MYTHOLOGY
VOCABULARY
Background Knowledge
1. MATRIARCHAL
A matriarchy is a society in which females,
especially mothers, have the central roles of
political leadership, moral authority, and control
of property. This society was evident in
mythological times.
EX: THE AMAZON
 A legendary matriarchy related by classical Greek writers was the
Amazon society, most notable the Amazon women: "frequently
hunting on horseback with their husbands; in war
taking the field; and wearing the very same dress as the
men". Moreover, said Herodotus, "[n]o girl shall wed
till she has killed a man in battle".
2. PATRIARCHAL
a social system in which the male acts as the primary
authority figure central to social organization, and where
fathers hold authority over women, children, and property.
This type of society was much more prevalent in the early
years of our nation’s birth, and - to some extent – still holds
true today for some families, religions, and cultures.
GREEK: MALE VS. FEMALE
 A prominent Greek general Meno sums up the prevailing Greek
sentiment about the respective virtues of men and women. He says:
 “Let us take first the virtue of a man—he should know how to
administer the state, and in the administration of it to benefit his
friends and harm his enemies; and he must also be careful not to
suffer harm himself. A woman's virtue, if you wish to know about
that, may also be easily described: her duty is to order her house,
and keep what is indoors, and obey her husband."
3.AGRARIAN
 relating to land, land tenure, or the division
of landed property: agrarian laws.
Agriculture was hugely important during
mythological times.
IN GREECE…
Hesiod & Aristotle promoted agrarian ideas.
Even more influential were such Roman thinkers as
Cato, Cicero, Horace, and Virgil. They all praised
the virtues of a life devoted to the tilling of the
soil.
4.ARETE
Skill or talent that a hero possesses.
IN HOMERIC POEMS…
Areté is frequently associated with bravery, but more often,
with effectiveness. The man or woman of Areté is a person
of the highest effectiveness; they use all their faculties:
strength, bravery, wit, and deceptiveness, to achieve real
results. In the Homeric world, then, Areté involves all of
the abilities available to humans.
5. ATE
The action performed by the hero, usually
because of hubris (excessive pride), that
often leads to his or her death or downfall.
The hero’s weakness
6.HUBRIS
extreme pride or arrogance
IN ANCIENT GREECE…
Hubris referred to actions that
shamed and humiliated the victim for
the pleasure or gratification of the
abuser.
7. HOMER
The believed author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, Homer is
revered as the greatest of ancient Greek epic poets. These epics lie
at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had
an enormous influence on the history of literature. In ancient
times, these great works were spoken and passed down through the
ages. Even more amazing to note is that Homer was blind.
8.EPIC
a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily
concerning a serious subject containing
details of heroic deeds and events significant
to a culture or nation.
EPICS WERE OFTEN
TOLD…
Orally
Through Song
9. ARCHETYPE
 A universally understood symbol, term, or
pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which
others are copied, patterned, or emulated.
Archetypes are often used in myths and storytelling
across different cultures.
10. MOTIF
Any recurring element in a story that
has symbolic significance, or the
reason behind actions
11. PANDORA’S BOX
The "box" was given to Pandora and it
contained all the evils of the world.
Curiosity led her to open the box, letting out
evil.
Spirit of hope remained in the box.
12. ACHILLES HEEL
A deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, that
can actually or potentially lead to downfall. While the
mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability,
idiomatic references to other attributes or qualities that can
lead to downfall are common.
WHEN ACHILLES WAS A
BABY…
 It was foretold that he would die in battle. To prevent his death, his
mother Thetis took Achilles to the River Styx which was supposed to
offer powers of invulnerability and dipped his body into the water.
But as Thetis held Achilles by the heel, his heel was not washed over
by the water of the magical river. Achilles grew up to be a man of war
who survived many great battles. But one day, a poisonous arrow shot
at him was lodged in his heel, killing him shortly after.
NEMESIS
the spirit of divine retribution
(revenge) against those who succumb
to hubris (arrogance before the gods).
14.
NARCISSISM
In everyday speech, "narcissism"
often means egotism, vanity,
conceit, or simple selfishness.
THE WORD NARCISSISM…
 Comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus. Narcissus was a
handsome Greek youth who rejected the desperate advances of
the nymph Echo. These advances eventually led Narcissus to fall in
love with his own reflection in a pool of water, thereby realizing a
prophecy foretold at his birth. Unable to consummate his love,
Narcissus "lay gazing enraptured into the pool, hour after hour",
and finally changed into a flower that bears his name, the narcissus.
15.MUSE
the goddesses of inspiration for
literature, science and the arts.
16. HOMERIC SIMILE
A detailed comparison in the form of a simile that is
many lines in length.
The typical Homeric simile makes a comparison to some
kind of event, in the form "like a ____ when it ______." The
object of the comparison is usually something familiar to the
audience, such as an animal or the weather.
17. ORACLE
 A person or agency considered to be a
source of wise counsel or prophetic
predictions of the future, inspired by the
gods.
18. PROPHECY
Prophecy is a process in which
one or more messages that have
been communicated to a prophet[1]
are then communicated to others.
19. EPITHET
A descriptive term (word or phrase)
accompanying or occurring in place of a
name and having entered common usage.
Ex: Alexander the Great