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Greek Mythology > Exam 3 > Flashcards

Exam 3 Flashcards

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1
Q

Europa

A

Agenor’s (son of Zeus and Io) daughter
Zeus fell in love with her and came to her as a bull to seduce her
she climbed onto him and he carried her away
when Agenor discovered that his daughter was missing, he instructed his 3 sons to search for Europa and not return without her
Zeus and Europa had several children including Minos

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2
Q

Minos

A

Zeus and Europa’s son
he and his brothers fell in love with the same boy until he drove his brothers away
and then claimed the throne for himself
asked that a bull should rise from the seas as a sign of his election and he would sacrifice it to Poseidon
when a bull did rise, it was very beautiful so he sacrificed a different bull instead
married Pasiphae

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3
Q

Pasiphae

A

Minos married her and they had Ariadne, Phaedra and the prince Androgeus
Poseidon angered that Minos had not sacrificed the bull, contrived a punishment
he caused Minos’s wife Pasiphae to fall in love with the bull
Pasiphae confided her problem to Daedalus who made a wooden cow for her allowing her to have sex with the queen
the fruit of the union was the Minotaur

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4
Q

Daedalus

A

Pasiphae (Minos’s wife) confided in him that she was lusting (Posidon’s punishment) after the bull (that rose from the sea)
and he made a wooden cow so she could have sex with it
the fruit of the union was a Minotaur

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5
Q

Minotaur

A

a man eating monster with the head of a bull and body of a man
shamed by his wife’s behavior, Minos ordered Daedalus to build a maze and imprisoned the Minotaur there

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6
Q

Labyrinth

A

a complez maze with windings and turning built by Daedalus where Minos imprisoned the Minotaur

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7
Q

Icarus

A

Minos was enraged when he learned that his daughter (Ariadne) had helped Theseus escape so he imprisoned Daedalus and his son Icarus inside the Labyrinth that Daedalus had built himself
Daedalus made wings out of feathers and wax for them both to escape from but Icarus flew too high and the wax on his wings melted and he fell to his death

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8
Q

Cocalus

A

Daedalus fled to Cocalus’ court
Minos came to hsi court and demanded that Cocalus hand over Daedalus
Cocalus agreed but invited Minos to join them for dinner first
when Minos went to bathe before the feast, Cocalus’ daughters filled the tub with boiling water, burning him to death

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9
Q

Scylla

A

When Minos tried to attack Nisus, his daughter Scylaa saw the handsome Minos in the distance and fell instantly in love with him
she sent him a secret message that she could cut her father’s purple lock (Nisus was invulnerable as long as he had a certain purple lock) as long as Minos married her
Minos agreed but when the city fell he spurned her
her love turned to hate and she dived into the sea, swam and overtook the ship, clung to the stern
Nisus turned into an osprey, swooped down on her with talons extended
she fell back into the waves and turned into a bird called “the shearer” (Ciris) because she had sheared her father’s hair
in this form, she escaped

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10
Q

Boeotia

A

the principal city on this plane is Thebes

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11
Q

Sparti

A

“sown men”

the ancestors of the principal aristocratic families of Thebes

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12
Q

Antiope

A

Zeus seduced her, and she became pregnant
shamed by her misdeed, her father Nycteus drove Antiope from Thebes
she took refuge with a king of Sicyon in Peloponnesus and married him
still ashamed of his daughter, Nycteus commanded his brother to avenge the family honor and killed himself
His brother then killed the King of Sicyon who had married Antiope, and dragged Antiope back to Thebes
on the way Antiope crawled into some bushes and gave birth, then returned to her uncle, leaving the twins behind
a shephard found them and raised them, naming them Amphion and Zethus

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13
Q

Amphion and Zethus

A

the twins Antiope bore from Zeus
Antiope had to give birth to them and abandon them in bushes when her uncle was dragging her back to Thebes
Zethus was a cattle breeder, a man of action and practical affairs, he scorned Amphion who spent his time practicing the lyre
both brothers built the walls of Thebes and ruled together in harmony

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14
Q

Dirce

A

Antiope’s uncle’s wife to whom her uncle handed her too
Dirce hated Antiope, locked her in a cell and tortured her daily
Eventually Antiope escaped and fled to the mountains and by chance took refuge in the hut of Amphion and Zethus
Somehow they recognized her and eager fro renege tracked down Dirce, tied her to a bull and dragged her to her death
also killed Antiope’s uncle, Dirce’s husband

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15
Q

Laius

A

took refuge in the court of Pelops and fell in love with Pelops’ son (Chirysippus)
lured him out of town and raped him
for his violation of xenia Pelops cursed Laius and he fled back to Thebes
married Jocusta
learned from an oracle that he would die at the hands of his own son so when Jocusta bore a son he orders him to be killed but a shephard gives the boy to a friend who gives him to Polybus, the king of Corinth
the child was named Oedipus

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16
Q

Jocusta

A

wife of Laius

biological mother of Oedipus, and later his wife

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17
Q

Oedipus

A

an oracle told him he was going to kill his father and marry his mother so he fled to Thebes, vowing never to return to Corinth
on the way he accidentally kills his biological father Laius
solves a riddle set by the Sphinx, saving Thebes, then married the queen and became king
had 2 sons: Polynices and Eteocles
and 2 daughters: Antigone and Ismene

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18
Q

Polynices

A

son of Oedipis

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19
Q

Etocles

A

son of Oedipus

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20
Q

Antigone

A

daughter of Oedipus

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21
Q

Ismene

A

daughter of Oedipus

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22
Q

Adrastus

A

king of Argos
married his daughter to Polynices (Oedipus’ son)
and agreed to restore Polynices to his kingdom (Thebes)

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23
Q

Amphiaraus

A

was a seer
realized that everyone except Adrastus was going to die if they attacked Thebes
opposed attacking Thebes
but his efforts were in vain
to make Amphiaraus happy Adratus had him marry his sister Eriphyle

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24
Q

Eriphyle

A

Adrastus married her to Amphiarus (the seer)
decided that they would go to war on Thebes (which Aphiarus was against) when Polynices bribed her with the necklace of Harmonia

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25
Q

Epigoni

A

In Greek mythology, Epigoni are the sons of the Argive heroes who had fought and been killed in the first Theban war, the subject of the Thebaid, in which Polynices and six allies (the Seven Against Thebes) attacked Thebes because Polynices’ brother, Eteocles, refused to give up the throne as promised.
The second Theban war, also called the war of the Epigoni, occurred ten years later, when the Epigoni, wishing to avenge the death of their fathers, attacked Thebes.

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26
Q

Thessaly

A

the widest plain in Greece
best known as the birthplace of Achilles
later it was backward socially but famed for its horses and horse-breeders

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27
Q

Iolcus

A

was a Bronze age city

traces of 2 Mycenaean palaces have been found there

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28
Q

Apollonius of Rhodes

A

most important literary version of the voyage of Argonauts

whose account we generally follow

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29
Q

Jason

A

his parents spread a rumor that he was stillborn to protect him from his uncle who wanted supreme power
sent him to Chiron, the wise centaur to be raised
he named him Jason
Married Medea, daughter or Aeetes, who helped him obtain the golden fleece

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30
Q

Phrixus

A

son of Athamas
Ino (Athamas’ second wife) tricked Athamas into almost killing Phrixus but he was saved by a golden ram apprearing right before Athamas stabbed him
the golden ram carried both him and his sister Helle away

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31
Q

Phrixus

A

son of Athamas
Ino (Athamas’ second wife) tricked Athamas into almost killing Phrixus but he was saved by a golden ram apprearing right before Athamas stabbed him
the golden ram carried both him and his sister Helle away
married one of Aeetes’ daughter

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32
Q

Helle

A

Athamas’s daughter
was carried away by the golden ram that appreared right before Athamas stabbed Phrixus (her brother) with Phrixus
but she lost her grip on the ram and fell to her death in a spot that’s still called Hellespont

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33
Q

Hellespont

A

the spot where Helle fell to her death (Athamas’ daughter)

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34
Q

Colchis

A

this is where the golden ram carrying Phrixus landed

here the tyrant Aeetes rules

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35
Q

Aeetes

A

tyrant
rules Colchis, where Phrixus’s golden ram landed
Phrixus sacrificed the ram to him and Aeetes gave one of his daughters to him to marry
had the golden fleece
Medea’s father

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36
Q

Pelias

A 
was arrogant and intolerant
aspired to supreme power over Thessaly
even drove out his own brother
fathered several daughters
imprisoned his half brother (Aeson)

sent Jason on the quest for the golden fleece because it was said that Jason would bring about his downfall

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37
Q

Chiron

A

the wise centaur to whom Aeson and his wife sent their son to to protect him from Aeson’s half brother Pelias who was a tyrant and wanted supreme power
Chiron named him Jason, taught him the arts of civilized life and raised him to manhood

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38
Q

Argo

A

Jason had Argo construct the largest ship ever made, could hold 50 men
was called Argo after its creator
the ship Jason used to go on his adventure

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39
Q

Boreads

A

sons of Boreas
are the wind brothers
accompanied Jason on his adventure on the Argo (ship)

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40
Q

Phineus

A

was a king in a terrible plight when Jason and his fellow heroes (the Argonauts) got to his land
he had abused the gift of prophecy recieved from Apollo
so Zeus gave him the burden of a long and painful old age, took his sight from him and denied him enjoyment thorough Harpies who would take his food from his fingers and mouth
Phineus agreed to give Jason the exact information for his course if he hot rid of the Harpies for him, which they did

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41
Q

Symplegades

A

“clashing rocks”
massive rumbling rocks which lay in impenetrable mist, smashed tigether and destroyed everything between them
before getting through, the Agronauts were advised by Phineus to release a dove. if it got through the rocks, they could too but if it died they should abandon their quest
but the dove lived, and the Argonauts were able to get through

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42
Q

Medea

A

sorceress
was part of Hera’s complicated plan to destroy Pelias
persuaded Aphrodite to make Medea fall in love with Jason,
so Medea then helped Jason get the golden fleece from her father Aeetes in exchange for Jason marrying her, to which he agreed
also murdered her brother Apsyrtus who was persuing the Argonauts when they were trying to get away

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43
Q

Apsyrtus

A

Medea’s brother

murdered by her when he was pursuing the Argonauts on his father (Aeetes’) orders, in an effort to slow Aeetes down

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44
Q

Talus

A

bronze giant
ran around the island of Crete looking for strangers to attack
Medea killed him to help Jason and the Argonauts

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45
Q

Aetolia

A

the district north of the entrance to the gulf of Corinth

captial was Calydon

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46
Q

Calydon

A

captial of Aetolia

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47
Q

Meleager

A

son of the king in the days of Heracles
when he was born, the fates appeared
2 of them blessed him, the third pointed to a log burning in the fireplace and said that he would die when it was consumed with fire
his mother extinguished the log and hid it
years laters when he had grown up, a hunting party was hunting a wild boar sent by Artemis because Meleager’s father had offended her
Meleager struck the killing blow to the boar, but with the help of Atalanta, a woman but famous female athlete
Meleager lusted after her so he gave her the pelt, but his uncles didn’t want a woman having it so they took it. in the scuffle that ensued, the uncles died
Meleager’s mother, in a fit of rage toward her son, took the log she had hidden and burned it, thus killing him

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48
Q

Atalanta

A

famous female athlete
her father had wanted boys so had exposed her at birth but a he-bear found her and suckled her and hunters raised her
like Artemis, she only cared for hunting
she joined the boar hunt, and though many objected to the presence of a woman, Meleager was attracted to her so he allowed her to partake in it
she ended up helping him kill the boar

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49
Q

Pelops

A

Tantalus invited the gods to a banquet then chopped up his son Pelops and served his pieves in a stew to test their omniscience
all the gods recognized the dish at once as human flesh and rejected it except demeter (preoccupied with the dissapearence of Persephone, her daughter) ate his shoulder accidently
won the unwinnable contest set by Oenomaus for his daughter’s (Hippodamia’s) hand

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50
Q

Oenomaus

A

ruled as king over Pisa
was in love with his own beautiful daughter Hippodamia, who refused sexual relations with him, but he prevented her from marrying anyone else by offering her as a prize in an unwinnable contest

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51
Q

Myrtilus

A

King Oenomaus’ charioteer,
Pelops bribed him bu promising him the first night in bed with Hippodamia if he helped him win the race
later after Pelops won the contest and Myrtilus tried to bed Hippodamia, Pelops killed him by throwing hims from a towering crag into the sea,
he cursed Pelops and all his line as he fell

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52
Q

Hippodamia

A

king Oenomaus’ daughter whom he was in love with but she refused to have sexual relations with him
so he prevented her from marrying by offering her hand in an unwinnable contest

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53
Q

Thyestes

A

father of Aegisthus (through his own daughter)
Atreus’ brother, with whom he competed with for the Mycenaean throne
was having an affair with Atreus’s wife, for which Atreus later punishes him by feeding him his sons after Atreus had become king
an oracle told him that the way for Thyestes to get back at Atreus for that was by having a son with his daughter -whom he later accidentally rapes

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54
Q

Aegisthus

A

Thyestes’ son through his own daughter

stabs and kills Atreus after he finds out that Thyestes was his actual father

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55
Q

Atreus

A

brother of Thyestes with whom he competed for the Mycenaean throne and won
father or Menelaus and Agamemnon
fed Thyestes his sons in revenge for him having an affair with his wife
later also tries to have him killed

56
Q

Menelaus

A

son of Atreus who with his brother Agamemnon drags Thyestes (their uncle) back to their father Atreus to be killed

57
Q

Agamemnon

A

son of Atreus who with his brother Menelaus drags Thyestes (their uncle) back to their father Atreus to be killed (for sleeping woth Atreus’ wife)

58
Q

Tyndareus

A

king of sparta
was sympathetic to Agamemnon and Menelaus’ cause after they get driven away by Thyestes
raised an army for them, allowing them to drive Thyestes from the land
Agamemnon then becoms king

59
Q

Leda

A

wife of Tyndareus (who was sympathetic to Amamemnon and Menelaus)
was very beautiful, so Zeus appeared to her in the form of a swan and had his way with her
Tyndareus also had intercourse with her that same night and she gave birth to 4 children: Polydeuces, Helen, fathered by Zeus were semidivine
and Castor and Clytemnestra fathered by Tyndareus who were mortal

60
Q

Cator and Polydeuces

A

were inseperable
when Castor was killed in a cattle raid, the grieving Polydeuces gave up half his immortality to Castor, On alternate days the brothers lived in Hades, and then on Olympus

61
Q

Clytemnestra

A

daughter of Leda by Zeus (who appeared to her as a swan)

was married to Agamemnon, and later murdered him

62
Q

oath of Tyndareus

A

an oath that they would protect and defend whichever Suitor of Helen was chosen. No hero of note would break such an oath, and even if someone did, then they would have to face the force of the other Suitors who were bound to protect Helen’s husband.

63
Q

Helen

A

daughter of Leda and Zeus
was the most beautiful woman in the world
the richest and best born young men from all of greece gathered for her hand, prompting Tyndareus to ask them all to swear the “oath of Tyndareus”

64
Q

Peleus

A

he and his brother Telamon envied their half-brother Phocus for his superior athletic ability that they murdered him
for their crimes they were exiled by their father
Zeus arranged for him to marry Thetis
Peleus found Thetis and pinned her down until she agreed to marry him
and Hera, thankful that Thetis didn’t sleep with Zeus arranged for a very splendid wedding for them
fathered Achilles

65
Q

Ajax

A

son of Telamon, he and his brother Peleus murdered their half-brother Phocus for his superior athletic ability and were exiled
Ajax was a suitor of Helen and one of the greatest heroes of the Trojan war

66
Q

Hecabe

A

she bore Hector, destined to be the greatest fighterif the Trojans
when she became pregnant a seer said the child would cause the city’s destruction
her husband (Priam) ordered the child exposed on Mount Ida but a shephard found him and raised him as Paris
When the child grew up he took down a band of robbers by himself
Hermes asked him which goddess was the fairest: Hera, Athena or Aphrodite
he chose Aphrodite as she promised him the most beautiful woman in the world- Helen

67
Q

Aulis

A

where all the old suitors of Helen gathered after the Oath of Tyndareus was invoked after Paris stole Helen

68
Q

Palamedes

A

knew that Odysseus was faking being mad in order to not have to fight in the trojan war
he placed Odysseus’ son in front of the blade of the plow Odysseus was following to prove he wasn’t mad
Odysseus got back at him by framing him for betraying the greeks
he was stoned to death

69
Q

Calchas

A

prophet of the greek exhibition for the trojan war

declared that the greeks would never take Troy without the help of Achilles

70
Q

Philoctetes

A

a snake bit him and the wound festered and smelled so much that the other warriors left him behind on an island
he survived only by the bow that he recieved from heracles as a reward for lighting his pyre with which he shot small game

71
Q

Chryseis

A

her father came to the Greek camp to ransom his daughter from Agamemnon who had received her as booty from the war
though he was urged to give her up, Agamemnon wouldn’t so Chryseis’ father asked Apollo for help and Apollo did, and so the greeks fought the war for nine years without victory and it was announced that the only way they would win was if she was returned

72
Q

Briseis

A

Achilles prize whom Agamemnon was given to him in exchange for Agamemnon giving up Chryseis (his own war booty)

73
Q

Andromache

A

wife of Hector
During the Trojan War, after Hector was killed by Achilles and the city taken by the Greeks, the Greek killed Astyanax, her son by Hector, by throwing him from the city walls. This act was carried out by Neoptolemus who then took Andromache as a concubine

74
Q

Astyanax

A

Hector and Andromache’s son

was thrown from the city walls after Achilles killed Hector and the city was taken

75
Q

Neoptolemus

A

Achilles’ son, conceived when Achilles was still in the women’s quarters, and had to join the army because as the war dragged on, the greatest heroes on both sides were dead
carried Polyxena, youngest daughter of Priam to the tomb of his father Achilles and cut her throat over it, the blood pouring into it to quench the dead warrior’s thirst

76
Q

Laocoon

A

a priest of Poseidon, suspected that the trojan horse was a trick and held warriors, and tried to destroy it
but 2 serpents arose from the sea and strangled him and his 2 sons

77
Q

Polyxena

A

youngest daughter of Priam
Neoptolemus carried her to the tomb of his father Achilles and cut her throat over it, the blood pouring into it to quench the dead warrior’s thirst

78
Q

Nostoi

A

a genre of ancient epic that told of the returns of heroes from Troy and all that happened to them
these were called Nostoi or “homecomings”

79
Q

Oresteia

A

Agamemnon’s return to Argos, his murder by Clytemnestra, and Orestes’ revenge are known to us through Aeschylus’ dramatic trilogy called the Oresteia

80
Q

Orestes

A

Agamemnon’s son
was taken as a child to be raised near Delphi
ordered by the delphic oracle he returned to avenge the murder of his father Clytemnestra

81
Q

Electra

A

Orestes’ sister

plots to kill her mother Clytemnestra with her brother for murdering their father

82
Q

Furies

A

the persecuting spirits of murdered kin

they surrounded Orestes when he killed his mother and drove him mad

83
Q

Eumenides

A

Athena appeases the furies by assigning them permanent place in Athens as beneficent spirits, no longer malignant
hence their new name the Eumenides, “the kindly ones”

84
Q

Lotus Eaters

A

violent winds blew the greeks (after the trojan war) out of the everyday world and into the mythical land of the lotus eaters
the local inhabitants consume a drug that makes them forgetful of their home and their purpose

85
Q

polyphemus

A

a cyclops
Odysseus lands on the island of the Cyclops during his journey home from the Trojan War and, together with some of his men, enters a cave filled with provisions. When the giant Polyphemus returns home with his flocks, he blocks the entrance with a great stone and, scoffing at the usual custom of hospitality, eats two of the men. Next morning, the giant kills and eats two more and leaves the cave to graze his sheep.\After the giant returns in the evening and eats two more of the men, Odysseus offers Polyphemus some strong and undiluted wine given to him earlier on his journey. Drunk and unwary, the giant asks Odysseus his name, promising him a guest-gift if he answers. Odysseus tells him “nobody”[2] and Polyphemus promises to eat this “Nobody” last of all. With that, he falls into a drunken sleep. Odysseus had meanwhile hardened a wooden stake in the fire and now drives it into Polyphemus’ eye. When Polyphemus shouts for help from his fellow giants, saying that “Nobody” has hurt him, they think Polyphemus is being afflicted by divine power and recommend prayer as the answer.

In the morning, the blind Cyclops lets the sheep out to graze, feeling their backs to ensure that the men are not escaping. However, Odysseus and his men have tied themselves to the undersides of the animals and so get away. As he sails off with his men, Odysseus boastfully reveals his real name, an act of hubris that was to cause problems for him later.

86
Q

Aeolus

A

the wind king
gave Odysseus a special gift in accordance with xenia: a bag containing fierce winds, that they were not supposed to open
after the Greeks leave his island, and Odysseus falls asleep, his men open the bag in greed thinking it contained gold, and a storm is unleashed on them, blowing them back to the Island of Aeolus

87
Q

Laestrygonians

A

the greeks arrived on this island
they were cannibals
the king’s daughter meets them and guides them to the king who eats one of them
other Laestrygonians harpoon the wiggling men and eat them alive
all the ships are destroyed except for Odysseus’ and his lucky crew who cleverly moored their vessel outside the entrance of to the harbor

88
Q

Circe

A

Odysseus’ crew reaches this island and half his men go to investigate and discover a sorceress Circe who sings to them, gives them a potion and turns them into pigs
Odysseus who had stayed on his ship goes alone to take care of her
on his way Hermes apprears to him and gives him a magic herb that makes him resistant to Circe’s potion
she asks him if he is Odysseus as a prophecy foretold that a man would one day defy her magic
she invites him to her bed, but first he makes her sware not to harm him
she restores his men, and they spend a year on the island feasting before deciding to return home

89
Q

Sirens

A

half women half birds whose song no man can resist
Circe warned him of them
so he has his men stop up their ears with wax and orders them to bind him to the mast, so that when he hears them, and cries out they will know its the sirens and bind him to the mast tighter until they pass safely

90
Q

Charybdis

A

an enormous whirlpool that sucks down and spits up torrents of water 3 times a day

91
Q

Scylla

A

a 12ft monster, misshapen with 6 long necks each with its own head
she holds her heads out of caves and snatches up sailors
Odysseus’ crew passes by her and she eats some of them

92
Q

Calypso

A

Odysseus lives with her for 7 years
Calypso is a beautiful nymph who loves him and offers him eternal life if he marries her, but since he longs for home and his wife, he refuses
Athena, his protectress asks Zeus to release Odysseus from his suffering at the hands of Poseidon (for blinding his son) and Zeus consents

93
Q

Phaeacians

A

island ofPhaeacians where Odysseus drifts ashore
Posiedon sees him there and still angry at him for blinding Polyphemus his son, sends a great storm his way
his raft breaks and throws Odysseus into the sea

94
Q

Nausicaa

A

adolescent daughter of the Phaeacian king who sees Odysseus when doing her laundry by the shore,
she and her maids bathe him and cloth him and her father recieves Odysseus at court where he tells his stories

95
Q

Telemachus

A

Odysseus’ only son

in danger of his mother’s suitors who wanted to marry her behind Odysseus’ back

96
Q

Argus

A

Odysseus’ faithful dog

was very old when Odysseus returned from war and dropped dead from excitment at Odysseus’s return

97
Q

Antonous

A

the suitors led by Antinous revile the beggar that is Odysseus in disguise
they complain how Penelope (Odysseus’ wife) promised to marry one of them but now refuses

98
Q

Euryclea

A

an old nurse who sucled Odysseus when he was an infant, was told by Penelope to wash the begger (Odysseus) and she recognizes him

99
Q

numina

A

roman deities

spirits that can inhabit almost any object or serve almost any function, petty or grand

100
Q

Janus

A

one of the best known numina
“gate”
a numen of bridges, hence going forth and returning
was represented as a man with 2 faces, one looking forwards, the other back

101
Q

Jupiter

A

originally numen of the sky
identical to Zeus
was worshipped in many manifestations
became the incarnation of the striking power of the Roman state

102
Q

Juno

A

numen who presided over women as members of family
equated with Hera
had close ties to the moon

103
Q

Ceres

A

numen of wheat

equated with Demeter

104
Q

Diana

A

the Roman Artemis
in origin, was the spirit of the wood, as the goddess of the hunt, the moon, and nature being associated with wild animals and woodland,

105
Q

Mercury

A

Hermes equivalent

no Italian heritage

106
Q

Vulcan

A

identified with Haphaestus

god of volcanic and other forms of destructive fire

107
Q

Neptune

A

numen of water (although not specificallythe sea until identified with Posiedon

108
Q

Mars

A

assimilated with greek Ares

closely associated with the wolf, he may have once protected flocks or been a primordial god of war

109
Q

Minerva

A

numen of handicrafts

associated with greek Athena

110
Q

Faunus

A

“kindly one”

numne of unreasoning terror of the lonely forest and so identified with Pan

111
Q

Venus

A

was once numen of freshwater, especially springs
since water is essential for growth of tplants etc Venus under greek influence also took animal fertility and human fertility under her protection

112
Q

Hercules

A

to hercules belongs the earliest form of foreign cult at Rome
the form of his name reflects westrn pronunciation

113
Q

Lares

A

protective deity
began as protective ghosts of fertile fields, then came to protect all kinds of places such as homes, streets, cities
were worshiped in small shrines at crossroads where the boundries of 4 farms came together
fixed at a specific location, not portable

114
Q

Penates

A

imilar to Lares
protected household things
were portable, while Lares were not

115
Q

Vesta

A

corresponds to Greek Hestia
protectress of hearth and home
6 vestal virgis served her, each chosen from the great families
served for 30 years starting at the age of 7
could marry afterwards, but few did

116
Q

pietas

A

refers to the extraordinary devotion one shows first to the pater-familias, then by extension to the abstraction of the state itself and its gods

117
Q

Dido

A

queen of Carthage
fell in love with Aeneas (founder of Roman race)
but he abandoned her, and she kills herself

118
Q

Iulus

A

son of Aeneas (founder of Roman race)
was claimed as ancestor by the Julian clan to which Julius Ceaser and Augustus belonged
he left Lavininium (founded by his father) and founded the town Alba Longa

119
Q

Romulus and Remus

A

descendants of Aeneas
born in Alba Longa (founded by Aeneas’ son Iulus)
founded the city of Rome
grew up and became great hunters, first of animals and then of bandits

120
Q

Turnus

A

king of Rutulians
was betrothed to Lavinia but a prophecy directed that she be given to a foreigner instead so her father promises her to Aeneas
Aeneas accepts and war errupts, where in the end Aeneas kills him

121
Q

Rhea Silvia

A

she was the daughter of Numitor, king of Alba Longa, and descended from Aeneas. Numitor’s younger brother Amulius seized the throne and killed Numitor’s son, then forced Rhea Silvia to become a Vestal Virgin, a priestess of the goddess Vesta. As Vestal Virgins were sworn to celibacy for a period of thirty years, this would ensure the line of Numitor had no heirs.
However, Rhea Silvia conceived and gave birth to the twins Romulus and Remus. She claimed that the god Mars was the father of the children. Livy says that she was raped by an unknown man, but “declared Mars to be the father of her illegitimate offspring,
When Amulius learned of the birth he imprisoned Rhea Silvia and ordered a servant to kill the twins. But the servant showed mercy and set them adrift on the river Tiber, which, overflowing, left the infants in a pool by the bank. There, a she-wolf (lupa), who had just lost her own cubs, suckled them

122
Q

Sabines

A

during a festival large crowds of people flocked to Rome from neighboring latin towns including a people called the Sabines who lived in the hills
as soon as the festival began the Romans rushed into the crowd and seized the young Sabine women for the Romans living in Rome and their communities to grow

123
Q

Tarpeia

A

the king of Sabines made war on the romans for stealing their women
and gained entry by bribing Tarpeia, daughter of a Roman comander (or because she fell in love with Titus Tatius (King of the Sabines) and then was murdered by the Sabiens upon entering Rome

124
Q

apotheosis

A

“the process of becoming a god”
the spirit of every ruler after Ceaser and Agustus until Constantine’s adoption of Christanity in AD 337, was elevated to godhood
Imperial apotheosis apperas at the beginning of a new era of peace for Rome and also at the close of decades of horrendous bloody civil war

125
Q

Horatii and the Curiatii

A

the romans were at war against their parent city of Alba Longa
they agreed to decide the dispute by a duel between 3 romans and 3 alban brothers, the Horatii and the Curiatii
the fighting began and 2 of the Roman Horatii were killed, and the remaining one ran, but managed to kill his opponents
this inspiring lesson in Roman steadfastness was marred when the survivng Horiatus returned home, saw his sister weeping for a Curiatii she was betrohed to and killed her
he was tried for murder but aquitted

126
Q

Tarquin the proud

A

one of Servuis Tullius’ (king of Rome) daughter Tullia, was as wicked as Clytemnestra
began a passionate love affair with her brother inlaw, Tarquin the proud, the last king of Rome
and asked him to kill her sister (his wife) and his brother (her husband) so they could rule together, which he did

127
Q

Lucretia

A

wife of Tarquin Collatinus, was virtuously spinning wool with her women servants when officers serving in the military, boasting of their woves virtue dropped by unannounced.
of them, Sextus Tarquin was astonished by her beauty, virtue and modesty formed a plan to have her
he retunred days later alone, was recieved, and at night snuck into her bed and forced her into bed with him
in shame, Lucretia told her father and husband, and then killed herself

128
Q

Brutus

A

“founder of the Roman republic
a leader in the conspiracy to overthrow Julius Caesar
one day, before the revolution, a serpent appeared in the royal palace
Tarquin the proud sent his sons to ask the Delphic oracle what to do, and they took Brutus with his for laughs
the oracle said that he who first kisses his mother will succeed to the highest place in Rome
and while Tarquin’s sons went to kiss their mothers, Brutus recognized that mother meant earth, and kissed the ground, and became one of the first consuls
his own sons tried to overthrow him and the democracy, but were found out and executed

129
Q

Horatius

A

Tarquin the proud, fled Rome and asked another king to restore him, raised an army and went back to Rome
they needed to capture a bridge to cross the Tiber
Horatius and 2 others occupied the bridge until the rest of the Roman army could chop it down
Horatius’ companions retreated before the bridge fell, but Horatius, injured, was forced to swim back in full armor- a model of bravery for every good roman

130
Q

Scaevola

A

when the Rtruscans were encampe across the river, one of Rome’s bravest men, Gaius Mucius sneaked through enemy lines to kill the king of the Etruscan king Porsenna, but didn’t know what the king looked like, and ended up killing his secretary, and was captured
he was brought before the king and said that 300 other men had sworn to kill him, and stuck his hand in the fire on an altar until it burned off to show his determination
the king was so impressed he sent him back, and have up the attack
and sent Mucius home, where he recieved the nickname Scaevola
thus the Etruscans were expelled from Rome forever and the republic firmly established

131
Q

Coriolanus

A

Gnaeus Marcius had earned the name Coriolanus by conquering a town called Corioli in northwest Latium
plebian pressure forced his expulsion from Rome because of his intolerable arrogance and disdain for men of common birth
in anger he went to another city and led them against Rome, so offended was he by their rejection of him
only when his wife carrying their younger sons and mother ran between the 2 armies into the battlefield and beg him to stop did he relent

132
Q

Cincinnatus

A

an ex-consul
was living and working on his farm when word was recieved that he was chosen as dictator-used in extreme emergencies, to repel an enemy attack
he left his plow in the field, led the Romans to victory and then returned to his plow all within 16 days
this inspiring tale of dedication to the simple life, constant readiness and selfless devotion to the state gave the name to the society of Cincinnati, a fraternal patriotic organization

133
Q

triumph

A

only the senate could grant it
was a great victory parade
to earn it, at least 5000 of the enemy had to fall in battle, and the legions themselves had to proclaim the general “triumphator” on the field of battle
the ceebration included feasting at public expense over several days, contests, captured loot paraded through the streets etc
it ended at the temple of Jupiter

134
Q

Troilus

A

youngest son of Priam and Hecabe

Achilles killed him in an ambush at a spring

135
Q

Iphigenia

A

Agamemnon once boasted, while hurling his spear that “even Artemis” could not do so well
and to save the expedition, he had to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia
he sent a herald to bring her to him, pretending that he wanted her to marry Achilles,
she was led to a wood, in her wedding dress, and Agamemnon slashed her throat at an alter but at the last seconf Artemis sent down a doe as a substitute and carried Iphigenia away

136
Q

Polydeuces

A

Leda was married to Tyndareus, but her beaty was so great that Zeus noticed and came to her as a swan and had his way with her
she gave birth to 4 children, one of whom was Polydeuces (and Helen) who were both fathered by Zeus, and Castor and Clytemnestra
Castor and Polydeuces were inseperable, and when Castor was killed in a cow raid, he gave up half his imortality to Cadtor and on alternative days the brothers lived in Hades, then on Olympus

137
Q

Athamas

A

was very unlucky
his wife Nephele bore him a boy Phrixus and a gril Helle, but he grew tierd of her and married another- Ino, who bore him 2 sons and was jealous that Phrixus would inherit the throne instead of her own children so she bribed messengers from the Oracle to report that Apollo had said that to restore fertility to the land, Athamas must sacrifice his firstborn, Phrixus
just as he was about to, a golden ram appreared, and Phrixus and his sister Helle climed on it and soared away while Athamas watched

Greek Mythology (3 decks)

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