RELS 1101

Greek Mythology

Homer

Who were the hymns written by? Questionable authorship.

Post Homeric

Time of the homeric hymns

Hymnos

refers to a song sung in honour of a divine figure

in media res

where does the homeric hymns start?

Shining

meaning of Apollo’s name, alluding to him being a sun god

Doric apella

Assembley

Linear B

Apollo did not appear here so he was not worshiped during the Mycenaean age.

Dark Ages

when did Apollo’s cult start?

Liminal figure

Apolo is considered a _______; a threshold who stands between 2 stages of life.

Laurel wreath

placed on the head which indicates one’s success in their artistic endeavour.

lyre, kithara

Apollo is often depicted with either these musical instrument.

Leto

mother of Apollo who had a hard time giving birth. she had to negotiate to be able to give birth.

Delos

Which land was barren then bloomed with gold , despite having no natural resource, from the birth of a god.

Delos

has the shrine of Apollo; a site of pilgrimage

Water Nymph, Monster

Two things that Apollo faces and becomes a hindrance to him.

Delphi oracle

most famous of them all. can be a site for major poetry contests

dactylic hexameter

the measure in which the oracle/ message were given in the Delphi oracle

Omphalos Stone

Center of the Earth, chosen by zeus; the very stone which was swallowed by Kronus

Pythian Dragon

Slayed by Apollo

Delos

where Leto wandered and sought for help in living birth.

Delphi

Apollo’s search

travelled everywhere

What did Apollo do to establish his power and become a suitable an hellenistic god?

Rheia

Mother of Demeter

Demeter

Goddess of corn, crops, human fertility

Barley Mother

Etymology of De+Meter

Demeter and Persephone

Always together; referred to as the demeters of the goddesses

Hecate and Helios

Who told Demeter about the abduction of persephone>

Eleusis

Where Demeter goes and was hired as a nanny

Pomegranate Seeds

What persephone eats; may have sexual connotations.

Winter

when persephone is with hades

spring

when persephone comes back home.

Aetiology

explanation of the origin of something; in the case of Demeter, the origin of the seasons.

Zeus, Hades, and Gaia

Gods involved in the divine conspiracy to capture persephone.

Theoxeny

Hospitality to a god

Eleusian Mystery

the great mystery that lasted for a week. Demeter has a temple here.

Maia

Mother of hermes

Hermile

Stone heap; attested in linear b

Hermes

A multifaceted god; messenger, negotiator, a guide; their; lovable rascal

Hermes

develops the lyre figures out how to kindle a fire ; associated with flocks and shepherds

Hermes

Depicted as bearded, wears traveller’s garment (hat and shows with wings)

Caduceus

a scepter carried by Hermes; staff with interwinding snakes

Diacturos/Angelo

Apollo as Messenger

Hoidios

Apollo as people-shepherd

Psychopompous / psychogoge

Apollo as leader of souls

Agoraea

Apollo as merchant and thieves (of the market)

Pylaios

Apollo as doorkeeper

Herm

Box with a head and genetalia; meant to turn away bad spirits

Differentiating from apollo

How does Hermes defines himself?

Aristocrat

Apollo (Apollo vs. Hermes)

Up and coming businessman

Hermes (Apollo vs. hermes)

Honor, wealth and power

what does hermes want of apollo

Cave

Hermes refers to his house as what?

Manipulation of truth

how is hermes’ Metis reflected?

Comedy

This takes place when hermes invokes the laughter of Zeus

Comedy

Movement from sadness to hapiness

Tragoidia

goat song; goats are sacrificed; probably sung during sacrifice.

Dithyramb

passionate or inflated speech/poem (singing+dance)

Dionysus

god of wine; a newer god

Dionysian feast in athens

they would send playwright of tragedies and winner gets a prize

Satyr

a lighter performance; usually shown after a tragedy

men

who would play the parts in a play?

tragedy trait

ending is a disaster but it was by their own decision

Hamartia

not a tragic flaw; missing the mark; sin; short coming; not a defect of character

Stage

where are tragedies meant to be?

Catharsis

emotional relief; permeation; cleansing

Tragedian

writer of the text of the playwright

Choreogos

Producer, director and leader of chorus

Hypokrites

actors; paid by the coreogos

Chorus

group of performers who sing and dance; paid by the civic government

Body and voice

since actors would wear masks, what are their main tools?

Orchestra

space for chorus; dancing area

Skene

backdrop of the stage

Proskenion

Rectangular stage behind the orchestra where actors appear

Eisodos and Parados

Entrances/ Exits on each side of the theatre

Ekkuklema

Wheel behind a backdrop to show dead bodies

Theatron

Where the audience seats

Prologue

introduces subject and situation of a play

parados

entry; comes in and fills in missing information

episode

scene; individual scenes between characters

Stasimon

Before episode; choral response/ commentary

Kommon

dialogue between characters to talk about the problem

exodus

final conclusion

Strophe and Antistrophe

action of the chorus while moving in one direction to the other

Order

thing we see in a tragedy that is needed in both human and divine space

oikos and polis

always dysfunctional in a tragedy

aeschylus

Early tragedian; same time as Thespis; most of his life is spent in either Athens or Sicily. had background of military service.

Oresteia

Trilogy; Agamemnon, libation bears, furies (all addressing one main theme)

Tragedy

exposes us to extreme kind of instances

Nostos of Agamemnon

What is the first book in oresteia all about?

Miasma

blood guilt; moral strain in the household

tantalus

he reaches for an apple and it retracts itself; he goes to drink for water and the level goes down.

Thyestes

Brother of Atreus; Atreus’ wife cheats on him with this person

Aegisthus

lover of clytemnestra; oddly feminine

carpet scene

scene when Agamemnon reaches home; has imagery of blood flowing in the halls

Lex Talionis

principle of retaliation; law of revenge

cassandra

a seer that has a gift of prophecy from Apollo but was cursed not to be believed.

Off stage

where does the violence happen in a play?

Argive eldres

in Agamemnon, who makes up the chorus?

Nests of Orestes

What is the beginning of Libation bearers?

appease Agamemnon’s spirit

What is the goal of the libation bearers when they go to the grave?