general

Question 1

What is the chronological timeline of ancient Rome and Greece? The years each era lasted?

Answer 1

Early / Mid Bronze Age, 3000-1600 BCE
Late Bronze Age (Mycenaean), 1600-1150 BCE
Dark Age (Iron), 1150-800 BCE
Archaic Period, 800-480 BCE
Classical Period, 480-323 BCE
Hellenistic Period, 323-30 BCE
Roman Period, 30BCE-1453 CE

Question 2

What are 3 defining features of the Minoans (archeological and in myth)?

Answer 2

1. Linear A script.
2. NOT GREEK
3. King Minos & the labyrinth

Question 3

What are 3 defining features of the Indo-Europeans?

Answer 3

1. Migrated from central Asia
2. Active in Greece ca. 2100 BCE
3. Conquered Minoans ca. 1650 BCE

Question 4

What is significant of the Bronze Age?

Answer 4

This is the setting for many myths.

Question 5

What are 5 defining features of the Archaic period (800 - 480 BCE)?

Answer 5

1. Invention of the alphabet
2. Development of the polis
3. Increased commerce and trade resulting in the introduction of coinage
4. Athenian democracy is established from the reforms of Cleisthenes
5. Persian Wars (490-479 BCE)

Question 6

What are 3 defining features of the Dark (Iron) Age (1150 - 800 BCE)?

Answer 6

1. No writing
2. Minimal pottery
3. Minimal archeological evidence

Question 7

What are 3 defining features of the Classical Period (480 - 323 BCE)?

Answer 7

1. Considered to be the ‘golden age’ of Greek literature and art.
2. Freedom is seen through the Athenian democracy and Spartan military valor.
3. PELOPONNESIAN WAR (431 - 404 BCE)

Question 8

What are 3 defining features of the Hellenistic Period (323 - 30 BCE)?

Answer 8

1. The establishment of the Hellenistic Kingdoms
2. Ptolemaic (Egypt) Kingdom becoming hub for Greek culture
3. Rome conquers the Mediterranean

Question 9

How are myths passed on?

Answer 9

ORAL TRANSMISSION

Question 10

What were the two main genres of the Classical Period (480 - 323 BCE)?

Answer 10

1. Choral Song
2. Tragedy

Question 11

What were the three main genres of the Archaic Period (800 - 480 BCE)?

Answer 11

1. Epic
2. Hymn
3. Wisdom Literature

Question 12

What were the two main genres of the Hellenistic Period (323 - 30 BCE)?

Answer 12

1. Epic
2. Mythography

Question 13

What is Mythography?

Answer 13

The creation or collection of myths.

Question 14

Who is the most important author of the Roman period (30 BCE - on)? What did he compose?

Answer 14

1. Vergil
2. Composed the Aeneid - An account of the saga of Aeneis; kind of like a Roman creation story.

Question 15

Who is the Roman poet nearest and dearest to Professor Sampsons heart?

Answer 15

Ovid, he composed the metamorphoses.

Question 16

What are the four approaches to Ancient Theory?

Answer 16

1. Rationalism
2. Allegory
3. Symbolism
4. Euhemerism

Question 17

What is The Golden Bough? What is the main story? What does the story represent?

Answer 17

1. A book written by James Frazer, meant to catalogue and compile works from all over.
2. The essential story was called “King of the Wood” and it consisted of a slave overthrowing a king and taking his place as ruler. This cycle would repeat every generation.
3. It was supposed to represent ritualistic practices being imbedded in myth as well as how this cycle illustrates certain cultural truths.