Greek Society and Literature Overview

Questions and Answers

What are the parts of the Oikos in ancient Greece?

Husband, wife, children, other family members, dependents, property animate and inanimate.

What is a Hymn?

A song composed to praise and honor a deity.

When was the Homeric Hymn to Demeter composed?

650-550 BCE.

What was the Homeric Hymn to Demeter about?

It was an origin story about the seasons and the Mysteries at Eleusis. Signup and view all the answers

What is ethnography?

The careful, formal study and description of a community or society's customs. Signup and view all the answers

What was the takeaway from 'Juliet Boulay's Portrait of a Greek Mountain Village' about women?

Women were the rulers of the house. Signup and view all the answers

What is Physis?

The biological factors that shape human behavior in a society. Signup and view all the answers

What is Nomos?

The cultural factors that shape human behavior in a society. Signup and view all the answers

How do Physis and Nomos interact in a society?

People believe that behavior that is culturally determined is biologically determined. Signup and view all the answers

What were the four structuring factors of sexualized relationships in ancient Greece?

Desire, pregnancy, hierarchy, and mentoring. Signup and view all the answers

What were the three most strongly approved relationships in ancient Greece?

<ol> <li>Free adult male and free adolescent female (in marriage) 2) Free adult male and free adolescent male 3) Free adult female and free adolescent female.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What is Paiderastia?

A homoerotic relationship between two free males, one adult and one adolescent. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of Erastês?

The adult half of a pederastic relationship. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of Eromenos?

The adolescent half of a pederastic relationship. Signup and view all the answers

What does Kinaidos refer to?

A male who preferred to play a passive sexual role and was seen as fundamentally effeminate. Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the relationship between Harmodios and Aristogeiton?

They were thought to be the heroes of Athenian democracy. Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the Sacred Band of Thebes?

They were an army of pairings of Erastêses and Eromenoses. Signup and view all the answers

What is the up-down gesture?

When the young person would reach up and touch the older person's beard. Signup and view all the answers

When did Socrates live and what did he do?

469-399 BCE, and he was Plato's mentor. Signup and view all the answers

When did Plato live?

428-347 BCE. Signup and view all the answers

What are the three levels of complementarity?

<ol> <li>Interdependence of concepts on different ends of the spectrum. 2) Spectrum of existence between extremes. 3) Participation in both extremes simultaneously.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

When did Heraclitus live and what did he do?

535 - 475 BCE, and he had many quotes about complementarity. Signup and view all the answers

Who were the first three speakers in Plato's symposium and what did they discuss?

Phaedrus, Pausanias, and Eryximachus discussed hierarchical relationships. Signup and view all the answers

Who was the fourth speaker in Plato's symposium and what was his view?

Aristophanes, who argued that the relationship between male and female is equal and complementary. Signup and view all the answers

Who was the fifth speaker in Plato's symposium and what did he say?

Agathon, who claimed feminized Eros is superior to Ares. Signup and view all the answers

Who was the sixth speaker in Plato's symposium and what was his argument?

Socrates, emphasizing that the female is a source of wisdom. Signup and view all the answers

Who was the seventh speaker in Plato's symposium and what did he assert?

Alcibiades, portraying Socrates as both feminine and masculine. Signup and view all the answers

Did Romans underestimate women like Greeks did?

False Signup and view all the answers

Who was the woman talked about in Laudatio Turiae and why was she important?

She was a woman from 1st century BCE Rome, known for advocating for her exiled husband. Signup and view all the answers

What were Vestal Virgins?

Women chosen to remain virgins until 30 years old. Signup and view all the answers

What does Pudicitia refer to?

Modesty, chastity, sexual purity. Signup and view all the answers

What is Impudica?

Not being chaste. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Lucretia?

An ideal woman symbolizing Pudicitia who killed herself after being raped. Signup and view all the answers

What does Luxuria represent?

The diametric opposite of Pudicitia, characterized by extravagant behavior. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Bacchus?

The Roman version of Dionysus. Signup and view all the answers

What was the Bacchus cult?

A Roman cult that worshipped Bacchus, known for its drinking rituals. Signup and view all the answers

When did the Bacchus cult come to Rome?

200 BCE. Signup and view all the answers

When was the Bacchus cult kicked out of Rome?

186 BCE. Signup and view all the answers

Did Romans believe in paederastia?

False Signup and view all the answers

Did Romans see a major pedagogical/mentoring component in sexual activity?

False Signup and view all the answers

Did Romans place more emphasis on specific sex acts than Greeks?

True Signup and view all the answers

What was the hierarchy of orifices in Rome?

Mouth Signup and view all the answers

What does Futuere mean?

To **** someone in the vagina. Signup and view all the answers

What does Fututor mean?

A male who ****s someone in the vagina. Signup and view all the answers

What does Futui mean?

To be ****ed in the vagina. Signup and view all the answers

What does Femina/puella mean?

A female who is ****ed in the vagina. Signup and view all the answers

What does Cunnilinctor mean?

A male who gives oral sex to a female. Signup and view all the answers

What does Pedicare mean?

To **** someone in the anus. Signup and view all the answers

What does Pedicator/Pedico mean?

A male who ****s someone in the anus. Signup and view all the answers

What does Pedicari mean?

To be ****ed in the anus. Signup and view all the answers

What does Pathica mean?

A female who is ****ed in the anus. Signup and view all the answers

What does Cinaedus/pathicus mean?

A male who is ****ed in the anus. Signup and view all the answers

What does Irrumare mean?

To **** someone in the mouth. Signup and view all the answers

What does Irrumator mean?

A male who ****s someone in the mouth. Signup and view all the answers

What does Irrumari/fellari mean?

To be ****ed in the mouth. Signup and view all the answers

What does Fellatrix mean?

A female who is ****ed in the mouth. Signup and view all the answers

What does Fellator mean?

A male who gives oral sex to a male. Signup and view all the answers

What were the three basic parts of a Standard Religious prayer in Ancient Greece/Rome?

<ol> <li>Naming the deity 2) Explanation of why the deity should answer 3) Explanation of what the person wanted.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

Was standard religious practice in ancient Greece/Rome concerned with a concept of the afterlife?

False Signup and view all the answers

When was the only known human sacrifice committed?

1700 BCE in Crete. Signup and view all the answers

What were the differences between Mystery Cults and Standard Greco-Roman Religious Practices?

<ol> <li>Established doctrine and rituals beyond sacrifice prayer 2) Required initiation 3) Promised a happy afterlife.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What are the Eleusinian Mysteries?

Tied to the story of Demeter and Persephone, operational from the 8th century BCE to 5th century CE. Signup and view all the answers

What is Mithraism?

A Roman cult centered around Mithra, originally an Iranian God. Signup and view all the answers

When was the Gospel of Mark written?

70 CE. Signup and view all the answers

When was the Gospel of Matthew written?

85 CE. Signup and view all the answers

When was the Gospel of Luke written?

85 CE. Signup and view all the answers

When was the Gospel of John written?

100 CE. Signup and view all the answers

When were the Letters of Paul written?

50-67 CE. Signup and view all the answers

When was Jesus born?

5 BCE in Bethlehem. Signup and view all the answers

When did Jesus go to Jerusalem for Passover?

Sometime between 29-33 CE. Signup and view all the answers

Who was the Roman Governor in Jesus' time?

Pontius Pilate. Signup and view all the answers

Who was the Jewish high priest in Jesus' time?

Caiaphas. Signup and view all the answers

What does Superstitio refer to?

Cult activity that was not recognized or supervised by the state. Signup and view all the answers

What does Religio refer to?

Public ritual supervised by state officials. Signup and view all the answers

What does Koros mean?

Overabundance that leads to unsustainable growth. Signup and view all the answers

What does Hybris mean?

An excess of ambition, pride, etc., leading to reckless behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What does Atê mean?

Disaster resulting from reckless behavior. Signup and view all the answers

When did Solon live and what did he do?

640 - 550 BCE, he wrote about Koros, Hybris, and Atê in his poetry. Signup and view all the answers

When did Solon enact reforms in Athens?

590 BCE. Signup and view all the answers

When did Herodotus live and what did he do?

480 - 425 BCE, he wrote 'The History' detailing the Persian invasion. Signup and view all the answers

When did Plato live and what did he do?

428-347 BCE, he was mentored by Socrates and developed the Theory of Forms. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Parts of the Oikos in Ancient Greece

Includes husband, wife, children, other family members, dependents, and property (both animate and inanimate)

Hymns in Ancient Greece

Composed to praise and honor deities
Served as preludes to recitation of epics
Created for feasts, poetic contests, and festivals
33 hymns survive from ancient Greece

Homeric Hymn to Demeter

Composed between 650-550 BCE
Origin story explaining the seasons and the Mysteries of Eleusis
Tells of Persephone's abduction by Hades and Demeter's search, which leads to seasonal change

Ethnography

Involves detailed study and description of a community's customs

Gender Roles in Greek Mountain Villages

Women held domestic authority despite lower social status compared to men
"Oikos" signifies both household and women's work

Physis and Nomos

Physis: Biological factors affecting behavior
Nomos: Cultural factors affecting behavior
The interaction suggests people often believe cultural behaviors are rooted in biology

Sexual Relationships in Ancient Greece

Structuring factors include desire (eros), pregnancy, hierarchy, and mentoring
Most approved relationships:
- Free adult male with free adolescent female (marriage)
- Free adult male with free adolescent male
- Free adult female with free adolescent female

Pederasty

A homoerotic relationship between an adult male (Erastês) and an adolescent male (Eromenos)

Harmodios and Aristogeiton

Celebrated as heroes of Athenian democracy through their pederastic relationship

Sacred Band of Thebes

Elite military unit comprised of erastês and eromenos pairings, noted for their loyalty and combat effectiveness

Socrates and Plato

Socrates (469-399 BCE), mentor to Plato (428-347 BCE), influenced philosophical thought

Plato's Symposium

Various speakers offered perspectives on gender and eros:
- Phaedrus, Pausanias, and Eryximachus supported hierarchical views, deeming male-male eros as superior
- Aristophanes advocated for equality and complementarity between genders
- Agathon inverted traditional hierarchies, praising a feminized view of eros
- Socrates emphasized women as sources of wisdom
- Alcibiades portrayed Socrates as embodying both masculine and feminine traits

Roman Views on Women and Sexuality

Romans did not underestimate women as Greeks did
Legal and social differences showcased in the example of the woman in Laudatio Turiae, who fought for her exiled husband

Vestal Virgins

Women chosen as children, required to maintain virginity until age 30
Their purity (pudicitia) was seen as protective for Rome

Concepts of Modesty in Rome

Pudicitia: Modesty and chastity considered ideal for women
Impudica: Lack of chastity viewed negatively
Lucretia represented ideal pudicitia through her tragic story

Bacchus and Roman Cults

Bacchus (Roman version of Dionysus) had a cult involved in drinking and behavioral license, eventually banned in 186 BCE

Differences in Sexual Conduct Between Greeks and Romans

Romans did not accept pederasty as a cultural norm and prioritized specific sex acts
Hierarchy of sexual acts ranked vaginal intercourse highest, followed by anal and oral

Religious Practices in Ancient Greece and Rome

Standard prayers included deity naming, justification for the prayer, and request
Practices focused less on the afterlife compared to Mystery Cults, which promised a favorable afterlife and required initiation

Significant Dates and Figures

Herodotus (480-425 BCE) chronicled Greek history and touched on themes of hybris and atê
Solon (640-550 BCE), significant for his social reforms in Athens (590 BCE), discussed concepts of balance in human behavior (koros, hybris, atê)

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Description

Explore the intricate components of the Oikos in Ancient Greece, the significance of hymns, and the themes presented in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. Delve into the ethnography of Greek mountain villages and uncover the influences of physis and nomos on behavior and gender roles. This quiz highlights the cultural and literary richness of ancient Greek society.