Greek and Roman Mythology Midterm Study Guide

Early and Middle Bronze Age (Date)

ca. 3300 - 1600 BCE

Early and Middle Bronze Age (Characteristics)

Cycladic culture. Minoan palace culture. Colonies on Thera.

Mycenaean Age (Date)

ca. 1600 - 1100 BCE

Mycenaean Age (Characteristics)

Destruction of Troy in c. 1250 BCE (alleged). Spread of palace culture to mainland Greece. Linear A and Linear B writing.

The "Dark Age" (Date)

ca. 1200 - 800 BCE

The "Dark Age" (Characteristics)

Migration and climate change. Decline of palace culture. Decline in writing, but creation of a new Greek alphabet derived from the Phoenician one.

Archaic Period (Date)

ca. 800 - 480 BCE

Archaic Period (Characteristics)

Influence from the Near East on arts and culture. Development of the polis and colonization. Development of hoplite warfare. Writing.

Classical Period (Date)

480 - 323 BCE

Classical Period (Characteristics)

Rise of Athens and democracy. Defeat of Persia. Development of academia - civic arts. Growing dominance of the "Athenian Empire". Peloponnesian War.

Hellenistic Period (Date)

323 - 31 BCE

Hellenistic Period (Characteristics)

Fracture of Alexander's empire upon his death. Spread of Greek language and culture in the lands conquered by Alexander. Conquest by Rome solidified by the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE.

Divine Myth

A myth about gods and their behavior. Examples: Zeus eating Metis and the birth of Athena, Hades' abduction of Persephone, the Titanomachy, etc.

Legend

Stories usually about mortals who have divine qualities. Examples: Achilles and The Iliad, Herakles' labors, Perseus and Medusa, etc.

Folktale

Urban legends or stories. Examples: Odysseus fighting the Cylcops and sailing through the sirens, Aeneas' founding of Rome, etc.

The Golden Age

Humans were godlike. They lived a long, blessed life, and died peacefully. They live on as "holy spirits".

The Silver Age

Humans lived long lives. They were violent, witless, and refused to worship the gods. Zeus destroyed them for their impiety.

The Bronze Age

Humans were hardened and tough, made out of ash trees. They were warriors, and all they knew was war. They bore bronze armor and weapons. They killed each other off.

The Age of Heroes

Humans were just and noble, demi-gods who died fighting in legendary wars at Thebes and Troy. They spend their afterlife at the Isle of Blessed.

The Iron Age

Humans live troubled lives of misery and toil. They are argumentative, quick to age, godless, and envious of each other. Brother fights brother, the host mistreats his guest. Might makes right. This is the age that Hesiod finds himself in.

Zeus

The king of the gods. The son of Kronos, whom he overthrew. Associated and often depicted with eagles, thunderbolts. Always bearded.

Hades

The god of the Underworld. He is rarely artistically depicted. Typically shown with Persephone, who leans on a special staff. Plutos, meaning "wealth", is the positive manifestation of Hades.

Poseidon

The god of the sea, eartquakes, and horses. Commonly associated and depicted with a trident. Earthquakes were thought to have been caused by his horses. Marries Amphitrite, a sea-nymph.

Hestia

The virgin goddess of the hearth, both private and communal. The hearth was the source of life for every household. She is also associated with the sacred fire (cf. the Vestal Virgins). Depicted as a modestly veiled woman.

Hera

The queen of the gods, the goddess of marriage, and the sky/stars. Her marriage with Zeus serves as the glue of the Olympians. Often depicted unveiling herself, which is the symbol of marriage. Associated with doves, often shown on a throne, with a crown, and holding a lotus-tipped scepter.

Demeter

Goddess of agriculture, grain, and bread. Often depicted enthroned, wearing a crown, holding a cornucopia or sheaves of wheat, or holding a torch. She is the mother of Persephone.

Aphrodite

The goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. Her symbol is the swan. Often shown nude, and accompanied with the godling Eros. Also associated with sea shells. She is the wife of Hephaistos, but has an affair with Ares.

Artemis

Goddess of the hunt, and archer like her brother Apollo. Also the goddess of wilderness, wild animals, and childbirth. Never under the control of any male figure, barely under Zeus. Can be associated with fecundity (cf. Ephesus statue). Depicted as a girl or young maiden with a hunting bow and quiver of arrows.

Apollo

God of medicine, healing, sickness, archery, music, prophecy. Has the title "Lysian". Depicted as a handsome, beardless youth with long hair and attributes such as a wreath and branch of laurel, bow and quiver of arrows, raven, and a lyre.

Ares

God of violence and battelust, but not necessarily war. In ancient Greek art he was depicted as either a mature, bearded warrior armed for battle, or a nude, beardless youth with a helm and spear. Commonly portrayed as cowardly in literature. Aphrodite's lover.

Hephaistos

The god of the forge and technology. He is disabled (his foot) because Zeus threw him off Mt. Olympus, and he fell on the island of Lemnos. Constantly bullied by the other gods. Makes the armor of Achilles. Spontaneously produced by Hera without a father. Artistically identifiable with a deformed foot and some implement of the forge (ie. a hammer and tongs). Also sometimes rides a donkey.

Dionysos

The god of wine and the "altered state", ecstasy, and theatre. He is associated with skipping beyond boundaries. Artistically identifiable as wearing animal skin, holding a wine cup, wreathed in ivory, surrounded by vines, with a pine cone-tipped staff, and with a slick beard. Could also be shown as an effeminate, long-haired youth. "Twice-born".

Athena

The goddess of wisdom and good counsel, war (battle stratagem), pottery, heroic endeavor, weaving, and the defence of towns. Born out of Zeus' head. Typically depicted as a stately woman armed with a shield and spear, a crested helmet, an "aegis", and accompanied by snakes. The owl is her symbol.

Hermes

Fundamentally, the messenger god. Also associated with flocks and herds, travellers and hospitality, roads and trade, heralds and diplomacy, etc. A very old god. Depicted as either a handsome and athletic, beardless youth or as an older, bearded man, with winged boots and a herald's wand. Often depicted on herms. Also a trickster god. Tooks souls to the Underworld.

Book 1 (The Iliad)

Agamemnon rejects Chryseis ransom for his daughter, the priest prays to Apollo to send a plague on the Greek camp. The god follows through. During an assembly to discuss the plague, Achilles fights with Agamemnon and withdraws from the war. Agamemnon has Odysseus return Chryses to her father, and the priest prays to Apollo to lift the plague. Thetis speaks with Zeus, who agrees to give the Trojans the upper hand in the fight, forcing the Achaeans to beg Achilles for his return and thus restoring his honor.

Book 9 (The Iliad)

The Embassy to Achilles, consisting of Odysseus, Ajax, and Phoenix. Achilles refuses to return, but compromises that he will fight if the Trojans reach his ships.

Book 16 (The Iliad)

The "aristeia" of Patroclus. Achilles allows Patroclus to fight, gives him his armor. Patroclus pushes the Trojans back, and kills Sarpedon. Goes too far, and is disabled by Apollo. Patroclus predicts death of Hector. Hector kills him. Huge fight for his armor.

Book 22 (The Iliad)

The death of Hector at the hands of Achilles. Achilles drags his body to the Greek camp.

Book 23 (The Iliad)

Achilles holds funeral games in honor of Patroclus. Sacrifices 12 Trojan boys.

Book 24 (The Iliad)

Priam goes to the Greek camp to beg Achilles for the return of Hector's body. Hermes helps Priam. Achilles is moved and agrees. The end of The Iliad.

The Homeric Question

Who is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey?

Book 1 (The Odyssey)

Opens with an assembly of the gods. Athena goes to Odysseus' palace disguised as Mentes. She speaks with Telemakhos and urges him to find his father.

Book 2 (The Odyssey)

Telemakhos holds an assembly of the town. Antinous blames Penelope. Zeus sends the eagles as an omen. Telemakhos decides to go to Pylos. He is helped by Athena, who is disguised as Mentor. He tells Eurycleia not to tell Penelope of his voyage. Telemakhos and Mentor (Athena) set sail.

Book 3 (The Odyssey)

Telemakhos arrives at "sandy" Pylos. He asks Nestor about Odysseus, but Nestor has no idea about his whereabouts. Nestor tells about Agamemnon, and Orestes avenging his father. Telemakhos stays the night. The next day, Nestor has his youngest son, Pesistratos, accompany Telemakhos to Sparta. He also gives Telemakhos a chariot.

Book 4 (The Odyssey)

Telemakhos and Pesistratos visit Sparta. Menelaos describes the stories of his travels, in which he explains that Odysseus is trapped on Ogygia with Calypso. Helen drugs the drinks. The Suitors conspire to ambush and kill Telemakhos at sea.

Book 5 (The Odyssey)

Zeus sends Hermes to Calypso, with orders for her to release Odysseus. Calypso eventually lets Odysseus go, and helps him build a raft, and gives him provisions. At sea, Odysseus encounters a severe storm sent by Poseidon, and his raft is destroyed. With the help of the goddess Ino, he washes up to the shore of Phaeacia. Exhausted, he falls asleep in the woods.

Book 8 (The Odyssey)

Alcinous prepares a ship for Odysseus, and also invites him to feast. Demodocus sings about Odysseus' and Achilles' quarrel, which makes Odysseus cry. Alcinous orders athletic games to be held. After being taunted, Odysseus joins and throws a discus super far. Alcinous then orders dancers to come. Demodocus sings about the affair between Ares and Aphrodite. Later, Demodocus sings about the Trojan Horse, which allowed the Greeks to sack Troy. Odysseus wails profusely. Alcinous asks Odysseus to talk about himself, his journeys, and why he is crying.

Book 9 (The Odyssey)

Odysseus identifies himself, and begins by describing his raid against the Cicones, during which he lost many men. After many days at sea, enduring Zeus' storms and strong winds, Odysseus and his men arrive at the land of the Lotus Eaters. Some of his men eat the lotus fruit, and forget about returning home. But they are forced onto the ship. Then Odssyeus and his crew arrive at the country of the Cylcopes. Odysseus and some men explore the island, while the rest wait in the adjacent one. After entering the massive cave of Polymphemus, they wait for the giant, and Odysseus wishes to trade Maron's wine for some of Polyphemus' goods. Polyphemus spots them, angrily inquires about them, and then brutally eats some of Odysseus' men. Later, Odysseus gets the Cylops drunk on Maron's wine. When the giant was sleeping, Odysseus and his men took a giant pole, which they had prepared earlier, and drove it into Polyphemus' eye. Holding on to the Cyclops' rams, Odysseus and his men escape the cave the next day. As Odysseus sailed away, he began taunting Polyphemus, and revealed his identity. Polyphemus prays to Poseidon to curse Odysseus and his voyage.

Book 10 (The Odyssey)

Odysseus and his men arrive at Aeolia, home of Aeolus, the ruler of the winds. They stay for a month, and when Aeolus sees them off, he gives Odysseus a bag containing the winds. Odysseus and his crew sail for 9 days, until on the 10th, they finally catch sight of Ithaka. At that moment, Odysseus falls asleep, and his men decide to open the bag, causing the winds to burst out. The winds push the ship away from Ithaka and back to Aeolia. Aeolus believes Odysseus is cursed, and banishes him from the island. Odysseus and his men row for 7 days until the reach the land of the Laestrygonians. After the king eats one of Odysseus' men, a fight ensues as the Achaeans try to escape, during which they lose 11 of their 12 ships. Odysseus and his remaining crew sail to Circe's island. Circe turns some of Odysseus' men into pigs. Odysseus goes to investigate, and is aided by Hermes, who gives him moly (an antidote) and explains how to deal with Circe. Odysseus sleeps with Circe, who turns the previous crewmembers back into their human form. Odysseus and his men stay with Circe for a year, until his crew convince him to leave. Circe advises Odysseus to visit the land of the dead and speak to Tiresias, a blind prophet. The crew prepare to leave the next morning, and unbeknownst to them, Elpenor fell from the roof and broke his neck.

Book 11 (The Odyssey)

Odysseus travels to the land of the dead. He goes to the spot that Circe mentioned, digs a trench, makes libations, and sacrifices and ewe and a ram. Countless ghosts climbed out, but Odysseus kept pushing them back from the blood. Odysseus speaks to Elpenor first. He asks Odysseus to give him a proper funeral at Aeaea (Circe's island). Next was Anticleia, Odysseus' mother, who Odysseus did not know was dead. The ghosts of several noblewomen also appear. Tiresias finally arrives, and drinks the blood. He tells Odysseus that his journey home will be rough, because he angered Poseidon when he injured and insulted Polyphemus. He says the crew will reach home if they don't eat the cattle of Helios. If they do, only Odysseus will come home. He also explains that Odysseus has to leave Ithaka again and travel to a far away land. He will give sacrifices to Poseidon on the spot where someone calls Odysseus' oar a "winnowing fan". Only then will Poseidon make peace with Odysseus. Odysseus allows Anticleia to drink the blood. She explains to Odysseus the situation in Ithaca, and how she died out of grief and longing for Odysseus. Next, Odysseus speaks with Agamemnon, who advises Achilles to be careful with Penelope, and to arrive home in secret. Odysseus speaks with Achilles, who proclaims that he would rather be the slave of the poorest peasant than be king of the dead. Odysseus praises Neoptolemos, Achilles' son. Finally he speaks with Ajax, trying to make amends for a past quarrel. But Ajax gives him the cold shoulder. Odysseus runs back to the ship in fear of all the spirits climbing up, and sets sail.

Book 12 (The Odyssey)

Odysseus and his crew sail back to Aeaea, and they give Elpenor the proper funeral rites. Before they leave again, Circe warns Odysseus that he has to sail past the Sirens. He advises him to put beeswax in his men's ears, and have himself tied to the ship's mast, if he wants to hear the Sirens' song. Next, she warns Odysseus that he has to sail in between Scylla and Charybdis. She advises him to sail past Scylla and sacrifice six men. As they sail and approach the Sirens, Odysseus explains to his men that he must hear the Sirens' song. He doesn't tell them about Scylla and Charybdis. The safely sail past the Sirens, with Odysseus strapped to the mast. They arrive at Scylla and Charybdis, carefully sail around Charybdis, and then lose 6 men to Scylla. Odysseus and his surviving crew arrive at the island of the Sun. Odysseus reluctantly sets up camp on the island, but has his men swear an oath that they won't eat the Sun god's cattle. But after a month, the provisions run out and the crew stat to starve. While Odysseus was asleep, Eurylochus persuades the crew to slaughter the cattle, arguing that it was better to be smitten by the gods at sea than to die of starvation on a desert island. The men experience bad omens during the slaughter and sacrifice, such as the raw meat mooing. Helios angrily complains to Zeus and demands that he punish Odysseus and his men. Zeus complies. The crew feast for six days and then set sail. Suddenly, Zeus sends a strom that destroys the ship, drowning everyone accept Odysseus, who holds on to a plank. The wind pushed him back to Charybdis and into the whirlpool, which he survives by hanging on to the branch of a fig tree. Odysseus drifted on sea until he landed at Calypso's island. He ends the tale here.