Greek Mythology

Where does the word mythology derive from

mythos: word/tale, story meant to be told aloud

logos: logic/ reasoning

Hybris (hubris)

crossing the border separating humans from gods, usually by comparing yourself to a god believing you are more than

Nemesis

following punishment by a god as a result of hybris

Functions of mythology

• Explain historical events

e.g. Trojan War

• Teach social norms, expectations + consequences of actions

• Explain the unexplained

e.g. Milky Way, the four seasons

• Explain cultural norms

e.g. ritual of sacrifice

• Legitimize claim to land/ right to rule

• Explain where we come from

• Explain what happens when we die

e.g. Hades and the Underworld

• Entertainment

Key Chronological Periods

1. Mycenaean period

2. Geometric period

3. Archaic period

4. Classical period

5. Hellenistic period

6. Roman period

Mycenaean period (Late Bronze Age)

16th-11th BC

Geometric period

10th-8th BC

• produced designs with geometric designs

Archaic period

7th-6th BC

• Hesiod and Homer

• Time of Greek expansion

Classical period

5th-4th

• Greece’s peak

• Democracy

• City-state

Hellenistic period

Late 4th BC - Late 1 BC

• started after death of Alexander the Great

• Leaders of various kingdoms adjusted ways to respect local traditions and customs

  • Hellenic characteristics but not fully

Roman period

1st BC - 4th AD

Principal sources of mythology

• Textual

• Visual

Myths

traditional tales handed down orally

Epic poetry

earliest direct(written) evidence for Greek myths that narrates a story of a hero

• Mycaenean period

Lyric poetry

Expresses personal feelings/emotions performed with instrument

Dramatic/tragic poetry

• Tragedies, satirical, comedy, drama

• took place in the classical period

Main tragedians

Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides

Herodotus

Greek historian whose myths formed background to Greek-Persian wars

• Observed, tried to be objective

Thucydides

Greek historian whose myths of Trojan war to emphasize Peloponnesian war

• Civil war between Greece

• Makes analogies of trojan war

Mythographer

compiled handbooks of mythology that was created by researchers who studied codexes to gather evidence

• Apollodorus: first mythological encyclopedia

• Pausanias: reminded Greeks of glorious past

The Theogony

collection of oral poems which shaped Panhellenic ideas of the gods

Structure of the Theogony

• Hymns: to the Muses and to Hecate

• Catalogues: explained the genealogy of the gods

• Dramatic tales: succession stories and shift of religion to Olympians

Hymn

primary purpose is prayer and to praise the gods

1st generation of gods (protogenoi)

• Everything started with Chaos 

• Ge gave birth to Uranus, Mountains, and Pontus

• Tartarus and Eberus

2nd generation of gods

• Ge and Uranus birthed

  • 12 titans

  • cyclopes

• Uranus got prophecy one of his sons would overthrow

  • abused children

  • Ge conspired with Cronus and castrated Uranus

    • his blood birthed Fates, Giants, and Meliads

3rd generation of gods

• Cronus and Rhea give birth to 6 Olympians

  • Hestia, Hera, Demeter, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus

• Cronus believed one of his children would overthrow him

  • swallowed his children to prevent this

• Rhea and Ge save Zeus by feeding Cronus ad Rock and hiding him in Mt. Ida of Crete

Clash of Titans

• Zeus returns and appears as a servant to the titans

• Pours beverage for Cronus which causes him to throw up his siblings

• Began Titanomachy

• Olympians defeated Titans

  • consolidation of power

• represent struggle against chaos and necessity of universal order

Five Raves/ Five Ages of Man

1. Golden

2. Silver

3. Bronze

4. Heroes

5. Iron

Golden Race/ Age of Gold

• created by Cronus

• divine-like existence with eternal youth and no work

• before separated from gods

Silver Race/ Age of Silver

• emerges after consolidation of power of Zeus

• didn’t display respect to gods (sacrifice)

  • hybris

• became chthonic spirits

Bronze Race/ Age of Bronze

• mighty warriors

• characteristics of Ares

• period of violence and bloodshed

Race of Heroes/ Age of Heroes

• valiant and noble warriors

  • granted afterlife in Island of the Blessed

• optimistic framework for humans

Iron Race/ Age of Iron

• time of Hesiod

• terrible time of physical, ethical, and moral downfall

• nostalgic of simplicity of the past