Achilles Flashcards Chapter 10

Study Notes

5 Traits of Greek Heroes

Greek heroes are often men who have died, celebrated for their extraordinary deeds, which can be either moral or immoral.
They typically experience premature and violent deaths, contributing to their heroic status.
Heroes are worshipped at their graves, which become sites of cultic veneration.
Their legends grant them a form of immortality through songs and the worship of followers.

Cleomedes

Cleomedes, an athlete, exemplifies a Greek hero through his rage and violent outburst after losing a boxing match; he kills his opponent and rampages, resulting in the deaths of 60 children.
Following a dramatic event where he hides in a temple and vanishes, townspeople are instructed by an oracle to worship him as a hero, despite his lack of morality.
His story illustrates the intersection of hero cults and religion in ancient Greece, where some figures maintain their power post-mortem.

Hero Shrines

Hero shrines are sacred spaces dedicated to the worship of heroes, typically located where their remains were believed to be.

Fritz Graf and Traditions

Vertical tradition refers to the existence of different versions of a mythic story that can contradict yet enrich each other.
Horizontal tradition involves creating a cohesive biography from various accounts related to a mythic figure, weaving their narrative across different tellings.

Epic

The epic is a major literary genre in ancient Greece, focusing on heroic figures like Achilles, Hector, and Odysseus.
Epics highlight the grandeur of heroes’ adventures, presenting them as dynamic characters shaped by their actions and travel.

Tragedy

Tragedy, another principal genre, explores the complexity of heroic lives and the constraints imposed by society, contrasting epic exploits with everyday challenges faced by citizens.
It reflects on audience members' experiences returning to community life after the battlefield.

Alcmene

Alcmene is the mother of Heracles, seduced by Zeus who assumes the disguise of her husband Amphitryon.
She gives birth to twins Iphicles and Heracles, with complications arising from Hera’s intervention that affects the timing of the births.

Heracles

Heracles is the son of Zeus and Alcmene, pursued relentlessly by Hera, who attempts to kill him in infancy.
He undertakes various labors after a fit of madness leads him to slay his family, becoming one of the most-culted heroes in Greece.

Canonical Labors of Heracles

Heracles' twelve labors serve as penance for killing his wife and children, including:
- Slaying the Nemean Lion and using its own claws to skin it.
- Defeating the Lernaean Hydra by cauterizing its wounds to prevent regeneration.
- Capturing Cerberus and bringing him to the surface world.
Successful completion of these tasks allows Heracles to enter Olympus and marry Hebe.

Women of Trachis by Sophocles

In this tragic narrative, Heracles’ love is tested when Deianira seeks to regain his affection through a poisoned garment, unwittingly leading to his death.
The story explores intense emotional struggles, placing burdensome expectations on his son, Hyllus.

Theseus

Theseus is an Athenian hero, born to Aegeus and Aethra, who retrieves his birthright sandals and sword from under a rock.
He defeats numerous villains on his journey and volunteers as tribute to the Minotaur, aided by Ariadne.
His failure to raise the correct sails upon his return results in his father's suicide, cementing his tragic legacy.

Oedipus

Oedipus’s story reflects the tragic limitations of human self-awareness against divine foreknowledge.
Despite his noble intentions to uncover the truth and prevent a prophecy, he inadvertently fulfills it by killing his father and marrying his mother, leading to devastating consequences for himself and his family.

Achilles

Details regarding Achilles remain unlisted, presumably focusing on his pivotal role in Greek mythology and epic narratives.

Description

Explore the key traits and examples of Greek heroes in this chapter. Understand the characteristics that define heroic figures like Cleomedes and their significance in Greek culture. This quiz will help reinforce your knowledge about Greek mythology and heroism.