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April 4-6: Notes on Mythology, Epics, Heroes, and Allusions Get out some paper and get ready to get started. Mythology Test Prep DUE TOMORROW!!!!!! Remediation Greek Mythology What are Myths? Traditional stories of gods, kings, and heroes Show the relations between gods and people Mythology was a form of early science to Greeks because it helped explain the unexplainable. Myths seek to explain all those unexplainable or unknowable aspects of life. Where do we go after we die? How was the world created? Why can we see our reflection in water? Why are there four separate seasons? Why do we fall in love? How is lightning created? Why do our voices sometime echo? How was fire created, and why do we have it? Background of Greek mythology Fully developed by about 700 B.C. Homer and Hesiod are generally considered the earliest Greek poets whose work has survived Many myths were passed down through oral literature. Ancient Greek beliefs and characteristics Death is inevitable and final, so the goal was to become a legend through great deeds. The Greeks were tough, restless, ambitious, hard-living, and imaginative. Honor was extremely important, and the Greeks were very vengeful if wronged. The gods mirrored human feelings and physical form. Their flaws were pride, cruelty, stubbornness, impulsiveness, lust for power, and a desire to be like the gods. The Creation Myth First there was Chaos (vast and unorganized space from which all other things originated). Chaos gave birth to Gaea, the earth, and Night, which gave birth to day. Gaea and Uranus (the sky) gave birth to Cronus and the other Titans, the Cyclopes, one-eyed giants, and the Hecatonchieres with 50 heads and 100 arms apiece. The First Parents Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia) Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus) They had three kinds of children: Three monsters with 100 hands and 50 heads Three cyclopes The titans These were the first characters that had the appearance of life, although it was unlike any life known to man. The Titans (The Elder Gods) There were many of them. Enormous size, incredible strength Cronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titans Rhea: Wife of Cronos Ocean: River that encircled the world Iapetus: Father of Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans) The foundation of Greek mythology In general, Greek gods were divided into three categories: Heaven Earth Sea The Titans ruled before the Gods of Olympus. The Titans were the children of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth) and the parents of the Gods of Olympus. The Titans were overthrown by Olympians. Gaea Roman Name is Gaia Goddess of the Earth. “Mother Nature” Cronus mutilated his father and overthrew him. Cronus and Rhea married and produced the Olympians: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. Cronus swallowed them to keep from being overthrown. When Zeus was born, Rhea gave her husband a rock to swallow. Zeus overthrew his father Cronus and forced him to disgorge the other Olympians. How did humans get fire? Prometheus was the wisest Titan of all. Prometheus is credited with bringing enlightenment to humans. Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humankind, bringing the power of warmth and light to the dark and miserable earth. Prometheus acted against the express wishes of the Olympian Gods, who wanted to keep the power of fire - enlightenment for their exclusive use. For this Zeus punished Prometheus by having him chained to a rock with an eagle tearing at his liver. Atlas In Greek mythology, Atlas was a Titan who fought against Zeus. After the Titans lost a war against Zeus, Atlas was condemned by Zeus to stand forever holding up the heavens. The olympians A group of 12 gods who ruled after the overthrow of the Titans All the Olympians related in some way Named after their dwelling place, Mount Olympus The Olympian Gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Hera, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes, Artemis, and Hephaestus Zeus Roman name: Jupiter Realm: King of gods, god of thunder and lightning Symbols: eagle, oak tree, lightning bolt Married to Hera; had many affairs and many children, some of whom were gods and goddesses because as the Greeks conquered territories, they took on the new goddesses and “married” them to Zeus The spiritual father of gods and men Hera Roman name: Juno Realm: goddess of marriage Symbols: peacock, cow Married to Zeus Jealous of Zeus’s affairs Because of this, asked a 100eyed giant to watch him. When Hermes put the giant to sleep, she turned him into a peacock, an animal with eyes on its tail feathers. Hestia Roman name: Vesta Realm: goddess of hearth and home; protector of the sacred fire Symbol: torch, a distaff (hand-held loom) Zeus’s sister Six priestesses called Vestal virgins attended her temple and protected the fire; shrines were built to her by the fireplace in homes Today the word vestal means “pure” or “virginal” Poseidon Roman name: Neptune Realm: god of the sea and earthquakes Symbol: trident Zeus’s brother Controlled earthquakes, hurricanes, rough seas, tidal waves Gave the horse to mankind Hades Roman name: Pluto Realm: god of the Underworld Symbol: Cerberus Rarely visited Earth Not friendly, but not evil either Kidnapped Persephone to be his wife Underworld features Charon, who rowed people across the river Styx Cerberus, the 3-headed dog who guarded the underworld Ares Roman name: Mars Realm: god of war Symbols: dogs of war; vulture, weapons Son of Zeus and Hera Very unpopular No positive myths written about Ares Roman name: Diana Realm: goddess of the moon, the hunt, and (sometimes) witchcraft Symbols: crescent moon, bow and arrow, short hunting robes Apollo’s twin sister Avoided men She turned Acteon, a hunter, into a stag (deer) and set his own dogs on him because he watched her bathe. Artemis Aphrodite Roman name: Venus Realm: goddess of love, beauty, sexuality Symbols: shell, mirror, dove, swan Born of the foam Married to Hephaestus Son was Eros (Cupid) Hephaestus Roman name: Vulcan Realm: god of the forge; made Zeus’s lightning bolts and the armor for war Symbols; the forge Son of Zeus and Hera Zeus threw him out of heaven for siding with his mother (Hera) Husband of Aphrodite, who was constantly unfaithful to him Demeter Roman name: Ceres Realm: goddess of agriculture Symbols: sheaves of wheat Zeus’s sister, mother of Persephone Athena Roman name: Minerva Also called Pallas Athena Realm: goddess of defensive warfare, wisdom, handicrafts Symbols: armor, owl, olive tree Emerged from Zeus’s head fully grown City of Athens named for her after she gave them the olive tree Also created the spider Apollo Roman name: Apollo Realm: god of light (the sun), music, shepherds Symbols: bow and arrow, the sun chariot, the lyre (small harp) Some myths say he drove the sun chariot, others give this job to Helios His son Phaeton tried to drive it and burned part of the earth Always shown in pictures as being young, beardless, and handsome Hermes Roman name: Mercury Realm: messenger of gods; god of commerce, thieves, science (sometimes medicine) Symbols: winged helmet or sandals, caduceus (medical staff with 2 snakes) Created the lyre, which he gave to Apollo when Apollo caught him stealing his cows Persephone Roman Name: Proserpina Goddess of the Underworld / wife of Hades Daughter of Zeus and Demeter Persephone was kidnapped by Hades. Demeter created eternal winter on earth until Zeus agreed to bring her back. She had eaten 6 pomegranate seeds and so had to remain in the underworld for 6 months of the year. Controlled the seasons: 6 months in Hades (fall and winter) 6 months on earth (spring and summer) Eros Roman Name: Cupid Symbol: bow and arrow Young God of Love Son of Aphrodite and Hephaestus Iris Goddess of the Rainbow Symbol: Rainbow Messenger for Zeus and Hera Daughter of the titan Thaumus and the nymph Electra Dionysus Roman name: Bacchus Realm: god of wine, revelry, drama, Symbol: grapes Brought pleasure and insanity (from wine) Followed by the Maenads, crazed women who tore people apart, the satyrs, centaurs, and nymphs First plays were presented during the festivals of Dionysus Popular “party animal” Not typically considered an “Olympian” god Other characters in Mythology the muses Nine goddesses in charge of different sciences and arts including music, poetry, history, astronomy, dance, etc. Daughters of Zeus with a nymph (Electra) They were meant to inspire The Fates daughters of Zeus Three blind sisters who determined people’s lifespan One spun the thread of life (Clotho) One measured the thread and determined a person’s lot in life (Atropos) One cut the thread with scissors of death (Lachesis) The Graces Three Goddesses of Grace and Beauty “They give life its bloom.” Aglaia (Splendor) Euphrosyne (Mirth) Thalia (Good Cheer) The Erinnyes (The Furies) Roman Name: Furiae or Dirae (The Furies) Three Goddesses of Vengeance Tisiphone Alecto Megaera They punish evildoers. The Satyrs Gods of the woods and mountains “Shepherd gods” Goat men (like Pan) Companions of Dionysus They like to drink, dance, and chase nymphs. The Gorgons Three snake-haired monsters Medusa is most well-known Their look turns men to stone. Originally she was a beautiful Maiden, but she had relations with Poisidon in Athena’s temple so Athena punished her by turning her into a Gorgon. The Centaurs Half man, half horse Savage creatures (except Chiron) Followers of Dionysus The Minotaur Head of bull Body of man Due to the Minotaur's monstrous form, King Minos ordered the craftsman, Daedalus, and his son, Icarus, to build a huge maze known as the Labyrinth to house the beast. The Minotaur remained in the Labyrinth receiving annual offerings of youths and maidens to eat. He was eventually killed by the Athenian hero,Theseus. Mythology in nature and science Many of our planets (and many moons) are named after Roman gods Mercury- messenger god Mars- god of war Venus- goddess of love Jupiter- king of the gods Saturn- god of agriculture Neptune- god of the seas Uranus- ancient Greek deity of the heavens Pluto- god of the underworld Days of the Week: • Monday, Moon day (Lunedi in Italian.) Monday is named for the goddess of the moon. • Tuesday is named for the god of war, Mars. (Mardi, Martedi, Tuesday.) • Wednesday is named for the god, Mercury. The word for Wednesday in Italian is Mercoledi.) • Thursday is really Thor’s Day. The god of thunder. • Friday is named for the Goddess of Love. Aphrodite’s Roman name is Venus. Venerdi is the Italian name for Friday. Incidentally, that’s why we call them “Venereal” Disease… • Saturday is named for Saturn. Saturn was the father of Zeus. Mythological Allusions How Can Something So Old Still Be Used Today???? What Is an Allusion? An allusion is any indirect reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. This reference is one others recognize, such as a reference to the Bible, mythological character, historical event, hero or famous individual. Example: He’s a real Michael Jordan; I know he’ll get a scholarship. Using the lingo… today Nike: The Greek goddess of victory Cyclops: Named after a mythological being with only one eye. Pegusus was the winged horse that was born from Medusa's head when she was killed. In Lagrange, we have Pegasus Parkway. Adonis An extremely beautiful boy who was loved by Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. •Allusion: an “Adonis” is any handsome young man. Amazons A nation of warrior women descended from Ares, the God of War. The Amazons burned or cut off their right breasts so that they could use a bow and arrow more efficiently. Figuratively: An “Amazon” is any large, strong, aggressive woman. Cupid The Roman name of Eros, the god of love. In the story of Cupid and Psyche, he is described as a magnificently handsome young man. Today Cupid is often symbolic of Valentine’s Day and is depicted as a chubby, winged infant who shoots arrows at people to make them fall in love. Midas A king who was granted one wish by the god Dionysus. Greedy for riches, Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. He soon regretted his request. When he tried to eat, his food became inedible metal. When he embraced his daughter, she turned into a golden statue. On the instruction of Dionysus, he washed in a river and lost his touch of gold. “A Midas Touch” Midas Then Today, a person who easily acquires riches is someone said to have the “Midas” touch. Midas Now Nemesis One of the goddesses of Vengeance Today, a “nemesis” is an avenger. One’s nemesis is that which brings on one’s destruction or downfall. The Labyrinth A vast maze on the island of Crete where the King of Crete kept the Minotaur, half bull-half man. Very few people escaped from it. Only Theseus used a ball of string to find his way out of the maze once he’d killed the deadly Minotaur. “Boy, this is complicated!” A labyrinth can be literally a maze. Or… it can be figuratively any highly intricate construction or problem. Pandora The first woman, created by Hephaestus, given treacherously to Epimetheus along with a box in which Prometheus had confined all the evils of the world; as expected, Pandora curiously opened the forbidden box and thus released into the world all troubles of mankind. By the time Pandora manages to close the lid, luckily only HOPE remains. “What Have You Done???” Today, a Pandora’s box is a prolific source of troubles or problems. If one’s opens a Pandora’s box, he has created all kinds of problems for himself. Modern Pandora Phoenix A mythical bird of great beauty, the only one of its kind, fabled to live 500 or 600 years, to burn itself on a funeral pile, and to rise from its ashes in the freshness of youth and live through another cycle of years “Rising Out of the Ashes” Today, a person or thing that has become renewed or restored after suffering calamity can be called a phoenix. Will New Orleans Rise from the Ashes? America is a phoenix rising from the ashes of the 9/11 terrorists’ attack! SIRENS The sirens live on an island surrounded by sharp rock. They lure sailors to the destruction with their irresistible song. They have heads of women but bodies of birds. Sirens are evil, bent on destroying all sailors and eating their corpses. “Listening to the Song of the Siren” In modern day, if you listen to the “song of the Siren,” you are listening to someone you should not trust. They seem “nice,” but history shows they cannot be trusted. Scylla and Charybdis Two monsters Odysseus faces in his voyage home, Scylla is a six-headed monster lurking in rocks along the shore that snatches men from a passing boat, one for each head. Charybdis is a monster who waits at the bottom of the whirlpool that destroys ships passing by sucking them in and eating them. “Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place” Today, in an allusion to the monsters Scylla and Charybdis, a person says he is “caught between a rock and a hard place.” This means he has two equal but difficult options from which he must choose. Example: Wow, I have been accepted to both U.F. and F.S.U.; in choosing, I am really between a rock and a hard place! The Trojan War and “Greeks Bearing Gifts” The Greeks sneak into Troy in a “gift” meant to end the 10 year Trojan War, a wooden horse hiding sneaky Greeks. Today, a “Greek bearing gifts” is one who is acting like they can be trusted when they cannot. What is the Allusion? 1. John Travolta suffered a serious downturn in his acting career in the 1980s, but like a _____________, he has risen back to the top of fame. 2. I feel like I’ve been shot by _____________; I am crazy about him! 3. Lifting a car off a crushed victim is a _____________act, but I’ve read in the paper of such things happening. 4. Her laziness is her ________________; if she really wants to be successful, she’ll have to get busy! 5. The women of the WWF are ______________; they are big, beautiful, and strong! 6. The ________________ of the human mind is still not completely understood by scientists. 7. Stealing and getting caught is a ____________ because the police come, one’s parents are called, and jail time is possible. 8. I do not know why that girl is always talking behind my back; she is my __________. 9. Bill Gates has the ______________ because no matter what he does, he makes millions. 10. Being the gorgeous ______________ that I am, I am sure she’ll definitely jump up and down to go to prom with me!” 11. 12. 13. Elie wanted a _____________ or guide in his study of the cabbala, and his search took him to Moshe the Beadle. Few realize that the _____________, the most famous ocean liner of all times that struck an iceberg, was named after the Titans, mythology’s first gods and goddesses. Psychology and Psychiatry both get their roots from the Greek word ___________, alluding to her and the workings of the human mind. 14. I find pizza to be ________________ or very tempting; I want to eat it every day but know that isn’t possible. 15. My family took a summer ___________, traveling through the South, the Southwest, and up the coast of California. 16. Nature is my ___________ as an artist, and all my photos capture its beauty. 17. In order to discover where the Middle East is, we consulted the ___________. 18. Many Greeks believed that when a __________ erupted, Vulcan’s fire was under it. 19. Angelina Jolie is a beautiful _________, and many men have been ____________ by her charms. 20. Her passion or ____________ for drama was evident when she went to New York to pursue a stage career. 21. The tennis shoe ____________ is named after the Goddess of Victory. The Epic and Epic Heroes Previewing the Unit ■ ■ What qualities make someone a hero? Can you think of any modern-day heroes? Epic Archetypes ● ● Epic Archetype: An epic hero is a hero who serves as a representative of qualities a culture appreciates most. Epic Archetype Examples: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ The Initiation The Quest The Task The Journey The Hero The Young Hero Heaven vs. Hell The Special Helper Epic Literature Epics are long narratives told in elevated language, often relating the adventures of larger-than-life heroes. In some way, epic heroes embody the values of their civilizations. For example, a hero may demonstrate values of strength, bravery, or intelligence. Elements of Epics Epics are found in many cultures and share the following characteristics: • a physically impressive hero of national or historical importance • a vast setting • a quest or journey in search of something of value • the involvement of supernatural forces • a basis in a specific culture or society • characters struggling against fate Epic Characters The epic hero, who represents the values of a society, is at the center of every epic. Epic heroes are exceptional people who undertake difficult quests or journeys. Through the journey, heroes aim to achieve something of value to themselves or their people. Epic Characters Epic heroes may experience many obstacles, or conflicts, along the way. These conflicts are sometimes external, created by forces of nature or, as in many epics and myths, the gods. Epic Characters Epic heroes also experience internal conflict. Faced with an internal conflict, the heroes struggle to overcome their own fears or doubts. Character Foils Most epic heroes have a foil. A foil is a character that stands in stark contrast to another character. For example, Superman’s foil is Lex Luthor, a villain whose evil contrasts with Superman’s goodness. An Epic and Its Historical Period We can look at an epic as an encyclopedia of the manners, customs, and values that bind a civilization together. Like myths, epics offer people a vision of where they came from, what their laws and values are, and their destiny. Epic Hero Cycle: Epic heroes also all follow the same storyline. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ They are special or supernatural from birth. They are charged with a quest. They go through trials and challenges designed to test their strength and intelligence. Epic heroes go to unnatural worlds that others may not enter. Epic heroes get help from companions. Even when they hit a low point, epic heroes always come back fighting. They have a resurrection and then they are restored to their rightful place. Other Epic Heroes You May Know So what… now what… ❖Paris, a prince of Troy, was chosen to select the most beautiful Goddess and give her a prize. Aphrodite told him that she would give him anything he wanted if he chose her. So he did. He wanted Helen as his prize. ❖Aphrodite immediately went to work to keep her end of the bargain. Unfortunately, the most beautiful mortal woman in the world was Helen, who was married to the Greek King Menelaus of Sparta. ❖Aphrodite brought Paris to King Menelaus’s kingdom, and when Menelaus went away on a trip, Paris wooed Helen, who actually fell in love with him but was afraid because of her marriage to King Menelaus. Regardless, it took little convincing to go to Troy with Paris. Helen by Dante Gabriel Rossetti ❖ King Menelaus returned home to find that Paris had “abducted” his Helen. Menelaus went to his brother, Agamemnon. It took several years for the outraged Menelaus to assemble an army, and, when he did, kings and soldiers from all over Greece, including Achilles and Odysseus, sailed to Troy to bring back Helen…and…according to myth, thus began the TROJAN WAR!!!! ❖ This story opens in the 10th – and last – year of the Trojan War. The war is at a stalemate (they can’t get behind that Trojan wall), and in the Greek camp there is much dissension amongst the Greeks themselves. The story of of that dissention and the wrath of Achilles, is the topic of The Iliad (which ends with a 12 day truce in which both sides bury and mourn their dead. The focus of The Iliad is WAR!!! ❖ In The Odyssey, Homer starts by telling about the last days of the Trojan War in this second epic. The story relates that the man responsible for the fall of Troy is Odysseus. Odysseus conceived the plan to use the huge wooden horse (the Trojan Horse) to get into the gates of Troy. It worked!!!!! The Greeks defeated the Trojans. ❖ Because Odysseus was instrumental in Troy’s destruction, he angered the gods who were sympathetic to Troy, and they vow that he will have a long and difficult journey home. This journey, which takes 10 years, is the subject of Homer’s ❖The Odyssey.