Greek and Roman Myth Final

Epic Cycle

a collection of texts, Epic poems, which explain the entire story of the Grecco-Trojan War, including Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey

Cypria

The first poem of the Epic Cycle, by [Stasinus] includes the Judgement of Paris, the gathering of the fleet, and the first 9 years of the Trojan War

Nestor

Iliad Book 1 - Elderly King, responsible for trying to diffuse tensions between Agamemnon and Achilles. He has seen true heroes (heracles, theseus) and reminds that the age of heroes is coming to an end.

Achilles

Demigod, Son of Thetis - seen as the greatest warrior. Main character of the Iliad.

Agamemnon

King of Mycenae, Commander-in-chief of Greek Army, wants Chryses sparking plague amongst Greek army

Hector

Troy’s greatest warrior, Eldest prince

Patroclus

Achilles best friend/lover, the trigger for Achilles rampage against Troy

Thetis

Woodland nymph, mother of Achilles, once courted by Zeus and requests for Zeus to let the trojans win while Achilles sits on the sidelines

Helen

The wife of Greek king, kidnapped to become wife of Paris believes that she is just a pawn in the eyes of the gods

Andromache

Hector’s wife

Astyanax

Hector’s son

Linus song

Featured on Achilles Shield, is a traditional lamentation. Linus was a young man who died in his prime

Shield of Achilles

Made by Hephaistos featuring: a wedding w/a squabble over payment, battle of two armies, images of farming, Vineyard w/ Linus’ song, Herdsmen and dogs v. lions, Shepherds valley, Dancing festival, with surrounding Ocean - Death and Renewal when thinking about harvest

Psychostasia

Balance of Souls - Zeus tips the scales in favor of Achilles - Apollo leaves hector as result

mēnis

Rage/Wrath, Transformative - Achilles compared to dog and god

aristeia

Period of excellence; Patroclus success in the war, Achilles success in the war

Judgment of Paris

Paris chosen by Zeus to choose the most beautiful goddess between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite - promised Paris Helen so he chooses Aphrodite — Leads to Trojan War

Odysseus

Strategist in the Trojan War, King of Ithica, related to Autolycus (wolf- man) a trickster

Calypso

“I will Conceal” like death — traps Odysseus in hopes to marry him, trapped on an Island

Penelope

Odysseus’ wife, kept suitors at bay by destroying her funeral shroud for Odysseus (in the event that he is dead)

Telemachus

Odysseus’ son undergoes a coming of age story

Phemius

The poet, sings about the war - spared in the end

Nostos

Homecoming

Xenia

Treatment of guests, hosting/recieving

Nekuia

Exactly in the middle; perfect amount of Xenia

Phaeacians

Wealthy and powerful people who welcome Odysseus and wish to hear his stories

Tiresias/Teiresias (spelling varies)

A dead prophet who offers council on the journey home, but also suggests that Odysseus’ journey would not end there

Eurycleia

Servant who took care of Telemachus, demonstrates loyalty to Odysseus

Great-rooted bed

Symbolic of Odysseus’ marriage to Penelope — Love is tied to the earth

Telegony

Last two books of the Epic Cycle which tell the story of Telegonus, Odysseus’ son w/Circe — Kills Odysseus (w/out recognizing paternity) Marries penelope

Apologoi

Story w/in a story— Odysseus’ retelling of his journey to Calypso’s island in Book 9-12

Thebes

City in Boeotia, Other to athens, 2 roots, one of the foreigner (Cadmus) and one of the ground, sown men that Cadmus planted and killed (all but five)

Cadmus

Phoenician who founded thebes- sowed dragon teeth into the ground (like jason)

Sophocles

5th c. BCE Athenian philosopher author of Oedipus Rex

Laius

Oedipus’ father, King of Thebes

Jocasta

Oedipus’ mother and wife, Queen of Thebes — commits hanging

Oedipus

Wise man who saves Thebes but curses himself in search for Liaus’ killer

Sphinx

Mythological creature (lion body, human head, eagle wings) holding Thebes hostage

Eteocles

Son of Oedipus and Jocasta fights w/ polynices over Thebes

Polynices

fights w/ Eteocles over Thebes

Miasma

Pollution throughout the city, a larger belief that problem is tied to one person — collective suffering tied to individual person

Seven Against Thebes

Aeschylus tragedy describing the fight between Polynices and Eteocles over ruling Thebes - the brothers die, creon takes over

Creon

Jocasta’s brother becomes King of Thebes when Oedipus steps down

Antigone

Daughter of Oedipus, defied creon to bury her brother - conflicting argument about who could share in proper burial — chooses to be buried alive essentially

Ismene

Antigone’s sister

Athenocentrism

centering Athens because it’s the place where we know the most

Aeschylus

5th c. BCE Athenian playwright wrote the Oresteia (Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, and Eumenides)

Argos

Home of Agamemnon and his family — Mycenae

Parodos

First Choral song — Agamemnon, “Man must learn from suffering” - learning through suffering

Cassandra

Prophet cursed to never be believed after denying Apollo, stollen from Troy with Agamemnon

Iphigenia

Agamemnon’s daughter that was sacrificed to set sail for troy

Atreus/Thyestes

(A) Father of Agamemnon— killed Thyestes’ children and fed them to him

Furies/Erinyes

Responsible for bringing justice for familial killing

Chthonic

Of the earth/underworld

Katadesmos

binding curse/spell

Areopagus

Hill of elite jurors of murder trials in Athens named after Ares

Amazonomachy

Fight between the Gods and Amazons

Eumenides

Play about the trial of Orestes for the murder of his mother

Panathenaic procession

seen in the Eumenides

Autochthony

Athenian term, Born from the earth

Aeneas

Trojan - flees to Italy after war, son of Aphrodite and Anchises, Hero of the Aeneid by Virgil

Romulus and Remus

Twins, raised by a wolf, Romulus kills Remus founders of Rome

Livius Andronicus

3rd century BCE - translated the Odyssey into Latin

Quintus Ennius

2nd/3rd century BCE - wrote Annales an epic poem on Roman history

Vergil

1st century BCE poet wrote Aeneid, Eclogues, Georgics - the canonical poet of Rome

Dido

Queen of Carthage, “marries” Aeneas - tricks locals after husband passes to claim territory

Anna

Dido’s sister, helps her build a funeral pyre

Pietas

Sense of duty

Carthage

Territory in north Africa founded by the Phoenicians (disputed)

Anchises

Father of Aeneas

Sortes Vergilianae

Ritual using the Aeneid for prophecy

Sibyl

Oracles of Italy - instructs Aeneas on how to reach Hades

Mythos

Ancient Greek for a special kind of story or speech

Hesiod

8/7th c. BCE, archaic period of Greek Lit.

Boeotia

Theogony, Works and Days, and Catalogue of Women

Dactylic hexameter

Meter of Epic poetry (Theogony)

enargeia

Greek word for vividness

Cosmogony

A creation narrative

Muses

Daughters of Zeus and Memory

Ability to move between past, present, and future

Power to entertain

Calliope can bless kings as great orators

Aoidos

Greek word meaning singer of tales (Hesiod, Theogony)

Titans

Born of Earth and Ouranos, reigned before the Olympians

Folk etymology

Represent Greeks interpreting their own myths- rationalizations — using myth to explain

Ex: Aphrodite= Born of foam, Titans= Over-reached in wickedness

Theogony

Means Birth of the Gods; tells the story of the birth of the titans and Olympians

Aetiology

explains why things are the way they are = origin tale

Crete

Island south of mainland Greece; where Zeus was raised

Omphalos

Stone used to trick cronos and placed at delphi to mark center of the earth - literally: navel

Pandora

first woman created as a punishment for Prometheus stealing fire

Titanomachy

War between the Olympian gods and the Titans - Zeus frees 100 handers (coalitions), wins - titans placed in tartaros

Works and Days

Work by Hesiod as about an unfair inheritance, aetiologies for why life is hard - use prometheus and pandora to explain; explains 5 ages

Catalogue of Women

Last work of Hesiod— part of theogony — list womens

Perses

Hesiod’s dumb brother

Five Ages

Golden age: best - long lifespan

Silver age: long childhood short adulthood - killed by Zeus

Bronze age: violent - killed each other until extinct

Age of Heroes: Demigods some die some immortal

Iron age: Humans - endless suffering and destruction

Cuneiform literature

Wedge- shaped writing

ca. 3000 BCE - 200 CE

Predates Greek literacy

Tiamat

The Sea - similar to Gaia in the Enuma Elish

Marduk

Similar to Zeus new King of Babylon Gods in Enuma Elish

Xenophanes of Colophon

6th c. BCE (after Hesiod and Homer)

Philosopher and literary critic

Ionia, most work lost

Didactic

critiqued anthropomorphic logic regarding the form of the Gods

Didactic literature

Literature meant to teach (philosophical truths)

Apollo

God associated with music, light, prophecy, archery, and healing

(Leto and Zeus)

Dionysus

God associated with wine, madness, drama, ambiguity

born of both mortal and god (zeus and Semele)

Aphrodite

Dispute over whether she is Olympian or something else (daughter of Zeus or daughter of Ouranos’ balls)

Associated with love, sex, Marriage, desire, and connection

Oral transmission

Movement, spread of stories through spoken word