The main myths

Question 1

Events of Oedipus the King

Question 2

What is the riddle of the Sphinx and how does it relate to Oedipus’ name?

Question 3

how does Sophocles reshapes the Oedipus myth by shifting the timing of the prophecy?

Answer 3

shifting the timing of the prophecy, introducing the plague and stressing the human intelligence of Oedipus (as opposed to earlier versions where the focus was on the conflict between his sons)

Question 4

how is Oedipus similar to and different from heroes such as Theseus and Herakles?
how does he conform to and deviates from normal patterns of hero myths?

Question 5

Oedipus (including his death and hero-cult near Athens, in place sacred to the Furies)

Question 6

Events of Antigone

Question 7

how does Antigone evoke both Demeter and Persephone, while also reminding us of aspects of male heroism?

Question 8

Story of Perseus and Io

Question 9

Significance of Perseus’ equipment

Question 10

Story of Jason and Medea

Question 11

• Argo:
   know the origin of the ship
   don’t worry about names of crew except Orpheus and Herakles
   know the crew was mainly the fathers of the Trojan War heroes, including Peleus (father of Achilles)

Question 12

• Jason’s career: education with Chiron, sandal, quest
• how Jason conforms to and deviates from the hero pattern

Question 13

• events at Corinth; murder of children (including alternative versions, understanding that Euripides likely invented the twist that Medea was the murderer)
• Understand how Medea evokes the values and actions of male heroes

Question 14

• ambiguous status as both hero and god

Question 15

• meaning of name and hostility of Hera
• circumstances of birth
• snakes in crib

Question 16

• possible reasons he has to undergo labors (born after Eurystheus, murder of family, goal of immortality)

Question 17

• 50 daughters of King Thespius
• Megara; murder of their children
• club, bow, lion skin

Question 18

Explain Herakles’ participation in the first Trojan War and the expedition of the Argonauts

Question 19

Name the Labours

Answer 19

Know that there were originally 10.
o 1.Nemean lion
o 2.Hydra
o 3.boar
o 4.Cernyean hind
o 5.Stymphalian birds
o 6.stables of King Augeas
o 7.capture of Cretan bull
o 8.man-eating horses of Diomedes
o 9.Girdle of Hippolyte
o 10.capture cattle of 3-bodied Geryon
o 11.fetch Cerberus from Hades
o 12.Golden apples of Hesperides

Question 20

• service to Queen Omphale for one year
• Battle with Acheloös over Deianeira
• Deianeira and Iole; Nessus
• release of Prometheus

Question 21

How does he become a God?

Question 22

What is the general relation of Herakles to Olympia and Olympics?

Question 23

associations with Centaurs
*Chiron, the trainer of heroes

Question 24

• Theseus’ birth and life

Answer 24

Aegeus, recognition by sword and sandals
* 6 labors: killing of bandits (names unimportant)
* Medea’s hostility; poison and bull
* murder of Pallas’ sons
* Crete: Minos, Minotaur, Pasiphae
* Women: Ariadne, Hippolyta/Antiope, Phaedra
* Hippolytos
* Daedalus and Ikaros
* defeats of Amazons and Centaurs (know what each is too)

Question 25

Theseus’ association with Heracles and ways he is modeled on him

Question 26

Theseus’ political and religious functions in Athens

Question 27

• Kekrops
• Erichthonios
• Erechtheus and the sacrifice of his daughters
• Myth of contest between Athena and Poseidon
• Parthenon, Erectheum and Acropolis
• Sounion: temple of Poseidon
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