Gods 4

the Essentials of Apollo

parentage Zeus and the goddess Leto offspring - Asclepius (with Coronius) - Linus and Orpheus (with Calliope, a Muse) - many others attributes - beardless - long-haired - bow - quiver - lyre - laurel branch significant cult titles - Catharsius (Purifier) - Musagetes (Leader of the Muses) - Paean (Healer) - Pythian (Pythian) significant rituals and sanctuaries - Delos: the isalnd where Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis --- there Apollo had a sanctuary and an annual festival in his honor - Delphi: an oracular shrine in central Greece where Apollo, through his priestesses the Pythias, dispensed oracles - the Hyacinthia: an initiation ritual for young boys near Sparta and a neighboring town, Amyclae

the Loves of Apollo - Kreousa

"Queen" came from Athens her anguish is portrayed in Euripides' play Ion, named after the son whom she bore to her seducer Kreousa later married a mortal, but the two of them had no children - so, like many an ordinary Greek couple, the pair consulted an oracle about their prospects for having a family as it happened, the oracle they chose--Delphi--had as one of its temple-servants none other than Ion, who had been surreptitiously conveyed there as a newborn by Hermes

Spheres of Authority and Attributes of Apollo

Apollo claims many spheres of authority in the Greek world his name remains the same in Roman mythology he is associated with shepherds as a protector of flocks, he replaced Hyperion and Helios as a sun god, and is the god of archers and musicians he is both a god associated with healing and bringing plagues in the Trojan War he brought a plague upon the Greeks but could also prophesy ways to avoid epidemics he can be characterized as logical but does experience bouts of irrational anger he was depicted with longer hair, a wreath and/or branch of laurel, a bow with a quiver, or a lyre, and sometimes a crown or raven Philostratus the Elder described him as such, "As for the aspect of the god, he is represented as unshorn, my boy, and with his hair fastened up so that he may box with girt-up head; rays of light rise from about his brow and his cheek emits a smile mingled with wrath; keen is the glance of his eyes as it follows his uplifted hands." - archery - light and the sun - reason - music - divination - healing (botanicals) - bringer of the plague - lyre, laurel, raven

God of Reason

Apollo was known as the god of reason, with "Know thyself" and "Nothing too much" representing epitomes of what scholars have stated is his classical restraint this aspect of his nature was held in stark contrast to the irrational side of Dionysus; a good example of the binary structure Levi-Strauss explained

the Essentials of Artemis

parentage Zeus and the goddess Leto offspring none attributes - bow - quiver - wild animals (especially deer) significant cult titles - Lochia (Protector of Women in Labor) - Potnia Theron (Mistress of Animals) - Agrotera (Of the Wilds) significant rituals and sanctuaries - the Brauronia: an initiation ritual for young girls before marriage that took place in Brauron, a region east of Athens - Ephesus: the provincial capital of the Roman Empire on the coast of Anatolia, where the Ephesian Artemis was patron goddess - Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia: the location of initiations for adolescent boys, near Sparta

the Center of the Ancient World

Delphi was considered in antiquity to be the center of the world according to one myth, Zeus sent two eagles, one from each end of the earth, to meet at the center and where they met was Delphi here he placed the omphalos ("navel") which was the stone which Rhea had given Cronos in place of Zeus the omphalos is seen here

Hades' Attributes

Hades was the god of the underworld and of the dead he was the god in charge of funeral rites and defended the right of the dead to due burial he was depicted as a mature man Aidoneus, in the underworld holding a bird-tipped scepter, or as Plouton the giver of wealth, pouring fertility from a cornucopia the Romans named him Dis or Pluto Plouton a Greek epitaph means "the Lord of Riches" - he is the god of the underworld, but that means everything below the earth and since many precious metals are found below the surface he is the god of hidden wealth, but this also applies to fertile soil as good soil produced good grain Hades is known as "He who makes invisible" or "All receiver" because all mortals eventually end up dead and become invisible to their loved ones and he takes them all

Homer's Underworld

Odysseus to the Land of the Dead in order to find this place, he must sail to the edge of the world, beaching his ship on the shore of the Ocean which encircles everything that exists the spot is dark and gloomy, heavy with fog, and shaded with poplar and willow; two of the rivers of the Underworld, Pyriphlegethon (Blazing with Fire') and Kokytos ('Lamentation') flow into a third, Acheron (perhaps 'Groaning') Odysseus sacrifices a ram and a ewe, filling a pit with their blood; the effect is to attract the souls of the dead, who, drinking the blood, temporarily regain the power to speak to a living person through his conversations with the dead, Odysseus learns something about the realm of Hades and his queen Persephone for all their insubstantiality, the souls of the dead retain the identity and demeanor which they had in life however, especially for those whose glorious, the contrast with what they experience is painful indeed his narrative does imply the grouping together of a few notable transgressors, each of whom is suffering exemplary and evidently eternal punishment the logic of these punishments is fairly evident: it is not just any human crime, but crimes against the honors of the gods, which drawn down chastisement upon the perpetrator at one point Odysseus mentions that he saw MInos "seating, holding a golden scepter and issuing judgements among the dead" at all events, Minos is one of the few who seem to retain any significant esteem in the grim Odyssean realm of Hades

Attributes and Epithets of Demeter

Roman name of Ceres daughter of Cronos and Rhea mature woman torch, a stalk of grain, scepter, crown Demeter was the Olympian goddess of agriculture, grain and bread because of her bounty, mankind was able to live off the land in the Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter, she is described as having blonde divine hair, veiled, wearing a dark cloak, sweet smelling, holding flaming torches in her hands, slender feet, and crowned in chaplets of corn as a goddess of agriculture, wheat was a sacred plant as well as barley barley and mint were mixed with honey in a sacred drink of her Mystery cult poppy was also sacred to her as it grew wild in grain fields and a mortal lover Mekon was transformed into a poppy so her priestesses wore poppy in their hair agriculture, fertility, bread

Zeus and Leto

Zeus and Leto Delos (the rovin island) Goddess of Childbirth here again you see Leto and Apollo depicted Artemis was the daughter of Leto and Zeus, with Apollo as her twin in Apollo's origin story, Artemis is not mentioned being born first, but according to her story she was born then immediately helped Leto deliver Apollo

Demeter and Zeus

Zeus then sent Rhea to lead Demeter back among the gods with the following message he promised to grant Demeter any honors that she wanted, and he agreed that Persephone would live a third part of the year below and the other two thirds above, with her mother and the other gods Demeter returned to Olympus and miraculously caused fruit to spring up from the earth restoring what had previously been barren

Charon and the Underworld

a boatman named Charon demanded a payment of a coin or a cake from those who recently died and wished to reach the Underworld he was depicted on vases with increasing frequency often Hermes escorted souls to Charon's boat, although Hermes, unlike Charon, is not a permanent resident of the Underworld Charon was imagined to keep guard over the waters dividing the living and the dead and to refuse the mythic watchdog Cerberus, who is frequently depicted with two or three passage to souls who want to return to the land of the living similarly head but is described by Hesiod to have fifty heads), was also imagined to but refusing to let them leave one of the twelve labors of Heracles involved retrieving Cerberus from the Underworld - this labor ended happily for all concerned --- Heracles subdued Cerberus, brought him to show to Eurystheus, and then safely returned the beast back to his position at the gates of the Underworld

the Essentials of Demeter

patronage Cronus and Rhea offspring Persephone attributes - wheat stalk - torch significant cult titles - Chloe (Green Shoots) - Horaphorus (Bringer of the Seasons) - Thesmophorus (Bringer of Law) significant rituals and sanctuaries - the Eleusinian Mysteries: a week-long initiation ceremony that began in Athens and concluded in Demeter's sanctuary in Eleusis, where initiates received secret knowledge - the Haloa (Fields): a festival for women meant to protect newly planted seeds to ensure an abundant harvest - the Proerosia (Before Plowing): a ritual plowing that preceded that actual plowing of fields in preparation for planting --- Demeter, along with Zeus and Persephone, was offered gifts and was honored - the Thesmophoria: a three-day celebration, for women, to ensure successful marriage and childbirth

the Worship of Artemis

places of worship for the goddess were Ephesus and Brauron

Rewards and Punishments in the Afterlife

punishment in Tartarus were not just reserved for treacherous and lecherous kings although the Greeks did not conceive of a coherent system of rewards and punishments for the dead in the Underworld, they did, however, believe that behavior (good or evil) had consequences on earth they also increasingly developed rituals, such as the Eleusinian Mysteries, to mitigate the eternal darkness that is death one's own behavior was believed to shape the fortunes of one's descendants although some were punished for wrongdoing by being condemned to Tartarus, it was more generally believed that evil deeds in this life would result in suffering and and punishment for future generations on the other hand, in Homer, heroic defeats generate a sort of immortality through remembrance in song such remembrance benefitted one's descendants, just as an inheritance of wealth and reputation would but neither fame nor admirable or even heroic behavior allowed one to escape an eternal--and eternally bleak--existence in the Underworld

Hades' Connection to Death

regal and aloof Hades seems to take little interest in the inhabitants of the vast, dark kingdom he governs he neither judges nor punishes the souls of the dead although he is considered "hateful" because death is unwelcome to and despised by all human beings, he is not feared for Hades does not demand the death of individuals or cause death to the living in a general way he was not imagined as a grim reaper who stalks humankind Hades does not greedily snatch souls or even gently carry them away, nor does he escort them to his kingdom - he simply receives sould in his realm, as his title "Receiver of Many" (Polydegmon) implies Hades bears no ill will toward human beings, whether living or dead

Tartarus

region under the earth where Zeus imprisons the Titans seems to be an even deeper and darker region than the Underworld is the site of many gruesome eternal punishments yet, this region too is not central to Greek conceptions of the afterlife both the Elysian Plain and Tartarus, however, do not alter the general Greek view that the souls of all the dead, whether their lives were exemplary or undistinguished, wander eternally in the dark and dank expanses of Hades' realm

Artemis' Sexuality

she is by no means hermetically sealed off from sexuality her virginity is dangerously fragile - although never actually violated, it is constantly under implied threat myths express this fragility in two ways - first, the goddess' young hunter-companions often find their attachment to the group compromised by sexuality - second, it is not always Artemis' companions, but she herself who comes uncomfortably close to a sexual liaison

Attributes and Epithets of Artemis

in Roman mythology she is the goddess Diana and is known as the huntress although she hunts animals she is also seen as the protectress of animals and can be a fierce opponent when one of her sacred animals is hurt - animals, especially deer and bear - Goddess of the Hunt she is a virgin goddess and all of her followers also must be virgins, and if they break that oath harm befalls them although Artemis herself is a virgin, she is a goddess of childbirth her origin story actually has her being born and then immediately helping her mother Leto birth Apollo Moon Goddess Artemis "of the golden arrow"

Biblical Analogue

in the New Testament spiritual resurrection is explained by the following allegory: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24) it was only when a seed was under the ground, essentially dead and buried, would new sprouts spring forth

Artemis and Her Virginity

one important aspect of Artemis was her virginity Callimachus wrote in Hymn 3 to Artemis "[Artemis] sitting on her father's knees--still a little maid--she spake these words to her sire [Zeus] : 'Give me to keep my maidenhood, Father, forever . . .' And her father smiled and bowed assent" - asking Zeus to grant favors - chaste for eternity (never marry) she is accompanied by other virgin women and her chariot is pulled by either hounds or stags - lop-eared hounds and stags to lead her chariot as a goddess of the forest, she is often accompanied by nymphs - creatures of the forest

Apollo, Coronis, and Aslepius

one myth had Apollo loving a young girl from Thessaly, but she was unfaithful and Apollo's bird the raven (which at this time was white), saw the affair and reported it to Apollo in a moment of uncontrollable rage, he shot her with an arrow as she was dying, she revealed she was pregnant, remember the gods never fail to impregnate their lovers just as her funeral pyre was consuming her, Apollo stole the baby from her womb and gave it to the centaur Chiron to raise he then changed the color of the raven's feathers to black the baby became Asclepius, the god of medicine his snake entwined staff can still be seen on medical professional's lab coats and logos today Asclepius with his serpent-entwined staff Archaeological Museum of Epidaurus

Hippolytus in Myth Ritual

one of Artemis' adolescent male worshippers Euripides depicts Hippolytus as a young man, a virgin and a hunter who prefers the woods and the company of other young men to the city and the demands of adulthood Hippolytus hoped to remain forever under the auspices of Artemis and never mature into a married man and warrior but Aphrodite, angered by his refusal to acknowledge her spheres of love and marriage, causes Hippolytus' stepmother Phaedra to fall in love with him when Phaedra tells Hippolytus that she loves him, her confession forces him to acknowledge the power of love and thereby abandon his youth devotion to Artemis after being rejected by Hippolytus, Phaedra falsely accuses him of rape, provoking her husband Theseus (Hippolytus' father), to curse his son and cause his violent death - he is torn apart and trampled by his own horses when they are spooked by a bull sent by Poseidon

Hygeia

one of Asclepius's children was Hygeia, the goddess of good health and on sculpture she was seen holding a snake she was worshipped alongside her father and on this relief you see her to the right assisting her father with healing a patient at their sanctuary in Epidaurus relief of Asclepius and Hygeia treating a patient during their overnight stay at the sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus - ca. 400 BCE, Archaological Museum of Peiraius

Demeter's Name

oversight of agriculture "De" is linked to Ge, the Greek word for the earth, and "meter" to mater, the Greek word for mother "Demeter" thus means "Earth Mother" the fertility of the earth, and to a lesser degree that of women, is the primary sphere of influence of this goddess "Eleusis," is the town where her holy rite, called the Mysteries, was celebrated initiates at this festival held torches during nocturnal rituals and processions during their initiation in Demeter's holy rite, they received knowledge and blessings that would give them "sweeter hopes" for a better life after death

the Essentials of Hades

parentage Cronus and Rhea offspring none attributes - scepter - throne - cornucopia significant cult titles - Chthonian Zeus (Zeus of the Underworld) - Pluton (of Wealth) - Polydegmon (Receiver of Many) significant rituals and sanctuaries - no temples or festivals were dedicated to Hades - Caves: caves dedicated to Hades, such as the one at Eleusis, were believed to be entrances to the Underworld - Funerals: funerary rituals for the dead consisted of three parts: --- laying out the corpse (prosthesis), a procession to the gravesite (ecphora), and subsequent feasts at the gravesite for a brief period of time --- although these rites were not performed in honors of Hades, their purpose was to guarantee that the souls of the dead entered his kingdom

Apollo and Marpessa

Apollo was never a bachelor, but did come close to settling down once Marpessa's father was King Evinos a son of Ares who decided that only a man who could best him in a chariot race would win his daughter's hand he was an extremely skillful fighter and a son of Ares and so when the suitor lost, he cut off their head until a man named Ida came with a winged chariot given to him by his father Poseidon this would have been an interesting race, however he convinced Marpessa to elope in the middle of the night. When Evinos found his daughter missing, he chased after her but lost hope in the middle of a river and so slaughtered his horses and drowned this river is now named Evinos. Evinos however wasn't the only one pursuing the couple, Apollo had seen Marpissa and fell in love he started a fight with Ida and Zeus was forced to break up the fight. Uncharacteristically of Zeus, he allowed the woman to decide her fate she chose Ida because the ageless Apollo would grow old of her as she aged, but Ida would age with her

Apollo's Places of Worship

Apollo's principal places of worship were in Delos, the island he was born on and Delphi which was a major sanctuary according to scholars his cult actually originate in Asia minor and he has strong connections to Troy

Artemis and the Heavens

Artemis has several instances where people connected with her are later put into the heavens as constellations a popular myth was that of Callisto, (in Greek her name means "most beautiful") a worshipper of Artemis who caught the eye of Zeus Zeus disguised himself as Artemis, but when he became too eager Callisto discovered the deception, but Zeus always got what he wanted and of course she became pregnant eventually her pregnancy was discovered, and the disgusted Artemis exiled her from her company after she gave birth, Hera took her revenge and transformed her into a bear 15 years later her own son came across her as a bear but before he could kill her, Zeus intervened and brought them into the heavens and they were transformed into Ursa Major and Ursa Minor another story involved the hunter Orion who tried to rape the goddess a scorpion sprang from the ground and stung Orion to death Orion's hunting dog Sirius also was transformed into the Dog Star variations of this myth involve Orion being engaged to Merope, or not pursuing Artemis, but rather her companions the Pleiades other constellations connected to Artemis and correlated myths: - Callisto and Arcas (Great Bear, Little Bear) - later a moon of Jupiter - Orion - Merope (daughter of Oenopion) - Pleiades (daughters of Atlas and Pleione) - Sirius (Dog Star)

Artemis of the Golden Arrows

Artemis of Gabii, Original by Praxiteles one myth actually has the twins each receiving bows and arrows at birth her arrows were described as golden

the Revelation

Demeter finally reveals herself as a goddess and gives the king and queen instructions for the future of Eleusis, and then disappeared Demeter ordered a temple built for her below the town above the well where she had first lay to rest she promised to teach them her rites so that performing them reverently they would placate her Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter 275 ff: "[Demeter reveals her true divinity to Queen Metaneira:] 'Lo! I am that Demeter who has share of honor and is the greatest help and cause of joy to the undying gods and mortal men...' When she had so said, the goddess changed her stature and her looks, thrusting old age away from her [i.e. her disguise as an old woman]: beauty spread round about her and a lovely fragrance was wafted from her sweet-smelling robes, and from the divine body of the goddess a light shone afar, while golden tresses spread down over her shoulders, so that the strong house was filled with brightness as with lightning. And so she went out from the palace. And straightway Metaneira's knees were loosed and she remained speechless for a long while."

Life and Death

Demeter's connection to death can be explained through myth: Persephone, her daughter, is married to Hades, the god of the Underworld - on the other hand, a complex network of symbols that informs funerary and agricultural rituals--as well as her Mysteries at Eleusis--links Demeter to death

Demeter's Sanctuaries and Cults

Demeter's main sanctuary was in Eleusis, but in Athens, they celebrated the religious festival known as the Thesmophoria in honor of the goddess Demeter and her Persephone - Eleusinian Mysteries held annually in late autumn around the time seed were sown or depending on the area it may be held during the harvest it celebrated human and agricultural fertility, was restricted to adult women, one of the most widely-celebrated in the Greek world, and the rites practiced were secret the most extensive sources on the festival are a comment on Lucian, explaining the festival, and Aristophanes' play Thesmophoriazusae, which parodies the festival - Thesmophoria (Athens)

Guarding Chastity . . . Actaeon

Diana surprised by Actaeon by Titan one famous myth regarding her chastity involves the mortal Actaeon Actaeon was a hunter and happened to come across Artemis while she was bathing although he realized his mistake almost immediately the virgin goddess was furious a man had seen her, so she splashed him in the face with water and he was transformed into a stag his own hunting dogs then tore him apart

the Location of the Underworld

Homer locates the Underworld in three different places toward the end of the Odyssey, Hermes leads the souls of the suitors whom Odysseus has killed to the Underworld with his wand they pass over the streams of Ocean, a river that was believed to continuously flow around the earth and through the Gates of the Sun to finally reach fields of asphodel (a spiky white flower common across the Mediterranean), where they will dwell forever the Underworld appears to be located on the same flat surface as the earth, in the west where the sun sets - yet Homer then describes the Underworld as the "secret places of the earth," that is, underneath the earth when Odysseus, following Circe's directions, travels to the Underworld, he beaches his ship on the misty shores of the land of the mythical Cimmerians, who dwell in the north thus Homer locates the Underworld in three different places: the west, under the earth, and in the north most often, however, the Underworld was believed by the Greeks to be under the earth, not at its edges - one of Hades's titles, Pluton (Of Wealth), confirms this idea - "Pluton" refers to the belief that Hades is responsible for sending the earth's wealth up to human beings in the form of minerals and plants - for this reason, Hades is also imagined as bountiful and is even frequently shown carrying a cornucopia the Romans also called the god of the Underworld by these two names, Hades and Pluto

Wild Animals, Young Girls, and Childbirth

Homer refers to Artemis as Potnia Theron (Mistress of Animals) and Agrotera (of the Wilds) - not referring to domesticated animals or livestock among wild animals, bears often appear in myths and rituals associated with Artemis, whereas deer are most precious to her paradoxically, Artemis is also often depicted with a box in her hand or a quiver of arrows on her back - her bow is not a weapon of war but a tool of the hunt - thus, Artemis is represented as both protecting and hunting animals in the wild Artemis is often portrayed as leading groups of nymphs in song or dance, and protecting their virginity as well as her own both animals and arrows are at her disposal for weaponry, and both are equally lethal in a variation on this group of myths, an attempted act of sexual violence against a nymph provokes Artemis to punish the female victim, not her attacker these conflicting versions suggest the difficulties of determining whether Artemis' actions are offered as protection or punishment Artemis appears both benevolent and cruel to the young girls in her retinue, just as she seems to the wild animals that surround her the meaning of Artemis' actions in myth becomes more apparent from the perspective of Artemis' oversight of transitional moments in women's lives: the initiation of girls, rituals before marriage, and childbirth

the Power of Demeter's Great Mysteries for Her Initiates

a consequence of the complex network of symbols that operated in the rituals and myths of the goddesses Demeter and Persephone as well as in funerary rituals its underlying logic links Demeter's role as an overseer of both agriculture and death with everyday lives of Greek women as overseers of childbirth as well as the rituals associated with death in ancient Greece, it was women who directly experienced the seasons of planting as well as harvest, between birthing and burying and between life and death the Mysteries, which deployed symbols and ritual actions that evoked these eternal rhythms, were not restricted to women the rituals thus granted everyone an experience of the inextricable, necessary, and perhaps even comforting cycle between life and death Demeter's two gifts to humankind--"the fruits of the earth" and "sweeter hopes," regarding dying--were truly a blessing if understood and experienced together as one united gift this unity of vision was made possible for all initiates through their participation in the Mysteries

Demeter Gives Grain to Triptolemos

according to Diodorus Siculus in his Library of History, "Now she [Demeter] discovered the corn before she gave birth to her daughter Persephone, but after the birth of her daughter and the rape of her by Plouton [Hades], she burned all the fruit of the corn, both because of her anger at Zeus and because of her grief over her daughter. After she had found Persephone, however, she became reconciled with Zeus and gave Triptolemos the corn to sow, instructing him both to share the gift with men everywhere and to teach them everything concerned with the labor of sowing." on contemporary Athenian vases, Triptolemos is usually shown as a bearded adult seated in a winged chariot about to set out on his civilizing mission or in the company of the goddesses Demeter, Persephone and Hekate he also appears amongst the larger gatherings of the Eleusinian gods. Triptolemos' name is derived from the Greek words triptos and lemma meaning "He who Pounds the Husks" winged chariot drawn by serpents Triptolemus was a demi-god of the Eleusinian mysteries who was in charge of the sowing of grain and milling of the wheat according to the myth he was a prince who had warmly received her when she was mourning her daughter to thank him after the return of Persephone, she taught him agriculture and provided him with a winged, serpent/dragon drawn chariot to instruct all mankind one myth about Triptolemos comes from Ovid in his Metamorphoses Triptolemos was travelling through the lands reached the cold realm of the Skythians King Lynkos being jealous of Triptolemos tried to kill him Dementer intervened and transformed the king into a lynx and denied the Skythians the gift of agriculture this is the origin of the how the lynx got his name Pseudo-Hyginus in Astronomica wrote that Karnabon a king of Thrace welcomed him in, then seized by jealousy had one of the dragons killed and was going to kill Triptolemos as well, but Ceres intervened

Artisophanes' Underworld

according to the deliciously improbable plot, Dionysus, god of the theater, travels down to Hades with the aim of bringing back to life one of the previous generation of great tragic poets, whose wise counsel the Athenians sorely need at the present critical juncture of the Peloponnesian War in order to cross a "great big bottomless lake" the nervous god has to take a boat trip with Charon, the lugubrious and irascible ferryman of the dead Dionysus bumps into a band of his own Initiatives, deceased mortals whose initiation into Dionysiac mystery cults while alive has evidently provided them with a passport to a joyful Afterlife in a flower-strewn area of Hades after that, however, Dionysus meets one of the most fearsome of all Hades' denizens: Aiakos, the Infernal Doorkeeper though some myth-tellers represented him as a paragon of law and righteousness, the Aiakos who appears in Frogs is a kind of pantomime ogre, over-ripe in his language and wildly exaggerated in his sadism in the time-honored tradition of Aristophanic excretory humor, Dionysus reacts to all this bluster by performing an involuntary "libation"

Delphi

according to they myths, Apollo was born on the Delos, grew to adulthood in four days, then transformed into a dolphin to leave the island he conjured up a storm and hopped aboard a ship and led it safely to shore he ended up walking to Pytho, a place sacred to Gaia and killed the giant snake Python who guarded the oracle's prophecies the name of the place then changes to Delphi because Apollo had transformed into a dolphin to reach it, the Greek word for dolphin was delphis Delphi then became the most popular oracle in antiquity Pythian Apollo, god of Delphi slaying Pytho - interpretation of the myth presence of an earlier sanctuary dedicated to a female fertility

Rosetti's Persephone

after her brief stint in Eleusis, she continues in her mourning, causing a year with no harvest with no harvest, people were starving and because they had no food there were no sacrifices to the gods Zeus then is forced to take notice and he sends Iris, the rainbow and messenger of the gods, and demands Demeter rejoin them in Olympus - Demeter refuses Zeus then sent all the other gods down trying to convince her to give in, but Demeter sticks to her guns and turns them all down she would not return to Olympus until she saw her daughter again so Zeus sends Hermes to Hades and commanded him to bring Persephone back Hades does as he is commanded but not before trying to convince Persephone that he will be a good husband and, according to the myth, he tricks her into eating the seeds of a pomegranate, which would not allow her to remain with her mother for the whole year she was delivered to her mother in front of the temple at Eleusis immediately upon embracing Demeter senses the trickery according to Persephone, when she jumped up in excitement at returning Hades popped the seeds into her mouth and forced her to eat it against her will Persephone recounted her abduction and they have a tearful reunion, joined by Hecate who becomes an attendant of Persephone's retinue pomegranate, stalk of grain, a torch, a crown

Demeter

an Olympian daughter of Cronus and Rhea sister to Zeus mother of one child, Persephone, whose father is Zeus the Homeric Hymn 2 (To Demeter), which describes her search for her daughter, Persephone, is also connected to a ritual known as the Eleusinian Mysteries that ensured participants a better life after death she was often shown carrying a wheat stalk she is also frequently shown with Triptolemus, an adolescent boy who rides a winged chariot, to whom she gives the knowledge of agriculture to share with humanity many of her cult titles, such as Chloe (Green Shoots) and Horaphorus (Bringer of the Seasons), underscore her association with agriculture and growth also associated with rituals that were designed not only to ensure agricultural success but also to link the fertility of the earth to the fertility of women

Healing

on this slide you see some votives which were discovered at the sanctuary in Epidaurus people would come from all parts of the Greek world seeking a cure for their ailments some even brought these votives, or sacrifices, to show the god exactly what they needed healed you see arms, hands, legs, breasts and even votives which could be requesting help for a venereal disease or erectile disfunction

Thesmophoria

an all-female ritual that occurred before sowing (October to November) relied on the same voluntary and personal, not a civic, act initiates (mustai) had to be sponsored by a previous initiate and had to provide a baby pig in order to participate the sacrificial pig may symbolize Persephone because "pig" was a slang word for girl or because, in one version of her abduction story, a swineherd named Eubouleus is tending his pigs at the spot where Hades emerges from the earth to kidnap Persephone - the pigs fall into the Underworld with the girl - through the sacrifice of the pig, the initiates may be encouraged to identify with Persephone, who must find her mother the festival began in Athens, where Elusinian officials gather initiates and directed them to bathe themselves and their sacrificial pigs in the port of Peiraeus officials and initiates then walked the fourteen miles to Eleusis when they reached the Cephisus River, which they had to cross, a curious ritual activity took place - masked individuals (perhaps initiates from the previous year) teased and mocked the initiates - this introduction of bawdy humor into an otherwise solemn occasion may have recalled Baubo (Iambe), the Elusinian servant who roused Demeter from her grief with jokes once at Eleusis, the initiates, who had abstained from food since the beginning of the festival in imitation of Demeter, broke their fast they sacrificed their pig (if they had not already done so in Athens) and offered seed mixtures and barley cakes to Demeter in Eleusis, they would also walk by a rocky cave associated with Hades and Kore (Young Girl), one of Persephone's cult titles, and the "mirthless rock" where Demeter was said to have sat and mourned Persephone's absence after feasting at Eleusis and viewing sacred places in Demeter's sanctuary, the initiates were prepared to enter Demeter's temple, the Telesterion, and receive secret knowledge that would complete their initiation

Sanctuary at Brauron

another famous sanctuary was at Brauron in Attica Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia supposedly established this sanctuary in Euripides's Iphigeneia in Tauris here specifically was an initiation ritual for girls called the Brauronia since Artemis was in charge of the transformations of girls to women Goddess of Maidens and Mother - Artemis Arkteia Murder Most Classical by Christiana Elfwood

Apollo and Daphne

another love of his life was Daphne she was a companion of Artemis, and so she was uninterested in the opposite sex she had even gotten her father and Zeus to approve her wish to remain a virgin worshiping Artemis then one day Apollo had boasted to Cupid that his arrows couldn't compete with his slaying of the Python Cupid then shot Apollo with an arrow making him fall instantly in love with Daphne, and shot Daphne with a leaden arrow making her scorn Apollo's attention he began to chase her and she ran, eventually she couldn't run any further and she prayed to Peneus to destroy her beauty so Apollo would no longer desire her her wish was granted and as you can see from Bernini's sculpture she was transformed into a laurel tree this transformation however did not dissuade Apollo and he declared that if he could not have her as his wife, he would have her as his tree thus the reason he is adorned with the branches of the laurel - laurel = Daphne - sacred plant of Apollo Apollo and Daphne GianLorenzo Bernini, 1622-1625 Rome, Galleria Borghese

Artemis and the Married Woman

archeological evidence found at Brauron show that Artemis was also worshiped by brides who dedicated the implements of married women such as spindles, loom weights, and other textile tools Artemis as the goddess of the hunt represented the wild nature in women, and their marriage was the conquering of that nature a question then is when does a woman become a part of the house? - at birth, marriage, the delivery of a child, etc? there are even some votives that were found by women after childbirth Artemis = wild nature, young girls marriage = taming of wild nature offerings by girls before their wedding when is a woman considered as part of the household? offerings by women after childbirth

Epithets of Apollo

as a god of archers, he is often referred to as 'Far-Shooter' he is called 'Phoebus,' which means 'bright,' referencing him as a sun god 'Delos' or 'Delian' referencing his birth place 'Delphi,' 'Delphic,' or 'Pythian' referencing his temple 'Delphinius' is a part of they myth concerning him leaving Delos

Demeter

associated with corn symbolizes the source of the bread which formed the Greeks' staple diet "fertility goddess" at the Thesmophoria, her main and widespread festival, the women of a given community practiced an annual autumn rite whose explicit function was to promote the success of the following year's harvest: piglets were thrown into pits, their decayed remains were recovered and placed upon altars and "it is believed that anyone who takes of this and scatters it with seed will have a good harvest" she is also a mother--arguably the most powerful image of a mother in the whole of Greek mythology the tale of her reaction to the abduction of her daughter Persephone by Hades, god of the Underworld in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, a poem that probably dates from the Archaic period, we have a rich narrative of Demeter;s grief and its partial assuaging after wandering the world in the search of her daughter, she comes at last to Eleusis, between Athens and Megara disguised as an old woman, Demeter receives hospitality from King Keleos and his family she is even granted the privilege of nursing Demophon, the baby son of Keleos and his wife Metaneira in gratitude for her treatment, Demeter secretly sets about conferring immortality on Demophon by anointing him with the divine substance ambrosia and holding him in the hearth so as to purge his mortality by fire discovered in the act by the horrified and uncomprehending Metaneira, Demeter reveals her divine identity and commands the Eleusinians to build her a great temple when Demeter, still grieving for her daughter, withdraws into this shrine, all fertility disappears from the earth along with her it is left to Zeus to avert disaster by requiring Hades to restore Persephone to her mother, though for only a part of the year: since the god of death has induced his bride to eat the seed of a pomegranate, she is bound to return to him each year for four months when fertility once more abandons the earth

Girls' Initiation: the Brauronia

at Brauron, a region due east of Athens on the Aegean coast when girls were initiated at Brauron, they were described as "playing the bear" for Artemis in a ritual variously called the Brauronia, a title emphasizing the ritual's location, or the Arcteia, a title that emphasizes the importance of bears in the worship of Artemis (arctos is Greek for "bear") girls stayed in Brauron, away from their families, during the festival the age range of girls who played the bear was quite wide--perhaps from five to sixteen years, most certainly before they were married (established to take place after the age of twelve and ideally between fourteen and sixteen years) girls ran, danced, and even offered their toys to the goddess these actions prepared them in some essential way to become brides once they had departed from Brauron a wall not open to public viewing in the dormitory had depressions in it where clothing might have been dedicated - most likely used for clothing worn during childbirth - indicates Artemis' oversight of childbirth and show that Brauron served females at other pivotal moments throughout their lives

Hippolytus' in Ritual

at the close of the play, Artemis promises Hippolytus that young women in his hometown of Troezen will cut their hair and sing laments for him before they marry at first glance, this wedding ritual seems paradoxical because it requires young brides to commemorate Hippolytus' virginal devotion to Artemis (and, perhaps, his rejection of Aphrodite) and to mourn his death yet, if Hippolytus represents the youthful virginity and devotion to Artemis that young girls must relinquish on marriage, then lamenting his death could be seen as a way for girls to recognize and ritually mourn the end of their own youth and virginity moreover, the violence and sorrow attached to Hippolytus' death allows a young bride to address her conflicting emotions on her marriage: once she is transferred from her father's household to her husband's, she forever leaves behind her natal family this connects mythic transformation and death with the losses that adolescents experience when they must enter into a new stage of their lives Artemis oversees this moment that is both joyful and sorrowful - thereby she herself both appears cruel and benevolent, and her roles as protector and punisher seem to overlap

the Loves of Apollo - Cassandra

belonged to the Trojan royal house, though, as a daughter of Priam, she was of a later generation than Zeus' favorite when Apollo made a bargain with her--that he would grant her second sight if she would yield her virginity to him--she accepted the boon but then rashly broke the promise Apollo's gift to her could not be rescinded, but he added a qualification: that no one would ever believe Cassandra before and during the Trojan War, her prophecies of doom fell on deaf ears her ill fortune never deserted her

from Adolescence to Adulthood

but Apollo and Artemis, as the children of Zeus and the goddess Leto, were seen as especially youthful they do not mature but rather maintain their youthful identity as siblings - as such, they are charged with helping young Greeks make the fraught transition from childhood to maturity Artemis' is associated with wild animals, young girls, and childbirth Apollo is associated with music, poetry, medicine, and prophecy initiations associated with Artemis were designed to tame (or eradicate) what were believed to be the wild or even animal-like tendencies of girls, whereas initiations of boys under Apollo's auspices more often were designed to cultivate the skills necessary for Greek adult males

Artemis' and Childbirth

called Lochia (Protector of Women in Labor) her own birth illustrates this feature of her character angry with Zeus for philandering, Hera would not let any land receive Leto when she was pregnant with Apollo and Artemis eventually the small island of Delos in the Aegean allowed Leto to deliver her children on its land born first, Artemis then helped Leto give birth Apollo all three had temples on the island archaeologists have found a cache of especially precious offerings in Artemis' Delian sanctuary Apollo was worshipped there in an annual festival that involved athletic competitions and choral performances for young boys and girls she was also said to shoot women in labor with her "gentle arrows," wounding or even killing them these gentle arrows of Artemis may have been used to explain the high mortality rate in childbirth (of mother and baby alike) in antiquity this gentle yet lethal role is reflected in her attentions to nymphs, who represent the young women whom Artemis stands beside during other transitional movements even if these moments were not as dangerous as childbirth, Artemis, striking her charges with her gentle arrows, nonetheless appears to have two aspects: benevolent and cruel

the Loves of Apollo - Koronis

came from Thessaly Apollo united with her, and she conceived the son who would be Asklepios, the great healer but when she preferred her mortal lover, Ischys, to Apollo, the god (or his sister Artemis) slew the injudicious girl, along with all her innocent neighbors

Apollo's Delphi

equally strong was Apollo's connection with Delphi, the oracular shrine wonderfully situated just below Mount Parnassos the oracle's foundation-myth told of Apollo's overcoming of a monstrous snake whose corpse then putrified thereby lending an epithet to "Pythian Apollo" and to the "Pythian Games" held at Delphi in Apollo's honor - puthein in Greek means "to cause something to rot"

the Rivers of the Underworld

five rivers were imagined to divide the land of the living from the Underworld, and to provide a protective barrier to keep the souls of the dead from wandering back among the living these rivers were: - Styx (Hated) --- if sworn upon makes an oath inviolable - Lethe (Forgetfulness) --- also imagined as a spring of water in the Underworld or a plain near a river, whose waters however described were believed to cause forgetfulness to all who drink them - Acheron (Sorrows) --- a river whose banks were described as covered with lotuses - Pyriphlegethon (Fiery) and Cocytus (Wailing), which flow into Acheron after Homer, Greeks began to identify these mythological rivers with real ones and disputed their geographical location myths about these rivers bordering the Underworld were also developed after Homer

the Loves of Apollo - Hyakinthos

foremost among the youths he courted was Hyakinthos so beautiful was the boy that others yearned for him too what Hyakinthos shared with Apollo was a love of sport and exercise - for the Greeks who told the myths, too, the gymnasium was an ideal spot for homoerotic encounters accidentally, Apollo caused his beloved's death with a discus throw but the boy lived on in another form--as the lily-like flower which the Greeks called hyakinthos the world which surrounded the myth-tellers was--so at least the stories implied--filled with transformed mortals whose lives had been overturned by their encounters with divinity

Funerary Rituals

funeral rituals in Greece served to help the soul of the dead reach the Underworld such rituals also helped community and family members endure the loss of the deceased through ritualized forms of remembering both men and women participated in the funeral rituals, which can be divided into three stages: - laying out the corpse for burial - escorting the dead to the gravesite while singing lamentations - visiting the grave fora set period of time after burial although both men and women participated in funerary rituals, women had an especially prominent role in each stage of this process the soul was believed to hover near its body at the gravesite, where it could be called on by the living; the influence of these souls is suggested by the magical curse tablets found in graves that contain requests to the dead to perform acts of vengeance during an interim period lasting roughly one month after the burial, offerings to the dead were made so that the person's soul might go to the Underworld

Artemis

her unifying schema is the notion of "transition to adulthood" for young people of both sexes, sanctuaries of the goddess provided the focus for rites of passage, ranging from the initiation ceremonies for young Spartan men at the shrine of Artemis Orthia, to rituals performed for Artemis by young girls as "bears" at Brauron in Attica a related form of transition in which Artemis was deemed to play a role was childbirth - in several places she was identified with the goddess Eileithyia, whose specific province this was another feature of the symbolism of Artemis' worship was that of "wildness" - Artemis was regarded as the mistress of wild animals --- indeed, at the festival of Artemis Laphria in Patrai, a remarkable ceremony took place in which a virgin priestess, riding in a deer-drawn chariot, presided over a holocaust sacrifice of wild beasts the myths in which Artemis figures both reflect and refract these motifs - Artemis loves the beasts of the wild, yet like her brother Apollo she carries a bow and is willing to hunt those same beasts, and her aim is unerring - the protectress of young girls will not flinch from demanding their death if her own divine honor is threatened the key notions of transition and adolescence, as well as the connection with animals, find echoes in the recurrent narratives in which Artemis is accompanied by young, unmarred hunters, both males and, in stark contrast to the practice of real life, female - these hunters fall under the patronage of the virgin huntress because they have not, as she has not, made the transition to full sexual life within marriage; socially speaking, they still belong "in the wild"

the Death of Actaeon

here are two representations of his death in both you see Artemis and Actaeon with his dogs beginning to attack other representation have him in a stage of transforming into the stag transformed into a deer killed by his own hounds and companions

Apollo and Artemis

here is Apollo and Artemis by the Pan Painter both gods are incredibly skilled in archery, one famous myth where both gods show this skill is the story of Niobe Niobe was a queen of Thebes who made the fatal mistake of comparing herself to Leto Leto had made her way to Thebes and the women there were praising her for delivering two gods Niobe had 14 children, 7 sons and 7 daughters and whined that she should be praised seven times more than Leto because she had delivered seven times more children Leto complained of this to her children and they descended on Niobe's children and shot each of them with arrows Apollo's arrows caused much pain, but Artemis's arrows resulted in a quiet death as if they had fallen asleep Niobe then was turned to stone where the tears of her lost children still trickle down the rock side

Artemis (Pontia Theron)

here you see Artemis depicted as the Potnia Theron, the 'Mistress of the Animals' or 'Lady of the Beasts' in this role she is often depicted holding an animal in each hand this epitaph is not exclusive to Artemis, but was a generic title used to describe goddesses associated with animals there was a Minoan goddess associated with animals that some scholars claim could be Artemis Minoan Goddess Mistress of the Animals

Apollo and Hyacinthus

here you see a depiction of by Jean Broc of the death of Hyacinthos Hyacinthos was a handsome Spartan youth whom Apollo enjoyed competing with in discus one day they were practicing and Apollo, with his god strength threw it high into the air when it came back down Hyacinthos immediately ran to collect it, but it hit the ground with such force that it bounced back and hit the boy full in the face although Apollo is a healing god, he was not able to revive his companion the god then created a new flower which grew from the youth's blood

God of Music

here you see a silver stater depicting Apollo with the lyre holding a laurel branch with laurel also crowing his head silver stater of Delphi 336-35 BC Apollo seated on omphalos with the inscription "of the Amphictions" London, British Museum

Hades

here you see barely discernable on the left Athena, then in front of her Herakles with his Lion skin and club, the dog Kerberos, the old man with white hair Hades, and finally seated Persephone

Plan of the Sanctuary at Eleusis

here you see the Sanctuary at Eleusis, notice the size of the great hall in the middle when Demeter taught the Eleusinian people her sacred rites and holy mysteries, no one was allowed in any way to violate, question, or reveal those mysteries Demeter and Persephone then sent Plutus, a god of agricultural plenty, prosperity, and wealth this is not the same god as Pluto, the Roman Hades. the Eleusinian mysteries were linked closely to religion and politics in Athens and there were two parts to the rituals - the first stage, the Lesser Mysteries was celebrated in Athens in the early spring and almost nothing is known about what happened, but scholars speculate the ceremonies probably focused upon initial purification - the Greater Mysteries were held in September and October --- during this time a holy truce was declared processions between Eleusis and Athens took place where Hiera (holy objects) were carried by priests and priestesses there were sacrifices, prayers, cleansing in the sea, singing, carrying of torches, fasting, a vigil, and the drinking of the sacred drink, the kykeon the mysteries of Eleusis remain a secret as they were expressed through the processions and holy words, and so their unwritten secrets were kept forever here is but a glimpse of what is known from the Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter which promised happiness in this life and the next for the initiated, "Happy is the one of mortals on earth who has seen these things." but those who are uninitiated into the holy rites and have no part never are destined to a similar joy when they are dead in the gloomy realm below."

Delphi Image

his is a reconstruction of what the sanctuary of Apollo must have looked like the priests of Apollo interpreted the oracles that the Pythia (a local woman over 50) handed down from the god the priests claimed to be descendants from the sailors on the ship Apollo commandeered to get to Delphi another myth however states that once Apollo had claimed Delphi he spotted a ship, took it, and initiated the crew into his cult

Artemis of Ephesus

in Ephesus, the people claimed the goddess was born in Ortygia and was not the goddess of the hunt, but was a fertility goddess her temple at Ephesus was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world this statue is typical of her role in Ephesus where she is depicted with several rows of breasts

Alternative Belief Systems about the Fate of the Soul

in the centuries following Homer, alternative belief systems about the fate of the soul after death gradually arose Greek philosophers, including Pythagoras, Empedocles, and their followers, developed ideas about reincarnation although such ideas did not erase or replace the Homeric view of Hades and the Underworld, they did offer those who believed in them a very different vision of their soul's trajectory over time more common than the idea of reincarnation, but also indicating a concern about the soul, were rituals and beliefs that offered some hope for a better afterlife groups such as the Orphics (who claimed the legendary Orpheus as their founder) elaborated beliefs about happier prospects for the soul in the afterlife additionally, rituals in honor of Dionysus or Demeter (such as the Eleusinian Mysteries) also were believed to help participants achieve a better life for their souls afterdeath thus, after Homer, notions and rituals concerning the afterlife began to evolve scholars have ascribed different motives to this shift in atitude - perhaps the bleakness of the Homeric view became insufferable, or anxiety about death increased funeral rituals and inscribed grave markers became more important after Homer whereas inscribed gravestones ensured the remembrance of the deceased among the living, funerary rituals ensured the safe journey of the soul to the kingdom of Hades

Bernini's Abduction

in these images you see Bernini's depiction of the abduction scene look at the detail in Pluto gripping her thigh, the three headed dog Kerberos, Persephone pushing him away Bernini's sculpture of "Pluto and Persephone" artist: GianLorenzo Bernini momument: "Pluto and Persephone" site: Rome; 1621-3 CE

Demeter and Kore

in this image you see a relief of Demeter and Kore from the 5th century BC, now in the Eleusis museum Demeter had a few few children, but none featured in her myths and cult as much as her daughter Persephone, Roman Proserpina, who was the queen of the underworld and wife of Hades - often shown with her daughter (Kore) Persephone Persephone was a result of the union between Zeus and Demeter who mated in the form of intertwining serpents according to one myth Persephone's cult title of Kore, means 'the Maiden' and she is the goddess of spring's bounty and growth and was worshipped alongside her mother in the Eleusinian Mysteries according to one myth Dionysus is son of Zeus by Demeter, however the more common myth is that his mother was Semele Demeter's other children are the result of being raped by Poseidon while Demeter was searching for the lost Persephone, Poseidon began pursuing her, so she transformed into the guise of a horse and hid among the herds of the Arkadians when Poseidon found her, he transformed into a stallion and raped the goddess - from that union Despoena and the horse Arion were born Arion was an immortal horse owned by Herakles and later Adrastos, and Despoena was a goddess of Arkadian Mysteries Demeter also had mortal lovers. Iasion, a prince from the Greek Aegean who after laying with her was struck down by jealous Zeus with a thunderbolt - she gave birth to Ploutos and Philomelos by him then Karmanor, another noble from the Greek Aegean with whom she bore Eubouleos and Khrysothemis her final mortal lover worth mentioning is Mekon, the man who was transformed into a poppy flower.

Remains of Apollo's Temple

in this image you see the remains of the temple of Apollo please note that this image can be deceiving as the sanctuary is massive

the Initiation Ceremony

initiates fasted and broke their fasts with a drink brewed from barley "I have taken out the sacred box, worked and deposited into the sacred basket and out of the sacred basket and into the sacred box" over the centuries, scholars have suggested many different possibilities for these baskets and boxes - some argue that a stalk of grain was displayed - other scholars suggest that an infant was presented - others argue that a cake in the shape of genitalia, like those used in the Thesmophoria, were shuffled in an out of the boxes and baskets - some argue that the relics at the shrine were revealed, although this conjecture has received little widespread acceptance - each hypothesis is plausible, and corresponds to some aspect of the festival and Demeter participation in the Eleusinian Mysteries, a ceremony that culminated in some sort of celebration of fertility and life, was believed to ensure a better afterlife for initiates

Telesterion

initiates were forbidden from recealing their experiences, and even though the festival persisted for a thousand years, not a single initiate is known to have left a record of what happened during the ceremonies some of what we know about the Eleusinian Mysteries is derived from the structure of the Telesterion itself its design differs from other temples because it was built to accommodate worshippers the typical Greek temple was rectangular and housed a statue of the god or goddess as it was considered the house of the divinity, the temple was not suitable for human worshippers to enter instead, sacrifices were performed outside on an outdoor altar in front of the temple the Telesterion, on the other hand, was a square building with eight tiers along its interior walls that provided seating for the initiates in this large, enclosed space, the initiates were shown or taught something sacred

Charon

on several vases, known as lekythos, Charon appears in his characteristic role, receiving a soul from Hermes Guider of Souls and preparing to ferry it into the Underworld proper in literary sources, by contrast, Charon is seldom as prominent as he is in Aristophanes' Frogs but the very nature of his job--that of a menial worker who, for a modest fee (normally the coin known as an "obol"), ferries every single person who has ever lived, whatever their grandness or humbleness in life--lends itself to exploitation in comic or ironic narratives to the Etruscans, who knew him as Charun, he was a fearsome, hammer-wielding death-demon, hook-nosed, bearded, with animal ears and ominous, rectangular teeth although still a personification of death, Charos has come to be situated quite literally on the side of the angels, being regarded either as identical with the Archangel Michael, or as his subordinate but for all his assimilation into a Christian framework of belief, the prospect of encountering Charos is still a terrifying one, since he retains the fateful duty of conveying the soul of the deceased away from life

Souls in the Underworld

souls in the Underworld were believed to retain the appearance and personality they had at the moment of death the souls of the dead, however, convincingly lifelike, cannot be physically touched by the living in most literary and visual depictions, souls have the appearance of the living person with their personalities intact, the souls of the dead were depicted as gossiping with one another, playing checkers and other board games, and welcoming newły arriving family members to the Underworld they even have disagreements with one another when Odysseus sees King Minos in the Underworld, the ruler is passing out judgments in disputes among the souls of the dead, an activity connected to his role in life as king of Crete However, Minos does not mete out eternal punishments for behavior during life (only in later literature are he and King Rhadamanthys perceived in thịs role) instead, he moderates legal disputes, which, Homer implies, are like those heard in the courts among the living similarly, because Hades does not judge the souls of the dead or inflict punishments for their behavior during life, when he is seen dispensing judgments in the Underworld, it is to resolve disputes among the dead this view of the Underworld as a place where the souls of the dead have a leisurely, if litigious, existence contradicts other descriptions of the afterlife found in Homer Homer, who sometimes calls the dead "strengthless heads," seems to suggest that souls retain their consciousness but experience no emotions and have no vitality they exist in a sort of suspended animation, devoid of pleasure and meaning, as they wander aimlessly over a dank landscape the eternal futility of existence within Hades's realm was considered a "hateful," although not frightening, prospect moreover, in Homer, the ethical or moral behavior of the living person--however excellent--did not and could not provide relief from such a tedious eternity and yet other tales suggest that there were both rewards and punishments after death depending on how one lived one's life or attracted the favor of the gods

Brauron

the Brauronia festival had chosen girls between 5-10 engage in a ritual wildness where they 'played the bear' Aristophanes's Lysistrata contains some details of this festival French historian Pierre Vidal-Naquet said of the cult practices, "The myth is not difficult to explain: in exchange for the very advance of culture implied by the killing of wild animals, an advance for which men are responsible, the girls are obliged before marriage-indeed before puberty- to undergo a period of ritual 'wildness'" Brauronia Arcteia: rite of "playing the bear for Artemis" marriage forbidden until a maiden had "played the bear" (5-10 years of age)

the Oracle at Delphi

the Oracle and Pythia at Delphi were incredibly important commoners as well as heads of state would travel to Delphi seeking answers the Pythia's words were unintelligible, but interestingly enough, the priests were able to translate the words in perfect poetic meter here you see her sitting on a tripod uttering words in response to the King of Athens question on how he could produce an heir the Pythia, Priestess of Apollo Oracular Utterances - epic meter (dactylic hexameter) Aegeus, King of Athens, consulting the Delphic Oracle, Pythia sitting on the Delphic Tripod Cauldron, Red Figure Kylix, ca. 440-430 BCE Berlin Museum

Agricultural Rituals

the Proerosia and the Haloa are two rituals directly tired to the agricultural cycle of planting and harvesting the crops each makes use of symbols that connect Demeter to human fertility as well as mortality occurring during the planting season (October through December), not during the harvest (May and June), these all-female rituals were a counterpart to men's agricultural work and were intended to ensure the success of the year's crops the Proerosia (Before Plowing) included a ritualized plowing of the fields before the actual plowing and sowing took place sacrifices were offered to Demeter, Persephone, Zeus, and a goddess named Daira the Haloa (Fields) festival, which was for women only, took place in late December, when the seeds would have been in the ground for a month or so and at risk from a rainfall or cold weather the Haloa was meant to ensure the safety of the planted seeds and thus the season's harvest the bawdy character of the Haloa can be interpreted as a metaphor for the season's agricultural labor and concerns the Greek verb ergein (to work) can mean the agricultural labor of men to make the earth fertile as well as their "work" to impregnate their wives - in the divine realm, Zeus sends rain to fertilize Demeter's earth in a world where the metaphorical connection between agricultural and human reproduction is so prevalent, the obscene words and sexual gestures of the Haloa took on a symbolic and ritual significance for agricultural production women ritually enacted human sexual consummation to "make" the seeds planted in the fields take hold in the ground and grow into the next season's harvest

the Elysian Plain

the Spartan King Menelaus receives a prophecy that when he dies he will go to the Elysian Plain a place of perpetual springtime Menelaus did not earn his reward because of virtuous behavior; rather, it is a gift from Zeus, who is the father of Menelaus' wife, Helen other heroes are sometimes said to dwell in the Elysian Plain, also called the Islands of the Blessed in general, heroes may achieve some sort of afterlife that is better than others, but not necessarily in the Elysian Plain, which is seldom mentioned in early Greek sources and seems to be an oddity even in Homer thus, the idea that the dead might dwell in verdant green fields such as the Elysian Plain remains peripheral to Greek ideas about the afterlife

the Mourning Mother

when Demeter heard her daughter's screams she rushed to where she had been but there was no trace of her for nine days she roamed the earth with torches in her hand, not eating ambrosia or drinking nectar or even bathing another goddess Hecate had heard Persephone's screams but hadn't seen who carried her off but offered Demeter her support on the tenth day the sun god Helios, who sees everything during the day, told her what happened he tried to comfort her not to worry that her brother Hades would be a good husband to her daughter and yes folks, we are talking about a marriage between a man and his niece, but keep in mind Ok Cupid, Tinder, and eHarmony weren't invented yet Demeter: Woman in Mourning ID: Vergina Tomb I ("Tomb of Persephone") monument: Vergina; Tomb of Persephone site: Vergina; (336-317 BC)

Apollo

the embodiment of youthful masculine beauty son of Zeus and Leto represents the "Greek ideal" especially linked with music, healing, purification and prophecy, and the Sun two locations form the centers for Apolline cult and its related mythology: Delos and Delphi one connecting thread running through many of Apollo's divine powers is harmonious order - this quality is self-evidently present in the god's patronage of music, especially the music of the lyre --- Greeks drew a contrast between the soothing Apolline lyre and what were perceived to be the more exotic and ecstatic forms of music associated with Dionysus - another kind of harmony is that of a healthy body, and here too Apollo played a role in his capacity as healer, that is, as restorer of the disorder brought about by illness --- the god's son Asklepios was the prototypical doctor - a third context in which the restoration of order may operate is that of the purification which redressed a state of religious "pollution" --- the offering of this kind of fresh start was another of Apollo's provinces --- most famously, it was it was to the Delphic oracle that Orestes came as a polluted outcast after having murdered his mother Clytemnestra --- even in defiance of the Furies, who legitimately pursed everyone guilty of shedding kin-blood, Apollo defended Orestes, enabling him ultimately to escape from the mesh of blood-guilt in which he had become entangled - prophecy is one more respect in which the god represents the capacity to control and harmonize experience one of the most insistent themes in the whole of Greek mythology is the impossibility for humans to anticipate the future with accuracy - when a mortal consults an oracle, the voice of the god is relayed indirectly, through fallible human interpreters - one of Apollo's epithets is "Loxias," which may be translated as "he who talks obliquely" Apollo's slaying of Pythian snake typified the manner in which his power might sometimes manifest itself Apollo too held an aggressive weapon as his iconographical signature: a bow, which he was well capable of using to defend his honor and his interests "he who shoots from afar" - whether he acts with benevolence or with aggression, there is always something distant about Apollo

Hades

the god of the Underworld son of Cronus and Rhea brother of Zeus he is different from the other Olympians because he resides not on Olympus but in the Underworld, located under the earth his association with human mortality causes all the gods to have an aversion toward him he is considered a king much like Zeus Hades is often depicted sitting on a throne with a scepter in his hands, accompanied by Persephone, his wife one of his titles, "Zeus of the Underworld" (Chthonian Zeus), suggests that he rules below in the Underworld as Zeus rules above in Olympus

the Underworld

the idea of punishment after death suggests a tie-in between one's moral conduct while alive and the consequences which will flow from that conduct after death

Key Characters

the important figures with this myth are Demeter, Persephone, Hades, and Triptolemus in this 5th century BC marble relief found at the sanctuary of Demeter at Eleusis, you see Demeter, Triptolemos, and Persephone Demeter stands left in a peplos and cloak (himation) and holds a scepter the boy in the middle, thought to be Triptolemos, is being instructed to teach mankind how to cultivate grain Persephone then is to the right dressed in a chiton and cloak the goddesses right hands are extended out but it is no longer clear what they held Eleusinia

Apollo's Delos

the island of Delos , at the hub of the Cyclades, was from at least the 8th century the site of cults to Apollo, his sister Artemis, and their mother Leto

Geographical Components of the Underworld

the location the rivers the Elysian Plain Tartarus

Rivers of the Underworld

the two rivers which would become most closely associated with Hades in post-classical tradition were Lethe ("Oblivion") and Styx ("Hatefulness") amongst the Greeks themselves, Lethe was seldom referred to when myth-tellers did mention it, it was as the river whose water, when imbibed, caused the dead to forget their earlier existence the Styx, by contrast, was generally agreed to be one of the central features of the Underworld topography the Styx was a river which flowed into a lake - according to other Greek writers, it was a part of Hades whose source was a stream of icy water plunging 200 meters (650 ft) down a sheer precipice, in the Chelmos range in the depths of northern Arcadia its water, he reported, brought death to human and to every other creature what all were agreed on was that the Styx was especially sacred - when one of the Olympians wished to swear an oath, Iris, messenger of the gods, would fetch a jug of water from the Styx, so that the oath might be solemnized with a libation Archeron was another river firmly associated with the Afterline - according to Euripides, it was across the Acheron that that Charon rowed the soul of the dead Alkestis after she had nobly given up her life for her husband the Acheron too has a real-world location to parallel its place in the Underworld - rising in the Thesprotian mountains of Eperios in the northwest Greece, the river meanders to the sea some way after its confluence with the Kokytos why should this modern river have developed a connection with the realm of Hades? - the west--the direction of the sunset--was a region which Greek imagination often linked with darkness and foreboding, and Archeron lay, at least from the perspective of many Greeks, in the west - the Archeron flowed close to the site of the Nekyomanteion, an oracle where Greeks, in historical times, could go to consult the dead --- some oracular shrines, notably that of Delphi, are situated in remote, mountainous locations --- the difficulty of the preliminary journey contributes significantly to the psychological impact of the consultation

Hades' Worship

there are almost no temples or sanctuaries were festivals were held in Hades' honor instead, Hades is associated with caves, which were sometimes imagined to be entrances to the Underworld the most famous of these caves can be found at Eleusis in Demeter's sanctuary the absence of worship in Hades' honor suggests that Hades cannot fend off death (because his is not imagined to be the cause of it in the first place) and that Hades cannot alter or improve one's lot in the Underworld thus the absence of worship in his honor has less to do with Hades' character and actions than with Greek notions of the Underworld and death - neither was frightening, but both were unavoidable

Places of Reward and Punishment

there were certain contexts, both in mythology and in the practice of cult, where attention was paid towards a posthumous differentiation between, on one hand, those regarded as specifically favored, and, on the other hand, the wicked a special place was reserved after death for mortals whose lives had been in some way distinguished this special places was not usually regarded as a sub-division of Hades, but as an alternative to it occasionally we hear of other heroes destined to be transported to a paradisiacal Afterlife--Kadmos, Peleus, and Achilles--fall into this category in their case the destination is specified as the Isles of the Blessed, an Elysion-equivalent said to be ruled over by Zeus' father, the Titan Kronos--still an "outsider," thought this time imagined as a benign, albeit remote, ruler, rather than as Zeus' violent adversary why, though, should Kadmos, Peleus and his son Achilles be singled out for a contented Afterlife? - the answer related not to ethical merit but to proximity to the gods --- the Olympians had graced the marriages of Kadmos and Peleus with their presence, so special treatment in the Afterlife could be said to be just an extension of these heroes' already privileged status could ordinary Greeks aspire to a similar translation to paradise? - one route did offer hope: initiation into one or another of the cults--Dionysiac or Orphic, for instance, or the Elusinian Mysteries--whose beliefs involved a dimension of promised personal salvation archaeological discoveries of brief texts written on gold leaves have deepened our insight into Afterlife beliefs in an exciting if enigmatic way - such texts were apparently intended as a combination of mini-travel-guides for the deceased, and as privileged passports into the Underworld the details of what awaits the initiate are not spelled out, but it will be a future marked out by tantalizing thirst but by refreshing water, not by oblivion but by recollection surveying the whole of Greek mythology's representation of "paradise," we find a patchy and inconsistent picture - this is not because poets/thinkers were incapable of producing a coherent description, but because such a description was usually called for only if a given context of myth0telling encouraged a positive, reward-oriented view of the Afterlife

Artemis' Virginity

there were three eternal virgins: - Athena - Hestia - Artemis the character of Artemis' virginity, however, is different from that of Athena and Hestia Artemis' virginity forges a connection between her and the nymphs with whom she is frequently depicted these nymphs are the mythical counterparts to the mortal young girls who worshipped Artemis in rituals devoted to her, Artemis' virginity associates her closely with the life cycle of young women Artemis haunts the forests and open spaces outside cities, houses, and cultivated fields - she keeps company with wild and undomesticated animals

Phoebus Apollo the Far Shooter

this is Apollo and Leto by the Cleveland painter in the Hymn to Delian Apollo, we learn that Zeus mated with Leto and she had to wander much of the Greek world before she found the island of Delos she gave the personified island an oath promising that there would be a sacred precinct of Apollo and it would be a place of great wealth and prestige so Leto with the help of Eileithyia (goddess of childbirth) gave birth to Apollo and the goddesses present attended the child as soon as he had been nursed on nectar and ambrosia he immediately became a might god and claimed the bow and lyre as his own as well as authority to prophesy the will of Zeus to the mortals

the Rape of Persephone

this is the Vergina Tomb I, known as the "Tomb of Persephone", completed sometime between 336-317 BC and depicts the Abduction of Persephone by Hades Hades desired a bride and requested Zeus give her one of his daughters Zeus agreed and offered up Persephone, but knowing Demeter would not agree, he agreed that Hades would have to abduct her according to the Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter, Persephone, while she was picking flowers with the daughters of Ocean sees a narcissus flower as Persephone reached out for the flower, the Earth gapped open, and Hades appeared and carried her away in his golden chariot Persephone's shouts to Zeus to save her fell on deaf ears

Tartaros

transgressors are sometimes said to be punished within Hades itself but other accounts talk of a lower, remoter, ghastlier place: Tartaros described by Zeus in the Illiad as being in "the deepest abyss below the earth, where the gates are iron and threshold bronze, as far below Hades as sky is above the earth" it is were the worst transgressors are confined but of Tartaros no image can be offered its nature could be seized only by the imagination, through antithesis: the opposite of all things light, airy, and optimistic

Apollo's Loves

unfortunately for Apollo almost all his loves have tragic endings, with the exception of one Cyrene was a nymph whom had caught Apollo's eye when she was wrestling a lion he ended up carrying her off to Libya where she bore him Aristaeus the Trojan princess Cassandra initially agreed to give herself to Apollo and he gave her the gift of prophesy unfortunately for him, she changed her mind, so he spit in her mouth which resulted in Cassandra prophesizing the future, but no one believing her Cassandra by Evelyn De Morgan 1898 London

Telesterion at Eleusis

what we do know is that core of the mysteries involved a dramatic performance, probably related to the Homeric Hymn, or presenting a vision of the Afterlife to evoke a religious catharsis the Hiera were revealed by a high priest bathed in mystic light who spoke sacred words, although we don't know what the sacred objects or words were the great hall, known as the Telesterion, or Initiation Hall, was built in the 5th century BC by Iktinos, the same architect of the Parthenon it was designed to hold thousands of people, which should give you an idea of how important the sanctuary and rituals were to ancient Greeks

Demeter at Eleusis

when Demeter learned of this she essentially fell into a deep depression and wandered to Eleusis sitting in the shade by a well, she took on the appearance of an old woman, one that could be a housekeeper or children's nurse the daughters of Celeus, the king of Eleusis, and Metaneira, saw her and questioned her she lied and invented a mortal identity for herself whom she called Doso as Doso she told the princesses that she had been captured by pirates, escaped, and has wandered the world hoping to find safe steady work the daughters returned home and told their mother who immediately desired to hire the well-bred woman you see, Metaneira had a son, whom she had prayed to the gods for a long time, and she needed a nurse for him when Demeter arrives at the palace, she is literally larger than life and barely fits in the doorway she refuses to sit on the couch offered to her by the queen, but waits for a servant to bring her a chair which she then throws a fleece on she refuses refreshments but instead ordered Metaneira to mix meal, water and mint for her, which she drinks for the sake of the holy rite - this was a sort of communion drink Metaneira then promises Demeter rewards for nursing her child Demophoon Demeter, grieving for her own child, readily accepts him she feeds him on ambrosia and nurtured him, and Demophoon grew like a god at night she hid him in a fire, this was to burn off the mortality of the child leaving only his immortal being Demophoon would have been a god, had Metaneira not spied on the nanny one night and saw her precious child being put in the fire Demeter was enraged at the ignorance of Metaneira who interfered in making the child immortal nevertheless she granted him imperishable honor the revelation of Demeter and the set up of the Eleusinian mysteries

Women's Role in Funerary Rituals

women prepared the dead for the first stage of the funeral, the laying out of the body (prosthesis) immediately after a death, kinswomen washed the body of the deceased, closed its eyes and mouth, and dressed it in a special garment and crown before laying out the body for family and friends to mourn funerary plaques, which were small painted clay rectangles displayed in tombs, typically depicted the prosthesis women, who in some cases had scratched their faces and shaved their heads, are shown standing close to the corpse, while small children hover under the bier men stand further from the corpse and raise their hands in a mourning gesture after the corpse had been mourned in the home, the funeral procession (ecphora) took place, women lamented and sang dirges while the dead were transported to the cemetery (cremation was less common) as well as at the tomb their laments were well-wrought songs, not simply spontaneous outbursts of emotion; they had repeating themes and metrical patterns after the burial, there was a feast in which the deceased was believed to partake

Why were women associated with funerary rituals?

women were charged with overseeing death processes in funerary rituals because of their cultural and symbolic association with the body the prevalence of this social pattern, as scholars of anthropology and gender studies have argued, derives from practical considerations concerning pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing these are seen to bind women to the domestic world of the house, as well as to the needs of their bodies and their children's bodies thus women became mentally and symbolically linked to all bodily concerns women's intimate association with life and death through childbirth and funerary rituals is reflected in Demeter's oversight of fertility as well as her mythological connection to Hades, the king of the Underworld, by his marriage to her daughter, Persephone her two gifts to humanity, the fruits of the earth and her holy rite as Eleusis, can be understood to match the cultural and ritual patterns of women's lives not surprisingly then, many of Demeter's agricultural rituals that celebrate fertility include symbolic representations of death