Greek and Roman Mythology - Week 2 - Classics 102 PDF

CLASSICS 102 GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY C. Myles Chykerda Sessional Instructor, Department of Humanities WEEK 2.2 ZEUS ASCENDANT Zeus’s Rise Battles, lots of battles Man shows up to the party Tales from later sources and other creations The Ancient of Days, William Blake RECAP Hesiod Ca...

CLASSICS 102 GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY C. Myles Chykerda Sessional Instructor, Department of Humanities WEEK 2.2 ZEUS ASCENDANT Zeus’s Rise Battles, lots of battles Man shows up to the party Tales from later sources and other creations The Ancient of Days, William Blake RECAP Hesiod Ca. 700 BC Boeotia Earliest written account - Theogony ORDER OF APPEARANCE IN THEOGONY Hymn to Muses Primordial Deities First Uprising Titans Intention to tell the truth Chaos Castration of Ouranos, rise of Titans Oceanus and Tethys Gaia, Tartaros, Eros. Nyx and Erebos. Birth of Aphrodite Hyperion and Theia Gaia > Ouranos, Pontus, Mountains Genealogy of Nyx Other pairings Gaia/Our > Titans, Cyclopes, Hecatonchires Genealogies of sea deities and monsters Kronos and Rhea birth Olympians Zeus is born ORDER OF APPEARANCE IN THEOGONY Titans 2 Zeus’ Ascent Olympians Cronos swallows children Enlists aid and sets up on Olympus Zeus divides the universe Zeus escapes Titanomachy Zeus sleeps with Metis and Thetis – Fates and Muses Genealogy of Iapetos – Prometheus and Pandora Description of Tartarus Zeus conceives kids Conception of Typhoeus Hera conceives kids Gigantomachy REPETITIVE FAMILY ANGST And he used to hide them all away in a secret place of Earth so soon as each was born, and would not suffer them to come up into the light: and Heaven rejoiced in his evil doing. But vast Earth groaned within, being straitened, and she made the element of grey flint and shaped a great sickle, and told her plan to her dear sons. And she spoke, cheering them, while she was vexed in her dear heart: “My children, gotten of a sinful father, if you will obey me, we should punish the vile outrage of your father; for he first thought of doing shameful things.” So she said; but fear seized them all, and none of them uttered a word. But great Cronos the wily took courage and answered his dear mother: “Mother, I will undertake to do this deed, for I reverence not our father of evil name, for he first thought of doing shameful things.” These great Cronos swallowed as each came forth from the womb to his mother's knees with this intent, that no other of the proud sons of Heaven should hold the kingly office amongst the deathless gods. For he learned from Earth and starry Heaven that he was destined to be overcome by his own son, strong though he was, through the contriving of great Zeus. Therefore he kept no blind outlook, but watched and swallowed down his children: and unceasing grief seized Rhea. But when she was about to bear Zeus, the father of gods and men, then she besought her own dear parents, Earth and starry Heaven, to devise some plan with her that the birth of her dear child might be concealed, and that retribution might overtake great, crafty Cronos for his own father and also for the children whom he had swallowed down. And they readily heard and obeyed their dear daughter, and told her all that was destined to happen touching Cronos the king and his stout-hearted son So he said: and vast Earth rejoiced greatly in spirit, and set and hid him in an ambush, and put in his hands a jagged sickle, and revealed to him the whole plot. 1st Generation 2nd Generation Rhea and Cronus, Greco-Roman marble basrelief, Capitoline Museums ZEUS STEP ONE Don’t get eaten So they sent her to Lyctus, to the rich land of Crete, when she was ready to bear great Zeus, the youngest of her children. Him did vast Earth receive from Rhea in wide Crete to nourish and to bring up. Thither came Earth carrying him swiftly through the black night to Lyctus first, and took him in her arms and hid him in a remote cave beneath the secret places of the holy earth on thick-wooded Mount Aegeum; but to the mightily ruling son of Heaven, the earlier king of the gods, she gave a great stone wrapped in swaddling clothes. Then he took it in his hands and thrust it down into his belly: wretch! he knew not in his heart that in place of the stone his son was left behind, unconquered and untroubled, and that he was soon to overcome him by force and might and drive him from his honours, himself to reign over the deathless gods. STEP TWO Free siblings Find allies MET 06.1021.144 After that, the strength and glorious limbs of the prince increased quickly, and as the years rolled on, great Cronos the wily was beguiled by the deep suggestions of Earth, and brought up again his offspring, vanquished by the arts and might of his own son, and he vomited up first the stone which he had swallowed last. And Zeus set it fast in the wide-pathed earth at goodly Pytho under the glens of Parnassus, to be a sign thenceforth and a marvel to mortal men. And he set free from their deadly bonds the brothers of his father, sons of Heaven whom his father in his foolishness had bound. And they remembered to be grateful to him for his kindness and gave him thunder and the glowing thunderbolt and lightening…. …..IAPETOS INTERMISSION THE OLYMPIAN (NOT BRADY) BUNCH Hestia Poseidon Demeter Hera Hades TITANOMACHY Τῑτᾱνομᾰχῐ́ᾱ Τῑτᾱ́ν + μάχη Note Line 687: οὐδ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔτι Ζεὺς ἴσχεν ἑὸν μένος Zeus and siblings wage war against the Titans 10 years Hecatonchires and Cyclopes allied with Zeus Hecatonchires hurl stones and Cyclopes forge thunder and lightning Female Titans neutral Olympus = Zeus; Othrys = Titans Atlas punished Van Haarlem, The Fall of the Titans (1596-98) THINGS TO COME Orpheus and Eurydice on the Banks of the River Styx, John Roddam Spencer Stanhope, 1878 Walters Art Museum 23.40 GIGANTOMACHY Siphnian Treasury, Delphi c. 530 BCE GREAT ALTAR OF PERGAMON ANTHROPOGONY Until now there was no animal more godlike than these and more capable of high intelligence and able to dominate all the rest. Then man was born; either the creator of the universe, originator of a better world, fashioned him from divine seed, or earth, recently formed and separated from lofty aether, retained seeds from its kindred sky and was mixed with rainwater by Prometheus, the son of Iapetus, and fashioned by him into the likeness of the gods who control all. While other animals look to the ground, man was given a lofty visage and ordered to look up to the sky and fully erect, lift his face to the stars. Thus earth that had been crude and without shape was transformed and took on the figure of man unknown before. Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.76-88 Prometheus as creator of man – different than Hesiod THE AGES OF MAN Hesiod – Works and Days Gold Silver We’re jumping around a bit. Bronze Heroes Iron THE AGE OF GOLD Hesiod, Works and Days 109-126 At the very first, the immortals who have their homes on Olympus made a golden race of mortal humans. They existed at the time when Cronus was king in heaven, and they lived as gods with carefree hearts completely without toil or trouble. Terrible old age did not come upon them at all, but always with vigor in their hands and their feet they took joy in their banquets removed from all evils. They died as though overcome by sleep. And all good things were theirs; the fertile land of its own accord bore fruit ungrudgingly in abundance. They in harmony and in peace managed their affairs with many good things, rich in flocks and beloved of the blessed gods. But then the earth covered over this race. Yet they inhabit the earth and are called holy spirits, who are good and ward off evils, as the protectors of mortal beings, and are providers of wealth, since they keep watch over judgments and cruel deeds, wandering over the whole earth wrapped in air. For they have these royal prerogatives. THE AGE OF SILVER Works and Days 127-142 Then those who have their home on Olympus next made a second race of silver, far worse than the one of gold and unlike it both physically and mentally. A child was brought up by the side of his dear mother for a hundred years, playing in his house as a mere baby. But when they grew up and reached the measure of their prime they lived for only a short time and in distress because of their senselessness. For they could not restrain their wanton arrogance against one another and they did not wish to worship the blessed immortals or sacrifice at their holy altars, as is customary and right for human beings. Then in his anger, Zeus, the son of Cronus, hid them away because they did not give the blessed gods who inhabit Olympus their due. Then the earth covered over this race too. And they dwell under the earth and are called blessed by mortals, and although second, nevertheless honor attends them also. AGE OF BRONZE Works and Days 143 – 155 Father Zeus made another race of mortal humans, the third, of bronze and not at all like the one of silver; terrible and mighty because of their spears of ash, they pursued the painful and violent deeds of Ares. They did not eat bread at all but were terrifying and had dauntless hearts of adamant. Great was their might, and unconquerable hands grew upon their strong limbs out of their shoulders. Of bronze were their arms, of bronze were their homes, and they worked with bronze implements. Black iron there was not. When they had been destroyed by their own hands, they went down into the dark house of chill Hades without leaving a name. Black death seized them, although they were terrifying, and they left the bright light of the sun. AGE OF HEROES Works and Days 156 – 173 But when the earth covered over this race too, again Zeus, the son of Cronus, made still another, the fourth on the nourishing earth, valiant in war and more just, a godlike race of heroic men, who are called demigods, and who preceded our own race on the vast earth. Evil war and dread battle destroyed some of them under seven-gated Thebes in the land of Cadmus as they battled for the flocks of Oedipus; the end of death closed about others after they had been led in ships over the great depths of the sea to Troy for the sake of Helen of the beautiful hair. Some, father Zeus, the son of Cronus, sent to dwell at the ends of the earth where he has them live their lives; these happy heroes inhabit the Islands of the Blessed with carefree hearts by the deep swirling stream of Ocean. For them the fruitful earth bears honey-sweet fruit that ripens three times a year. Far from the immortals, Cronus rules as king over them; for the father of gods and men released him from his bonds. Honor and glory attend these last in equal measure. AGE OF IRON Works and Days 173-201 Far-seeing Zeus again made still another race who live on the nourishing earth. Oh, would that I were not a man of the fifth generation but either had died before or had been born later. Now indeed the race is of iron. For they never cease from toil and woe by day, nor from being destroyed in the night. The gods will give them difficult troubles, but good will be mingled with their evils. Zeus will destroy this race of mortals too, whenever it comes to pass that they are born with gray hair on their temples. And a father will not be in harmony with his children nor his children with him, nor guest with host, nor friend with friend, and a brother will not be loved as formerly. As they grow old quickly they will dishonor their parents, and they will find fault, blaming them with harsh words and not knowing respect for the gods, since their right is might. They will not sustain their aged parents in repayment for their upbringing. One will destroy the city of another. No esteem will exist for the one who is true to an oath or just or good; rather mortals will praise the arrogance and evil of the wicked. Justice will be might and shame will not exist. The evil person will harm the better, speaking against him unjustly and he will swear an oath besides. Envy, shrill and ugly and with evil delight, will attend all human beings in their woe. Then Aidos and Nemesis both4 will forsake them and go, their beautiful forms shrouded in white, from the wide earth to Olympus among the company of the gods. For mortals sorry griefs will be left and there will be no defense against evil. THE AGES OF MAN Gold Silver Bronze Heroes Iron