1.7 Underworld Flashcards
Who went to the Underworld?
All of the dead.
Which Olympians could enter the underworld?
Hermes and Dionysus
Who ruled the Underworld?
Persephone and Hades
Why could Hermes visit the Underworld?
Because he was the messenger god.
Why could Dionysus visit the Underworld?
Because of his birth.
Which famous heroes visited the underworld before death?
Heracles, Odysseus and Aeneas.
Where would the myths around the underworld be told?
At funerals. They were popular funerary motifs and monuments.
Why would Underworld Myths be told at funerals?
So that the dead can hope that they too will reach the Underworld, and gain favour from the king and queen.
What were the homeric hymns?
A set of 33 lined poems dedicated to the gods, written in the style of Homer (not sure whether he composed them though)
Why did Homeric Hymns change so often?
Because they were part of an Oral tradition.
How would one identify a god?
Using epithets.
What were the main themes in homeric hymns? /4
Relationship between the gods
relationships between human and gods
the gods could affect men, but required them for sacrifice and prayer.
the gods explaining natural phenomena.
Questions on Homeric Hymn to Demeter (use source)
What impression do you get from Persephone? /2
Naive
Protected
Strong faith in father - wailed for Zeus.
Questions on Homeric Hymn to Demeter (use source)
Why might Helios and Hecate been the only people to hear her? /2
Hades may have passed hecate’s cave on the way to the Underworld.
Helios hears and sees everything as sun god.
Questions on Homeric Hymn to Demeter (use source)
What impression do we get of Demeter?
Beautiful, Cares a lot for daughter, powerful.
