C205 Notes

Panhellenism

The idea of Greek unity and cooperation, exemplified by the role of the Trojan War in fostering a sense of common identity among the Greeks.

Troy VII-A

The archaeological site believed to be the location of the ancient city of Troy, which was the setting of the Trojan War.

Zeus and Leda

The mythological story of Zeus transforming into a swan and sleeping with Leda, resulting in the birth of Helen and Pollux from an egg.

Marriage of Peleus and Thetis

The marriage between Peleus and Thetis, arranged by Zeus, which led to the prophecy that their son would be stronger than his father and ultimately sparked the events of the Trojan War.

Judgment of Paris

The competition among Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite to determine who is the most beautiful, with Paris choosing Aphrodite as the winner after an apple written “for the most beautiful” was dropped

Abduction of Helen

Paris abducts or seduces Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, and brings her back to Troy, triggering the Greek invasion of Troy.

Gathering of Troops

The assembly of Greek troops to wage war against Troy, with notable absences of Odysseus and Achilles.

Odysseus and the Plow Trick

Odysseus pretends to be insane to avoid going to war, but is exposed when he stops plowing to save his son's life.

Achilles and the Armor Trick

Achilles is disguised as a girl on an island and the only one drawn to a set of armor, revealing his true identity and his destiny as a great warrior.

The Sacrifice of Iphigenia

Agamemnon is told by a prophet that he must sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, in order to change the winds and sail to Troy.

Epic Poetry

The composition and performance of poetry in an oral tradition, characterized by the use of formulas and type scenes.

Illiad Characters - Greeks

Achilles, Agamemnon, Helen, Peleus, Patroclus, Ajax, Odysseus.

Illiad Characters - Trojans

Hector, Andromache, Astyanax, Paris, Priam, Hecuba.

Illiad Characters - Other

Chryseis, Chryses, Briseis.

Illiad Characters - Gods

Thetis.

Illiad Major Episodes, Themes, Ideas

Timê, Kleos, Aidos, Apollo's Plague, Achilles' and Agamemnon's Quarrel, Achilles' mênis, Achilles' request to Thetis, Hector's family and motivations, Embassy to Achilles, Achilles' choice (nostos vs. kleos), Patroclus' aristeia and death, Achilles' new armor, Achilles' transfer of anger to Hector, Hector's death, Athena's trick, Achilles' return to humanity.

Odyssey Characters

Penelope, The suitors, Telemachus, Athena/Mentes, Athena/Mentor, Calypso, Polyphemus, Circe, Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Orestes, Tiresias, Tantalus, Sisyphus, Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, Helios.

Odyssey Major Themes, Ideas, Terms

In medias res, Nostos, Metis.

Trickster Figures

Characters who use deception and cunning to achieve their goals, such as the Trojan Horse idea and the embassy of Achilles.

Identity

The exploration of one's own sense of self and the discovery of others' identities.

Disguise

The act of concealing one's true identity.

Good vs Bad Xenia

The concept of hospitality in Greek culture, where good xenia is rewarded and bad xenia is punished.

Dangerous Female Figures

Female characters who pose a threat or temptation to the protagonist, such as Athena/Mentis, sirens, Calypso, and Circe.

Temptation

The allure of indulging in desires that may lead to negative consequences, as seen in Calypso offering Odysseus immortality and the sirens' seductive voices.

Revenge

The constant seeking of vengeance by characters against each other.

Agamemnon's Nostos

Agamemnon's journey home serves as a foil for Odysseus' own homecoming.

Clytemnestra as Foil for Penelope

Clytemnestra's actions foreshadow the challenges Penelope will face as she waits for Odysseus' return.

Telemachy

Telemachus' coming of age journey, guided by Athena/Mentes, as he seeks information about his father.

Poseidon's Wrath

The obstacles created by the god of the sea, making it difficult for Odysseus to return home.

Major Episodes in the Odyssey

Key events in the epic, including Telemachy, Island of Calypso, Island of the Cyclopes, Island of Circe, Voyage to Hades, Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, Island of Helios, Island of the Phaeacians, Return to Ithaca, and Revenge on the Suitors.

Katabasis

Odysseus' journey to the underworld and back.

Penelope's Tests

Challenges Penelope presents to the suitors to prove their worthiness, including dream interpretation, shooting the arrow, and the bed test.

The Genre of Tragedy

Background, performance context, and plot patterns of tragic plays.

City Dionysia

A religious festival in Athens where tragedies were performed, featuring choral performances and honoring Dionysus.

Tragic Trilogies

A series of three tragic plays, such as the Oresteia trilogy by Aeschylus.

Hamartia

The tragic hero's mistake or error in judgment.

Hubris

Excessive pride or arrogance that leads to the downfall of the tragic hero.

Peripeteia

A sudden reversal of fortune due to the tragic hero's tragic flaw.

Learning through Suffering

The idea that characters in tragedy gain wisdom and self-awareness through their experiences of suffering.

Catharsis

The emotional release and purification experienced by the audience through pity and fear.

Chorus

A group of elders who provide commentary and reflection throughout the play.

Orchestra

The space where the chorus performs within the theater.

Messenger Speech

A character who delivers important news and events in the play of things that do not occur on stage.

Aeschylus' Agamemnon

The first play in the Oresteia trilogy, written by Aeschylus.

The House of Atreus and Its Dark Past

The cursed lineage of Atreus and Thyestes, marked by murder and betrayal.

The Sacrifice of Iphigenia

Agamemnon's decision to kill his daughter to gain favorable winds for the Trojan War.

Aegisthus

The only surviving son of Atreus and Thyestes who later helps kill Agamemnon.

Clytemnestra

Agamemnon's wife who plots his murder and boasts about it.

Sophocles' Oedipus Rex

A play by Sophocles that tells the story of Oedipus and his tragic fate.

Oedipus Complex

The psychological concept of a son's desire for his mother and jealousy towards his father.

Taboos

Forbidden actions or behaviors within the story.

Laius and Jocasta

Oedipus' biological parents who try to prevent the prophecy of his fate from coming true.

Baby Oedipus' Exposure and Rescue

Oedipus being left to die as a baby but saved and raised by a shepherd.

Road Rage at a Crossroads

Oedipus unknowingly killing his biological father, Laius, at a crossroads.

Oedipus and the Sphinx

Oedipus solving the Sphinx's riddle and becoming the king of Thebes.

The Plague in Thebes

A metaphor for the sickness caused by Oedipus' incestuous relationship.

Oedipus' Conflict with Tiresias

A blind prophet who reveals the truth about the prophecy Oedipus was too blind to see himself.

When Oedipus and Jocasta Discover the Truth

The moment when Oedipus and Jocasta realize their tragic relationship.

Themes of the Play

Sickness and healing, knowledge vs. ignorance, and the consequences of fate.

Escaping Fate

The concept that it is impossible to escape fate and that the more one tries to avoid it, the more it happens.

Proper Behavior of a Ruler

The idea that Jocasta should not have married Oedipus due to the murder of the king, but her initial exposure as a ruler sets off a chain of events.

Euripides

The youngest playwright who wrote 88 plays, with 18 of them surviving.

Jason

The son of King Iolcus, who was sent on a mission to retrieve the golden fleece of a sheep.

The Golden Fleece

The mission assigned to Jason by his uncle Pelias to retrieve the golden fleece from Colchis.

Colchis

The place where Jason sails to retrieve the golden fleece, but the king does not want Jason to take it and leave town.

Medea

The daughter of the King of Colchis, who falls in love with Jason and goes against her father's will to help him, but is betrayed in the end.

Medea's Help and Betrayal

Medea steals the golden fleece from her father's kingdom and murders her brother to slow down her father's pursuit.

Jason's Abandonment of Medea

Jason gets engaged to the princess of Corinth, causing Medea to grieve and rage due to his abandonment.

King of Corinth (Creon) Exiles Medea

Fearing her reputation as a dangerous witch, the King of Corinth exiles Medea but grants her one more day to craft an escape plan.

Medea's Revenge

Medea plans revenge by giving poisoned "gifts" to the princess and murders her own children to punish Jason and seek revenge for his abandonment.

Medea's Escape

Medea escapes to Athens in a dragon-pulled chariot.

Plight of Women

The issues that affected women's lives from Medea's perspective, highlighting the unusual feminine perspective in Greek literature.

Medea as Barbarian Witch

Medea is portrayed as a dangerous female figure who endangers paternal relationship bonds with her spells and potions.

Medea as Female Hero

Medea's actions, similar to those of a Greek god, position her as a female hero.

Achilles

great warrior, squabbles with Agamemnon, leaves war, comes back, inhuman, kills Hector, killed by Paris

Agamemnon

led of greeks to victory, sacrifices his daughter, eventually murdered by wife Cyltemnestra

Helen

She was the most beautiful girl in the world, Paris abducts her and this basically starts the trojan war

Peleus

Father of Achilles, Zeus gave Thetis to Peleus because there was a prophecy that Thetis’ son would be stronger than his father

Patroclus

steals Achilles’ armor, killed by Hector

Ajax

went for Achilles’ armor, Odyssesus got it, it drove Ajax mad, eventually kills himself by falling on a sword

Odysseus

Main character of the Odyssey

Hector

considered Troy’s greatest warrior, kills Patroclus(who he thought was achilles), eventually brutally murdered by Achilles

Andromache

wife of Hector, mother of Astyanax

Astyanax

son of Hector and Andromache

Paris

Hector’s brother, kills Achilles with Apollo’s help, the one who took Helen, starting the war

Priam

Hector and Paris’ father, he sneaks into Achilles’ tent to convince Achilles to give Hector’s body back

Hecuba

wife to Priam, queen of Troy

Chrysalis

gets taken by Agamemnon, Achilles and Calchas try to get her back, eventually returned

Chryses

priest of Apollo, his daughter Chryseis gets taken by Agamemnon, tries to pay ransom for her, Agamemnon refuses

Briesis

slave of Achilles, gets taken by Agamemnon, this basically causes Achilles to withdraw from the war

Thetis

mother of Achilles, Zeus gave Thetis to Peleus because there was a prophecy that Thetis’ son would be stronger than his father

Timê

(honor) - two interrelated concepts, (1) how much the people in your army respect you/ (2) how much you can take on the fight and battle when they ransack towns how much you are worthy you are to receive things they recover in the cities they hit

Kleos

(fame) - way you are talked about by your posterity (future generations) and they way people will potentially sing poetry about you

Aidos

(shame) - warrior culture depicted is a shame culture rather than a guilt culture, external public judgment thinking you have fallen short rather than feeling bad inside

Penelope

wife of Odysseus, suitors go after her while Odysseus is away, does the bed and arrow test when Odysseus returns

Suitors

they go after Penelope(Odyssesus’ wife) while Odysseus is away

Telemachus

Son of Odysseus, gets inspired by Athena to “man up” and search for his father goes on small quest to learn about his father

Athena (Mentes)

god who disguises herself as Mentes to inspire Telemachus to search for his father

Athena (Mentor)

mentor to Telemachus throughout his small quest to find out more about his father

Calypso

nymph who keeps Odysseus for 7 years and offers him immortality if he stays with her