Classics Midterm

Weeks 1-8

Patron God/Goddess

a deity or spirit who is a guardian, patron or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture

The trojan war

10 year war fought between the Mycenaean Greeks and the city of Troy - questions behind whether or not it was real - brought on by Paris' taking of Helen

Heinrich Schliemann

Homeric Fundamentalist, believed every word of Homer's work, and traveled to Turkey to prove that the Trojan war was real, believed he found proof (mask of agamemnon)

Archeaology

the study of the past based on what people left behind

Grave Goods

objects buried with a corpse, significant to their lives and to help them after death (wealth, weapons, finery, etc.)

Minoans

Not Greek, living in Crete, wrote in Linear A, lived in a society built around palaces and domestic living, possible matriarchy

Myceneans

people from Greek mainland who conquered central Crete; scribes wrote in linear B, lived in a militaristic palace economy

Linear B

The script used by the Mycenaeans; an early from of Greek

Palace Economy

products stored in the palace and then redistributed through the palace

Dark Age

1100-800 BCE; time after Mediterranean collapse, no literary sources, and declines throughout populations, literacy and technology

The Greek Alphabet

One sound = one letter, and spread through the mediterranean by Phoenician traders

The Homeric Question

concerns the doubts and consequent debate over the identity of Homer - chronological and dialect problems lead to the conclusion that Homer is a result of generational oral poetry, and the collection of stories spread by thousands of storytellers

Oral Poetry

Stories that have been passed on from storyteller to storyteller, not writing anything down but continuing a story through many different people

Epithets

Brief, descriptive phrases and titles used to characterize people or things. (Godlike Achilles)

Stock Scenes

Common scenes repeating over and over to aide in memorization and can be adapted to fit the story

Epic Poetry

A long, large-scale narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character (includes epithets and stock scenes)

In Media Res

in the middle of things

Achilles

Legendary hero of the Trojan war, son of Thetis and Peleus, dunked in river Styx to be invincible save for his heel

Thetis

Sea Nymph: mother of Achilles

Agamemnon

King and leader of Greek forces in the trojan war

Achilles

Greatest Greek warrior; "Sing O muse of the wrath of Achilles"; Aristos Achaion

Thetis

sea goddess; mother of Achilles

Agamemnon

King and leader of Greek forces during the trojan war

Briseis

A war prize of Achilles. When Agamemnon is forced to return Chryseis to her father, who he asks for in return from Achilles, sparking his great rage.

Patroclus

Achilles' lover; fighting in Achilles' armor in order to lift Greek morale during Achilles' strike - killed by Hector

Paris

Causer of the Trojan war, promised the most beautiful woman by Aphrodite, taking Helen from Sparta

Hector

Trojan prince and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War - killed by Achilles and his corpse is shamed

Priam

King of Troy; supplicates himself to Achilles in order to get Hector's body back

Andromache

Wife of Hector

Astyanax

Son of Hector and Andromache; "lord of the city"; thrown from the tower after Greek victory

Odysseus (Iliad)

Mastermind of the Trojan War, built the Trojan Horse

Suppliant

Undignified Begging

Glory

The greatest honor of being an ancient hero, being remembered beyond their death

Aristeia

Killing Spree

Sacrifice

A gift of an animal (occasional person - Iphigenia) for slaughter as a way to honor gods

Ancient Sexuality

Are you active or passive; active is penetrator and older/higher status

Pederasty

The Ancient Greek practice of men having sex with boys

Hospitality

Key Ancient Greek virtue - "guest friendship"

Dramatic Irony

when a reader is aware of something that a character isn't; When Hector returns home and his son's name "lord of the city"; we know troy will fall, they don't

The Other

The people who are not us; the trojans

Panhellenism

all of the Greeks working together, banding together in order to accomplish something

Barbarian

a non-Greek; does not speak Greek

double determination

extremely important events come about when human and divine motivations intersect; when they align and agree upon actions; the release of Hector's body

Ring Composition

events in the first and final books mirror each other; create a bittersweet feeling as the humanity of the war is recognized

The Trojan Horse

Masterminded by Odysseus, tricking the Trojans into letting the Greeks into Troy --> destruction of Troy

Rhapsodes

Poets who perform the Iliad; perform at festivals

Odysseus (Odyssey)

Hero of the Odyssey; cunning and a wanderer

Penelope

Odysseus' wife; similarly cunning to Odysseus and pursued by suitors in her husband's abscence

Telemachus

Odysseus' son; helps to slaughter the suitors after his own quest

Nausicaa

Phaeacian princess; similarly pursued by suitors and helps bring Odysseus into Phoenicia

Polyphemus

Cyclops, son of Poseidon; imprisoned Odysseus and his men, blinded by Odysseus and representative of a barbarian (no hospitality)

Circe

Witch goddess alone on an island, turning Odysseus' men into beasts but eventually helping and telling Odysseus he has to go to the underworld; they stay on her island for a year

Elpenor

one of Odysseus' crew, killed by falling off of Circe's roof

Tiresias

blind seer who Odysseus travels to the underworld to find; explains the rest of his journey and tells Odysseus not to eat the cattle of the sun

Nostos

Homecoming; stories of homecoming

Weaving

the practice that most ancient women did with their lives; how penelope tricks the suitors

Epic Simile

A simile developed over several lines of verse; often hero = lion

Reception

How do later people respond to the ancient world?

Katabasis

Descent into the underworld

Allusion

When one story references another

Coins

originating on Lydia, facilitating trade and setting a base value in the Greek economy

Athenian Owls

Coins made in Athens; became the standard coin throughout mediterranean

Inscriptions

writing on stone through carving it into the stone

Polis

A city-state in ancient Greece.

agora

the marketplace in ancient Greece

acropolis

the most elevated part of and heart of a polis

Civic Religion

religious worship exists as a polis; the city of athens has a relationship with athena, we celebrate her together

colonization

Not modern colonialism but the creation of a whole new city that respects its mother city after religious sanction from the oracle of delphi

Oracle of Delphi

Place of prophecies straight from Apollo, delivered by his priestess the Pythia

Hoplite

The soldier of the archaic age

phalanx

A military formation of foot soldiers armed with spears and shields; rectangular shape

Monarchy

rule by a king

Oligarchy

rule by the few

democracy

rule by the people

tyranny

aristocrats who become autocratic; violent takeovers leading to rule by the tyrant

Lyric Poetry

shorter poems accompanied by music, with varied meters and themes; more individualistic than epics

Tyrtaeus

Contemporary source for early hoplites; lyric poet

Sappho

Among the most revered lyric poets; tackling love and myths from a different angle

The Olympics

An ancient Greek festival in honor of the god Zeus, which took place every four years and featured competitions in athletics and poetry.

The Homeric Hymn to Demeter

hymn dedicated to the goddess to Demeter. The famous 'rape of Persephone' is included in this hymn; explanation for the creation of the seasons

Persephone

daughter of demeter; kidnapped by Hades and tricked into staying in the underworld for 1/3 of the year

Eleusinian Mysteries

Mystery cult at Athens that honored the grain goddess Demeter; private worship for a better afterlife; 9 day long initiation

Ionia

Western coast of modern Turkey; Ancient Greece

Herodotus

First systematic investigator into the past (father of history); loved marvels and dramatizing stories

Thucydides

Greek historian; Wrote about the Peloponnesian war as an eye witness; severe and detailed texts to preserve accuracy

Athens

A democratic Greek polis; founder of democracy and contains three different climates (hills, coast, plains)

Magistrate

Holders of political office (executive branch)

Archon

A chief in the democracy of Athens; magistrate chosen by areopagus

Aregopagus

council made up of current and former archons; lifetime membership

Assembly

where citizens vote; minor role in early Athens

Boule

Athenian council replacing Areopagus; 500 men chosen by lot from each tribe; proposes legislation for the assembly

Draco

Arcon 621/620; First recorded Athenian lawmaker; the government will handle disputes between citizens (harsh rules or punishments)

Solon

Early Greek leader who brought democratic reforms such as his formation of the Council of Four Hundred; abolished debt slavery

Debt Slavery

When you are on the property of another Athenian, working for them, because you couldn't pay them back

Peisistratus

tyrant who introduced the athenian owl and promoted athens as a site of panhellenic festivals; seized power three times

The Alcmaeonids

Aristocratic Athenian family that led the coast, allied with Peisistratus and bribed the Pythia in order to drive out tyrants

Hippias

Peisistratus' eldest son and successor, harsher tyrant after his attempted murder; kicked out by Sparta in 510

Hipparchus

Hippias' brother, killed by Harmodius and Arisogeiton after shaming Harmodius' sister

Harmodius and Aristogeiton

two men who organized the tyrannicides

Tyrannicides

Harmodius and Aristogeiton's plan to assassinate Hipparchus and Hippias; doesn't end tyranny but kills Hipparchus