CLAS131 Final

Aeneas' shield (ecphrasis)

Ride to Caere, Venus appears and presents the arms - Ecphrasis: descrip=on of the shield • Sound familiar?! • What is on the shield? - Scenes from Roman History - The BaUle of Ac=um - The Roman world at peace with Augustus as its head

sophrosyne

sophrosyne = moderation (esp. in desires), temperance, self-control. - sophron = self-controlled, prudent • Characters who do not possess this quality (despite the advice of others) are doomed.

Apollonius of Rhodes

(fl. at beginning of the 3rd century BCE) - wrote Argonau'ca, a (relatively) short epic poem about Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece

Acropolis

480 BCE: the Acropolis is destroyed by the Persians;450 BCE: Athens at the height of its power. Monumental reconstruction of the Acropolis begins; akros, 'high' + polis, 'city'

Persian Wars

490-479 BCE: Persian Wars - Athens is instrumental in defeating the Persians. - Greek city-states form a league under the leadership of Athens. Headquarters on the sacred island of Delos. (hence the name "Delian League").

Carthage

According to legend, Carthage was founded by the Phoenician Queen Elissa (better known as Dido) sometime around 813 BCE. The city (in modern-day Tunisia, North Africa) was originally known as Kart-hadasht (new city) to distinguish it from the older Phoenician city of Utica nearby. The Greeks called the city Karchedon and the Romans turned this name into Carthago. Originally a small port on the coast, established only as a stop for Phoenician traders to re-supply or repair their ships, Carthage grew to become the most powerful city in the Mediterranean before the rise of Rome.

The Golden Bough

According to the Sibyl, the priestess of Apollo, the golden bough is the symbol Aeneas must carry in order to gain access to the underworld. It is unusual for mortals to be allowed to visit the realm of the dead and then return to life. The golden bough is therefore the sign of Aeneas's special privilege.

Clytemnestra

Adultery: Sleeps with Aegisthus while Agamemnon's away • Lies, lies, lies • Murder: Lures Agamemnon into a trap and kills him

Sibyl

Aeneas inquires whether the Sibyl can gain him entrance to Dis, so that he might visit his father's spirit as directed. The Sibyl informs him that to enter Dis with any hope of returning, he must first have a sign. He must find a golden branch in the nearby forest. She instructs him that if the bough breaks off the tree easily, it means fate calls Aeneas to the underworld. If Aeneas is not meant to travel there, the bough will not come off the tree.

Anchises

Aeneas's father, and a symbol of Aeneas's Trojan heritage. Although Anchises dies during the journey from Troy to Italy, he continues in spirit to help his son fulfill fate's decrees, especially by guiding Aeneas through the underworld and showing him what fate has in store for his descendants.

Creusa

Aeneas's wife at Troy, and the mother of Ascanius. Creusa is lost and killed as her family attempts to flee the city, but tells Aeneas he will find a new wife at his new home.

"retributive justice" / "blood vengeance"

Agamemnon acts justly to avenge Paris' crime, but he must sacrifice Iphigenia to do so • Clytemnestra acts justly in avenging Agamemnon's sacrifice, but she must murder Agamemnon to do so • EVERYONE is both just and guilty This principle is the never ending cycle of death that follows the people in the myths. Every action has a result that is because of ones past wrongdoing. Agamemnon is cursed by Aegisthus's father because of what Agamemnon's father did to Aegisthus. Agamemnon must kill his daughter so naturally his wife Clytemnestra resents him and cheats, then kills him

Panhellenic

All of Greece coming together into one empire; Panhellenic (pan, 'all', + hellenikos, 'Greek'): myths told throughout Greek world, with general significance

Parade of Heroes

Anchises shows Aeneas Rome's future glory, beginning with Aeneas and reaching its climax with Augustus • Rome's des:ny: "Roman, remember by your strength to rule/ Earth's peoples—for your arts are to be these:/ To pacify, to impose the rule of law,/ To spare the conquered, baule down the proud." (6.1151-1154) • But there will always be a darker, sadder side — wars, losses, and deaths, as well as triumphs

Ara Pacis

Ara Pacis = the Altar of Peace - ara = altar - pacis = a form of the word pax (=peace) • Built in the Campus MarQus (Field of Mars) • Dedicated to Pax Augusta (=Augustan Peace)

Octavian (a.k.a. Augustus)

As the first Roman emperor (though he never claimed the title for himself), Augustus led Rome's transformation from republic to empire during the tumultuous years following the assassination of his great-uncle and adoptive father Julius Caesar. He shrewdly combined military might, institution-building and lawmaking to become Rome's sole ruler, laying the foundations of the 200-year Pax Romana (Roman Peace) and an empire that lasted, in various forms, for nearly 1,500 years. The victory of Octavian (Augustus) at Ac1um in 31 BCE allowed him - to aMain virtually absolute poli1cal power over the Roman empire by elimina1ng the last of his rivals; - to restore peace, stability and prosperity to the Roman world: reality as well as propaganda. 'Augustus': adjec1ve with connota1ons of divine approval and prosperity • Augustus as the 'New Founder' of Rome • Cultural revival: art, architecture, and literature all brought to bear on promo1ng the new ideas of the regime

Ascanius/Iulus

Ascanius (/əˈskeɪniəs/) (said to have reigned 1176-1138 BC)[1] a legendary king of Alba Longa and is the son of the Trojan hero Aeneas and Creusa, daughter of Priam. He is a character in Roman mythology, and has a divine lineage, being the son of Aeneas, who is son of goddess Venus and the hero Anchises, a relative of the king Priam; thus Ascanius has divine ascendents by both parents, being descendant of god Jupiter, his wife Juno and Dardanus. He is also an ancestor of Romulus, Remus and the Gens Julia. Together with his father, he is a major character in the Aeneid, and he is depicted as one of founders of the Roman race.

The City Dionysia

Athenian tragedies were performed as part of a religious festival in honor of Dionysos (=Dionysia) - The festival included sacrifices, processions, and performances. - Tragedy competition: three poets compete. Each poet gets one day to stage three tragedies in a row.

Aeneas' fury

Avenging a wrong, especially the death of a loved one, is an important element of heroic culture and a pervasive motif in the Aeneid. The most prominent instance of vengeance comes in the final lines of the poem. Aeneas, having decided to spare Turnus, changes his mind when reminded of the slain Pallas, whose belt Turnus wears as a trophy. It would be considered dishonorable and disloyal to allow Pallas's death go unpunished. Vengeance comes in other, perhaps less noble, forms as well. Dido's suicide is at least partly an act of revenge on Aeneas, and she curses him as one of her last acts. The Harpies act out of vengefulness when they curse Aeneas for having killed their livestock. Similarly, the struggles of the gods against one another are likewise motivated by spite and revenge: the history of bruised vanity, left over from Paris's judgment of Venus as the fairest goddess, largely motivates Juno's aggressive behavior against the Trojans and Venus, their divine protector.

Jason

Book 1: Jason sets sail on the Argo in search of the Golden Fleece (with a crew of heroes including Peleus, Telamon, Heracles, et al.) - Heracles leY behind at the river Cius—why? • Book 2: the adventures of the heroes on their journey • Book 3: the heroes reach Colchis and a^empt to acquire the Fleece • Book 4: flight from Colchis; the marriage of Jason and Medea

The Erechtheion

Commemorates local sacred places and legendary kings of Athens (Cecrops, Erichthonios, Erechtheus) • Autochthonous= 'sprung from the soil itself' (chthon = Greek word for 'soil') Strange layout thought to reflect the need to accommodate pre- existing sacred sites

Dido

Dido - The queen of Carthage, a city in northern Africa, in what is now Tunisia, and lover of Aeneas. Dido left the land of Tyre when her husband was murdered by Pygmalion, her brother. She and her city are strong, but she becomes an unfortunate pawn of the gods in their struggle for Aeneas's destiny. Her love for Aeneas proves to be her downfall. After he abandons her, she constructs a funeral pyre and stabs herself upon it with Aeneas's sword.

Virgilian pathos

Emphasis on relaTonships with family and friends •BeauTful language and imagery •Divine and human mourning •Direct address from the poet

Etruscans

Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to the culture and way of life of a people of ancient Italy and Corsica whom the ancient Romans called Etrusci or Tusci. The origins of the Etruscans are lost in prehistory.

Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar[b] (Classical Latin: [ˈɡaː.i.ʊs ˈjuː.li.ʊs ˈkae̯.sar]; 13 July 100 BC[1] - 15 March 44 BC)[2] was a Roman statesman, general, and notable author of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. In 60 BC, Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed a political alliance that dominated Roman politics for several years. Their attempts to amass power through populist tactics were opposed by the conservative ruling class within the Roman Senate, among them Cato the Younger with the frequent support of Cicero. Caesar's victories in the Gallic Wars, completed by 51 BC, extended Rome's territory to the English Channel and the Rhine. Caesar became the first Roman general to cross both when he built a bridge across the Rhine and conducted the first invasion of Britain.

Erinyes (aka. "Furies")

Greek name: Erinyes (aka. "Furies") • Either Born out of the blood from the castrated genitals of Uranus (no mother) or are daughters of Night (only mother). The follow and hunt down Orestes for killing his mother. Apollo puts them under a sleeping spell so Orestes can continue on to Athens under the protection Hermes but the ghost of Clytemnestra wakes them and begs them to pursue. They will act as the the prosecution at the trial of Orestes. It would be argued the killing your mother is worse than killing your husband. Apollo would argue that Orestes wasn't his mother (outright lie).

Amazons

Hippolyta was queen of the Amazons, the warrior women at the northern limits of the world. Heracles was sent to fetch her girdle, w hich had magic powers. He killed Hippolyta in battle and took the girdle. It was displayed at Argos in historical times. While returning from this labor, Heracles came to Troy and there rescued Hesione from the sea-monster (see p. 478). Cheated by King Laomedon of his reward, he returned later (after his time as the servant of Omphale) with an armed force and sacked the city, giving Hesione to his ally Telamon and leaving Podarces (Priam)on the throne of the ruined city.

Eurystheus

In Greek mythology, Eurystheus was the king of Tiryns, a stronghold near Mycenae. He was the son of Sthenelus and Nicippe, grandson of Perseus. Hera and Zeus quarreled at who would be the hero that would destroy all the monsters of the previous era, in order to establish the new age of the Twelve Olympians. Hera's favourite was Eurystheus, while Zeus picked Heracles as his champion. To find out who would be the one, it was decided that Eurystheus would ask Heracles to complete Twelve Labours; in this way, Heracles would be able to redeem himself after slaying his family, temporarily maddened by Hera. Eurystheus was left ashamed. He tried to kill the hero's children, named the Heracleidae, but he was defeated and ultimately died. He was succeeded in the throne by the brothers Atreus and Thyestes.

Atlas

In the tradition represented by the metopes at Olympia, however, he got the help of the TItan Atlas, who held up the heavens. Heracles, helped by Athena, took the heavens on his own shoulders while Atlas fetched the apples. He then returned the load to Atlas' shoulders and brought the apples back to Eurystheus. Atlas wanted Heracles to continue to hold the load but Heracles tricked him back into taking the weight of the world by asking him if he could hold it while he adjusted his stance.

Medea/ Aeetes/ Jason/ The Golden Fleece

Jason arrived in Colchis (modern Black Sea coast of Georgia) to claim the fleece as his own. It was owned by King Aeetes of Colchis. The fleece was given to him by Phrixus. Aeetes promised to give it to Jason only if he could perform three certain tasks. Presented with the tasks, Jason became discouraged and fell into depression. However, Hera had persuaded Aphrodite to convince her son Eros to make Aeetes' daughter, Medea, fall in love with Jason. As a result, Medea aided Jason in his tasks. First, Jason had to plow a field with fire-breathing oxen, the Khalkotauroi, that he had to yoke himself. Medea provided an ointment that protected him from the oxen's flames. Then, Jason sowed the teeth of a dragon into a field. The teeth sprouted into an army of warriors (spartoi). Medea had previously warned Jason of this and told him how to defeat this foe. Before they attacked him, he threw a rock into the crowd. Unable to discover where the rock had come from, the soldiers attacked and defeated one another. His last task was to overcome the sleepless dragon which guarded the Golden Fleece. Jason sprayed the dragon with a potion, given by Medea, distilled from herbs. The dragon fell asleep, and Jason was able to seize the Golden Fleece.[13] He then sailed away with Medea. Medea distracted her father, who chased them as they fled, by killing her brother Apsyrtus and throwing pieces of his body into the sea; Aeetes stopped to gather them. In another version, Medea lured Apsyrtus into a trap. Jason killed him, chopped off his fingers and toes, and buried the corpse. In any case, Jason and Medea escaped. In Corinth, Jason became engaged to marry Creusa (sometimes referred to as Glauce), a daughter of the King of Corinth, to strengthen his political ties. When Medea confronted Jason about the engagement and cited all the help she had given him, he retorted that it was not she that he should thank, but Aphrodite who made Medea fall in love with him. Infuriated with Jason for breaking his vow that he would be hers forever, Medea took her revenge by presenting to Creusa a cursed dress, as a wedding gift, that stuck to her body and burned her to death as soon as she put it on. Creusa's father, Creon, burned to death with his daughter as he tried to save her. Then Medea killed the two boys that she bore to Jason, fearing that they would be murdered or enslaved as a result of their mother's actions. When Jason came to know of this, Medea was already gone; she fled to Athens in a chariot of dragons sent by her grandfather, the sun-god Helios.[15] Later Jason and Peleus, father of the hero Achilles, attacked and defeated Acastus, reclaiming the throne of Iolcus for himself once more. Jason's son, Thessalus, then became king. As a result of breaking his vow to love Medea forever, Jason lost his favor with Hera and died lonely and unhappy. He was asleep under the stern of the rotting Argo when it fell on him, killing him instantly.

Allecto

Juno, however, still has not exhausted her anger against the Trojans. Unable to keep them from Italian shores forever, she vows at least to delay the foundation of their city and to cause them more suffering. She dispatches Allecto, one of the Furies, to Latium to rouse anger on the part of the natives against the Trojans. First, Allecto infects Queen Amata, Latinus's wife, causing her to oppose the marriage of Lavinia and Aeneas. Virgil describes Allecto's rousing of Amata's anger with the metaphor of a snake that twists and winds itself around Amata's body. Then Allecto approaches Turnus and inflames him with indignation at the idea of losing Lavinia and submitting to a Trojan king.

Io

Jupiter rapes Io and turns her into a cow to hide his crime from Juno (1.635-651) • Io suffers a great deal because of her transformaGon, unGl she is returned to human form

12 Labors of Heracles: The Nemean Lion

Labors 1-6 are known as the "Peloponnesian Labors" (Heracles becomes a Panhellenic hero) Hercules came to a town called Cleonae, where he stayed at the house of a poor workman-for-hire, Molorchus. When his host offered to sacrifice an animal to pray for a safe lion hunt, Hercules asked him to wait 30 days. If the hero returned with the lion's skin, they would sacrifice to Zeus, king of the gods. If Hercules died trying to kill the lion, Molorchus agreed to sacrifice instead to Hercules, as a hero.Hercules got to Nemea and began tracking the terrible lion, he soon discovered his arrows were useless against the beast. Hercules picked up his club and went after the lion. Following it to a cave which had two entrances, grasping the lion in his mighty arms, he held it tightly until he'd choked it to death.Hercules returned to Cleonae, carrying the dead lion, and found Molorchus on the 30th day after he'd left for the hunt. Instead of sacrificing to Hercules as a dead man, Molorchus and Hercules were able to sacrifice together, to Zeus. When Hercules made it back to Mycenae, Eurystheus was amazed that the hero had managed such an impossible task. The king became afraid of Hercules, and forbade him from entering through the gates of the city. Furthermore, Eurystheus had a large bronze jar made and buried partway in the earth, where he could hide from Hercules if need be. After that, Eurystheus sent his commands to Hercules through a herald, refusing to see the powerful hero face to face.

Marcellus

Marcellus was Augustus's nephew, son-in-law, and prospective heir; Anchises explains that he looks glum because he is destined to die young, without fulfilling his promise. After this who's-who session, Anchises shows Aeneas a bunch of other cool stuff, including glimpses of the future.

Mars Ultor

New forum of Augustus, with a temple to Mars Ultor (Mars the Avenger)Forum of Augustus and the Temple of Mars Ultor bogom right: columnar supports from the Forum of Augustus bogom lec: columnar supports from the Erectheion at Athens (5th c BC)

Forum of Augustus

New forum of Julius Caesar, with a temple to Venus Genetrix (=Venus the Mother Planned by Julius Caesar, but completed by Augustus • Contained a Temple of Venus Genetrix ("Venus the Mother") - mother of the Julian clan • Connects Julian family to Venus, the mother of Aeneas

Thebes

Oedipusaccidentallykillshisfatherandmarries his mother (the king and queen of Thebes) • When the truth is discovered, Oedipus blinds himself and goes into exile; his mother/wife commits suicide • Their sons, Eteocles and Polynices, fight over the throne. Polynices brings an army of foreign mercenaries and attacks the city (the Seven Against Thebes). • The brothers kill each other in battle and their uncle, Creon, becomes king of Thebes. The Theban Cycle • Sophocles wrote a number of plays about the House of Thebes (but NOT a true trilogy) - Antigone: produced c. 441 BCE - Oedipus the King: produced c. 429 BCE - Oedipus at Colonus: produced c. 401 BCE

Argonautica

One of only three Greek epic poems that have survived • Old and new: a "prequel" Tells the origin of Jason and Medea's relaHonship (aetiological) • An epic poem in four books (brevity) • A different perspecHve on Jason and Medea's relationship (originality, innovation) • Reworks Homeric epics in surprising and interesHng ways: i.e. interest in internal emoHon/psychology (originality, innovation) • Uses beauHful, elegant language (refinement)

carmen et error

Ovid, the Latin poet of the Roman Empire, was banished in 8 CE from Rome to Tomis (now Constanţa, Romania) by decree of the emperor Augustus. The reasons for his banishment are uncertain.[1] Ovid's exile is related by the poet himself, and also in brief references to the event by Pliny the Elder and Statius. At the time, Tomis was a remote town on the edge of the civilised world; it lay beyond the Danube, loosely under the authority of the Kingdom of Thrace (a satellite state of Rome), and was superficially Hellenized. According to Ovid, none of its citizens spoke Latin, which as an educated Roman he found trying. Ovid wrote that the cause of his exile was carmen et error: "a poem", probably the Ars Amatoria; and a personal indiscretion or mistake.[

Pentheus

Pentheus of the remarkably easy arrest of the Stranger (Dionysus), who did not even attempt to flee but gently offered up his own hands to the guard. Not only did the Stranger exhibit a remarkable coolness at the face of authority but he even smiled at the servant. In fact the Stranger was so well behaved that the servant felt ashamed and was compelled to tell the stranger that he was only working on orders from his master. The servant also tells Pentheus that his other prisoners, the Theban women who were driven mad by Dionysus, had all mysteriously escaped to the mountains to continue their singing and dancing. Those who saw them escape say that the chains came miraculously undone by themselves and the doors unbarred themselves. This last miracle and the Stranger's impeccable behavior impressed the servant, and he tries to hint to Pentheus that the king's behavior might be wrong. But the eager Pentheus is all too happy with his new prisoner and does not pay attention to the many signs of Dionysus's divinity. The aggressive king concentrates on interrogating the prisoner and flaunting his power over him. Pentheus begins by asking the Stranger where he comes from and on whose authority he now introduces these rites to Thebes. The Stranger tells the king that Dionysus himself initiated him. Pentheus then tries to scornfully insult and pervert the myth of Dionysus's birth and powers. The Stranger remains untouched by anger and states clearly that the god himself instructed him on various bacchic rites. The arrogant king immediately wants to know, and thus mock, these rites but his jibes are brushed away by the calm Dionysus who merely says, "it is not lawful for you to hear—though it is worth knowing." As Pentheus has been impious, continues the Stranger, he is not allowed to know what the rites consist of or what the god's true nature is. Pentheus is enraged when he is denied access to this information and he persists in using other rhetorical tools in the hope of tricking the Stranger, all to no avail. The only thing Pentheus learns is that he is unable to learn anything and has only exposed his own anger and futility. As in earlier scenes, when faced by a foe, Pentheus resorts to crude physical acts: arrest, imprison, and destroy. Pentheus ends their first encounter by promising to cut off Dionysus' hair, destroy his possessions, and lock him up for good. The Stranger calmly states that his god will free him and then chain and punish Pentheus. Pentheus screams that Dionysus to be chained in the dark palace stables at once.

12 Labors of Heracles: The Apples of the Herperides

Poor Hercules! After eight years and one month, after performing ten superhuman labors, he was still not off the hook. Eurystheus demanded two more labors from the hero, since he did not count the hydra or the Augean stables as properly done. Eurystheus commanded Hercules to bring him golden apples which belonged to Zeus, king of the gods. Hera had given these apples to Zeus as a wedding gift, so surely this task was impossible. Hera, who didn't want to see Hercules succeed, would never permit him to steal one of her prize possessions, would she? These apples were kept in a garden at the northern edge of the world, and they were guarded not only by a hundred-headed dragon, named Ladon, but also by the Hesperides, nymphs who were daughters of Atlas, the titan who held the sky and the earth upon his shoulders. Hercules' first problem was that he didn't know where the garden was. He journeyed through Libya, Egypt, Arabia, and Asia, having adventures along the way. He was stopped by Kyknos, the son of the war god, Ares, who demanded that Hercules fight him. After the fight was broken up by a thunderbolt, Hercules continued on to Illyria, where he seized the sea-god Nereus, who knew the garden's secret location. Nereus transformed himself into all kinds of shapes,trying to escape, but Hercules held tight and didn't release Nereus until he got the information he needed.Continuing on his quest, Hercules was stopped by Antaeus, the son of the sea god, Poseidon, who also challenged Hercules to fight. Hercules defeated him in a wrestling match, lifting him off the ground and crushing him, because when Antaeus touched the earth he became stronger. After that, Hercules met up with Busiris, another of Poseidon's sons, was captured, and was led to an altar to be a human sacrifice. But Hercules escaped, killing Busiris, and journeyed on.Hercules came to the rock on Mount Caucasus where Prometheus was chained. Prometheus, a trickster who made fun of the gods and stole the secret of fire from them, was sentenced by Zeus to a horrible fate. He was bound to the mountain, and every day a monstrous eagle came and ate his liver, pecking away at Prometheus' tortured body. After the eagle flew off, Prometheus' liver grew back, and the next day he had to endure the eagle's painful visit all over again. This went on for 30 years, until Hercules showed up and killed the eagle.In gratitude, Prometheus told Hercules the secret to getting the apples. He would have to send Atlas after them, instead of going himself. Atlas hated holding up the sky and the earth so much that he would agree to the task of fetching the apples, in order to pass his burden over to Hercules. Everything happened as Prometheus had predicted, and Atlas went to get the apples while Hercules was stuck in Atlas's place, with the weight of the world literally on his shoulders.When Atlas returned with the golden apples, he told Hercules he would take them to Eurystheus himself, and asked Hercules to stay there and hold the heavy load for the rest of time. Hercules slyly agreed, but asked Atlas whether he could take it back again, just for a moment, while the hero put some soft padding on his shoulders to help him bear the weight of the sky and the earth. Atlas put the apples on the ground, and lifted the burden onto his own shoulders. And so Hercules picked up the apples and quickly ran off, carrying them back, uneventfully, to Eurystheus. There was one final problem: because they belonged to the gods, the apples could not remain with Eurystheus. After all the trouble Hercules went through to get them, he had to return them to Athena, who took them back to the garden at the northern edge of the world.

Pythia

Priestess of Apollo at Delphi • Said to breathe vapors from a crack in the earth, and would speak the prophesies of Apollo in her hallucinatory state

Vergil

Publius Vergilius Maro Born 70 BCE in northern ItalyEclogues, first collec1on of poems, c.40 BCE: short, highly sophis1cated pieces combining Greek literary models with references to contemporary Roman culture • AMracts patronage of Maecenas, Augustus' 'minister of culture'

Deianira

Some time after the completion of the Labors, Heraeles fulfilled the promise he had made to the soul of Meleager, to marry his sister Delanira, daughter of Oeneus, king of Calydon. To win her Heraeles had to wrestle with the river-god Achelous, who was hom ed like a buLl and had the power of clhanging himself into different shapes Deianira was the name of Hercules' traitorous wife, but unlike Medea, she did not know what she was doing. She thought she was using a love potion. She had received the poison as a gift from a lecherous centaur who told her to save it for just such a purpose. The name of the centaur was Nessus. He had been commissioned by Hercules to help his second wife Deianeira across a river when she was traveling with her husband, but Nessus had other plans, the result of which was that Hercules had to rescue his wife. Hercules shot the centaur in the heart with one of his hydra-poisoned arrows. As this fast-acting poison ran its course, Nessus, who (to give Deianeira the benefit of the doubt) may have appeared to be dying from the accuracy of Hercules' aim, rather than from invisible poison, told Deianeira to take some of his blood to use as a charm should Hercules start to lose interest in her. When Hercules put on the "love-potion" soaked garment, a gift from his wife, he had no reason to be suspicious. It is hard to say which of them would have been more surprised by what happened to Hercules. She hanged herself when she realized what she had done. His skin started to burn. The pain was unspeakable, unbearable. Water did nothing to ease the pain. Hercules could not remove the garment without ripping himself apart.

Pallas, his death, and its outcome

Son of Evander, whom Evander entrusts to Aeneas's care and tutelage. Pallas eventually dies in battle at the hands of Turnus, causing Aeneas and Evander great grief. To avenge Pallas's death, Aeneas finally slays Turnus, dismissing an initial impulse to spare him.

The Parthenon

Temple of Athena Parthenos, 'the Virgin' • Doric temple with Ionic elements • Externalsculptural decoration: - Pediment - Metopes - Frieze East Pediment: Birth of Athena West Pediment: Contest of Athena and Poseidon (Nashville) Metopes • Battle of Lapiths and Centaurs • Battle of gods and giants • Battle of Greeks and Amazons • Battle of Greeks and Trojans Civilization (gods, humans, Greeks) vs. barbarism (giants, centaurs, Amazons and Trojans) • A metaphor for Athenians vs. Persians • Use of Panhellenic myth to represent the Athenians' achievement in the Persian Wars

Aegisthus

The "Feast of Thyestes" and the "Curse of Atreus" - Agamemnon's father (Atreus) fed Aegisthus' father (Thyestes) his own children- only Aegisthus survived - Thyestes cursed Atreus (brothers) - Aegisthus' mo-ve

Iphigenia

The Achaean (Greek) fleet was preparing to go to war against Troy and had amassed in Aulis. While there, Agamemnon, the leader of the expedition, killed a deer in a grove sacred to the goddess Artemis. She punished him by interfering with the winds (either by becalming them or by blowing the ships back into port) so that his fleet could not sail to Troy. The seer Calchas revealed that in order to appease Artemis, Agamemnon must sacrifice his eldest daughter, Iphigenia. Agamemnon at first refused, but, under pressure from the other commanders eventually agreed. Iphigenia and her mother Clytemnestra were brought to Aulis under the pretext of a marriage to Achilles, but soon discovered that the marriage was a ruse. In some versions of the story, Iphigenia remains unaware of her imminent sacrifice until the last moment, believing that she is led to the altar to be married.

Areopagus

The Areopagus (/ˌæriˈɒpəɡəs/) is the composite form of the Greek name Areios Pagos, translated "Ares Rock" (Ancient Greek: Ἄρειος Πάγος).[1] It is north-west of the Acropolis in Athens. In classical times, it functioned as the court for trying deliberate homicide[2] Ares was supposed to have been tried here by the gods for the murder of Poseidon's son Alirrothios (a typical example of an aetiological myth).

Pax Romana

The Pax Romana, or Roman Peace, is a Latin term referring to the Empire in its glorified prime. From the end of the Republican civil wars, beginning with the accession of Augustus in 27 BC, this era in Roman history lasted until 180 AD and the death of Marcus Aurelius.

furor

The Roman personification of rage and fury

Daphne

The daughter of Peneus. Daphne is transformed into a laurel tree as Apollo seeks to rape her.

Alcmena

The father of Herades was Ampnitryon, son of Aleaeus and brother of the king ofMycenae, Electryon, whose daughter, Alcmena, became his wife. Amphitryon aCCIdentally killed Electryon, and because of this was exiled from Mycenae and came to Thebes, taking Alemena with him. There he was purified by the Theban king, Creon, and set out to campaign against the Teleboans, a people of western Greece, who had attacked Electryon in Mycenae and killed all his sons except one.2The expec:lition was successful through the treachery of Comaetho, daugh- terof the Teleboan king Pterelalis. Out of love for Amphitryon she pulled from Plerelatis' head the golden hair that guaranteed him immortality and made the Teleboans invincible. Thus Pterelalis died and Amphitryon was victorious. Am- phitryon killed Comaetho and returned to Thebes.3 Amphitryon expected to lie with Alcmena, and he did not know that Zeus, disguised as Amphitryon, had visited her the previous night, which he extended 10 three times its proper length, and had told her the fuII story of the Teleboan eXpedition. Alcmena only accepted Amphitryon after Tiresias had revealed the truth. Thus Amphitryon lay "alllught long with his chaste wife, delighting in the gifts of golden Aphroc:lite" (Hesiod, Shield ofHerac/es, 46--(7). Alcmena conceived twins (it was said); the elder by one night was Heracles, son of Zeus, and the younger was Iphicles, son of Amphitryon. In the Alllphitruo of the Roman dramatist Plautus, Jupiter (Zeus) and Mer- cury (Hermes) disguise themselves as Amphitryon and Amphitryon's servant 5osia, respectively. Amphitryon returns just after Jupiter has left Alcmena, who IS thoroughly confused. She gives birth to twins, one of whom IS stronger than theother and immediately strangles two serpents sent by Juno (Hera) to kill h.im

Venus

The goddess of love and the mother of Aeneas. Venus (Aphrodite in Greek mythology) is a benefactor of the Trojans. She helps her son whenever Juno tries to hurt him, causing conflict among the gods. She is also referred to as Cytherea, after Cythera, the island where she was born and where her shrine is located.

Latinus

The king of the Latins, the people of what is now central Italy, around the Tiber River. Latinus allows Aeneas into his kingdom and encourages him to become a suitor of Lavinia, his daughter, causing resentment and eventually war among his subjects. He respects the gods and fate, but does not hold strict command over his people.

Cerberus

The most dangerous labor of all was the twelfth and final one. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to go to the Underworld and kidnap the beast called Cerberus (or Kerberos). Eurystheus must have been sure Hercules would never succeed at this impossible task! The ancient Greeks believed that after a person died, his or her spirit went to the world below and dwelled for eternity in the depths of the earth. The Underworld was the kingdom of Hades, also called Pluto, and his wife, Persephone. Depending on how a person lived his or her life, they might or might not experience never-ending punishment in Hades. All souls, whether good or bad, were destined for the kingdom of Hades.Cerberus was a vicious beast that guarded the entrance to Hades and kept the living from entering the world of the dead. According to Apollodorus, Cerberus was a strange mixture of creatures: he had three heads of wild dogs, a dragon or serpent for a tail, and heads of snakes all over his back. Hesiod, though, says that Cerberus had fifty heads and devoured raw flesh.Cerberus' parents were the monster Echinda (half-woman, half-serpent) and Typhon (a fire-breathing giant covered with dragons and serpents). Even the gods of Olympus were afraid of Typhon. Among the children attributed to this awful couple were Orthus (or Othros), the Hydra of Lerna, and the Chimaera. Orthus was a two-headed hound which guarded the cattle of Geryon. With the Chimaera, Orthus fathered the Nemean Lion and the Sphinx. The Chimaera was a three-headed fire-breathing monster, part lion, part snake, and part goat. Hercules seemed to have a lot of experience dealing with this family: he killed Orthus, when he stole the cattle of Geryon, and strangled the Nemean Lion. Compared to these unfortunate family members, Cerberus was actually rather lucky.Before making the trip to the Underworld, Hercules decided that he should take some extra precautions. This was, after all, a journey from which no mortal had ever returned. Hercules knew that once in the kingdom of Hades, he might not be allowed to leave and rejoin the living. The hero went to Eleusis and saw Eumolpus, a priest who began what were known as the Eleusinian Mysteries. The mysteries were sacred religious rites which celebrated the myth of Demeter and her daughter Persephone. The ancients believed that those who learned the secrets of the mysteries would have happiness in the Underworld. After the hero met a few conditions of membership, Eumolpus initiated Hercules into the mysteries. Hercules went to a place called Taenarum in Laconia. Through a deep, rocky cave, Hercules made his way down to the Underworld. He encountered monsters, heroes, and ghosts as he made his way through Hades. He even engaged in a wrestling contest! Then, finally, he found Pluto and asked the god for Cerberus. The lord of the Underworld replied that Hercules could indeed take Cerberus with him, but only if he overpowered the beast with nothing more than his own brute strength. A weaponless Hercules set off to find Cerberus. Near the gates of Acheron, one of the five rivers of the Underworld, Hercules encountered Cerberus. Undaunted, the hero threw his strong arms around the beast, perhaps grasping all three heads at once, and wrestled Cerberus into submission. The dragon in the tail of the fierce flesh-eating guard dog bit Hercules, but that did not stop him. Cerberus had to submit to the force of the hero, and Hercules brought Cerberus to Eurystheus. Unlike other monsters that crossed the path of the legendary hero, Cerberus was returned safely to Hades, where he resumed guarding the gateway to the Underworld. Presumably, Hercules inflicted no lasting damage on Cerberus, except, of course, the wound to his pride!

Juno

The queen of the gods, the wife and sister of Jupiter, and the daughter of Saturn. Juno (Hera in Greek mythology) hates the Trojans because of the Trojan Paris's judgment against her in a beauty contest. She is also a patron of Carthage and knows that Aeneas's Roman descendants are destined to destroy Carthage. She takes out her anger on Aeneas throughout the epic, and in her wrath acts as his primary divine antagonist.

Turnus

The ruler of the Rutulians in Italy. Turnus is Aeneas's major antagonist among mortals. He is Lavinia's leading suitor until Aeneas arrives. This rivalry incites him to wage war against the Trojans, despite Latinus's willingness to allow the Trojans to settle in Latium and Turnus's understanding that he cannot successfully defy fate. He is brash and fearless, a capable soldier who values his honor over his life.

Metamorphoses

Title means 'changes' or 'transformaGons' • Traces history of the universe from creaGon to Ovid's own Gme- ends with the deificaGon of Julius Caesar and succession of Augustus • In 15 books, Ovid tells over 250 myths, always with a twist - mixture of comedy and tragedy • Incredibly influenGal and popular

12 Labors of Heracles: The Cattle Geryon

To accomplish his tenth labor, Hercules had to journey to the end of the world. Eurystheus ordered the hero to bring him the cattle of the monster Geryon. Geryon was the son of Chrysaor and Callirrhoe. Chrysaor had sprung from the body of the Gorgon Medusa after Perseus beheaded her, and Callirrhoe was the daughter of two Titans, Oceanus and Tethys. With such distinguished lineage, it is no surprise that Geryon himself was quite unique. It seems that Geryon had three heads and three sets of legs all joined at the waist. Geryon lived on an island called Erythia. On this island, Geryon kept a herd of red cattle guarded by Cerberus's brother, Orthus, a two-headed hound, and the herdsman Eurytion. Hercules set off on for Erythia, encountering and promptly killing many wild beasts along the way, and he came to the place where Libya met Europe. Here, Apollodorus tells us, Hercules built two massive mountains, one in Europe and one in Libya, to commemorate his extensive journey. Other accounts say that Hercules split one mountain into two. Either way, these mountains became known as the Gates or Pillars of Hercules. The strait Hercules made when he broke the mountain apart is now called the Strait of Gibraltar, between Spain and Morocco, the gateway from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. Sailing in a goblet which the Sun gave him in admiration, Hercules reached the island of Erythia. Not long after he arrived, Orthus, the two-headed dog, attacked Hercules, so Hercules bashed him with his club. Eurytion followed, with the same result. Another herdsman in the area reported these events to Geryon. Just as Hercules was escaping with the cattle, Geryon attacked him. Hercules fought with him and shot him dead with his arrows.The stealing of the cattle was not such a difficult task, compared to the trouble Hercules had bringing the herd back to Greece. In Liguria, two sons of Poseidon, the god of the sea, tried to steal the cattle, so he killed them. At Rhegium, a bull got loose and jumped into the sea. The bull swam to Sicily and then made its way to the neighboring country. The native word for bull was "italus," and so the country came to be named after the bull, and was called Italy. The escaped bull was found by a ruler named Eryx, another of Poseidon's sons, and Eryx put this bull into his own herd. Meanwhile, Hercules was searching for the runaway animal. He temporarily entrusted the rest of the herd to the god Hephaestus, and went after the bull. He found it in Eryx's herd, but the king would return it only if the hero could beat him in a wrestling contest. Never one to shy away from competition, Hercules beat Eryx three times in wrestling, killed the king, took back the bull, and returned it to the herd.The stealing of the cattle was not such a difficult task, compared to the trouble Hercules had bringing the herd back to Greece. In Liguria, two sons of Poseidon, the god of the sea, tried to steal the cattle, so he killed them. At Rhegium, a bull got loose and jumped into the sea. The bull swam to Sicily and then made its way to the neighboring country. The native word for bull was "italus," and so the country came to be named after the bull, and was called Italy.

deus ex machina

an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel

Ovid

as a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace with whom he is often ranked as one of the three canonical poets of Latin literature. The Imperial scholar Quintilian considered him the last of the Latin love elegists.[2] He enjoyed enormous popularity, but, in one of the mysteries of literary history, he was sent by Augustus into exile in a remote province on the Black Sea, where he remained until his death. Ovid himself attributes his exile to carmen et error, "a poem and a mistake", but his discretion in discussing the causes has resulted in much speculation among scholars.

pietas

devotion to gods

syncretism

exchange of ideas and artistic traditions, syncre6sm (Buddha and Heracles)

Forum

forum: public "square" for markets, conducQng business etc.

Eumenides ("Kindly Ones")

is the third of the three linked tragedies which make up "The Oresteia" trilogy by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus, preceded by "Agamemnon" and "The Libation Bearers". The trilogy as a whole, originally performed at the annual Dionysia festival in Athens in 458 BCE, where it won first prize, is considered to be Aeschylus' last authenticated, and also his greatest, work. "The Eumenides" tells of how Orestes is pursued to Athens by the vengeful Erinyes for the murder of his mother, Clytemnestra, and how he is tried before Athena and a jury of Athenians to decide whether his crime justifies the torment of the Erinyes.

Apotheosis

making someone divine; this was the goal to the Heracles; Jason-meda

virtus

manly excellence, bravery, valor

Madness of Heracles

marries Megara (princess of Thebes), fathers three children, but in a moment of madness (sent by Hera) he kills them all (known as the "Madness of Heracles") - he has to perform the "12 labors" for Eurystheus to atone for his crime.

Antigone

represents the okios and the woman young and resistant

Creon

represents the polis and the man, ruler, power, tyranny

gravitas

seriousness

Palatine Hill

the palace of latinus

The Heroic Pattern

through the "heroic pattern": the formal analysis of a series of characteristic events or incidents that typify the life of a hero. - Lord Raglan original 22 stages; Joseph Campbell got it down to 3 stages Joseph Campbell's "Heroic Pattern" 1. Separation - The hero is separated from his familiar surroundings and embarks on a journey 2. Initiation - He completes a quest (and reaches a new understanding of the cosmos) 3. Return - Returns to his familiar surroundings (and shares his vision with others) - The hero is the intermediary figure between gods and mortals - Heroes lives are different quests (he extends the boundaries of human experience and knowledge) - volatile relationship with women (Domestic life is a threat to the hero. Hero "conquers" or "tames" women, such as Amazons.) - conquers death/achieves immortality • What does this mean for mortals? - hero as the "redeemer" How to become immortal: • Kleos (glory and everlasting fame) • Strong legacy (children) • Deeds that symbolically defeat death (going to the underworld and coming back) • Apotheosis (deification, becoming a god after death)

Alexander the Great

tutored by Aristotle • becomes king in 336 BC aber his father's death • launches a campaign of world domination • fashions himself as a god, using myth for his own self-presentation

Aeneas

warfare and a man at war

Agave

• Agave: - lost her sanity - transformed into an initiate - left the city, went to the mountain - transformed into a hunter (male role) - returned to the city • (as a "victor"male role) - snapped out of her frenzy

Hellenistic

• Enormous political upheavals - Separation from roots and past - Loss of stability and civic identity • Democracy (etc.) replaced with hereditary monarchy • Small city states replaced with vast empires à Re-exploration and questioning of traditional values Myth/Literature in the Classical Period: - Public performance at civic and religious festival - Still grappling with traditional (heroic) values: is there a place for them in the modern polis? Myth/Literature in the Hellenistic Period: - under the patronage of a monarch - Circulated among small groups of intellectuals - Considered traditional values passé • Poets share a similar artistic aesthetic • Back to basics: an interest in origins and causes àfocus on aetiological myths (hence Callimachus' poem Ae'a, "Origins") • Avoidance of well-trodden paths - Dislike of what is "base, common, popular" • Preference for brevity, originality, and refinement • Archaic and Classical models: - Hesiod - Euripides

Bacchae, Maenads

• Maenads = literally "frenzied women" • akaBacchae= literally "female Bacchuses"

Delphi

• Sanctuary and Oracle of Apollo • The navel (omphalos) of the world • Panhellenic sanctuary (even barbarians used it!)