CLAS170 all stories and timelines

Authors from the Archiac period

Hesoid, Homer, Sapho, Homeric Hymns (unknown author(s))

Archiac period

750-490 BCE

Hesoid’s works

“Theogony” and “Works and days”

What is theogony about?

Succession motifs, how the gods (mostly Zeus) gained power, Life before the Olympians

How did Kronos gain power?

Ouranos hid his children within Gaia (spouse) so Gaia asked her children which one of them would seek revenge. Kronos stepped up and when Ouranos was approaching Gaia at night, Kronos popped out and castrated him using a sickle. Kronos imprisons his siblings. Age of Titans begins.

How did Zeus gain power?

Gaia tells Kronos the prophacy of his son overthrowing him so Kronos swallows his children right after Rhea gives birth. Rhea, devastated, listens to Gaia and hides her 6th child (Zeus) and gives Kronos a swaddled rock for him to swallow. Once Zeus grows up, he tricks Kronos into drinking a potion and Kronos throws up his fully grown siblings (Hestia, Hera, Demeter, Hades, Poseidon). Massive war between Olympians (new gen) and Titan Breaks out (old gen). Zeus released Cyclopes who give him Thunder and the Lightning bolt and gives the Hundred Handers ambrosia to help win the war. Olympians win and Zeus sends Titans to Tartarus where Hundred Handers guard the gates.

How does Zeus earn his title as King of the Gods?

Gaia mates with Tartarus and produces Typhoios to try and trigger another war. Zeus fights Typhoios one-on-one and wins. After winning Zeus distributes power amongst the gods.

How does Zeus escape the offspring-father cycle?

After hearing the prophacy that his son would overthrow him, Zeus swallows his wife (Metis) and absorbs her wisdom as well as the baby which would later birth out of his head (Athena).

What is Work and days about?

How humans live now with the gods in charge (specifically Zeus), how Zeus hands out punishments and rewards, all the ages (gold to iron)

Golden age (Hesoid)

Humans had a long life and became floating spirits that dispersed wealth and maintained justice. Wealth, abundance, peace, justice were in life. Lived like gods

Silver age (Hesoid)

Ignored the gods and refused to worship, Long childhood which included siblings fighting, and violence to each other, Zeus punishes for not worshipping

Bronze age (Hesoid)

Warlike and terrible; used bronze for everything; People were monstrous, violent, were dedicated to war, killed in war and forgotten

Age of Heros (Hesoid)

Important figures: Achilles and Odysseus, “god-like race" , Demigods, Immortality in the isles of the blessed (afterlife for heroes and the virtuous)

Iron age (Hesoid)

Hesiod’s own time. Defined by constant labor, misery, and the breakdown of family and justice. He predicts a future "Shame" and "Retribution" leave the earth entirely but will leave behind suffering and future destruction

Silver age (Ovid)

Hesoid’s version + origin of seasons which brings agriculture (etiological)

Iron age (Ovid)

Hesoid’s version + Development of commerce, private property, wealth, warface (etiological)

Important characters in Hymn 2 to Demeter

Hades, Demeter, Persephone

Hymn 2 to Demeter Summary

While picking flowers, Persephone is swallowed by the earth and Hades takes her away. He gives her pomegranates and she eats them, making her bound to the Underworld for a portion of the year. Demeter grieves and looks for her daughter for several days and nights, refusing to eat. In her anger at Zeus and Hades, she creates global famine by refusing to let plants sprout (leading to no sacrifaces to the other Olympians). In her grief, she disguises herself as an old woman (Doso) and travels to Eleusis, where she attempts to make a mortal boy immortal by dipping him in fire (explains the temple at Eleusis). Hades acted because of permission given by Zeus and views this as a legitimate marriage. Demeter, Hades, and Zeus come to agreement led by Rhea and let Persephone go but she must return for 1/3 of the year (bc of pomegranate)

Hymn 2 to Demeter result

Explains the origin of seasons and Elesuian Mysteries (secret religeous cult)

Spring/Summer: Persephone is above ground with Demeter; the earth is fertile and grain grows.

Winter: Persephone is in the underworld with Hades; Demeter mourns, and the earth becomes barren

Important characters in Hymn 3 to Apollo

Leto and Apollo

Hymn 3 to Apollo summary

Leto is pregnant with Zeus’s children and is hunted down by Hera because of jealousy. Leto cannot find a place to give birth because every land fears the wrath of Hera. Leto arrives at Delos (strikes a deal w Delos saying that Apollo will build a temple there and bring fame and wealth). When Apollo is born, he is fed nectar and ambrosia, making him stronger and announcing his 3 domains: the lyre (music), the bow, and the oracle (prophacy). When Apollo leaves Delos to find a location for his prophetic sanctuary, he is tricked by Tilphousa (nymph) into going to Mount Parnassus as the nymph didn’t want to share her land with a powerful god. At Parnassus (eventually becomes Delphi), Apollo encounters a dragon (Python) and kills her using his bow. Apollo transforms into a dolphin.

Hymn 3 to Apollo result

Legitimizes Apollo’s authority, Apollo bridges gap between Zeus and humans (Apollo is the oracle)

Important characters in Hymn 4 to Hermes

Maia (mother of Hermes), Hermes, Apollo

Hymn 4 to Hermes summary

Maia gives birth to Hermes, a trickster. Hermes finds a tortoise and makes a lyre out of its shell. Hermes steals 50 of Apollo’s cattle and to trick Apollo, he makes the cattle walk backward from the cave. When Apollo confronts him, Hermes pretends to just be an infant. Angry, Apollo drags Hermes to Mount Olympus to be judged by Zeus and Zeus orders hermes to show Apollo where his cattle is. Apollo is angry until Hermes plays the lyre. Apollo strikes a deal where Hermes can keep the cattle while Apollo gets the lyre

Hymn 4 to Hermes result

Establishes Hermes’s cunningness, cleverness, and trickary and how he earned respect even though he was born in a lowly cave (associated with the lower world)

Hymn 5 to Aphrodite characters

Aphrodite and Anchises

Hymn 5 to Aphrodite summary

Zeus, tired of Aphrodite bragging about her powers to make anyone fall in love (including Zeus), makes her fall in love with Anchises (a mortal man). After sleeping together, Aphrodite reveals her true form as she was disguised as a maiden. After finding out shes a goddess, Anchises begs for his life (mortal men who sleep with goddesses are often crippled or destroyed). Aphrodite warns him not to tell anybody or he will die and tells him he will have a famous son (Aeneas)

Hymn 5 to Aphrodite result

No one is above the power of desire/lust (eros), highlights the gap between gods and humans

Hymn 7 to Dionysus summary

Pirates seize and bind Dionysus with thick cords but the cords mysteriously fall off his hands and feet. The Helmsman beg the captain to let him go as they assume Dionysus must be Apollo, Zeus, or Poseidon. Once at sea, Dionysus reveals his powers and chaos ensues: vines, ivy, and plants bloom on the ship and the smell of wine flows in the air. Dionysus transforms into a roaring lion and creates a bear on the ship. In terror, the pirates jump into the sea but once they touch the water, they are transformed into dolphins. Dionysus spares the Helmsmen because they showed respect

Hymn 7 to Dionysus result

Shows the terrifying power and unpredictability of Dionysus, kind of explains the existence of dolphins(?), shows the gods’ dual nature (kindness to those who show respect and punishment to those who dont)

Hymn 27 to Artemis summary

Mountains tremble and forests echo with cries of beasts and animals Artemis hunts. After she’s had her fill with hunting, she destrings her bow and travels to her brothers rich land of Delphi. There, she leads the Muses in a beautiful dance and is the most graceful dancer among them.

Hymn 27 to Artemis result

Connects Apollo to Artemis as siblings, establishes Artemis’s power and dual nature

All Homeric Hymns

1,2,3,4,5,7,27

Homer’s works

the Odyssey and Iliaid

Stories from the Odyssey

Songs of Ares and Aphrodite, Helen in the Odyssey, Book 11

Songs of Ares and Aphrodite characters

Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaistos, Helios

Songs of Ares and Aphrodite summary

Hephaistos (legitimate husband of Aphrodite) is informed by Helios (Sun god so he sees everything) that Ares and Aphrodite have been meeting secretly in Hephaistos’s own bed. After finding out, Hephaistos doesnt react physically but uses his intelligence. He makes a net of chains that cannot be broken and lays it over his bed. As Hephaistos pretends to leave, Ares and Aphrodite lie on the bed and the trap immediately catches them. Hephaistos calls all other gods to come witness this sight as a form of public humiliation. The gods, rather than be outraged, laugh. Poseidon talks to Hephaistos into releasing them and promosies Area will pay a fine for adultery

Songs of Ares and Aphrodite result

Shows a rare glimpse in the gods’ humanity, shows off Hephaistos’s metis (cunning) and how he was able to “defeat” Ares even though he is a lame god

Book 11 summary (Odyssey)

Odysseus travels to the furthest edge of the ocean and summons spirits using a blood ritual. The blood gives spirits the energy to talk and remember their past lives. Odysseus encounters ghost of Achilles. Odysseus tried to comfort Achilles by saying that he was the greatest hero and he is a lord among the dead and he shouldnt be sad about being dead. Achillies rejects “glory” of death and says he would rather be poor and slaving away than be king over the dead. Achillies admites that any life on earth is better than being a shadow in the afterlife

Book 11 result (Odyssey)

Greek underwolrd is just a shadow: no joy or punishment, just ghosts wandering around with fading memories of the world above. Rejects the idea of Kleos (Glory/honor) being the highest thing worth achieving- human life is the most precious thing there is regardless of status or wealth

Stories from the Iliad

Books 1, 6, 9, 18, 22, 24

What is the Iliad about?

the 10 year Trojan war

Book 1 (Iliad) summary

Chryses (priest of Apollo) comes to the Greek camp to get his daughter (Chryseis) back (captured by the Greeks). Agamemnon (King of men) rejects him and threatens to kill him if he returns. Apollo, hearing this, shoots an arrow of plague into the Greek camp. Achilles (also on the side of the Greeks but only a commander) calls an assembly to solve the plague, which is an act of defiance, as only the King usually calls meetings. Only the release of Chryseis can end the plague. Agamemnon agrees to give her up but demands compensation and argues that the supreme leader cannot be the only one without a prize. Achilles calls Agamemnon greedy and shameless so Agamemnon declares that he will take Briseis (Achilles’s prize). Achilles was going to kill Agamemnon, but Athena (only visible to him) stops him. Achilles makes an oath that when the Greeks are being slaughtered by Hector (noble leader and hero from Troy), he will not help. Agamemnon goes to Achilles’ camp and takes away Briseis, and Achilles doesn’t fight. Achillies prays to Thetis (his mother) to help him get revenge on Agamemnon and use a favor Thetis has from Zeus. Thetis goes to Zeus and asks him to honor her son by granting the Trojans victory while Achilles remains out of the battle. Zeus is reluctantly agrees as helping the Trojans would force him to fight his wife Hera.

Book 1 (Iliad) key takeaways

Power vs authority: Agamemnon has political authority but a mediocre warrior while Achilles has physical power yet is technically inferior to Agamemnon. Fragility of the system: Even though Achilles and Agamemnon are on the same side, they are driven by personal recognition- as soon as Achilles feels insulted, he stops caring about the war and prays for the other side (Trojans) to win. Honor is based on individual glory and not teamwork

Book 6 (Iliad) summary

The battle continues. Glaucus (key ally of Troy) and Diomedes (one of the most powerful Greek warriors) meet and find out their grandfathers knew each other so they refuse to fight each other. Hector leaves the battlefield to tell the Trojan women to beg and make sacrifices to Athena for mercy. Hecuba (mother of Hector) offers him rest and wine, but he refuses as he is focused on his duty. He finds Paris (his brother) polishing his armor while the city dies for his sake and Hector scolds him for being a coward. Andromache (Hector’s wife) begs him not to go back to war as he is her husband and their child’s father. Hector admits Troy is doomed but his shame before the Trojan people prevents him from hiding. He wants to die in glory and honor for his city. When Hector tries to hug his son, the baby screams in terror because of his helmet so he takes off the helmat and prays his son will be a greater warrior than he was. He heads back into war

Book 6 (Iliad) takeaways

Achilles vs Hector: Achilles fights for himself and for his own individual glory and prize, while Hector fights for the honor of his family and his city for as long as possible even though he knows Troy will fall. Sacred bond: Instead of killing each other (Diomedes and Galucus), they become friends, showing that human connection can still transcend political warfare.

Book 9 (Iliad) summary

The Greeks are sensing defeat and Agamemnon is now humbled and admits it was stupid to insult Achilles. He offers peace offerings to get him back including the return of Briseis, one of his own daughters in marriage, treasures, and more. Achilles rejects his peace offerings and says that death is the same for everyone and it doesnt matter if you have glory or not or if youre a winner or not. He says that life is the most valuable thing in the world and once the soul leaves, it cannot come back. At this point of time, Achilles chooses life over glory

Book 9 (Iliad) takeways

Heroic code is broken: Achilles gives up glory and honor in exchange for his life and realizes how broken the system is: whats the point of glory and treasure if you’ll die and the king can take it away from you at any time?

Book 18 (Iliad) summary

Achilles recieves the news that Patroclus has died. With grief, Achilles has no will to live and has a change of heart and decides to fight not for prizes, but for revenge for his bestfriend (and possibly lover). Thetis, hearing Achilles cries, goes to Hephaistos so he crafts a new shield: shield of Achilles. Achilles recovers Patroclus’s body from the battlefield

Book 22 (Iliad) summary

Hector is the only one standing outside of the Troy walls as everyone else retreats waiting for Achilles. Hector wants to reason with Achilles but realizes Achilles is past the point of reason. As he sees Achilles, his courage shakes and they run around the walls of Trojan 3 times. Athena disguises herself as Deiphobus (Hector’s brother) and convinces him to fight Achilles. Hector, moved that his brother would leave the safety of the wall to join him, agrees to face Hector. They fight and Achilles wins by stabbing Hector in the neck. He begs for a burial but Achilles refuses and ties him to the back of his chariot. Andromache watches in despair as his body is dragged through the dirt by Achilles

Book 22 (Iliad) takeaways

Gods do not fight fair and they don’t care as long as Fate is fufilled.

Ovid- the flood

the humans disrespect the gods, which cause the flood

Deucalion and Pyrrha are the only survivors

And they repopulate the world through an oracle, where humans came from rocks

Genesis- the flood

Noah is the only survivor because he worships the gods

Noah builds an ark which saves his family and each pair of animal

Flood lasts 371 days

Through this he told the earth and the children to reproduce, and the animals too

Homer afterlife

Forever waiting room, gloomy, no punishment or reward, ghosts float around with no purpose

Virgil afterlife

Underworld had justice and legal system (REGULATION), People have emotions, Tartarus (punishment for the wicked) , Elynsium (reward for the virtuous)

Aidos

Obligation and shame for not doing that obligation

Arete

Showing excellence (like in battle)

Time

Immediate reward or recognition for excellence

Kleos

Immortal glory and fame afterwards. Memory of excellence. Compensation for mortality

Classical period

490-323 BCE

Hellenistic Period

323 – 31 BCE

Roman Period

31 BCE- 5th cent. CE

Roman Empire

27 BCE - 476 CE

authors from classical period

Herodotus

authors from Hellenistic Period

Apollonius of Rhodes

authors from Roman Period

Apollodorus

authors from Roman Empire

Ovid, Hyginus, Virgil

Ovid the creation

starts with chaos, 4 elements, creation of man: from seed or from Prometheus

Apollo and daphne

ovid

Apollo and daphne summary

Apollo insults Ero’s archery so he shoots Apollo with gold-tip arrow (love) and Daphne with a lead-tip arrow (causing revulsion). Apollo pursus Daphne through the woods so she prays to her father (river god peneus). she is transformed into a laurel tree

Lo

ovid

Lo summary

Jupiter rapes Lo. When Juno comes to investigate, Jupiter turns Lo into a cow. Juno is suspicious so she asks for the cow as a gift and sends Argus (100 eye giant) to watch her. Jupiter sends Mercury to kill Argus so Mercury lulls him to sleep and beheads him and Juno takes the 100 eyes and puts them on her peacock

Jupiter and Europa

ovid

Jupiter and Europa summary

Jupiter transforms himself into a bull to blend in. Europa sees the bull and lowers her guard. Europa climbs onto his back but as soon as she is seated, Jupiter moves into the water and swims away. She is terrified

Birth of dionysus

ovid metamorphoses

Birth of dionysus summary

Jupiter falls in love with mortal woman (Semele) and she is pregnant with his child. Juno finds out and becomes jealous and angry so Juno transforms herself into Beroe (Semele’s nurse) and plants a seed of doubt and suggests Semele’s lover may not be Jupiter and tells Semele to ask Jupiter to prove his identity in his full glory. Jupiter, wanting to please her, swears by the River of Styx (most binding oath) to give her whatever she wants and she asks him to show her his full power. Jupiter cannot refuse because of the oath and shows her his power. Semele is struck by lightning and is burned. Unborn baby survives so Jupiter rescues it and sews the infant into his own thigh where he later gives birth to Dionysus (bacchus)