Transcript - bYTEBoss
Ancient Greek Mythology 500 B.C.E. 2009 C.E. Myth: a story that explains natural and / or human phenomenon. The Greek Pantheon and Heroes of Legend Creation Myths Before the beginning, there was CHAOS. From this void, GAEA emerges. Earth = Gaea or Ge Related words? From Chaos, along with Gaea, came Tartarus, the Underworld Pangaea Geology Geography The third and final force born from Chaos is Eros Eros is a force of love Review: Chaos → Gaea, Tartarus, Eros Anthropomorphism Eros Chaos + Gaea __________ Titans ___________ = the sky ___________ + Gaea Oceanus, Atlas, Rhea, Tethys, Prometheus, Epimetheus, Hyperion, Mnemosyne, Themis, Metis, Iapetus, Coeus, Crius, Phoebe, Thea, and Cronos (Monsters: Cyclopes and Hundred Handed…) Warning: This slide contains some shocking information. The father of the Titans, ____________, fears his children will overthrow him. He tries to destroy them, but Gaea, their mother, plots with Cronos to prevent this. In a vicious move, Cronos castrates his father and flings his testicles into the ocean. From this, a beautiful goddess, Aphrodite is born. The Olympians Cronos + Gaea Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Hestia, Ares, Demeter, Aphrodite Olympians vs. Titans Cronos Atlas Banished under a mountain Holds up the world Prometheus Chained to a mountain! An eagle tears out his liver every morning! He can never die… How About a Game? Who’s your daddy? Or Are you my mother? Pantheon of Greek Gods Zeus + Hera Ares Aphrodite Hephaestus Zeus + Metis Athena Zeus + Semele Dionysus Zeus + Leto Apollo Artemis Zeus + Danae Perseus Zeus + Leda Zeus + Alcmene Heracles It’s All Greek to Me! Journal / Discussion • Is the Greek creation myth a good explanation of how the universe began? Why or why not? – Do you think that the four first essences (Chaos, Gaea, Tartarus, Eros) are necessary at the beginning of every creation myth? Are there others? • What do you think of the conflicts between fathers and sons? How are they similar? How are they different and complicated? • What do the qualities of the gods, goddesses and heroes tell us about the beliefs and ideals of the people who shared these stories? Mythography History? Religion? Literature? Science? Psychology? Philosophy? Which natural phenomenon does the myth of Persephone explain? Persephone is the lovely daughter of Demeter. Hades kidnaps her to the Underworld. Demeter searches for Persephone instead of caring for the earth. The world becomes cold, and the humans suffer. Greek Writers • Hesiod: Theogony • Ovid: Metamorphoses (collection of short stories) • Homer: The Iliad and The Odyssey (epic poems) • Sophocles: Oedipus Rex (tragic play) Ages of Man • • • • • Golden Age Silver Age Age of Bronze Age of Heroes Iron Age * Paleolithic (? – 6000 B.C.E.) * Neolithic / Stone Age ( 6000 – 3000 B.C.E.) * Bronze Age (3000 – 1100 B.C.E.) * Iron Age (1100 B.C.E. – today) Which of these ages would you like to live in? Why? The Age of Women Hesiod recounts a famous myth that explains the creation of women, Connecting them to both trouble and hope… Zeus creates Pandora Epimetheus (afterthought) marries Pandora Pandora opens the forbidden box All the troubles of the world fly out of it. The box also holds a creature called Hope… Ovid’s Metamorphoses Creation Myths Chaos Gaea Hera = Wife of Zeus Aphrodite = Love Ares = War Poseidon = Sea Hephaestus = Forge Hades = Underworld Demeter = Harvest Uranus Cronos Zeus Apollo = Sun, Prophesy, Wisdom Artemis = Moon, Chastity Athena = Wisdom Dionysus = Wine, Theater Hermes = Messenger of gods Others…? Ovid’s Metamorphoses Continued Apollo and Daphne Daphne is a water nymph – a daughter of Poseidon Apollo loves her, but Daphne is frightened of him. Apollo chases Daphne. She calls her father for help. She is transformed (metamorphosed) into a laurel tree. Apollo wears the laurel branches as a crown ever after. Ovid’s Metamorphoses Continued Phaethon Phaethon is son of Apollo by a mortal woman. He does not believe his mother’s story. He journeys to see Apollo. Apollo swears to grant Phaethon’s greatest wish, and he swears by the River Styx… Ovid’s Metamorphoses Continued Narcissus and Echo Ovid’s Metamorphoses Continued Narcissus “narcissistic” Greek root words phobia = fear Arachne Characterization Themes? Ovid’s Metamorphoses Continued Orpheus and Euridyce Orpheus is one of the most famous musicians in literature. Entire forests uproot themselves to follow his songs. All his lyrics cannot bring his love, Euridyce, back from the underworld… Ovid’s Metamorphoses Continued Daedalus and Icarus King Minos of Crete angers Poseidon Poseidon’s revenge minotaur Theseus of Athens + Ariadne of Crete King Minos banishes Daedalus and Icarus Ovid’s Metamorphoses Continued Daedalus and Icarus Continued Daedalus creates wings out of seagull feathers and melted wax so that he and his son, Icarus, can escape the island… Theme? Homer The Iliad and the Odyssey composed in the 8th century B.C.E. ? Epic Poetry Battles and / or Journeys Time Supernatural (Gods and Monsters) Cultural Heroes The Iliad GREEKS TYNDAREAUS MENELEAUS AGAMEMNON CLYTEMNESTRA IPHEGENIA ODYSSEUS PELEUS ACHILLES PATROKLUS AJAX HELEN TROJANS PARIS KING PRIAM QUEEN HECUBA OENONE BRISEIS HEKTOR CASSANDRA HELENUS LACCOON GODS AND GODDESSES ZEUS HEPHAESTUS THETIS HERA ATHENA POSEIDON ERIS ARTEMIS APOLLO HERMES APHRODITE Apple of Discord Peleus + Thetis Eris, the goddess of discord golden apple Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite Zeus sends Hermes to Paris, Prince of Troy Hera Power Athena Wealth Aphrodite promised the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris chooses Aphrodite (Oenone) Helen Helen Menelaus Peleus Odysseus Agammemnon Achilles Ajax Patroklus The Trojan War Troy = Ilium Iliad Odysseus asks King Priam to return Helen Nine years of the war consisted of both war in Troy and war against the neighboring regions. Battles Greek victories Briseis The Greeks can not break down the walls of Troy. Patroklus is killed by Hektor. Achilles exacts a terrible revenge. Beware of Greeks Bringing Gifts Odysseus dreams up the Trojan Horse. It is a nightmare for Ilium. When the Greeks have destroyed Troy and returned Helen to her husband, Menelaus, they begin their journeys home. Journey Home After ten years of war, the Greeks are ready to return home. Agammemnon + Clytemnestra Iphegenia Odysseus… Cyclopes The Odyssey Continued Laestrygonians Circe Circe Hades Tiresias Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis Island of the Sun Calypso Phaecians Ithaca Alcinous ensures that Odysseus returns home to Ithaca safely. Athena warns Odysseus of danger. Athena also helps Telemachus and Odysseus reunite after twenty years. There is one last trial… The End of the Odyssey Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, is still beautiful. And, she is still Queen of Ithaca. For years, every eligible bachelor has been trying to win her hand in marriage. In fact, they have moved in, calling upon the law of hospitality. Fortunately, Penelope is as clever as her husband… Telling stories happily ever after The Language of Epic Poetry These were condensed versions of Homer’s epic poems. If I had recited them in their full forms, it would have taken days. Pneumonic (Memory) Devices: Epithets Caesura Ancient Greek Theater Dionysus Playwrights: Aeschylus (525 – 426 B.C.E) Sophocles (ca. 496 – 413 B.C.E) Euripedes (485 – 406 B.C.E.) Tragedy Socrates Plato Aristotle Tragedy inspires empathy and fear Catharsis Structure of the Plays Prologue Parados Scene / Agon Ode Exodos Oedipus Rex Before the play begins… King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes visit King Pelops who has a handsome son named Chrysippa… THE CURSE Any son born to Laius and Jocasta will kill his father… Pre-Story Continued Fate vs. Free Will Mount Cithaeron The child survives. Corinth Polybus + Merope Oedipus = swollen foot Oracle Thebes Thebes Sphinx Woman + Lion + Eagle Plague of riddles What has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening? Rex The answer to the riddle is: a human Allegory: a story that has symbols representing the real world Morning = early life = crawl on four “legs” Afternoon = mid-life = walk on two legs Evening = late life = walk on two legs with a cane Oedipus solves the riddle. He is a hero in Thebes. He becomes king of Thebes by marrying the Queen, Jocasta Tragic Hero Noble character Knowledge of self Anagnorisis Realization of tragic flaw Tragic flaw = hamartia Oedipus’s hamartia = hubris No self-awareness Death… Review & Discuss GODS Gaea Uranus Kronos (Cronos) Zeus / Jupiter / Jove Hades / Pluto Poseidon / Neptune Athena / Minerva Apollo Artemis / Diana Dionysius / Bacchus Aphrodite / Venus Hermes / Mercury Demeter / Ceres Hera / Juno Eros / Cupid Hephaestus / Vulcan MORTALS Paris Hector Priam Achilleus Menelaus Agammemnon Helen of Troy Ajax Odysseus Orpheus Narcissus Cast of Oedipus Rex WRITERS Hesiod Homer Ovid Sophocles LITERARY TERMS Caesura Epithet Prologue Parados Ode Scene / Episode / Agon Tragic Flaw / Hamartia Hubris Catharsis In media res Irony Works Cited Aristotle. Poetics. Trans. Malcolm Heath. Penguin Classics, 1996. Hesiod. Theogony. Trans. M.L. West. Oxford World Classics, 1999. -- Works and Days. Trans. M.L. West. Oxford World Classics, 1999. Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Richmond Lattimore. University of Chicago Press, 1951. --- The Odyssey. Trans. Richmond Lattimore. Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 1967. “Leda and the Swan.” gallerygailbolliger.com/gallery_mythology.html “Map of Antiquity.” http://www.lordalford.com/9grade/odyssey/odyssey_map.jpg Ovid. Metamorphoses. Trans. Allen Mandelbaum. Harvest Books, 1995. Sophocles. Oedipus the King. Trans. Robert Fagles. Penguin Books, 1984. “The Trojan War.” http://www.stanford.edu/~plomio/history.html Works Consulted Goud, T.E. An Introduction to the Divine and Heroic Myths and to the Religion of the Roman World. 1 June 2009. http://www.unbsj.ca/arts/classics/courses/clas1502/ Stewart, Michael. "Zeus", Greek Mythology: From the Iliad to the Fall of the Last Tyrant. http://messagenet.com/myths/bios/zeus.html (November 14, 2005) Webster, Michael. World Mythology. 1 June 2009. http://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Hesiod2.htm Westmoreland, Perry L. Ancient Greek Beliefs. 1 June 2009. Google Books. 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