Week 5 Key Terms

Herione

D: Typically a women who serves as an example of positive or negative behaviour. Mortal who has accomplished extra ordinary feat and dies - often prematurely and/or violently.

S: Parallel Heroes and tend to represent male concerns specific to cultural context

Ex.

Metamorphesis

D; Transformation or changing of form/state.

S: Describes both literal and symbolic transformations of female heroines in myth - which sets apart heroines from heroes.

Ex.

Kommos

D: ‘dirge’ or ‘lament’ derived from the action of striking or beating the chest and/or head in the act of ritual lamentation.

S: Important because this is often the climax of a play and heightens emotion that should be felt.

Ex. Hecuba?

Revenge Plot

D: A set plot with established conventions - like a genera or type-narrative like the tisis narrative or recognition scenes of Homeric Epic. Typically it is on person getting revenge on another with the following elements:

1. Grievance

2. Overcoming obstacles

3. Deception

4. Murder

5. Celebration of success 

S: Significant to the course because it is

Ex. In Euripides’ Medea, Medea Becomes angry at Jason for marrying Creusa and subsequently exile her and their children (Grievance). She overcomes her despair at the situation after crying for along time. Medea deceives Jason by pretending to beg for forgiveness. She murders Creusa, with a poison dress and Creon, plus kills her children to leave Jason with none. She celebrates by laughing and ridiculing Jason at the end of the play.

Polis

D: “City-state,” physical, geographical location with defined boundaries and a political entity made up of politai, members of polis, who may live in the broader territory controlled by the polis but are citizens of it.

S: Important because health of polis/city-state is affected by the royal family’s oikos.

Ex. In Euripides’ Medea, she and Jason have fled to Corinth where they are raising their children. Corinth has geographical boundaries because Jason wishes to exile his children with Medea so he can marry Creusa.

Exthros

D: “Enemy,” plural exthroi, coming from the noun “hate” and the adjective “hated,” or “hateful”

S: Opposite of philos and key component of Dike - harming your enemies.

Ex.

Sophia

D: Wisdom, typically considered a masculine quality, because of it’s use in the male sphere, but not necessarily gendered.

S: Important because it relates to a character’s status by acknowledging their education, rationality, and capacity for debate.

Ex. Medea?

Senecan Tragdey

D: Collection of dramas in one particular style associated with Seneca the younger. Heated debates & rapid dialogue.

S: Significant to course because they are developed on Greek models, but only Roman tragedies survived. An example of Greek myth in Roman adaptations.

Ex. In EuripideisMedea and Jason have a very heated exchange, where they are shouting small bits of dialogue back and fourth arguing about how Medea killed their children and why at the end of the play.

Oikos

D: “Household House,” the fundamental residential, economic, and social unit of an ancient Greek community, which consists of a physical house (dwelling, land animals) and the social group that occupies it including the family (often extended family of three generations), slaves, adopted members.

S: Important because a house is structured according to gender relations. The man is active outside and the women remains active inside the household. This impact actions heroines can take in stories.

Ex. In Homer’s Odyssey, Penelope maintains their family’s reputation by staying in the house. She preserves her marriage and protects her son’s ability to eventually take the head position.