Women of Legend (greece) Flashcards
(45 cards)
1
Q
Describe the start of the legend of Pandora
A
- when world began, world was populated by men only
- titan named Prometheus wnated to give mankind a gift (make lives easier)
- gives them gift of fire (forbidden by the gods)
- zeus discovers prometheus’ actions = angry
- wanted to punish prometheus + mankind
- presents them with gift that they would welcome but would destroy them
2
Q
Who made Pandora?
A
Hephaestus, god of the forge and craftsmen who shapes her out of earth and water
3
Q
What qualities did pandora recive from the gods?
no quotes needed
A
- athena - dressed her in beautiful silvery gown + skill of needlework + weaving
- aphrodite - elegance + beauty
- hermes - ability to lie and decieve
4
Q
What does the name “Pandora” mean?
A
all gifts
5
Q
what did zeus do with pandora after she was made?
A
- sent her down to earth
- bride to epimetheus (god of afterthought + prometheus’ brother)
6
Q
What did Prometheus say to Epimetheus?
A
- told him not to accept any gift from Zeus
- forgets about it when he sees how beautiful Pandora is
7
Q
What did Pandora bring with her?
both older + newer versions of the myth
A
- a pithos (jar)
- later version: a pyxis (box)
8
Q
What did Pandora do with the jar/ box?
A
- opened it out of curiosity
- explicitly told by zeus not to open it in later versions
- set all miseries that plague mankind free
- hope left behind in box
9
Q
What did Pandora opening the jar imply?
A
- women could not restrain themselves
- needs men to control them
- women are inferior to men
- pandora’s willful disobedience = women always scheming, needs to be tamed, controlled
10
Q
What is Hesiod’s Works and Days supposed to be?
A
- didactic text
- teach or instruct those who read it/ heard it
- Greek values of women are apparent
- Pandora serves as bad example of an uncontrolled woman
11
Q
What role does the legend of Pandora fill?
A
- serves as a creation story
origin story for humankind
12
Q
Hesiod, Works and Days 54-105
A
- pandora mentioned as “curse”
- “one about which every single man will delight in his heart, embracing his own destruction.”
13
Q
What implications does Pandora being mentioned as a “curse” have?
A
- first mention of women = “curse”
- women are a burden to men (punishment)
- tempts men + something to suppress, to control
- women were not to be celebrated
negative connotations
hesiod, works and days
14
Q
analysis of “one about which every single man will delight in his heart, embracing his own destruction.”
A
- women = irresistable = men welcoming their own destruction (“delight”+”embrace”)
- women are cunning, telling men not to be fooled by their appearances
Hesiod, works and days
15
Q
Traits that Pandora recieved quotes
Hesiod, Works and Days
A
“weaving of the richly wrought loom”
“sprinkle charm about her face, as well as desire that would cause trouble, and sufferings”
“bitch’s mind and a thievish nature”
16
Q
analysis of “weaving of the richly wrought loom”
A
- women made to do domestic tasks + stay at home to serve men
- weaving = virtuous
- domestic tasks like weaving occupy women = cannot lie and decieve men
17
Q
analysis of “sprinkle charm about her face, as well as desire that would cause trouble, and sufferings that would gnaw at one’s limbs”
A
- beautiful looks would cause jealousy
- it’s in women’s nature that they want to cause trouble
18
Q
analysis of “bitch’s mind and a thievish nature”
A
- will decieve you, sly
- underneath beautiful appearance is the ability/ desire to trick men
- wilful = acts on impulse/ emotion, willfully disobedient
- justifies men controlling women
19
Q
quote for hope in works and days
A
“hope alone stayed in its unbreakable home”
20
Q
analysis of “hope alone stayed in its unbreakable home”
Hesiod, works and days
A
- hope = redeeming, positive. gives mankind something to help them bear suffering
OR - false hope (cruel trick) that men’s suffering will end, adds to despair (illusion)
21
Q
analysis for “received the gift” & “accepted a curse”
A
- “receive” + “accept” = objectifies women, something to be owned
- property of men
22
Q
quote for Pandora’s appearance
Hesiod, Theogony
A
“likeness of a shy maiden”
23
Q
analysis of “likeness of a shy maiden”
Hesiod, Theogony
A
- “likeness” = only looks the part
- hides their decietful intentions under the “likeness of a shy maiden”
24
Q
Quotes that describe women in the Theogony
A
- “not to be withstood by men”
- “reap the toil of others into their own bellies”
- “without anyone to tend to his years”
- “his kinsfolk divide his possessions amongst them”
25
analysis for "not to be withstood by men"
| Hesiod, Theogony
- justifies men losing all control around women
- women are meant to be irresistable, to appeal to men as much as possible
26
analysis for "reap the toil of others into their own bellies"
| Hesiod, Theogony
- critisizes women for staying at home while men go out and work/ trade (lazy)
- hypocritical, virtuous women needs to be doing domestic tasks
- women are inferior to men
27
analysis of "without anyone to tend to his years" & "his kinsfolk divide his possessions amongst them"
| Hesiod, Theogony
- stay away from women = nobody to look after you in old age, no children/ wife
- no children/ heirs to inherit your possessions, will be split to family instead
- importance of producing heirs for the family to inherit business and possessions
28
What did Homer's version of Helen's story in the Illiad entail?
- helen of sparta was stolen from her husband menelaus
- taken to troy by paris
- greeks gathered army lead by Argamemnon (brother of m) to fight for her return
29
Quotes about Helen in the Illiad by Homer
- "weaving a great double width purple cloth, showing the many battles on her behalf"
- "the winner will claim you as his wife"
- "veiled herself in white linen"
- "weeping large tears"
- "so like an immortal goddess"
- "let her sail home, not stay to be a bane to us and our children"
- "surely the gods must be to blame"
- "I wish I had chosen death"
- "shameless creature"
30
analysis of helen "weaving" and "showing the many battles on her behalf"
- weaving = virtuous activity for women
- sign of faithful wives, keeps them occupied, no time to be sinful
- shows commitment to family life
- shame on helen's part for starting war with her beauty
31
analysis of "the winner will claim you as his wife"
- "claim"- prize to be fought for, dehumanizing
- fate is not in her own hands, always dictated by men
32
analysis of "veiled herself in white linen"
- veil- sign of respectable, modest woman
- white symbolising innocence?
- virtuous
33
analysis of "weeping large tears"
- didactic text
- disobedience brings sorrow
- justifies men controlling women
- blaming self for war - self sacrificing, inferior to men
34
analysis of "like an immortal goddess"
- places blame on helen for being too beautiful
- "like" may suggest her not being actually as pure as goddess, only has the image of one but still sins/ is disobedient
35
"let her sail, not to stay to be a bane to us and our children"
- similar to "curse" from pandora
- all women are a burden/ temptation to men
- won't let her drive their citizens crazy
36
analysis of "surely the gods must be to blame"
- Helen is a pawn to the gods
- no agency
- an object to be manipulated with and used as gods/men wish
- unconventional approach
37
analysis of "I wish I had chosen death"
- regretful for her wilful attitude
- gives women example
- do not leave husband or you would be like her
- emotional, hysterical, no control over emotions/ actions
38
analysis of "shameless creature"
- helen refers to herself as this, places blame on herself
- remorse
39
What are the main ideas of Homer's Illiad version of Helen?
*- women have no agency over themselves*
- aphrodite giving her away, pawn of the gods
*- a woman's beauty is idealised and dangerous*
- expected to veil her own beauty + be modest + hide away her beauty expect for husband
*- women were expected to do domestic tasks
- breaking rules will lead to sorrow and remorse
- stay faithful to husband*
40
quotes from Euripides' version of Helen
- "spear-prize for the greeks"
- "suffered"
- "apppear to have betrayed my husband and joined great war to the greeks"
- "my body at least may not bring shame upon itself here"
41
What happens in Euripides' version of Helen?
- father is either Zeus or Tyndareus
- zeus visited her mother in the form of a swan
- aphrodite, hera, athena arguing about beauty contest
- Paris chosen to judge
- Paris chose aphrodite who offered him the most beautiful woman's hand in marraige
- hera sends phantom helen to troy with paris
- Hermes whisped real Helen to Egypt where she "married" the king Proteus
- Proteus dies and and his son lustfully pursing Helen for himself
- takes refuge at the tomb of her dead husband to stay faithful to Menelaus
42
analysis of "spear-prize for the Greeks"
- treated as an object, prize to be competed for
43
analysis of "appear to have betrayed my husband and joined great war to the Greeks"
- reputation was everything to women
- people thought that she wasn't chaste
- knows deep down that she didn't do anything wrong
44
analysis of "suffered"
- shifts blame, places blame on the gods instead
- doesn't blame herself
- contrasts to Homer's Helen where she blames herself
45
analysis of "my body at least may not bring shame upon itself here"
- still is upholding her fidelity to her husband
- although reputation is damaged already she must not worsen it for her *and her husband*
- if she is raped she is to blame, so she must hide
