Mythology:

Assignments from Previous Classes
 

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Assignment for Tuesday, April 23:

Norse Mythology 2

Reading:

Due:

Power Point:

Norse Myth Terms and Names Defined

Class Preparation:

Texts and Analysis

 

Assignment for Thursday, April 16:

Norse Mythology 1: Creation

Reading:

 

Due:

Power Point:

Norse Myth Terms and Names Defined

Connections with the Present:

Google images of some of the deities that appear in the early part of the Prose Edda (Thor and Odin are good choices).  To what extent do these representations align with what you have seen of the gods in primary sources (i.e. the Prose Edda)so far?  What specific traits do the modern illustrations emphasize?  Is there a pattern to where differences appear (if they do)?

Texts and Comparisons:

Assignment for Tuesday, April 16:

Reading: Epic of Gilgamesh Tablets 5-11

 

Due:

Scroll down for #Babylonian_and_Sumerian_Terms_and_Names:

Power Point:

Connections with the Present

Texts and Comparisons:

Continue with previous topics for discussion, and ...

Go over the Gilgamesh Hero Comparison.  This is an exercise that is meant to get you thinking about the ways in which the Gilgamesh story relates to the Greek hero stories we have discussed.  There are no right answers, just questions/comparisons that sput thinking about the nature of Gilgamesh as hero and the significance of his quest and other accomplishments.

 

Assignment for Thursday, April 11:

Reading:

Due:

Note: Persephone and Inanna Writing Assignment due April 18th (not today!)

Scroll down for #Babylonian_and_Sumerian_Terms_and_Names:

Power Point:

Texts and Comparisons:

Gilgamesh Focus Questions:

 

Assignment for Tuesday, April 9:

Reading:

Due:Inanna Reading Quiz  (Actually due next time)

Note: Persephone and Inanna Writing Assignment due next class

Scroll down for #Babylonian_and_Sumerian_Terms_and_Names:

Power Point:

Texts and Comparisons:

Inanna Focus Questions:

Use this sheet to focus your reading and preparation for class discussion.  We will spend some time discussing these points in groups and possibly (time allowing) together as a class.

Babylonian and Sumerian Terms and Names:

NOTE: Inanna's Descent is Sumerian and Gilgamesh is Babylonian, but the pantheons are essentially the same, though some names are substantially different.  If the same god appears in both works, I will give the Sumerian name first, and the Babylonian name in parentheses.

Sumerians: The people who inhabited the Fertile Crescent whose cities flourished in the 3000's -100's BCE

Babylonians:  The people who inhabited and dominated this area following the Sumerians from the 1000's BCE until the 700's BCE

Cuneiform: the wedge-shaped writing they used, in which the texts used in this section of the course are preserved

Inanna (Ishtar): Goddess of love, sex, sometimes warfare and the communal storehouse, patron deity of unmarried women, wife of Dumuzi; one of the most significant deities in the Sumerian Pantheon though less important (and more destructive) in Babylonian mythology

Dumuzi: Her husband, a shepherd, most significant as her consort

Utu (Shamash): The sun god, brother of Inanna (Ishtar), often defender of the masculine principle (Utu saves Dumuzi, Shamash helps Gilgamesh); Shamash is particularly a god of justice

Enki: God of wisdom, close to Inanna although she stole the me from him

Enlil: Chief among the gods

Nanna (Sin): The moon god, father of Inanna (Ishtar) and Utu (Shamash)

me: the powerful tokens of rule that Inanna won for her city of Uruk, representing the blessings of the natural and civilized worlds

Ereshkigal: Inanna's sister, goddess of the underworld

Ninshubur: Inanna's "executive assistant"

Uruk: Home city of Inanna, and city over which Gilgamesh is king

Gilgamesh: king of Uruk, 2/3 mortal and 1/3 god but also subject to death

Ninsun: Gilgamesh's mother, a minor goddess who is close to Shamash and takes a direct interest in Gilgamesh's fortunes

Enkidu: the "Wild Man" created by the gods to become Gilgamesh's friend and alter ego

Humbaba: Superhuman creature the gods have set out to guard the cedar forest

Dilmun: the Sumerian/Babylonain equivalent of Eden, a land beyond time

Utnapishtim: the Sumerian Noah, who survived the Flood with Enki's help and achieved immortality

Siduri: the "barmaid at the end of the universe" and avatar of Ishtar

 

Assignment for Thursday, April 4:

Reading:

Preparation:

Texts and Comparisons:

NOTE:  Writing assignment 3: Heroes  is now due Tuesday, Apr. 2.

Terms and Names: Theseus and Argonauts

Theseus Amazons Athens
Minos Ariadne Phaedra
Hippolytus Minotaur Labyrinth
Aegeus Medea Daedalus
Icarus Jason  

Assignment for Tuesday, April 2:

Reading:

To Turn In:

 

Texts and Comparisons:

Continue thinking about the Odysseus comparison elements from before.

How does Theseus compare to Heracles as a hero?  Which of his exploits are similar to those of Heracles?  What are the fundamental ways in which he is different from Heracles?

 

Terms and Names: Heracles

Heracles Amphitryon Alcmene
Iolaus Nemean Lion Lernaean Hydra
Augean Stables Girdle of Hippolyta Cattle of Geryon
Apples of the Hesperides Atlas Cerberus
Antaeus Megara Deianira
Omphale Nessus Eurystheus

Terms and Names: Perseus

Perseus Graeae Medusa
Tiryns    

 

Assignment for Tuesday, March 26:

Reading:

To turn in:

Power Point: Theseus

Texts and Comparisons:

Heracles:

Be prepared to compare Herakles to Odysseus in class.  Consider elements such as:

Theseus:

Terms and Names (Returns) 

Odysseus Odyssey Penelope Telemachus
Ithaca Calypso Phaeacea Nausicaa
xenos xenia Cyclops  Polyphemus
Aeolus Helius Circe Sirens
Scylla Charybdis Lotus-Eaters nostos

Terms and Names  (Trojan War)

Leda dioscuri  Castor Pollux (Polydeuces)
Clytemnestra Helen Thetis Achilles
Eris Paris Priam Hecuba
xenia (xenos) Chiron Achaeans Menelaus
Agamemnon Patroclus Phoenix Odysseus
Nestor Ajax Briseis Hector
Andromache Astyanax Aeneas Iliad
time geras Penthesileia Laocoon
Neoptolemus Aeneid Vergil Iliad
kleos      

Assignment for Thursday, March 20 

In Class Quiz: Concepts and their Applications

Reading:

To turn in:

Power Point:

Texts and Comparisons:

The Returns

Below  are two opposing perspectives on Odysseus and the Odyssey.  Pick one and be ready to support your point in class discussion.

  1.  Odysseus' main accomplishment as a hero is to make it home and re-establish his identity there.  All of his adventures in the outside world are significant in the kinds of obstacles to "coming home" they present, and by how they help or hinder him in this goal.

  2. Odysseus' main accomplishment as a hero is to establish his identity through his own heroic actions.  He must have a complete (and heroic) identity before he returns to a settled life, and he accomplishes this by surviving all kinds of challenges to the human condition.

Note: Paper 2 now due on Tuesday, Mar. 19th.

Concepts:

 

Assignment for Tuesday, Mar. 19th.

Preparation:

Connections with the present: Hero ethos

 

Note: No office hours on Wednesday March 13

Assignment for Thursday, March 14

Reading:

Reading Quiz: M&L Chapter 19

Power Point:

Texts and Comparisons:  Approaches to the Mycenean Saga:  

We're taking the same approach as with the Theban Saga: everyone is assigned to a group below (on a different theme from the one you had in the Theban Saga).  Read the literature of the Mycenean Saga in the light of your topic -- where do your themes and dynamics occur, and how important are they to the action?  Are they straightforward or ambivalent?  What examples most reflect your theme/dynamic in the myths and literature surrounding them?

Theme 1: Fate. Jamar, Bri, Sophia, Mark,Molly, Maddison McKenzie

Theme 2: Curse and Miasma.  Justine, Victoria, Trey, Lyla, Grace, Cyrus

Theme 3: Hamartia (Fatal Flaw). Chandler, Pat, Lisa, April, Barbara, Jamie

One principle of Greek drama is that the chief character has a fatal flaw (hamartia, literally "missing the mark") that causes his or her downfall and all of the complications and sufferings of his/her situation. 

Theme 4: Family. Mat, Casey, Katie, Ryan D., Eamon, Alyssa, Lindsay

 

Terms and Names (Mycenean Saga)

Iphigenia Oresteia Agamemnon Libation Bearers
Eumenides Furies Atreus Thyestes
Pelops Tantalus Clytemnestra Aegisthus
Orestes  Electra Pylades Kairos
pathei mathos      

 

Assignment for Tuesday, March 12

Reading:

Reading Quiz: M&L Chapter 18

Power Point:

Preparation:

Connections with the present: hero stories and their patterns. 

Texts and Comparisons:

Our main discussion topic: different approaches to the Theban Saga.  Everyone is assigned to a group below.  Read the literature of the Theban Saga in the light of your topic -- where do your themes and dynamics occur, and how important are they to the action?  Are they straightforward or ambivalent?  What examples most reflect your theme/dynamic in the myths and literature surrounding them?

Theme 1: Fate.Casey, Justine, Ryan, Trey, Pat, Barbara, Grace

Theme 2: Curse and Miasma.Bri, Sophia, Alyssa, Ryan, April, Jamie

Theme 3: Hamartia (Fatal Flaw).  Matt, Victoria, Molly, Eamon, Maddison, Cyrus, Lindsay

One principle of Greek drama is that the chief character has a fatal flaw (hamartia, literally "missing the mark") that causes his or her downfall and all of the complications and sufferings of his/her situation. 

Theme 4: Family.  Chandler, Jamar, Mark, Lisa, Lyla, MacKenzie

Terms and Names: Theban Saga

Europa  Cadmus Harmonia Sophocles
Aeschylus Laius Jocasta Sphinx
Tiresias Hamartia Miasma Antigone
Eteocles Polyneices Oedipus Creon
Joseph Campbell motif folk tale myth

Assignment for Thursday, Feb. 28, 

Reading:

To Turn In:

Power Point:

Connections with the present: hero stories and their patterns. 

Assignment for Tuesday, Feb. 26

Midterm

Midterm Review Materials & Essay Questions

Regarding Papers: Revisions may be made for the first paper until Thursday, March 14.  Turn in both the first paper and the revision.  The revised grade replaces the first grade.  (Note that this is also the due date for Paper 2, so manage your time well ...) 

Assignment for Thursday, Feb. 21

Reading:

To Turn In:

Power Point:

Film Clips

Intro to the film clips

Class Preparation:

Connections with the present AND Texts and Comparisons:

We will continue with the discussions from last time. To help organize your thoughts and focus on issues, here's a chart to use in conjunction with the questions/areas for comparison posed below.

For the topics for comparison, go to the assignments from previous classes.

We will also look at the differences between mystery religions and other forms, in our world and in the Greek world.

Intro to The film clips

Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus) was made in 1958 and won the golden palm at the Cannes film festival.  Set in Brazil, it rewrites the Orpheus story in the form of the relationship between Orfeu and Eurydice, a young woman who has come to town to escape a stalker.  The action is set in the (Dionysiac) atmosphere of Carnival  (Mardi Gras), while Orfeu represents the Apolline principle of order -- at least partly.  In the course of the movie, the two fall quickly in love, only for Eurydice to lose her life as the stalker hunts her through the streets during the festivities.  Orfeu, in a distressed state, then tries to find her in two different symbolic "underworlds."  At the end of the movie, he is killed by his ex-fiancee, Mira, and a band of women whose love he had rejected.  (But a little note of hope is at the end).

Jean Cocteau's Orphee shows Orpheus in the style of a slightly pre-beat generation poet, who has lost his inspiration and is in the course of abanoning his wife (Eurydice) becuase he has fallen in love with death,  This scene shows him entering a surreal underworld, though he doesn't seem that interested in getting her out of it ...

Both of these movies are presented in their entirety in Youtube clips, so if you're interested, watch more. 

 

Terms and Names

Orpheus

Orpheus Eurydice Orphic cult
Thrace Isis Syncretism
Apuleius    

Afterlife

Homer Odysseus Tiresias
Achilles Plato Er
Virgil Aeneid Aeneas
Sibyl Charon Styx
Cerberus Hades Persephone
Lethe Tartarus Sisyphus
Tantalus Ixion Elysium (Elysian Fields)

Demeter and Eleusis:

Demeter Persephone Celeus Metaneira
Demophoon Eleusis mysteries kykeon
hierophant Kore    

Dionysus

Dionysus Semele Thebes
Cadmus Tiresias Pentheus
Euripides Bacchae Maenad
thyrsus omophagia sparagmos
Satyr Drama katharsis
Anthesteria Athens Chorus

Assignment for Tuesday, Feb 19

:Reading:

Writing Assignment Due: Writing Assignment 2: Liminal Deities

To Turn In:

Power Point:

Class Preparation:

Connections with the present AND Texts and Comparisons:

There are a number of different view of the afterlife expressed by different elements of the Greek world, represented by the traditional Homeric view, the view held by initiated of the Eleusinian mysteries, the ideas about reincarnation held by the Pythgoreans and put forth by Plato, and the ideas of atomists such as Demosthenes (see power point).  Considering this diversity, consider one or more of these Greek afterlife views in tandem with a similar view of the afterlife from a modern perspective with which you are familiar.  Consider such elements as:

We'll discuss in groups initially, then come together for further discussion and application to the mainstream mythologizing of the received tradition.

Demeter and Eleusis:

The Homeric Hymn to Demeter works in a number of ways.  Choose two of the perspectives below and conclude what the text says/implies about it:

 

Liminal Deities Writing Assignment

We have so far encountered for gods/goddesses (Aphrodite, Artemis, Hermes, and Dionysus) who could be considered "liminal" deities in that they preside over human transitions into alien places or states of mind.  Choose two of these gods and discuss their liminal aspects, and how these aspects appear in the narrative myths about them.  How are they similar / different in their relationships with humans?  Support your arguments with specific references to primary sources, citing the source parenthetically; use at least one quote in making your point.

You might want to consider some (but probably not all) of the following points of comparison:

Assignment for Tuesday, Feb 19

:Reading:

Writing Assignment Due: Writing Assignment 2: Liminal Deities

To Turn In:

Power Point:

Class Preparation:

Connections with the present AND Texts and Comparisons:

There are a number of different view of the afterlife expressed by different elements of the Greek world, represented by the traditional Homeric view, the view held by initiated of the Eleusinian mysteries, the ideas about reincarnation held by the Pythgoreans and put forth by Plato, and the ideas of atomists such as Demosthenes (see power point).  Considering this diversity, consider one or more of these Greek afterlife views in tandem with a similar view of the afterlife from a modern perspective with which you are familiar.  Consider such elements as:

We'll discuss in groups initially, then come together for further discussion and application to the mainstream mythologizing of the received tradition.

Demeter and Eleusis:

The Homeric Hymn to Demeter works in a number of ways.  Choose two of the perspectives below and conclude what the text says/implies about it:

 

Assignment for Thursday, Feb. 14:

Reading:

Due at the beginning of class:

Due next week (Tuesday Feb. 19):

Sources and Comparisons

Class Preparation:

(1) Our study of Dionysus will focus on The Bacchae by Euripides.  Each person will be assigned either Pentheus or Dionysus (see below).  (Of course, if you are into it you can do the other character as well.)  We will discuss in groups dedicated to each character.  For your character, your goal is to be ready to talk about the following issues:

Assignments:

Dionysus: Casey, Justine, Jamar, Ryan Dolan, Sophia, Victoria, Molly, Alyssa, April, Maddi, Lyla, Cyrus,

Pentheus: Matt, Chandler, Bri, Trey, Mark, Pat, Lisa, Eamon, Ryan Potter, Barbara, Grace, Jamie, Lindsay, McKenzie

Demeter and Eleusis:

The Homeric Hymn to Demeter works in a number of ways.  Choose two of the perspectives below and conclude what the text says/implies about it:

Assignment for Tuesday, Feb. 12:

PAPER 1 DUE

Quiz on terms and names linked below.  Matching; ten descriptions, 15 possible names/ideas to match.

Reading:

To turn in: Reading Quiz 13

Power Points:

Class Preparation: 

Connections with the Present:

Sources and Comparisons

Class Plan:

Scroll down for terms and names by chapter

Hermes

Hermes Maia Apollo
trickster caduceus talaria
Psychopompus Herm  

Apollo:

Apollo Delos Delphi
Omphalos Pythia Hyacinthus
Daphne Cassandra Marpessa
Asclepius Agathos Daimon  

Assignment for Thursday, Feb. 7:

Reading:

To Turn In:

Power Point:

Primary Sources and Comparisons: Artemis and Apollo

Review the Homeric Hymn to Artemis and consider what aspects of personality and powers come out -- what is the essence of Artemis as seen here?

Using the list of areas of comparison listed below, choose 5-8 areas in which to compare Artemis and Apollo, bringing out key similarities and differences.  Refer to myths/iconography where possible to illustrate your observations.

NOTE: You should be able to refer to a specific myth or myths (or at least places in the text) to elucidate your comments.

Connections with the Present:

 

Artemis:

Artemis Leto Niobe Actaeon
Callisto Brauron Ephesus Orion
Euripides Hippolytus Phaedra Theseus
Tragedy Liminal Initiation  

Quiz terms and names:

Poseidon Nereids (Nereus) Proteus Gorgons
Sirens Sphinx Apotropaic Athena
Metis Aegis Artemis Niobe
Actaeon Callisto Brauron Ephesus
Aphrodite Urania Pandemos Sappho
Adonis Anchises Hephaestus Ares
Eros Priapus Apollo Cassandra
Daphne Hyacinthus Pythia Delphi
Asclepius Liminal Initiation  

Assignment for Tuesday, Feb. 5:

Reading:

In-class quiz cancelled

To Turn In:

Power Points:

Due next class (Thursday Feb. 7): Paper 1: Source and Citation exercise (10% of course grade)

Connections to the present:

Primary Sources and Comparisons:

Assignment for Thursday, Jan 31:

Reading:

Sea-powers: Look over this Nature of Sea Deities comparison that we'll look at in groups as a break from Aphrodite 

To Turn In: Chapter 9 quiz

Power Point:

Due at the beginning of class: Writing assignment 1: Arachne  Note: This counts the same as a quiz grade but is an important lead-in to the Source and Citation Exercise).

Due next week (Thursday Feb. 7): Paper 1: Source and Citation exercise (10% of course grade)

Connections to the present:

In Greek myth, Eros and Aphrodite can represent many different aspects of love.  Do we have a similarly complex view of love?  Are there kinds of relationships that are "love" in the Greek view but not in ours, or vice-versa?

Primary Sources and Comparisons:

Terms and Names

Aphrodite Urania Pandemos Sappho
Adonis Anchises Hephaestus Ares
Eros Priapus Inanna Cupid
Psyche Hermaphroditus    

Assignment for Tuesday, Jan. 29:

Reading:

QUIZ on Iconography (description)  (rubric)

To Turn In:

Power Point:

Discussion Questions:

Connections to the present:

Primary Sources and Comparisons:

Terms and Names (ML 7 & 8)

Poseidon Pontus Nereids (Nereus) Proteus
Amphitrite Thetis Gorgons Medusa
Sirens Sphinx Apotropaic Athena
Metis Aegis Parthenon Panathenaia
Minerva Arachne epithet  

Iconography quiz: I will give you three identified pictures of deities and/or events we have studied through chapter 4.  You choose 2 to write about.  In each, you should use the image as a starting point for the discussion: in other words, observe how the image elucidates or reflects the nature of the deity/event, and use it as a starting point for points you want to make about the significance of that character/event.  All images are available on the power points posted through chapter 6, and/or in the textbook. 

Rubric: NOTE: You do not have to identify the image, only discuss it.

Example:  (This is based on a figure we have not yet studied, so the ideas here would be more apparent if we had been there yet ...  And it is only one example; there are lots of other directions the author could have gone for an equally effective discussion.)

Athena

A: Athena is portrayed with a helmet, shield and spear, which demonstrate her role as the goddess of warfare (reasonable war as opposed to the brutality of Ares).  Although she is armed for warfare, she is wearing women's clothes.  This shows that although she is the goddess of a masculine activity, she is not masculine herself, which fits in with the idea that as the favored daughter of Zeus, she supports her father in his concerns and represents the benevolence women can bring to the city.  (This is why she is called Athena Polias.)  She is wearing the aegis, which only she and Zeus can wear, and it symbolizes her protective nature.  She also has the gorgon's head on her shield, which is a protective element in that it can frighten bad influences away.  Athena is striding forward, a gesture which shows power and even aggression (Zeus is also shown this way).  This image shows Athena as the protective, rational goddess who can be counted on to help humans in war as well as in other aspects of life.

B: Athena is portrayed with a helmet, shield and spear, which demonstrate her role as the goddess of warfare (reasonable war as opposed to the brutality of Ares).  Although she is armed for warfare, she is wearing women's clothes.  This shows that, although she is the goddess of a masculine activity, she is not masculine herself.  She is wearing the aegis, which only she and Zeus can wear, and it symbolizes her protective nature.  Athena is striding forward, a gesture which indicates her power. This image shows Athena as the protective, rational goddess who is a help to humans in war as well as in other aspects of life.  [Same overall ideas, but less fully expanded into the significance of the iconography]

C: Athena can be indentified by her helmet, spear and shield, and also because she wears a full-length dress even though she is armed.  She is wearing the aegis which symbolizes protection and her closeness with Zeus.  She is striding forward aggressively which shows her as the goddess of war.  Athena is also the goddess of intelligence and crafts and is especially close to her father, Zeus.  [Aware of key elements of iconograpy;  gets the "protective" idea in; notices that she is striding forward but does not interpret it, presents sound information about Athena but not necessarily in the context of iconography]

Assignment for Thursday, Jan. 24:

Reading:

To Turn In:

Power Point:

Discussion Questions:

Gods and humans: (this will be a central focus in class discussion)

Primary Sources and Comparisons:

  1. Croesus and Solon: what are the ways that ideas of hubris, ate, nemesis, and miasma show up in the story?  What do we learn about human nature and limitations from the Croesus story?

Connections with the present:

  1. Some of the Olympian characters fit stereotypes (or are the archetypes?) visible in our own society: Hera as the nagging wife, Ares as the brash, violent, not-too-smart-and-subtle guy, Hephaestus as the good-natured guy who gets taken advantage of.  Where do these stereotypes come from in our society?  Are they realistic?  Do they reflect our social values?  (Done in class discussion)

 

Terms and names: (ML 6)

Herodotus Croesus Solon Delphi
Presocratics Xenophanes Olympian Deities Chthonic Deities
Nymphs hubris ate nemesis
anthropomorphic personification monotheism polytheism
iconography pantheon miasma expiate
oracle prophecy    

Assignment for Tuesday, Jan. 22:

Quiz on terms and names linked here (or scroll to Quiz Terms and Names).  10 multiple choice questions.

Reading:

To turn in:

Power Point

Connections with the present:

  1. Zeus is clearly a patriarchal father figure who is powerful over his family.  What images of such figures do we have today?  Is it a desirable thing today?  Was it 100 years ago?  (Done in groups)

  2. Some of the Olympian characters fit stereotypes (or are the archetypes?) visible in our own society: Hera as the nagging wife, Ares as the brash, violent, not-too-smart-and-subtle guy, Hephaestus as the good-natured guy who gets taken advantage of.  Where do these stereotypes come from in our society?  Are they realistic?  Do they reflect our social values?  (Done in class discussion)

Primary Sources and Comparisons:

(NOTE: Review the questions on violence from the last class and bring it forward into the Prometheus/Pandora discussion)

  1. Why does Zeus have such a contradictory nature -- appearing both as the god of justice and order and the repist/seducer of many mortal women?  How might a Greek resolve this contradictory nature?

  2. How would you describe the tone of Hesiod's Four or Five Ages?  What commentary on human history does it give?  What about the response of the reader/hearer to this account.

  3. Ovid (a Roman writing in the BC/AC transition) has a very different take on thigs.  What is the difference between his commentary and Hesiod's (substance, tone, effect ...)

  4. Prometheus is a classic "trickster" figure, in that he deceives those in power, causes harm to himself and others, yet also causes creativity and change in the universe.  Take one of the following positions, and be able to support it with specifics. 

    1. The results of Prometheus' tricks are generally bad, in that they result in a damaged relationship between humans and gods and a harder existence for humans.

    2. The results of Prometheus' tricks are generally good, in that they brought humans maturity and technology, despite the suffering they caused.

  5. Aeschylus and Hesiod: The Prometheus story is told at length by Hesiod, and referred to in part by Aeschylus in Prometheus bound.  Would Aeschylus and Hesiod have different takes on questions 3 above?

  6. Ares and Hephaestus: They may be stereotypes, but they are also gods.  So how do their characters mesh with their powers and provinces?

Terms and names:

Zeus Hera Hestia Olympia
Nike oracle cult statue Mount Olympus
Hephaestus Ares Muses Fates
Cronus Rhea Titans Gigantomachy
Titanomache Prometheus Pandora Typhoes (Typhon)
personification (again) anthropomorphism archetype  

Quiz Terms and Names

Hesiod Theogony Chaos Eros
Gaia Uranus Sacred Marriage Titans
Helius Phaethon Selene Endymion
Eos Tithonus Cronus Rhea
Oceanus Titans Aphrodite personification
archetype      

Quiz concepts and ideas:

NOTE: These are not questions I will ask you on the quiz -- the quiz will be 10 multiple choice questions.  But they will help you get the perspective on the terms/names that will be most helpful in the m/c questions.

How are things created in Hesiod's creations myths?  What is the role of violence -- how is power transferred from one generation to the next?  What forced remain powerful in the "modern" world?  What role do the Titans play in the modern world (i.e. the Greeks who wrote the mythic narratives)?  What role do binary oppositions (as in structuralism) play in creation myth?  What figures in creation reflect archetypes still prevalent today?

 

Assignment for Thursday, Jan. 17:

Reading:

To turn in:

Power Point: Creation

Connections with the present:

What other stories of creation are you familiar with? (Biblical, big bang and other scientific theories, any other cultural story you have encountered in reading or study)?  Choose one or two to contemplate.  What are the processes that lead to creation?  Who is the creator?  Is this story/these stories meaningful to you in understanding the world?

Primary sources and comparisons:

  1. Hesiod’s creation has a particular progression of who is born from whom and the forces that originate and cause creation.  What are the key elements in this progression?  Consider: Chaos, Eros, Gaia, Uranus, the different mates of Gaia and their children, the children of Night (Nyx).  Note: you do not have to know and keep straight who all of these are (except the ones in terms and names) – the key thing is to note the concepts that are related through creation.

  2. Violence and creation: There is obviously a lot of violence in Greek creation stories.  Some of the reasons scholars and others have proposed are listed below.  Do any of these seem more likely to you than others?  Pick one (or more) to support, using examples from the Greek creation stories.
  1. Violence is part of life, so myth reflects that part of life. 

  2. Creation involves the violence of destroying or overtaking the old, so naturally creation stories contain violence. 

  3. Change is often violent, and the early universe is full of changes.

  4. Real families have many conflicts and violent impulses, so naturally the divine families of myth have conflicts and violent impulses.

  5. Psychologically speaking, every son knows that he will have to symbolically destroy his father to reach his own power and maturity, and myth reflects this psychological truth. 

  6. Since violence (in the form of warfare) was an eeryday possibility for the ancient Greeks, their universe was simply more violent than ours

Terms and Names

Structuralism Claude Levi-Strauss Hesiod Theogony
Chaos Eros Gaia Uranus
Sacred Marriage Titans Oceanus Helius
Phaethon Selene Endymion Eos
Tithonus Cronus Rhea Aphrodite
Titans Titanomachy Giants Typhoeus
 

Assignment for Tuesday, Jan. 15:

Reading:

To Turn In:

Power Points:

 

Discussion Questions:

Connections with the present:

  1. How much can you tell about people from the material remains they leave?  (Religious beliefs, social structure, attitudes about gender, attitudes toward central ideas like use of military force, pleasure and enjoyment in daily life, duty and responsibility, hard work, balance in life activities, sexual behavior ... consider what various architecture and abandoned (but durable) possessions might say about our own society.

  2. What are the key elements of the landscape of Greece (from power points or other sources).  To what extent might landscape play a role in religious belief -- or not?  Is landscape a factor in any religious system you are familiar with?

  3. (Probably for next time)  What other stories of creation are you familiar with? (Biblical, big bang and other scientific theories, any other cultural story you have encountered in reading or study)?  Choose one or two to contemplate.  What are the processes that lead to creation?  Who is the creator?  Is this story/these stories meaningful to you in understanding the world?

Primary Sources and Comparisons:

  1. What elements of the landscape and material remains of Troy, Crete, and Mycenae/other mainland sites, give about the cultures that inhabited them?  Be specfic -- note several archeological remains that (potentially) show you something about the culture and your conclusions/suggestions about them.

  2. Hesiod’s creation has a particular progression of who is born from whom and the forces that originate and cause creation.  What are the key elements in this progression?  Consider: Chaos, Eros, Gaia, Uranus, the different mates of Gaia and their children, the children of Night (Nyx).  Note: you do not have to know and keep straight who all of these are (except the ones in terms and names) – the key thing is to note the concepts that are related through creation.

  3. How does creation happen in Hesiod (and how does it compare to the creation stories you are familiar with)?

  4. We live in a monotheistic society (Whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim) and obviously the Greeks were polytheistic.  Does this make an inherent difference in how our different cultures see creation?

Terms and names:

myth saga legend folktale
mythos religion aitia etiology/etiological
rationalism Euhemerism allegory Sigmund Freud
dreamwork Carl Jung collective unconscious archetype
Neolithic Minoan Mycenean Troy
Bronze Age Linear B Homer "Dark Age"

 
R Feb. 7 Apollo (M&L 11); Hermes (M&L 12)

Reading Quiz 11 & Reading Quiz 12 due at beginning of class

T Feb. 12

Dionysus

Paper 1 due  EXTENSION till today

In-class quiz: Terms and Names

Reading Quiz 13 due at beginning of class

 

R Feb. 14

Demeter and Eleusis

Reading Quiz 14 due at beginning of class

T Feb 19

The Afterlife

Writing Assignment 2: Liminal Deities

Reading Quiz 15 due at beginning of class

R Feb. 21

Orpheus

Reading Quiz 16 due at the beginning of class

T Feb. 26 MIDTERM Midterm essay choice and review guide
R Feb. 28 Heroes; Theban Saga Reading Quiz 17 due at beginning of class
Mar. 3-5 Spring Break
T  Mar. 12 Mycenaean Saga Reading Quiz 18 due at beginning of class

R Mar. 14

The Trojan Saga (ML 19)

 

T Mar 19

Trojan Saga continued; the Returns

Paper 2 due

Reading Quiz 19 due at beginning of class

R Mar. 21 The Returns continued; Perseus

Reading Quiz 20 due at beginning of class

Reading Quiz 21 due at beginning of class

In Class Quiz: Concepts and their Applications

T Mar. 26

Heracles

Reading Quiz 22 due at the beginning of class

(Writing assignment 3 postponed until Apr. 2)

R Mar 28

State Holiday

 

T Apr. 2

Heracles cont.; Theseus

Writing assignment 3: Heroes due at beginning of class

In-class quiz cancelled

Reading quiz 23 due at beginning of class

R Apr. 4

The Argonauts

 

T Apr. 9 Middle Eastern Mythology 1: Inanna's Descent; Inanna Quiz in class
R Apr. 11 Middle Eastern Mythology 2: Epic of Gilgamesh tablets 1-4 Gilgamesh 1 quiz due at beginning of class
T Apr. 16 Middle Eastern Mythology 3: Epic of Gilgamesh Tablets 5-11 Gilgamesh 2 quiz due at beginning of class
     

T Apr. 23

Norse Myth 2:  Odin and Thor: Prose Edda pp. 32-70

Norse Myth Q 2 due at beginning of class

R Apr. 25

Norse Myth 3: The End of the World: Prose Edda 71-87

Norse Myth Q 3 due at beginning of class