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GREEK MYTHOLOGY. What is a myth? A socially powerful traditional story STORY: a narrative TRADITIONAL: told from generation to generation, from teller.

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Presentation on theme: "GREEK MYTHOLOGY. What is a myth? A socially powerful traditional story STORY: a narrative TRADITIONAL: told from generation to generation, from teller."— Presentation transcript:

1 GREEK MYTHOLOGY

2 What is a myth? A socially powerful traditional story STORY: a narrative TRADITIONAL: told from generation to generation, from teller to teller SOCIALLY POWERFUL: dealt with issues which had profound association with cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, and social norms

3 What is a myth? Etiological: to explain origination or reason Functional: to teach morality and social behavior Structural binary: to show the divided self and teach the duality of human nature/mediate these oppositions Freudian: to be an answer to human emotion and the human subconscious Greek mythology is not a Greek bible Nevertheless, religion is in the background

4 Greek vs. Roman Myths Greek myths come from great poets Greek gods made in image of humans Upright Imperfect Likable Made the unknown easier to tolerate

5 Greek vs. Roman Myths Romans did not have myths, per se, but legends Romulus and Remus Roman kings Lucretia Etruscans believed in spirits Household spirits Nature spirits Lares Penates

6 Greek vs. Roman Myths When Greeks colonized in Italy, Romans discovered that Greeks had some gods that share traits of their spirits Venus, Roman spirit of love Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love Romans borrowed Greek deities for their anthropomorphic traits

7 Suspending belief today (and other warnings) 1. Greek gods are imperfect—sometimes indecent, sometimes petty 2. Greek gods are all related 3. Gods cannot undo curses/spells of other gods 4. Gods cannot break an oath sworn on the River Styx

8 Creation Chaos Night and Darkness Love Light and Day Gaia (Earth) Ouranos (Heaven/Sky) Hekatoncheires, Cyclopes, Titans Ἑ κατόγχειρες Κύκωπες Τιτ ᾶ νες

9 Family Tree Chaos Night = Darkness Love Gaia = Ouranos TyphonGiantsErinyes Hekatoncheires Cyclopes Titans

10 GaiaOuranos ΚronosRhea Poseidon Hades Zeus Hera Demeter Hestia Athena Dionysus Ares Hephaestus Aphrodite Artemis Apollo Hermes Ποσειδ ῶ ν Ἅ ιδης Ζεύς Ἥ ρα Δημήτηρ Ἐ στία Ἀ θην ᾶ Διόνυσος Ἄ ρης Ἥ φαιστος Ἀ φροδίτη Ἄ ρτεμις Ἀ πόλλων Ἑ ρμ ῆ ς = = = Κρόνος Ῥ έα Γα ῖ α Ὀ υρανός

11 GaiaOuranos ΚronosRhea Poseidon Hades Zeus Hera Demeter Hestia Athena Dionysus Ares Hephaestus Aphrodite Artemis Apollo Hermes (Neptune) (Pluto) (Jupiter) (Juno) (Ceres) (Vesta) (Minerva) (Bacchus) (Mars) (Vulcan) (Venus) (Diana) (Apollo) (Mercury) = = =

12 GaiaOuranos ΚronosRhea Poseidon Hades Zeus Hera Demeter Hestia Athena Dionysus Ares Hephaestus Aphrodite Artemis Apollo Hermes (Neptune) (Pluto) (Jupiter) (Juno) (Ceres) (Vesta) (Minerva) (Bacchus) (Mars) (Vulcan) (Venus) (Diana) (Apollo) (Mercury) = = =

13 MAJOR GODS

14 Ζεύς Zeus Jupiter supreme lord of gods sky hospitality mature, bearded man husband of Juno many love affairs thunderbolt eagle oak scepter throne

15 Ποσειδ ῶ ν Poseidon Neptune sea bearded, mature man earthquakes crashing waves horses three-pronged trident

16 Ἅ ιδης Hades Pluto underworld (Hades) bearded, mature man husband of Proserpina Charon Cerberus helm of invisibility bident rich gems & minerals

17 ID this deity:

18 Ἥ ρα Hera Juno queen of gods wife of Jupiter beautiful woman marriage and married women peacock “Cow-eyed” “White-armed”

19 Δημήτηρ Demeter Ceres agriculture harvest grain mature woman carries wheat cornucopia mother of Proserpina

20 Ἑ στία Hestia Vesta hearth home and homeland shawl the virgin goddess, worshipped by the nine vestal virgins in Rome who kept eternal flame burning

21 Ἄ ρης Ares Mars war spear often bearded good-looking loves Venus Eros (“love”), Deimos (“dread”) and Phobos (“fear”) dog vulture

22 Ἥ φαιστος Hephaestus Vulcan forge and fire blacksmith of the gods husband of Venus son of Juno, or Juno and Jupiter lame because thrown from Olympus least handsome of the gods, but kindest anvil, hammer, tongs rides a donkey

23 Ἀ πόλλων Apollo male beauty sun, light music, poetry medicine prophecy lyre / kithara bow & arrows laurel tree python “Phoebus” “Far-shooting”

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26 Ἄ ρτεμις Artemis Diana moon huntress wildlife unmarried girls childbirth twin sister of Apollo bow & arrows stags hunting dogs “Phoeba” “Cynthia”

27 Ἑ ρμ ῆ ς Hermes Mercury speedy messenger of gods guide of the dead merchants, travelers, thieves magic, medicine, music caduceus winged hat winged sandals tortoise palm tree “Argus-slayer”

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29 Ἀ θην ᾶ Athena Minerva wisdom strategy, defender & peacemaker in war arts and crafts born from Zeus’s head snake aegis = small shield or breastplate small Medusa head owl olive tree “Grey-eyed” “Parthenos”

30 Ἀ φροδίτη Aphrodite Venus love beauty in some versions, born from the sea, no known parents lover of Mars, wife of Vulcan mother of Cupid shells myrtle mirrors doves

31 Διόνυσος Dionysos Bacchus wine & viniculture drama born from Zeus’s thigh Maenads/Bacchantes satyrs ivy leopard cloak grapevine thyrsus (pine cone rod) kylix (wine cup)

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35 MINOR GODS

36 Kronos / Saturn father of Zeus and his siblings time (Khronos) agriculture fulfilled prophecy of dethroning his father, Ouranos feared prophecy that his own son would do the same sickle

37 Eros / Cupid god of love and desire son of Venus and usually Mars young man or baby winged bow and arrows

38 Persephone / Proserpina daughter of Ceres spring’s bounty queen of the Underworld pomegranate grain seeds “Kore” (the Maiden)

39 Iris goddess of the rainbow messenger of the gods mainly by Hera winged kerykeion (“herald’s wand”)

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41 Pan / Faunus Hermes’ son part god part satyr (goat horns & goat hoofs) rustic, noisy, merry, mischief-making god of the goatherds & shepherds reed pipes instills “panic” from the sounds he makes at night

42 Janus god of good beginnings not from Greek origin two doors two faces one young one old doors in Temple of Janus closed only when Rome was at peace “Quirinus”

43 MONSTERS

44 Graiae two/three gray women who had one eye and one tooth shared between them Sisters of the Gorgons Deino: “the terrible” Enyo: “the warlike” Persis: “the destroyer” Perseus took their eye hostage to compel them for information

45 Gorgons Three beautiful sisters turned into winged creatures with feminine bodies covered with scales and hair of vipers Turned beholders to stone. Sisters of the Graiae Stheno: “might” Euryale: “wide flowing sea” Medusa: “queen;” mortal All three were punished for Medusa lying with Poseidon in temple Sisters were priestesses to Athena’s temple

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47 Erinyes (Furies) personified conscience punished crimes against kindred blood hounded their victims until they died in a "furor" of madness or torment Megaera: “grudge” Tisiphone: “blood avenger” Alecto: “unceasing in pursuit” Orestes’ conundrum He has to commit matricide in order to avenge his father’s murder Athena’s solution: Eumenides

48 Harpies three sisters with birds’ bodies (w/ long claws) and women’s heads Okypete: “swift wind” Aello: “storm wind” Kelaeno: “black one” punished wrongdoers by carrying off all his food, or, failing that, fouling it so that the criminals could not eat it punished the seer Phineas for revealing secrets of the gods

49 Griffins beast with head and wings of eagle and lion’s body guarded gold deposits in the north

50 The Sphinx female monster with body of lion, breast and head of a woman, eagle’s wings, and sometimes a serpent-headed tail plagued Thebes for an ancient crime devoured those who failed to solve her riddle defeated by Oedipus

51 HEROES

52 Theseus’ Six Bandits 1. Periphetes, the clubber: clubbed victims into the earth 2. Sinis, the pine-bender: tied victims to two trees and let go of trees 3. Phaea, the Crommyonian sow: pet of Phaia which terrorized the countryside

53 Theseus’ Six Bandits 4. Sciron, the kicker: forced victims to wash his feet at cliff-edge, then kicked them off 5. Cecryon, the wrestler: after defeating victims in match, killed them 6. Procrustes, the stretcher: laid victims on his beds and made them fit to the length/width by stretching them or cutting off feet

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55 Jason & the Argonauts or “the Quest for the Golden Fleece” Uncle Pelias of Iolcus sent Jason to bring back the golden fleece trying not to hand back throne to him Jason gathered brave young adventure-seekers—the Argonauts sailors of the ship, Argo Orpheus Herakles Castor & Pollax Achilles’ father, Peleus

56 Jason & the Argonauts The adventures the women of Lemnos Herakles lost, never returned Harpies & Phineus the soothsayer pair of clashing rocks & dove Sirens

57 Medea & Jason

58 Princess Medea of Colchis fell in love w/ Jason assisted w/ her sorceress powers enchanted Jason’s weapons to fight dragonteeth-men charmed dragon to sleep Jason retrieved golden fleece & fled killed her own brother to escape safely escaped to Iolcus w/ Jason killed Jason’s uncle Pelias “how to make the old young again” tricked Pelias’s daughters to chop him up, boil him, & say magic words to make him young again

59 Medea & Jason Medea followed Jason to Corinth w/ their 2 sons Jason engaged himself to marry princess of Corinth Medea speaks badly of princess she & sons exiled from Corinth but no protection for a single mother & her children

60 Medea & Jason Medea has her vengeance gave a robe to princess as wedding gift upon wearing robe, it engulfed her in flames killed her sons to avoid a slave’s life escaped from top of roof w/ chariot drawn by dragons

61 Medea’s Escape

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63 Hercules’ Twelve Labors Herakles, or Hercules, had an enemy in Hera since the day he was born Hera caused Herakles to go temporarily insane he killed his wife and their two sons Even though it wasn’t his fault, he still sought punishment Oracle of Delphi said he must submit himself to King Eurystheus as a slave

64 Hercules’ Twelve Labors 1 st Labor was killing of Nemean Lion hide was almost impenetrable strangled 2 nd Labor concerned Lernaean Hydra, snake with 9 heads head grew back when cut cauterized 3 rd Labor was pursuit of Arcadian Deer antlers of gold & feet of bronze

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66 Hercules’ Twelve Labors In 4 th Labor, Hercules took on Erymanthian Boar menace to the people chased to exhaustion 5 th Labor involved cleaning Augean Stables clean 30 yrs of filth in 1 day diverted two rivers to wash dirt away 6 th Labor was battle with Stymphalian Birds man-eating, crops-destroying; claws, beaks, & wings of bronze shot w/ poisoned arrows

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68 Hercules’ Twelve Labors 7 th Labor was to deliver Cretan Bull King Minos’s beautiful but crazy bull 8 th Labor was to capture wild Mares of Diomedes man-eating & very wild calmed down after Diomedes was captured 9 th Labor was to bring back beautiful Belt of Hippolyta Queen of the Amazons unnecessary war b/w Greeks & Amazons

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70 Hercules’ Twelve Labors 10 th Labor was to bring back Cattle of Geryon 3 bodies joined at waist; two-headed watchdog 11 th Labor was to fetch Golden Apples of the Hesperides 3 daughters of Atlas w/ dragon guarding in secret location Atlas volunteers & switches places w/ Hercules 12 th Labor was journey to Hades to bring up Cerberus loaned by Hades Eurystheus too scared to keep him anyway

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72 The Trojan War Marriage of Thetis & Peleus Goddess of Discord was not invited Apple of Discord for the fairest Contest between Hera, Athena, & Aphrodite Paris of Troy as judge picks Aphrodite Aphrodite’s bribe—the most beautiful woman in the world Helen of Sparta, wife of Menelaus

73 The Trojan War Helen spirited off to Troy “the face which launched a thousand ships” Agamemnon of Mycenae gathers all the Greeks to fight against Troy Odysseus & Achilles try to avoid the draft Trojan walls can’t be breached stalemate for 10 years

74 The Trojan War In the Iliad, Achilles is wronged by Agamemnon war prize was taken Achilles sulks & doesn’t let his army fight Achilles is fully armed & leads men into battle against Hector & the Trojans is really Patroclus in Achilles’ armor killed by Hector

75 The Trojan War Achilles’ wrath unto Hector defeats Hector in single combat drags body around fortress with chariot Achilles felled by Paris vulnerable heel Odysseus and Ajax the Great vie for armor

76 The Trojan War Greeks pretend to sail away left behind an offering for Poseidon/Athena: a wooden horse Laocoön and Cassandra try to warn Trojans Trojans bring horse inside Trojan walls believed if they offered horse to gods, it will negate the Greeks’ attempt to appease them

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79 The Trojan War In middle of night, Greeks hidden inside horse climb out admitted Greeks outside the walls into Troy sacked Troy Fire, pillage, plunder King Priam died upon altar of Zeus Cassandra ravaged in temple of Athena Aeneas escaped Greeks have tough homecomings

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82 Maps UPENN Interactive Map of the Odyssey MapTales ESRI (from Paris Review)

83 The Odyssey The Greeks were punished for desecrating Athena’s temple Everyone had a rough homecoming Took Odysseus 10 years of Trojan War + 10 years journeying 1.Lotus eaters 2.Polyphemus 3.Winds of Aeolus 4.Laestrygons 5.Circe 6.Underworld 7.Sirens 8.Scylla & Charybdis 9.Cattle of Helius 10.Calypso 11.Phaecians 12.Ithaca

84 The Odyssey Telemachus, Odysseus’s son, starts to become a man Goes to visit Nestor & Menalaus to find more information about father’s whereabouts Learns how to be a good & assertive host Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, tries to fend off suitors weaving of death shroud suitors feel she has led them on encourage her to accept husband’s death & remarry

85 The Odyssey Odysseus makes his way back home in disguise suitors treat old beggar stranger badly enlists help of only a few: Eumaeus, a nurse, & Telemachus Penelope’s offer: marry the one who can string Odysseus’s bow Odysseus gets his chance to string bow slaughters the guests & any unfaithful maids

86 The Odyssey Penelope’s last test is this really her husband? informs Odysseus that their marriage bed is gone Odysseus passes test

87 DIVINE GROUPS

88 Muses inspiration for special fields 1. Terpsichore: choral song & dance 2. Clio: history 3. Urania: astronomy 4. Thalia: comic drama 5. Melpomene: tragic drama 6. Polyhymnia: sacred poetry 7. Euterpe: lyric poetry 8. Erato: love poetry 9. Calliope: epic poetry

89 The Graces goddesses of happiness, grace, and beauty Attended Aphrodite & Eros 1. Aglaia: splendor 2. Euphrosyne: mirth 3. Thalia: good cheer

90 The Fates three goddesses of destiny and life controlled mortals and gods 1. Clotho: spun the threads of youth 2. Lachesis: wound the threads, assigned destiny 3. Atropos: cut the threads

91 Nymphs spirits/protectors of nature resembled young pretty girls Dryads: wood/tree nymphs Naiads: river nymphs Nereids: sea nymphs Oreads: mountain nymphs examples: Callisto, Calypso, Daphne, Echo, Heliades, Hesperides, Maia, Pleiades, Thetis

92 Satyrs deities of the woods and mountains male counterparts to nymphs goat’s tail, flanks and hooves human upper part of the body but with goat’s horns companions of Dionysus favorite pastimes: drinking, dancing, chasing nymphs Pan: “rustic”

93 Centaurs part human and part horse torso and head of a human; body of a horse centaurs are the followers Dionysus infamous for drunkenness and carrying off helpless young maidens perhaps the offspring of Ixion, the king of Lapithae (Thessaly) and a cloud Chiron: tutor to many heroes Nessus: killed Heracles


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