Gods Flashcards
Hermes Psychopompus
guide of souls
caduceus
wind with 2 serpents and wings
Charon
boat man
Argus
100 eyed, slain by Hermes, guarded Io
Hephaestia
to Athens and Hephaestus, every 5 years
Adonis
Aphrodite + Persephone love, Ares kills
Potnia Theron
mistress of animals (Homer of Artemis)
Cheiron
centaur teacher
Leto
mother of Apollo + Artemis
short chiton
symbol of Artemis (dress)
Niobe
hubris - 12 vs. 2 kids
Oineus
King of Caledon (boar hunt)
Iphigenia
ex-daughter of Agamemnon
Agamemnon
killed Iphigenia after displeasing Artemis (hubris)
Clytmnestra
wife of Agamemnon
Actaeon
saw Artemis bathing - turned into stag and eaten by dogs
Callisto
raped by Zeus - virgin for Artemis so turned into bear (Ursa Major)
Hippolytus
celibate for Artemis, spurns Aphrodite
ephebes
training to be soldiers
Apollodorus
writer, says Zeus threw Hephaestus
Erechtonios
mythical king of Athens, son of Athena’s towel
Diomedes
Greek hero, wounds Ares
Hippolyte
Amazon with belt of Ares
Penthesilea
Amazon Achilles loved as he killed
Alcippe
Ares killed son of Poseidon for trying to rape her
Deimos
terror (s. of Ares)
Phobos
fear (s. of Ares)
Harmonia
married Cadmus, balancing natures of Aphrodite and Ares
Eros
male god of love, s of ares +aphrodite
Maia
mother of Hermes
Homer
epic poet
Pandora
first woman, created by Hephaestus with contributions from the gods “all-gifted”
Pan
shepherd god (erect goat)
Autolykus
son of Hermes, mortal master theif
Apemosyne
raped by Hermes (fast runner) says Apollodorus
Prometheus
cultural hero “forethought”
Hestia
“hearth”
Hermes
“he of the stone heap”
Enki
god of earth in Sumeria (made mortals of clay)
Epimethus
“afterthought”
Elpis
hope personified in Pandora’s jar
Hesiod
5 Ages (in Works and Days)
Deucalion
flood guy
Pyrrha
wife of Deucalion (flood
Lycaon
punished for feeding Gods a human and earth flooded
Hellen
son of Deucalion and Pyrrha (Hellenic)
Aeschylus
Prometheus Bound
Io
punished by Hera for sleeping with Zeus (gadfly)
the Muses
with Apollo
Marsyas
played flute vs. Apollo and almost tied (satyr)
Python
slain by Apollo
Apollo Delphinius
priests/sailors from crete
Pythia
female oracle at Delphi
Daphne
laurel tree (chased by Apollo
Hycinth
Apollo loved him, but killed by discus
Asclepius
son of Apollo (doctor)
Apollo
“assembly” - when ephebes introduced to society
Apollo Phoebus
sun god
Eileithyia
childbirth goddess
Oineus
given grapevine by Dionysus - King of Laledon
Ikarios
taught wine-making - killed for it
Lykourgas
tried to arrest Dionysos in Thrace- cut off sons legs and oracle tells subjects to kill him
Proetids
daughters fo king Proetus - inflicted with leprosy and kill children
Minyads
daughters of king minyas, didnt worship dionysus, eat a kid ad become owls, bats
Ariadne
marries Dionysus after Theseus
Oinopion
“rich in grapes” - founds Chios, waters wine
Staphylos
“bunch of grapes”
Ino
cares for Dionysus disguised as girl, but turned mad
Nymphs of Mt. Nysa
care for goat Dionysus
Ampelos
first love of Dionysus, grape vine form his blood (Bull attack) combines with Dionysus’ tears for first grape vine
Cybele
Great Mother, Aphrodite in Phrygia
Bacchae
female followers of Dionysus
Maenads
dancing female followers of Dionysus with ivy wreaths + panther skins
Bacchantos
followers of Dionysus (m+F)
Silens
old satyrs
Silenus
wisest silen
King Midas
Dionysus granted him the 1 favor of gold (made Lydia rich land)
Orpheus
describes failed katabasis of Dionysus (reborn to semele)
Dionysos Zagreus
Dionysus re-born
Thanatos
personified death
Hades
“unseen one”/ “wealthy one”
Hades Polydegmon
receiver of men
Hades Polyxenos
host to many
Persephone
Homeric Hymn to Demeter
Cerberus
3 headed dog
King Minos
Judge of Underworld
Rhadamanthys
Judge of Hades with brother Minos
Aecus
son of Zeus + judge of Hades
Tityos
tried to rape Leto, punished like prometheus
Tantalos
King of Lydia, fed gods his son Pelops - tantalized with food and water
Sisyphus
founder of Corinth, cheats death but forced to push boulder forever
Hecate
witchcraft, attendant of Persephone, guards gates
Furies
from blood of Uranus’ castration
Gaea
can be chthonian deity
Hypnos
sleep (brother of Thanatos)
Strife
crashes wedding of Peleus and Thetis with golden apple
Helen of Troy
married to Menelaos, then leaves with Paris
Menelaos
gave Paris Xenia (oops)
Moirae
“share”/”portion” (3 sisters Atroppus, Clotho and Lachesis)
Achilles
hero
Bryseis
Achilles has to give her to Agamemnon
Patroklos
killed by Hector fighting for Achilles
Pentheus
dresses as girl and killed by mother in Euripides’ Bacchae (unable to know his self)
Agave
mother of Pentheus, goes mad and kills him
Tiresias
blind seer, only one not punished in Bacchae
Cadmus
legendary founder of thebes, advises to worship Dionysus for pragmatic purposes but banished in the end
Clotho
1 fate
Atropos
1 fate
Lachesis
1 fate
Sarpedon
Zeus’ son killed in Illiad
Hector
eventually killed by Achilles in book 22. honourable to gods but fated to die
Cicero
wrote “on the nature of the Gods”
Pliny the Elder
writes of spirits living in trees and rivers as basis for Italian religion
Jupiter
Zeus
Mars
Ares (but more important)
Juno
Hera - from “iuventus”
Minerva
Athena - also god of physicians and inventor of instruments
Capitoline Triad
Minerva, Jupiter, Juno
Mercury
Hermes “merchents”
Vesta
Hestia but more important, guards hearths and has vestal virgins
Vestal Virgins
buried alive if they have sex!
apollo is the same in roman
personal deity of augustus
Venus
Aphrodite - originally a fresh water numen
Vulcan
Hephaestos
Diana
Artemis
Bacchus
Dionysus (not strictly a diff name) -
Liber
identified with Dionysus, “free”, roman numen of wine
Ceres
Demeter
Neptune
Poseidon (mostly horses)
Cupid
“desire” aka Eros
Psyche
“soul” - Cupid marries her eventually after trapping her on island.
Janus
two faced door god
Saturn
Saturnais, roman Kronos kind of - agriculture guy
Priapus
erect lawn gnome bringing good luck
Hercules
Herakles, deified hero
Alcestis
ideal greek wife, rescued by Hercules from Hades
Cacus
son of Hephaestos, killed by Hercules in Aenid - monster near area where rome founded.
Dido
Aeneas forced to love and leave her - commits suicide
Aeschylus
Prometheus Bound
Ovid
Metamorphoses (Daphne, Deucalion)
Cynaethus of Chios
Wrote hymn to the Pythian Apollo
Hermes
pillars in Athens to Hermes with phalluses
symbols of Artemis
bow, arrow, sandals, chiton
Parthenia
state between childhood and motherhood (women = undomesticated)
sparagmos
ritual tearing apart
Ursa Major
Callisto after punished by Artemis
Arkteia
cult ritual to Artemis - dress as bears
kourotropic deities
child-nourishing role
parthenogenesis
asexual reproduction by a god
Hephaestos’ injury
Apollodorus- zeus threw off cliff. OR Hera created him and was disgusted by imperfection so banished him.
role of Artemis
hunting, hunters, wild animals, virgins and childbirth
role of Hephaestos
fire, blacksmiths, artisans in metalwork
role of Ares
savage war, masculine agression
symbols of Ares
sword, shield, spear
animals of Ares
dog, vulture
Homeric Hymn to Hermes
tells of his first few days after birth to Maia
Hermes’ role
theivery, cattle, messenger god,
syrinx
“shepherd’s pipes”
kerykeion
“herald’s staff”
talaria
winged sandals
petasos
traveller’s hat
chlamys
cloak for Hermes
hermeneuo
“to interpret” - derived from Hermes’ name
Hestia’s role
hearth, chastity, eats first sacrificed meat
prytaneion
location of central hearth in Grk cities that stays lit (protectress)
Binatural goddess
Hestia is both anthropomorphic and a physical hearth
divine/heroic trickster
archetype that Prometheus encompasses
Myth of sacrificial banquet at Mecone
Prometheus tricks Zeus with two piles of sacrifice portions
Myth of stealing fire
Prometheus returns it after Zeus steals it back for Mecone
fennel stock
used to carry fire
Theogeny
by Hesiod - explains origins of gods, including creation of Pandora
Pandora’s jar
only hope remains
Hesiod’s misogynism
Pandora myth and original sin.
oikos
greek household
Golden Age
no women, eat with gods
Silver Age
100 years to grow up, hurting each other and sacrilegious.
Bronze Age
ash trees used to make men who only fight and kill each other off
Age of Heroes
Troy, many went to Elysian Field at death. Better than last stage
Iron Age
Hesiod’s, low point where shame and Nemesis abandon doomed mankind. (no justice)
Universality of Flood Myth
Bible, Sumeria, Epic of Gilgamesh
Myth of Deucalion and Pyrrha
(Ovid’s Metamorphoses) after Lycaon feeds person to Zeus, humanity punished, they start afresh with stones thrown
Prometheus Bound
Aeschylus play (trilogy #1) Zeus as unjust, and Prometheus punished for civilizing mankind
hamartia
“missing the mark” - Prometheus did not follow divine approval
cultural heroes
Hermes, Prometheus, Apollo, Dionysus
Myth of Apollo and Satyr Marsyas
bestial vs. civilized, hubris, Marsyas lost and skinned alive
hubris
excessive pride leads to downfalls
Oracle of Pythian Apollo
mt parnassus
Stepterion
“feast of purification” religious drama purging moral pollution - re-enact killing of Python
ritual cleansing of Apollo
after killing Python- becomes shepherd
laurel tree
Daphne (Ovid’s Metamorphoses)
Paean
Apollo’s peopm
Apollo as ‘eternal ephebe’
always depicted as young (18-20)
Homeric Hymn to Apollo
(Cynaethus of Chios) - describes birth and founding of oracle
Apollo’s role
sun god, music, prophecy
Apollo’s bird
crow
Apollo’s symbols
lyre, bow
diplogennemeinos
twice born - Dionysus
Thyrsos
pine cone staff
Symbols of Dionysus
ivy wreath, thyrsos, timbrel (drum)
animals of Dionysus
pantheres + cats
Dionysus’ role
wine, drama
Myth of Lykourgas
thrace - tried to arrest Dionysus, cuts of son’s legs and killed by citizens
Myth of Proetids
Dionysus gives leprosy and they kill children (think they are cows)
Myth of Minyads
Boeotia - didnt worship Dionysus (sewed instead) so they eat a kid and become owls and bats
Homeric Hymn to Dionysos
Anonymous. why dolphins are friendly to men
Hecator
intelligent helmsman saved by dionysus
katabasis of dionysus
to retrieve Semele (did or didnt succeed) - had sex with dead guy
katabasis
descent to underworld on a mission
City Dionysia
festival annually to god of theature with Phallic procession, plays
Orphism
idea that Dionysus dies eaten by Titans and is salvaged later
Festival of Anthesteria
late February - wine sampled for Dionysos and hieros gamos of Dionysus by archon basileus and wife
hieros gamos
sacred marriage
chous
5 litre vat of wine
Dionysus vs. Apollo
both sons of Zeus, but opposites- rational vs irrational, culture bringers
dithyramb
poem of dionysus
ecstasis
standing outside oneself
enthousiasmos
being filled with a god (dionysus + pythia)
Bacchanalia
mystery cult to Dionysus
thiasos
band of maenad women in Bacchanalia
Omophagia
eating animals raw (Bacchanalia?)
erebos
“darkness” - underworld
House of Hades
palace guarded by Cerberus
role of Hades
god of darkness, underworld
attributes of Hades
sceptre, cornucopia, large 2 handed vessels
spiritus
“breath” - soul after death with psyche
Elysian Fields
for heroes/Menaleus married well. Elysium, Isles of the Blessed
Styx
main river of underworld “shuddering” barrier with dead
Acheran
“grief” river
Cocytus
“wailing” river
Phlegethon
“burning” river
Lethe
“forgetfulness” river for reincarnation (later)
Illiad
Homer, gods involved
Gods supporting Greece vs. Troy
Athena, Hera, Poseidon, Hermes, Hephaestos
Gods supporting Troy
Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares, Artemis
Anger of Achilles as theme of Illiad
over Bryseis to Agamemnon, patroklos dies, achilles returns
ompholos
naval of world - rock (not zeus) at Delphi
Themis
god pre-Apollo at Delphi (Deucalion prays to her)
Process for asking oracle
wash, pay, sacrificse, (pythia burns laurel, sits on tripod, drips from spring, speaks in tongues), priest translates prophecy to greek
Cyparissus
loves a stag and cries when it dies until he becomes Cyprus tree - Apollo pursued him
Ixion
assaulted Hera - bound to fiery wheel to fly through Hades
Tragic Mystery
justice doesnt always prevail, and heroes suffer more as they discover truth
Moral freedom
hero accepts responsibility and makes themselves into a free moral agent, not victim of gods, after sudden insight during play
Bacchae
Euripides - Pentheus killed by mad mother Agave for scorning Dionysus
dual destinies
Achilles has 2 possible fates
time
honour to the gods (creates favour)
animism
animating objects as deities (rome)
numen
divine natural spirit
legionary standards
zeus’ eagle
auspices
omens from jupiter
Romulus and Remus
sons of Mars and Rhea Silvia
Rhea Silvia
Vestal virgin, mother of Romulus and Remus
Mola Salsa
sacrificial cake - vestal virgins
Volanalia
festival in august - throw live fish into fires
kantharos
drinking vessel, symbol of Bacchus/Dionysus
Villa of the Mysteries
pompeii, shows Bacchanalia with wine and orgies
Lustratio
procession in festival to Ceres to set crops free from harm
Myth of Cupid and Psyche
Cupid takes her off cliff anonymously to mansion, she sees him, goes on quests to get him back and marries
Saturnalia
early Chrismas Dec. 17-23 - hugely popular with gambling, games etc.
Priapeia
collection of obscene short poems about priapus
Hercules subdues Cacus
in italy, cacus stole hercules’ cattle and is slayed.
Ara Maxima
greatest altar - founded by Hercules after slaying Cacus
Loves of Ares and Aphrodite
Homer - Odyssey - Hephaestus gets revenge
Anchises
father of Aeneas with Aphrodite
Aneas
“pain” - in Vergil’s Aeneid
the Aeneid
Virgil
Homeric Hymn to Demeter
Anonymous