans are powerful but warlike, eventually they kill each other off - Heroes: Zeus —> the heroes are a little closer to the gods than ordinary humans - iron: Oympians —> iron isn't a noble metal, we have a reversal of everything that is good, things will get progressively worse |
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the myth of Lycaon: hybris (Ovid's Metamorphosis)
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• Zeus disguises himself as a human in order to investigate whether
humans really were being bad —> he posed as a traveller to see if he would be given hospitality (at the time travellers didn't have hotels to go to, they had to rely on the goodwill of the people in the city they went to) - he allows indications that he is a god, to see if he will be accorded the appropriate respect —> Lycaon the innkeeper doesn't believe that Zeus is a god, and decides to kill another traveller, cook up his flesh and see if Zeus will eat it (gods find the idea of eating human flesh abhorrent) • Zeus of course realizes that he is being served human flesh, and as a punishment, he turns Lycaon into a wolf - so Zeus agrees that humans need to be done away with, although he is a bit reluctant because who will give the gods offerings now? • but he gets Poseidon to flood the world and destroy humanity |
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Pyrrha and Deucalion
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- the offspring of Prometheus (Deucalion) and Epimetheus (Pyrrha)
- they were very respectful to the gods, and the only ones worth saving - Prometheus tells Deucalion to build a raft and warns him about Zeus' intention to flood the world —> they do and so they're the only ones who survive - when the flood is over, the two comes to rest in front of Themis (goddess of law) —> they honour her and in exchange she tells them how to reest. the human race: they are to take the bones of their mothers and throw them over their shoulders • what she really means: mother = Earth, bones = rocks —> so they throw rocks over their shoulders and humans spring into existence from this |
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offspring of Pyrrha and Deucalion
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- their offspring give their names to the different areas of Greece: the Hellenes
(name for all Greeks), and then the subgroups: Dorians, Aeolians, Ionians - the son: Hellen (remember this is a dude! not a woman) - Hellen's sons: Dorus, Aeolus, Xuthus (no dialect derived from his name) - Xuthus' son: Ion - so collectively, Hellen, Dorus, Aeolus, Ion are the eponymous ancestors of the Greeks |
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myth interpretation: rationalism
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The conviction that human reason is the way to important, fundamental truths; led some Greeks to apply reason to their traditional myths.
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myth interpretation: Plato's theory of forms
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imp. truths lie beyond the grasp of human reason
• wanted to show the enternal realities (forms) that lie behind the changing surface of the present • wrote his own myths (ex. Atlantis) • believed that myths present a false reality (corrupt) |
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myth interp: allegory/symbolism
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myths mean other than what they appear to say
• changing frame of reference to interp. it - characters/events are symbols —> Daphne praying to be changed into a tree instead of lying with Apollo = symbol for virginity (desirable for women) • moral allegory: system of advice on good and bad behaviour - harpies: prostitutes, preying on men - Judgment of Paris: Hera (active), Athena (contemplative), Aphrodite (amorous) = symbols of lifestyles every young man must choose • physical/psychological allegory: gods/heroes represent natural forces - Apollo = fire, Poseidon = water —> battle in Iliad shows basic opposition between fire and water - Athena = rational thought, Ares = irrational violence, Aphrodite = desire, Hermes = reason - wordplay, ex. Cronus = the word Chronos, meaning 'time' - maintain respectability and usefulness of myth • euhemerism or historical allegory: gods were actually real people, so great or imp. that they were worshipped after death |
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Medieval (5-15th c.) and Renaissance (14-17th c.) theories of myth interp
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- moral meanings: Odysseus encounter with Sirens —> representative of
temptations posed by pleasure during the voyage through life • interpreted from the viewpoint of the Catholic church, imp. at the time - pagan myth as a distorted version of biblical history: siege of Troy = siege of Jericho |
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Enlightenment theories of myth interp
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- myth as product of error, no saving by allegory
- shift from looking for meaning to explaining origins in savagery and ignorance - myth part of all embracing theory of thought - a principle of myth itself in human consciousness |
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Romantic theories of myth interp
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- focus on the emotional side of myth
- return to myth as a vehicle for regaining lost truths - myth interpreted as a set of symbols for universal truth - each mythology reflects some part - hidden truths about early social structure |
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anthropological theories of myth
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myths justify and validate economic, political, social and
religious realities - ritual theory: stories arise as explanations for real religious rituals • comprehensive theory of cultural development - charter theory: myth as justification for the way things are • explained in terms of social function • help to deal with practical problems of life - linguistic theories (Müller) • solar theory: allegory of struggle between sunlight and darkness • attempt to understand myth as effort to explain prominent natural phenomena • linguistic justification: "Selene" = moon, "Endymion" = diver —> so "moon embraces diver" basically meaning "the sun is setting/diving into the sea and the moon is rising" • aided by Indo-Eu. comparative mythology: attempt to discover essential patterns and original meaning • seeking common inner structure in stories |
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psychological theories
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- Freud, Jung
- myth as by-product of personal psychological forces • based in individual, not society • collective, recurrent dreams of the human race —> v. similar to the collective body of myth • originate from the unconscious part of human nature, the "collective unconscious" |
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structuralism
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- Levi-Strauss
- meaning conveyed not by the content of myth but by the structural relations behind the content • world perceived in terms of dualities (ex. hot and cold) —> bridge these contradictions by telling stories • mythical thought works from an awareness of opposition toward progressive mediation • examination of myth: detect rules shaping myth - cannot understand any one god in isolation, must seek the "syntax" (interrelation) which bind all gods to understand the conceptual universe of the Greeks |
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contextual approach
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- Burkert
- accepts the imp. of structure in study of myth —> but goes beyond this to take the cultural and historical context of a myth • identity of a tale is maintained by a structure of sense within it • structures that inform myth reflect biological or cultural "programs of action" • so: not only do all people create myth, but they also try to understand their own myth and those of other cultures |
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Etymology
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The study of the root meaning of words; in some myth interpretation it was used to discern the true nature of a narrative by examining the roots or associations of the words, as when Hera is argued to be originally a goddess of the air because her name sounds like the Greek word for air.
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Symbolism
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The idea that myths contain symbols: things that stand in for or point the way to important concepts.
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Euhemerism
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Historical allegory: mythical characters reflect real people sufficiently important to be remembered after death.
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Stoicism
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Philosophical system originating in the 3rd century BC that found in traditional myths complex allegories that supported their own philosophy.
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Neoplatonism
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2nd century AD revival of certain aspects of Platonic philosophy; sought moral allegory in myth that not only supported their metaphysics, but also served to inspire the soul to escape the material world.
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Enlightenment Theories
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17th and 18th century intellectual movement that,
among other things, applied reason to inherited cultural traditions, including myth. The general conclusion about myth was that it was either failed efforts at science or irredeemably primitive expressions of the savage mind. |
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Romantic Theories
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19th century approaches that rejected the
Enlightenment’s deemphasizing of the emotional aspect of human consciousness and experience; saw myths not as irrational, but as expressions of emotional truths. |
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Contextual Theories
Programs of actions |
Concept that finds quasi-ritualistic patterns of behavior in secular activities of human society; myths therefore serve as charters for these activities.
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