Greek and Roman Myth Quiz 2 Review

Critical Thinking

not having the answer before asking the question

Textualism

because categories and even mythic figures are constructed by language it is better to try to understand categories and mythic figures as subject to limited change over time rather than imperfect copies of an ideal hero or category. 

Idealism

reality that has nothing to do with language

Ethnicity

a category of people who identify with each other based on similarities such as common ancestry, language, culture or nation

Allegory

a narrative that conveys hidden meanings through symbols, figures, actions, imagery, and/or events, which together create the moral, spiritual, and political meaning the author wishes to convey

Apulieus

• cupid exists before Psyche 

• psyche falls in love with cupid but is only with him in the dark 

• psyche sees cupid by means of lamp 

• psyche and cupid… 

• the golden ass 

Nag Hammadi

village in modem Egypt once near a monastery dedicated to St. Pachomius

• location of a group of non-canonical texts buried likely after the use of such texts was condemned on 397 BCE

Aset

• also known as Isis

• Attributes: Throne on Top of the head

• Areas of Concern: magic, wisdom, fertility

• Associated with Aphrodite and Demeter

Heracles 

attributes: lion, skin, club 

areas of concern: strength, spreading culture 

associated with Phoenician Melqart and borrowed by Romans as Hercules 

Argos

• Greek city state located in central Greece famous for its temple of Hera

• Continually occupied since the Stone Age through the Mycenean to the historical period

• Extremely powerful in the seventh century BCE but eclipsed by Sparta and Athens by the sixth century BCE

Perseus

• son of Zeus and Danae

• Slayer of Medusa

• Rescued andromeda from a sea monster and married her

Andromeda 

• daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, king and queen of Ethiopia 

• Sacrificed to a sea monster because her mother boasted she was more beautiful than the water nymphs 

Medusa

• gorgon who was killed by Perseus

• snakes on her turn people into stone.

Atlas

titan condemned by Zeus to hold up the sky for eternity as punishment for leading the Titans in a way against the gods.

Accuses Perseus of lying about his adventures.

Cupid 

• desire 

• known as Eros in On the Origin of the World 

• cupid and psyche are a double allegory for the union of love and soul as the way to achieve pleasure. 

• Has a daughter with psyche 

Psyche

• soul

• psyche sees cupid by means of a lamp

• psyche is driven by curiosity to know secret things

• recured by cupid

• to complete impossible tasks assigned by Venus, Psyche receives help from Jupiter

Venus

• Jealous of Psyche’s beauty

• Venus sends her son, Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with an ugly creature but Cupid falls for Psyche

• Venus discovers that Cupid and Psyche are lovers so she forces psyche to complete impossible tasks

Jupiter 

• king of the gods who ultimately intervenes to allow his son cupid to marry psyche