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Questions and Answers
What two interlocking myths does Aeschylus assume his audience is familiar with in The Oresteia?
What two interlocking myths does Aeschylus assume his audience is familiar with in The Oresteia?
The story of the Trojan War and the story of the House of Atreus.
How did the Trojan War mark a transition in Greek history, according to the text?
How did the Trojan War mark a transition in Greek history, according to the text?
It marked the end of the heroic age and the beginning of the purely human age.
Why was the Trojan War considered important by classical Greeks?
Why was the Trojan War considered important by classical Greeks?
It was viewed as a significant event that shaped their identity and was productive in classical literature.
In what way were the heroes of the Trojan War perceived by Greeks of the classical age?
In what way were the heroes of the Trojan War perceived by Greeks of the classical age?
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What is the significance of the Trojan War in relation to literary works from the fifth century B.C.?
What is the significance of the Trojan War in relation to literary works from the fifth century B.C.?
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What motivated Paris to abduct Helen, and how did this action contradict Greek societal values?
What motivated Paris to abduct Helen, and how did this action contradict Greek societal values?
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What was the reason for the Greek fleet's delay in sailing to Troy, and how was this issue resolved?
What was the reason for the Greek fleet's delay in sailing to Troy, and how was this issue resolved?
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Who were the foremost warriors of the Greeks and Trojans during the Trojan War, and what distinguished Achilles from his counterpart Hector?
Who were the foremost warriors of the Greeks and Trojans during the Trojan War, and what distinguished Achilles from his counterpart Hector?
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How did Achilles' parentage differ from the typical god-human combination in Greek mythology?
How did Achilles' parentage differ from the typical god-human combination in Greek mythology?
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What role did Calchas play in the Greek expedition to Troy, and what was the significance of his prophecy?
What role did Calchas play in the Greek expedition to Troy, and what was the significance of his prophecy?
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Study Notes
Lecture 6: The Oresteia - Mythic Background
- Aeschylus's trilogy, The Oresteia, is discussed, with its background outlined.
- Two key myths, the Trojan War and the House of Atreus, are central to the story.
- The Trojan War was considered the most important classical myth due to its significance in Greek culture and literature.
- The Trojan War marked the end of the heroic age and the beginning of the human age.
- The war featured the last generation of heroes, ancestors to 5th-century Athenians.
- The Trojan War featured gods interacting more freely with humans compared to the present.
- The House of Atreus, involving Agamemnon and Menelaus, is also central.
- The Trojan War's central story involved Helen's abduction by Paris, leading to war.
- Artemis demanded Agamemnon's daughter, Iphigenia, as a sacrifice to allow the Greeks to sail for Troy.
- The Trojan War involved ten years of fighting, with famous figures like Achilles and Hector.
- The Greeks used the Trojan Horse as a tactic for winning the war.
- The Greeks, during the sack of Troy, committed various acts that angered gods.
- Cassandra, Priam's daughter, was raped inside a temple of Athena.
- Agamemnon's family was cursed due to the offenses of Tantalus.
- Tantalus offended gods by trying to steal immortality (eating ambrosia or offering his son's flesh to the gods).
- Tantalus's curse was passed down to his children and grandchildren.
- The curse brought violence and tragedy to the family, including killing of children by their parents.
- Agamemnon, after returning from the Trojan War, was killed by his wife and her lover, Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.
- Agamemnon's son Orestes would later take vengeance on Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, thereby further illustrating the cyclical nature of the curse.
- The story of the House of Atreus is an example of a curse across generations, with violence and crime.
- The importance of xenia (hospitality) in Greek culture was violated, linked to the Trojan War's events.
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Description
This quiz explores the mythic backdrop of Aeschylus's trilogy, The Oresteia. It focuses on the significance of the Trojan War and the House of Atreus, outlining how these myths shaped Greek culture and literature. Test your knowledge on the key events and characters that define these foundational stories.
