Test 1 Flashcards
In the Homeric Hymn to Hermes, whose cattle does the young god steal?
Apollo’s
Which of the following figures can best be described as demonstrating hubris in Ovid’s version of their myth
- Arachne
- Daphne
- Juno
- Baucis and Philemon
Arachne
Which of the following attributes or animals below would typically appear in a depiction of Hermes?
- An owl
- Winged Sandals
- Scepter
- A lion
Winged Sandals
“And the Graces bathed her and anointed her with ambrosial olive oil, such as is poured over the gods who are forever, divinely sweet, which was made fragrant for her. Having clothed herself well in all her beautiful robes adorned with gold, laughter-loving _________ hastened to Troy, leaving behind sweet-smelling Cyprus…[She] found him left alone….Anchises, the hero, who had beauty from the gods. [She] stood in front of him like an unmarried maiden in form and stature… [When he saw her] desire seized Anchises and he spoke to her, ‘Hail lady, whoever of the blessed gods you are, who has come to this house…for you on a mountain peak, in a place visible from all around, I will make an altar…and you, keeping a kindly spirit, grant that among the Trojans I may be a distinguished man and make my offspring flourish in the future.”
Who is being described?
- Hera
- Gaia
- Artemis
- Aphrodite
Anchises is depicted as being very perceptive in this passage. Which of the following phrases/quotes demonstrate this?
-“Grant that among the Trojans I may be a distinguished man”
- “Hail lady, whoever of the blessed gods you are”
- “Anchises the hero, who had beauty from the gods”
- “Make my offspring flourish in the future”
Aphrodite
Hail lady, whoever of the blessed gods you are
Definition of a myth
A traditional story, often including supernatural characters/forces, which explains or justifies a practice, belief or phenomenon
What is mythology not?
A religious text
*although myths function as origin stories for religious practices or cult
Genres that myths appear in
Epic poem, hymns, histories, or plays
Characteristics of Greek gods
Polytheistic Look and act like humans Supernatural powers Immortal Physically perfect
Who and what are the olympians?
12 main deities that live on Mt. Olympus in Greece
They are the latest generation of gods
-Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Hermes, Athena, Ares, Hephaestus, Demeter, Dionysus, Persephone
Poseidon
Brother of Zeus
Normally has a trident, oftenly portrayed nude
often shows up with dolphins, horses, and rocks
It is my purpose to sing about holy and mighty Poseidon, mover and shaker of earth, the unharvested sea-bottom also, maritime ruler of Helicon and the extensive Aegean. Earth-quaker, twofold the roles that the gods have assigned you in worship, both as a breaker of horses as well as the savior of vessels. Greetings, upholder of earth with the sea-colored locks, O Poseidon, blissful divinity, please be kindhearted and succor all sailors.”
Zeus
- Normally seen with a lightning bolt, eagles and bull
- King and father of gods, sky.
- Husband and brother of Hera
“Zeus, I shall sing: of the gods he is best, he is also the greatest. Wide is his vision. He governs and brings everything to fulfillment, whispering words unto Themis, who sits inclining toward him. Favor us, scion of Cronus, all-seeing, most honored, and greatest!”
Hephaestus
Normally seen with a hammer, axe, tongs, fire, clubbed foot on donkey
Sing, sweet, articulate Muse, of Hephaestus, the famous inventor, who, with the goddess Athena, the grey-eyed, instructed mankind in glorious crafts upon earth, even men who were heretofore used to living in caves in the mountainside
Dionysus
- God of wine, drama, ecstasy, revelry, connections to nature, untamed wilderness, music
- Normally seen with: a thyrsus (staff), wine cup, vines, garlands, accompanied by satyrs, maenads, centaurs
Aphrodite
Normally seen with a dolphin, dove, cyprus, swans
Kids - cupid
Son - Eros
Husband- Hephaestus
Ares - Lover
Adonis - Lover
Anchises - Lover
Aeneas - Son
Born from the ocean, from uranos castrated penis
Muse, will you narrate the doings of her… who rouses the gods to desire? She has completely subdued every kind of man born but to perish, she is the mistress of airborne birds and of every creature that the dry land is a nurse to and deep waters breed in abundance
Apollo
God of prophecy and vision, truth, light, prophecy, disease, healing, hunting, medicine
Normally seen with - bow and arrow, serpent, laurel branch, lyre (made by hermes)
Athena
Godess of strategy, war, crafts, weaving, wisdom
Born from head of Zeus
Patron goddess of Athens
Normally seen with a spear, helmet, shield, owl
Herkles
Lion skin, usually bearded, club
Pallas Athena, defender of cities, I begin to sing,
Awesome one, who, along with Ares, cares for deeds of war
And the sacking of cities and the battle-cry and wars,
And she saves the people as they go out and return.
Farewell, goddess; grant me good fortune and joy.
Know that this is quote from the hymn to Athena
Hera
-Wife and sister of Zeus
-Queen and mother of gods; women, marriage, maternity.
Attributes - veil, peacock
Athena
-Daughter of Zeus, but not of Hera
-Sprung from the head of zeus full-formed
-Goddess of war (strategy), wisdom, weaving, protector of Athens
Normally seen with - Owl, armor, shield, head of medusa on breast plate
Ares
- Son of Hera and Zeus
- God of war “blood lust”, strife, blind courage
- Normally seen with armor
- Aphrodite and Ares = long term lovers
Aphrodite
- Homer: Daughter of zeus and Dione (a titan)
- Hesiod: she sprung from the sea foam that formed around the severed genitals of Uranus
- goddess of love and beauty
- Attributes - cupid, Eros (her son)
Apollo
-Son of Zeus and Leto
-Brother of Artemis
-God of solar light, reason, prophecy, medicine, music
Seen with - bow, lyre, quiver
Artemis
- Daughter of Zeus and Leto
- Virgin goddess
- Sister of Apollo
- Godess of lunar light, hunting, and childbirth
- Seen with - bow, arrows, dogs, wild animals
- Seen as a young adult in a shorter dress
Hermes
- Son of Zeus and Maia
- Male messenger of the gods; trickster and their; good luck, wealth, travel, dreams, eloquence
- Seen with - winged sandals, winged cap, winged staff entwined with serpents
Hades
Brother of Zeus and husband of persephone
- Ruler of the underworld
- Seen with triple headed dog
Dionysos
Son of Zeus and Semele (daughter of cadmus, kind of thebes)
- God of wine, theater, grapes, panther skin, god of drama and dramatic appearances, related to fertility, madness, ecstasy and has associations with things that have to do with being drunk (social, horny)
- Normally seen with Thyrsos, and wine cup
Hephaistos
Son of Hera
God of fire, the art of blacksmith, and crafts
Seen with - hammer, tongs, cleft foot
Hestia
Sister of Zeus
-Godess of hearth, domestic fire, the family
Normally seen with - hearth
Demeter
Sister of Zeus
-Godess of agriculture, grain
Seen with - Ears of wheat, torch
Poseidon
Brother of Zeus
- God of the sea
- Normally seen with a trident, horse
Herakles
Son of Zeus and a mortal woman, the only hero admitted by the gods to mount olympus and granted immortality
Normally seen with - lion skin, club, bow and quiver
Persephone
Daughter of Zeus and Demeter, wife of hades
Godess of the underworld
normally seen with - scepter, pomegranate
Zeus latin name
Jupiter, Jove
Hera latin name
Juno
Poseidon latin name
Neptune
HAdes latin name
Pluto
Demeter latin name
Ceres
Persephone latin name
Kore
Apollo laatin name
Apollo
Artemis latin name
Diana
Hestia latin name
Vesta
Aphrodite latin name
Venus
Hermes latin name
Mercury
Dionysos latin name
Bacchus
Athena latin name
Minerva
Ares latin name
Mars
Hephaestus latin name
Vulcan
Herakles latin name
Herculues
Euripides’ Hippolytus
Characters - Aphrodite, Hippolytus (v arrogant), servant
Hippolytus doesnt wanna be tied down, likes Artemis (Aphrodites’ enemy) wants to go out into the woods and hunt. Aphrodite makes Hippolytus’ stepmom (phadra) fall in love with him (Aphrodite was mad that hippolytus wouldnt worship her). A nurse shows up and asks Phadra whats wrong and she says “Im in love with my stepson” so the nurse goes to Hippolytus and tells him which freaks him out. Phadra decides to kill herself and leave a note to Theseus (Hippolytus’ dad) that his son abused phadra and so theseus exiles hippolytus. Theseus is so mad that he wishes for hippolytus to die and he actually dies
What does theogony mean
Birth of the gods
Who is Ouranos
1st king of the gods
Kronos
Son of gaia and ouranos
described as being crafty
Who were the first gods
Chaos, Gaia, Tartaros, and Eros
-They werent born they just happened to come into being
What kind of kids did Gaia and Ouranos have
Created the 3rd generation
- Titans
- Giants
Who created the second generation
Offspring of Chaos and Gaia
What happened between Ouranos and Kronos
Ouranos was hiding away his “most powerful” children in a cave (so literally putting them back inside Gaia bc she can physically be the earth) because he feared that they would over power him and Gaia wasnt okay with it so she tried convincing some other kids to help her but the only one who agreed was Kronos so they came up with a plan to go against him. Kronos castrates him and throws his genitals into the ocean.
Why didnt Kronos kill Ouranos in the theogony?
Ouranos can no longer father children, “emasculated.” Kronos becomes king of the gods and then marries his sister Rhea and has kids
Kids of Kronos and Rhea
- Hestia
- Demeter
- Hera
- Hades
- Poseidon
- Zeus
Story of Kronos
Kronos doesn’t want to be overthrown by one of his kids so he eats his kids (it was prophesied) Rhea goes to Gaia and Ouranos and asks for help. Rhea gives birth to zeus and sends him off and then gives Kronos a boulder wrapped in a blanket. Over the course of a year he gets sick and then throws up all his kids. Zeus asks all the kids to help him overthrow kronos
Who are the titans
Kronos and brothers and sisters
Typhoeus
A scary dude, Hesiod describes him as “serpents growing out of his back” he has “eyes that shoot fire”
-Son of tartarus and gaia
Metis
First wife of Zeus
Goddess of wisdom, and practical learning
Story of Zeus and Metis
Zeus marries Metis (a titan) and Metis gets pregnant. Zeus swallows Metis by advice of Gaia and Ouranos (bc zeus doesnt want to be overthrown like kronos and Ouranos were). Zeus absorbs Metis but fetus is not absorbed so he goes to doctor with a bad headache and tells the doctor to split open his head which is what happens and then Athena is born.
Prometheus
Son of Titan Lapetos (a god related in some way to mortality or crafts) and Klymene (a daughter of oceanos)
Greeks thought his name meant “forethought”
The zeus/prometheus conflict
3 different versions:
- Theogony
- Works and days
- Prometheus bound
Who are the Olympian’s
Only the kids of Kronos and Rhea
How does the works and days describe prometheus & the story
Crafty and clever (similar to how zeus is described)
Hercules frees prometheus, but only w/ zeus’ approval
Zeus controls prometheus’ liberty
Prometheus knows a prophecy that zeus will have a baby strong enough to overthrow him.
Prometheus wont tell zeus and prometheus has no real reason for not telling zeus any details
Who is Io/story about her
One of the lovers of Zeus
She roles up to prometheus and says these are the things that zeus has done to me and im done with it. Argus has 100 eyes to protect Io who has been turned into a heifer. Mercury (Hermes) tells Argus a story which makes him fall asleep and then Mercury kill Argus. Zeus tells juno to end Io’s suffering and she gets turned back into a human
Story of Baucis and Philemon
Mercury (hermes) and Jupiter (Zeus) are traveling in disguise to see if humans will welcome them into their homes. Baucis and philemon pass the test and are very welcoming and are also described as hard working, spare a lot for the gods even though they are poor and dont have much to offer
Xenia
Good hosts - very important in the greek world, idea created and protected by Zeus. Basically let anyone into your home no matter what, have to let them eat and drink before you can ask any questions.
Law of Xenia
host of the house cannon hurt the traveler staying in home
Hestia is the goddess of
Protecting the household
What do philemon and baucis ask for
- Build a temple to mercury and jupiter and baucis and philemon become the priests of it
- Die at the same exact time and become trees
Story of Midas
Midas gets a gift and he chooses it to be that everything he touches turns to gold
Fatal flaw – greedy, and doesnt get how things work with the gods.
-Competitions between god and mortal and midas picks wrong person to win (de did not pick the god). Apollo gave midas ass’ ears because hes being an ass. Midas’s barber sees and goes and digs a hole and tells the ground about Midas. The ground cant keep the secret and everyone finds out about his ears
Phaethon and the chariot of the sun story
Phaethon “son of the sun” - born of a mortal woman
-Phaethon goes to the palace of the sun, sun says oh its my son and phaethon needs more validation so he asks for a sign. Sun says okay. phaethon wants the sun to allow him to drive his chariot and drive the sun for the day across the earth. Sun says pls dont make me do this… you (patheon) are too young etc. Sun essentially says 1. not even zeus (who is v powerful) cant even drive the chariot 2. hes mortal (patheon) cant possibly do it. 3. sun explains all the challenges phaethon will have to navigate around. All of this is nudging phaethon to prove the sun wrong and show him he can do it. Gaia (earth mother) intervens first bc patheon is about to destroy the earth. Zeus strikes phatheon out of the sky and he smacks into the ground and is gone. The sun is so sad there is the first eclipse
Hubris
Humans who think they are better, smarter than the gods. Humans are deliberately trying to be better than the gods.
Does phaethon have hubris
Inadvertently displays it
Did midas have hubris
When he makes decision between apollo and Marsayas
Kekrops
Half man, half serpent
Decides who will be the most important god of athens
Between athena and Poseidon both bring gifts and kekrops was gonna decide who gave the better gift.
Athena gave an olive tree
Poseidon gave salt water (not v useful)
Kekrops picks poseidon athena so poseidon floods Athens and turns kekrops into part snake
Hymn to demeter
Basic plot - persephone gets kidnapped by hades and dragged down into the underworld. Demeter gets her back, but she can only live on earth during certain times
Demeter
goddess of agriculture
-Zeus gives hades permission to kidnap persephone. Gaia grows flowers to lure persephone and hades pops out and takes her
Ironic bc: persephone calls for her dad, but her dad allowed him to do it in the first place (zeus)
Story of Arachne
Has a bunch of hubris
Arachne is bragging about her weaving skills and saying they are better than Minerva’s and Minerva goes to arachne and says if you repent minerva will forgive you. Minerva and Arachne duel, minerva cant find any problems with her weaving but still loses. Minerva weaves: olympian gods, her birth, mortals who tried to compete with the gods and their punishments on her tapestry. Minerva turns arachne into a spider
Story of Apollo and artemis
Leto is in labor - already had Artemis. No land wants to have her birth apollo there. After zeus, apollo is one of the most powerful gods.
Ortygia - island where artemis is born and the land says you cant have apollo here
All locations she tried to have birth and they wont let her give birth bc they are scared of apollo.
Child of zeus and hera = goddess of childbirth who has to be present when someone gives birth.
Letos makes way to delos which is an island with poor soil. Leto tells the island that if she can give birth here then she will have a temple to apollo built there which will attract people. Leto waits 9 days for the goddess of childbirth, finally she shows up and leto gives birth and earth smiles which is a symbol that apollo is gonna be a great god
Why are all the lands scared of apollo?
- hes gonna be violent and scary
2. HEs gonna be violent and scary right from the start
Why is delos afraid of apollo?
Bc doesnt want apollo to be like ew gross soil and sink the island
Apollo and Daphne
Apollo insults cupid and says cupids too little for bow and arrow, apollo says why are you copying me (with the whole bow and arrow thing)
Cupid says you think youre better than me but im actually better than you (apollo)
Cupid uses 2 arrow of contrary purpose. Gold arrow shot at apollo and blunt with lead = arrow shot at daphne
Apollo = in love w daphne Daphne = totally uninterested
Daphne wanted nothing to do with apollo even before the arrow
Daphne wants to stay V forever and just wants to hangout in the forest
She is also stubbornly single
Apollo overwhelmed with the in love feeling then apollo chases after daphne through the forest and tells her she has no idea who she is running from. Daphne calls out to her father but father cant stop apollo bc he is too powerful so her turns daphne into a (laurel) tree….apollo cuts off branches and puts them on people who win things.
Artemis and Actaeon story
Actaeon sees artemis in the nude, Artemis turns him into a stag and then he gets eaten by his dogs.
Actaeon out hunting with his friends, but gets lost so he wonders out while diana is taking a bath in her usual spot. Diana thinks area is not well traveled by. Actaeon sees her naked so she threw water in his face and then turns him into a stag. Runs around the woods until he finds his dogs and then they eat him
-diana is a virgin god
-dianas first response is embarrassment so she gets really angry and lashes out
-Ovid says it was all big one mistake Actaeon was in the wrong place at the wrong time
Story of Niobe
Proud of her ancestors, kids, # of kids, talented husband, kingdom
Says shes better than Leto because Leto only has two kids
Apollo and Leto punish niobe by killing all her kids - kill 7 boys first and husband is so upset he kills himself. Niobe says “i can still outshine you (leto” bc she still technically has more kids. Leto kills the girls next. Niobe turns into a pillar of stone. Artemis and apollos arrows are what kill the boys and the girls.
Ex - if a woman died during childbirth she would have been shot by an arrow of artemis
Story of Aphrodite and zeus
Aphrodite messing with zeus by making him keep fall in love with people. Zeus makes her sleep with a mortal man named Anchises
Aphrodite transforms into a young unmarried woman
Anchises says hes going to build a temple on the land to her
Anchises wants to live a long life, wants a good future for his son, and wants to be well known among the titans
Anchises and aphrodite have sex and he wakes up and aphrodite is back to her own goddess self. Aphrodite gets pregnant and gives baby to anchises and says zeus will strike him down with a thunderbolt if anchises says anything. (son is aneas)
Hephaestus and hera story
Formulates plan to get back at his mom (hera) by gifting her a throne that prevents her from getting out. Zeus says whoever can free hera gets a cool prize. Prize is you get to marry aphrodite. Hephaestus ends up releasing her and marrying aphrodite but aphrodite keeps sleeping with ares
Hephaestus, Ares, Aphrodite story
Whenever Hephaestus leaves Ares climbes through the window and they sleep together. Hephaestus finds out whats going on. Hephaestus creates chains of gold and drapes them over the bed that traps aphrodite and ares in the act and hephaestus calls posideon, hermes, and apollo as witnesses. Hephaestus doesnt want a divorce he wants his money back bc he had to pay to marry her. Posideon says he will pay it and then aphrodite and Ares run off
Dinoysos/ The bacchus
Dionysos - god of wine
Homeric hymn to dionysos (dionysos and Semele)
Semele has affair with zeus, hera gets upset so she disguises herself and says he doesnt love her. Zeus visits her in disguise, semele says grant me a wish, zeus says sure, semele says “appear to me how you appear to your divine wife hera” zeus says no but eventually appears to semele and she goes up in flames and dies. Zeus removes baby dionysos so e carves a hole in his thigh and when hes read out pops dionysos
Dionysos and the pirates
Dionysos walking on a beach and pirates see him and capture him and the pirates dont believe hes a god so he turns the pirates into dolphins.
Has powers:
-does not allow himself to be chained up
-Dionysos is trying to see if the pirates realize he is a god and let him go esp if the ropes wont stay on that should be a major key. Helmsmen understands whats happening but no one believe him.
-Dionysos also makes sweet smelling wine wash across the ship and ivy and grape vines start coming from the sail. Then Dionysos turns into a lion and makes a bear appear.
As the pirates are jumping into water to escape and dionysos turns them into dolphins
Essential nature of dionysos
- cant be physically restrained or restrained by social norms
- Related to fertility making things grow
- associated with wild animals and wilderness
- gives people an opportunity to recognize he is a god
- only god that has to demonstrate his powers bc no one ever believe him
- can be light hearted but has no problem punishing people
Who are the bacchae
Female followers of dionysos
Central conflict in the play
-acting not how greek women should act ie dancing (let hair down, have lots of implements, vases of wine_
One thing that pentheus is so scared of bc women arent supposed to act like that
Maenads wear similar things dionysos wears
Importance - worshippers of dionysos do not simply make sacrafices instead they identiffy with him through their practice which involves frenzy and estacy
Where are bacchae
Mt. Cithaeron
Why does dionysos go to thebes
Home of dionysos’ mother semel
Dionysos comes to get revenge for what happened to his mother. wants to make his aunts go into a frenzy to prove he exists and his mother wasnt lying (which everyone believes that semele made up that zeus impregnanted her)
Tiresias
Can see things mortals cant - friend of cadmus
Story of dionysos and pentheus (the bacchae)
notes
