FINAL REVIEW
• PART 1:
• THE GODS
Mythos and Logos
• Mythos = true, divine story
• Logos = human discourse
Myth and…
Religion
Etiology
Rationalism
Psychology 1
Psychology 2
Sociology 1
Eliade
-----Max Müller
Freud
Jung
Frazer, Harrison, Graves
Sociology 2 Malinowski
Structuralism Lévi-Strauss
Sacred time
origin, reason
allegory
sexuality, dreams
collective unconscious
forgotten rituals
social charter
binary oppositions
HISTORIC BACKGROUND
– 1600 – 1400
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– 1400 – 1100
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Minoan
Mycenean
Prosperous sea-power
Linear A
Palace structures with
monumental walls
Linear B
1200
Trojan War
1000 – 800
Dark Ages
750 - 500
Archaic Period
500 - 323
Classical Period
Homer, Hesiod
Plato
Writing Systems
• Linear A
- Used by the Minoans
- So far not deciphered
• Linear B
- Used by the
Mycenaeans
- Deciphered by Ventris
and Chadwick
- Texts are in Greek
Troy
– Located by H. Schliemann
– 9 settlements found at Troy.
– Troy 6 or 7 identified as the Homeric Troy.
Generations of Gods
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1. From Chaos emerged:
Gaia, Tartarus, Night, Erebus, Eros
2. Gaia gave birth to
Uranus, Mountains, Pontus
3. Uranus and Gaia had 18 Children
3 Hekatonchires, 3 Cyclopes, 12 Titans
The Offspring of the Titans
• Oceanus and Thetis/Tethis:
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50 daughters named Oceanides
• 2. Hyperion and Theia:
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Helios (Sun) Selene (Moon) Eos (Dawn)
• Cronus and Rhea
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Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Poseidon, Hades,
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Zeus
Cronus
• - Castrated his father Uranus from whose
blood Erinyes (Furies) were born
• - Swallowed all his children except Zeus
• Was castrated by Zeus and vomited his
other children
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Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Poseidon, Hades
Titanomachy
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Zeus
His siblings
Prometheus
Cyclopes
Hekatonchires
• Cronus
• Titans led by Atlas
Gigantomachy
• Zeus
• Giants, sons of Gaia
• Typhon
• Otus and Ephialtes
Creation of Human Beings
People created by Zeus or the
Olympians:
1. Generations
- Gold (O)
- Silver (O)
- Bronze & Heroes (Z)
- Iron (Z)
2. Z. sends the flood
3. Deucalion and Pyrrha throw
stones
People created by
Prometheus
1. P. steals fire
2. P. deprives Zeus of a
better part of the
sacrifice
3. Zeus sends Pandora
4. Bird of pray eating
P’s liver in Caucasus
Anthropomorphic Gods
• Human in form an character
• Idealized mortals endowed with
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- physical beauty
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- intense emotions
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- superhuman powers to:
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* change shape
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* become invisible
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* fly
Divine anatomy
• ICHOR = divine blood
• NECTAR = divine drink
• AMBROSIA = divine food
Olympians
Chthonic
Deities
• Gods of the Earth
• Twelve major deities
• Dwelling on Mt. Olympus
Nymphs
• Female spirits who animate aspects of
nature
• Not necessarily immortal
• NAIADS inhabit waters
• DRYADS inhabit trees
FATES
Personifications of Destiny
• Parents: Zeus & Themis / Night & Erebus
• CLOTHO: spins out the thread of life
• LACHESIS: measures the thread
• ATROPOS: cuts the thread
14 MAJOR GREEK DEITIES
• 6 Children of Cronus and Rhea:
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Zeus, Poseidon, Hades
•
Demeter, Hestia, Hera
• 7 children of Zeus
•
Hephaestus, Ares, Apollo, Artemis,
Heremes, Athena, Dionysus,
• Aphrodite
ZEUS & HERA
• God of the sky
• Incarnation of justice and
order
• Bearded man with a
scepter and a bolt of
lightening and thunder in
his hand.
• Often carries his shield,
the AEGIS
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Mother earth
Presides over marriage
Stately woman
Accompanied by birds
Often shown with Iris
the goddess of
Rainbow
SOME Children of Zeus
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…and HERA
…and LETO
…and METIS
…and MAIA
…and SEMELE
Hephaestus, Ares, Hebe,
Eileithyia
Apollo and Artemis
Athena
Hermes
Dionysus
Two stories about the birth and
youth of HEPHAESTUS
Version A
• Son of Hera alone
• Lame from birth
• Cast out of Olympus
by Hera
Version B
• Son of both Zeus and
Hera
• Interfered on behalf of
Hera
• Hurled down from
Olympus by Zeus
• Fell on Lemnos
“Adult” Life of Hephaestus
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Restored to Olympus
Married Aphrodite
God of the forge and its fire
Assisted by the three Cyclopes
Created masterpieces
HEPHAESTUS, APHRODITE,
AND ARES
GANYMEDES
• Zeus kidnapped GANYMEDES
• He became cupbearer to the gods
6 out of 9 Muses Daughters of
Zeus & Mnemosyne
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CALLIOPE: epic poetry
ERATO: love poetry
MELPOMENE: tragedy
POLYHYMNIA: hymns
TERPSICHORE: dancing
URANIA: astronomy
Poseidon and Sea Deities
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POSEIDON: anthropomorphic god of the sea
AMPHITRITE: Nereid, wife of Poseidon
PONTUS: “open sea” produced by Gaia
OCEANUS: the stream of Ocean
TRITON: son of Poseidon and Amphitrite
NEREUS: Old Man of the Sea 1
PROTEUS: Old Man of the Sea 2
PROTEUS& NEREUS
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Pre-Olympian deity
Old man of the sea
Foretells the future
Changes shape
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Pre-Olympian deity
Old man of the sea
Foretells the future
Changes shape
Fathered 50 daughters
called NEREIDS,
among them THETIS,
GALATEA, and
AMPHITRITE
PELEUS AND THETIS
• Oracle: “Thetis will bear a son mightier
than his father
• Gods avoided her
• Peleus, a mortal, become her husband
• The wedding of Peleus and Thetis was
famous
• They became the parents of Achilles
SCYLLA & CHARYBDIS
• Daughter of Poseidon
and Gaia
• Drew in mountains of
water and spewed
them out again.
• Poseidon made
advances to her
• Amphitrite turned her
into a monster
encircled with a ring
of dog's heads
ATHENA GODDESS OF WISDOM,
WAR, AND WEAVING
ATHENA
Her mother is Metis (“cunning”)
Born from the head of Zeus, her father
THE CONTEST BETWEEN
ATHENA AND POSEIDON
• Object: Control of Athens and Attica
• Poseidon produces a salt spring or a horse
• Athena creates an olive tree and is
proclaimed the victor
Athena’s titles
• PARTHENOS, virgin of the citadel
• PALLAS TRITOGENEIA she who
accidentally murdered her friend Pallas
daughter of Triton
ATHENA AND ARACHNE
• ARACHNE challenged Athena to a
weaving contest
• Athena lost and turned her rival into a
spider
APHRODITE
ATTENDANTS OF
APHRODITE
• CHARITES: 3 Graces
• Feminine personifications of charm and
loveliness.
• HORAE: 2 or 4 Hours or Seasons
PRIAPUS
• Son of Aphrodite and Ares/Hermes/Adonis
personifies the elemental, sexual side of his
mother's nature
PYGMALION
• Pygmalion falls in love with his own
creation, a sculpture of a woman named
Galatea
• Aphrodite gives live to the statue
APHRODITE AND ADONIS
• Aphrodite’s love for Adonis
• Adonis’s death
• PERSEPHONE also falls in love with in
Adonis
• They have to share: Adonis will spend one
part of the year below with Persephone and
one part in the upper world with Aphrodite
EROS
• EROS 1 came out of Chaos before the birth
of Aphrodite.
• EROS 2 the son of Aphrodite and Ares
The Twins
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Children of ZEUS and LETO
Born on the island of DELOS
Both experts at archery
Together killed the 7 sons and daughters of
NIOBE
Who?
• Saw
Artemisto
in seduce
her
• Tried
Artemis
bath
• The goddess produced a
• Was transformed into
killed
him
a stag
• His dogs tore him to
pieces
scorpion that
Who co-stars the following
episodes of the story of Callisto?
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Rape
Rejection
Giving birth
Becoming a bear
Near death as bear
Being promoted to a constellation
CHARACTERISTICS OF
ARTEMIS
• Vehement virgin with characteristics of a
fertility goddess
• Moon-goddess linked with the lunar cycle
and menstrual period
• Goddess of nature itself personifying its
pristine purity
SANCTUARY OF APOLLO AT
DELPHI
• Apollo chose a place under Mt.
PARNASSUS for his oracle and temple.
• He slew a dragon named PYTHO
• Apollo given the epithet PYTHIAN, his
prophetess, PYTHIA
Apollo sitting on the Omphalos
• Silver tetradrachm from 3rd BCE
APOLLO'S LOVES
Sybil
Cyrene
Coronis
Daphne
Priestess
of Cumae
Rejection
Lion
wrestler
Love
Loved a
man
Betrayal
Devoted Princess of
to Art.
Troy
Rejection Perjury
Eternal life City of her Death by
without
name
arrow
youth
Turned
Her
into laurel prophecies
disbelieved
Aristaeus
keeper of
bees
Asclepius
god of
medicine
Cassandra
HYACINTHUS
APOLLO’S MUSICAL
CONTESTS
• Picked up the flute
invented by Athena.
• Challenged Apollo to
a contest
• Apollo won and he
decided to flay him
alive
• Dared to engage in
a contest with
Apollo
• TMOLUS the god
of the mountain
was the judge
• He declared Apollo
the victor
THE NATURE OF APOLLO
• God of shepherds, associated with music
• God of medicine
• God of the sun PHOEBUS Apollo
"bright."
• Symbol of classical restraint: "Know
thyself"
Demeter and the abduction of
Persephone by Hades
• Persephone: daughter of Demeter and Zeus
kidnapped by Hades
• Demeter’s grief
• Demeter in Eleusis, nurse of Demophoon, is
interrupted when trying to make him immortal
• Demeter’s anger
• Zeus’ request that P. must return to her mother
• Final compromise
The Eleusinian Procession
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Ritual cleansing
Torches
Fasting and vigil
Hymns and obscene jests
The Sacred Rites
• KYKEON the sacred drink
• Dramatic performance
• The revelation of the hiera, "sacred objects"
HADES
• Roman names: DIS, PLUTO (both names
mean wealth) ORCUS by the Romans
• God of death and agricultural plenty
Three Judges
• MINOS RHADAMANTHUS, and
AEACUS
• Pass sentence on the just and unjust souls.
Identify
Hermes Psychopompus
• Hermes Psychopompus. Hermes as "leader
of the soul" takes our souls, after death, to
Charon
Poussin: Midas and Bacchus
THE BIRTH of Dionysus
• Zeus loved SEMELE, daughter of CADMUS
• Hera convinced Semele to trick Zeus into
revealing himself
• Semele was burned, but their unborn child was
saved by Zeus
• Dionysus was born from Zeus’ thigh and brought
up by nymphs and Semele's sister Ino on a
mountain named Nysa
THE BACCHAE OF
EURIPIDES
• Dionysus comes to Thebes where his religion is
repudiated
• The women of Thebes become possessed by
frenzy
• Deceived by Dionysus, King Pentheus participates
in the rites disguised as a woman
• He is discovered and torn to pieces by the
Bacchae led by his mother AGAVE
THE NATURE OF DIONYSUS
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God of vegetation
God of wine
Represents the irrational in human beings
Dionysiac ecstasy, MANIA, combines the
bestial and the sublime
DIONYSIAC LEXICON
SATYR
MAENAD
BACCHA
THYRSUS OMOPHAGY
THIASUS
part man
and part
animal,
pleasureloving
follower
of D.
a) nymph
from the
retinue of
D.
b) woman
worshiping
D.
a pole
wreathed
with ivy or
vine leaves
congregati
on that
engaged in
omophagy
eating raw
flesh of the
sacrificial
animal
DIONYSUS’ FOLLOWERS
DIONYSUS-ZAGREUS
• Son of Zeus and Persephone
• At Hera’s request the Titans dismembered
and devoured the child
• His heart was saved
• Dionysus was born again through Semele
• People were created from the ashes of the
Titans
THE HOMERIC HYMN TO
HERMES
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Son of Zeus and MAIA
Invented the lyre
Stole Apollo’s cattle
Made the first sacrifice to the 12 Olympians
Reconciled with Apollo
Hermes and Apollo’s Cattle
Hermaphroditus
THE NATURE OF HERMES
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God of shepherds
Patron of thieves and business people
Master of persuasion
Psychopompus
Messenger of the gods
Archetypal trickster
ATTRIBUTES OF HERMES
HERM
FINAL REVIEW
• PART 2: GODS AND HEROES
•
WEEK 4 REVIEW
• ORPHEUS & MYSTERIES
• MYCENAE
• THEBES
THE STORY OF ORPHEUS
AND EURYDICE
• Eurydice died of a snake-bite on her
wedding day
• Her husband the TRACIAN singer
ORPHEUS appealed to the rulers of Hades
• Moved by his music, they granted his
request
ORPHEUS’ DEATH
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Unable to keep his word NOT TO LOOK BACK at
Eurydice before they leave Hades,
Orpheus lost Eurydice again
• He died torn into pieces by the Maenades
Orphic Message…
Is linked both
to Apollo (music and poetry)
AND
to Dionysus (rebirth)
Orphic Myths of Creation
1. PHANES
(= Eros = Dionysus)
hatched from the cosmic egg
2. Phanes gave birth to Night
3. Phanes and Night gave
Birth to Gaia and Uranus
4. Zeus is born from
Cronus and Rhea
5. Zeus swallows the world
MYSTERY RELIGIONS
• Main concern:
• The fundamental mysteries of human
• existence:
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life,
•
death,
•
afterlife
Techniques of Immortality
• Secrets are revealed only to members of the
religious group, the initiates
• They involve a system of beliefs and
principles that assure happiness in afterlife
MYSTERY RELIGIONS OF
ANTIQUITY
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Mysteries of Dionysus
Orphic Mysteries of Dionysus
Eleusinian Mysteries of Demeter
Mysteries of Cybele and Attis
Mysteries of Isis and Osiris
Mysteries of Mitra
Sagas and Cycles
• Saga, or legend = mythological story that
has some basis in history
• Cycle = a cluster of legends concerning a
hero, a family, a tribe, or a city
The background of Greek sagas
• Late Bronze Age communities which
flourished ca. 1600-1100 B.C
The Mycenaean saga
TANTALUS m. Dione
Served his son for dinner
PELOPS m. HIPPODAMIA
Kiled his father-in-law with the help of Myrtilus,
then killed his accomplice
ATREUS m. AEROPE
Served his nephews for dinner
to their father
AGAMEMNON m. CLYTEMNESTRA
A. murdered his daughter,
C. murdred A.
ELECTRA
Took part in the murder of
C. and Ae.
ORESTES
Murdered C. and Ae.
THYESTES m. ?
Seduced his brother's wife,
stole the golden fleece
2 sons
murdered by Atreus,
eaten by Thyestes
IPHIGENIA
Was sacrificed by
Her father Ag.
PELOPIA m. THYESTES
AEGISTHUS
murdred A.
Orestes pursued by the Furies
(Erinyes)
THE SAGAS OF THEBES
CADMUS came to Greece in search of his
sister
EUROPA
Cadmus
• Instructed by the oracle at Delphi, he
founded Cadmeia, later called Thebes.
• Kills a dragon
• Sows its teeth from which sprung the
Spartoi
• Served Ares, married his daughter
Harmonia
CADMUS’ DESCENDANTS
Cadmus' Descendants
CADMUS
AGAUE
m. Echion
SEMELE
m. ZEUS
Polydorus m. Nycteis
PENTHEUS
DIONYSUS
LABDACUS m. ?
Died when Laius is very young
Asks * LYCUS to be the regent
LAIUS m. IOCASTA
Warned by Apollo
expose their son Oe.
POLYBUS and MEROPE
OEDIPUS m. IOCASTA
Unknowingly murdered his father
and married his mother
Blinded himself
POLYNICES
Dies attacking Thebes
ETEOCLES
Dies defending Thebes
ANTIGONE
Dies for having burried Polynices
ISMENE
Dies before having children
* Amphion and Zethus
• Sons of ANTIOPE, the niece of Lycus, and Zeus
• Brought up by a shepherd while Antiope was imprisoned by Lycus and
his wife, DIRCE
• Killed Lycus and tied Dirce to the horns of a bull that dragged her to
her death
• Became rulers of Cadmeia and sent Laius into exile
Amphion and Zethus
Lycus' family
Hyriaos m. Clonia
Nyctaeus m. Polyxo
LYCUS m. DIRCE
ANTIOPE m. Zeus
AMPHION m. NIOBE
6 sons
6 daughters
ZETHUS m. Thebe
Meanwhile Laius…
Oedipus’ and the Sphinx
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Name = Swollen foot
Brought up by Polybus and Merope
Accidentally killed Laius
Solved the Sphinx’ riddle
Married his mother
Oedipus discovers his identity
• Iocasta commits suicide
• Oedipus blinds himself and goes to exile,
accompanied by Antigone
• Iocasta’s brother, Creon becomes king
Seven against Thebes
• Eteocles and Polynices agreed to rule in alternate years
• Eteocles refused to give up the throne
• Polynices raised the army “of seven leaders” and marched
against Thebes
• Both brothers died in a duel
• Disregarding Creon’s orders, Antigone gave Polynices a
symbolic burial
• Creon condemned her to death
Antigone
THE TROJAN SAGAS
• THE ILIAD and
• THE ODYSSEY
LEDA’S CHILDREN
• POLYDEUCES and HELEN were immortal
• CASTOR and CLYTEMNESTRA were
mortal
PARIS or Alexander
• Took Helen as a reward for judging
Aphrodite to be more beautiful than
Hera and Athena…
The Trojan Expedition
• CALCHAS warned Agamemnon that he
would have to sacrifice IPHIGENIA
TROJANS
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HECTOR
Leading Trojan warrior
Wife: ANDROMACHE; son: ASTYANAX
AENEAS
Son of Aphrodite and Anchises
led a band of survivors to Italy
GREEKS
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DIOMEDES
With Athena’s help wounded Ares
GREATER AJAX
Strongest after Achilles
Defended the corpse of Patroclus
Was defeated by Odysseus in the contest for the arms of Achilles
The Illiad
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Agamemnon gives back CHRYSEÏS
but takes BRISEIS from Achilles
2. Achilles withdraws from the battle
3. Trojans are successful
4. Patroclus joins the battle; Hector kills him
5. Achilles returns to battle and kills Hector
6. Priam ransoms Hector’s body
Later events
Trojan Horse
Neglected Prophecies
• Cassandra’s warnings were not believed
• LAOCOÖN, priest of Apollo protested
• Poseidon sent two sea-monsters to murder
Laokoon and his sons.
The Fall of Troy
• Priam was butchered by Neoptolemus, son
of Achilles
• Astyanax, was thrown from the walls
ODYSSEY
Telemachus’ Journey
• Helped by Athena, he goes to Pylos and
Sparta to find out news of Odysseus from
Nestor, Menelaüs and Helen.
The final stage of Odysseus’
journey
• After the death of all his companions spends
7 years on Ogygia, the island of Calypso
before Zeus decides to release him
• He leaves the island on a raft and reaches
the Phaeacians
• The Phaeacians send him home
Ithaca
• On Ithaca, he finds his wife harassed by
suitors
• He enters his house in disguise and kills all
suitors
Odysseus’ Story
• Told to the Phaecians
The Lotus-Eaters
Polyphemus
Poseidon’s curse
• Tied under sheep, three men escaped and
went back to their ship.
• As they sailed away, Odysseus shouted out
his real name.
• Polyphemus prayed to Poseidon for
vengeance
Aeolus
• Aeolus king of winds gave Odysseus a bag
holding all the winds
• Just as their ships were approaching Ithaca,
the crew opened the bag.
• The winds blew them back to Aeolus, who
refused to help
The Laestrygonians
Circe
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The surviving ship sailed to Aeaea, home of CIRCE
She transformed three of Odysseus' crew into pigs
Odysseus himself resisted her and became her lover
After a year, Circe let him go
Underworld
• At the entrance of Hades Odysseus talked
with many spirits of the dead
• Teiresias gave him instructions
The Sirens
lured sailors onto the rocks
Between Scylla and Charybdis.
• CHARYBDIS sucked in the water three
times daily
• SCYLLA snatched six sailors and ate them
• Odysseus chose Scylla
The Cattle of Helius
• Odysseus’ men killed some of Helius’ cattle
• Zeus raised a storm that sank the ship
• Sole survivor, Odysseus drifted to Ogygia