Classical Mythology
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Classical Mythology PowerPoint Outlines Part One The Myths of Creation The Gods Chapter 1: Interpretation and Definition of Classical Mythology Interpretation and Definition of Classical Mythology The Problem of Defining Myth The Meaning of “myth” Mythos: “tale” or “story” True myth or myth proper Saga or legend Folktale Myth, Saga or Legend, and Folktale Myth: primarily concerned with the gods and the relations with mortals Saga or legend: containing a kernel of historical truth and focusing upon the adventures of a hero Folktale: including elements of elements of the fantastic and magical Myth and Truth Myth and Religion Mircea Eliade Myth and Etiology Aitia: cause or reason for a fact, ritual practice, institution Rationalism, Metaphor, and Allegory Euhemerism: rationalization of myth attributed to Euhemerus (ca. 300 B. C.) Allegory: a sustained metaphor Allegorical nature myths: explanations of meteorological and cosmological phenomena; Max Müller Interpretation and Definition of Classical Mythology Myth and Psychology Freud Oedipus complex Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannos Electra complex Dreams and “dream-work” Jung Collective unconscious Archetypes Myth and Society Myth an d Ritual J. G. Frazer The Golden Bough Jane Harrison Robert Graves Myths as Social Charters Bronislav Malinowski Anthropologist Trobriand islanders Myths as “charters” of social customs and beliefs Interpretation and Definition of Classical Mythology The Structuralists Claude Lévi-Strauss Binary structure Negotiation and resolution of opposites Vladimir Propp Russian folklorist Analysis of recurrent pattern 31 motifemes : functions or units of action Walter Burkert Patterns of motifemes broken down to five: 1. The girl leaves home. 2. The girl is secluded. 3. She becomes pregnant by a god. 4. She suffers. 5. She is rescued and gives birth to a son. Synthesis of structuralist and historical viewpoints “Historical dimension” of myth Four theses 1. Myth belongs to the more general class of tradition tales. 2. The identity of a traditional tale is to be found in a structure of sense within the tale itself. 3. Tale structures, as a sequence of motifemes, are founded on basic biological or cultural programs of actions. 4. Myth is a traditional tale with secondary, partial reference to something of collective importance. Comparative Study and Classical Mythology Oral and Literary Myth Joseph Campbell Interpretation and Definition of Classical Mythology Feminism, Homosexuality, and Mythology Feminism Women in Greek society 1.Women were citizens of their communities, unlike non-citizens and slaves—a very meaningful distinction. They did not have the right to vote. No woman anywhere won this democratic right until 1920. 2. The role of women in religious rituals was fundamental; and they participated in many festivals of their own, from which men were excluded. 3. A woman’s education was dependent on her future role in society, her status or class, and her individual needs (as was that of a man). 4. The cloistered, illiterate, and oppressed creatures often adduced as representative of the status of women in antiquity are at variance with the testimony of all the sources, literary, artistic, and archaeological. The theme of rape Homosexuality Some Conclusions and a Definition of Classical Myth A classic myth is a story that, through its classical form, has attained a kind of immortality because its inherent archetypal beauty, profundity, and power have inspired rewarding renewal and transformation by successive generations. Chapter 2: Historical Background of Greek Mythology Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890), founder of modern archaeology Excavations at Troy, Tiryns, and Mycenae Sir Arthur Evans Cnossus in Crete (1899) Minoan Sketch of Early Greece and the Aegean Stone Age Paleolithic Period (before 70,000 B. C.) Neolithic Period (ca. 6000-3000 B. C.) Early Bronze Age (3000-2000 B. C.) Early Minoan Early Cycladic Early Helladic Middle Bronze Age (2000-1600 B. C.) Middle Minoan Middle Cycladic Middle Helladic Late Bronze Age (1600-1100 B. C.) Late Minoan Late Cycladic Late Helladic (Mycenaean) Paleolithic Age: inhabited, but knowledge is scanty Neolithic Age Migration from east and north of Greece Agricultural communities Female “fetishes” Historical Background of Greek Mythology Minoan Civilization King Minos Zenith during Late Bronze Age (1600-1100 B. C.) Palace complexes Cnossus and Phaestus Historical/mythological traditions Minos Theseus Minotaur Labyrinth (Labrys) Bull motif End of Cretan dominance (1400 B. C.) Eruption of Thera (modern Santorini) Myth of Atlantis (Plato’s Critias and Timaeus) The Mycenaean Age Invasion from north and possibly east First Greek speakers Mycenae, “rich in gold” Cyclopean walls Lion Gate Shaft graves Tholos tombs Carl Blegen (1887-1971) Nestor’s Pylos Megaron Sky-god (Zeus) Linear B Rich horde of tablets at Pylos Michael Ventris and John Chadwick (1952) Linear A Paean Potnia Historical Background of Greek Mythology Troy and the Trojan War Frank Calvert responsible for primary investigation of Hisarlik (1863-1868) Schliemann and Wilhelm Dörpfeld: campaigns at Troy (1871-1894) Blegen’s work at Troy (1932-1938) Since 1988: under direction of Manfred Korfmann Nine settlements on hill of Hisarlik Troy I (ca. 2920-2450 B. C.) Troy II (ca. 2600-2450 B. C.) Schliemann’s “Treasure of Priam” Troy VII (ca. 1250-1040 B. C.) Troy VIII (ca. 700-85 B. C.) Troy IX (85-ca. A. D. 500) Troy VI and Troy VIIa Continuity of culture Evidence of human settlements linked to the Trojan War Different stages of conflict Recent excavations confirm preeminence of Troy in Anatolia Signs of devastation Hasty burials Long-weapons, piles of stones Date of destruction of Troy VIIa (1250-1150 B. C.) Tradition date for Trojan War (1184 B. C.) Upper citadel and lower area of habitation Commercial ties between Mycenaean Greece and Troy Troy’s position on the Hellespont Economic causes of conflict plausible Hittite texts “Wilusa” and Ilios Appaliunas and Apollo Confirmation of Homeric geography Mycenaean cemetery on site of original coastline Historical Background of Greek Mythology End of Mycenaean Age and Homer Unsettled Conditions in the Eastern Mediterranean Destruction of Mycenaean Centers The Dorians The “Sea Peoples” The Dark Age Decline in population Loss of literacy Impoverished material culture The Emergence of the Iliad and the Odyssey (eighth century B. C.) Oral tradition “Homer” Asia Minor (or one of the coastal islands) Epic dialect Traces of every period from Bronze Age to eighth century B. C. Invention of a True Alphabet Phoenician script Writing and its relationship to the production of Homer’s epics Chapter 3: Myths of Creation Parallels between Greco-Roman and Near Eastern Myths Homer Incomplete account of genesis Hesiod (ca. 700) Boeotian poet working ca. 700 B. C. Theogony and Works and Days Bitter perspective on life Importance to him of the Muses of Mt. Helicon First literary account of genesis among the Greeks (Theogony and Works and Days) Invocation to the Muses Chaos (yawning void) Gaia/Gaea/Ge or Earth Tartarus (place beneath the earth) Eros (the procreative urge; love) Erebus (gloom of Tartarus) Night Aether (the upper atmosphere) Day The Primacy and Mystery of Eros Eros (for the Romans’ Cupid or Amor) Aristophanes’ Birds (5th century B. C.) Parody of Orphic tradition Phanes (“the one who first shone forth” or “gave light to creation” Protogonus (“first-born”) Creation Account in Ovid’s Metamorphoses Chaos as crude, unformed mass of elements Empedocles Four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) Myths of Creation Hieros Gamos (“sacred marriage”) Gaia and Uranus Titans: Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Tethys, and Cronus Cyclopes Hecatonchires Oceanus and the Oceanids Hyperion and Helius, Gods of the Sun Phaëthon, son of Helius Clymene Selene, Goddess of the Moon Endymion Mt. Latomus in Caria The Endymion sarcophagus Apollo, Sun-God and Artemis, Moon-Goddess Eos (Aurora), Goddess of the Dawn Tithonus Myths of Creation Castration of Uranus Birth of Aphrodite (foam or “aphros”) Cytherea Cyprogenes Cyprian Philommedes A Second Hieros Gamos: Cronus and Rhea Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus The Birth of Zeus Mt. Dicte Hymn to Dictaean Zeus Zeus Dictaeus Zeus as kouros (‘young man”) “The Palaikastro Kouros” Cybele Rhea-Cybele Curetes Amalthea Amalgamation of Mycenaean and Minoan Elements Mythological Interpretations Max Müller Feminist criticism Claude Lévi-Strauss Freudian interpretations Jungian archetypes Chapter 4: Zeus’ Rise to Power: The Creation of Mortals The Titanomachy: Zeus Defeats His Father, Cronus Zeus grows to maturity Cronus disgorges Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon Zeus’ allies: his brothers and sisters, the Hecatonchires, and the Cyclopes Zeus’ opponents: the Titans (especially Atlas) with the exception of Themis and her son Prometheus Zeus on Mt. Olympus against Cronus on Mt. Othrys Titans imprisoned in Tartarus and Atlas condemned to hold up the sky The Gigantomachy Gaia produces the Gegeneis (“earthborn”) Giants imprisoned in volcanic regions (e.g., Enceladus under Mt. Aetna in Sicily) Typhoeus (or Typhaon or Typhon) Otus and Ephialtes Pile Up Oympus, Ossa, and Pelion Confusion of Traditions about the Titanomachy and Gigantomachy Historical Underpinnings of Myths Process of conquest and amalgamation, when Greek-speaking people invade the Grecian peninsula (2000 B. C.) Creation of Mortals Traditions involving Zeus Prometheus, creator of man Ovid’s account The Four or Five Ages Gold, silver, bronze, iron Hesiod’s inclusion of an Age of Heroes between bronze and iron The characteristics of the ages Aidos and Nemesis Zeus’s Rise to Power Prometheus against Zeus Iapetus and Clymene Epimetheus The trick of the sacrifice The theft of fire in a hollow fennel stalk The punishment of Prometheus Heracles ends Prometheus’ suffering Creation of Pandora Hephaestus’ creation Athena’s role Pandora (“all gifts”) Pandora’s jar Hermes’ role Epimetheus “Hope alone remained within.” Interpretation of the Myths of Prometheus and Pandora Ritual of sacrifice Origin of fire “Culture god” or “culture hero” “Divine trickster” The nature of gods and men The nature of evil The position of woman The role of hope Zeus’ Rise to Power Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound Strength (Kratos) and Force (Bia) Characterization of Hephaestus Zeus as tyrant Prometheus’ gifts to mankind Chorus of Oceanids The story of Io Hera’s jealousy Argus Panoptes (“all-seeing”) Hermes Argeiphontes (“slayer of Argus”) Peacock Egypt and the birth of Epaphus The role of Io in Prometheus Bound Promise of Heracles’ release Prometheus’ secret about Thetis Zeus and Lycaon and the Wickedness of Mortals The tyrant Lycaon Transformation into a wolf The Flood Deucalion, son of Prometheus Pyrrha, daughter or Epimetheus The “bones” of the mother Hellen, eponymous ancestor of the Greeks Zeus’s Rise to Power Succession Myths and Other Motifs Near Eastern Parallels to Hesiod’s Account The Succession Myth as Archetype Enuma Elish (When on High); Babylonian Marduk Tiamat Kingship in Heaven Kumarbi Anu Persistence and Diffusion of the Flood Motif Character and Career of Zeus Circumstances of birth Infancy in seclusion “Divine Child” Close to nature and world of animals Obstacles and adversaries Ultimately victorious Parallels in Myths of Greece and the Ancient Near East Five basic myths Creation Succession Flood Descent to Underworld Hero-king Gilgamesh Two periods of contact with Greece: 13th and 14th centuries; 8th and 7th centuries B. C. Sumer and Akkad Ur Cuneiform Ziggurats Zeus’ Rise to Power Babylon and King Hammurabi (1800 B. C.) Establishment of the Assyrian Empire Capital at Nineveh Hurrians Hittites in Anatolia Capital at Hattusas (Boghaz-Köy) Babylonian Enuma Elish Apsu and Tiamat Anu and Ea or Enki (earth-god) Birth of Marduk Enlil Comparison of Typhoeus with Tiamat Babylonian Atrahasis Atrahasis (extrawise) Tyranny of Enlil Atrahasis survives Flood Epic of Gilgamesh Gilgamesh, ruler of Sumerian city of Uruk (ca. 2700 B. C.) Ut-napishtim Similarities with Odysseus, Heracles, and the Iliad Enkidu Ishtar The Bull of Heaven Akkadian Descent of Ishtar to the Underworld Inanna/Ishtar Dumuzi (Tammuz) Chapter 5: The Twelve Olympians: Zeus, Hera, and Their Children Zeus’ Establishment as Supreme God Zeus—sky Poseidon — sea Hades — underworld Pantheon of Gods Zeus (Jupiter) Hera (Juno) Poseidon (Neptune) Hades (Pluto) Hestia (Vesta) Hephaestus (Vulcan) Ares (Mars) Apollo Artemis (Diana) Demeter (Ceres) Aphrodite (Venus) Athena (Minerva) Hermes (Mercury) Dionysus (Bacchus) Canonical twelve (with removal of Hades and Hestia) Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth and Its Fire A goddess of chastity Hearth/sacred fire Hestia (“hearth”) Familytribe city state Transmission of fire First-born of Cronus and Rhea The Twelve Olympians Zeus Amorous nature Image of father, husband, and lover Justice and virtue Moral order of the universe The cloud-gatherer “Bright” Thunder/lightening Aegis/eagle/oak Tales of Zeus’ subordination Zeus and Hera Hieros Gamos Hera: consort and queen Stern, vengeful Women/marriage/childbirth Peacock Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia Elis Olympic Games, 776 B. C. Connection with Heracles Pelops and Hippodamia Temple of Zeus West pediment: Lapiths and Centaurs Ixion impregnates the nephele (“cloud”) that Zeus had fashioned to resemble his wife, Hera Ixion’s punishment on the wheel Nephele gives birth to Centaurus, the father of the race of centaurs Chiron: wise, gentle tutor to heroes Violent and lustful nature typical of centaurs Lapiths, a Thessalian tribe Pirithoüs, Lapith chieftain and a son of Ixion Wedding of Pirithoüs and Hippodamia The Twelve Olympians East pediment: race of Pelops and Oenomaüs Metopes: Twelve Labors of Heracles Cult image of Zeus carved by Pheidias Oracles at Olympia and Dodona Whispering oaks of Dodona Priestess and tripod Oracles and prophets Trophonius Melampus Amphiaraüs Tiresias Children of Zeus and Hera Eileithyia, goddess of childbirth Hebe: cupbearer to gods Ganymede Hephaestus, divine artisan God of fire and forge Lame Return of Hephaestus Consort of Aphrodite Her adultery with Ares Ares, god of war Cult partner: Aphrodite Thrace Eros Brutality of war The Twelve Olympians Other Children of Zeus The Nine Muses Mnemosyne (“memory”) Patrons of literature and the arts Pieria/Mt. Helicon “Reminders” Calliope (epic) Clio (history or lyre playing) Euterpe (lyric or tragedy and flute playing) Melpomene (tragedy or lyre playing) Terpsichore (choral dancing or flute playing) Erato (love poetry or hymns to gods and lyre playing) Polyhymnia (sacred music or dancing) Urania (astronomy) Thalia (comedy) The Three Fates Children of Zeus and Themis Moirai (Greek) or Parcae (Latin) Clotho (“spinner”) Lachesis (“apportioner”) Atropos (“inflexible”) Luck or Fortune (Tyche) Necessity (Ananke) Chapter 6: The Nature of the Gods Anthropomorphism Human form and character Idealization Mt. Olympus Olympian/chthonian Ambrosia/nectar/ichor Divine Hierarchy Zeus Olympian gods (and important chthonian gods) Wondrous, terrifying beings Nymphs Demigods Heroes Zeus and Monotheism Sovereignty of Zeus Moral order of universe Suppliants, hospitality, oaths Monotheistic cast View of Zeus in religious poets and philosophers Stern Zeus of Hesiod Xenophanes Aeschylus’ Agamemnon Polytheistic cast in Judeo-Christian religion The Nature of the Gods Greek Humanism Protagoras: “Man is the measure of all things.” Sophocles’ Antigone Achilles in the Underworld (Homer’s Odyssey) Idealistic optimism/realistic pessimism Myth Religion and Philosophy Greeks were not a people of a religious “book.” Place of Homer Priests and priestesses Legendary History of Herodotus History of the Persian Wars Story of Solon, Croesus, and Cyrus Herodotus as Myth Historian Influence of Homer and Tragedy Atys (Ate [“ruin” or “destruction”]); links with Attis and Adonis Adrastus (“the one who cannot escape”); links with Nemesis or Adrasteia (Necessity) Other legendary folktales in Herodotus [box] The story of Candaules and Gyges The story of Arion and the dolphin Musician, connected with Dionysus and the dithyramb, the sacred choral song honoring the god Favor of Periander, tyrant of Corinth Plot against Arion Rescue by dolphin Historical figure of Periander and perhaps Arion Association of Dionysus and dolphins Connection with Poseidon The story of Polycrates, tyrant of Samos The Nature of the Gods Appendix: Greek Religion Greek Mythology and Religion Previous Scholarship Integration of myth, ritual, and image The Panathenaic Festival The Nature of Greek Religion Absence of priestly caste No unifying doctrinal creed No closed canon or religious book No fixed, unchanging rite or ritual A multiplicity of religious beliefs, myths, and rituals The Civic Religion of the Polis The polis as the center of social, political military, economic, cultural, and religious communal life Greek ideas of the “sacred” and the “secular” Civic worship of the gods Athenian festivals or heortai Hecatombaia Panathenaea Anthesteria Brauronia Thesmophoria Boundary between religious and secular blurred Heroic Cults of the Dead Localized, chthonic heroic cults Olympian and chthonic cults The Nature of the Gods Priests and Priestesses Role and service of the priest Importance of the priestess Seers Role of the seer Types of augury Mystery Religions Comparison of civic cult and mystery religion Specific doctrine Sacred texts The Sacrifice Significance of sacrifice Portrait of sacrifice in Homer (Odyssey 3. 430-463) Reconstruction of a sacrifice Sacrifice and community Sacrificial animal Sacrificial procedure Animal brought within the temenos (“sacred precinct”) Procession to altar Music Water for purification Young maid with basket containing barley cakes and knife Scattering of barley Priest cuts lock of hair Stunning blow Cutting the throat The ritual cry (ololuge) Altar splashed with blood Butchering of animal Thighbones wrapped in fat Internal organs roasted Roasting for main mea Meaning of the sacrifice Chapter 7: Poseidon, Sea Deities, Group Divinities, and Monsters Pontus (“sea”) Oceanus and TethysOceanids Pontus and GeNereus (an old man of the sea) Nereus and Doris (an Oceanid)Nereids Three Important Nereids Thetis Prophecy of Thetis’ son Marriage of Peleus and Thetis Achilles Galatea Polyphemus (a Cyclops) Acis, son of Faunus and Symaethis Amphitrite Consort of Poseidon Triton Conch shell Proteus Attendent of Poseidon (sometimes his son) Seer Ability to change shape Old Man of the Sea Appearance and character of Poseidon Stern, rough, unkempt Trident “Earth shaker” Male fertility of the earth; stallion and bull Poseidon Scylla and Charybdis Scylla, daughter of Phorcys and Hecate Relationship with Poseidon or Glaucus Transformation at the hands of Amphitrite or Circe Straits of Messina Charybdis, daughter of Poseidon and Ge Whirlpool Progeny of Pontus and Ge Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, and Eurybië Thaumas and Electra Iris (“rainbow”) and Harpies (“snatchers”) Phorcys and Ceto Graeae (“aged ones”) Gorgons (Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa) Perseus Pegasus and Chrysaor (he of the golden sword) Children of Chrysaor and Callirhoë Geryon and Echidna Children of Echidna and Typhon Orthus, Cerberus, the Lernaean Hydra, and the Chimaera Children of Echidna and Orthus The Theban Sphinx and the Nemean Lion Ladon, guardian of the tree in the garden of the Hesperides (“daughters of evening”) Poseidon Interpretive Summmary Numerous stories of water divinities Importance and dangers of sea travel to Greeks and Romans Mediterranean Stories of seafarers Theseus Jason Odysseus Importance of Poseidon to Athenians Erechtheus Aegeus, father of Theseus Unpredictability and mystery of the sea Chapter 8: Athena Birth of Athena Zeus and Metis (“wisdom”) In full battle array Prowess in battle, strategy and tactics of war, goddess of the citadel, masculine virginity Sculpture of the Parthenon Athena Parthenos (“virgin”) Athenian Acropolis (448 B. C.-437 B. C.) Victory over Persians East pediment Birth of Athena West pediment Contest with Poseidon over the control of Athens Doric frieze (metopes) Lapiths and Centaurs Sack of Troy Gigantomachy Greeks and Amazons Ionic frieze Panathenaea; ceremonial robe (peplos) Statue of Athena Parthenos by Pheidias Pallas Athena Tritogeneia Tritogeneia: lake Triton or Tritonis; association with Triton Pallas, daughter of Triton Palladium Pallas (“maiden”) Parthenos (“virgin”) Kore (“girl”) Athena and Arachne Patron of spinning and weaving Athena Character and Appearance of Athena Weaving as symbol of cunning and human resourcefulness Fates as weavers Arete (“excellence”) of a women Military, political, domestic arts Wisdom/counsel Horses, ships, chariots The double-flute and Marsyas In Athens worshiped with Hephaestus Warrior, aegis, Nike (“victory”) Glaukopis meaning grey eyed (bright eyed or keen eyed?) Owl, snake, olive tree Unapproachable virginity Relationships with heroes Chapter 9: Aphrodite and Eros Aphrodite and castration of Uranus Aphros (“foam”) Cytherea, Cypris Zeus and Dione Aphrodite Urania (Celestial) and Aphrodite Pandemos (Common) The Nature and Appearance of Aphrodite Beauty, love, marriage Importance of Praxiteles’ work Attendants of Aphrodite Charites (“graces”) Horae (“hours” or “seasons”) Phallic Priapus Aphrodite and Hermes, Dionysus, Pan, or Zeus Fertility Comic and obscene Pygmalion Offense of Cyprian women, who became the first prostitutes Galatea Aphrodite and Eros Aphrodite and Adonis Phoenician Astarte Paphos, son of Pygmalion and Galatea Cinyras and Myrrha Birth of Adonis Death of Adonis Great Mother Death and resurrection of male consort Variant: Persephone and the chest Cybele and Attis Phrygian Great Mother Bisexual Castrationalmond tree NanaAttis Galli/Corybantes Aphrodite and Anchises Fear of emasculation Aeneas Eros Aphrodite and Eros The Symposium of Plato House of Agathon Speeches on Eros Aristophanes’ Comic and Profound Myth Love as a search for completeness Socrates’ Speech Diotima, a woman from Mantinea Eros as intermediary Poros (“resourcefulness”) Penia (“poverty”) Pursuit of the Beautiful and the Good Interpretations Cupid and Psyche Apuleius (second century A. D.) Metamorphoses (or The Golden Ass) Elements of folktale, fairytale, and romance Platonic interpretation Sappho’s Aphrodite Lesbos Devotion to Aphrodite Chapter 10: Artemis Character and Appearance of Artemis Beautiful, virginal, huntress Cult places in Asia Minor The Birth of Artemis and Apollo Zeus and Leto Delos Goddess of childbirth Death of young girls Niobe and Her Children Hubris Transformation to stone Actaeon Callisto and Arcas Great Bear (Arctus, or Ursa Major, or the Wain [hamaxa]) Bear Warden (Arctophylax, or Arcturus, or Boötes) Little Bear (Ursa Minor) Orion Merope, daughter of Oenopion Pleiades, daughters of Atlas and Pleione, an Oceanid Sirius (Dog Star) Arethusa Transformation into a stream that flows underground Artemis Origins of Artemis Fertility connections Diana or Artemis of Ephesus Artemis Brauronia Brauronia: festival held every 4 years with procession from Athens to Brauron Cult of Artemis at Brauron Euripides’ Iphigenia in Tauris: Iphigenia was first priestess at Brauron Arcteia: rite of “playing the bear for Artemis” Myth of the killing of the bear sacred to Artemis Marriage forbidden until a maiden had “played the bear” (5-10 years of age) Artemis, Selene, and Hecate Moon-Goddess Chthonian characteristics Trivia, goddess of the crossroads Nocturnal, occult forces Artemis Artemis versus Aphrodite: Euripides’ Hippolytus Hippolytus, devotee of Artemis Phaedra Phaedra’s nurse Theseus Goddesses as psychological forces The misogyny of Hippolytus Sophronein (“to be temperate”) Misandry, Artemis, and the Amazons Lesbian themes Other Dramatic Versions Euripides’ two versions; (Hippolytus Stephanephoros) Seneca’s (d. A. D. 65) Phaedra Jean Racine’s Phèdre (1677) Eugene O’Neill’s Desire Under the Elms (1924) Robinson Jeffers’ The Cretan Women (1954) Mary Renault’s The Bull from the Sea Additional Reading Scenes from Euripides’ Hippolytus Chapter 11: Apollo The Birth of Apollo Zeus and Leto The Homeric Hymn to Apollo First part: To Delian Apollo Apollo and Delos Delos sacred to Apollo Impressive archaeological remains Story of Anius Anius, son of Apollo, king of Delos Three daughters: Elaïs (“olive girl”), Spermo (“seed girl”), and Oeno (“wine girl”) Agamemnon’s attempt to compel them to go to Troy Transformation into doves, a sacred bird at Delos Apollo and Delphi Pythian Apollo, god of Delphi Crisa under Mt. Parnassus Slaying of Pytho Pytho (“I rot”) Ge-Themis Omphalos (“navel”) Cretan sailors and the connection with the dolphin Apollo Delphinius Panhellenic Sanctuary Pythian Games The Oracle and the Pythia at Delphi The Pythia, priestess of Apollo Tripod Oracular utterancesepic meter (dactylic hexameter) Castalian Spring Apollo Loxias Socrates and the Delphic oracle Apollo The Cumaean Sibyl Sibyl and Sibylla Aeneas in the Underworld, Vergil’s Aeneid, Book 6 Sibylline Books Apollo and Cassandra Apollo and Marpessa Idas Apollo and Cyrene Aristaeus Apollo and Daphne Daphne (“laurel”) Apollo and Hyacinthus Hyacinthia festival Apollo and Cyparissus Transformation into the cypress tree Apollo Apollo, Coronis, and Asclepius God of medicine Raven, Apollo’s bird Asclepius trained by Chiron In Homer’s Iliad Machaon and Podalirius are two sons of Asclepius Hygeia or Hygieia (“health”) and Panacea are also said to be children of Asclepius Sanctuary of Epidauros a major center of worship Socrates’ last words in Plato’s Phaedo Incubation: sleeping in a holy place Preparatory rites Patient to sleep in the hope of having a vision of Asclepius and being healed Importance of snakes Aristophanes’ Wealth Asclepiadae and Hippocrates Asclepius and Hippolytus Euripides’ Alcestis Apollo and the Cyclopes Servitude to Admetus, king of Pherae Thanatos (“death”) Heracles Asclepius’ staff or Hermes’ caduceus as a medical emblem? Staff of Asclepius: staff entwined by a single serpent Confusion with the caduceus Apollo Apollo’s Musical Contest with Marsyas Apollo’s Musical Contest with Pan King Midas of Phrygia Mt. Tmolus The Nature of Apollo Violence and restraint Healer and bringer of plague Good shepherd/sun-god Apollonian/Dionysian Additional Reading: The Homeric Hymn to Apollo (3.179-546: To Pythian Apollo) Apollo in the company of the other gods Apollo seeks a site for his oracle. Apollo builds his temple at the site of Delphi. Hera gives birth to the monster Typhaon. Apollo vaunts over the she-dragon he has slain. Apollo recruits Cretans to serve as his priests. Chapter 12: Hermes The Birth and Childhood of Hermes Zeus and Maia, one of the Pleiades Argeïphontes (“slayer of Argus”) Mt. Cyllene/Arcadia Invention of lyre Theft of cattle Confrontation between Apollo and Hermes Reconciliation mediated by Zeusgift of lyre to Apollo The Nature of Hermes and His Worship Cleverness God of thieves, merchants, youths Divine trickster Pastoral/musical Divine messenger Traveler’s hat (petasus) Sandals (talaria) Herald’s staff (caduceus) Guide of souls (psychopompos) God of boundaries or the transgression of boundaries Herms: boundary markers/fertility Mutilation of the herms (415 B. C) Hermes Trismegistus and the Hermetica Hermaphroditus and Salmacis Chapter 13: Dionysus, Pan, Echo, and Narcissus The Birth, Childhood, and Origins of Dionysus Dionysus (Bacchus) Semele, daughter of Cadmus Nymphs of Nysa Ino, sister of Semele Origins in Thrace/Phrygia The Bacchae of Euripides God of vegetationthe vine/grape/wine Agave, sister of Semele Pentheus, son of Agave Cadmus, grandfather of Pentheus and retired king Tiresias, priest of traditional religion Pentheus as adversary of god Pentheus as sacrificial victim Cadmus and Harmoniaserpents Harry Partch’s Revelation in the Courthouse Park, an American Bacchae Other Opponents of Dionysus Daughters of Proetus, king of Tiryns Driven to madness because of their resistance to Dionysus Melampus, a famous seer, cured them Festival of Agriania Daughters of Minyas Refusal to worship Dionysus Transformed into owls or bats Hippasus Lycurgus of Thrace Dionysus The Nature of Dionysus, His Retinue, and His Religion Ecstatic spiritual release through music and dance Entheos: Possession by god Sparagmos: rending of animal Omophagia: eating of raw flesh Ritual communion Thiasus: sacred band of the god Bacchae or Maenads Satyrs Thyrsus: wand wreathed with ivy and topped with pinecone Sileni; Papposileni (“older sileni”); Silenus and King Midas Connection with Great Mother; Rhea and Cybele Union with Ariadne Variant of Dionysus’ birth Zeus and Persephone Zagreus Role of the Titans Creation of human beings Dionysus Dionysus and Icarius and Erigone Dionysus’ Gift to Midas of the Golden Touch Pactolus Dionysus and the Pirates The Dionysiaca of Nonnus Pan Syrinx (“panpipe”) Echo “Panic” Son of Hermes and Dryope Echo and Narcissus Narcissism Freud Chapter 14: Demeter and the Eleusinian Mysteries The Myth of Demeter and Persephone Abduction by Hades Hecate and Helius Demeter’s grief, anger and retaliation Demeter comes to Eleusis and the palace of Celeus The Maiden Well Queen Metaneira Iambe Demeter breaks her fast. Demeter nurses Demphoön. Hades and Persephone and her eating of the pomegranate Demeter’s ecstatic reunion with Persephone Demeter restores fertility and establishes the Mysteries The Interpretation of the Hymn Death and rebirth of vegetation Spiritual metaphor or allegory Kore (“girl”) Hades (Pluto or Dis among the Romans) Triptolemus Commission to spread Demeter’s arts Demeter Eleusinian Mysteries Special position of Athens Initiates Secrecy of rites Mystery religions Connection with Orpheus Rituals Nine-day interval Fasting Torches Jests Kykeon: drink of barley and water Resting at the Maiden Well Revelation of divinity Stages of initiaion Lesser Mysteries: preliminary to initiation Greater Mysteries: full initiation Participation in the highest mysteries Hierophant (“one who shows the sacred thing”) Hiera (“sacred things”) Procession Iacchus and Dionysus Stages of Greater Mysteries Dramatic enactment of myth Revelation of sacred objects Utterance of certain words The final revelation: the hiera The role of Dionysus The role of Orpheus Mystery religions and state cult Archon Basileus: Athenian religious official Triumph of Matriarchy Chapter 15: Views of the Afterlife: The Realm of Hades Homer’s Book of the Dead (the Odyssey, Book 11) Tiresias Anticlea Heroes Agamemnon Achilles Ajax Heroines Tormented sinners Sisyphus Outwitting of Death (Thanatos) Alcaeus of Lesbos, 7th century poet Revelation of Zeus’ secret Chaining of Death Death freed by Ares Sisyphus in Hades Sisyphus’ punishment Heracles Difficulties of interpretation Position of heroes Elpenor Place for extraordinary sinners Depicting the Underworld Representations of the Underworld in art Dante’s Inferno Michelangelo’s Last Judgment Views of the Afterlife Plato’s Myth of Er The Republic Vision of Er Ardiaeus Cycle of one thousand years Chain of being Necessity (Ananke) Harmony of the spheres The Fates or Moirai Lachesis, Clotho, and Atropos Choice of souls River of Forgetfulness (Lethe) Pythagorean/Orphic elements Plato’s Phaedo Views of the Afterlife Vergil’s Book of the Dead (the Aeneid, Book 6) Aeneas Cumaean Sibyl Golden Bough Burial of Misenus Tree of empty dreams Fabulous creatures Charon Cerberus Untimely Dead Mourning Fields Dido, queen of Carthage Field of renowned heroes Deïphobus Tartarus Tityus Sisyphus Tantalus Titans Otis and Ephialtes Salmoneus Theseus and Perithoüs Phlegyas Ixion King of Lapiths Punishment on a fiery wheel First to shed kindred blood Attempt to violate Hera Elysian Fields/Elysium Anchises Vision of illustrious Romans Gates of Ivory and Horn Views of the Afterlife Traditional Elements of Hades’ Realm Tartarus or Erebus Elysium or Elysian Fields Islands of the Blessed Three Judges: Minos, Rhadamanthys (or Rhadamanthus), and Aeacus Rivers: Styx (River of Hate), Acheron (River of Woe), Lethe (River of Forgetfulness), Cocytus (River of Wailing), Pyriphlegethon or Phlegethon (River of Fire) Charon and his fare Hermes Psychopompos Cerberus Hades (Pluto or Dis), king of the Underworld Orcus (“the place that confines”) Chthonian Tityus Ixion Danaïds Sisyphus Tantalus Hecate Furies (Erinyes): Allecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone; avengers of blood guilt, especially within the family Orestes The Eumenides (“kindly ones”) The Universality of Greek and Roman Concepts The Italian poet Dante (1265-1321) The Inferno Vergil as guide Chapter 16: Orpheus and Orphism: Mystery Religions in Roman Times Orpheus and Eurydice Ovid’s version Hymen Ill-omened marriage of Orpheus and Eurydice Orpheus’ descent to Styx Orpheus’ request Pluto and Proserpina grant his request on condition he not look back. Eurydice’s second death The vengeance of spurned Thracian (Ciconian) women Variant tradition Vergil’s Georgics, Book 4 Aristaeus “Why did Orpheus look back?” Ovid: out of fear for Eurydice’s well-being Vergil: a kind of frenzy seizes him Subsequent literature Explorations of Orpheus’ motivation Eurydice’s role at times becomes more pronounced. Life of Orpheus, Religious Poet and Musician Origins in Thrace His mother was one of the Muses, usually Calliope His father is either Oeagrus, a river-god, or Apollo Orpheus falls in love with Eurydice, a Dryad Orpheus as an Argonaut Musaeus, Orpheus’ son or pupil Death of Orpheus Women of Thrace/Maenads Survival of head and lyre in Lesbos Apollonian and Dionysian elements Orphic Hymns Orpheus The Orphic Bible Chronus (Time) as first principleAether, Chaos, and Erebus Adrasteia (Necessity) The Cosmic EggPhanes, known by many names, including ErosNight Phanes and NightGaea (Earth) and Uranus (Heaven)TitansCronusZeus Zeus swallows Phanes and all creation. Zeus becomes the One, the beginning and end. Zeus and PersephoneDionysus (Zagreus) Tenets of belief Purity of soul Corruption of body Original sin Transmigration of soul Purification Apotheosis Union with divine spirit Parallels with role of shaman and shamanism Shaman: spiritual, mystical figure of great power, who can cross the boundary of this world into the spiritual realm Connections with mystery religions Orpheus Mystery Religions in Roman Times Syncretism : harmonizing of different cults and myths into some sort of unity Mysteries of Demeter at Eleusis Mysteries of Cybele and Attis Taurobolium: shedding of the blood of the bull Mysteries of the Cabiri of Samothrace Theoi Megaloi (“great gods”) Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux Mysteries of Mithras (Mithra) Persian god of light and truth Mithraea or underground chapels Tauroctony (“slaying of the bull”) Officers, soldiers, and sailors Initiation of men Communal meal Mysteries of Atargatis or Dea Syria, the Syrian goddess Consort Tammuz or Dushara Marriage to Hadad, thunder-god Association with Syrian Baal, Greek Zeus, and Roman Jupiter Mysteries of Isis Goddess of fertility Osiris dismembered by Seth Horus The Sistrum or rattle The Situla or breast-shaped container for milk Jug of Nile water Associated with Serapis Apuleius’ Metamorphoses (or The Golden Ass) Lucius initiated into the Mysteries of Isis Isis connected with Cybele, Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter, Persephone, and Hera
