Columbia Literature Humanities Midterm Passage ID Study

Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilleus and its devastation, which put pains thousandfold upon the Achaians, hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong souls of heroes, but gave their bodies to be the delicate feasting of dogs, of all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished since that time when first there stood in division of conflict Atreus' son the lord of men and brilliant Achilleus.

Iliad by Homer. Introduction to Achilleus, the main protagonist (although he is not seen until later in the book) "Rage" being the first word is significant in the theme of rage and war throughout the Iliad. "Brilliant" entitlement.

The Iliad Major Themes

Honor - Achilles is dishonored when his bride is taken away

The Shield - The shield of Achilles emphasizes both peacetime and wartime to show that life exists outside of war, and that war is not all which matters.

Burial - both armies engage in a day of peace to bury their dead; when Patroclus dies, Achilles refuses to eat to morn his death, and he is given proper burial. When Hector dies, Priam goes to the Achaean camp to claim his body and grant him proper burial

"Oikos" - economy. There is a limited supply of resources, causing the war on Troy to occur. Odyssey compares different types of Oikos.

Thersites - Book 2 page 98

Thersites in Book 2 scolds Agamemnon and makes accurate statement to what Achilles said before (you have all these prizes and we give you the gifts first). Odysseus scolds and beats Thersites. Achaians feel sorry for him but laugh.

So now the two of them ran together with swords. There Lykon hacked at the horn of the horse-hari crested helm....death in a dark mist closed in about him

Explicit passage. Dehumanizes person and humanizes weapon. Penelaeos vs. Lykon

The Odyssey major themes

Judging - Odysseus judges each place differently--reader must also judge.

Peacetime - The social climate of peacetime after Iliad is shown in Odyssey. Hospitality is possible and strangers invited into home are expected to be good.

Storytelling - Odysseus' story is told to Phaiakians--he is an inconsistent storyteller

Chronology - In Odyssey, things are told out of order in constrast to Iliad

Xenia - Guest-friendship seen through Telemachus inviting Athena in, Menelaus inviting Telemachus in.

Household - Judgement of what each household is like

Narrated by Himself - many stories are told and narrated by himself, even if he is speaking through someone (like the story of Agamemnon).

Genesis Major Themes

Creation - God creates by "said", "called". Passive language (there "was and it was good".) Man is given dominion.

Beginnings - the beginning of sin, of life

Absolute trust - trust in God encouraged (Abraham willing to sacrifice Isaac)

Women - labeled as "helper" - the "shame" of nudity

Knowledge is "evil"??? Implies "ignorance is bliss"

Job Major Themes

Job represents mankind as he suffers even after obeying God. Major themes:

Suffering - Humans don't understand why God wants them to suffer. Job questions why he, a faithful man, is punished. Although humans are nothing compared to God, they are still important to him.

The almighty power of God

Human Shortcomings - humans do not worship perfectly; seen from Job's friends trying to interpret God's plan. Job has epiphany in realizing the greatness of God while his friends cannot fully comprehend.

Tension - readers know about God's bet, but characters don't

Motive - loyalty, obedience, humility

Testing

Job is "blameless"

Song of Solomon Major Themes

Reciprocity of Desire - Requited Love vs Sappho's unrequited love.

Desire but not the consumption of it necessarily.

Ideals for marriage.

At odds with the God of Genesis.

Allegory for God + the Church

Language reminds of Sappho = love/desire - destruction

Sappho - "you burn me"

Sappho takes the simile of fire that is so prevalent throughout The Iliad and applies it to a more

emotional connection. Whereas, in The Iliad fire often referred to an almost inhuman fury that

possessed the warriors, especially Achilleus, here Sappho adapts it to referring to love

- Similar to how she invokes the goddess Aphrodite in the first fragment, the goddess who is most

looked down upon in the epic.

- "burn" is ambiguous as it could refer to cruelty or it could reference a fiery passion

Herodotus Major Themes

Nomos - norms/custom "custom is the king of all"

Cultural differences

Knowledge - Herodotus deducts a lot of information

Cycle of Revenge - Gyges kills the King and five generations later Croescus has to lose his kingdom because of an oracle (can't escape destiny - Croescus vs. Gyges)

Oracles - There are no gods but there are dreams and omens delivered to be credible by all

Purpose: distinction between Greeks and non-Greeks

Purpose: to preserve fame and investigate cause of conflict

Aeschylus Major Themes

Role of Nets (recurring image): uses image of net to indicate incapability of fate.

Revenge/Justice

Gender - Gender roles are explored through Clytamestra's character (elders belittle her response) (her role as a mother being very complex - defies gender norm as she kills her husband)

Sophocles (Antigone) Major Themes

Tyrants vs. Kings - relates to attitudes of Hektor and Achilles

Proper burial rights - "Leave him unburied... etc"

Ideas of happiness presented by Solon in Herodotus - nobody can be happy until they're dead

Laws vs. Tradition

Sibling Relationship

Aristophanes: Clouds Major Themes

Science and Religion - Concerns with education

Quest for proper education - how to best prepare people mentally for challenges in life

Characters:

Strepsiades - aristocrat; old rich guy. Married into rich family.

Pheidippides - Strepsiades' son. Spoiled, only cares about horses (materialism)

Socrates - ugly, sophist.

Sophist - people who study in the "thinkery". "Pale faced quacks".

Right and Wrong - modern analogies? Right wears traditional clothing, distinguised looking old man. Wrong looks like Pheidippides but is shameless and calls everyone gay.

Sophists vs. Traditionalists

Thucydides Major Themes

Attacks credibility of Herodotus and Homer

Believes Homer exaggerates and Herodotus not a good historian

Rejection of Mythology/Religion

"Modern" Historian

"Thucydides the Athenian wrote the history...in warfare or in anything else" pg. 1

Introduction

Thucydides is very confident, cocky.

Against Herodotus and Homer. Attacks their credibility

Rejects that Homer's warfare was anything at all

"For in these early times... piracy... islands." pg. 37

Begins the introduction in disunity--on a tangent. Very unorganized start to mention Piracy.

"We have no right..." pg. 41

Openly challenges Trojan War and Homer's supremacy

Does analysis on Homer's catalogue of ships

"The reason for this... hold out for ten years of warfare" pg. 42

Thucydides speaking--reads Homer like historical account rather than literature. Compares ancient vs. modern warfare -- emphasizing his modern historianess

Implies NO gods

"They had not been many days...paid no further attention to such things" pg. 151

Thucydides describing events in the plague -- Actively taking away credibility from gods, temples, and oracles because they did not help end the plague. People ended up "not paying attention" to religious things.

"The bodies of the dying...became indifferent to every rule of religion or of the law...and go away" pg. 155

Religious and law barriers being breached

Gods had no power and are gone

No rituals or burials

Shamelessness

"Perhaps I should say a word or two... I have now, as law demanded, said what I had to say" pg. 151

Pericles' speech about Patriotism -- short footnote that women should not be noticed. Women are less important and only reproduce.

"In the land of ours...we have now...with advantage...This is because it commands our deep respect" pg. 145

Pericles speaking -- Giving funeral speech talking about the dead

Similar to how politicians use tragedies to promote their platform

"So and such they were...and should fall in love with her"

Pericles speaking - eros (erotic) strong form of love/desire for the city

Intense passion for the city

"Personally...constantly being altered" pg. 213

Cleon speaking -- trying to debate putting Mytilenians to death.

Values strength and demands obedience

Skeptical of democracy

"But if Cleon's...against our interests"

Diodotus's response

Appeals for self interest - says if you keep using force, you must use more resources. Diodotus wins slightly, but still 1000 mytilenians die

"No doubt...in a hurry" 417

Horses - materialism

Nicias speaking -- warning that the expedition to Silicia is not a good idea

Talking about Alcibiades who wants to make expedition for the heck of it

"The most ardent supporter...downfall city of Athens...worthy of my victory" 418

There seems to be...ourselves"

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Duty from owes that have previously made

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"The fact...and make it like theirs is"

Alcibiades' argument