LIT LONG QUIZ

Classical literature

• Literature from ancient Greece (approx. 800 BCE – 300 BCE) and Rome (approx. 300 BCE – 400 CE).

• recognized for its high aesthetic quality, enduring universality, and structural importance

Classical literature theory

• set of original rules and standards (Plato and Aristotle), that decided what makes a piece of writing successful, believable, and beautiful.

• study of literature's job to affect the audience

Epic poetry

A long narrative poem detailing the journeys and achievements of a hero who embodies the values of his culture.

Tragedy (Drama)

A play that ends sorrowfully, often focusing on a great character's moral struggle that leads to their inevitable and devastating fall.

Anagnosis

a painful moment of discovery of one’s downfall

Comedy (Drama)

A play with a happy or hopeful ending that is often crude, exaggerated, and focuses on mocking social norms or political figures (satire)

Recurring themes

1. Fate vs. Free will

2. Hubris

Fate vs. free will

god gives prophecy (fate) but the heroes choices (free will) determine if/how the prophecy comes true

Hubris

excessive pride/arrogance of the main character. thinking you are equal or greater than the gods (always precedes a fall)

Theories

1. Plato and the attack on art

2. Aristotle and the defense of art

Plato and the attack on art

• Plato attacks art, saying it is a lie and only an imitation of life

• Art is a lie because it copies a physical object, which is itself a copy of a Form. It appeals to the emotions, making us irrational.

Plato

A supreme philosopher (c. 428–348 BCE), focusing on ideal, eternal truths.

Mimesis

also known as imitation; Plato believed art was an imitation, a lie and far removed from the truth

The forms

Plato’s concept of the perfect, eternal blueprints (Justice, beauty, strength)

Aristotle and the defense on art

• Aristotle defends art, saying it has purpose

Aristotle

Plato's student (c. 384–322 BCE), who was more interested in analyzing the physical world and logic.

Catharsis

Also known as purification or cleansing; Aristotle says art has purpose in allowing us to release negative emotions and allows us to relate

Essential elements of tragedy

1. Plot- the arrangement of events, most important

2. Characters- second most important

Plot

the arrangement of events, most important

Character

second most important

Universal structure

For Aristotle, a story must have a beginning, middle and end

Significance of classical literature

1. established the DNA of Western storytelling. Most present storytellers either imitate or directly oppose

2. Catharsis explains why we choose sad music/movies. Art acts as a safe, temporary release of emotions

Mythology

• field of scholarship dealing with myth but also a particular body of myths.

• mythos=speech, message (spoken myth)

• 5th century BCE: entertaining but not really trustworthy tale

Myth

traditional tale with secondary, partial reference to something of collective importance.

Why does mythology matter?

1. It is the invisible foundation of the modern world

2. Provides the basic plot, character archetype, and conflicts

Greek mythology

• the model (blueprint, the inspiration)

• Greek civilization was highly advanced in art, philosophy, and literature.

Roman Mythology

• the analogy (the inspired)

• when the roman civilization rose to power, they admired or adopted much of greek culture

pietas

to the romans, worshipping the gods was a civic duty called:

Focus of greek mythology

drama and passion; individual city states (polis); local heros

Focus of roman mythology

value of duty and order; focus on the state and empire in general

Origins of the pantheon

• Uranus and Gaea (primordial deities)

• Oceanus to Cronus (Titans)

• Zeus to Dionysus (Olympians)

  • Hades is not an olympian

Zeus (Jupiter)

• The powerful, but often lustful and temperamental

• King of the Gods

• He rules the Sky and wields the Thunderbolt

• His animal is the eagle

Poseidon (Neptune)

• God of the Sea, earthquakes, and horses

• Known for his temper and wielding the Trident

Hades (Pluto)

• Ruler of the Underworld and associated with subterranean wealth

• He rarely leaves his dark realm and is not technically an Olympian, but one of the major gods. 

Hera (Juno)

• Zeus's wife and sister, the Queen of the Gods

• She is the protective goddess of marriage, but is notoriously jealous and vengeful due to Zeus's infidelity

Demeter (Ceres)

• is the Greek goddess of agriculture, harvest, and fertility

• is known for her important myth involving her daughter, Persephone, and the changing seasons

Athena (Minerva)

• Goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, and handicrafts

• She was born directly from Zeus's head, fully armored

Aphrodite (Venus)

• Goddess of love, beauty, and desire

• Betrothed to Hephaestus (symbolizes union of beauty and craft) by Zeus but is in love with Ares

Ares (Mars)

• God of war (specifically the brutal, chaotic side)

• His character is far less respected in Greece than his Roman counterpart

Apollo (Apollo)

• The mother of Apollo and Artemis is Leto, a Titaness and goddess of motherhood. She was the consort of Zeus and the twins were the result of their union.

• god of the sun, music, prophecy, and healing. He also represents order and reason.

Artemis (Diana)

• The mother of Apollo and Artemis is Leto, a Titaness and goddess of motherhood. She was the consort of Zeus and the twins were the result of their union

• the goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and the moon. She is fiercely independent and protective of nature.

Hermes (Mercury)

• The quick-witted messenger of the gods, god of travel, thieves, and commerce

• He wears winged sandals

Hephaestus (Vulcan)

• The lame god of fire, metalworking, and craftsmanship

• He is the divine blacksmith who helped Zeus crack his head to birth Athena

Dionysus (Bacchus)

• the Greek god of wine, grape harvest, and wine-making

• is also associated with religious ecstasy, madness, fertility, and theatre

• The son of Zeus and a mortal woman named Semele, he is often called the "twice-born god" because Zeus saved him and sewed him into his thigh after his mother died.

The realms

1. Mount Olympus

2. The underworld

Mount Olympus

The literal and spiritual home of the Olympian gods.

The underworld

This is the realm of the dead, ruled by Hades. It's a shadowy realm where souls go after death.

Heroes

• figures who possess courage, cunning, or immense strength and often undergo great hardship (The Hero's Journey).

• They are frequently demigods (half-mortal, half-god).

Monsters

represent chaos, nature untamed, or challenges that test a hero's divine or human virtues.

Key Greek heroes

1. Hercules

2. Odysseus

3. Perseus

Key Roman Heroes

1. Aeneas

2. Romulus and Remus (founders of rome)

Iconic monsters

1. Minotaur

2. Cyclops

3. Hydra

Function of myths

• Explaining nature

● Teaching morality and

warning against hubris

Importance of greek and roman mythology

• the "cheat sheet" for understanding thousands of years of Western art, literature, and philosophy.

• Concepts in psychology and language are derived from these myths (Oedipus complex, chaos)

• The ancient Greeks and Romans wrestled with the same questions we do: Why is there suffering? What is true love? What does it mean to be a good leader? Their myths are their answers.