Intro to Classical Mythology

WSU | CLS-1600

Mythology

A flexible language of metaphor— used to explain and explore the world from the point of view of others

In Medias Res

Greek saying meaning in the middle of things

Kalliste

a Greek term meaning the most beautiful woman

Aristos

meaning the best— plural Arete meaning excellence

In myth prophecies always become true

true

What is the one thing that separates the categories of god and mortal

Immortality (gods can’t die)

Oikous

Head or Head of Household

Polis

meaning city state

Etiology

An explanation of origin

Etiological

Providing an explanation an origin for a phenomenon or practice

Aition

Reason or Cause

Duality

Human beings have the potential for both good and bad actions at the same time

Numen/Numinous

Meaning full of gods or full of divinity

Nymphs

beings that are associated with natural elements (are almost always fem.)

Pantheon

The collective gods of a religion (could be any sort of religion)

Assimilation

The process of conflating local gods with the gods found in Homer’s poems

Epithet

An adjective that is used to identify or emphasize an aspect of a god, person, and thing

Mythically True

You can have two different versions of the same myth that express different things, but both ways are meaningful and true