Intro to Greek Mythology The Elements & Purposes of Myth Our focus will be on Greek myth but we will be talking today about myth in general as well as characteristics of Greek mythology.

Phaeton PHAETHON was a young son of Helios and Klymene. He begged his father to let him drive the chariot of the sun. The Sun-god reluctantly conceded; however, the inexperienced Phaethon quickly lost control of the immortal steeds, and the sun-chariot veered out of control setting the earth aflame, scorching the plains of Africa to desert. Zeus was appalled by the destruction and struck the boy from the chariot with a thunderbolt, hurling his flaming body into the waters of the river Eridanos. His sisters, the Heliades, gathered on the banks and, in their mourning, were transformed into poplar trees. After his death, Phaethon was placed amongst the stars as the constellation Auriga ("the Charioteer"). The name Phaethon means "the shining" or "radiant one," derived from the verb phaethô, "to shine."

Myth Defined Greek Mythos = ‘discourse’ or ‘speech’ Dictionary: A traditional story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that informs or shapes the worldview of a people by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the customs or ideals of society. How does the story of Phaeton shape the worldview of the Greeks?

Elements of Greek Myth Interaction between gods and humans Gods as hypertrophied humans Gods as flawed beings Supernatural beings and monsters Larger than life, godly ‘superheroes’

Purposes of Myth THE TWELVE LABORS OF HERACLES Herakles

Myths Explain Natural Occurrences Examples? Elements (Gaea and Ouranos) Thunder and lightning (Zeus) Earthquakes (Poseidon) Seasons (Persephone & Demeter) The sun rises (Greece: Helios’ chariot; Egypt: Ra and Semektet) Can you think of examples? Why do we see thunder and lightning? Because Zeus is on Mt. Olympus throwing them at someone—he’s probably angry.

Myths Explain Fundamental Philosophical Questions Early Greeks as proto philosophers Attempting to answer fundamental questions Where did we come from? Who created the universe? Is there life after death? To explain is to control Comfort in knowing Typically, when we think of the earliest philosophers we think of the pre-Socratics, the handful of Greek philosophers who lived before Socrates—around the 6th century BC. We will come back to many of these questions as the year continues and study several philosophers and how their ideas influenced literature. Story of Orpheus and Eurydice explains where Greeks believed they went after they died—and that once there, one could not return. Depiction of Underworld as an actual place is one example of the Greeks attempting to explain and show the order of the universe An order centered on Greece So, there is power is explaining, comfort in knowing answers, we control our culture, our identities, our very lives by explaining and answering certain questions

Myths Explain Culture & Institutions Why women couldn’t vote To explain is to control Athena and Poseidon both want to rule and protect Athens Gift contest Poseidon=saltwater well (useless) Athena=olive tree (olive, wood, oil) Men vote for Poseidon, women for Athena Athena wins Poseidon floods the Attic plain Athenians blame the women, take away vote Another purpose of mythology: Again, to explain is to control—this myth reinforces male control, patriarchal systems of power.

Myths as Means to Instruct Myths often relay a message or moral Teach cultural traditions, values Icarus—life has limits Narcissus and the dangers of pride and self love

Myths to Explain History A biased version of history Reinforce Greek culture and power Trojan War Crete and King Minos Founding of Rome Founded by sons of Mars Gave tellers sense of identity, sense of place Minos was believed to have been the son of Zeus and Europa and became the first king of Crete Rome was believed in some stories to have been founded by Romulus and Remus, the sons of the Roman war god Mars Not all cities were founded by sons of gods but… If you believe your city or state was founded by a god or son of a god, it gives you pride

Myths to Entertain People were illiterate in early Greece Couldn’t read or write Entertainment in an oral culture Blood, shock, sex, exciting tales The Heroes Herakles, Odysseus, Theseus, Jason Stronger, smarter, more handsome than mere mortals Nobility in humanity Humans are better than gods Actually, the earliest Greeks could write during the Bronze Age (from about 1700 BC to around 1200 BC), but then somehow lost that ability during what is called the Dark Age in Greece. They would relearn how to write around 800 or 700 BC. The heroes were the Brad Pitts or, more appropriately, the Harry Potters of their day—but bigger because there was less competition.

Cultural Supremacy :: Civil Order Persuasion Greek superiority over non-Greeks Other as “barbarians” Religion: Cult & Ritual Maintained order Gave people reason to be loyal to a city Temples and sacrifices Feared retribution of the gods The word ‘barbarian’ is basically an onomatopoetic word. The Greeks thought everyone who didn’t speak Greek sounded like “ba ba ba.” Apollo’s Temple at Delphi

Why Study Myth?

Myths to Understand Literature & Art Mythical allusions and references Keats and the Romantics Shakespeare and many others “Like Hyperion to a satyr” (Hamlet) If you want to be a really good student of Western literature, you must know your Greek and Roman myths and your Bible. Knowing them enhances the meaning and enriches the experience Joseph Severn's miniature of Keats, 1819

Brueghel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus (1555) Not sure anyone could really understand this painting if they didn’t understand, at least partially, the myth of Icarus. Brueghel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus (1555)

Truth in Myth Universal truths Stories about the human condition Another reason to study myth…

Archetypes :: Mythic Patterns Greek characters, places, themes have influenced (consciously or not) Western literature and art Journeys to the underworld Serpent figures Temptresses Finding connecting patterns This is a key learning experience.

Myth :: Language Word origins volcano Herculean aphrodisiac music atlas tantalize erotic Narcissism Are there any of these you don’t know?

Myth :: Cultural Literacy According to E.D. Hirsch (Core Knowledge Foundation), knowledge of myths Makes us literate Enriches our understanding of the Western world Empowers us Illustrates shared culture E. D. Hirsch, Jr. is the founder and chairman of the Core Knowledge Foundation and professor emeritus of education and humanities at the University of Virginia. He is the author of several acclaimed books on education issues.

Journal #1—Intro to Myth Summary Summarize key details from this introduction (1/2-page minimum): What is myth? What are some of the purposes of myth? When students are finished, they may access the Odyssey Online: http://www.carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/GREECE/welcome.html