Textbook Chapter 3

Question 1

What does the torturing of Prometheus onstage by Hephaestus represent in Prometheus Bound?

Answer 1

The absolute rule of Zeus over gods. It also represents that Zeus’ acts of violence are typical, and he doesn’t really like the human race

Question 2

Who does Zeus sire with Themis?

Answer 2

The Seasons, Lawfulness, Peace, and Justice

Question 3

What do the seasons represent?

Answer 3

That though Zeus did not create the universe (Chaos did), he maintains its order through natural processes like the seasons

Question 4

What are the 3 spheres that Zeus maintains order in?

Answer 4

The Cosmic Sphere- Concerns celestial phenomena
Human Sphere-Actions of human beings on Earth
Divine Sphere- Concerns Gods and Goddesses

Question 5

Which Indo-European God did Zeus derive from?

Answer 5

A widely worshipped sky God.

Question 6

What is a cult?

Answer 6

Repeated actions directed towards specific divinities in a particular place.

Question 7

What is a ritual?

Answer 7

Actions of a cult, including sacrifice, dedication of objects, prayer, dance, songs, and processions

Question 8

Why is Zeus Meilichius represented as a snake?

Answer 8

Suggests a connection to the underworld from where he sends the Earths fruit upwards

Question 9

What happened at the Diasia festival in Athens?

Answer 9

Adults and children played games, brought presents, and offered animal shaped cookies to Zeus, thanking him for good weather and asking for a bountiful harvest

Question 10

What else does Zeus Meilichius reside over other than fertility of crops?

Answer 10

Justice and Murder. If someone killed another person, people would carry a rams skin throughout the city to protect it from Zeus.

Question 11

How does Zeus keep his promise to Themis when Achilles asks him for 2 things?

Answer 11

He allows for Achilles to be a hero, through killing his friend and thus driving him to fight harder. He dies, but is never forgotten

Question 12

Who does Leda give birth to and who are the fathers?

Answer 12

Zeus: Helen and Pollux
Tyndareus: Castor and Clytemnestra

Question 13

What does the story of Leda represent?

Answer 13

Human beings cannot escape the will of Zeus, nor their own mortality. Also conveys that the Gods may be indifferent or cruel in their passion towards humans, however this is accompanied by hope of divine offspring.

Question 14

Who are Hera and Zeus’ children?

Answer 14

Ares-God of war
Hebe- Godess of Youth
Eileithuia- godess of childbirth

Question 15

Who are Hera’s children?

Answer 15

Hephaestus and Typhaon

Question 16

How do Hera’s sanctuaries and rituals define her, according to her name sake (either hero, or seasons)

Answer 16

Scepter (sign of political power), and pomegranate (sign of fertility)

Question 17

How is the Tonaia related to fertility?

Answer 17

Washing Hera in the sea represents the disappearance of seeds beneath the Earth, and the eventual sprouting and reappearance.

Question 18

When did Zeus become present in Samos, thus overthrowing Hera’s rule?

Answer 18

Seventh century BCE

Question 19

What is the Acropolis?

Answer 19

The religious centre of Athens

Question 20

What was the Agora?

Answer 20

The cities commercial and social centre

Question 21

Which philosopher claimed that “man is the spirit of all things” placing man above the Gods?

Answer 21

Protagoras

Question 22

What does Io’s suffering signify?

Answer 22

The cruelty of Zeus and his indifference to human beings

Question 23

How do the Oceanids resist Zeus’ power?

Answer 23

Love, pity, and friendship

Question 24

What are the 2 ways in which scholars study myths?

Answer 24

1) Within their unique historical contexts

2) Study of shared features of myths between many different societies

Question 25

What is Doniger’s argument for how we study myths?

Answer 25

Scholars must use a variety of approaches in order to determine myths unique features, as well as the one’s it shares with other myths. Shared features originate in certain shared human experiences

Question 26

Why does Yahweh/Lord set out to destroy humanity?

Answer 26

Because there was great wickedness in human kind and their thoughts were always evil

Question 27

Why does Yahweh decide to never again flood humanity?

Answer 27

Noah offers him a sacrifice, and he realizes that humans are inherently evil so it doesn’t really matter what he does to punish them

Question 28

Why does Elohim/God set out to destroy humanity?

Answer 28

To cleanse the corruption from the Earth

Question 29

How is the Elohim/God flood story resolved?

Answer 29

With God telling Noah how to be better on this Earth.

Question 30

Why do Elohim and Yahweh act so differently in their stories?

Answer 30

Because it’s possible they were an incomplete merging of two gods when the Hebrew religions became monotheistic.