Epic Destinies, Individual Journeys

Final Exam

Homer, Iliad (Excerpt 1) - Context

• Andromache begs Hector not to return to battle, fearing for his safety.

• Hector acknowledges Troy’s inevitable fall and predicts that Andromache will be taken captive, forced into slavery, and made to perform menial tasks.

• This dialogue highlights the harsh realities of war for women, including the loss of freedom, identity, and dignity.

Homer, Iliad (Excerpt 1) - Significance

• The passage redefines heroism by showing Hector as a hero aware of the consequences of his actions, not just a triumphant warrior.

• Heroism is portrayed as conscious self-sacrifice, shifting from glory-seeking to doing what is right despite hopeless outcomes.

• Courage is framed as the willingness to endure loss knowingly, rather than confidence in guaranteed success.

Homer, Iliad (Excerpt 1) - Relation

• Both The Iliad and The Aeneid explore the personal costs of conflict, showing how war and duty impact those not directly fighting.

• In The Aeneid, Dido suffers psychologically and socially after Aeneas leaves, leading to her suicide, while in The Iliad, Andromache faces immediate and unavoidable consequences of Hector’s role in battle.

• Both works highlight that women bear the heaviest price for the ambitions and duties of men, though the Aeneid frames it as necessary for destiny, whereas the Iliad emphasizes tragic immediacy.

Homer, Iliad (Excerpt 2) - Context

• The scene takes place after Hector’s death, with Priam entering Achilles’ hut to request the return of his son’s body.

• Priam’s pleas move Achilles emotionally.

• Achilles recognizes Priam not as an enemy, but as a grieving father, highlighting shared humanity amid war.

Homer, Iliad (Excerpt 2) - Significance

• The passage marks Achilles’ return to human compassion, ending the cycle of rage that drives the epic’s violence.

• Achilles and Priam recognize their shared humanity, redefining heroism as humility rather than brutality.

• The scene emphasizes reconciliation and mourning over vengeance, bringing The Iliad to a moral close.

Homer, Iliad (Excerpt 2) - Relation

• Achilles sets aside anger to recognize shared human grief, reflecting themes in Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations and Paul’s 1 Corinthians, emphasizing compassion and humility over revenge or status.

• The scene aligns with Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, showing virtue as the regulation of emotion through reason; Achilles achieves a balanced, humane response to suffering.

• The passage demonstrates that The Iliad values ethical self-mastery and moral restraint as central to heroism, rather than uncontrolled rage or purely martial excellence.

Homer, Iliad (Excerpt 3) - Context

• The quote occurs after Achilles returns Hector’s body to Priam and grants a temporary truce.

• This pause allows the Trojans to conduct Hector’s funeral, highlighting respect for the dead.

• The epic ends with communal mourning and loss, emphasizing human grief over military victory.

Homer, Iliad (Excerpt 3) - Significance

• The ending restores order and humanity after the prolonged violence of the Iliad.

• Concluding with Hector’s funeral emphasizes mourning and remembrance over military triumph.

• The scene highlights the human cost of war and reinforces the epic’s moral and emotional themes.

Homer, Iliad (Excerpt 3) - Relation

• The ending of The Iliad parallels Virgil’s Aeneid, framing war through loss and remembrance rather than simple victory.

• In the Aeneid, Aeneas holds funeral games for his father Anchises, pausing after years of conflict to honor the dead.

• Both works suggest that proper burial and ritual distinguish civilization from savagery, even during wartime.

Euripides, Medea (Excerpt 1) - Context

• The quote occurs early in Medea’s speech to the Corinthian women.

• Medea challenges the Greek belief that men suffer more in war while women live comfortably at home.

• She compares childbirth to battle to reveal the hidden physical and emotional suffering women endure in a male-dominated society.

Euripides, Medea (Excerpt 1) - Significance

• The quote establishes Medea’s critique of gender inequality, a central theme of the play.

• By comparing childbirth to warfare, Medea reframes female suffering as heroic and highlights how society minimizes women’s pain.

• The speech provides context for Medea’s later actions, showing they stem from systemic injustice rather than irrational passion alone.

Euripides, Medea (Excerpt 1) - Relation

• Like The Iliad, Medea highlights female suffering and the hidden costs of conflict for women.

• Medea’s comparison of childbirth to battle parallels Andromache’s fears, showing women endure their own forms of struggle and heroism.

• Both works challenge traditional notions of valor, demonstrating that courage and suffering are not exclusive to male warriors.

Euripides, Medea (Excerpt 2) - Context

• The quote occurs when Medea confides in the Chorus of Corinthian women.

• She describes her isolation and betrayal after Jason abandons her, highlighting her lack of family, city, or support.

• Medea warns that a woman wronged in love, though often seen as timid, can become violently determined, foreshadowing her revenge.

Euripides, Medea (Excerpt 2) - Significance

• The quote foreshadows Medea’s later actions and motivates her vengeance against Jason.

• It emphasizes the suffering women endure in a patriarchal society.

• The passage sets the foundation for the play’s tragic climax.

Euripides, Medea (Excerpt 2) - Relation

• Like The Iliad, Medea highlights female suffering and the hidden costs of male-centered conflicts.

• Andromache’s fears in The Iliad parallel Medea’s experiences of betrayal, loss, and powerlessness.

• Both works show that women’s struggles are central to understanding the human cost of male-dominated societies and conflicts.

Euripides, Medea (Excerpt 3) - Context

• The dialogue occurs after Medea has killed Jason’s new wife and her father.

• Medea decides to kill her own children as the final act of revenge against Jason.

• This shows Medea’s deliberate choice to abandon maternal love in order to prioritize vengeance.

Euripides, Medea (Excerpt 3) - Significance

• The quote marks the turning point where Medea fully commits to revenge, illustrating the extremes of her anger and despair.

• It emphasizes the play’s exploration of justice when social and familial bonds are violated.

• The speech highlights the consequences of unchecked rage by showing Medea’s calculated cruelty alongside her grief.

Euripides, Medea (Excerpt 3) - Relation

• Like The Iliad, Medea shows how grief and betrayal can drive characters to extreme actions.

• Medea’s rage over Jason’s betrayal parallels Achilles’ grief-driven vengeance against Hector, including desecrating his body.

• Both works illustrate that intense personal loss can lead characters to defy moral and social norms, causing suffering to others.

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Excerpt 1) - Context

• Aristotle defines the highest human good as happiness, the ultimate goal of life.

• He notes that people often disagree on what happiness truly means.

• To understand happiness, Aristotle suggests examining human purpose or function to determine what allows humans to flourish.

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Excerpt 1) - Significance

• The quote introduces Aristotle’s main goal: explaining what true happiness is.

• Happiness, according to Aristotle, comes from living well and using reason properly, rather than seeking pleasure or wealth.

• The rest of the book explores how developing good character enables people to achieve this type of happy life.

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Excerpt 1) - Relation

• In The Iliad, heroes often equate happiness with fame and success in war.

• Aristotle argues that true happiness requires good character and wise choices, not just external glory.

• His philosophy challenges the Iliad’s focus on admiration, emphasizing that living wisely is more important than being celebrated.

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Excerpt 2) - Context

• The lone warrior represents individual virtue and moral courage, illustrating Aristotle’s idea that true excellence involves acting rightly even in difficult circumstances.

• The phalanx of soldiers symbolizes collective or social roles, showing that ethical action also occurs within a structured community where coordination and shared rules matter.

• The image highlights Aristotle’s concept of virtue as the mean between extremes, balancing individual initiative with social responsibility to achieve moral and practical excellence.

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Excerpt 2) - Significance

• It emphasizes that virtue requires both personal courage and moral reasoning, not just blind adherence to rules or collective behavior.

• The contrast between the lone warrior and the phalanx illustrates Aristotle’s idea that ethical excellence combines individual judgment with social responsibility.

• The image reinforces the concept that true happiness (eudaimonia) is achieved through virtuous action, balancing personal initiative with the well-being of the community.

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Excerpt 2) - Relation

• The lone warrior parallels heroes like Achilles or Hector, whose personal courage and choices drive the narrative and demonstrate individual virtue.

• The phalanx reflects the importance of collective military organization, similar to how Greek armies rely on coordinated strategy alongside individual heroism.

• The contrast highlights the tension between personal glory and communal duty, a central theme in The Iliad where heroes balance honor, ethical choices, and loyalty to their city or comrades.

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Excerpt 3) - Context

• Aristotle questions whether a person can be considered truly happy only after their entire life is complete.

• He examines whether events after death, such as the successes or failures of one’s children, can affect a person’s happiness.

• Aristotle argues that while these events do not fully determine happiness, they can slightly influence how we judge a life as a whole.

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Excerpt 3) - Significance

• The quote reinforces Aristotle’s idea that true happiness comes from living virtuously over an entire lifetime.

• Happiness depends on the quality of a full life, not just isolated moments or events.

• While external events can have minor effects, happiness is primarily stable and grounded in one’s character.

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Excerpt 3) - Relation

• In The Iliad, heroes are judged by their entire life story, not just individual actions or moments.

• Hector, for example, is remembered as noble and honorable despite suffering and death.

• Both Aristotle and The Iliad emphasize that the assessment of a life requires considering the whole trajectory, not isolated events.

Virgil, Aeneid (Excerpt 1) - Context

• The quote occurs when Aeneas visits the underworld and sees a vision of Rome’s future.

• His father explains Rome’s mission to rule and govern others.

• The passage defines Roman greatness as bringing order, peace, and justice through power.

Virgil, Aeneid (Excerpt 1) - Significance

• The quote clearly states Rome’s purpose and justifies Aeneas’s mission.

• It frames Aeneas’s suffering as necessary for the founding of Rome and its empire.

• The passage presents Roman power as moral and civilizing, reinforcing the epic’s overarching message.

Virgil, Aeneid (Excerpt 1) - Relation

• Both The Iliad and The Aeneid deal with war and power, but they assign different values to them.

• In The Iliad, warriors pursue personal glory and honor through combat, whereas Virgil emphasizes wise rule and creating peace.

• The contrast illustrates a shift from individual heroism to responsibility for governing and maintaining order.

Virgil, Aeneid (Excerpt 2) - Context

• The quote occurs after Dido has fallen deeply in love with Aeneas.

• The narrator compares her emotional pain and obsession to a wounded animal.

• The imagery demonstrates how love overwhelms Dido and foreshadows her tragic fate.

Virgil, Aeneid (Excerpt 2) - Significance

• Dido’s suffering illustrates the personal cost of Aeneas’s mission to found Rome.

• The quote highlights how love can become destructive when it conflicts with duty.

• The scene emphasizes that Rome’s future is built on real human loss and pain.

Virgil, Aeneid (Excerpt 2) - Relation

• Both Dido (The Aeneid) and Medea (Medea) are consumed by intense love and betrayal.

• Their emotional suffering leads to destructive consequences.

• Both works illustrate how passion combined with abandonment can drive characters toward tragedy.

Virgil, Aeneid (Excerpt 3) - Context

• The quote occurs during Aeneas’s journey through the Underworld, guided by the Sibyl.

• The Sibyl explains that souls are judged after death, with wrongdoers confessing sins and receiving punishment.

• The passage emphasizes that the afterlife is governed by justice, and moral actions in life carry consequences.

Virgil, Aeneid (Excerpt 3) - Significance

• The quote shows that the universe of The Aeneid is governed by justice and moral order.

• It emphasizes accountability for one’s actions, supporting Aeneas’s mission to build a lawful and disciplined Rome.

• The passage justifies Roman authority as part of a divinely ordained system.

Virgil, Aeneid (Excerpt 3) - Relation

• Both The Aeneid and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics emphasize that actions have moral consequences.

• Just as Aristotle teaches that living well requires reason and virtuous behavior, the Sibyl shows that souls are judged and punished for their choices.

• Both works highlight that justice and ethical living are essential for achieving a good or meaningful life.

Ovid, Metamorphoses (Excerpt 1) - Context

• The quote comes from the opening of Metamorphoses, introducing the poem’s central theme.

• Ovid asks the gods for inspiration to tell stories about people and things undergoing transformation.

• He explains that the work will cover history from the creation of the world up to his present time.

Ovid, Metamorphoses (Excerpt 1) - Significance

• The quote establishes the main theme of Metamorphoses: transformation and change.

• It highlights Ovid’s goal of unifying many myths into a single, continuous narrative.

• The passage sets the stage for the epic’s exploration of human, divine, and natural transformations.

Ovid, Metamorphoses (Excerpt 1) - Relation

• Both The Iliad and Ovid’s Metamorphoses explore the influence of the gods on human lives.

• In The Iliad, divine intervention affects battles and mortal fates, while Ovid shows transformations guided by the gods.

• Both works illustrate that human history and stories are intertwined with divine power and control.

Ovid, Metamorphoses (Excerpt 2) - Context

• The quote occurs when Daphne is transformed into a laurel tree to escape Apollo’s pursuit.

• After her transformation, Apollo embraces the tree and claims it as his own.

• He declares the laurel will symbolize honor, victory, and Roman triumph, connecting the myth to Roman culture and Augustus.

Ovid, Metamorphoses (Excerpt 2) - Significance

• The quote highlights the central theme of transformation in Metamorphoses.

• It demonstrates how humans can be changed into elements of nature.

• The passage emphasizes the interplay between human experience and the natural or divine world.

Ovid, Metamorphoses (Excerpt 2) - Relation

• Both The Iliad and Ovid’s Metamorphoses show gods directly influencing human lives and fates.

• Apollo’s love and actions transform Daphne, just as gods in The Iliad intervene in battles and affect mortal outcomes.

• Both works highlight how divine power can alter human experiences and create lasting consequences.

Ovid, Metamorphoses (Excerpt 3) - Context

• The quote occurs during the contest between Arachne and the goddess Athena.

• Arachne weaves a tapestry depicting the gods, especially Jupiter, deceiving and abusing mortals.

• Despite the tapestry’s perfection, Athena destroys it in anger, resulting in Arachne’s punishment.

Ovid, Metamorphoses (Excerpt 3) - Significance

• The quote highlights Ovid’s theme of power and injustice, showing how gods can abuse their authority.

• It demonstrates that talent and truth can be punished when they challenge those in power.

• The scene reinforces Metamorphoses’ darker view of transformation, where change often arises from cruelty rather than justice.

Ovid, Metamorphoses (Excerpt 3) - Relation

• Both The Iliad and Ovid’s Metamorphoses depict gods abusing their power and punishing mortals.

• In The Iliad, Apollo sends a plague on the Greek army after Agamemnon dishonors his priest, affecting many innocent soldiers.

• Both works illustrate how divine pride and anger result in suffering for those who are powerless or uninvolved.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (Excerpt 1) - Context

• Marcus reflects on how to live morally while holding the power of a ruler.

• He warns himself against corruption from power, luxury, or ego.

• He emphasizes remaining humble, virtuous, and focused on justice despite being emperor.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (Excerpt 1) - Significance

• The quote captures the main purpose of Meditations: self-discipline and moral self-improvement.

• Marcus emphasizes that true worth comes from character rather than status or power.

• It reinforces the Stoic ideal of cultivating virtue as the foundation for ethical living.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (Excerpt 1) - Relation

• Both Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations and Paul’s 1 Corinthians emphasize that true virtue is demonstrated through character and self-control, not authority or prestige.

• Marcus warns against corruption from status, paralleling Paul’s teaching that greatness comes from serving others.

• Both works stress that ethical behavior and love, rather than personal honor, define moral excellence.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (Excerpt 2) - Context

• Marcus reflects on how to determine what is truly good.

• He argues that regret is only meaningful if a genuinely good opportunity was missed.

• Since a virtuous person would not regret missing pleasure, Marcus concludes that pleasure is not a true good.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (Excerpt 2) - Significance

• The quote reinforces that virtue, rather than pleasure, is the true good.

• Marcus uses reasoning to train himself not to pursue pleasure or feel regret over it.

• The passage reflects the purpose of Meditations as a guide for self-control and moral clarity.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (Excerpt 2) - Relation

• Both Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations and Paul’s 1 Corinthians teach that spiritual and moral goods are more important than bodily pleasure.

• Paul emphasizes self-discipline and warns against being ruled by desires, paralleling Marcus’s rejection of pleasure as a true good.

• Both works argue that a meaningful life is guided by virtue rather than indulgence.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (Excerpt 3) - Context

• Marcus reflects on whether the universe is governed by chance or by order.

• He considers a chaotic, random universe versus one guided by reason and purpose.

• He concludes that believing in order and providence provides strength and helps him live calmly.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (Excerpt 3) - Significance

• The quote reflects Meditations’ purpose as a guide for living rationally and calmly in any situation.

• Marcus trains himself to accept what he cannot control and to trust reason or nature rather than fear or anxiety.

• The passage illustrates how reflection throughout the work builds inner stability, regardless of external circumstances.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (Excerpt 3) - Relation

• Both Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations and Virgil’s Aeneid present the universe as guided by order, reason, or fate.

• Like Marcus trusting providence, Aeneas endures suffering by believing his hardships serve a larger purpose.

• Both works suggest that accepting an ordered universe helps individuals remain steady amid uncertainty and loss.

Latrines at Ostia - Context

• The image shows the public latrines of Ostia, an ancient Roman port city near Rome.

• These were communal toilets used by many people at the same time, reflecting the public nature of Roman daily life.

• The structure demonstrates Roman engineering, advanced sanitation systems, and the importance of urban infrastructure.

Latrines at Ostia - Significance

• The Ostia latrines show that Roman life was communal and practical, even for activities considered private today.

• They reflect Roman values of order, engineering skill, and public welfare, treating sanitation as essential to urban planning.

• More broadly, Roman art and culture emphasize everyday functionality, revealing a society that values usefulness, discipline, and civic life alongside beauty or luxury.

Latrines at Ostia - Relation

• The Ostia latrines relate to Marcus Aurelius’ emphasis on humility and accepting ordinary human needs.

• They remind us that all people, rich and poor alike, share the same basic bodily functions.

• Both highlight a Roman worldview valuing realism, equality in human nature, and practical living over vanity or excess.

Pantheon, Rome - Context

• The building was originally constructed as a temple to all Roman gods.

• It combines traditional Greek-style columns with innovative Roman engineering, including a massive concrete dome.

• The structure reflects Roman religious practices, architectural skill, and reverence for the divine.

Pantheon, Rome - Significance

• The Pantheon demonstrates Roman mastery of engineering alongside their religious practices.

• It honors multiple gods while symbolizing the unity and power of the empire.

• The structure shows how Roman art combined beauty, technology, and spirituality to express Rome’s identity and authority.

Pantheon, Rome - Relation

• Both the Pantheon and Virgil’s Aeneid celebrate Rome as part of a divinely guided destiny.

• Just as the Aeneid presents Rome as chosen by the gods to bring order, the Pantheon honors all gods within a single grand space.

• Both express Roman beliefs in divine favor, unity, and the enduring greatness of Rome.

Augustus of Prima Porta - Context

• The statue of Augustus of Prima Porta depicts the emperor as a powerful military and political leader.

• It presents him as youthful, calm, and divinely favored, promoting his authority beyond his actual age.

• The imagery links Augustus to the gods and Rome’s military success, reinforcing his legitimacy to rule.

Augustus of Prima Porta - Significance

• The statue illustrates how Roman art was used as political propaganda to promote the emperor’s power and legitimacy.

• It reflects Roman values of order, authority, military strength, and divine favor.

• The artwork demonstrates how Roman art blended realism with idealization to shape public loyalty and reinforce the state.

Augustus of Prima Porta - Relation

• Both the Augustus of Prima Porta statue and Virgil’s Aeneid depict leaders as divinely guided figures chosen to bring order and peace.

• The statue presents Augustus as calm and idealized, paralleling Aeneas’s portrayal as a purposeful and virtuous founder.

• Both works use visual and literary art to legitimize imperial power and promote Roman values of duty, leadership, and destiny.

Paul, 1 Corinthians (Excerpt 1) - Context

• Paul addresses the Corinthians’ confusion about life after death and Christian resurrection.

• He uses the image of planting a seed to illustrate that the body changes form rather than returning exactly as it was.

• The quote explains that after death, believers are raised by God into a new, spiritual form rather than a purely physical one.

Paul, 1 Corinthians (Excerpt 1) - Significance

• The quote emphasizes Paul’s main message that Christian hope is centered on resurrection, not earthly status or pleasure.

• It reinforces the call to live morally and faithfully in the present.

• The passage highlights that the body and life will be transformed by God in the future, underscoring the spiritual focus of the letter.

Paul, 1 Corinthians (Excerpt 1) - Relation

• Both Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Paul’s passage in 1 Corinthians focus on transformation rather than finality.

• Ovid depicts bodies changing into new forms, while Paul describes the human body transforming from physical to spiritual.

• Both works use transformation to show how change can lead to a new kind of existence rather than destruction.

Paul, 1 Corinthians (Excerpt 2) - Context

• Paul addresses divisions and pride within the Corinthian church.

• He challenges the community’s admiration for human philosophy, education, and social status.

• Paul emphasizes that God’s truth is revealed through faith and the message of Christ, not worldly wisdom.

Paul, 1 Corinthians (Excerpt 2) - Significance

• The quote establishes Paul’s main argument that faith is more important than status or intelligence.

• It explains why Christians should not boast about wisdom, power, or social rank.

• The idea shapes the letter, guiding Paul’s teachings on humility, unity, and proper conduct for believers.

Paul, 1 Corinthians (Excerpt 2) - Relation

• This quote contrasts with Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, which values human reason as the path to the good life.

• Paul argues that human wisdom alone cannot lead people to God or true understanding.

• The comparison highlights two perspectives: one emphasizing reason to guide life, and the other prioritizing faith over intellectual achievement.

Paul, 1 Corinthians (Excerpt 3) - Context

• Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians to address problems in the Corinthian church.

• He gives instructions on order and behavior during worship, specifically regarding women’s roles in public gatherings.

• Paul emphasizes that women should not speak in church but ask questions at home, reflecting the social and religious norms of the time.

Paul, 1 Corinthians (Excerpt 3) - Significance

• The quote reflects Paul’s concern with maintaining order and proper conduct in the Corinthian church.

• Throughout the letter, he addresses divisions and behaviors that could disrupt worship, emphasizing unity and respect for authority.

• By instructing women to remain silent, Paul engages with contemporary social norms while reinforcing his vision of orderly worship.

Paul, 1 Corinthians (Excerpt 3) - Relation

• Both Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians and Euripides’ Medea focus on the regulation of women’s roles in society.

• Both texts highlight societies where women’s voices and actions were tightly restricted, creating tension between personal desire and social expectation.

• While Paul prescribes silence for order in worship, Medea shows the consequences of defying societal limits, emphasizing moral and social implications of gendered behavior.