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Journal #1
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Think about the stories we tell today.
Why do we tell them? What purpose do
these stories serve in our culture?
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½ page minimum
Phaeton
Myth Defined
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Greek Mythos=“discourse” or “speech”
Dictionary: A traditional story dealing with
supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes
that informs or shapes the world view of a
people, by explaining aspects of the
natural world or delineating the customs
or ideals of society.
Myth vs. Legend vs. Folktale
Myth =Story based on culture, concerning the
early history of people, with some
supernatural stuff (mortal and immortals),
Seeks to explain or justify the natural world
Legend =story from the past, has a validated
historical basis unlike a myth or a folktale
Folktale = story based on by word of mouth;
entertainment, does NOT try to
explain/describe human behavior
Elements of Greek Myth
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Interaction between gods and humans
Gods as hypertrophied humans
Gods as flawed beings
Supernatural beings and monsters
Larger than life, godly “superheroes”
Best-known writers of Greek and
Roman mythology
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Homer – One of the oldest known Greek literary sources, Homer's epic
poems Iliad and Odyssey focus on events surrounding the aftermath of
the Trojan War. He is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet.
Hesiod- Was a poor farmer and a near contemporary of Homer. His two
poems, the Theogony and the Works and Days, contain accounts of the
genesis of the world, the succession of divine rulers, the succession of
human ages, the origin of human woes, and the origin of sacrificial
practices.
Ovid - His poetry influenced European art and literature and remains as
one of the most important sources of classical poetry.
Continued.
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Pindar- Greatest lyric poet, many versions of his poems still exists
today.
Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides- All tragic poets, Aeschylus was
the oldest and Euripides was the youngest. The famous play,
Oedipus Rex, came from Sophocles.
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Aristophanes- Great writer of comedy.
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Plato- Famous philosopher .
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Virgil- Found human nature in the myths, and he brought
mythological personages to life as no one had since the
tragedians.
Purposes of Myth
Herakles
Myths Explain Natural Occurrences
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Examples?
Gaea and Ouranos
Thunder and lightning (Zeus)
Earthquakes (Poseidon)
Seasons (Persephone &
Demeter)
The sun rises (Greece: Helios’
chariot, Egypt: Ra and
Semektet)
Myths Explain Fundamental
Philosophical Questions
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Early Greeks as proto
philosophers
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Attempting to answer
fundamental questions
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Where did we come
from?
Who created the
universe?
Is there life after
death?
To explain is to control
Comfort in knowing
Myths Explain Culture and Institutions
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Why women
couldn’t vote
To explain is to control
 Athena and Poseidon both want to rule and protect Athens
 Gift contest
 Poseidon=saltwater well (useless)
 Athena=olive tree (olive, wood, oil)
 Men vote for Poseidon, women for Athena
 Athena wins
 Poseidon flood the Attic plain
 Athenians blame the women, take away vote
Myths as Means to Instruct
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Myths often relay a
message or moral
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Teach cultural
traditions, values
Icarus—life has limits
Narcissus and the
dangers of pride and
self love
Myths to Explain History
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To hold onto
history
So people don’t
make the same
mistakes
Attempts to create
a past
Myths to Entertain
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Couldn’t read or write
Entertained with blood, shock, sex,
and exciting tales (like our movies)
Heroes:
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Heracles, Odysseus, Theseus, Jason
Stronger, smarter, more handsome
than mere mortals
Nobility in humanity
Humans are better than gods
Cultural Supremacy
and Civil Order
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Persuasion
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Greek superiority over nonGreeks
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Other as “barbarians”
Religion: Cult & Ritual
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Maintained order
Gave people reason to be
loyal to a city
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Temples and sacrifices
Feared retribution of the
gods
Apollo’s Temple at Delphi
Why Study Myth?
To Understand Literature and Art
Poems
Paintings
Stories:
Plays
Mythical allusions and
references:
Keats and the
Romantics
Shakespeare
“Like Hyperion to
a satyr” (Hamlet)
Brueghel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus (1555)
Truth in Myth
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Universal truths
Stories about the
human condition
Archetypes and Mythic Patterns
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Greek characters, places, themes have
influenced (consciously or not) Western
literature and art
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Journeys to the underworld
Serpent figures
Temptresses
Finding connecting patterns
Myth and Language
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Word origins
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Arthritis
Narcissism
Sirens
Hook
Air
Anchor
Achilles
Elixir
Atlas
Volcano
Aphrodisiac
Herculean
Tantalize
Music
Myth and Cultural Literacy
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E.D. Hirsch
Knowledge of myths
makes us literate
Enriches our
understanding of the
Western world
Empowering
Shared culture
This is not a “G” rated class
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Mythology is …
- violence
- war
- love
- power
- ambrosia
- pride
- hate
- jealousy
- impossible feats
death
hideous injuries
sex
deceit