The Odyssey

Question 1

What is the etymology of Theoginy?

Answer 1

Theo - God, Gonea - Birth. The birth of the gods.

Question 2

When and where was Babylonian culture? What similarities did the Babylonians have to the Theogony?

Answer 2

Along Euphrates in present day Iraq, 50 miles south of Baghdad. 2300 B.C. Marduk defeats Iamat (earlier goddess) similar to Zeus.

Question 3

Who was Hammurabi? When and where did he rule?

Answer 3

Avid warrior and shrewd administrator, crowned around 1792 B.C.

Question 4

When and where was Sumarian culture? What similarities did it have to the Theogony?

Answer 4

4000 BC to 2500 BC (before Babylonians) in mesopotamia between Tigris and Euphrates rivers. An the Sky God, Inanna the sexual goddess of love and war.

Question 5

What is Gilgamesh?

Answer 5

Oldest epic in history, written by the Sumerians. Similarities to Homeric epics.

Question 6

What similarities were there betewen Hesiod and Homer?

Answer 6

Stories that helped Greeks form single identity

Same time frame, 8th century B.C.

Question 7

What differences were there between Hesiod and Homer?

Answer 7

Theogony - Long list of names and geneology, how the world works
Homeric epics - Narratives about heros
Differences in births of Gods

Question 8

What is a muse?

Answer 8

Divine inspiration for creative artists.

In mythology, 9 goddess daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne

Question 9

What were the 4 original sources?

Answer 9

Chasm - Chaos - Emptyness (not disorder, just empty)
Earth - She, the earth
Tartara - Underworld
Eros - Sexual, violent desire that causes destruction

Question 10

What offspring did Chasm create?

Answer 10

Erebos (darkness) and Night.

Erebos and Night then produced Bright Air & Day

Question 11

What happened in the battle between Cronos and Uranos?

Answer 11

Gaia (earth) and Uranos (sky) birthed Cronos. Gaia was sick of Sky coming on top of her each night and stopping her from reproducing, got together with her son Cronos to castrate Uranos and throw his genitals into the sea.

Question 12

What came out of Gaia (earth) after Cronos castrated Uranos?

Answer 12

Doom, death, cabal, misery, deceit, strife

Question 13

What were the erinyes?

Answer 13

Three goddesses of retribution and vengeance, born from the blood of Uranos’ severed genetals falling from the sky before they hit the sea. Particularly concerned with homicide, unfilial conduct, offenses against the gods, and perjury.

Question 14

How was Aphrodite born?

Answer 14

The goddess of love was born from the foam resulting from Uranos’ castrated genitals hitting the sea.

Question 15

Why did Cronos start eating his own children?

Answer 15

A prophecy suggested he would be defeated by his own child

Question 16

How did Zeus defeat his father, Cronos?

Answer 16

Rhea, Zeus’ mother, gave Cronos a rock (omphalos) to swallow instead of Zeus.
Zeus rallied the cyclops and hundred handers (both opressed by the Titans) against the Titans who took the side of Cronos.
After the cyclops gave Zeus lighning, he defeated the Titans chaining them up in Tartarus.

Question 17

What was the story of Prometheus?

Answer 17

Titan God of Fire
Gives Zeus sacrifics between bones covered in fat and choice meat covered with fur.
As punishment for the trick, Zeus steals fire from humans.
Prometheus steals fire back from the Gods
Zeus sends a bird to eat Prometheus’ liver, which regenerates and is then again eaten in perpetuity.
Eventually freed by Heracles

Question 18

What was the river Styx?

Answer 18

Holy ancient greek river in Tartarus (Hades). Gods could swear an oath on it, severe punishment if oth was violated (coma for example)
Charon would take the dead across the river Styx into the underworld.

Question 19

How did Zeus acquire the ability to self reproduce?

Answer 19

Swallowed Metis (practical wisdom) and then could reproduce himself

Question 20

What similarities were there between Freudian theory and mythology?

Answer 20

Freud believed one of the primary unconscious desires was to kill one of the parents and have sex with the other.
Similar to the stories in the Theogony with Uranos, Cronos, and Zeus.
He believed that healthy people have a repression barrier that changes the desires into something acceptable by society.