Mythology 101: A Journey through Greek Myths and Heroes, Exams of Nursing

Download Mythology 101: A Journey through Greek Myths and Heroes and more Exams Nursing in PDF only on Docsity! CLASSIC2200 FEBRUARY TERM TEST REVIEW 2024 WU 1. What is an Eschatology? a. A story of life after death, during Archaic Period 2. What is the Underworld? a. Final home for mortals, no light, substance or hope/joy b. Enter at extreme/inaccessible regions of the world i. Must cross river (Ex. Styx) – boundary of life/death ii. No escape, Hermes is Psychopomp that leads spirits c. Controlled by Hades, Charon is ferry-man i. Cerberus guards the gates d. Later myths reflect idea of something better after death i. Mystery religions hope for blessed afterlife 3. What are the 2 types of recompense for heroes? a. Timé: awarded while alive, honour/recognition (ex. Precious objects, best portions of feast) b. Kleos: awarded after death, fame/glory (ex. Songs, monuments) – “like after death” 4. What is Tartarus? a. Lower than the Underworld, for the most horrible criminals: i. Tityus: son of Zeus, tried to rape Leto, killed by her children  tied to ground with vultures eating his liver ii. Tantalus: son of Zeus, stole divine food, tried to trick them with serving his son Pelops to them  Eternally tantalized by food and drink iii. Sisyphus: tied up Thanatos (“death”) so no one dies; Ares untied him and “killed” Sisyphus  Tricked Hades; told wife not to do funeral rites so he couldn’t go to Underworld; stayed on Earth until old age  Punished with pushing rock up-hill only for it to roll down iv. Ixion: first to kill own kin (father-in-law)  No god could cure his miasma, Zeus did and invited him to feast w/ gods; tried to rape Hera a. Replaced with cloud, produced Kentauros (Centaur)  Punished with wheel rolling over Underworld 5. The Odyssey Book 11 a. On journey home, told by witch Circe to speak with dead prophet Tiresias at the edge of Underworld i. Chthonic sacrifice – pit in ground, ghosts drink blood to speak ii. Spoke with Elpenor, his mother, Agamemnon, Ajax, Achilles, and Heracles (not really b/c granted immortality) 6. Who is Gilgamesh? a. Early hero from Mesopotamia, king of Uruk, “knew all things” b. Human with some divine abilities (son of mortal Lugalbanda and goddess Ninsun – conflicting identity) c. Tames nature but violent and arrogant (sleeps with brides) d. Gods make Enkidu from clay (“tamed” by woman) i. Become companions, slays monster Humbaba e. Insults goddess Ishtar, she punishes him by killing Enkidu i. Grief = delays his burial, confronted with his mortality 7. What is Gilgamesh’s Quest After Enkidu’s Death? a. Search for the secret of immortality, consults Utnapishtim but unable to earn it, must accept his own mortality b. Speaks with Siduri the wine-maker c. Falls asleep and time passes without Enkidu’s proper burial (bread decay shows nothing lasts forever, inevitable death) i. Finally buries him when worm out of Enkidu’s nose 8. What is a Greek Hero? a. Typical Features: i. Divine and human parents, unusual birth story ii. Threatened at birth, early display of divine powers iii. Education/exile, quest and slaying opponent/monster  Divine assistance iv. Return home, spiritually transformed  But unhappy/tragic domestic life, never able to settle v. Strange/ironic death, undying fame (song/cult) b. Seen as greater than regular humans, a model to look up to i. But identity is conflicted (divine and mortal) ii. Difficult to accept limits, challenge them and often commit hubris (and divine punishment) c. Seen as protector of civilization and culture, but can be also violent and threaten it (Ex. Gilgamesh) Week 9: Perseus and Heracles 1. Who is Perseus? a. Descendant of Io and Zeus (refer to “Prometheus Bound”) f. Amazon Queen – bring back her belt (by seduction or killing) g. Cattle of Geryon – monstrous “cowboy” with 3 heads h. Cerberus – ultimate labour, bring back the 3-headed dog from Underworld (doesn’t need to kill it, eventually returns it) i. Goes to Underworld twice in this (impossible) 11. Heracles’ Further Crime and Enslavement a. Cannot settle down, conquests, kills a rival and violates hospitality b. Serve as slave to foreign queen Omphale (enjoyed this time) 12.Heracles’ Second Marriage to Deianeira (“man-destroyer”) a. Met ghost of brother in UW, asked for her hand, fights sea monster for her b. Crosses river, centaur Nessus to carry her (his assault and death by Heracles, blood as love potion to use on Heracles) c. Learns Heracles destroyed city for love of princess, uses love potion to win him back (dips cloak in blood) i. Blood of hydra (in Nessus’ blood) reacts with sunlight, cloak fuses to his body – agony leads to apotheosis (gains immortality, burned alive on funeral pyre, reconciles with Hera and Hebe as his bride) Week 10: Theseus, Jason and Others 1. Who is Theseus? a. Athenian hero, son of King Aegeus and Aethra i. Technically son of Poseidon ii. Often portrayed as ideal ruler and protector, unified towns (synoikisim), but not that great  Founded Panatheniac festival for Athena b. King Aegeus couldn’t have children, sought oracle, witch Medea translated for him (offers her future refuge for her favour) i. Visited friend King Pittheus, offered his daughter Aethra ii. Sleep together, tells her if she bears a son from this, to give him armour placed under boulder when he comes of age, meet him in Athens  She bathed in sea later, Poseidon actually impregnates her with Theseus 2. Theseus Comes of Age a. Takes armour/sandals/sword, makes way to Athens, but needs to clear path of threats (6 “labours”) b. At the same time, Medea killed her ex-husband’s wife/children, seeks refuge with Aegeus, pregnant with son 3. What are Theseus’ 6 Labours? a. Periphetes: monster w/ club robbed travellers b. Sinis: the ‘bender’ (used trees to split people) c. Pig of Crommyon: man-eating pig d. Sciron: kicked travellers off cliff to sea monster e. Cercyon: wrestler f. Procrustes: the ‘stretcher’, maim travellers to fit his bed 4. Theseus’ Arrival at Athens a. Medea remembers oracle of King Aegeus, knows Theseus is here to claim place as king b. Sends him to kill the Bull of Marathon (Cretan Bull) i. He returns, she tries to poison him ii. King Aegeus recognizes the armour, accepts Theseus as king and Medea is exiled 5. What is the Cretan Royal Family Line? a. Zeus (form of a bull) and Europa – 3 kings of Crete (including Minos) b. Minos and Pasiphae (daughter of Helios) – Ariadne + Phaedra i. Minos punished by Poseidon – Pasiphae loves Cretan bull sleeps with it and gives birth to Minotaur  Heracles captured bull for Eurystheus, Theseus slays it 6. The Formation of the Labyrinth a. King Aegeus (Theseus’ father) killed Minos’ son Androgeus b. Minos declares war with Aegeus (Crete vs Athens), Crete wins i. Force Athens to sacrifice youth to the Minotaur placed into labyrinth c. Daedalus: captive of Minos, invented bull costume for Pasiphae, and created labyrinth for Minotaur, gives thread to Ariadne 7. Theseus in Labyrinth, Theseus and Ariadne a. Theseus volunteers to be sacrificed to Minotaur (father sends him on ship with black and white flags – change to white if alive) b. Ariadne sees him and falls in love w/ him, offers to help by giving him thread to find way out i. Theseus promises to marry her when he returns c. Slays Minotaur and returns to Ariadne, on way home and stop on island – forgets about her and leaves while she sleeps i. Curses him to suffer from his own forgetfulness like she did (forgets to change flag to white – father sees black and commits suicide – Aegean Sea) d. Ariadne eventually becomes bride of Dionysus (or sparagmos) 8. What is the Amazonomachy? a. Battle with the Amazons (Areopagus – “Hill of Ares”) b/c Theseus abducted Amazon queen (gives birth to son Hippolytus) i. Represents overpowering ideal of civilized patriarchy 9. Theseus and Phaedra a. Theseus marries Phaedra (Ariadne’s sister) b. Hippolytus is devoted virgin to Artemis (insults/neglects Aphrodite, punishes him by making Phaedra fall in love with him) i. He rejects her, she commits suicide with note falsely accusing him of raping her ii. Theseus curses him, Poseidon destroys him (Theseus’ father) 10. What are the dangers of a foreign bride? a. Fear of too much “mixing” in Athens, law that Athenian citizens must have Athenian fathers and mothers b. Myths show foreign brides choosing their own mate (goes against Athenian culture – dangerous) i. Remove blame from Athenian man b/c exotic female made first move c. Brides are already seen as “foreign” if from another family 11. Theseus’ Katabasis and Death a. Him and companion Pirithous (son of Ixion) – want to marry daughters of Zeus (hubris) i. Theseus kidnaps Helen from Sparta as child to be eventual wife ii. Pirithous wants Persephone, go to Underworld  Hades traps them in chairs, Heracles rescues Theseus b. Returns to see Athens at war with Sparta over Helen, goes to arrange alliance with Lycomedes i. Falls off cliff and dies (similar to Aegeus, ironic death) 12. Who is Jason? a. Son of Aeson (may be descendant of Aeolus – wind god?) i. King Aeson’s brother Pelias drives him from throne, Jason sent away for protection and education by Chiron b. Pelias has prophecy that youth in single sandal will overthrow him i. Jason comes of age and heads to Iolcus ii. Hera’s Divine Test w/ river; loses sandal iii. Pelias orders him to first retrieve Golden Fleece c. Also shown as an Argonaut (sailor of Argo – “swift”) with other Trojans 13. What is the Golden Fleece? a. Belonged to a magical ram, carried children Phrixus and Helle a. Story of the 10-year Trojan war, main issue is Achilles’ anger, withdrawal and eventual return (common theme – Demeter, Hephaestus, etc.) i. Also tragedy of Hector, supplication/ransom and ritual, funeral  Reciprocity (series of violent and peaceful)  Kleos, timé, nostos, fate ii. Crisis b/w mortals, mortals and gods, and gods 7. Iliad Book 1 a. FIRST WORD: ANGER b. Names for Greeks and Trojans: i. Greeks: Achaeans, Argives, Danaans ii. Trojans: Ilium, Dardanians, Pergamum c. Summary: i. Chryses (prophet of Apollo) goes to supplicate Agamemnon for daughter Chryseis (war prize), denies this ritual ii. Chryses prays to Apollo, Apollo sends plague onto Greeks  Unable to bury them – breakdown of value (crisis b/w gods and humans) iii. Greeks ask Calchas (another prophet) why, says its Apollo b/c Chryses  Achilles forces Agamemnon to return her w/o ransom  Agamemnon, pissed, takes Achilles’ war prize Briseis iv. Achilles withdraws, prays to Thetis for help v. Thetis supplicates Zeus (reminds him of past favour = Peleus), asks to turn battle against Greeks enough so they need Achilles back/restore honour  Pisses off Hera, doesn’t want Trojans leading (Paris), Zeus threatens her, Hephaestus resolves it w/ wine Week 12: The Iliad 1. Iliad Book 5 a. Achilles is gone for books 2-19 b. Summary: i. Diomedes’ aristeia (story) – will only fight if he knows they are not god, fights Aeneas but Aphrodite interferes, Athena gives permission to hurt her  Contrasts Thetis – can help but cannot prevent Achilles’ fate to die in battle (not Aeneas’ fate to die here, will form Roman Empire) 2. Iliad Book 6: a. Summary: i. Diomedes and Glaucus almost fight, realize tradition of hospitality b/w families, don’t fight and trade armour ii. Hector (Trojan) enters city, tells mother Hecuba to get all women to sacrifice to Athena for help (Athena refuses, on Greek side)  Hector speaks with Helen and Paris (not fighting)  Meets Andromache at gates of city with son Astyanax (b/w 2 worlds) a. Tells him not to fight Achilles; destroyed her family (but proper rituals of funeral and ransom), will leave son fatherless w/ no chance of honour b. He accepts fate, no one can protect him from it/kill him before his time i. He knows the Greeks will take Troy, rather be dead than see when she is taken prisoner and Astyanax thrown over wall (doesn’t know this, audience does) 3. Iliad Book 7: a. Summary: i. Hector and Ajax (volunteered) duel to determine the status of war; tied so the war continues  Trade items, later used in death (Ajax gets sword, Hector gets belt) ii. Zeus advances war for the Trojans (b/c Thetis), Hector sets Greek ships on fire  Zeus stops gods from interfering iii. Agamemnon realizes they need Achilles back; sends embassy of Odysseus, Phoenix, and Ajax with offer of gifts  Achilles refuses to accept and return to battle, not being recognized for what he wants  Achilles has a double fate: could return home and live long life (nostos), OR fight and win glory but die in battle (kleos)  Phoenix reminds him of their family-like bond (father figure) 4. Iliad Book 11: a. Story of Meleager (mother cursed him to never have children with Cleopatra, withdrew and refused return to battle until city was threatened) i. Common theme of anger, withdrawal and return ii. Cleopatra = “glory of the father” (similar to Achilles’ friend Patroclus)  Odysseus and Ajax return to Agamemnon, Phoenix stays with Achilles a. Summary: i. Agamemnon, Diomedes and Odysseus wounded ii. Achilles sends Patroclus to help (alter ego companion)  Nestor’s idea (disguise Patroclus in Achilles’ armour to scare back Trojans)  Achilles orders Patroclus NOT advance to Hector 5. Iliad Book 16: a. Summary: i. Patroclus’ aristeia - enters battle, kills some Trojans (including Sarpedon – Zeus tries to save him but his fate to die in battle)  Patroclus gets caught up, advances to Hector  Hector kills Patroclus (after other people weaken him), takes his (Achilles’ armour)  Ajax rescues his body for funeral ii. Achilles now wants to enter battle (not b/c of gifts/honour, but revenge against Hector) 6. Iliad Book 18: a. Summary: i. Divine armour made for Achilles by Hephaestus (reciprocity) ii. Achilles and Agamemnon don’t resolve issue but doesn’t care  Wants to start fighting, troops need to eat  Achilles is transformed by grief of Patroclus’ death a. Becomes god-like (divine armour) b. Becomes animalistic (revenge on Hector) c. Becomes like dead person (lays in dirt) i. Anything but human (violate rules) 7. Iliad Book 22: a. Summary: i. Priam and Hecuba try to stop Hector from fighting Achilles iii. Double shame (atimos), commits suicide by falling on sword (from Hector) 4. Helenus’ Prophecy for the Fall of Troy a. 3 conditions must be met: i. Recruit Achilles’ son Neoptolemus (or Pyrrhus) 1. Gets father’s armour from Odysseus 2. Terrible person, many sacrilegious acts, violates hospitality and slays Priam (Hector’s/Paris’ father) a. Image of Priam holding dead baby Astyanax ii. Obtain the Bow of Heracles (with Philoctetes on island of Lemnos) 1. Burned Heracles on funeral pyre when poisoned by cloak from Deianeira 2. Left on island by the troops on way to Troy b/c snake bite, furious with them so will be difficult to get a. Odysseus and Neoptolemus promise him he will be healed if he goes with them, refuses until ghost of Heracles convinces him iii. Capture statue of Pallas Athene (“Palladium”) in Troy 1. Odysseus and Diomedes capture this 5. The Trojan Horse a. Meet all 3 conditions, make horse as a “surrender gift” to Trojans i. Trojans think war is over, party and pass out ii. Greeks actually hiding in horse, set the city on fire and go crazy 6. Major events during the fall of Troy a. The Death of Priam by Neoptolemus – seeks refuge at household altar b. Reunion b/w Helen and Menelaus – wants to kill her for leaving him for Paris, she exposes herself and he drops his sword, back together again c. Aeneas and Anchises – Aeneas carries old father on back out of the burning city, later found Italy and Roman Empire d. Trojan Women Taken as Captives by Greeks i. Major warriors were awarded the women of Hector’s family 1. Odysseus = Hecuba (Hector’s mother) 2. Neoptolemus = Andromache (Hector’s wife) 3. Agamemnon = Cassandra (Hector’s sister) 4. Achilles’ Ghost = Polyxena (Hector’s sister) a. Thought to have sacrificed her for him (but this is a story, did not practice human sacrifice) Week 14: The Odyssey 1. What is the Odyssey? a. Story of Odysseus on his way home from 10-year Trojan war, takes 10 years to get home b. Wife Penelope defends family home while suitors try to marry her i. Examples of positive and negative marriage c. Odysseus descends from Zeus and Hermes (trickster, persuasive) i. Parents are Anticleia and Laertes 2. What happens to Agamemnon after the war? a. Killed by cousin Aegisthus when he comes home, sleeps with wife Clytemnestra while Agamemnon is away at war i. Pay back for Atreus (Agamemnon’s father) killing Aegisthus’ brothers and feeding them to the father Thyestes 1. Tantalus also did this with son Pelops to the gods ii. Agamemnon’s son Orestes kills Aegisthus for revenge 1. Negative model for how family should act, or how a wife should act 3. The Odyssey Books 1-5 a. Summary: i. FIRST WORD: “andra” = man, hero, husband ii. Odysseus is being held on Calypso’s (“conceal”) island, wants him to marry her (offers to make him immortal, he declines) 1. Hermes visits Calypso to release Odysseus 2. Odysseus is set free from Calypso, builds raft to sail away but Poseidon sends a storm to wreck it (pissed off Polyphemus – cyclopes) iii. Meanwhile, suitors are intruding family home, pressuring Penelope 1. Unable to move on, no sign of Odysseus 2. Penelope tricks suitors to get off her back a. Weaving funeral loom for Odysseus’ father, unweaves it every night, 3 years b. Handmaids catch her and tell the suitors iv. Athena disguised as traveller, convinces their son Telemachus to take his place as man of the home (wants to help Odysseus) 1. Telemachus is unsure of whether he is Odysseus’ son a. Speaks with Nestor and Menelaus; suitors plan to kill him while he is away 4. The Odyssey Book 6 a. Summary: i. Odysseus almost drowned from Poseidon’s storm, lands on island of Phaeacia ii. Meets Princess Nausicaa (of marriageable age in liminal space, washing clothes) 1. Athena comes to her in a dream, tells her to wash her clothes for her wedding? 2. Her and handmaids playing in water, scream and wake Odysseus, maids run away but she stays 3. He supplicates her for clothes (from afar – aware of common stories) 5. The Odyssey Books 6-12 a. Nausicaa leads Odysseus back to the city (separately so not misinterpreted as husband), clothed, fed and entertained – xenia b. Tells his story to the Phaeacians (becomes the bard), then they help him get home to Ithaca (another important part of xenia) i. Talks about Troy, Lotus-eaters, Cyclopes, Circe, Tiresias, Sirens, Cattle of Hyperion, Calypso, and then here 1. Land of the Lotus-Eaters: men forget their quest 2. Cyclopes: no laws/respect for gods, sons of Poseidon (Polyphemus) a. enter cave hoping for hospitality, cyclops eats some of the men (rest are trapped inside cave w/ boulder) i. restrains himself from immediately killing Polyphemus (would stay trapped) b. tricks him with wine, blinds him i. says he is “nobody” – makes sure other cyclops don’t come in c. cyclops lets out sheep in morning, men ride underneath to escape the cave d. makes mistake of identifying himself after they get on ship, cyclops remembers prophecy of this but expected much larger man (like a folktale) i. curses him to never get home or lose all his men on the way by praying to Poseidon 3. Circe the Witch: daughter of Helios, sister of Pasiphae and aunt to Medea a. Turns some of the men into pigs (foreshadowing – die b/c of their own greed and recklessness);