Classic Myth Midterm Study Guide- What is a myth?- Mythos: word, story, tale- Immortality of myth - Fluidity of myth-no exact rules, can change by author.- Myth and Saga (Legend)- 2 types of storieso Myth = a story about the creation of the world, humankind, gods’ interactions with humanso Saga/Legend = a story with some connection to history, even it’s extremely fanciful (heroes)- Is Myth Truth?- Is myth history?o Perhaps – Euthemerus (c. 3000 BCE)/Euhermism History as the basis for famous myths- Is myth religion?o Myth is strongly concerned with creation, godso Cultic connections- Etiological Myths- “an explanation of the origin of some fact or custom”- Creation of the world origin of good and evil source of feelings- Frequent in classic myth- Other interpretations of myth- Sigmund Freud: dreams and symbols, escape from reality, and Oedipus complex (wish fulfillment) - Carl Juna: archetypical images (the self, the shadow, the Animus, the Anima), the collective unconscious and the Electra Complex- Historical Background- How do we learn about ancient cultures?- Literatureo Homer, Hesiod, etc.- Oral tradition- Archaeology- Heinrich Schliemann – 1870s o Troy (Anatolia), Tiryans and Mycenae- Sir Arthur Evans – turn of the 20th cent.o Minoans (Crete)- Minoans (Crete)- Ca. 1600-1400 BCE (Middle/Late Bronze Ages)- Major palaceso Knossos/Cnossuso Phaestus/Phaistos- Worship of a fertility Mother Goddess- Mother Goddess Characteristics- Earth Mother – fertility and agriculture- Nurturer and Guardian; Destroyer- Triple Goddess – birth, death and regeneration- Moon Goddess- Mycenaeans (city of Mycenae)- Greek Language (Linear B)- Worshipped sky god, Zeus- Flourished in the Late Helladic Period (1600-1100 BCE)- Sky God- Sky father/heavenly father- Complement of Earth Mothero Union of earth and sky to create the world- Zeus/Jupiter - Lightening / Rain / Clouds- Archaic Period - 1100-800 BCE – almost no Greek info- 800 – 480 BCE- Invention of the Greek alphabet- Homer, Hesoid (Theogony)- Classical Period- 480 – 323 BCE- Destruction of the Athenian Acropolis by Persians (480 BCE) until death of Alexander the Great (323 BCE)o Hellenistic Period (after 323 BCE)- Period of famous art, philosophy, literature, playwritingo Playwrights – Aeshylus, Sophocles, Euripides- Rome- Foundation (traditional) – 753 BCEo Romulus and Remus (children of Mars)- Roman Republic – 509 BCE- Roman Empire – ca. 27 BCEo Octavian was given the name “Augustus Caesar” and given supreme rule - Creation Myths- Hesoid o 2 works: Theogony, Works and Dayso Etiological mythso Didactic literatureo Written in meter Dactylic hexameter Epic Meter (Homer, Vergil, Ovid)- Homeric Hymns- 33 hymns to Olympian gods- Composed at different times by different authors (8th – 4th BCE)- Similar to Homer’s epics- Ovid- 1st c. BCE to 1st c. AD- Roman poet (Latin)- Metamorphoses: stories about transformations- Hesoid - 700 BCE, after Homero Archaic Period of Greece- Historical figure? o Farmer, shepherdo Inspired to compose poetry by Muses on Mt. Helicon (Greece), won prize o Won a tripod- Hesoid’s Theogony- The Museso Traditionally nineo Daughters of Zeus Kleio (history), Euterpe (music), Thaleia (comedy), Melpomene (tragedy),Terpsikhore (dance), Erato (lyric poetry)- Mt. Helicono Traditional home of the Muses (their shrine)o “Setting” of the Theogony- Creation and Chaos- Chaos – a gaping void, emptiness (Hesoid)o Not a deity but a beginning, or first principleo Chaos – mass of elements (confused) Ovid - Creation Myths - Creation from Chaoso World is derived from divine influence over primary mattero Disordered matter becomes ordero Gaia, Tartarus, Eros, Erebus, Night- Primordial Godso First godso Gods that bring other gods into existenceo Came from Chaos- Gaia/Ge (“Earth”)- Mother / Earth Goddess- Great Mother of all (Mother Earth)- Parthenogenesis o “virgin birth” (came into birth w/o mother)o Ouranos / Uranus ( “sky god”)o Pontus (“Sea god”)o Mountains- Marriage of Gaia and Uranus- Gaia o Primitive idea of agricultureo Goddess of fertilityo Life springs forth- Uranus o Primitive idea of weathero God of skyo Uranus’ rain = semen/ seeds - Hireros Gamos – sacred marriage between sky god and earth mother- 12 titans came from Gaia and Uranus- Cyclopes (“orb-eyed”)- Hecatonchires (“hundred handers”; 50-headed)- 12 Titans- Remember in pairs o 6 males, 6 females; married ea. Other- Oceanus (m.) and Tethys (f.)o Oceanids and Potamoio 3,000 daughter and 3,000 sons respectively- Hyperion (m.) and Theia (f.)o Hyperion (god of sun)o Parents of Selene (moon), Helius (sun) - The Offspring of Gaia and Uranus- Uranus hated the monsters – Cyclopes and Hectatonchireso Hid them within Earth (Gaia)- Gaia asked her children to help her – Cronus with sickle- Castration of Uranus - Punishment of Uranus o Gaia and Cronus- Birth of Erinyers, Giants, Nymphs- Birth of Aphroditeo Aphros = foam- After Uranus - Cronus becomes supreme god (sky god)- Rhea, sister wife (Earth mother with Gaia)o Children- Hestia (hearth), Demeter (grain), Hera (marriage), Hades (underworld), Poseidon (sea), Zeus (youngest, leader of Olympians)- Cronus and Rhea- Cronus swallows his children- Prophecyo From Gaia and Uranus – one of children will defeat him - Rhea tricks Cronus into swallowing Omphalos stone – stone given to Cronus instead of Zeus)o Delphi – most famous- Zeus is raised on Crete away from his fathero Raised by nymph or goat on Mt. Aegean - Zeus’ Rise to Power and the Creation of Man- Cronus is given drug and other children come out- Titanomachy: Zeus and siblings vs. Cronus and Titans, lasts about 10 yearso Zeus’ side: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Themis (Titan), Prometheus,Cyclopes, Hecatonchireso Cronus’ side: all other Titans except Atlaso Mt. Othrys – stronghold of Titanso Mt. Olympus – stronghold of the Olympianso Olympians victorious Titans imprisoned in a pit beneath Tartarus- Guarded by Hecatonchires Atlas was ordered to hold the heavens on his shoulder Olympians become one step closer to becoming uncontested rulers of the world- Gigantomachyo Zeus and siblings vs. giantso Victorious o Zeus vs. Typhoeus (Typhoon)- Prometheus - Son of Iapetus and Clymene/Themis- Son of a Titan - God of Forethought- Brothers – Atlas, Menoetins, and Epimetheus o Atlas – supporter of Earth = punishmento Menoetins – opponent of Zeus – sent down to
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