Classical Mythology Study GuideKey Terms- Divine Punishment – Ovids Flood to scourge the earth of humans. - Divine Birth – Being pregnant and giving birth to someone while being a virgin. o Example: Gaia giving birth to the mountains, nymphs, hills (nature).- Saga (legend) – Perceived to be historical, may have been embellished with fantasy during the retelling.- Gegenesis – “Earthborn”o Armed mortal beings. - Folktale (fairytale) – Short, fantastic tales with high moral, sometimes magical content. - **Etiology – “Cause”o An explanation for why something may be called what it is in modern day.- **Apotropaic – Designed to ward away- **Theogony – Birth or Genealogy of the gods- **Cosmogony – Birth of order- **Didactism – Lifted to the realm of poetry- **Epiphet – A descriptive adjective usually associated with a god or place. o Example: Gloomy Tartarus- **Hieros Gamos – Sacred Marriageo Gaia and Ouranos were the first Hieros Gamos and they both came from Chaos. o Zeus and Herao Aphrodite and Hephaistos- Parthenogensis – Virgin Birthing- **Bi-Naturalism – When a god can be both a god and an physical thing. o Example: Okeanos is both a god and the freshwater river encircling the Earth.- **Hubris – When a god/hero has too much pride, which eventually leads to their downfall.- **Euhemerism – “Worship of the Dead” - **Syncretism – Reconciling/Combing of different beliefs or explanations- Bard – Semi-professional or professional class. Told stories, often relating his audience, their ancestors with past great deeds. - Titanomachy – “War of the Titans”- Gigantomachy – The struggle between Zeus and the Olympians and the nether forces of chaos led by the giant Alcyoneus. o Metaphor for civilization vs. barbarianism - Delphi – Found to be the naval of the world by Zeus- Chthonic – Having to do with underworld spirits or spirituality- Heroic Ideal – “Concern with kleos”o Literally what is said about an individual. - Tragoidia – “Goat Song”o Refers to form and not theme- Aeneid – “A cultural poem”- Metamorphosis – Written by Ovid as a very influential series of short stories about well known characters all revolving around the theme of change. - Allegory – Metaphor for a themeo Good VS. Evil- Impious – Did not hold proper religious observances.- Eponymous – People putting their name on something (Statue, Clay Tablet)- Palladium – A wooden statue of a god/goddess- Attributes – Words someone would use to describe someone or something. o Example: Sex, doves, swans, roses- Apothecary – A place where medicine comes from and is kept. - Hermaphrodite – A fusion of the nymph Sameleis and the love child of Hermes and Aphrodite (Hermaphroditus) in water. - Enthousiasmos – “Filled with the God”- Pan – “Common to all”- Pomegranate – Symbol of fertility. - Elusian Mysteries – Super exclusive and secret cult in Greece. - Succession Myth – The idea that no one should overthrow Zeus because they themselves will just get overthrown. - Apotheosis – Elevation to divine status of a person or concept. - Intertextuality – Shaping of meaning through allusion or quotation of anther text.- Hetaera – Highly cultured, talented courtesan. THE GODS- Chaos – “Yawning Void” thought of by Hesiodo Ovid describes Chaos as an unformed masso No features or epiphets- Gaia –broad-breasted epithet and in more solid terms. o Described as a binary opposition to Chaos. o “Seat of all gods who inhabit Olympus”o Children of Gaia Cyclopes The Maker of thunder- Brontes – What is heard- Steropes – What is seen- Arges-Keraunos – What hits you 100 handers (not titans) – Incredibly Violent- Tartarus – Separate realm in a part of Gaiao Living entityo The deepest region of the world beneath the underworld- Erebus – Dark and Gloomyo Mixes with black night to produce opposites – brightness (Aither) and day.- Eros – Desire and loveo Eventually becomes Cupido Cosmic force as described by Hesiodo Is countered later by Eris (strife) and together they are the two forces necessary for the development of the cosmos. - Mnemosyne – “Memory”o Mother of the muses. 0000- Ouranos – Exists to be overthrown and provide a good example of a succession myth. o Overthrown by his youngest son Kronos.- The Titans – 12 children (6 boys and 6 girls) who basically exist to be overthrown. Created through the union of Gaia and Ouranos. o Okeanos – Freshwater River that encircles the entire earth Bi-Naturalo Mnemosyne – Mother of the muses “Memory”o Iapetus – Most titan-like after Kronos. Father of Atlas and Prometheuso Rhea – Mother of Zeuso Kronos – Youngest and most fearful of the titans. - The Oceanidso Oceanus and Tethys 3,000 sons (rivers) and 3,000 daughters (springs) Styx – Most prominent daughter- The River Styx is the river of the underworld. - Helius – Sun God- Phaethon – “Shining and Bright” (Son of Helius)- Selene – Moon Goddess- Eos – Goddess of the Dawn- Aphrodite – Goddess of loveo “Genital-Loving”o Roman Name – Venuso Etymology – Creation of foamo Consort – Areso “Golden Aphrodite”o Controls the hearts of all gods and goddesses except the virgin goddesses. o Pandemos – Other name for Aphrodite “Mother of lost children”o Graces – Aphrodite’s Daughters Represent beauty personified and are usually 3 in number. - Adonis – Handsome hunter who Aphrodite falls in love with. o He fights a wild boar who Aphrodite warns him not to and is killed. o Aphrodite cries onto his blood and the blood turns into a flower (anemone)o In Ovid’s Metamorphosiso Hyacinthia – Dying vegetation god- Horae – Daughter of Zeus and Themis. - Eros – Abstract god of attraction/sexual desireo Romans believed that Eros eventually turned into cupid. o Male counterpart of Aphrodite - Phallic Prapus (Fertility God) – Son of Aphrodite- Zeus – King of the godso His animal is the eagle.o Wields Lightningo Usually morphs into a swan, mostly when raping people. o Roman name – Jupitero Is Supreme meaning not to be outwitted or thwarted. o Attributes – Lightning Bolt, Beard, Aegis (Shieldor Breastplate), Scepter (Staff held by a king)- Hera – Lady of Grand Templeso Wife/Sister of Zeuso Goddess of wrathful and malicious rage. o Roman Name – Junoo Attributes – Polos (Crown), Sceptor (Staff)- Athena – Symbolizes everything good and justo
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