lesson 3- anthropomorphism Flashcards
what is anthropomorphism?
when you give human characteristics or human forms to things that are not human, such as a god or object
At what event were the Homeric Hymns still performed several centuries after their composition?
Panathenaic festival
when is the panathenaic amphora dated from?
333-332 BC
what is the significance of the panathenaic amphora?
it reveals the goddesses presence in athens festival and her anthromorphic depiction
how is athene presented as anthropomorphic in the panatheniac amphora?
she appears as a human physically, with a head, arms and legs but also emotionally she feels jealousy, love, desire, hatred and hunger
how is athene presented as not anthropomorphic in the panathenaic amphora?
her large size, emphasised by her head extending over the top border, depicts her larger than human power, her grandeur and her superiority. she is also shown to be wearing armour- she appears as an active goddess who both protects and punishes.
How is Hades anthropomorphised in the foundation myth of the eleusinian mysteries?
he has human emotions, and has feelings like any other mortal, and this is shown through his passion for persephone which overcomes him and he seizes her into the underworld to marry him and also rapes her
how is hades not anthromoporphised in the foundation myth of the eleusinian mysteries?
he is depicted as the god of the underworld, and has the ability to travel in and out of the underworld and have control over the souls of the dead
how is demeter anthropomorphised in the foundation myth of the eleusinian mysteries?
she is shown to have human, mortal emotions when her daughter persephone is captured by hades and taken into the underworld, she is shown to have maternal instincts and she is utterly distraught, and abandons her duties to retrieve her- to which zeus has to intervene
how is demeter not anthropomorphised in the foundation myth of the eleusinian mysteries?
-she has the ability to keep people and crops alive, and her grief over her daughter causes the crops to die which causes the seasons to change and causes famine among the people- she is shown to have powers greater than any mortal is capable of having
how is zeus anthropomorphised?
he often falls victim to his emotions and strong passionate feelings towards other women- for example he falls in love with a mortal woman named leda (however, Zeus is also not anthropomorphised, as he takes the form of a swan in order to sleep with Leda)
how is zeus not anthropomorphised?
zeus’ powers stretch beyond anything that mortals can achieve- zeus can thunder the sky and has the ability to take different forms in order to sleep with other women. zeus has power over mankind and the elements
how is poseidon anthropomorphised in the odyssey?
poseidon is shown to have strong hatred towards Odysseus as he has stabbed the eye of his cyclops son. Enraged, poseidon causes misery and agony for oddysseus by creating a storm when odysseus is at sea
how is poseidon not anthropomorphised in the odyssey?
he has the ability to change the weather, which is beyond any power that a mortal/human could have.
how is athena anthropomorphised in the odyssey?
she has human qualities and she feels the urge to protect Odysseus and can empathise with him, which is a generic human emotion
