myth and archeology 2-6

Homeric Questions

The scholarly debate on whether Homer was a single author or if the epics evolved over time.

Demodocus –

A blind bard in The Odyssey who represents the oral poet tradition.

Unitarians –

Scholars who argue that The Iliad and The Odyssey were composed by a single poet.

Analysts

Scholars who believe the Homeric epics were assembled from smaller oral songs.

Rhapsode

A performer of epic poetry, often reciting Homeric verses from memory. song stitcher

Homeric Formula –

Repeated phrases or descriptions (e.g., "rosy-fingered dawn") used in oral poetry.

Guslar

A traditional Slavic oral poet.

Griot

A West African historian and storyteller who preserves oral traditions.

Imbongi

A South African praise poet.

Calliope

The muse of epic poetry in Greek mythology.

Mnemosyne

The goddess of memory and mother of the Muses.

Epic/Trojan Cycle

A collection of lost poems narrating the Trojan War beyond The Iliad and The Odyssey.

Cypria

A lost epic covering events leading up to the Trojan War. first 9 years. wedding of mortal and immortal. son greater than father

Aethiopis

A lost epic about the Ethiopian hero Memnon and the Amazon warrior Penthesileia.

Little Iliad

A lost epic covering events after The Iliad, including the Trojan Horse.

Iliou Persis

– A lost epic describing the sack of Troy.

Nostoi

– A lost epic about the Greek heroes’ return from Troy.

Telegony

A lost epic about Odysseus’ later life and death.

Alexandros

Another name for Paris of Troy. the protecter the protected

Memnon

The Ethiopian king who fought for Troy, killed by Achilles.

Penthesileia

The Amazon queen who fought and was slain by Achilles.

Areté

Personal excellence based on honor, an important heroic trait.

Timé

honor based on material wealth and possessions

Chryseis

Agamemnon’s concubine, whose capture led to conflict in The Iliad. the first girl stolen agamenon had to give back

Briseies

Achilles’ concubine, taken by Agamemnon, sparking their feud.

Potlatch

A ceremonial exchange of gifts to establish prestige (not Greek but useful for comparison).

Patronymic

A name derived from one’s father, e.g., "Pelides" for Achilles (son of Peleus).

Tantalus

A mythological figure punished for tricking the gods.

Atreus

Father of Agamemnon and Menelaus, cursed due to family crimes.

Thyestean Feast

A gruesome event where Atreus fed his brother Thyestes his own sons.

Aegisthus

The lover of Clytemnestra, who helped kill Agamemnon.

Iphigeneia

Agamemnon’s daughter, sacrificed to appease Artemis.

Clytemnestra

Agamemnon’s wife, who murdered him.

Orestes

Son of Agamemnon, who avenged his father’s death.

Erinyes

The Furies, who punish those who commit family murder.

Eumenides

A later, more benevolent form of the Erinyes.

Heinrich Schliemann

The archaeologist who claimed to have found Troy at Hissarlik.

Hissarlik

The site in modern Turkey identified as ancient Troy.

Stratigraphy

The study of layered deposits in archaeology.

Tell

A mound formed from layers of human settlement.

“Priam’s Treasure”

A collection of gold artifacts Schliemann claimed belonged to King Priam.

Depas Amphikypellon

A type of two-handled Mycenaean cup found at Troy.

Schliemann’s Trench

A deep excavation at Troy that damaged later historical layers.

Wilhelm Dörpfeld

A German archaeologist who refined Schliemann’s findings.

Carl Blegen

An archaeologist who confirmed multiple layers of Troy. found fire skeletons weapons and extra storage

Manfred Korfmann

A modern archaeologist who used new technology to study Troy found defensive ditches

Ernst Pernicka

A scientist who analyzed metal artifacts from Troy. proved defensive ditches and that troy was 15x bigger

Rüstem Aslan

A Turkish archaeologist currently leading research at Troy. troy 0

Aulé

A palace courtyard.

Thalamos

An underground tomb.

Megaron (pl. Megara)

The central hall of a Mycenaean palace.

Tripartite division

The layout of Mycenaean palaces:

Throne room

Central hall with a hearth and throne.

Vestibule

The entrance to the throne room.

Porch, Antae

The exterior entry area.

Perseus

– The legendary founder of Mycenae

Danae

Danae – The mother of Perseus.

Herakles (Hercules)

A Greek hero connected to Mycenaean myths.

Diomedes

A Greek hero and king of Argos. bold and sometimes proves impetuous. After Achilles withdraws from combat, Athena inspires him with such courage that he actually wounds two gods, Aphrodite and Ares.

Aristeia

A warrior’s moment of supreme battle excellence.

Nestor

A wise old king in The Iliad.

Mycenae

A major Mycenaean palace city.

Tiryns

A Mycenaean palace city with massive walls.

Pylos

The palace of Nestor.

Menelaion

A shrine near Sparta associated with Menelaus and Helen.

Seal/sealstone

Inscribed objects used to authenticate documents.

Bellerophon

A hero connected to early myths of writing.

Glaucus

A Trojan hero that nearly fights a duel with Diomedes. The men’s exchange of armor after they realize that their families are friends illustrates the value that the ancients placed on kinship and camaraderie.

Xenia

The Greek code of guest-friendship.

Writing Tablet

A surface for recording information in ancient times.

Hieroglyphs

Egyptian picture writing.

Cuneiform

A wedge-shaped writing system used in Mesopotamia.

Linear A

An undeciphered script of the Minoans.

Linear B

A Mycenaean script used for administrative records.

Pictogram/Pictograph

A symbol representing a word or idea.

Ideogram

A character representing a concept.

Logogram

A character representing a word.

Rosetta Stone

The key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Luwian

An Anatolian language related to Hittite.

Hittite

An ancient Indo-European language.

Hattusa Archive

A collection of Hittite texts.

Phaistos Disk

A mysterious undeciphered Minoan artifact.

Phoenicia

The civilization credited with developing the first alphabet.

Cadmus

The mythical founder of Thebes, said to have brought writing to Greece.