Download The Olympians - Ancient Philosophy at UBC

CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY | CLASS 7: SEP 28, 2015
T H E O LY M P I A N S
AND THE AGES OF HUMANITY & WORLD OF MYTH
DR. MICHAEL GRIFFIN
CLASSICS & PHILOSOPHY
S O C R AT E S . A R T S . U B C . C A / 1 0 5
earthhdwallpapers.com
T O D AY
• From last week
• Myth, Prehistory & The World of
Myth
• The Olympians
• Demeter
Apollo
• Hermes
Aphrodite
• Dionysus
THE BUTTERFLY NEBULA
T O D AY
• From last week
• Myth, Prehistory & The World of
Myth
• The Olympians
• Demeter
Apollo
• Hermes
Aphrodite
• Dionysus
THE BUTTERFLY NEBULA
DOWDEN, CH. 4
MYTH & PREHISTORY?
T H E C R E AT I O N O F H U M A N I T Y
• The Five Ages (Hesiod’s Myth of
the Metals)
• Two interpretations (among
many) that we might entertain
• Historical
• Allegorical
(Following Plato)
T H E C R E AT I O N O F H U M A N I T Y
• The Five Ages (Hesiod’s Myth of the
Metals)
• Historical interpretation: the Golden
Age recalls a different climactic and
cultural period, when an earlier (preGreek) generation of gods, possibly
matriarchal, ruled Greece
• Minoan culture (cf. Dowden ch. 4)
• Gaia and Kronos, as rulers of
harvest, might represent the
Mother and Son gods of that
culture, “overthrown” by the skygod Zeus brought by the IndoEuropeans
S I D E B A R : M I N O A N C U LT U R E
S I D E B A R : M I N O A N C U LT U R E
S I D E B A R : M I N O A N C U LT U R E
S I D E B A R : M I N O A N C U LT U R E
S I D E B A R : M I N O A N C U LT U R E
S I D E B A R : M I N O A N C U LT U R E
S I D E B A R : M I N O A N C U LT U R E
S I D E B A R : M I N O A N C U LT U R E
S I D E B A R : M I N O A N C U LT U R E
S I D E B A R : M I N O A N C U LT U R E
S I D E B A R : M I N O A N C U LT U R E
T H E C R E AT I O N O F H U M A N I T Y
• The Five Ages (Hesiod’s Myth of the
Metals)
• Allegorical interpretation (Plato)
• The metals (gold, silver, bronze,
iron) represent qualities of the
psychē motivated by
• Wisdom
• Good intentions
• Reputation
• Desire
• We can cultivate any of these
qualities: an optimistic view!
DOWDEN, CH. 8
THE WORLD OF MYTH
THE WORLD OF MYTH: DOWDEN CH. 8
• The Greek landscape is shaped (and remembered) through
myths (8.1). Outside (8.2):
• The cultivated world is civilized: Demeter
• The rustic world is less civilized: Pan, Nymphs
• The wild is more frightening: Artemis
• Beyond is the unknown, distant lands
• Especially in the wild, monsters pose challenges for heroes like
Heracles (8.3)
• We’ll address these “hero” tales further next week.
THE BUTTERFLY NEBULA
T O D AY
• From last week
• Myth, Prehistory & The World of
Myth
• The Olympians
• Demeter
Apollo
• Hermes
Aphrodite
• Dionysus
THE BUTTERFLY NEBULA
THE HOMERIC HYMNS
• Collection of 33 hymns in Homeric metre (dactylic hexameter)
• Likely preludes to major recitations by rhapsodes at
competitions and festivals
• Rhapsodes are preservers and interpreters of the oral
lineage of the Homeric and Hesiodic traditions, binding
together the Greek-speaking world
•
THE BUTTERFLY NEBULA
T H E O LY M P I A N S
Hestia
Aphrodite
Hermes
Ares
Demeter
Hephaestus Poseidon
Zeus
Hera
Athena
Apollo
Artemis
FRAGMENT OF A HELLENISTIC RELIEF (1ST CENTURY BC – 1ST CENTURY AD) : THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS (WALTERS ART MUSEUM)
Hestia
Hermes
Aphrodite
(sceptre):
(winged cap & staff):
(veil):
Hearth & Home Travel, communication Love, sex
Ares
(helmet & spear):
War, struggle
Demeter
(sheaf):
Agriculture
Hephaestus (staff):
Crafts
Hera
(sceptre):
Family
Poseidon
(trident):
Sea
Athena
(owl & helm):
Wisdom, battle
Zeus
(thunderbolt):
Sky, Justice
Artemis
(bow):
Hunting, Girls,
Moon
Apollo
(lyre):
Medicine, Prophecy, Sun
Source: Wikimedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_tree_of_the_Greek_gods)
T O D AY
• From last week
• Myth, Prehistory & The World of
Myth
• The Olympians
• Demeter
Apollo
• Hermes
Aphrodite
• Dionysus
THE BUTTERFLY NEBULA
DEMETER AND PERSEPHONE
DEMETER
• Spheres of influence: nature,
fertility, the earth
• Daughter: Persephone
• When Persephone is abducted
into the underworld by Hades,
Demeter goes into grieving
• The world’s crops don’t grow
during her grief
APOLLO
APOLLO
• Spheres of influence: the Sun and
light; music and culture; oracles,
archery, medicine and disease
• Symbols: Lyre, laurel wreath, bow
and arrows
• Sister: Artemis
• Parents: Zeus & Leto
HERMES
HERMES
• Spheres of influence: Messengers
and heralds; travellers; mediation
between humans and gods; guide
of souls; speech and oratory;
commerce; trickery and thieves
• Attributes: winged sandals,
caduceus, rounded hat (petasus),
cloak, lyre
HERMES
• Birth and childhood
• Son of Zeus and Maia
(daughter of Atlas)
HERMES
• Birth and childhood
• Son of Zeus and Maia
(daughter of Atlas)
• Invents the Lyre
• Theft of Apollo’s cattle
• Worship: bringer of prosperity
and fortune; the herms
On next slide: Black-Figure Painting
Hermes in Crib with Zeus, Apollo, and Maia. Black-figure
hydria, from Caere (Cerveteri), ca. 500 B.C.; 17 in. in height.
This vase is one of a number of vases known as Caeretan
Hydrias, which represent a similar style of treatment and
craftsmanship. Most of these vases have been discovered at
Caere in Southern Eturia in Italy, hence the name.
One of the marked features of the style is a playful sense of
humor, which is perfectly suited to recount the exploits of the
infant Hermes. Just behind Apollo are the stolen cattle,
shielded from the main scene by a tree with luxuriant foliage.
Apollo delivers his accusations against the baby Hermes,
snugly nestled in his crib, to an indulgent Zeus and Maia, who
defend him.
Caduceus vs Rod of Asclepius
Mercury, by Giovanni Bologna (known as
Giambologna, 1529–1608); bronze, 1576;
height 25 in. Giambologna has taken the
classical attributes of Hermes—the
petasus, caduceus, and winged sandals—
and combined them with the nude figure
of a running man to create a masterpiece
of Late Renaissance Mannerism.
DIONYSUS
• Spheres of influence: the harvest;
wine; ritual and mystic madness;
fertility; and theatre
• Symbols: the thyrsus (fennel staff
with a pinecone crown); the grape
and grapevine; animals, especially
great cats
• Birth: from Zeus and Semele, by
way of Zeus’ thigh
Michelangelo’s Bacchus
DIONYSUS
DIONYSUS
• Essential characteristics
• “Release” through music and
dance
• Possession of followers
(Maenads & Satyrs)
Michelangelo’s Bacchus
DIONYSUS
DIONYSUS
DIONYSUS
DIONYSUS
• Some stories
• Dionysus and the pirates
• The Bacchae (Pentheus)
Michelangelo’s Bacchus
DIONYSUS