Classical Mythology Mizzou Exam 1

Pure or Divine Myth

Stories about the creation of the world, the gods and their relationship with humans

Legend or Saga

Stories that have their orgin as a true (or believed true) story - Kernel of truth

Folktale

Stories invlolving magic, monsters, quests - "happily ever after"

Rational behind: "Myth expresses truth more effectively than science"

-Some human 'knowledge' can change, and quickly
-Myth is eternal, universal and subject to reinterpretation

Personification theory of myth

-Theory that the personalities and powers of gods reflect some natural phenomenon
-an etiological approach to myth

Etiological

Approach that searches for the cause of something

Polytheistic Pantheism

Belief that many gods were everywhere
-Polytheism: many gods
-Pantheism: are everywhere

Euhemerism

Named for Euhemerus, a mythographer in late 300s BCE
-Gods and heros were only powerful humans that underwent apotheosis after death

Apothesis

Being raised to divine status

Max Muller

Myth as Allegory
-Similar to personification, but gods were not the actual phenomenon but are representative of them
-Gods can also represent human qualities or emotions

Ritualism

Myth \= Ritual / Ritual \= Myth
Pro: it is clear in many cases
Con: can not be applied to all myths

James Frazer
Progression of Human Belief - Stage 1

Man believes that nature can be controlled through rituals like sympathetic magic

James Frazer
Progression of Human Belief - Stage 2

When magic fails, humans are at mercy of the gods. Magic rituals become worship ceremonies

James Frazier
Progression of Human Belief - Stage 3

Humans understand laws of nature, religious power wanes

Walter Burket

Myth and ritual originally separate
-gradually are coordinated with each other
-they combine and persist to est. and reinforce social order

Sigmund Freud

Myth as Individual Unconscious
-Myths are conscious manifestations of the human unconscious mind
-Myths have relevance to understand surpressed human fears or desires

Oedipus Complex

Freud- Men hate fathers, love mothers in proto-sexual desires (Vice Versa)

Carl Jung

Collective Unconscious
-Learned from Freud
-Believed there was a collective unconscious shared by humans
-"Archtypes" like wise old man or the great mother

Animus

Archtype of male that a female desires

Anima

Archtype of female that a male desires

Claude Levi-Strauss

Binary Opposition
-Humans understand the world by dividing into opposing categories: hot v. cold
-Myth functioned to reconcile binary constructions

Vladimir Propp

31 Story Elements
-Discovered distinct, recurring motives
-Construction of the framework of the "Hero's Journey"

The Minoans
Basics

-2600-1100 BCE
-Location: Crete
-Discoverer: Sir Arthur Evans
-Name Origin: Refers to King Minos of Crete

The Minoans
Settlements

-Largest palace complexes: Knossos
-Used for admin, storage, distribution
-organized into 8 zones controlled by palaces

The Minoans
Agriculture

-Wide variety of crops and animals
-kept bees, grew poppies, saffron
-poss. employed Plolyculture: multiple crops

The Minoans
Dress

Men: loin cloth, kilt like
Women: Ornate dresses, breast exposed

The Minoans
Writing

"linear A" script, undecipherable

The Minoans
Religion

-worshiped Chthonic mother goddess
-females prominent in religious ceremonies
-symbols: bull, snake

The Minoans
Culture

-Thucydides, a thalassocracy: A sea power
-well connected to Egypt and mediterranean by trade
-culterally and politically dominate over early mycenaeans

The Minoans
The End

-Destruction of Thera, suffered cat. 7 Volcano
-ash blanketed the region and blocked sun
-generated 115-500ft. tsunami, likely destroying minoan ships
-mycenaeans invaded by 1400 bce

The Mycenaeans
Basics

-1600-1100 BCE
-Location: Mainland Greece
-Discoverer: Heinrich Schliemann

The Mycenaeans
Society

-War like people
-Lived within huge walled Citadels, each led by Wanax (king)
-Those living around were organized by bureaucrates
Key area of Citadel was Megaron: room of religious and diplomatic importance

The Mycenaeans
Agr. and Dress

Very similar to Minoans
-tight control by citadels, quotas to be met

The Mycenaeans
Language

-Spoke Indo-European language, very early Greek
-"Linear B" tablets: revealed extreme organization and existence of Olympian gods

The Mycenaeans
Religion

-Poseidon important and Chthonic deity
-poss. worship of Mother Earth deity, along with celestial, male deities.

The Mycenaeans
The End: old theory

Dorian Invasion
-Only based on linguistic evidence
-supported by mythical echo of "heracleidae" or "son of Hercales" taking over Greece

The Mycenaeans
The End: new theory

System Collapse
-not invasion but something caused community to turn on eachother
-"sea peoples" distruction

Dark Age of Greece

-After Mycenaean Age, Greece pop falls.
-small geo isolated settlements appear
-rural culture of Greece cont., but sophisticated orgs. disapear
-The Wanax was replaced by Basileus - or mayor
-Sites organized around Long Houses similar to Megaron

Resurgence of Writing

"Donor" of Greek alphabet: The Phoenicians
-Developed near end of dark ages
-a phonetic system: letters are sounds

The Gods

Humans but better, beautiful, intelligent, strong.
-Eat like mortals (Nectar, Ambrosia)
-Can be wounded and bleed (Ichor)
-Subject to human failings and desires
-use same weapons and garments as mortals.

The gods
Specific powers

Teleportation
Invisability
Manipulate or summon weather
Polymorph self or others
Grant wishes
100% fertility rate

The gods
Limitations

Immortal, not eternal
Potent, not omnipotent
Cant undo other gods doings
bound by fate
knowing, not omniscient

Numina

Vague Roman gods that controlled things

Manes - Lemures

Roman - "evil" ghosts who haunted earth

Manes - Lares

Roman - Friendly spirits of departed ancestors

Penates

Roman - "household gods" of each domus or house
-An evolving group, each new family member would have/add one
-Would protect with Vesta, most important of the house

Genius Primus

The Genius your are born with
-"guardian angel"

Genius Secondus

The Genius you acquire in life that embodies all bad or evil impulses that try to lead you astray
-for women, called your Juno

The Roman gods

Had Numina
-Emerging self-consciousness about native culture as Rome expands
-begin to adapt and adopt the Greek Gods
-Rome links itself to Hommer through Aeneas, roman hero who immigrated from Troy

Origin of the World

Chaos - Shapeless mass of confused elements

Uranus + Gaea

Hiero Gamos - Sacred marriage
First from Chaos
Uranus - Light and air of heven
Gaea - Mother earth
--Hecatonchires
--Cyclopes
--Titans

From Chaos

-Uranus
-Gaea
-Oceanus: the ocean
-Pontus: the great river
-Aether: the sky
-Aer: the air
-Nephelae: the clouds
-Erebus: darknes
-Hermera: day
-Nyx: night

Hecatonchires

Born of Uranus and Gaea
-"hundred handers"
-elder giants
-powerful in battle

Greater Cyclopes

Born of Uranus and Gaea
-"wheel eyed"
-great smiths who later aid Hephaestus
-Fashion lightening bolts for Zeus

Shape of Mythic World

-Believed to be flat
-with Oceanus surrounding the land
-Sun, moon and stars were pulled from the east to the west
-went to underworld when not in sky

Overthrow of Uranus

-Uranus began to fear power of children
-Banished Heatonchires + Cyclopes to Tartarus
-Gaea asks Cronos to help take down Uranus
-Cronos attacks w/ adamantine sickle and cuts off Unranus genitals
--Blood drops on earth creates lesser giants
--Genitals thrown in ocean create Aphrodite

Cronos (Saturn) + Rhea (Ops)

Titans- Offsprings are Olympians
-Hades (Pluto)
-Hera (Juno)
-Poseidon (Neptune)
-Demeter (Ceres)
-Hestia (Vesta)
-Zeus (Jupiter)

Cronos and his kids

Cronos begins to fear the power of his kids
-His solution, to swallow them
-Rhea wraps stone in blanket, pretends it's Zeus, gives to Cronos to swallow
-Zeus is not swallowed, but is hidden instead

Rhea (Ops)

Mother Goddess of The Earth
-Archtypal mother goddess
-responsible for fertility, crop growth
-center of worship may have been Crete
-Romans associated her with abundance

Syncretism

The mixing and joining of religions

Rhea + Cybele

Cybele \= Rhea \> Syncretism
-Cybele goddess from Asia Minor
-Cybele goddess of fertility, also protector of her people, provider of fertility and nature goddess

Cybele and Attis

Cybele born hermaphrodite
-wants to be female, cuts off male genitalia and throws to ground - creates Almond tree
-Nana finds almond tree and blossom impregnates her thus Attis is born
-Cybele loves Attis but Attis falls for nymph
-Cybele casts madness of Attis, he cuts of genitalia and bleeds to death
-Castration of Priests of Cybele

Zeus on Crete

After Cronos swallows stone belived to be zeus he is hidden and raised on Crete

Zeus on Crete
Those who raise him

Amaltheia - the goat, nurtured Zeus
Melliae - "honey", fed Zeus
Curetes - made noise when Zeus cried

Zeus rescues siblings

With help of Metis (nymph, titan)
Metis gives Cronos potion to puke up kids
Ompals Stone: placed at Orcle of Delphi, center of universe

Titanomachy

Olympians: Mt. Olympus
-Zeus + siblings
-Prometheus and family (titans)
-Cyclopes and Hecatonchires
Titans: Mt. Orthys
-All titans minus Prometheus
-Atlas, the general

Titanomachy
Results

Olympians win!
-All titans, minus Atlas, sent to Tartarus
-Atlas tasked with holding the world

Dividing the World

Zeus, Poseidon, Hades
-roll dice for areas of control
-Zeus: sky + king
-Poseidon: Water
-Hades: underworld
*Contrary to Uranus and Cronos, Zeus divides and shares power

Lesser Giants

Created when Cronos blood dripped on the ground
-Not immortal, invulnerable as long as they touch earth
-Large, often depicted with Snake lower half/appendages

Giantomachy

Giants declare war
-hard to defeat as invulnerable as long as touching earth
-rock thrown at them knock them off feet, able to be defeated
Typhoeus/Typhon
-Scares gods, drives them to Egypt where they turn to animals (Egyptian gods)
-Zeus strikes Typhon with lightening bolt and wins war

Zeus - Jupiter

aka: Cronides, father of gods and men
Resp: The air, kings, oath keeping, xenia (guest frindship)
Appearance: muscular, bearded older man
Love: Hera, Metis, many others
Equipment: Lightening bolt, the Aegis (shield with head of gorgon)
plant/animal: Oak tree, Eagle
Places: Oracle at Dudonna, Olympia

Hera - Juno

AKA: Cow-eyed Hera, Hera of the Golden Throne
Resp: Marriage, Child birth
Appearance: Beautiful woman, dressed in Peplos
Love: Zeus
Equipment: crown/diadem, scepter
Plant/animal: Cow, Peacock
Places: Argos, Samos, Carthage-as juno

Poseidon - Neptune

AKA: Earthshaker
resp: The sea, meritime weather, horses, horse breaking
appearance: Muscular, bearded older man
Love: Amphritrite
equipment: Trident
plant/animal: Horse, Dolphin, Bull
Places: none (the sea)

Demeter - Ceres

Resp: Agriculture, fertility of the earth
Appearance: beautiful woman, Peplos
Love: Zeus (\>persephone)
equipment: stalk of wheat
plant/animal: wheat
places: Eleusis

Hades - Pluto

Resp: the underworld, the dead
appearance: muscular, bearded older man
Love: Persephone
equipment: scepter w/ bird on tip
places: none (underworld)

Hestia - Vesta

Resp: The home and hearth
appearance: beautiful woman, Peplos
love: virginal (1/3)
equipment: Fire
places: temples in every greek polis

Aphrodite - Venus

aka: Cypria
resp: love, marriage, desire
appearance: supremely beautify, naked woman
love: Hephaestus, Aries
equipment: girdle
plant/animal: Dove, myrtle tree
places: Cyprus

The Two Aphrodites

Aphrodite Pandemos (Zeus + Dione)
-Sexual desire, lust
Aphrodite Urania (from Uranus)
-Pure love

Ares - Mars

resp: War, negative parts
appearance: handsome young man, sometimes armed and armored
love: aphrodite
equipment: general armor
plant/animal: Vulture, dragons
places: Areopagus - Athens

Artemis - Diana

aka: Cynthia, "she of the golden shaft"
resp: goddess fo the hunt, protector of the wild animals
appearance: beautiful, athletic female in Hunting Chiton (shorter dress)
Love: virginal (2/3)
equipment: bow and arrow
plant/animal: hind (doe)
places: Mt. Cynthus

Tri-Form Goddess

Celestial - Selene - Goddess of moon
Earth - Artemis - Goddess of hunt
Underworld - Hecate - Goddess of magic

Apollo - Apollo

aka: far-shooter, far warder, distant deadly archer, Phoebus
resp: music, medicine, prphecy, sun, poetry, science
appearance: handsome man with bow or lyre
love: Coronis
equipment: Bow, Lyre
plant.animal: Hawk, Laurel tree
places: Delphi

Athena - Minerva

aka: Pallas, Tritogenia, "owl-eyed", "shining-eyes"
resp: Wisdom, weaving, war - poss. parts
appearance: beautiful woman with sheild, helmet, spear
love: virginal (3/3)
equipment: Aegis, helmet, sheild
plant/animal: little owl, olive tree
places: Athens

Hermes - Mercury

aka: Argeiphones, Psychopompus
resp: shepherds, heralds, travelers, thieves, judges, guide of the dead, messenger of gods
appearance: handsome young man
love: several minor
equipment: Caduceus- staff, 2 snakes intertwinded, wings on top. Petasus- helmet w/ wings. Talaria- Sandals w/ bird wings
places: Herms- statue, collumn with hermes head and large penis to scare off ghosts

Hephaestus - Vulcan

aka: Mulciber (roman)
resp: creative fire, smiths, engineers
appearnce: muscular, attractive man, w/ clubbed foot
love: Aphrodite
equipment: anvil and forge, Ax
animal: Mule
places: Mt. Aetna, Lemnos

Dionysus - Bacchus/Liber

resp: wine, wild vegetative growth
appearance: attractive man w/ goblet or grapes
love: Ariadne
equipment: wine goblet, grapes, Thyrsus (stick w/ pinecone)
plant/animal: panther, leopard
places: woods

Dionysus minions

Maenads - women w/ animal skins, totally wild
Satyrs
Omophogy - ceremony, maenads grab animal, rip it apart, eat raw flesh

Oceanus

Son of Uranus + Gaea
Water that surrounds the world
Spouse: Tethys
Well over 3000 children -\> Oceanids

Notable Oceanids

Dione: "mother" of Aphrodite
Metis: Mother of Athena
Doris

Nareus

Personification of calm sea
Spouse: Doris
50 daughters -\> Nereids

Notable Nereids

Amphitrite
Galatea
Thetis

Proteus

"Old Man of The Sea"
Son of Poseidon
Prophetic abilities
-Would nap with seals at noon, best time to surprise deity to get prophecy
-those seeking needed to seize deity and hold on as he shifted shapes

Triton

Son of Poseidon + Amphitrite
appearance: handsome young MERMAN
Funtion: serve as Poseidons herald
-uses shell horn to announce god's arrival
-as caregiver (father?) to Athena Tritogenia

Roman Myth Culture

After becoming self conscience of their deities, Romans adopt and adapt Greek gods to the Roman Numina

Roman Myth Culture
-Capitoline Triad

Most important gods of Roman State
-Jupiter
-Juno
-Minerva
Derived from Etruscan triad of Tinia, Uni, Minrva
Temple was on Capitoline Hill in Rome

Saturn
-Differences from Cronos

Story different after Titanomachy
-not put under earth, but exiled to Italy
-Welcomed by Janus, first king of Italy
-Saturn presided over first Golden Era of Italy

Jupiter
-Differences from Zeus

Held Roman virtues of Dignitas (dignity) and Gravitas (seriousness), thus Romans had different view of Jupiters personality
-Serious, reserved god
-Not sexual like Zeus

Mars
-Differences from Ares

After Capitoline Triad, a very important god
Origin as Agriculture god
-Drove out winter and protected fields
Transitions to war god
-not hated by people like Ares
Father of Romulus and Remus

Janus

First king of Italy - Euthemerism
-god who was intercessory for humans when they pray
-guards doorways and a protector of the home
Temple of Janus at Rome
-Gates closed when in peace
-Gates open when in war

Flora
-Ag. diety

Goddess of flowers and flowering plants