Greek and Roman Mythology Final

in medias res

In the middle of things, where the Illiad starts

anger (menis)

Achilles feels when Patroclus died that’s why he entered that battle after he said he wouldn’t

heroic code

kleos

Glory, your name lives on after you are gone. All heroes want it.

kudos

Praise

gera

timé

time

Homeric simile

comparing battles to agriculture

xenia

friendship that goes beyond just friendship. taking people into their home and giving them gifts

hubris

ambition/pride

fate

supplication

the act of pleading for mercy, usually involving grabbing the knees of the other person

Aristeia (prowess)

Achilles

son of Thetis, impenetrable, curse of the Styx, refused to participate in the battle after Agamemnon stole his girl, after Patroclus died, he went into the battle and was killed. Prophecy said that he could live a long life and not be remembered or die young and achieve kleos

Agamemnon

King, brother of Menelaus, stole girl from Achilles

Apollo

God of Prophecy

Briseis

Achillies’ spoil girl, stolen by Agamemnon

Nestor

an old man who encouraged the men into battle, long-winded advice

Thetis

Achilles’ mother, went to Hephestus for armor, begged Zeus to let the trojans win until Achilles got respect.

Zeus

Helped the trojans under the request of Achilles,

Odysseus

King of Ithica, had to take a 10-year journey to get back home. Smartest Hero

Hera

On the side Greeks, seduced Zeus so the Greeks would have a chance

Hephaestus

made really incredible armor for achilles

Menelaus

Wife was Helen, until stolen, also a king, reason the war happened

Paris

Prince of Troy, judged a competition if the Goddesses and was given Helen as his prize

Hector

Prince of Troy, killed by Achilles, son also killed thrown off a wall?

Helen

most beautiful girl ever, Menelaus’ wife then given to Paris.

Priam

King of Troy

Athena

On the side of the Greeks, granted Diomedes great strength, protects Achilles.

Ares

helps Hector and his soldiers in book 5+6

Aphrodite

kind of started the Trojan war cause she gave Paris Helen, she continuously helped Paris (saving his from Menelaus),

Hecuba

Queen of Troy

Andromache

Hector’s wife

Astyanax

Hector’s son, a baby gets thrown off a wall by Achilles son.

Aeschylus

“father” of Tragedy, Oresteia

Oresteia

A trilogy of the killing of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and Orestes’ trial

Agamemnon (Oresteia)

King of Mycenae, when got home wife + lover killed him.

Libation Bearers

Agamemnon’s son Orestes comes back from exile to kill the murder of his father and it ends up being his mom and her lover.

Eumenides

Wrote the Oresteia

Electra

Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Sent Orestes away when Agamemnon was murdered, saving his life

Orestes

Son of Agamemnon, killed Clytemnestra and lover, 1st murder trail

Clytemnestra (Orestia)

Agamemnon’s wife, sister to Helen, killed him because he sacrificed their daughter.

Agamemnon (Orestia)

Killed his daughter, was killed by his wife took the priestess Cassandra captive.

Iphigenia

Agamenon’s daughter who was sacrificed to Artimes met her brother later on?

Aulis

port where Agammemnon was trapped on his way to Troy

Calchas

The soothsayer around the Greeks in the illiad

Artemis (Orestia)

Goddess who saved Agamemnon’s daughter when he scarified her (to artemis)

Signal fires

means that the Greeks have won the war and that Agamemnon is coming home, gave Clytemnestra a chance to plot

Red carpet/tapestry scene

walking on a red carpet was supposed to be for a God

Cassandra (orestia)

a priestess of Apollo saw herself being kidnaped and raped. Raped by Ajax the lesser. Taken by Agamemnon also killed by Clytemnestra.

Third speaking actor

Cassandra is the 3rd speaking actor: **Speaking words of Apollo and the gods** 

Aegisthus

Clytemnestra’s lover, killed Agammemnon, was killed by Orestes, brother to Atreus

Messenger Speech

instead of a tradition messenger speech where someone runs onto the stage telling everyone about the murders/ deaths, Cassandra foretells of her and Agamemnon’s murders

ekkyklema

where corpses of Agamemnon and Cassandra are shown.

Justice

In Greece it was relatively normal to kill anyone who murdered someone in your family, but you weren’t supposed to kill someone in your own bloodline or else the Furies would come get you.

RevengeAreopagus

Clytemnestra sought revenge against Agamemnon for the death of her daughter

Council/Court

there was not really a court where your actions were mulled over by a jury of your peers this was kind of the first one.

Recognition scene

where Electra recognizes Orestes at the grave of Agamemnon

Pylades

Sister to Agamemnon, basically a reminder to Orestes of Apollo’s instructions

The Furies

a band of three bat/chicken ladies who punished people who killed their blood relatives. Kind of talked down by Athena who offered them a home.

Delphi (Orestia)

the oracle who gave Orestes the prophecy of killing his fathers killer

Pythia

Priestess’ of Apollo, chorus in the Orestia

Apollo (Oresteia)

Gave Orestes the prophecy that made him go kill his mother and her lover.

Athena (orestia)

wanted to give … a fair trail so made a jury from people from Athens

Trial by jury

being judged by your peers after being given all the evidence. In … was the first

persuasion

to make someone believe something, author was trying to convince people of something, Athena uses it

Eumenides (kindly minded ones)

final play of the Oresteia, where Orestes is tried

Panathenaic Procession

a festival in Athens

Mass incarceration

?????

Ajax

a great hero, took Achilles body off the battlefield, thought he should have gotten the armor, tried to kill Odysseus but ended up killing and torturing a bunch of cows instead, had survivors’ guilt, jumped on his own sword.

Salamis

the country where Ajax is King

Achilles (Ajax)

Ajax took his body off the field, Odysseus got his armor.

Odysseus (Ajax)

got Achilles’ armor, was almost killed by Ajax, didn’t want to upset him.

Athena (Ajax)

Protected Odessyues when Ajax came to kill him, showed him Ajax’s madness

Tecmessa

Ajax’s consort, has a son with her., killed her father in front of her

Teucer

Ajax’s half brother, a great archer, reminds Menelaus that Ajax came to Troy because of him and his wife

Menelaus (Ajax)

orders that Ajax must not buried, since he intended to kill greeks

Agamemnon (Ajax)

Also forbids Ajax’s burial

Chorus

soldiers and sailor of Ajax

Three Actor Rule

since the Greeks thought only three actors where to be onstage at all times we think the Ajax actor probably crawled of stage or was token off

Suicide

Ajax commits suicide by jumping on his sword, because he feels guilty and angry

PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; many uses Ajax as an example of this because he is a soldier who has a complete break down after a war.

Brian Doerries

Producer of Theatre of war, used this to help vets deal with PTSD, lost his father and his girlfriend

Theater of War

a program that uses theatre to deal with social issues and to bring through raw feelings

Odysseus (Odyssey)

King of Ithica, went off to the Trojan war for 10 years, took him 10 years to get back. Lotus eaters, Cyclops, Circe, Calypso, etc

Telemachus

Son of Odysseus, went in search of his father, delt with the suitors for a long time

Penelope

wife of Odysseus, stayed loyal, outsmarted the suitors by trying to weave a death shroud for Laertes but would unravel it a little every night for 10 years.

Laertes

Father of Odysseus

Antinous

Kind of like the Head suitor picked at Odysseus when he was a beggar, planned to murder Telemachus.

Eurymachus

suitor, tried to manipulate Penelope

Mentes

An old friends of Odysseus that Athena takes the guise of. She then guides Telemachus to visit Nestor to look for Odysseus

Mentor

friend of Odysseus, was left in charge of Telemachus while Odysseus was away. Athena also appears as him,

Nestor (Odessey)

King of Pylos: Telemachus visits him in search of his father (after he visits Helen and Menelaus). Gives very long advice.

Menelaus (Odessey)

Tells Telemachus that Odysseus is alive and on Calypso’s island

Helen (Odyssey)

recognizes Tel first, and tells Menelaus.

**Proteus**

Menelaus tells a story with him in it: if you can hold onto him and get him to submit, he will tell you anything

Calypso

a daughter of Atlas, she is abandon on a island, Ogygia, falls in love with Odysseus

Athena (Odessey)

Favors Odysseus and helps him through many situations (shipwreck, suitors, etc.), appears in different peoples forms.

Hermes (Odessey)

Hermes helps Odysseus outsmart Circe and rescued him from Ogygia

Poseidon (odessey)

Tries to prevent Odysseus from returning home because Odysseus blinded his son the Cyclops