mythology midterm 2

Name three ways in which Athena's contest with Poseidon informs ritual topography, iconography and other myths.

1. it explains the use of olive trees for income 2. explains why the land is dry and lacks water because posiedon turned away from them in anger 3. she is also a patron of the arts and appears freq. in work 4. Athena was also known as Parthenos (the virgin), and that's why the most famous ancient temple in Athens, dedicated to her, was named the Parthenon. There are two more temples dedicated to her at the Acropolis - the Athena Nike and the Erectheum.

enthousiasmos

the god inside you

ergane

the goddess Athena was called Athena Ergane as the patron of craftsmen and artisans.

Kallisteia

a beauty contest - prize awarded simply for the sake of beauty

kleptein

"to remove secretly" and "to deceive." idea that to steal is not to rob bc to rob is violent whereas to steal is just take something where we get kleptomaniac esp associated w idea of hermes being a thief

Nefasti

("sacred days") were nefasti, meaning that the ordinary human affairs permitted on dies profani (or fasti) were forbidden?????????????

Why does the first scene of the Eumenides take place in Delphi? 2 suggestions

****delphi was a holy asylum where people could rid themselves of moral polution - Transfer of powers from the female to the male realm in the opening speeches: from Pythia (from 'pythein', 'to rot') - Abundance of gods at Delphi: Athena, Nymphs, Bromius (Dionysos) - another indication of the importance of the place - Takes place at Temple of Apollo, the home of the Delphic oracle. This is where the spokesperson for Apollo lives. - Furies = ancient. Apollo = new law, rationality. When they're both there, it represents the clash of the old with the new. - The Eumenides opens with a story of the peaceful progression from the old to the new. The song of the Pythia recounts the history of the shrine (which was once in possession of ancient goddesses much older than Apollo). Primal goddesses handed down position of seer peacefully.

Pallas: explain this epithet and two different versions of the myth behind it - explain its articulation in north Africa

1. Pallas was a child of the Titans; in the Gigantomachy, Athena flayed him alive and used his skin to shield her body in the fight. This is one source for her epithet 'Pallas' 2. Another version suggests that Pallas was Athena's father, who had tried to rape her Pallas - ritual identicality between mortal capable of death and the divinity; the role of the AEGIS - the capacity to assume the identity and power of the slain: "They say that after Athene's birth, she was reared by Triton, who had a daughter named Pallas. Both girls cultivated the military life, which once led them into contentious dispute. As Pallas was about to give Athene a whack, Zeus skittishly held out the aegis, so that she glanced up to protect herself, and thus was wounded by Athene and fell. Extremely saddened by what had happened to Pallas, Athene fashioned a wooden likeness of her, and round its breast tied the aegis which had frightened her, and set the statue beside Zeus and paid it honour." In North Africa: "Next to the Makhlyes are the Auseans; these and the Makhlyes, separated by the Triton, live on the shores of Lake Tritonis. The Makhlyes wear their hair long behind, the Auseans in front. They celebrate a yearly festival of Athena, where their maidens are separated into two bands and fight each other with stones and sticks, thus, they say, honoring in the way of their ancestors that native goddess whom we call Athena. Maidens who die of their wounds are called false virgins." Before the girls are set fighting, the whole people choose the fairest maid, and arm her with a Korinthian helmet and Greek panoply, to be then mounted on a chariot and drawn all along the lake shore......

Three different ways that Dionysos is connected with theater: be as specific as possible. You may draw pictures if needed.

1. The Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus is a major open-air theatre and one of the earliest preserved in Athens.It is considered the first theatre in the world. 2. when drinking from a kylix - cup that had eyes - it was like wearing a theatrical mask, and illustrated notion that Dionysus could sort of free you 3. b'day festival involve theatrical competitions culminating in a final event

Two ways Athena offers an intimate connection to (1) young girls (2) young men who worship her

her skill in weaving forms part of her bond with young women her marital skills (the lochos dance) dow with young men - evokes her birth

moscophoros

?? ancient Greek statue of cow-bearer According to an inscription on its base, the statue was a votive offering to the goddess Athena

orion

A Giant of the Aegean Island who was a close companion of Artemis. The pair hunted together on the islands of Delos and Krete, where Orion was felled by a scorpion. Artemis was heartbroken at his death and transformed him into a constellation. (In another version of the story Orion was slain by the goddess herself). Another ver: Orion boasted that he was capable of killing anything the earth produced with his bow and arrow. Gaea got angry and turned him into a scorpion. Zeus made Orion into a constellation, as a reminder for men not to be too self-confident.

Loxias

A name for Apollo as the god of incomprehensible oracular sayings. He had an oracle at Loxias which was sacked by Cadmus and Harmonia, whom he then transformed into serpents

peplos

A peplos is a body-length garment established as typical attire for women in ancient Greece by 500 BC

Cytherea

Aphrodite is also known as Cytherea (Lady of Cythera) and Cypris (Lady of Cyprus) after the two cult sites, Cythera and Cyprus, which claimed to be her place of birth.

Offer two different examples of goddesses falling in love with mortals, and the outcome for those mortals: be able to include the story of Aphrodite and Anchises

Aphrodite pretended to be a Phrygian princess and seduced Anchises. Anchises learned that his lover was a goddess only nine months later, when she revealed herself and presented him with the infant Aeneas. Aphrodite had warned him that if he boasted of the affair, he would be blasted by the thunderbolt of Zeus. He did and was scorched and/or crippled. Persephone agreed to hide Adonis, a mortal youth who was Aphrodite's lover, from Aphrodite's suspicious husband. But upon seeing the beautiful Adonis, Persephone, receptive goddess that she was, also fell for his charms and refused to give him back to Aphrodite. (Remember, these Greek goddesses were the original "wild women", refusing to yield to convention!) Eventually, Zeus had to step in to settle the argument. He ruled that Adonis should spend a third of the year with each of the goddesses, Persephone and Aphrodite, and be left to his own pursuits the remainder of the year. Adonis chose to spend his free time hunting and was killed in a hunting accident a few years later. Eos (goddess of dawn) fell in love with Tithonus. Wanted him to be immortal, so she asks Zeus to do this. However, she stays young and beautiful, while Eos becomes gray and then weak. Eos takes pity on him and turns him into a grasshopper.

Augustus & Apollo: Why does the emperor of Rome identify himself with Apollo rather than Zeus? Be able to identify 3 piece of evidence for this identification

Apollo is an embodiment of order. He is young. You want to look like an equal guy, great guy, rather than king -> distance from absolute emperor. More democratic. Apollo the singer because you don't want to reference bloodshed and strife.

Be able to describe Artemis' interactions with: Prokris, Britomartis, or Phaedra.

Artemis & Prokris: A Lady of Attika (in Southern Greece) who, as a young girl, was a hunting-companion of Artemis. Later in life, when her husband had abandoned her for love of the goddess Eos, she returned to Artemis who helped her win back his love with a ploy and two fabulous gifts: a hunting-dog whom no prey could escape and a javelin which never missed its mark. Britomartis: A Lady or Nymphe of the island of the Krete (in the Greek Aegean) who was transformed into an immortal companion of the goddess Artemis when she cast herself into the sea to escape the lusty advances of King Minos. Phaedra: Hippolytus had spurned Aphrodite to remain a steadfast and virginal devotee of Artemis, and Aphrodite made Phaedra fall in love with him as a punishment. He rejected her.

How or why is Artemis connected mythologically to Amazons?

Artemis is free, wild, adventurous, untamed and bound to no-one. She's unmarried and protects and defends women who choose to also remain untied. This represents the sort of freedom, hunting skill etc. of the amazons

Artemis & Athena: compare and contrast: elements to consider include their sexuality, the rationality or irrationality of those who encounter them, their support of or antagonism for human women, city and domestic contexts -v- the landscape of the wild

Athena, de-sexed whereas artemis is erotic and challenging athena approached by rational men while artemis often approached by victims of rape Athena: protects men in war Artemis: protects men in hunt (they hope) Artemis at Sparta: women do lewd dances, wear Phalloi, indecent performances; wear ugly female masks, sing hymns - possibly male and female cross-dressing: cf. greater power of women in civic life at Sparta

Offer three different pieces of evidence for how the goddess Venus was celebrated in Rome

Caesar dedicated temple on last day of his triumph, Sept 26 46 BC: vowed the night before the battle of Pharsalus against Pompey the great;; originally to Venus Victrix, then to Venus Genetrix - better for a civil war, and Pompey had built a temple to VV. Located in the center of his forum ???????????????

Hermes is the god of cattle raiding: offer three points on this skill vis-à-vis ancient manly excellence (Greek arête)

Cattle-raiding was viewed as a manly virtue, and so he was challenging Apollo by doing this. To be a warrior was to be able to steal cattle. Cattle as sacrifice and meal of heroes.

Explain thrice born as an epithet for Dionysos

Dionysus 1. Dionysus was the child of Zeus and Zeus' daughter Persephone. Dionysus succeeded Zeus; Zeus himself placed the child on his throne and declared him the new king of the cosmos. The Titans, jealous of Dionysus' new power and perhaps encouraged by Hera, used various toys, and a mirror, to lure Dionysus away from his guardians, the Curetes, and dismembered him. They cooked his flesh and ate it. Zeus, being angry at this, killed the Titans, and from their remains, humanity arose. 2. birth in Semele - who is struck w a thunderbolt when she asks zeus to appear in his real form; zeus saves the child and sews him in his thigh 3. birth from zeus' thigh

promachos

First in line to battle; first to take a hit. Also refers to statue of Athena, representing visibility, terror, and protection. Made up of armor of dead bodies from slain enemies, when they won Persian war.

arrhephoroi

Elite rite of passage. Competition for design of peplos for Acropolis Athena, woven by aristocratic girls. A year in Athena's service.

Two points in the arguments of the Erinyes; two points in the arguments in favor of Orestes

Erinyes: - Murder of spouse is not murder of blood (kinship laws) - Law of retaliation. "Eye for an eye" Orestes: - All the oracles are the will of Zeus. Furies ignore the institution of Zeus and Hera: higher principle. - Matricide was the price of death of the father (from blood to gender). - Mother is "only nurse of seed planted by true parent, the father" -> Orestes has incurred no blood guilt. Cites example of Athene (born from Zeus' head).

How does Eris compare to Eros in mythic activities? Offer two points of comparison

Eris is the Greek goddess of chaos, strife, discord The most famous tale of Eris recounts her initiating the Trojan War by causing the Judgement of Paris. The goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite had been invited along with the rest of Olympus to the forced wedding of Peleus and Thetis, who would become the parents of Achilles, but Eris had been snubbed because of her troublemaking inclinations. She therefore (as mentioned at the Kypria according to Proclus as part of a plan hatched by Zeus and Themis) tossed into the party the Apple of Discord, a golden apple inscribed kallistei - "For the most beautiful one" - provoking the goddesses to begin quarreling about the appropriate recipient. Eros is son of aphrodite - god of love mischievous interventions in the affairs of gods and mortals cause bonds of love to form, often illicitly.

Dionysos and gender - offer three observations, based on images seen or passages read, about the dynamics of gender when it comes to this god

He appears effeminate to Pentheus who uses this to argue against him he is able to drive women mad/exercise great control over them he is able to convince pentheus to cross dress

Harmonia

Harmonia is the wife of Cadmus. With Cadmus, she was the mother of Ino, Polydorus, Autonoë, Agave and Semele. Their youngest[1] son was Illyrius.[2] goddess of peace, harmony and concord

Be able to describe the story of Hippomenes and Atalanta, and make three observations on its relevance for our understanding of Artemis and Aphrodite

Having grown up in the wilderness, Atalanta became a fierce hunter and was always happy. She took an oath of virginity to the goddess Artemis. After the Calydonian boar hunt, Atalanta was rediscovered by her father. He wanted her to be married, but Atalanta, uninterested in marriage, agreed to marry only if her suitors could outrun her in a footrace. Those who lost would be killed. King Schoeneus agreed, and many young men died in the attempt until Hippomenes came along. Hippomenes asked the goddess Aphrodite for help, and she gave him three golden apples in order to slow Atalanta down. The apples were irresistible, so every time Atalanta got ahead of Hippomenes, he rolled an apple ahead of her, and she would run after it. In this way, Hippomenes won the footrace and came to marry Atalanta.

Of what kind of music is Apollo the divine patron? Compare/contrast to Phrygian music, using the myth of Marsyas

He is patron of the lyre. Marsyas challenges him to a musical comp. after the first round, the two are equal, however in the next round they are supp. to sing and play at the same time. Marsyas cannot play and sing so Apollo wins and has marsyas flayed

Tell the story of Koronis and Asklepios, offering at least two different versions

He was the son of Apollo and, according to the earliest accounts, a mortal woman named Coronis. His mother was killed for being unfaithful to Apollo and was laid out on a funeral pyre to be consumed, but the unborn child was rescued from her womb. Or, alternatively, his mother died in labor and was laid out on the pyre to be consumed, but his father rescued the child, cutting him from her womb

The iconography of Hermes of Kyllene - compare and contrast with the iconography of Mercury Canetonensis (see March 2 ppt slide 2)

Hermes of Kyllene - Iconography of child (had just been born). Cunning, receives Cadeceus from Apollo in exchange for Syrinx. Mercury Canetonesis - syncretization of Roman Mercury with local god of Gaul. God of financial gain and commerce in Greek and Roman contexts.

hermes agoraios

Hermes of the market. also used to record documents

kyllene

Hermes was born in a sacred cave on this mountain, and so Cyllenius is a frequent epithet of his Cyllene (or Kyllene) herself was a mountain nymph

Mylitta

Herodotus called Mylitta and identified with Aphrodite.

Tell the story of Apollo, Hyakinthos, and Zephyros

Hyakinthos - A Prince of Lakedaimonia (Southern Greece) who was loved by the gods Apollon and Zephryos. He was accidentally slain by Apollon throwin the discuss and transformed into a flower.

Describe the names and fates of two different lovers of Apollo

Hyakinthos - A Prince of Lakedaimonia (Southern Greece) who was loved by the gods Apollon and Zephryos. He was accidentally slain by Apollon while throwing the discus and transformed into a flower. Cyparrus - A Prince of Keos (in the Greek Aegean) who was loved by Apollo. When he died of grief over the death of a pet stag, Apollon tranformed him into a cypress tree.

Two examples of the connections between Apollo and Dionysos.

In Greek mythology, Apollo and Dionysus are both sons of Zeus. Apollo is the god of reason and the rational, while Dionysus is the god of the irrational and chaos. The Greeks did not consider the two gods to be opposites or rivals, although often the two deities were interlacing by nature. The Apollonian is based on reason and logical thinking. By contrast, the Dionysian is based on chaos and appeals to the emotions and instincts. The content of all great tragedy is based on the tension created by the interplay between these two. both are gods of creative methods - apollo music, dio. theater also, being thrice born dio. is associated w death and rebirth, just as apollo as a healer can bring people back from the dead

Be able to discuss the difference between Athena's epithets and locations: Promachos, Polias,

In her role as a protector of the city (polis), many people throughout the Greek world worshipped Athena as Athena Polias She led battles (Athena Promachos or the warrior maiden Athena Parthenos)[26] as the disciplined, strategic side of war

Suggest three characteristics of Ishtar, Anat or Astarte that translate into Greek goddesses, Aphrodite or others

Ishtar: goddess of love, war, fertility, and sexuality. Her cult may have involved sacred prostitution, also like aphrodite w adonis, ishtar had an undying love for tamuz

Two examples of how wine can be an alarming substance

It looks like blood The idea that it sends drinkers into a state of impaired judgment and losing control????????????

koronis

KORONIS (or Coronis) was a princess of the Thessalian kingdom of Phlegyantis loved by the god Apollon. When she was pregant with his son, Koronis committed adultery with a man named Iskhys ("the Mighty"). Apollon learned of this betrayal from his raven familiar, and commanded his sister Artemis to destroy her. The goddess slew her with her deadly arrows, and struck many others down besides. But the god, feeling a pang of regret, and angered at the tattling bird, turned the raven's snow-white feathers black.

Define Kallisteia - offer two examples, and indicate who participates: what is the mythological counterpart?

Kallisteia - competition Lesbos: festival in sanctuary of Hera - prize to the fairest woman Arkadia: for Eleusinian Demeter; contestants were 'Chrysophorai', golden-attired Elis: in honor of Athena - fairest man receives a suit of armour, which he dedicates to Athena

Three different versions of Lycurgus' fate

LYCURGUS: King of Edoni in Thrace - Banned cult of Dionysos - Imprisoned the god's followers, or drives them out with an ox-goad (metamorphosis/animal illusion) - treating them like cows (Daughters of Melampus) - Thetis: Dionysos flees, is given refuge with Thetis the sea nymph (cf. Hephaistos) - Madness: Dionysos' revenge: drives L mad - Blood: In his madness, L mistakes his son for a mature trunk of ivy, holy to the god: he kills him by pruning his nose,ears, fingers and toes. - Famine: Thrace dries up in horror - it remains barren until L is punished. - Blood and animals: His people throw him to the man-eating horses of Mount Pangaeus - Self-mutilation: Lycurgus cuts off his own foot when he thinks he is chopping down ivy: he dies, Dionysos lifts the curse

What is the evidence that Apollo is an old god? Offer 3 points.

Linear B Texts show that he was there in the Bronze Age His name (Apellai) was the name of annual gatherings of tribal organizations Epithets of Apollo - rites of passage Master of animals - analagous to mistress of animals (Artemis)

How are politics involved with prophecy? 2 pieces of evidence

Lycurgas legendary lawgiver of Sparta who established the military-oriented reformation of Spartan society in accordance with the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi. All his reforms were directed towards the three Spartan virtues: equality (among citizens), military fitness, and austerity. The legend of Thermopylae, as told by Herodotus, has it that the Spartans consulted the Oracle at Delphi earlier in the year. The Oracle is said to have made the following prophecy: O ye men who dwell in the streets of broad Lacedaemon! Honor the festival of the Carneia!! Otherwise, Either your glorious town shall be sacked by the children of Perseus, Or, in exchange, must all through the whole Laconian country Mourn for the loss of a king, descendant of great Heracles.[44] Herodotus tells us that Leonidas, in line with the prophecy, was convinced he was going to certain death since his forces were not adequate for a victory, and so he selected only Spartans with living sons.[43]

marsyas

Marsyas was a satyr who challenged Apollo to a contest of music. Apollo eventually won and had marsyas flayed

Kinyras

Myrrha/Smyrna's father - he is seduced by her and chases her in anger until she is turned into a tree by the gods

omophagia

Omophagia, or omophagy is the eating of raw flesh. The term is of importance in the context of the cult worship of Dionysus. Omophagia is a large element of Dionysiac myth; in fact, one of Dionysus' epithets is Omophagos "Raw-Eater". Omophagia may have been a symbol of the triumph of wild nature over civilization, and a symbol of the breaking down of boundaries between nature and civilization.

If you see a site plan of the Acropolis of Athens, be able to correctly name and locate four different forms and locations for Athena

Palladion (xoanon) of Athena Polias - eastern part of building was hers Hephaistos' altar, western part of building Sacred snake of Athena lived in west; was fed honey-cakes by Kanephorae, priestess of Athena Polias, descended from Boutes

Anthesteria: name the three days and state briefly what happens on each of them

Pithoigia : first day of the Anthesteria - festival honoring dionysus The jars of wine from the previous year were opened, libations offered to Dionysus, and the entire household (including the slaves) joining in the festivities.[7] Spring flowers were used to decorate the rooms of the house, the home's drinking vessels, and any children over three years of age Choes: second day of the Anthesteria Drinking clubs held contests to see who could drain their cups the most rapidly.[7] Others poured libations on the tombs of deceased relatives.[7] The day also marked a state occasion: a peculiarly solemn and secret ceremony in the sanctuary of Dionysus "in the marshes" Chytroi: third day of the anthisteria a festival of the dead.[7] Fruit[7] or cooked pulse[3] was offered to Hermes in his capacity as Hermes Chthonios, an underworld figure, and to the souls of the dead, who were then bidden to depart

pneuma

Pneuma is an ancient Greek word for "breath", and in a religious context for "spirit" or "soul".

How do the Aegis and Pegasus reflect Athena's contest with Poseidon?

Poseidon raped the beautiful Medusa in a temple of Athena, and as punishment she was turned into a monster. Her death -> coral for amulets, Pegasos from her decapitation, the Aegis for Athena.

Incubation: be able to describe this process for obtaining a cure from Apollo's son Asclepius

Ritual purification would be followed by offerings or sacrifices to the god (according to means), and the supplicant would then spend the night in the holiest part of the sanctuary - the abaton (or adyton). Any dreams or visions would be reported to a priest who would prescribe the appropriate therapy by a process of interpretation

miasma

Sin the ritual pollution that had brought disease,

4 steps in the procedure for oracular inquiry at Delphi

Step 1: Journey to Delphi — Supplicants were motivated by some need to undertake the long and sometimes arduous journey to come to Delphi in order to consult the oracle. Step 2: Preparation of the Supplicant — Supplicants were interviewed in preparation of their presentation to the Oracle, by the priests in attendance. supplicant had to go through rituals involving the framing of their questions, the presentation of gifts to the Oracle and a procession along the Sacred Way carrying laurel leaves to visit the temple, symbolic of the journey they had made. Step 3: Visit to the Oracle — The supplicant would then be led into the temple to visit the adyton, put his question to the Pythia, receive his answer and depart. The degree of preparation already undergone would mean that the supplicant was already in a very aroused and meditative state Step 4: Return Home — Oracles were meant to give advice to shape future action, that was meant to be implemented by the supplicant, or by those that had sponsored the supplicant to visit the Oracle. The validity of the Oracular utterance was confirmed by the consequences of the application of the oracle to the lives of those people who sought Oracular guidance

Know the chief members of the house of Atreus (Tantalos; Pelops; Hippodameia; Atreus; Thyestes; Clytemnestra; Agamemnon; Menelaos; Helen; Pelopia; Theseus; Iphigeneia; Electra; Orestes. Be able to draw the genealogical chart that links these together

Tantalos and pelops: cooked for the gods Atreus and his brother Thyestes - compete for the kingdom - Thyestes sleeps with Aerope, Atreus invites Thyestes to dinner - serves him his sons. Thyestes seeks revenge; a child in incest is needed (oracle)- he impregnates his dauhgter Pelopia; Aegisthus is born Hipp: daughter of oenomaus - married pelops, son was thyestes, atreus

castalian spring

The Castalian Spring, in the ravine between the Phaedriades at Delphi, is where all visitors to Delphi — the contestants in the Pythian Games, and especially suppliants who came to consult the Delphic Oracle — stopped to wash themselves and soothen their thirst; it is also here that the Pythia and the priests cleansed themselves before the oracle-giving process.

Ikarios and Erigone story how are they remembered?

The other Icarius was from Athens. He was cordial towards Dionysus, who gave his shepherds wine. They became intoxicated and killed Icarius, thinking he had poisoned them. His daughter, Erigone, and her dog, Maera, found his body. Erigone hanged herself over her father's grave.[8][9] Dionysus was angry and punished Athens with a plague, inflicting insanity on all the unmarried women, who all hung themselves like Erigone did. The plague did not cease until the Athenians introduced honorific rites for Icarius and Erigone. Icarius was placed in the stars as the constellation there is a festival where women hang dolls in the trees from nooses

Teiresias: two observations of his support for Dionysos

Tiresias appears with Cadmus, the founder and first king of Thebes, to warn the current king Pentheus against denouncing Dionysus as a god. Along with Cadmus, he dresses as a worshiper of Dionysus to go up the mountain to honor the new god with the Theban women in their Bacchic revels. he gives an impassioned speech in favor of him

Pigs and purification: why does this work?

When Orestes wants to become purified of the matricide he has committed, he undergoes this ritual in Athens. Apollo used a pig (cf. Eleusinian initiates; Cf. New Testament story of the demons cast out of the man and into a herd of swine who then run down a hill into the sea and destroy themselves)

List three ways in which Artemis fits with the description of "goddess at the edges."

Youth and adulthood, girls at Brauron would dance as she-bears and that would mark their initiation into adulthood. Dresses like an athlete/male hunter with short skirt -> boundary between male and female she treads the divide between civic and the wild esp. w how she helps initiate girls into marriageable age The city of Ephesus was devoted to the goddess and each spring there was a festival in her honor where contributions of jewels, gold, silver, silk and other valuable gifts were presented to the priests and priestesses. Artemis at Sparta: women do lewd dances, wear Phalloi, indecent performances; wear ugly female masks, sing hymns - possibly male and female cross-dressing: cf. greater power of women in civic life at Sparta

Describe three different identities assumed by Dionysos, in either physical form or the perception of those who encounter him; describe two different identities assumed by the mortals who encounter the god.

a bull an old god an effeminate young man identities assumed: Pentheus willingly crossdresses for Dionysus exemplifying sudden gender fluidity TYRRHENIAN PIRATES, THE Pirates from the Italian region of Tyrrenhia who captured Dionysos as he travelled amongst the islands of the Greek Aegean. They planned to violate the pretty boy and then sell him into slavery, despite the warnings of their helmsman who recognised him for a god. In anger Dionysos filled their ship with spreading vines and phantom beasts, and when the pirates leapt into the sea transformed them into dolphins.

maenad

a female follower of Bacchus, traditionally associated with divine possession and frenzied rites.

oracle

a priest or priestess acting as a medium through whom advice or prophecy was sought from the gods in classical antiquity.

caduceus: define and draw

a representation of a staff with two entwined snakes and two wings at the top - staff carried by hermes

thyrsus

a staff or spear tipped with an ornament like a pine cone, carried by Dionysus and his followers.

Dithyramb

a wild choral hymn of ancient Greece, especially one dedicated to Dionysus.

ephebe

a young man of 18-20 undergoing military training

thespis

according to certain Ancient Greek sources and especially Aristotle, was the first person ever to appear on stage as an actor playing a character in a play

Myrrha

also known as Smyrna, the mother of Adonis she incurred the wrath of Aphrodite by not honoring her properly - causing aphro. to strike her w love for her father She was transformed into a myrrh tree after having had intercourse with her father and gave birth to Adonis as a tree

xoanon

an Archaic wooden cult image of Ancient Greece Example: Lady of Ephesus, identified as Artemis in Greek understanding; she has the multiple breasts/ bull testicles hanging on it - a symbol of fertility

Adonia: define and describe three elements which it included

ancient festival mourning the death of Adonis. celebrated by women exclusively women would call down curses on those that hurt them they would bring statues of adonis into the street they would beat themselves and lament in imitation of venus' cry for the death of her paramour

asklepios

apollo's son (with Koronis) - was a healer capable of raising the dead

Where is Hermes born - and how does he seek liberation from his humble surroundings? You may see selections from the Homeric Hymn to Hermes and be asked to comment

he was born in a cave on mt. cylline....he attempts to get the gods attentions by stealing apollo's cattle. he provides apollo w the first lyre

erechtheus/erechthonius

archaic king of Athens, the founder of the polis and, in his role as god, attached to Poseidon, as "Poseidon Erechtheus". The mythic Erechtheus and an historical Erechtheus were fused into one character in Euripides' lost tragedy Erechtheus (423/22 BCE). The name Erichthonius is carried by a son of Erechtheus, but Plutarch conflated the two names in the myth of the begetting of Erechtheus.[1] Athenians thought of themselves as Erechtheidai, the "sons of Erechtheus".[2] In Homer's Iliad (2. 547-48) he is the son of "grain-giving Earth", reared by Athena.[3] The earth-born son was sired by Hephaestus, whose semen Athena wiped from her thigh with a fillet of wool cast to earth, by which Gaia was made pregnant. In the contest for patronship of Athens between Poseidon and Athena, the salt spring on the Acropolis where Poseidon's trident struck was known as the sea of Erechtheus

evocation

asking the gods to come to you

Offer three historical observations on why the Herms were especially sacred to Athens

at your home, in the agora, in the landscape, on the acropolis: defines Athenian space The EION herms - set up 475 BC, Athenians fighting Persians under Kimon - request reward - - demos let them set up 3 stone herms in the Stoa of the Herms, -c ondition that theyir names not inscribed - the credit goes not to the generals but to the demos:- mutual equality of citizens; - military strength as community; - anonymity of herms focusses attention on the achievement of the democratic polis, not the individuals - phalloi reject elitism; herm is indiffernt to distinctions of class or achievementappeals to popular religion, fertility, apotropaion/fascinum

Teiresias

blind prophet of Apollo in Thebes, famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years. only character in the bacchae to not be punished

Describe three ways in which Hermes is a magician

he is able to usher souls into the afterlife he is able to bind/unbind - esp. when he is tied down force of his wand was apotropaic - warded off evil had an affect over dreams also, idea of him doing things sneakily relates to his magic

aegis

carried by Athena interpreted as an animal skin or a shield, sometimes bearing the head of a Gorgon.

palladium/palladion

cult image of great antiquity on which the safety of Troy and later Rome was said to depend, the wooden statue (xoanon) of Pallas Athena that Odysseus and Diomedes stole from the citadel of Troy and which was later taken to the future site of Rome by Aeneas. The Roman story is related in Virgil's Aeneid and other works. In English, since around 1600, the word palladium has been used figuratively to mean anything believed to provide protection or safety,[1]

psychopomp

deities responsible for guiding newly dead souls into the afterlife

Prophecy: describe 3 different forms of prophecy, using the proper terminology

dream interpretation incubation cheese divination knucklebones/dice reading contrails

Suggest two different ways in which Athena's statues and/or Athenian topography reflect triumph in battle

dressed in soldiers garbs ?????????

theophoric name

embeds the name of a god, both invoking and displaying the protection of that deity. For example, names embedding Apollo, such as Apollonios or Apollodorus

hermes propylaios

entrance to sacred space

Ourania

epithet of aphrodite as "heavenly"

hippios

epithet of athena, refers to being an equestrian

Pandemos

epithet of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, and that in a twofold sense, first describing her as the goddess of low sensual pleasures second sense is that of Aphrodite uniting all the inhabitants of a country into one social or political body. spec. contrasted wih heavenly aphrodite or "ourania" (shown riding on goat)

Hermes Kriophoros: define, and offer three observations on how this aspect of the god makes sense in the ancient Greek context

figure that commemorates the solemn sacrifice of a ram. It becomes an epithet of Hermes Hermes was associated w saving the city from plague by carrying a ram on his shoulders also, hermes was known for his connection w livestock known for his sort of magical abilities The myth may be providing an etiological explanation of a cult practice, carried out to avert miasma, the ritual pollution that had brought disease,

Pithoigia

first day of the Anthesteria - festival honoring dionysus The jars of wine from the previous year were opened, libations offered to Dionysus, and the entire household (including the slaves) joining in the festivities.[7] Spring flowers were used to decorate the rooms of the house, the home's drinking vessels, and any children over three years of age.[7]

Hermes Logios

for Athletic ideal

Name three different ways in which we can see, mythologically, how Athena is the goddess who protects cities.

generally speaking she is a goddess of war victory, so she helps the soldiers that protect the cities in the contest w posiedon, she gave the city the olive tree which became an imp way for athenians to protect themselves financially - it was a huge source of income for them she is "stage manager" of the first murder trial - therefore safeguarding justice re: orestes killing clym. inspires soldiers in war to commit acts of valor also stands on the acropolis, promachos polias priestess - her huge visibility is a symbol of terror and protection

paean

hymn sung to Apollo

Potnia theron

idea of woman being "mistress of animals" - originated w Homer and thought to refer to Artemis

Be able to describe the relationship between the contest of Athena and Poseidon and the economic bases of the city

in the contest w posiedon, she gave the city the olive tree which became an imp way for athenians to protect themselves financially - it was a huge source of income for them

ecstatic

is a subjective experience of total involvement of the subject, with an object of his or her awareness.

Artemis Orthia: where is she celebrated, and what is her distinctive ritual?

located in Sparta The cult addressed a xoanon (archaic wooden effigy) of malevolent reputation, for it was reputedly from Tauride, whence it was stolen by Orestes and Iphigeneia, according to Euripides. Orientalizing carved ivory images found at the site show the winged goddess grasping an animal or bird in either hand in the manner of the Mistress of the Animals; half-finished ivories from the site show that their facture was local In addition to the flagellation of the diamastigosis, the cult entailed individual dances by young men and dances by choruses of girls. For the young men, the prize is a sickle, which implies an agricultural ritual.

hermes hegemonios

military expeditions, protector of travel and communication, especially as empire relies on navy to police colonies, collect tribute, protect shipping routes

Myth of Arachne

mortal woman and talented weaver who challenged Athena, goddess of wisdom and crafts, and was transformed into a spider.

Offer three different ways in which Apollo is associated with healing

music was seen as an element of healing - esp. as incantations were sung over treatments of wounds. apollo was god of music/lyre and healing also associated through his son asklepios who was so good at healing he could also raise the dead and was the first doctor was capable of both harming and healing and could bring plague/disease w his arrows

apellai

name of annual gatherings of tribal organizations

herms

pillar with erection and a head on top. Supposed to bring good fortune and fertility.

adyton

restricted area within the cella of a Greek or Roman temple. Its name meant "inaccessible" or "do not enter". The adyton was frequently a small area at the farthest end of the cella from the entrance: at Delphi it measured just nine by twelve feet. The adyton often would house the cult image of the deity.

komos

ritualistic drunken procession performed by revelers in ancient Greece, whose participants were known as komasts ??????????????

Choes

second day of the Anthesteria Drinking clubs held contests to see who could drain their cups the most rapidly.[7] Others poured libations on the tombs of deceased relatives.[7] The day also marked a state occasion: a peculiarly solemn and secret ceremony in the sanctuary of Dionysus "in the marshes"

Offer three different perspectives on the significance of the Pythia at Delphi

she helped offer prophecy and advice/insight into whether or not to go to war etc. re: thermopaly she was a way that gods could communicate with mortals By her statements, Delphi was made a wealthy and powerful city-state

Euandria

smaller comp. in THE PANATHENAIA - an Athenian festival celebrated every June in honour of the goddess Athena it helped select leaders of the procession

Tithonos

son of Laomedon, king of Troy, and of Strymo, daughter of the river Scamander. Eos (Aurora) fell in love with Tithonus and took him to Ethiopia, where she bore Emathion and Memnon. According to the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, when Eos asked Zeus to grant Tithonus eternal life, the god consented. But Eos forgot to ask also for eternal youth, so her husband grew old and withered. In a later version Tithonus was transformed into a cicada.

Hermes as a trickster and thief - offer two examples

stealing apollo's cows and turning their feet backwards so they go in a different direction helps others to steal ?????????

lochos

tactical sub unit of Classical Greece and of the modern Greek army. also a dance that evokes her birth

euhemerism/euhemeristic myth

the theory that gods are deified after they die

Two examples of what happens to women when they encounter Dionysos

the women of Thebes are first driven mad by him and then banished from thebes because of him agave dismembers her son they dance wildly

How did apples function in myth and magic? What did they symbolize? Be able to make three distinct points.

there is a link between apples and overt sexuality - also symbolic of temptation, desire etc. (term for bra was "apple holder"; also, slang for falling in love was being hit by an apple) Examples in myth: Realizing that Atalanta could not be defeated in a fair race, Melanion prayed to Aphrodite for help. The goddess gave him three golden apples and told him to drop them one at a time to distract Atalanta. Sure enough, she quit running long enough to retrieve each golden apple. It took all three apples and all of his speed, but Melanion finally succeeded, winning the race and Atalanta's hand. 2. In the contest w Paris, he is to award a golden apple to Hera, Aphrodite or Athena - "the most beautiful". Aphrodite wins by promising Paris Helen as a wife 3. also, is is one of Heracles labors to steal an apple from the garden of hesperides

Chytroi

third day of the anthisteria a festival of the dead.[7] Fruit[7] or cooked pulse[3] was offered to Hermes in his capacity as Hermes Chthonios, an underworld figure, and to the souls of the dead, who were then bidden to depart

sparagmos w 4 examples

to tear limb from limb 1. Agave tearing her son Pentheus apart while possessed by Dionysus 2. Orpheus being torn apart after he turned to men instead of women in his grief for Eurydice 3. in the Bacchae, the women are also seen tearing a bull apart 4. Actaeon- Artemis was bathing in the woods[7] when the hunter Actaeon stumbled across her, thus seeing her naked. He stopped and stared, amazed at her ravishing beauty. Once seen, Artemis got revenge on Actaeon: she forbade him speech — if he tried to speak, he would be changed into a stag — for the unlucky profanation of her virginity's mystery. Upon hearing the call of his hunting party, he cried out to them and immediately was changed into a stag. At this he fled deep into the woods, and doing so he came upon a pond and, seeing his reflection, groaned. His own hounds then turned upon him and tore him to pieces, not recognizing him 5. Dionysus torn apart by Titans, who are jealous of him because Zeus announces that he will be the next supreme ruler of the cosmos.

Kadmos

was the founder and first king of Thebes.[1] Cadmus was the first Greek hero and, alongside Perseus and Bellerophon, the greatest hero and slayer of monsters before the days of Heracles. daughter was Agave Cadmus and his wife Harmonia will be turned into snakes at the end of the bacchae

promanteia

was the privilege, bestowed upon cities or individuals by the Oracle of Delphi, to ask the Pythia in priority