CLT 3378-04 (Ancient Mythology) Exam 2 Study GuidePandora (Greek Myth)- Pandora: First woman Name means “all gifts” (pan=all; dora=gifts), although this is a false etymology In “Works and Days”, Pandora opens a jar→ releases evil into the world In “Theogony”, she is unnamed; the woman herself is the source of evil- Works and Days: Author: Hesiod Didactic (moral) Farmer’s almanac Folk wisdom Represents a misogynistic (hatred of women) strain in Greek literature - Didactic: Moral: tries to teach you how to be a good person Works and Days- Misogynistic: as listed above- Hephaestus/Hephaestus: Blacksmith godWorks and Days: forms Pandora out of clay and waterTheogony: makes a golden crown(complete with life-like animals) for the womanAre the animals meant to represent the deceptive and artificial nature of woman? (the animals look real but are really not; woman looks good but she is really evil)-Epimetheus:Name means “afterthought”Brother of PrometheusPrometheus warns Epimetheus not to accept any gifts from Zeus→ foolish Epimetheus accepts Zeus’ gift of Pandora-Pyxis:“Box”Clay vessel; life-size; decoratedMistranslated by Erasmus in 1600 CE (hence the common phrase “Pandora’s Box”)-Pithos:“Jar”Life-size storage jarsHesiod’s intended word (“jar” instead of “box”)-Hope:Only thing left in the “pithos” after evil escapesIs hope present or absent in the world?-Kalon Kakon:Hesiod’s term for women“Beautiful Evil”: a paradox-Myth of the Races:Devolution of peopleOne of Hesiod’s explanations for why life is hard (the other being Pandora; both explanations juxtaposed)Gold Age/Silver Age/Bronze Age/Race of Heroes/Iron AgeDoes not fit with the other ages-Race of Heroes: No decline in people Myth as history (wealthy Greeks traced back their lineage to these heroes) Doesn’t fit with the other ages Heracles/Perseus/Achilles/etc.Prometheus (Greek)Background Reading- Athens: Greek polis, or city-state Repelled a Persian invasion of Greece during the Persian Wars (490, 480-479) Headed the defensive alliance of Poleis, the Delian League, formed to prevent the island states from falling under Persian domination Used their wealth to build a variety of famous buildings, such as the Parthenon- Agonistic: “Competitive” As demonstrated by the Greek tragic competitions- Tragedy: Performed at yearly festivals in honor of the god Dionysus Tragedians competed against one another, having to write three tragedies plus a satyr play- Satyr Place: Comic play based on a mythological story Rarely historical Satyrs provided the chorus- Trilogy: Author: Aeschylus Prometheus Bound: the myth we read Prometheus Unbound: few fragments preserved, Prometheus likely freed from chains Prometheus the Fire-Bringer: essentially just a name to usTheogony/Prometheus Bound- Titans: Children of Gaia and Ouranos- Iapetos: Titan The father of Prometheus- Gaia: Earth Goddess Mother of titans Grandmother of Prometheus- Ouranos: Sky god Father of titans Grandfather of Prometheus- Atlas: Brother of Prometheus Punished by Zeus-sky supporter- Menoitios: Brother of Prometheus Punished by Zeus- thrown into Tartaros (arrogant)- Mecone/Sicyon: The place where men and gods divide up an ox to sacrifice to Zeus (ask Prometheus for advice on which portions are due each side)- Fennel Stalk(pith): Prometheus steals fire, kept in this stalk Can be used to start a fireAeschylus/ Prometheus Bound -Aeschylus:Author of the Prometheus trilogyFamous Greek tragedian-Prometheus Bound:Play that recalls Prometheus’s imprisonment by Zeus for giving humans fire-Culture Hero:Prometheus as a culture hero (gives fire to humans→ punished by the tyrant Zeus)Presents Prometheus as a victim (as opposed to more of a trickster in Theogony)-Metis:Zeus’ first spouseBinatural goddess of clevernessSwallowed by Zeus to avoid prophecy-Typhois/Typhon:Dragon that threatens Zeus’ ruleCf. fate with Metis: Zeus wants to sleep with a sea nymph but prophecy says her child will be stronger than the father-Metallurgy:ToolsOne of the things that Prometheus gives to civilization-Prometheus Unbound:Prometheus released?Reconciliation with Zeus?-Kratos and Bia:“Power” and “Force”, respectivelyZeus’ henchmen; order Hephaestus to chain Prometheus to a cliff-Okeanids:Chorus of playDaughters of the Ocean-Okeanos:Zeus sympathizerFresh water encircling EarthDepicted in art wearing horns (Greek river gods= horns)-Io:Human girl that Zeus wants to sleep withTransformed into cow by Zeus to hide her from Hera (Zeus’s wife)Guarded by Argos (killed by Hermes)Hera sends a gadfly to chase and sting IoRaven/Coyote (Native American)- Native American: Preserved the stories of Raven and Coyote orally- Raven: Creator (of world) Distributor: sun/moon/water/fire/female genitals/water/fog Trickster (disguise; malleable body; raven as animal/man/god) Creates animals Raven distinguishes salmon/bears/herring as food Raven causes a flood and creates a new race of people out of leaves- Tlingit: People of Alaska and northwest Canada Christianized in the early 20th century, especially with the help of ethnographer John R. Swanton- Nass River: Origin of Tlingit people? The rich man who possesses the sun and moon lives up the Nass River- Kit-ka’ositiyi-qa: The Father of Raven; a god- Petrel: Controls fresh water at spring Raven tricks him and then redistributes water into rivers Controls fog (once again taken by Raven)- Coyote: Trickster →challenges Thunder to a game of dice (if he wins, thunder agrees to give Coyote fire) →Coyote cheats and wins→ Thunder agrees to give fire to Coyote, but also intends to kill Coyote→Thunder throws rock(contains fire) at Coyote→Coyote takes off skin to avoid being hit→Rock misses Coyote and breaks on the ground→animals distribute fire around the world- Klamath: People of Oregon/Klamath Lake Spread the oral tradition of Coyote- Thunder: Keeper of fire in white rock- Aetiology: Mythological explanation for how something came to be i.e. why ravens are black/why fire is created from rubbing cedar and stones togetherAnansi (West Africa)- West Africa:
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