Classical Mythology Ch1-6,9,13 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What does the Greek term aitia mean?

Cause or reason

Who is the single most important source for classical mythology after Homer?

Ovid

Who is not a tragic playwright?

Herodotus

Who wrote the Theogony?

Hesiod Signup and view all the answers

In the psychoanalytic approach to myth, what is the anima?

the archetypal concept of the female in the male Signup and view all the answers

To whom can be attributed an interpretation of myth centered on the spiritual or mystical yearnings of human beings?

Mircea Eliade Signup and view all the answers

Who is responsible for analyzing myth into 31 recurrent motifemes?

Vladimir Propp Signup and view all the answers

What cannot be said about the role of women in Greek society?

Considering all the sources, women were cloistered, illiterate, and oppressed Signup and view all the answers

Which statement corresponds most closely to Lévi-Strauss' approach to myth?

Myth strives to resolve binary opposites Signup and view all the answers

To whom is attributed the theory of the archetype?

Jung Signup and view all the answers

Who attempted to explain myths as charters of social customs?

Bronislav Malinowski Signup and view all the answers

Who attempted to explain myth in terms of meteorological or cosmological phenomena?

Max Müller Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of an interpretation of myth that sought to rationalize it by claiming that the gods were originally powerful men?

Euhemerism Signup and view all the answers

What is an important element in defining saga or legend?

It has a perceptible relationship to history Signup and view all the answers

Which is not a meaning of the Greek word mythos?

fiction Signup and view all the answers

What is myth proper?

Stories with gods and humankind's relationship Signup and view all the answers

What is myth saga?

has a perceptible relationship with history Signup and view all the answers

What are the contributions of Sigmund Freud to myth?

Oedipus complex, dream-work: condensation, displacement, and representation Signup and view all the answers

What are the contributions of Carl Jung to myth?

collective unconscious, archetypes (traditional expressions of collective dreams), anima, animus (male in women) Signup and view all the answers

What are JG Frazer, Harrison, and Graves known for?

myth and ritual Signup and view all the answers

What does structuralist interpretation of myth attempt to do?

analyze myths into their component parts Signup and view all the answers

What do feminist approaches to mythology focus on?

the position of women in Greece and the theme of rape Signup and view all the answers

How was homosexuality perceived in myth?

Accepted and accommodated in Greek life, between a man and boy Signup and view all the answers

What did Homer write?

Iliad and Odyssey (600 BCE) Signup and view all the answers

What did Hesiod write?

Theogony and Works and Days (800 BCE) Signup and view all the answers

Who are Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides?

Tragic writers of fifth century BC Signup and view all the answers

Who is Apollodorus?

Bibliotheca ~120 CE Signup and view all the answers

What did Plato use myth for?

4th century BC used myth for teaching purposes Signup and view all the answers

Who is Vergil?

Roman ~40 BCE about Trojan hero Aeneas and fall of Troy Signup and view all the answers

Who is Ovid?

around 0 Metamorphoses Signup and view all the answers

Who was the contemporary of and successor to Schliemann at Troy?

Wilhelm Dörpfeld Signup and view all the answers

What name has been given to the type of walls found at Mycenae?

cyclopean Signup and view all the answers

What seems to have been the Hittite name for Troy?

Wilusa Signup and view all the answers

In what region is the origin of Homer likely to be found?

Asia Minor Signup and view all the answers

In a widely held theory, to whom was the destruction of Bronze Age settlements attributed?

the Dorians Signup and view all the answers

Who is responsible for the creation of the first true alphabet?

the Greeks Signup and view all the answers

When can we locate the emergence of Homer's epics?

the eighth century B.C. Signup and view all the answers

In which layer of settlements did Carl Blegen locate Homer's Troy?

Troy VIIa Signup and view all the answers

How many settlements were located on the hill of Hissarlik?

9 Signup and view all the answers

Who is principally credited with unlocking the mystery of Linear B?

Michael Ventris Signup and view all the answers

Who is responsible for excavating at Pylos?

Carl Blegen Signup and view all the answers

Which palace contains the famous Lion Gate?

Mycenae Signup and view all the answers

What is a common Homeric epithet for Mycenae?

"rich in gold" Signup and view all the answers

When can we date the Late Bronze Age?

1600-1100 B.C. Signup and view all the answers

Who unearthed the Palace of Minos at Cnossus?

Sir Arthur Evans Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the Early Bronze Age?

3000-2000 BC Early Minoan (Crete), Early Cycladic (Cyclades Islands), Early Helladic (mainland Greece) Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the Middle Bronze Age?

2000-1600 BC Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the Late Bronze Age?

1600-1100 BC Late Mycenaean Also Signup and view all the answers

What characterized the Minoan Civilization?

Middle and Early Late Bronze height of greatness Palace at Cnossus capital of thalassocracy (sea power) downfall in 1400 BC by mainland? labyrinth, no walls, jumping bull fresco, double ax (labrys), snake goddess Signup and view all the answers

What characterized the Mycenaean Age?

Invasion of mainland Greece (first Greeks) worshiped Zeus and spoke Greek, late Helladic, Cyclopean walls, shaft graves, tholos tombs, megaron, linear B Signup and view all the answers

What is Erebus?

gloomy darkness Signup and view all the answers

The Hecatonchires have how many hands?

100 Signup and view all the answers

The Cyclopes are children of whom?

Gaia and Uranus Signup and view all the answers

The 6,000 children of Oceanus and Tethys are?

bodies of water Signup and view all the answers

Who is Eros?

god of love Signup and view all the answers

What is Pontus?

the sea Signup and view all the answers

Who is the father of Zeus?

Cronus Signup and view all the answers

What is Ge?

Earth Signup and view all the answers

The Hecatonchires were children of?

Uranus and Gaia/Ge Signup and view all the answers

Who was the consort of mother-earth goddess Rhea?

Cronus Signup and view all the answers

Who did Cronus devour, except for whom?

Zeus Signup and view all the answers

Aphrodite was born as a result of the castration of?

Uranus Signup and view all the answers

Which lover of Eos was granted immortality, but not perpetual youth?

Tithonus Signup and view all the answers

Eos is the goddess of the?

dawn Signup and view all the answers

Selene, goddess of the moon, fell in love with which handsome shepherd?

Endymion Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following drove the chariot of the sun disastrously?

Phaëthon Signup and view all the answers

Greek mythology imagines the earth as a flat disc encircled by?

Oceanus Signup and view all the answers

The Titans are the offspring of?

Gaia and Uranus Signup and view all the answers

What does the Greek term hieros gamos mean?

a holy marriage Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following did not arise from Chaos?

Uranus Signup and view all the answers

What Spanish painter depicted Saturn devouring one of his children?

Goya Signup and view all the answers

Which is not a name of the Cyclopes?

Briareus Signup and view all the answers

What author parodies myth in his comedy entitled Birds?

Aristophanes Signup and view all the answers

From what union did Day and Aether come into being?

Erebus and Night Signup and view all the answers

Who is the author of the Works and Days?

Hesiod Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between Ovid and Hesiod's creation myths?

Ovid no chaos but unformed mass of elements from which a god formed order when Ge, Tartarus, Eros, Erebus, and night came into being from Chaos (Hesiod) Signup and view all the answers

Who reluctantly binds Prometheus in Aeschylus' play Prometheus Bound?

Hephaestus Signup and view all the answers

The woman Zeus seduced and then turned into a cow was?

Io Signup and view all the answers

During which age did Cronus rule?

Golden Age Signup and view all the answers

What happened to the men of the Bronze Age?

killed each other off Signup and view all the answers

According to tradition, mankind is recreated from?

rocks Signup and view all the answers

Who survived the flood sent by Zeus?

Deucalion and Pyrrha Signup and view all the answers

Which was the final outrage that preceded the flood?

Lycaon attempted to feed Zeus human flesh Signup and view all the answers

Who was the slayer of Argus?

Hermes Signup and view all the answers

The offspring of Zeus and Io was?

Epaphus Signup and view all the answers

Zeus punished Prometheus for what?

for the deception of the sacrifice Signup and view all the answers

In the traditional version of the creation of man, who is depicted as the creator?

Prometheus Signup and view all the answers

One of the most difficult opponents for Zeus to overcome was the dragon named?

Typhoeus Signup and view all the answers

In another struggle, Zeus fought against the Gegeneis, whose name means?

the Earthborn Signup and view all the answers

In Zeus' bid for power, from whom did he not receive aid?

Titans Signup and view all the answers

What was the first age in the universe?

Golden Age Signup and view all the answers

Of what city was Gilgamesh king?

Uruk Signup and view all the answers

Who corresponds to the Greek Typhoeus in the Enuma Elish?

Tiamat Signup and view all the answers

Which is not a name of the Hecatonchires?

Steropes Signup and view all the answers

Who is the counterpart to the Greek Deucalion or the Hebrew Noah in the Epic of Gilgamesh?

Ut-napishtim Signup and view all the answers

Which two giants attempted to storm heaven by piling Olympus, Ossa, and Pelion upon one another?

Otus and Ephialtes Signup and view all the answers

What characterized the Age of Silver?

Stayed children for 100 years and died shortly into adulthood because didn't get along and Zeus struck them down Signup and view all the answers

What characterized the Age of Bronze?

Terrifying and violent, constant war, killed each other Signup and view all the answers

What characterized the Age of Heroes?

Skilled at war but valiant and just, Demigods Signup and view all the answers

What characterized the Age of Iron?

Difficult life, living off the earth, good mixed in with bad, humans today Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Mythological Terms and Concepts

Aitia: Refers to 'cause' or 'reason' in Greek.
Anima: In psychoanalysis, represents the archetypal concept of femininity within masculinity.
Hieros Gamos: Greek term meaning 'holy marriage'.
Myth Proper: Stories that explore the relationship between gods and humankind.

Major Figures in Mythology

Ovid: Significant source for classical mythology after Homer; known for "Metamorphoses".
Hesiod: Wrote "Theogony" and "Works and Days"; important in Greek literary tradition.
Apollodorus: Authored "Bibliotheca" around 120 CE, compiling mythological traditions.
Homer: Authored "Iliad" and "Odyssey" circa 600 BCE, foundational texts of Greek mythology.
Carl Jung: Developed concepts of the collective unconscious and archetypes, including 'anima' and 'anumus'.

Playwrights and Their Contributions

Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides: Key tragic playwrights of the fifth century BCE.
Herodotus: Not a tragic playwright; known as the 'Father of History'.
Aristophanes: Noted for comedies that often parody myth, such as "Birds".

Mythological Analysis

Vladimir Propp: Analyzed myths into 31 recurring motifemes; focused on structural functions of characters.
Mircea Eliade: Interpreted myths as expressions of human spiritual and mystical pursuits.
Bronislaw Malinowski: Viewed myths as charters for social customs and practices.

Theoretical Approaches

Structuralism (Levi-Strauss): Focus on myths resolving binary opposites; aiming to decode cultural narratives.
Feminist Approaches: Examined women's roles in Greek society, focusing on themes of oppression and violence.

Mythical Storylines and Characters

Cronus: Father of Zeus; associated with the Golden Age and devoured his children except for Zeus.
Eros: God of love, often depicted as primordial.
Titans: Offspring of Gaia and Uranus, engaged in a significant battle against Zeus.
Prometheus: Titan credited with creating mankind and providing fire to humanity; punished by Zeus.
Deucalion and Pyrrha: Survivors of Zeus' flood, paralleling Noah's story in the Hebrew narrative.

Historical Context and Archaeology

Mycenaean Age: Characterized by Cyclopean walls and shaft graves; worship of Zeus and emergence of Greek language.
Minoan Civilization: Dominated during the Middle and Late Bronze Age; capital at Cnossus; characterized by unique art and architecture.
Linear B: Early form of Greek script, deciphered by Michael Ventris; significant for understanding Mycenaean culture.
Dorians: Attributed with the destruction of Bronze Age settlements, marking the transition into the Greek Dark Ages.

Ages of Humanity in Myth

Age of Gold: Idealized first age with no suffering; ruled by Cronus.
Age of Silver: Characterized by strife; children stayed young for too long.
Age of Bronze: Violent age; constant wars leading to mutual destruction.
Age of Heroes: Era of demi-gods participating in epic quests.
Age of Iron: Present age of hardship and moral compromise.

Notable Thematic Elements

Homosexuality in Myth: Commonly accepted between adult men and boys in ancient Greek contexts.
Cosmogony: Various creation myths, including interpretations by Hesiod and Ovid, differing mainly in the presence of chaos.
Natural Elements: Myths often explain natural phenomena and human experiences through divine narratives (Müller’s theories).
Chaos and Creation: Hesiod presents a story beginning in chaos, while Ovid describes a god bringing order to a primordial mass.

Geographical Significance

Hissarlik: Site associated with Homer's Troy; composed of nine distinct settlement layers.
Mycenae: Notable for its architectural achievements, including the Lion Gate; referred to as 'rich in gold'.

Symbols and Deities

Hecatonchires: Giants with a hundred hands, progeny of Gaia and Uranus.
Cyclopes: One-eyed giants, also children of Gaia and Uranus, known for their craftsmanship.
Selene and Eos: Goddesses of the moon and dawn, respectively; Eos had a lover, Tithonus, who was granted immortality but not eternal youth.

Important Mythological Events

Titanomachy: Battle between the Titans and Olympians, leading to the Olympians' supremacy.
Prometheus Bound: Aeschylus' tragedy showcasing the punishment of Prometheus, addressing themes of rebellion and divine authority.

These points encapsulate significant aspects of classical mythology, from key figures and their contributions to thematic interpretations and historical context.

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Test your knowledge of key terms and figures in Classical Mythology with these flashcards covering chapters 1 to 6, 9, and 13. From important Greek terms to pivotal authors like Ovid and Hesiod, this quiz will help you cement your understanding of classical myths and their interpretations.