CC101 Midterm

Bull of Heaven

After Gilgamesh upsets the goddess Ishtar, she convinces her father Anu to send the Bull of Heaven to earth to destroy the crops and kill people. However, Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the Bull of Heaven.

The gods are angry that the Bull of Heaven has been killed. As punishment for killing the bull Enkidu falls ill and dies.

Ea

According to Utanapishtim, Ea helped him escape the deadly deluge that claimed the lives of most of humanity by warning Utanapishtim about the oncoming storm via a wall made of reeds.

He also told this wall made of reeds the exact dimensions of the boat it would have to build, if it wanted to survive the catastrophe.

Enkidu

Companion and friend of Gilgamesh. Hairy-bodied and brawny, Enkidu was raised by animals. Even after he joins the civilized world, he retains many of his undomesticated characteristics. Enkidu looks much like Gilgamesh and is almost his physical equal. He aspires to be Gilgamesh's rival but instead becomes his soul mate. The gods punish Gilgamesh and Enkidu by giving Enkidu a slow, painful, inglorious death for killing the demon Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven.

Enlil

he crops up in Enkidu's dream. In this dream, the gods are holding a conference on what to do about Gilgamesh and Enkidu, who have been seriously ruffling feathers with their behavior. When Anu suggests that one of them must die, Enlil speaks up, saying that Gilgamesh shouldn't die, but Enkidu should.

Proponent for flood

Gilgamesh

King of Uruk, the strongest of men. A brave warrior. Gilgamesh surrounds the city of Uruk with magnificent walls and erects its glorious ziggurats, or temple towers. Two-thirds god and one-third mortal, Gilgamesh is undone by grief when his beloved companion Enkidu dies, and by despair at the prospect of his own extinction. He travels to the ends of the Earth in search of answers to the mysteries of life and death.

Huwawa/ humbaba

The fearsome demon who guards the Cedar Forest forbidden to mortals. Killed by Gilgamesh and Enkidu which leads to Enkidu's death

Ishtar

The goddess of love and fertility, as well as the goddess of war. falls for gilgamesh and sends bull of heaven on Uruk when Gilgamesh refuses her

Ninsun

The mother of Gilgamesh, also called the Lady Wildcow Ninsun. She is a minor goddess, noted for her wisdom

shamash

The sun god, brother of Ishtar, patron of Gilgamesh. Shamash is a wise judge and lawgiver. Gilgamesh asks his mother, Ninsun, to put in a good word for him to Shamash, and she does. Shamash helps Enkidu and Gilgamesh to defeat Humbaba

shamhat

The temple prostitute who tames Enkidu by seducing him away from his natural state. Shamhat's power comes from her sexuality. She represents the sensuous refinements of culture—the sophisticated pleasures of lovemaking, food, alcohol, music, clothing, architecture, agriculture, herding, and ritual.

Siduri

The goddess of wine-making and brewing. Siduri is the veiled tavern keeper who comforts Gilgamesh and who, though she knows his quest is futile, helps him on his way to Utnapishtim.

Urshanabi

The guardian of the mysterious "stone things." Urshanabi pilots a small ferryboat across the Waters of Death to the Far Away place where Utnapishtim lives. He loses this privilege when he accepts Gilgamesh as a passenger, so he returns with him to Uruk.

Uruk

The city Gilgamesh rules over

Utnapishtim

A king and priest of Shurrupak, whose name translates as "He Who Saw Life." By the god Ea's connivance, Utnapishtim survived the great deluge that almost destroyed all life on Earth by building a great boat that carried him, his family, and one of every living creature to safety. The gods granted eternal life to him and his wife. He told Gilgamesh of a plant that would return him to his youth.

Abel/Cain

sons of Adam and Eve. Cain killed Abel out of jealousy

Abraham

The LORD had told Abram to leave his country and kindred and go to a land that he would show him, and promised to make of him a great nation. told to kill son Isaac but just a test. Had ishmael with Hagar

Adam/Eve

First humans created by God in Eden, expelled after they ate from the forbidden tree

Canaan

Grandson of Noah. Ham, father, saw noah naked and was disowned. His people are the canaanites. Noah cursed hams son. Known as curse of ham

Eden

Perfect garden

Esau

Isaacs favorite hairy son. Hunter. Brother of jacob who betrayed him

Hagar/ Ishmael

Ishmael illegitimate son of Abraham. Hagar is a ho

Isaac

father of Jacob and Esau. Mount Moriah, where, at God's command, Abraham built a sacrificial altar to sacrifice Isaac. This event served as a test of Abraham's faith. At the last moment an angel stopped him.

Jacob/ Israel

favorite son of Isaac. husband of Leah and Rachel

Joseph

son of jacob, sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, and rose to become vizier: the second most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh.

judah

son of jacob, sold brother joseph into slavery cuz he flaunted a colorful coat.

Laban

Laban is Rebekah's brother, He has a beautiful daughter, Rachel Jacob gets sneaky and spends a month working for Laban. , he's hiding from Esau and hoping for a chance with Rachel.

offers to pay Jacob, seven years of work for Rachel's hand in marriage. Instead of sending Rachel down the aisle, he puts a veil on Leah

Lot

nephew of sara and abraham. taken captive in war and saved by Abraham

Noah

God tells him to build an arch and to take only himself, his family, and a male/female of each species.

Pharaoh

has troubling dreams. Joseph pleases Pharaoh by explaining his dreams and ends up as second in command.

Rachel

Jacob's wife. the preferred one. Mother of Joseph. Cant have kids at first

Rebekah

isaacs wife, mother of Jacob and Esau, helped Jacob to trick father into giving him blessing over Jacob

Rueben

first son of Jacob and Leah. slept with a maid that his father also slept with so demoted from 1st son blessings

sarah

has maid hagar have a child, ishmael, with husband abraham.

Serpent

devil. gets eve to eat apple from forbidden tree in Eden

twelve tribes of Israel

God promised Abraham that his descendants would be numerous and that his descendants would eventually constitute "many nations. one tribe for each son of Jacob???

Moses

Hebrew son adopted by family of Egyptian Pharaoh. After killing a slave master he fled, and encountered God who gave him instructions for freeing the Israelis. Received the 10 commandments. Brother = Aaron.

Pharaoh (EX)

Leader of Egypt and slaver of Hebrews. Endured 10 plagues without consenting to free Hebrews.

"I WILL BE"

The response Moses gets from God when he asks God "who He is." Also famously translated "I am what I am"

Aaron/Miriam

Older brother and sister of Moses. She saw that infant Moses found safely, and connection to his heritage, and was a prophet. He was Moses' spokes person and a priest.

The people's complaints

**I think: The freed Hebrews were bitching at Moses b/c they didn't have clean water on several occasions (15.24) (17.2). God helped Moses preform miracles and obtain sweet water.

"The elders"

Rulers of the Israelites. Moses dispels information through them, and confers with them.

God's nature in Exudus

Explanatory. Forgiving. Guide Savior. Takes the enslaved, lays out path for their salvation, re-claims them as "his people. " (??)

Achillies (In Hades)

Dead Trojan War hero. Tells Odysseus that a long simple life is better than short glorious one. He regrets the decision he made in that regard.

Agamemnon

Trojan War hero. Upon his return home he was killed by Aegisthus, his wife's lover

Aias (Ajax in Hades)

One of the heroes of the Trojan War, along with Odysseus and Achilles; as a spirit, he refuses to speak to Odysseus in Hades

Aigisthos

He killed Agamemnon and was sleeping with his wife.

Aiolos

God of the winds; he helps Odysseus and his men in Book X, before he realizes there is no hope for the Ithakans.

Alkinoos

Ruler of the Phaiacians in the island of Scheria, who has by Arete five sons and one daughter, Nausicaa.

Antinoos

One of Penelope's suitors. Leads the campaign to have Telemachus killed. First to die.

Arete

wife of Alcinous and mother of Nausicaa

Argos (flash) - dog

Odysseus' dog who recognizes him upon his return. He is happy to see his old master, and then dies.

Athena

Goddess, daughter of Zeus. Friend and guide to Odysseus.

Cattle of Helios

Cows of the sun god. O told his men not to touch them, but then he took a nap and they butcher one. The gods get mad. The crew hangs out and eats beef for a while. when they get back on their ship, Zeus destroys it. O swims to Calypso's' island.

Klytaimnestra

Agamemnon's cheating wife. Killed by Agamemnom's son Orestes

Demodokos/Phemios

Poets/Minstrels; Demodokos performs for the Phaeacians and plays a song that brings Odysseus to tears; Phemios plays for the suitors on Ithaca and performs a song that makes Penelope cry

Elpenor

Youngest member of Odysseus' crew; died on Kirke's island after getting drunk and jumping off a roof

Eurykleia

Old and loyal servant who nursed Odysseus and Telemakhos when they were babies; keeps Telemakhos' journey secret from Penelope and keeps Odysseus' identity secret when he returns to Ithaca in disguise

Eurymakhos

One of the suitors; manipulative and deceitful

Ithaka

Odysseus' home island; Penelope and Telemakhos spend the duration of the story here with the suitors

Kalypso/Kirke

Goddesses and Odysseus lovers; Kalypso is a nymph who falls in love with Odysseus and keeps him with her on Ogygia for 7 years; Kirke turns Odysseus' crew into swine and he stays with her for 1 year as her lover

Laertes

Odysseus' old and dying father; regains his spirit when Odysseus returns to Ithaca and kills Antinoos' father

Menelaos

Menelaos is the King of Sparta, brother of Agamemnon, and wife of Helen; helped lead the Greeks in the Trojan War; offers to help Telemakhos find Odysseus in Book 4

Helen

Wife of Menelaos and Queen of Sparta; her kidnapping by Paris, a Trojan, caused the Trojan War; very beautiful; offers to help Telemakhos find Odysseus in Book 4

Nausikaa

Daughter of King Alkinoos and Queen Arete of the Phaeacians; discovers Odysseus on the beach at Scheria and ensures a warm reception for him at her parents' palace

Nestor

King of Pylos and former warrior in the Trojan War; visited by Telemakhos but has no information on Odysseus' whereabouts

Odysseus

The protagonist in the Odyssey; husband of Penelope and father of Telemakhos; hero of the Trojan War but now can't find his way home to Ithaca

Orestes

Agamemnon's son; kills Klytaimnestra and her loves Aigisthos as vengeance for his father's death; this murder, and whether it was warranted, is the first order of business on the agenda when the gods meet at the beginning of The Odyssey

Penelope

Odysseus' wife & Telemakhos' mother; spends her days waiting for Odysseus to return to Ithaca and dodging the advances of the suitors in her palace

Polyphemos

Cyclops & Poseidon's son; imprisons Odysseus and his crew, but is fooled and blinded by Odysseus (aka "Nobody") before the men manage to escape his island

Poseidon

God of the sea & Odysseus' divine antagonist; hate Odysseus for blinding his son Polyphemus and constantly hampers his journey home

Seirenes

Lure men to their deaths with their beautiful songs and voices; Odysseus is the first mortal to survive hearing their song

Skheria

Island home of the Phaeacians; Odysseus' last stop on his journey before reaching Ithaca

Skylla and Kharybdis

Sea monsters who live on opposite sides of a strait; Skylla is a six-headed monster who plucks as many men off the deck of passing ships; Kharybdis is a whirlpool that will destroy entire ships; avoiding one means passing too close to the other

Teiresias

Theban prophet who inhabits the underworld; shows Odysseus how to get back to Ithaca and how to communicate with other souls in Hades

Telemakhos

Penelope & Odysseus' son; natural obstacle to the suitors

Zeus

King of the gods and men; allows Athena to help Odysseus and sometimes helps Odysseus himself

Hector/Andromache/Astyanax

Hector was the Prince of Troy and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War; Andromache was his wife and Astyanax was their infant son

Herakles

Last phantom encountered by Odysseus in Hades; the ghost draws many comparisons between himself and Odysseus; carries a bow and arrows