CLT Lecture Notes I Classical Mythology A Themes 1 Creation of the Universe 2 Creation and succession of gods 3 Creation of human beings 4 Origins of natural forces wind thunder earthquakes 5 Origins of creatures birds lions etc B Myths 1 Considered to be true by those who tell them 2 Little to no historical record 3 Answers external questions 4 Etiology a The assignment of causes or origins notes b Explanatory c Rationalization 8 27 2013 8 29 2013 II Sources of Greco Roman Mythology A Primary source materials Includes various media 1 Document or object created during the period of time under study 2 3 Created by someone with firsthand knowledge of the event 4 Ancient authors a Mainly Greek some Roman b 8th century BCE 2nd century CE 5 Preserved oral myths in written form a Papyrus b inscriptions 6 made numerous modifications to original stories and characters 7 includes Greek poets historians tragedians mythographers and philosophers B ancient source materials 1 dozens of authors and works a but only a fraction of total materials survives 1 5 b all in ancient Greek Latin dead languages C how much are we missing 1 How we have what we have a Copied during the Middle Ages by learned monks b Revived during the Renaissance manuscript collection c Coincided with interest and discovery of ancient artworks d Scribes made numerous mistakes 1 Added extra letters 2 Added extra words 3 Skipped left out things General Characteristics of Greco Roman Mythology A Polytheism III 1 The belief in and worship of multiple divine beings 2 Different from most major religions today monotheism 3 Syncrenism a Adopting new beliefs integrating into own belief b Greeks and Romans adopted new gods easily B Antropomorphism antropas man morphos form 1 2 The application of human characteristics to non human creatures or objects 3 Appearance and actions largely human like but larger more beautiful and more 4 Neither omniscient seeing everything at once nor omnipresent being everywhere 1 The ability of a god to being a being a physical space or an abstract idea at the 2 Most Greco Roman gods are NOT binatural some are powerful 5 are once Ichor a Blood of god 1 divine form of the gods 6 Nector and Ambrosia a Drink and food of the gods C Binaturalism same time a Nike Victory b Oceanus D The Power of Fate 1 The gods are still under Fate s rule 2 Greek Moria fate 3 Three spinners a Cloths b Lachesis c Atropos 4 All powerful a Even controls gods 1 Zeus and the death of Sarpedon E Orthopraxy 1 Correct practice 2 Gods didn t care about belief from humans only the rituals 3 Opposite from modern conception of orthodoxy correct belief 4 Emphasis on rules regulations and punishments F Priesthood 1 Very important a Believed to be a living connection between humans and the divine b Watched over practices c Ensured rituals were performed correctly 2 High status individuals elite backgrounds 3 Offices often hereditary often held by top politicians 4 Ran temple complexs a Includes numerous lesser priests temple attendants and slaves G Temples and Sanctuaries 1 Residences of particular deities a NOT a place of worship 2 Held sheltered sacred objects or images connected to deity a Believed to be given by deity or personally connected 3 Temenos a Area sacred to a god 4 Staffed by priests funded by donations and state taxes 5 Offerings left a Votive statues 6 Often wealthy a Acted as banks and record offices H Sacrifice 1 Specific sacrifices for specific dates a Bulbs for Poseidon 2 Extremely common in Ancient World 3 Mainly animals a Very rarely human sacrifices 4 Belief that the smell of burning meat sustains gods 5 Ritual cleansing preempted y washing 6 Animals had to be without blemishes a No spots b No deformities Light haired victims for heavenly deities and dark haired for chthonic underworld deities 7 8 Killing of animals preempted by libation pouring of wine for deity 9 Afterwards priests and worshippers had a feast in honor of god 10 Other types of offering a b incense raw and cooked foods c Pelanos 1 Flour cakes 2 Often in shapes of animals or body parts first fruits of harvest d e Branches draped with fillets cloth or wool I Prayers and Hymns 1 Prayers were highly structured Invocation a b Relevant function of deity c Reason deity should assist d Specific request 2 There were positive prayers and negatives curses 3 Most Greco Roman religions NOT concerned with afterlife salvation of the soul 4 Hymns were sung on various occasions a Paeans battle prayer b Dithyramns J Divination 1 Believed gods would reveal their will through signs and omens 2 Def The art of reading divine signs foretelling the future 3 Various types Interpretation of dreams a b Drawing of lots or throwing dice c d Augury Interpretation of chance sayings or remarks 1 Art of reading bird signs 2 Performed by augurs specialist priests 3 Readings based on flight patterns 4 Common throughout ancient world a Especially popular at Rome e Liver signs 1 The art of reading liver spots after an animal sacrifice 2 Haruspex specialized priests 3 Readings based on health of liver and spots 4 Common in ancient world K Oracles 1 Sites for consultation of gods especially Zeus and Apollo 2 Most famous sites a Dodonna b Delphi c Cumae 3 Gods provided prophecies and advice a Usually cryptic b Reported and interpreted by expert priests 4 Widely used by all members of society a Donations expected for favorable response L Healing shrines and Sanctuaries 1 Sites for obtaining healing and assistance from gods 2 Famous sites a Kos Asia Minor b Epidaurus Incubation a Ritual in which person would sleep in the temple to have prophecy dreams and 3 healing 4 Associated mainly with the god Asclepius M Xenia 1 Divine hospitality 2 Protected both guest and host 3 Watched over by Zeus 4 Protected travelers in the dangerous world N Athletic games and contests 1 Very popular part of religious festivals 2 Conducted in honor of gods Involved various sports 3 a Boxing b Wrestling Foot races c d Horse races 4 Successful athletes became very wealthy and famous O Panhellenic festivals 1 Festivals with athletic games in which all of Greece was allowed to participate 2 Four major series a Olympic games b Pythian games c Isthmian games d Nemean games 3 Four year intervals 4 Took place under a sacred truce a Even during times of conflict IV Eastern and Mystery Religions outlier had an uncommon message A Relatively late development 1 Circa 1st century CE B Resulted from Roman conquests of Eastern
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