Midterm 1 Flashcards
Mycenaean & Minoan (B.C)
Late Bronze Age
Mycenae is main power - Takes over Crete and destroys Knosses
Linear B ~1450
1250 - Trojan War
Dark Age (B.C.)
Better idea of rome 776 - First Olympic Games Greek Alphabet around 800 Etruscans from Italy Large refined civilization for most of this period Defeated by Romans at some point Magna Gracia begins settlement by Greece 753 - End of Dark Age. Romulus and Remus
Archaic (750-480 BC)
Roman Monarchy (7 Kings of Rome) (753-510)
510 - end of monarchy Rise of republic
Beginning of Latin
499 - Ionian Greeks rebel from Persian empire
480 - Persian Invasion
Rise of City-states (Thebes, Athens, and Sparta especially)
Each has their own versions of myths
Classical (480-323)
323 - Death of Alexander the Great
Athens is very famous with removal of Persians and very wealthy
Socrates, Plato, Euripides, Xenophon, etc.
Roman Republic begins growing and integrating italian peninsula
Myths of gods from Italian cultures are assimilated in o Roman culture
Hellenistic Periods (323-30)
Cleopatra dies in 30
Greece torn apart by multiple internal wars after death of Alexander the Great
Did not leave a successor. I’ll leave empire to the strongest
Everyone begins fighting
Rome begins using Greece as a base of operations for Eastern campaigns
We’ll protect you from this army. We won’t conquer. They defend and say “not leaving”
Greeks liked Roman leadership and culture though
Greeks begin adopting Roman culture
Rome expands beyond Italy
246-146 Punic Wars
Romans become fascinated with Greek culture and begin translating Greek works into Latin
First Latin literature is basic translation of Greek plays and epics
Linear B: who wrote in it, and what is its importance
Script related to Linear A, but records a form of proto-Greek language (Mycenaean)
Alphabet related to Linear A (Not a language)
Early form of Greek, related to Minoan
Isis
Goddess
Ideal mother and wife as well as patroness of nature and magic
Friend of slaves, sinners, artisans, and downtrodden
“Throne”
Io? Thought is that Io left as a cow after being driven out by Hera into Egypt and there she became Isis (which is why Isis is closely related to cows) but there isn’t proof of this
So the book says Plutarch gives her story and compares her to Demeter
Her myth adds non-Egyptian myths of fertility goddess
Has explanations of features of Egyptian society and religion (ex. Why so many temples to Osiris»_space; wood phallus substitute for Osiris)
Inanna/Ishtar
Golden Bough: all myth evolves from basic fertility cult and sacrifice Dying god Seed has to die before it can be reborn Persephone Death necessary for rebirth Sumerian goddess for Aphrodite Overcome by Gilgamesh’s beauty and wants to sleep with him Gets turned down hardcore Leads bull of heaven against gilgamesh Gilgamesh brushes his shoulders off after killing the bull Enkidu throws genitals in Ishtar’s face Not a smart choice. Gets killed by gods
Gilgamesh
Gods want to destroy humans
Ziusundra (long life) (Ut-napishtim) escapes with boat from flood
Mesopotamia
Bronze age, trading going on. Possibly transferred during that time
Gilgamesh DID exist and Probably founded the city
Odysseus: iliad and odyssey
No author. Just someone eventually wrote it down like “Homer”
Enkidu
Created by Aruru to rival Gilgamesh
Typical wild savage
Becomes civilized by a prostitute after getting it on
Prostitute tells him about the city
Challenges Gilgamesh - gilgamesh wins but become best friends
They kill Humbaba.
Enlil (storm-god) was furious
three primordial elements and the initial creation
1) Chaos- 1st one to appear (all three are not people or gods, but rather things that just exist)
2) Gaea- Comes after Chaos. Means mother Earth.
3) Tartarus- Sometimes referred to as hell but rather it means the underside of the Earth where no one lives.
Cronus (Titan)
Cuts off Uranus’ genitals and overthrew his father until he was overthrown by his own son Zeus
Usually depicted with a sickle
Iapetus (Titan)
Father to: Atlas, Prometheus- Bringer of fire and culture to man, maker of humanity. Took Zeus’ side in Titanomachy even though he was a titan. His name means “forethought.” He is a trickster. Teaches humans civilization (art, building, literature, math). Protects humans against evil gods.
Epimetheus- Name means “afterthought,” Pandora’s husband (she unleashes evil into the world)
Menoetius
Mnemosyne (Titan)
Goddess of memory and will supply children for Zeus
United with Zeus to beget the Muses, who inspire poets and musicians
Hyperion and his children
The first sun god
Father of:
Helios- name means sun, becomes new sun god. Drives the sun over the Earth in a chariot. Drives the chariot too close to the sun and dies.
Selene (moon goddess)- Falls in love with mortal shepherd named Endymion after she looks down on him. Asked Zeus to make him sleep forever so she could look at him forever. Has 50 daughters with him as he sleeps for eternity.
Eos (goddess of dawn)- Many love affairs. Most famous love encounter is Tithonus, a Trojan prince but he’s mortal so she asked Zeus to make him immortal. He grants wish but with a twist, Tithonus still ages and eventually turns into a cicada.
Zeus (olympian)
Lord of the sky
Consort is Hera but most myths are about sexual conquests with other women (115 affairs)
Most important
Metis (Athena)
Themis (Horae and Muerae(?))
Euryame (Graecos(?))
Mnemosyne (muses)
Demeter (Persephone)
Leto (Apollo and Artemis)
Ganymede (cupbearer)
Strength is irresistible and unquestionable
Warns other gods to stay out of his way
Often can be pleaded with though
Women of his life can woo him
Presides over law and justice (universal rights)
Also god of hospitality
One of his major roles is as protector of Xenia (means reciprocal hospitality)
Main control is over the weather
Icons: thunderbolt, Aegis (shield) he sometimes lends to Athena
Poseidon
Lord of the sea
Brother of Zeus
Competed with Athena for protector of athens
Lost. made a salt spring
Father of Polyphemus- the cyclops who takes vengeance on Odysseus
A lot of his stories deal with spite
Vindictive: ocean and earthquakes were very frightening for Greeks
Married to the nymph amphitrite
Icons: trident, horses
Epithets: earthshaker
Hades
God of wealth/underworld Not the same thing as hell The “Invisible” Sneaks up and kills you (when it’s time) King of the dead (all dead, not necessarily bad)
Apollo
God of Shamans, archery, healing, prophecy, music
Twin of Artemis
Greek aristocratic ideology
Control and golden mean
Working hard and diligent but not overwhelmed by passion
Famous for unhappy love affairs
Prophetess Cassandra, sibyl and grains of sand, nymph daphne, hyacinth
Epithets: far shooter, pythian, delian/Delphian, healer, Phanaeus
Icons: bow and arrow, lyre or kithara (guitar)
Homeric Hymn
Homeric hymn tells about how Zeus impregnated Leto
Hera said nowhere the light touches will receive Leto’s children
Delos and Ortygia: floating islands and underwater sometimes
Artemis born on Ortygia and helped Leto birth Apollo on Delos
Hera consents to sending Eileithyia (goddess of childbirth) and once they are born, islands fixed to their spots
Apollo rewards delos with temple than becomes major pan-hellenic site
Delphic Oracle
Above spot where apollo killed pythos (chthonic poisonous serpent
800 BC - 394 AD
Oracles given by the prophetess: Pythia
Originally young virgin -> older woman
Sits on bronze tripod in adytum
She would hallucinate and visitors offer sacrifice (meat and money) and ask yes/no question
Priest would interpret pythia’s response
Responses were vague
If you make war on persians, you will destroy a mighty empire (irony)
“KNOW THYSELF; NOTHING IN EXCESS”
Hephaestus
God of things that are hot- Volcanoes and forges, patron of smiths
Chief promoter of civilization and cities
He’s lame
Limp but made beautiful art
Greeks loved art and pottery but it was “disgusting process” to make
What he represents is not what he really embodies
Ares
God of uncontrolled war and bloodlust
God of losing control
Son of Zeus and Hera
Love affair with Aphrodite
Primary story
Hephaestus finds out and sets a trap for the two
Caught in unbreakable chains and all the gods laugh at him
Icons: warrior armor, many children but no wife
Athena (Virgin Goddess)
Goddess of controlled war
Controlling and manipulative
Some aspects of androgyny
Birthed out of Zeus’ head
Patron goddess of Athens, created an olive tree (symbol of peace)
Competed with Poseidon
Parthenon “Home of the Virgin”
Main temple in Athens
Every 4th year is large processional for all high born virgins
Dedicated to guarding her Parthenos (virginity)
Invents chariot, ship, spinning wool
Icons: owl, snake, body armor, spear, helmet, Aegis, craftwork
Epithets: Pallas, Owl Eyed, Maiden, Shield Bearer
Goddess of craftwork
Arachne
Boasts about how her weaving is better than Athena’s
Athena challenges
Arachne is about gods’ sexcapades
Athena is about mortals that die challenging gods
Arachne hangs herself but athena doesn’t let her die and she is forever hanging around
