Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite PDF

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Summary

these notes give an overview of the Hymn to Aphrodite and a background of the Judgement of Paris. This class was taught by professor Beecroft....

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Greek Mythology: Homeric Hymn (Aphrodite) 

Judgement of Paris o Wedding of Peleus and Thetis (Achilles parents) o Goddess Strife (Eris) isn’t invited  Revenge  tosses golden apple with inscription “to the most beautiful” into crowd of gods/goddesses  Hera  worldly power  Athena  knowledge  Aphrodite  most beautiful woman in the world  Paris chooses Aphrodite  gives him Helen o Starts the Trojan war

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Homeric Hymn o Aphrodites seduction of mortal Anchises (Trojan Prince)  Said to be the lone survivor of the war o Gods resnt Aphrodite for the power she has over them o As revenge they make her fall in love with a mortal o Zeus hopes to teach her a lesson  We learn the double standard of human-mortal affairs  Gods and mortals o Women suffer but receive fame for children o Gods have pleasure without responsibility  Goddesses and mortals o More complicated

o Anchises thinks she is mortal  Learns the truth and becomes afraid of punishment  Aphrodite tells him stories to calm him  Example of Ganymede o Trojan prince abducted by Zeus (blonde beauty) o Brought to heaven by an eagle o Father, Tros, is compensated with horses  Example of Tithonus o Trojan Prince abducted by Eos o Eos asks for eternal life but not eternal youth o Grows so old and frail he turns into a grasshopper o Anchises and Rome  Aphrodite will bear Anchises’ son, Aeneas  Lone survivor of Trojan war because Greek myth doesn’t know what to do with him  No room for Kings of Troy  Roman insert into the gap  Aeneas flees to Troy  Creates past for the Romans  Merges Trojans with Latin people (Aeneid)

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