4 Pre-circulated Short Essays
Exam 2
Material: L11-L18
Prepare the four essays below. Two of them will appear on Exam 2 (November 7).
Short Essay 1
Describe one political allegory of Athena (content, medium, artist’s name [if pertinent], date).
Make sure to say what allegory means, to discuss the connection with Athena, and to embed
the chosen allegory in its historical and political context. (5 pts.)
Short Essay 2
In lecture, we read The Homeric Hymn to Demeter as a three-level narrative (L1, L2, and L3).
Describe the last step of each level (name it and say how it functions in the level in which it is
located) and then briefly explain what these three last steps, taken together, say about the story
of Demeter and Persephone. (5 pts.)
Short Essay 3
Describe the amphora representation below, entitled “The Return of Hephaestus.” Write in
detail what we see (identification of the figures and their placement on the image, how we
recognize Hephaestus [pay attention to his body posture], and the destination of the return
[temporal dimension of the image]). Also state briefly the story behind Hephaestus’ return. (5
pts.)
The Return of Hephaestus, amphora, black figure, 6th c. BCE
Short Essay 4
The Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite describes Aphrodite’s progression from (an almost)
omnipotence to powerlessness to partial power. Explain each of these three stages in the
hymn and briefly discuss the patriarchal ramifications of this story. (5 pts.)