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"The Nature of Myth and Mythic Thinking" o Mythos – greek word that means “utterance”; fictional; false o Homer – it referred as a tale or story o Logos – analytic statement, logic, reason; non fictional, historical; truth o Mythology – Set of collection of myths o Homer and Hesiod preserved the original myths "Goddesses and Dying Gods of the Ancient Middle East" o Egyptian - see notes o Sumerian/Mesopotamian- - see notes o Babylonian – nee notes o Canaanite/Cypriot/greek – see notes o Anatolian/greek/roman – see notes Creation & the Rise of Zeus – an attempt to answer the questions of life; imaginative response o Anthropomorphic – suggesting human characteristics for gods o Cosmos v. Chaos – Hesiod, Theogony (700 BC) – Epic poem on birth of Gods, cosmos, rise of Zeus o Personification of Heaven and Earth o Chaos – gap, chasm o Mother Earth (Gaia) o Tartarus (underside of Earth) o Love (Eros) o Heaven (Ouranos) o Cronus Story, rise of zeus o themes Ovid, pp. 5-9: A Roman View of Creation o Less personification o Separation of elements: earth, fire, air, water o Humans are last to be created; animals with a spark of divinity Contrast Topic: The Babylonian Creation Myth (1600 – 725 BC) o Cosmogony – Creation of world Prometheus – Titan, he can see the future. o Epimetheus – Brother, afterthought o Prometheus gives fire and other gifts to humans. Art, justice, politics, reverence o Prometheus tricks Zeus story, bad meat, steals fire again. Chained to mountain. Pandora – punishment. Made by Hephaestus from clay. o Jar – evils released except for hope o Misogyny – neg view of women Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound o Philanthropia – love for humans, gives god privileges to humans o Bound by haeph on caucus mnts, wedge in chest, eagle eats liver o Suffers for pity of humans o Gifts: building, astronomy, math, writing, farming, taming animals, transportation, meds, sacrifices Unbound- Heracles rescues him off mountain o Prom knows secret for zeus: if he marries thetis, Achilles would dethrone him Ovid, pp. 9-12: Ages of Man o Decline: Gold-silver-bronze-iron o Contradiction: older is better then young, but zeus better then cronus? Zeus I: Sky God – dios, di-shine. Source of brightness. Also god of fertility and justice o Replaced kronos/ouranos. He was more creative and less repressive o Protects guests/hosts; punishes with lightning bolt Lycaon - the cruel king of Arcadia who served Zeus a dish of a dismembered child. o Punishment: Lycaon into the form of a wolf, and killed Lycaons fifty sons by lightning
o First sinner/evil doer The Flood – Corrupt human race must be destroyed. Fire too effective, flood was safer. o Gaia repopulated earth by throwing stones. Laas(stone) becomes laos(people) o Water purification Hybris – arrogance/violence/aggression/succesful Ixion - the first man to murder. He killed his father-in-law. After obtaining purification from the god Zeus, Ixion ungratefully sought to seduce Hera, the wife of Zeus. To foil Ixion, Zeus created a cloud in Hera's image; As punishment, Ixion was bound to a fire wheel in the underworld. Salmoneus - claiming to be the equal to Zeus. Driving about in a chariot of bronze to imitate thunder and throwing firebrands to imitate lightning. Zeus destroyed him and his city with a thunderbolt. Phaethon - When Phaeton obtains his father's promise to drive the sun chariot as proof, he fails to control it and the Earth is in danger of burning up when Phaeton is killed by a thunderbolt from Zeus to prevent further disaster. Baucis & Philemon - old married couple, only ones in their town to welcome disguised gods Zeus and Hermes. They kill best goose. Citied destroyed, they are sparred to priesthood Ambrosia, nector, ichor Zeus/Jupiter – father, controls weather, fertilizes with rain. Many marriages/children. o Great bull; great procreator Hera/Juno –final divine wife for zeus o Hierogamy – sacred marriage o Goddess of marriage/childbirth; queen of heaven Teiresias - blind prophet of Thebes, famous for being transformed into a woman for seven years Io - seduced by Zeus, who changed her into a heifer to escape detection by hera. Guarded by argus. Zeus commanded Hermes to kill Argus. Wanders earth forever Callisto Europa - The story of her abduction by Zeus in the form of a white bull was a Cretan story Antiope -. Zeus was attracted by her beauty and came to her in the guise of a Satyr. Antiope conceived twins by Zeus, dionysus, to whose worship she had been devoted, caused Antiope to go mad. She wandered restlessly over all of Greece Leda - Zeus came to Leda in the form of a swan. Leda bore Helen in an egg Ganymede - Ganymede was the most attractive among mortals, by reason of which he was abducted by Zeus in the form of an eagle to serve as cupbearer to the gods and as Zeus' beloved. o Pedastry Problem: God of justice is an adulterer and raper; Hera never had affairs. Dual nature Greek Earth goddesses – Gaia, rhea, themis, Hera Earth – Gaia, Ge. Nourisher, fertility. Minerals. Themis – titaness and predicted future. Oracle of Delphi after gaia Demeter/Ceres, Persephone Erysichthon - he cut down trees in a grove, sacred to Demeter to disrespect gods. Hybris. Punished with insatiable hunger. Daphne & Apollo - Cephalus & Procris - Hades & the Underworld Ares Danaides – filled leaky pitchers Tantalus - offered up his son, Pelops, as a sacrifice to the gods. He cut Pelops up, boiled him, and served him up as food for the gods. Food always out of reach for punishment Sisyphus – push boulder up hill Homer, Odyssey, Book XI (pp. 249-70) The Fates – clotho - spinner, lachses - cutter, atropes - scroll Admetus - Apollo gave to Admetus was persuading the Fates to reprieve Admetus of his fated day of death. Wife replaces him for death. Heracles wrestles with fates Sea Gods / Trickster Gods Poseidon, Oceanus,
Pederasty in greek myth in society o Love between adult male and boy o Examples Zeus and Ganymede Apollo and hyacin Heracles and hylas Laius and chrysippus o Greek society: phenomenon inn upper class o Factors? Unavailability of young women Separation of men from women – kept in home Military initiations and services – homosexuality encouraged loyalty Celebration of male form in art and literature. Cause or result? o Greek homosexuality – KJ Dover – well respected scholar Orpheus – from thrace northern Greece o Taught by Apollo to play lyre o So great of a magician, he charmed beasts, stones, and animals to follow him o An arganout, stopped fights o Marries Eurydice, dies early bc of a snake bight. Goes down to underworld to save her. Charms all of underworld, including hades/Persephone. Agreed, but condition was he couldn’t look back at her while they were leaving. Almost out of underworld and become concerned. He turns around and she vanishes forever. o Torn to pieces bt Maenads of Dionysus. Did not honer he. Refused the love of all women. Becomes gay. Wanted him so bad they fight over him and kill him o Cult established – Orphism. About mysteries and purgation of evil parts. Transmigration of souls. Dionysus/Bacchus – October 2nd God of wine/vegetation. Symbols: Grape and Ivy God of Liquid life, blood, sap, milk. Wine=blood Demeter is grain and dry and passive while Dionysus is liquid and active. Power that makes bloom and procreate Birth: Zeus seduces semele; Hera tricks semele into convincing her to make love in natural form. As a lightning bolt, he destroys her. o Sows her living fetus into his thigh o Hermes takes dion. To sister of sem., Ino o Turns into a kid and protected by nymphs on Mt Nysa o Hera mad him mad and flew to Cybele, great mother, to cure him o Kidnapped by pirates – hom hym 7 Only Helmsmen recognizes god. Wine runs through ship, ivy grows. Turns to lion and wrecks shit up. Others jump off and becomes sea lions Nice helmsmen is rewarded, reverence towards strangers He is a god who suffers/a victim. He liberates and connate be constrained o Rites of Dion.: accompanied by maenads, bacchantes, males: satyrs/seleni Worshipers wore animal skin, always at night, mountain dancing Carries thyrsus, pole wrapped in ivy with pinecone on top Climax: Sparagmos -tearing apart of animal Omophagia -eating raw flesh, as late as Hellenistic period, Alexander, 300BC Enthousiasmos-having the god within Ecstasy: conscience taken over by god, In prehistoric times, could be cannibalism Animals were to represent Dion, may be disdain for cannibalism o Born of mortal mother and eventually become gods o Spread of Dion. Religion Imported from East, ruling classes disliked him Lycurgus – drove followers away, DION made him hack family to death, cut off own feet Attica – teaches viticulture to Icarius and Erigone, they make wine for local farmers. Farmers think its poison, kill erigone, wife hangers herself Thebes – birthplace of Dionysus, persecuted by own relatives who are later punished o Dion – wandering god of incarnate, god as victim. Patten:
Initially resisted and persecuted Overcomes resistance with show of power Worship of Dion. Is accepted Death and resurrection on motif, sometimes life. Departure and returns. Interp psychologically. Dionysus reps instinctive side of life, not rational Dion. Is cause of madness and liberator from madness Greeks saw Dion. As foreign god. Rational mind’s reluctant-ness may be cause Rome: cult grew so much, that Roman senate brought them to control in fear of subversion o Nietzsche – Dionysian(instinctual) v. apollonian(calm, rational) o Christian parallels Persecuted god in both Bread in wine, like communion Promise of redemption, like Jesus Served as a prototype as Christian devil, both have horns. Competition with pagan Tereus, procne, and Philomela o Ter. Rapes sis in law, cuts out tongue – Philomela o Procne finds out and murders son, itys, and feeds to tereus, all transformed to birds o Tansgressive clones of kin, killing sis, or eating son o Dionysian elements Phil is released from prison during Dion. Fest. Phil is dressed as maenad Killing of itys, has a Dion. Ritualistic element (ovid 241) Pan – son of hermes. he was born with horns and goat hooves o God of shepherds, associated with pan pipes o Delighted Dionysus o Contrast to Apollo, Pan: crude , course lowly, closer to animals than gods The Bacchae - October 5th Dionysus is in human form, visiting home town. o Turns the women of thebes into worship of dionysus o Wants to vindicate mother from slander of her sisters, o Cadmus is uncle, pentheus is cousin o Older Cadmus/terisius are pathetic but feel rejuvenated through worship of Dionysus Pentheus Will suppress bacch and put thebian women in chains, including mother. Disagrees with religion o Demeter=dry food, Dionysus=wet drink,wine,grape cure of sadness o Serves mankind, part of wine sacrifice to gods Hybris- humans have limits and need to stick to them Penth in conflict with Dionysus o Dionysus is arrested , but thebes are released by self opening door o Imprisons Dionysus and cuts off hair, wants to sell into slavery o Entire palace is destroyed and walks away o Tries to tie dion, but ties bull o Penth is cocky, irrational Women are peaceful but turn violent when men attack, barbaric Penth desires to see these women himself o Convinces him to dress up as women – strips him of masculinity and power. Delusion Mother rips him apart, they play catch with bits of flesh. o Agaue brags about killing mountain lion, but holds head of own son, Cadmus helps her realize this Lacuna – gap in text Dionysus exiles sisters, turns to snakes Themes o Hubris – Thebes isn’t fully rational, misreads nature of worship o Shows power of Dionysus, shows gap of human to gods o God of blessing and joy of followers, but merciless of dissenters o Dioysus specifically appeals to women over men ; source of freedom Problems o Cadmus ends up suffering even though he is innocent and even worships Dionysus
Cybele becomes angry and turns them into lions o Hippomanes motto: “Gods help those who dare” Ovid’s advice to young men Salmacis and Hermaphroditus o Hermaphroditus – child of Aphrodite and Hermes – formed with Salmacis to form 2 genders Bisexual god, deity of marriage o Cypurs: Aphroditus(male Aphrodite) o Other examples of both genders - universality Priests of Cybele castrated themselves to be women Teiresiias changed genders Achilles and Heracles – most manly had episodes of transvestitality; symbolizes humiliation Some culture – bride and groom exchange clothing Pygmalion – King of Cyprus o As artist, makes Ivory statue The best art is that which conceals art (lifelike) o Treats statue like a human, prays for wife like a statue o Venus hears and transforms statue into real girl – Galatea o Opposite of most metamorphes – non human object becomes human being o Themes: Venus aids lover who prays Male fantasy, ideal lover becomes real Creative process Source of Shaw’s Pygmalion, my fair lady
Oct 12 – Aphrodite 2 (Transgressive or forbidden) Cinyras and Myrrha On Cyprus, cinyrus is son of Pygmalion, father or Myrrha Myrrha falls in love with her father , she tries to kill herself. Nurse stops suicide and arranges her to lay with father in night 9 months later she is transformed into myrrh tree , Adonis is born Myrrha was punished by Aphrodite by bragging to be prettier(not in classic versions) Byblis and Caunus In Asia, Byblis falls in love with brother, Caunus Common bond=common barrier Brotherhood prevents their relationship Writes bro a letter to reveal passions. Caunus rejects and flees country Byblus is transformed into fountain when she dies alone near phonecian city of Byblis Depicts incest as forbidden love , once reveal results in conflict. Incest – taboo Inherently tragic Transformation provide closure to insoluble conflict Function of myths Reinforces the social taboo Human interest in such stories Explores tragic potentialities Boy meets girl – Iphis and Ianthe In Crete, Ligdus demands a boy child, will kill daughter Io/Isis – goddess appears to telethusa and tells her to save the girl Io saves girl Iphis by making her look like a boy. After 13 years , falls in love with Ianthe. But nature stands between them. Transformation – Iphis transformed into a boy and has a happy outcome Fully conforms to father’s wishes ; parental control Conforms to idea that sex is for procreation, homo love not a possibility Tragic love – Galatea, Acis and Polyphemus Tragic potentialities of love triangle Gal. is loved by Acis and Polyphemus Cyclops is comical Acis crushed by Poly’s boulder Acis’ blood becomes river god
Pyramus and thisbe In Babylon Parental authority v. power of love Adopted by Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet Series of ironic coincidences Tragic outcome They try to elope bc parents determine marriages Kill each other like R+J Pyramus blood changes mulberry fruit from white to red Echo/Narcissus Echo was cursed by Juno bc she hid Jupiter’s adultery Can only respond with the same words , cannot initiate form own words Falls in love with Narcissus Narcissus rejects echo, and dies after staring into a pool of his reflections forever Ovid: auditory and visual reflections Echo is auditory reflection Narcissus is in love with bodiless visual of himself Explains how echo and flower gets name Moral – moderation is desirable and healthy Superstition – gazing into mirror is bad luck Narcissus flower allowed hades to capture Persephone Priapus – son of Aphrodite and Dionysus From Asia minor, a fertility diety Statues used by romans as scarecrows HUGE PENIS Eros /Cupid/Amor – can fly Hesiod: born with gaia and tartaros out of chaos Eros – first male young beautiful god God of love and loyalty between young men Later – mischievous boy, son of Aphrodite /venus. Has a bow and arrow Can make anyone and gods fall in love, Apollo and Daphne Cupid/Psyche Golden Ass – written by Apuleius in 2d c. AD Imbedded with novel as entertainment Classical story that involves venus and son cupid and beautiful girl psyche Aphrodite jealous of Pysche, wants to punish thru eros Eros pricks himself and falls in love, must not be seen. Eros strikes for a few months Wicked sisters convince her to see Eros in fear. She pricks herself during revelation Pysche has several tasks to accomplish for redemption Psyche’s box – beauty box she looks into, falls into deep sleep but revived by Eros and has daughter voluptas. Granted divinity by Zeus and drinks ambrosia Religious allegory Invisible servants, vastle, wiched sisters, happy ending – makes in a fairy tale Persecuting deity , venus is jealous of girl Name means the soul in greek. Her experiences represents the trails of soul in seeking love and divine. Search or the soul for love Created not a long time ago through tradition Confused for Pandora or Eve sometimes
Athena, Artemis, and Virgins – October 14 Hestia – Vesta – Goddess of the hearth. Daughter of Cronus and rhea. Was the oldest and youngest of the original Olympians Modest virgin Refused the courting of Apollo and Poseidon Never left mount Olympus, sworn herself to virginity Abode: mid point of every home; most venerable of gods Patroness of each citystate and household Symbolized the private hearth in every home , tended by the women; also the public hearth or community center
Actaeon and Artemis Acteaon was a hunter who stumbles into Diana’s grove and sees her naked She splashes him with water and he turns into a stag His own hunting dogs kill and rip him to pieces Actaeon was in wrong place at the wrong time and is punished Illustrates Diana’s unyielding defense of virginity Callisto and Diana Callisto was a devotee of Diana Jupiter disguises himself as Diana to get Callisto pregnant 9 months later she is exposed and expelled from virgin group Zeus turns her into bear , as 16 year old son is hunting her, zeus turns mother and son into constellations ursa major/minor Ovid: Zeus is in drag, emphases on diana’s naiveté who doesn’t realize the pregnancy for 9 months while other virgins already notice Hecate and Selene Hecate – goddess of underworld, identified with Diana Dark side – patroness of sorceress Night goddess with hell hounds Selene – goddess of Moon , sky, identified with Diana and Hecate Luna is another name for her Not very much mythology, symbolizes moonlight, drives the moon’s chariot
The Hero – October 16 Transitions, rituals, and myths From youth to adults Male v. Females perspectives Males: passage form youth into adult, marriage, community. Worked outside, military, govt Female: Had to work in home , raise children Nature had changed; women are now equal to men in contemporary times. Differences have less significance Hero myth of path – mainly men, but women can draw encouragement from these. Male should empathize with womenccc Beginning or initiation – Latin: initium End of childhood – Greek: telos Rituals with initiation as a component General features Myths of heros provided comfort and models for young men Identification with and emulation of heros Heros: founders and protectors of community Cults of heros Tombs and shrines Deification – became gods Heracles Phases Death of infantile or adolescent nature – expulsion from community and encounter with monster Beginning of sexual maturity – encounter with women /death figure Trials, assistant of helpful deity Achievement of primary quest Finally, return to community Functions Provided role models for young men Represented stages and difficulties of life Conveyed ideals and values of culture A universalizing interpretation by Joseph Campbell The inner struggles and crises of us all, male or female, that we must overcome to lead happy life We become heroes when we respond to life’s challenges Perseus Born in Argos. Grandfather, Acrisius, learned that grandson will kill him Daughter danae was locked in basement Zeus showers himself as gold into window, she becomes pregnant
Mother and infant put in chest into sea , to die Land on seriphus and saved Polydectus, saves and lusts for Danae who refuses Poly tricks Perseus to find medusa head in order to distract him Meant to bring death Persues quest Classic example of hero’s quest Helped by Athena and Hermes Graeae: magic weapons Pouch, winged sandals, cap of invisibility, sickle of adaant Gorgons – symbols of death Since they turn to stone at site of face, he uses bronze shield to look at her and cuts off her head Medusa – blood from her neck springs Pegasus and giant chysaor Woman as symbol of death , or domineering mother figure that must be overthrown Story of medua and Athena Medusa a beautiful girl who challeneged Athena to beauty , esp her awesome hair Punished by having hair turned to snakes Perseus cont Used medusa’s head to turn Atlas into stone, Atlas mountains Andromeda is rescued by perseus at joppa, perfect timing Turns phineus into stone, king brother who wants the girl Returns home and turns polydectes into stone Medusa’s head put on athena’s aegis Accidentally kills grandfather with discus , acrisius Remembered as great hero of argos Bellerphon - sometimes confused with persues Son of glaucis and euynome Fled cornith bc accidental murder and cleansed by iryns Encounter with Sthenobcoea, she wanted him He refused and accused him of rape She is a woman that represents death threat Death note – Proetus sends Bellerophon to brother Iobates But host cannot kill guests Sends bellerophon on heroic tasks with expectations that he will die Tasks First task is to kill Chimaera with poison arrow Capture Pegasus and Bell. Rides it Solymi – battles them Amazons – battles them Ambush – fails All of these don’t kill him Offers Bello other daughter and half of kingdom bc Bello wont die Tragic end: Envies god and tries to ride Pegasus to heaven Gadfly sent by god sends him off course, wonders earth in obscurity Hybris – challenging gods Jason and Medea Jason, model hero – son of Aeson of Iolcus, Grandson of Aeolus Aeson’s bro usurps him, pelius Jason sent away by centaur Chiron Pelias and Hera Jason’s quest Jason encounters old women(hera disguised) to carry her across river, he loses sandal Test Hera’s plan Role of Jason and Medea – Jason gets Medea so she can bring revenge against pelias Character
Baby born and pierces its ankles and exposed baby yo Mt Cithaeron Shephard pities baby and names it Oedipus Means swollen foot Gives baby to another who puts it in chest and floats in sea to Corinth Polybus and Merope sees chest and they adopt it Oracle at Delphi is where adult oedipus Go to find his true parents Told he will marry mother and kill his father So he doesn’t return Corinth and proceeds to thebes In self defense, he kills old man at crossroad who attacked him IN thebes he solves riddle of the Sphinx This monster sits on wall of Thebes and eats citizens Will continue until riddle is solved What goes on 4 in morning, 2 in afternoon, and 3 in evening Anyone who solves riddle receives kingdom Answer is man , Oedipus wins and kills Sphinx Oed becomes king and marries Jocasta , his mom They make 4 children Thebes is struck by plaque Oracle of Delphi informs that murder hasn’t been revenged in Thebes All search for Laius of murderer Oedipus reveals to himself the truth He killed his father Blinds himself with broach Wife/mom kills herself Fulfilled both prediction of Oracle Curse of pelops is fulfilled by Hera Aftermath of Cadmus Blind Oedipus in exile Sons, eteocls and polynices rule in terms Only daughter antigone help Oedipus Et drives Poly out Polynices raises army against his old city , named Adrastus Whoever has support of Oedipus will win He is in Athens, king swears to protect from sons Sons seek his support Oed resists sons and curses them Two brothers kill each other in war Antigone inherits curse She is buried alive Guilt lasts generation, way to understand suffering that doesn’t seem deserved Father v son Brother v brother 10 years later: Epigoni – original sons of 7 against thebes They attack again Meleager – son of Oenus, king of Calydon Offended artemis She sends boar to harass city Atalanta hunts Calydonian boar Big competition Atalanta gets first strike on bore, Meleager kills boar but shares honor and hide Mothers brothers are angry that woman gets award, so Meleager kills 2 uncles for this When Meleager was born, Fates indicated that Meleager would die when log was burned to ash Althaea revenges her brothers by burning log and killing her son Homer says that he withdrew from battle but returns and dies in war With shows tragic and destructive effect of anger Meleager was tragic hero
Oedipus the King – oct
Considered to be one of the best plays ever Murder of father and incest with mother Miasma – greek – objective guilt Pollution Plaque Inherited guilt Sins of parents or ancestor Myth of recognition – reversed In Comedies – story where a child is separated from parents and reunited with a happy ending Ultimate tragic wish Wishing never to be born Admonished hero Finds guilty man at all cost, even at the expense of his own Interp Hero myth: overcame his own father and sphinx Disputed by most scholars Hero for sphinx but still tragic Sigmeud Frued – child’s innate unconscious feelings Mother is caring and father is mean No reason to think that Greeks gave this story a child parent relationship ________________________________________________________________________________________________Oc t 23 – Heracles Roman: Hercules : Born of Almene and zeus at thebes Name means glory of Hera Ironic bc Hera is his live long persecutor /enemy Eurytheitheus is king of Turtnus Born before Heracles on the same day, wanted to rile humans, not zeus He was a twin Bro was not special – Iphicles Result of one mortal father and one divine father Eileithyia delayed birth of Heracles Ordered by Hera Eru. Born first, so he will rule over Heracles Education of child Expert in bow and wrestling Failed music and killed music teacher linus Madness of Heracles King thespius sends 5 daughters for Heracles so he will kill lion Heracles wins and wears lion’s skin Euripides, wrote Heracles, about madness, happened either before or after labors Marries Megara and had 2 sons Her life was threatened by Lycus Heracles rescues family and kills lycus Hera drives Heracles mad and makes him kill wife and kids He exiles himself and seeks purification, must expunge his crimes by completing 10 labors will be granted immortality Euryth. \sets tasks Arch enemy All tasks are meant to kill him Labors of Herc Peloponnesian labors – first 6 Nemean lion – strangle with bare hands bc weapons wont work on him Sometimes source of his lion skin Hydra – one of most famous Monster with 9 heads 2 head would grow back when head was cut off Eolaus, gave him torch to cauterize wound so heads would not grow back Dips arrows in hydra’s gods for poison Euryth. Refuse to count task because he had help
Athens, Demophon, gives them sanctuary Euryth defeated
Athenian Myths – thesus oct Early king of Athens Cecrops – 1st king of Attica (Athens is the center city) Man’s body with a snake’s tale Had 3 daughters and a son that died early Called Attica Cecrpoia Arbiter of Athena V. Poseidon Rules in favor of Athena Founded court of Areopagus Innovator by ending human sacrifice Introduced monogamy First to recognize Zeus as omnipotent god Early King 2 Erichonius , son of Hephaestus and atthis More common: Hephaestus tries to rape Athena , he fails, and his semen falls on Gaia Earth becomes preggers and Erich is born Chest: daughters of Cecrops Told not to open it, they did and they saw some kind of snake Instituted Panathenaic festival Honors Athena every 4 years that other states were invited Set up status of Athena on Acropolis Often confused with Erectheus Early King 3 Erectheus – grandson of Erich, earth born and reared by Athena War with Eleusis, must sacrifice daughter to win He does, and in some V. the other daughters commit suicide Won the war but killed by Poseidon but identified with him in cult Erechtheuum (on Acropolis) Erected for Erechtheus and Poseidon Earthly king with divine sea king Early Kings 4 concept of Autochthony Auto = self Thonos = earth/deep earth Being born from the Earth Athens’ sense of it Snake forms bc snakes live in Earth If born from Earth at Athens, they have sense of origin from that place Theseus – early life Son of Aegus and Aethra Dual fathers Aegeus and Posidon Tokens: sword and sandals Left under stone when he left When the child grows up with strength, have him retrieve and come to me Proves strength and worthiness Theseus: noted for strength and cleverness Heracles wasn’t especially noted for cleverness Emulated Heracles But wants to be the Athenian version Theseus: Journey to Athens Bandits of Isthmus – way to create his name as hero Corynetes – Clubman Uses the club against Cory
Sinis – Pine-bender Stanger would be hurled by tree Sow of Crommyon and Phaea Man eating sow Sceiron – foot washing Forced ppl to wash feet on side of cliff, and then kicks them off Thes. Does the same King of Cercyon – wrestler Kills wrestler Procrustes – Stretcher Invite ppl to stay in home, if they didn’t fit the bed, he would cut/stretch them Must fit bed perfectly Procrustean – enforces rigid conformity Pattern of Bandits All abused hospitality All treated to their own medicine Used intelligence and quickness to win Theseus in Athens Long robe Reputation precedes him as Isthmus killers He is very friendly to guests Xenia – must make quests comfortable then ask for identity Medea seeks death bc she sees him as son of Aegeus Bull of Marathon Medea attempted to poison Thesues Recognition of sword by Aegeus as his own saves son by hitting cup away Episode in Crete Forced Athenian tribute to Minos of Crete Forced to send 7 young men and 7 women every year to be Minotaur Birthplace of minotaur: Pasiphae Lives in maze and minotaur likes eating people Mino offended Poseidon so Poseidon punishes and curses him and causes wife to fall in love for unsacrificed bull She gets inside wooden cow frame Minotaur is born Head of bull body of human Theseus volunteers to kill minotaur Arrives in crete and Ariadne falls in love with him Sends aid of Daedalus to give him sword and ball of thread Kills minotaur with sword and follows thread to return Escapes with Ariadne Thesues and Ariadne on Naxos Decides to abandon her while she sleeps She later marries Dionysus Theseus returns home and forgets to change black sail to white Aegeus thinks he has died so he jumps off of cliff and dies Theseus: other features Has child by hoppolytus by amazon Descent to underworld with Perithous to bring back persophone Consolidated Attica under Athens’ rule Heroic mythic representative of Athens Champion of the oppressed Oedipus at Colonus Mad Heracles who wills family – prevents his suicide Suppliant women Children of Heracles – helped by son Daedalis/Icarus Father and son escape for Crete Wings held together by wax
Dionysus I , Pan Tereus, Procne & Philomela Dionysus Bacchae Aphrodite , Ares & Aphrodite ) Venus & Adonis ; Atalanta and Hipp Salmacis & Hermaphroditus Pygmalion Cinyras & Myrrha , Caunus & Byblis ; Iphis & Ianthe Acis & Galatea, polythemus Pyramus & Thisbe Narcissus & Echo Eros, , Psyche Priapus Athena/Minerva, Hestia Minerva & Arachne : Artemis, Hecate Diana & Actaeon Callisto Perseus Bellerophon , : Jason, Argonauts Medea & Jason Cadmus , Laius , Oedipus , Meleager Polynices & Adrastus, Antigone Oedipus the King Heracles, , Heraclids : Cecrops, Erichthonius, Erechtheus, Ion Theseus, Daedalus Daedalus & Icarus Euripides Ion Trojan War Trojan war and history Schliemann 1870-90 – discovered city of Troy
Troy VIIA – destroyed c. 1250 BC “Residue of historical myth” Epic poems of Homer Iliad/Odyssey –earliest written texts/sources 725 BC – 500 year gap Oral tradition Homer himself was a performer of stories. Repetition of scenes reflects oral tradition. Feasting scenes were generic Slightly improvised, but all for entertainment Homer’s were great epics, several days of reciting Myths of Trojan War is legendary – could be true. Greeks considered them to be historical Focuses on wrath of Achilles and love, not historical details. Similar to Alamo – there is a historical approach and a legendary approach Mythic tradition - origins 1. Earth groaning under weight of large population: Ate, goddess of folly, fell onto troy which naturally chose troy 2. Wedding of Peleus and Thetis, parents of Achilles Eris was not invited – threw down apple that said “for the fairest” - Athena Hera and aphro claim apple Paris is chosen by Zeus to decided Each offered Paris a reward Hera – world domination Athena – military authority Aphrodite – most beautiful woman Paris – as a ladies’ man, chooses Helen Paris goes to Sparta as guest, seduces Helen, brings her back to troy: violation of hospitality Menelaus calls on obligations of Helen’s suitors Bro – Agamemnon, commander and chief for Greek forces Evaders – tried to avoid taking part in the war Odysseus – pretended to be mad Achilles – dressed as a girl(Mother made him do this), but Odysseus places down girl trinkets and a shield and sword When war alarm is blown, he takes up arms and reveals his masculine identity Incident at Aulis No wind: ships cannot sail Artemis was angry – demands sacrifice of Iphigenia – Agamemnon’s daughter Agamemnon’s dilemma Can either kill daughter, or let his men suffer and turn of him, losing the entire cause Sacrifice occurs Alternative version – deer is substituted by artemis at last second War as cursed enterprise Sailing to Troy - Army sails form Aulis At lemnos, philoctetes is bitten by a snake, has incurable infection and is abandoned At troy, Greek embassy fails War proceeds for 9 years without resolution 10th year – homer’s Iliad Achilles, and his wrath, has conflict over prize with Agamemnon Chryses, a priest – daughter named Chryseis is captured Wants to pay to release daughter, father. Ag wants Chry all to himself She prays to Apollo who brings a plague on Greek army Achilles has prophet explain the cause of plague, Achilles then challenges Agamemnon Ag agrees to give up Chry but would takes Achilles prize bc he is commander Ag takes Briseis, Achilles prize - Achilles wants to kill Agamemnon Heroic code: Arête – excellence, Must show tremendous this on battlefield Geras – prize, Prize reflects army’s values of warrior Time –honor - Before mentioned as value, this honor represented by prize Taking away Achilles’ prize is taking away is prize/honor/award/value This causes him to drop out bc of lack of honor Achilles withdraws Thetis appeals to Zeus, so Zeus favors Trojans until the Greeks repays respects As Greeks sustains losses Embassy to Achilles,: Odysseus, Ajax, phoenix Achilles refuses and alters plans Achilles faces forked fate A short glorious life in Troy, or a long comfortable/forgettable life not in war Climatic duel Tide favors the Trojans without Achilles help Patroclus wears Achilles armor and is killed by Hector in war
