Greek Mythology Exam 2
What are the two origin stories of Aphrodite?
1. Castration of Ouranos (older) 2. daughter of Zeus (younger)
What negotiation was made with Hephaestus in exchange for Hera's release?
1. He would be accepted into Olympus 2. He could marry whoever he wanted
What are the two origin stories of Eros?
1. Primordial being (older) 2. son of Aphrodite (younger)
What are the three characteristics that characterize Artemis as "mistress of animals"?
1. They go from wild to tame 2. She cares for them 3. She can transform people into animals
What are Aphrodite's three areas of influence?
1. anodos 2. kosmesis 3. mixis
What are some examples of Hephaestus's automata in stories?
1. automatic opening doors 2. moving tables 3. golden servant girls
What are Artemis's resposibilities?
1. childbirth 2. virginity/adolescence 3. animals/hunting
What are the 3 ways in which Hephaestus is unique?
1. he works (engineer, inventor) 2. physically disabled 3. makes his way back to Olympus after being kicked out
Which three rituals were performed for Artemis?
1. offering a lock of hair 2. basket(?) 3. 'playing the bear'
Why were the Greeks so fascinated with artificial life?
1. slavery 2. Dreaming of the future
Who is Talos?
A giant bronze automaton created by Hephaestus
Who is Smyrna (Myrrha)?
A princess
What was the agreement between Persephone and Aphrodite?
Adonis would spend a third of the year with Persephone, a third with Aphrodite, and a third on his own
Who are two other "mistress of animals" goddesses?
Aphrodite and Leto
What is the famous unbelievably beautiful statue of Aphrodite?
Aphrodite of Knidos
Where did Smyrna flee to? What happened?
Arabia. She was turned into a tree and gave birth to a son, Adonis, from the bark.
Who did Aphrodite have an affair with?
Ares
Who tries to force Hephaestus to come take Hera down?
Ares
How is Aphrodite depicted?
As an adult nude woman
Who did Hephaestus unsuccessfully try to have a relationship with?
Athena
Why were the Greeks concerned with slavery?
Because all automatic tasks were performed by slaves, resulting in anxiety about a potential uprising
Why are people afraid of Artemis the huntress?
Because of the threat of violating the sacred world/showing accidental disrespect
Who is Demeter's Roman equivalent?
Ceres, goddessof grain
Where did Talos patrol?
Crete
How does Talos die?
Dizzy, he trips over the plug at his ankle, spilling out all his ichor.
Where did the Eleusinian Mysteries take place?
Eleusis
Aphrodite's statues were the first to depict what?
Female nudity
Who is Demeter?
Goddess of agriculture, civilization, and law
What happened to Aktaoin?
He accidentally saw Artemis and her maidens bathing naked
How does Dionysus get Hephaestus to return to Olympus?
He got Hephaestus drunk & persuaded him
Where does Hephaestus land after being thrown out by Hera?
He lands in the sea
What does Pygmalion do? What happens?
He prays to Aphrodite to let him meet the perfect woman. He kissed the statue and discovered warmth.
How did Hephaestus expose Aphrodite's affair? How do the other gods react?
He traps her and Ares in an automaton net. The other gods laugh at him and turn it into a joke.
What happens when the king turned the lights on?
He was disgusted and drew out his sword to kill her.
How did Adonis die? What flower sprung up in his place?
He was gored to death by a boar. A bed of lettuce
What was Hephaestus's disability?
He was lame with club foot
What happened to Aktaoin in the end?
He was torn to shreds by his own dogs
Who tells Hephaestus about the affair between Ares and Aphrodite?
Helios
Which goddess does Artemis overlap with concerning childbirth?
Hera
Who are Hephaestus's parents?
Hera and Zeus
What's the mythic variant for Hephaestus's birth?
Hera bore him on her own
Who are the three virginal goddesses?
Hestia, Athena, Artemis
Where was Talos's weak spot? Why?
His ankle. Hephaestus put a plug there in order to insert ichor
What does kosmeisis mean? Which power does this correspond to? Where is this often represented?
It means adornment. It corresponds to power over beautification. It's often depicted on mirrors.
What does mixis mean? Which power does this correspond to?
It means mixing or mingling. It corresponds to power over mingling in war/socially
What does anodos mean? Which power does this correspond to?
It means rising. It corresponds to power over sunny days and clear weather
Who defeated Talos? How?
Jason and Medea. Medea used a spell to make Talos dizzy
Are Vulcan and Hephaestus a good mix?
No
Are there any myths about young Artemis?
No
Who is Demeter's daughter?
Persephone
How did Smyrna accomplish having sex with her father?
She asked her nurse for help. The nurse told the king she was a prostitute and they only had sex with the lights off.
What happens when Hera sits in the chair?
She becomes bound to the chair and it floats up into the air
What is Artemis's doubleness regarding childirth?
She can help you give birth, but also takes you away if you die giving birth
What's an example of Aphrodite's doubleness?
She causes arousal and impotence
How did Aphrodite punish Smyrna?
She cursed her to fall in love with her father
What did Aphrodite do with Adonis? Who discovered Adonis?
She hid him in a box in the underworld. He was discovered by Persephone.
What is Artemis's doubleness as a huntress?
She is caring and kills people
How did Smyrna disrespect Aphrodite?
She refused to fall in love
What does Hera do to Hephaestus after he's born and why?
She rejects him at birth due to his disabilities.
How did Artemis punish Aktaoin?
She turned him into a stag
What's the compensatory model for disabilities?
THat disabled gods often have special skill to compensate
What does Hephaestus decide while Thetis is raising him?
That he belongs on Olympus
What are the Eleusinian Mysteries?
The prestigious mystery religion of Demeter
Who rescues Hephaestus?
Thetis the sea nymph, who raises him
What's the theory of fertility for the Adonia?
They grow lettuce to symbolize Adonis's rebirth from death
Why were the Greeks dreaming of the future?
They imagine future innovations that would make human life easier
Why do pregnant women pray to Artemis?
They provide offerings for safe childbirth
What's the theory of pleasure for the Adonia?
This is a structuralist interpretation. The adonia rituals are the opposite of agricultural rituals (grow to live vs grow to die)
Who is Italian indigenous nature god of Hephaestus?
Vulcan
What is the concept of a generational flip?
When older gods becomes younger gods
What's infant exposure?
When you abandon a child to be picked up and raised as a slave
What does Hephaestus craft?
a golden throne
What did Pygmalion sculpt?
a statue of his ideal woman
Who is Pygmalion?
a talented Greek sculptor who swore off women
What is the Adonia?
a women's social festival
Who is Aktaion?
a young hunter
Hephaestus's stories are oten concerned with what?
biotechne
What are the two different age state of gods?
developing age vs eternal age
What's the opposite of biotechne?
divine animation
Eternal age is for which gods?
female gods
What are the three different scholarly theories for the meaning of the Adonia?
fertility, pleasure, female power
What age is Artemis?
girl or teenager
What is Vulcan the god of?
god of volcanoes
Who is artemis?
goddess of the hunt and the moon
Who are Artemis's followers?
group/circle of maidens
What does Hephaestus do with the golden throne?
he gives it to themis, who gives it to Hera
What's Hephaestus's compensation for club feet?
he's an incredible engineer
What are Hephaestus's responsibilites?
invention, engineering, science
Myth is the world of what?
it's the world of "what if"
What's the theory of female power for the Adonia?
lettuce symbolizes male impotence. symbolizes powerful women immobilizing men for their own sexual pleasure
Developing age is for which gods?
male gods
Artemis as kourotrophos means she's what?
nurturer of children
What does kourotrophos mean?
one who cares for children
automaton
something that behaves in a mechanical, routine manner; a robot
When does the Adonia take place?
summertime
Why did young women perform rituals to Artemis?
to defend themselves from her anger
What's the ritual that takes place during the Adonia?
women take pots, plant lettuce/fennel, climb upon a ladder, hold the pots to the sun, and kill the plants
