Greek Mythology
The Beginning Empty Darkness= Chaos Egg opens; two halves become earth and sky Earth= Gaia Sky= Uranus Gaia and Uranus have children 3 Cyclopes 3 Hundred-Handed Giants 12 Titans
The Titans Oceanus Tethys Coeus Phoebe Hyperion Theia Iapetus Themis Mnemosyne Crius Rhea Cronus
Uranus Reign and Fall Uranus bans giants to Gaia’s womb (center of earth) Called Tartarus Gaia asks Titans for help Cronus answers the call Cronus overthrows Uranus From his blood comes the Giants and Furies Aphrodite from sea foam
Cronus and Rhea Cronus and Rhea have children Cronus ate his children Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, & Zeus Cronus ate his children Cronus and Zeus wage war Zeus freed monsters from Tartarus Zeus wins the war and punishes enemies greatly Titans banished to Tartarus Atlas told to hold up the world
Common Greek Gods Zeus- king of the gods, sky, weather, lightning Hera- marriage, women, childbirth Athena- wisdom, warfare, battle strategy Ares- war, violence Apollo- music, healing, poetry, sun, light, truth Aphrodite- love, beauty, desire Hades- king of underworld, the dead Poseidon- sea, rivers, floods Demeter- agriculture, grains, harvest Hestia- hearth, home Dionysus- wine, parties, madness Hermes- travel, messengers, trade
Creation of Mankind Prometheus and Epimetheus Epimetheus runs out of gifts Prometheus steals fire Suffer for eternity
Creation of Woman Zeus creates punishment for mankind Pandora Wife of Epimetheus Opens the box All evil comes forth Hope emerges later
According to Homer and Virgil Trojan War According to Homer and Virgil
The Set-Up King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy Paris left to die 3 Goddesses appear and demand him to judge Hera- King of all Europe and Asia Athena- Trojan victory over the Greeks; Greece falls Aphrodite- The most beautiful woman in the world
Helen Her beauty was known throughout Greece. Every Prince and King wanted to marry her. Awarded to Menelaus
To War Menelaus calls upon Greeks Messenger tricks Odysseus Odysseus and Achilles do not respond Messenger tricks Odysseus Odysseus tricks Achilles A thousand ships arrive at Troy War rages for 10 years No clear advantage/victor
Key Characters Trojans Greeks King Priam Hector Paris Apollo Ares Aphrodite Zeus Greeks Achilles Odysseus Menelaus Agamemnon Nestor Ajax and Diomedes Patroclus Athena Hera Poseidon
End of The Illiad Patroclus takes up Achilles armor Slain by Hector Achilles vows revenge Hector remains outside the city to fight Achilles slays Hector Drags his body around the city walls King Priam has to retrieve Hector’s body
Odysseus’ Plan Steal the Palladium, Get Bow of Heracles Conceives of plan for the wooden horse Ships hide in nearby waters “Sacrifice” will tell the story Horse will be brought into the city Laocoon Cassandra, King Priam’s Daughter All Trojans are killed except for: Women taken as slaves Helen taken back to Greece with Menelaus
The Trojan Horse
Reality of war? Could a city hold off invaders for 10 YEARS?? Are gods taking human form and fighting?? Was there really a: Achilles? Odysseus? Paris? Helen?
Did the Trojan War Actually Happen? NO Myth Gods/Goddesses Supernatural Aid YES City of Troy fell Natural occurrences? War? Greeks believed “truth” (probably)
Themes in The Iliad Fate Glory (Kleos) Battle Won Glory Wrath/Revenge
Terms/Key Ideas Epic Cycle- refers to the texts relating to the Trojan War (sometimes includes The Odyssey) Oral Tradition In Medias Res- “in the middle” Invocation of the Muses Epic/Homeric Simile- a simile that is made in great length and detail “Like a lion who has been wounded in the chest As he ravages a farmstead, and his own valor Destroys him.” Epithet- adjective or descriptive phrase that explains a quality of a characteristic in a person or thing Usually repeated “the wine-dark sea” “Dawn with her fingertips of rose”