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CLA 2323 - Final Mock Exam > Greek Myth > Flashcards

Greek Myth Flashcards

1
Q

How did the myth of Jason and the Argonauts come about? (first began)

A

In a crisis of destabilization, one factor was the dispute succession in the Thessalian city of Iolkos. King Kretheus was suppose to succeed Aison (father of Jason) but it was taken by Pelias (Jason’s Uncle).
Pelias was warned by the oracle ‘to beware of a stranger wearing only one sandal’. Jason presents himself in front his uncle with one sandal (having lost the other one while crossing the river). Pelias sends him away on a impossible mission. (quest for the Golden fleece-talismanic treasure)

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2
Q

Describe how the Argo came about?

A

Jason needed a ship, the Argo. The Argo is made with the help of the Gods (scared oak from Zeus’ oracle at Dodona. The Argo’s crew had various great heros from the generation of the Trojan War, including Heracles.

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3
Q

On their journey what was the first destination of Jason and the Argonauts? & what happened?

A

They first stop in Aegean island of Lemnos where the population was all women because the women’s husband turned away from them in favour of slave girls, then the wives went on a murderous revenge killing all husbands, slave girls and all male population. The men on the ship of Argo wanted to stay in Lemnos but Heracles reminded then of their quest so they left.

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4
Q

What was the second destination of Jason and the Argonauts’ journey?

A

Land of the Mysians. Whe Heracles had a young squire, Hylas, to go in search for a spring to draw water. Greek spring were scared and when Hylas found one a Nymph drew him down beneath the water. Heracles found out Hylas was missing remained behind in search of him when the Agro sailed on. (Note: there is little doubt about the homoerotic intensity of Heracles and Hylas’ relationship)

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5
Q

What happened when the Argo’s voyage proceeded eastwards?

A

They meet a blind seer named Phineus and with his advice the Argonauts managed to maneuver its way through the Clashing Rocks at the entrance to the Black Sea.

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6
Q

What happens when the Argo arrives in Colchis?

A

Jason must perform tasks in order to win the Golden Fleece. With the help of Athena & Hera, Aphrodite sends Eros to shoot Medea, making her fall in love with Jason. Medea helps with the means to yoke the bulls, the teeth were sown, and armed men were defeated. Medea also lulled to sleep the serpent that guarded the fleece and Jason claims the Golden Fleece.

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7
Q

What is the name of Medea’s brother? & What does Medea do to her own brother?

A

One story is that she lured her pursuing brother Apsyrtos into an ambush & turned her eyes aside as Jason slew him. Another story is that Medea butchered Apsyrtos & dismembered his corpse into sea for her father to find him and delay the pursuit.

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8
Q

What’s the last encounter when the Argo is heading back home?

A

The meet one last outlandish creature, the giant Talos which is made of metal. Talos has a weak point which are his ankle. Medea overpowers Talos by her gaze causing him to stumble and landing in a position that threatens its life.

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9
Q

What happens when Jason returns home?

A

In one version he discovers that his uncle has killed his father. Medea tricks Pelias’s daughter by magical power cutting up boiling a ram in a cauldron seeing it rejuvenated, the daughters thought the same would happen to the father. Instead they kill him, chopped up & boiled.

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9
Q

What happens when Jason returns home?

A

In one version he discovers that his uncle has killed his father. Then, Medea tricks Pelias’s daughter by magical power cutting up boiling a ram in a cauldron seeing it rejuvenated, the daughters thought the same would happen to the father. Instead they kill him, chopped up & boiled.

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10
Q

What happened after Pelias was killed?

A

Jason and Medea escape to Corinth. Medea is now known for disrupting families and Jason decides to put her aside to marry the daughter of Kreon (King of Corinth)

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11
Q

How does Medea take her revenge on Jason?

A

Medea sends a poisoned robe to (Glauke-name uncertain) the daughter of the King and it eats her flesh. Medea also kills Jason’s children to inflict more pain. Medea than escapes to Athens on a serpent-borne chariot lent by her grandfather, the Son God.

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12
Q

Why is Heracles famous & recognizable character?

A

One answer is his suffering and partial failures. His story veers from achievement to failures, tragedies & back to final triumph. Second answer was his distinctive personalty.

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13
Q

What was Heracles’ personality like?

A

Jovial, generous, fearless, basically dumb, childlike, impetuous, and destructive rage

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14
Q

Does Hercules have a grave?

A

No, no localized therefore whenever help was needed one could call out for Heracles.

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15
Q

What does Heracles often do as a hero rather than other heros?

A

He pushes the limit of humanity.

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16
Q

What is the name of Heracles ‘mortal’ father?

A

Amphitryon

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17
Q

How does Hercules get forced into doing the 12 labours?

A

Heracles marries Kreon’s daughter Megara. Hera’s jealously causes Heracles to go mad making him kill his wife & children. Then he is required to serve man weaker than he-Eurystheus by performing a series of Labours according to his instructions.

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18
Q

What was Heracles first Labour?

A

Went to Northwest of Mycenae to Nemea, where he overcame an invulnerable lion, throttling it. The skin of the beast became part of Heracles’ characteristic clothing.

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19
Q

What was Heracles second Labour?

A

He exterminated a monstrous water snake called Hydra by severing it & burying it under a boulder.

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20
Q

What is a Hydra?

A

A water snake that had between 9-50 heads that can self-regenerate where it can grow 2 heads when it only had 1 head.

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21
Q

What was Heracles Third Labour?

A

Ordered to bring back the Keryneian hind; a golden-horned doe sacred to Artemis. Heracles can not kill the animal so he pursues it for a year until the hind becomes exhausted.

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22
Q

What was Heracles’ Fourth Labour?

A

He captures a fearsome boar which lived near Mount Erymanthos in Arcadia.

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23
Q

What was Heracles’ Fifth Labour?

A

In Peloponnese, he was told to cleanse the dung-clogged stables of Augeias, King of Elis.

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24
What was Heracles' Sixth Labour?
Heracles cleared away another infestation, the birds from Stymphalian lake in Arcadia. With Athena's help lends him bronze castanets startling the birds & Heracles' bow & lethal arrows did the rest.
25
What was Heracles' Seventh Labour?
Overpowers a mighty bull in Crete.
26
What was Heracles' Eighth Labour?
In Thrace he captures the fearsome man-eating mares (horses) belonging to King Diomedes.
27
What was Heracles' Ninth Labour?
Instructed to bring back belt of the Amazon Hippolyte. Heracles slew Hippolyte & stole her belt.
28
What was Heracles' Tenth Labour?
has to fetch the cattle of the three-bodied monster Geryon, who lived by the stream of Ocean (Far West).
29
What was Heracles' Eleventh Labour?
pick golden apples of the Hespenrides (Far West or North). Guarded by immortal serpent
30
What was Heracles' Twelfth Labour?
told to fetch the infernal dog Kenberos in the Underworld via cave at Tainaron.
31
How did the death of Heracles occur?
By his wife Deianeira. She smears a robe with the Centaur;s love charm & sends it as a gift to Heracles. (same as Medea to Glauke) Heracles asks his son Hyllos to take him to die on a funeral pyre. Pyre begins to burn so Heracles is raised up to Olympos, where he was said to have made the transition to immorality and is given another wife, Hebe. Hebe is daughter of Zeus and Hera. Hera and Heracles finally reconcile.
32
What does Katabasis mean?
“the march downward” or the “downward hike”. Note: In Greek myth, it is the living person’s journey to the Underworld. The katabasis is not what ghosts-of-the-dead do. It’s what a living, walking person does: Heracles, etc
33
What was Theseus' birth like?
Born at the time when Athenian royal succession was a state of uncertainty, divided between 4 brothers. One brother, Aigeus had not received a child from 1st and 2nd wife. He went to oracle, they urged him not to undo 'the protruding of the wineskin' (referred to an act of sex) until he had return to Athen. Then was hosted by Pittheus, Aigeus got got drunk slept with his daughter, Aithra. Eventually giving birth to Theseus. The same night, Aithra also laid with Poseidon too.
34
What did Aigeus instruct Aithra to do?
If she born a male child she was to bring up the boy without revealing to him his father's identity. When Theseus is grown he is to move the great boulder beneath which Aigeus placed a sword & a pair of sandals, Also, Aithra was to send her son to Athens with these tokens.
35
What happened what Theseus when he became of age? What happen en route to Athens?
He did what was instructed by his father. En route, he came across 3 encounters
36
What were Theseus encounters on his way to Athens? & what were their names?
1. Sinis 'Destroyer', he launched travellers into the air or else, he tied them to a pair adjacent; bent pines & watched the victims by ripped apart as tree sprang to the vertical. Theseus did the same to him. 2. The bandit Skeiron. He lived in towering cliffs of the coast of the Megarid. As passers wash his feet he would kick them into sea to be devoured by a giant turtle. Theseus did the same to him. 3. Polypemon 'Much Woe' aka Prokroustes offers travellers a bed. Only has 2 beds but giive the long beds to short people and vice versa. Theseus adapted Prokroustes to the length of his own bed
37
What happens to Theseus upon arrival to Athens?
Aigeus (father) now married to Medea & with his new sen Medos. Medea sees this as a threat and tries to kill Theseus but poison but Aigeus recognized his sword and saves him.
38
What happens to Medea after she attempts to kill Theseus?
She was driven out again, returned to Colchis where restored her father Aietes to the throne after he has been driven from power .
39
What is a Minotaur?
semi-human and semi-bovine (cattle) monster which inhabited the Labyrinth.
40
What starts the attack on Athens?
Androgeos son of the Cretan King Minos had been killed on his a visit to Athens. (one version) Androgeos sent out by Aigeus to confronts bull Marathon. Minos wants revenge by attacking Athens.
41
What does Minos do when he wants to attack Athens?
He prays to father Zeus which causes the Athenians to become full of famine & disease.
42
What do the Athenians do to try to make amends to Minos?
They seek advice from the oracle and they tell the Athens to offer Minos anything he demands. The Athens send a regular tribute of 7 youths & 7 maiden to Crete where they are to be devoured by the Minotaur.
43
What does Theseus do when the 7 youths and 7 maidens are to be part of a tribute?
He joins them, voluntarily.
44
Why does Theseus get saved by the Minotaur?
By the love of Minos' daughter Ariadne.
45
What does Ariadne tell Theseus to do to the Minotaur? What happens after?
To unwind a thread attached to the entrance of the maze to be able to retrace his steps once he kills the Minotaur. He flees with Ariadne
46
In term of 'the sequel' what happens after Theseus and Ariadne flee away?
He ditches her. Ariadne ended up with Dionysos. After upon Theseus second return home the death of his father occurs. He throws himself from the heights of the Acropolis
47
How many years is Theseus King?
40 yrs
48
What did Theseus do when he was made king?
combines small villages of Attica into a single state, know as a creative move. He plays a political role in Athens
49
Who is Theseus love-hate relationship with?
Crete
50
What are the 3 great deeds of Theseus?
1. His campaign, shoulder to shoulder with Heracles against the Amazons. He abducts one and defeats the rest of them. 2. Theseus & his loyal companion Peirithoös confronted the Centaurs 3. Theseus & Peirithoös go to the underworld to abduct 2 females; Helen (12yrs) and Persephone
51
What does Hades do when Theseus & Peirithoös want to kidnap Persephone?
He induced them to sit in the chair of Lethel (Forgetfulness), whose rock grew into their flesh. Theseus is freed by Heracles but Peirithoös remains there forever.
52
What does Theseus do in order to make amends with Crete? What happens after pg 129
asks for the hand marriage of Phaidra daughter of Minos. She lusts after Hippolytos the amazon Theseus had abducted. She makes advances and he rejects. She kills herself leaving a note falsely accusing Hippolytos of rape. Theseus is angry & invokes a curse. Hippolytos recieves his nominal destiny, name meaning part by horses.
53
Why is Theseus driven out of Athens? What does this lead to?
dynastic dispute, leading to his death to be humiliating kills on the island of Sykros. His bones are found and returned back to Athens.
54
How does the misfortune of Theban Cycle begin when King Laius of Thebes?
King Laius of Thebes visits Mycenae and falls in love with Chrysippus [Chrysippos], a teenaged (or pre-teen) prince of Mycenae. Abducting the boy, Laius brings him home to Thebes to be his unwilling sex partner. [Note: Laius had introduced male homosexuality or pederasty as a human behaviour.]
55
According to Greek mythical “history”, who was the first instance of homosexual activity between humans?
King Laius of Thebes & Prince Chrysippus [Chrysippos] of Mycenae
56
What does Chrysippus eventually do when he becomes Laius unwilling lover?
He kills himself from shame which leads to a curse laid on Laius by Chrysippus' father, Pelops
57
What does Chrysippus mean ?
Golden Horse
58
Who did Laius marry?
Jocasta
59
What was the curse that Pelops laid on Laius?
that his son would kill him, Oedipus
60
Who was Laius' son?
Oedipus
61
What does the oracle warn Laius about?
To not have a child; if he does, it will kill him and marry with his mother, Jocasta.
62
What are the main tales in the Theban Cycle
1) The misdeeds of King Laius 2) Oedipus 3) The Seven against Thebes 4) The Princess Antigone 5) The Epigonai pp.168-169
63
What are the begin Tales of the 'Trojan Cycle'
1) introducing the non-Greek city of Troy, in northwestern Asia Minor 2) Troy’s beginnings 3) Prince Paris of Troy and Queen Helen of Sparta 4) the start of the Trojan War
64
What are the Theban Cycle myths?
``` they tend to treat bizarrely the relations between family members: - father-son - mother-son - brother-brother - wife-husband ``` pg. 146
65
The tales of Thebes aren’t the only place in Greek mythology where family is portrayed distortedly, Where else are comparable examples?
- the House of Pelops at Mycenae, pp. 148–153 - the Danaids, pp. 158–159; or the offended wives on the island of Lemnos, page 110 - Medea murdering her children, page 113 - Heracles going crazy and killing his first family, page 115 - grotesque tale of Procne [Prokne], Philomela, and Tereus, pp. 154–155.
66
Although the Bible has no direct relationship to the Greek Theban Cycle, nevertheless the words do sum-up one idea that can be found also in Greek mythology—here at Thebes, and also in the tales of Pelops’ descendants at Mycenae (pp. 148–153). What is that idea?
That is, the idea of a | family curse that spans several generations.
67
How was Oedipus born?
In a drunken night Laius bedded his wife Jocasta and she conceived with Oedipus
68
What did Laius and Jocasta do Oepidus as a baby?
They pinned the baby's ankles and gave it to a herdsman to expose on Mount Kithairon
69
What does Oedipus mean?
Swollen Foot
70
What did the herdsman do? What did the second herdsman do?
The herdsman saved the infant out of pity. The second herdsman kept the Corinthian royal flock
71
Who raised Oedipus?
Corinthian king and queen, Polybos and Merope.
72
Why did Oedipus seek the counsel at Delphi?
Someone casually insulted him for not being the true child of his parents
73
What did oracle say to Oedipus?
He will kill his father and lay with his own mother.
74
What happened to Oedipus when he discovered what he'll end up doing to his parents by the oracle? What happened afterwards
He did not return to Corinth. On the road from Delphi Oedipus encountered an old man not knowing it was his father, Oedipus slew him and all but one of his servants.
75
What happened right after he slew his father?
he heard of a monstrous Sphinx in the city of Thebes plaguing the citizens. She challenged all passers-by to solve a riddle ' what creature goes one four, and on two, and on three?' Oedipus said, 'man' which ended the power of the Sphinx (he committed suicide) and was rewards Jocasta, the recently widowed queen.
76
How many children did Oedipus and Jocasta have? and what were their names?
2 sons, Eteokles and Polyneikes & 2 daughters, Antigone and Ismene.
77
What happened shortly after to Thebes after Oedipus and Jocasta's children were born?
a fresh plague, which they seek counsel from the oracle and they said 'find the killer of Laios, who is at the root of the pollution.
78
What happened after Oedipus after he uncovered the truth about his father?
he blinds himself, he cannot kill himself since that would bring him instantly face-to-face in the underworld, with both his parents- for Jocasta has committed suicide due to shame.
79
Where and how did Oedipus die?
Athens, He passed from this world by a mysterious death.
80
What happened to Oedipus and his descendants, Eteokles and Polyneikes? and What did this begin?
Before Oedipus died he cursed his sons, who were trying to exploit for their own selfish ends soon to erupt into outright war. The seven against Thebes
81
What did Polyneikes do?
he raised an army from outside of Thebes. He sought help from the city of Argos. The ruler Adrastos offered him military support but also the hand of his daughter. Seven champions including Polyneikes and Adrastos which marched on to Thebes. One champion for each of Thebes' legendary seven gates.
82
What does Polyneikes and Eteokles mean?
'Much Quarrelling' and 'True Glory'
83
Who is Amphiaraos & what did he predict?
a seer and predicted his own death & all 7 champions' deaths except for Adrastos
84
Who are the 7 against Thebes and their opponents?
``` Amphiaraos > Lasthenes Eteokles > Megareus Hippomedon > Hyperbios Kapaneus > Polyphontes Parthenopaios > Aktor Polyneikes > Eteokles Tydeus > Melanippos ```
85
Who was the great Theban diviner?
Teiresias
86
What did Teiresias reveal?
he revealed that if the city of Thebes were to survive, Ares' anger must be appeased by the sacrifice of Menoikeus, son of Jocasta's brother, Kreon (Ares was still angry from Kadmos slaying his sacred snake)
87
What did Menoikeus do?
Menoikeus' selfless act, he killed him to push back the invading force.
88
Tydeus was one of the seven what was he known for? What did Athene do to him?
savage enough to devour the brains of one his foe. Athene withdrew the gift of immortality
89
Who was one of the seven that achieved a kind of immortality? What happened to him and which God intervene?
the unwillingly seer Amphiaraos. he was swallowed up by the earth, chariot and all to become after death a healing hero, thanks to the intervention of Zeus.
90
After Oedipus' two sons died who was the ruler of Thebes
the acting ruler of Thebes was Kreon
91
What did Kreon do to Polyneikes' corpse?
Kreon punished Polyneikes by denial of burial for him being a traitor because he attacked his own polis (city-state)
92
What did Kreon do to Eteokles' corpse?
label him as a defender of his city and received every honour in death.
93
What does Antigone believe should be done with Polyneikes corpse? What does she do?
her choice was to put kin before all else. In defiance of Kreon's edict, she cast earth upon polyneikes' exposed corpse, in a symbolic act of burial.
94
What does Kreon's punishment towards Antigone?
she is entombed alive by Kreon and then hangs herself.
95
What happens to Kreon's son Haimon after the death of Antigone?
He stabs himself to death from grief, after spitting into his father's face in a act of rejection
96
After Haimon kills himself what does he father do? What happens after he tries to do a good deed?
revokes his edict forbidding Polyneikes' burial but by that time it is too late, Eurydice (his wife) takes her own life.
97
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98
Who are the Epigonoi? and what do they sucessfully do?
the second generation champions from Argos & they capture Thebes.
99
Who is the leader of Epigonai?
Alkmaion
100
What does Epigonoi mean?
Those born after
101
Who was Alkmaion's parents?
Amphiaraos and Eriphyle
102
How did the Epigonoi capture Thebes?
they completely destroy its walls to the ground.
103
What was the 2nd challenge: returning to Argos?
Alkmaion is compelled to kill his own mother, Eriphyle, to avenge his father.
104
What happens to Alkmaion after his kills his own mother?
Alkmaion is then pursued by the dreaded Furies meaning “Angry Ones,” “Furies”), whose cosmic job is to punish blood-guilt.
105
the cycle of killing of Alkmaion's generation had still not run its course who takes vengeance?
vengeance murders continued, as the children of Alkmaion's second family destroyed the first.

CLA 2323 - Final Mock Exam (4 decks)

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