Lectures one to nine PDF

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Summary

This is everything she covered in lectures 1-9, I wrote absolutely everything she said....

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Theogony Gaia Gaia-Earth or Mother Earth Spontaneously gave birth to the rest of the world, Ouranos and Pontos. Gaia mated with her two sons, Ouranos and Pontos to create the other gods. Ouranos-Sky, Heaven. He was afraid of his sons (male) a. As each of those monsters were born, he locked them away (the Cyclopes and the Hecatonchires) in Tartaros. Pontos-Sea, Mediterranean (male) a. The offspring of Ponto and Gaia were monsters. Living in the sea, octopus. b. One Son is Nereus, old man of the sea. His daughters of Nereids, daughters of Nereus. There’s 50 of them, Amphitrite, will later marry Poseidon. Thetis, she is the mother of Achilles. Her first union is with Ouranos, “the sacred marriage of the earth and the sky.” Archetype, because it is the first instant of sacred marriage, it will appear again in later generations. They become the parents of three different groups of children; 12 titans, 3 Cyclopes (Cyclops is singular), and 3 Hecatonchires. As Ouranos locked away the monsters, Gaia mourned the loss of her children and she went to her first born children (titans) and ask them to punish him father. Kronos said he would. She gave him a Sickle, he castrated his father. The Cyclopes (means circle eyed, round eyed) each had one round eye in the center in the middle of their forehead. They represented the power of thunder and lightning, they made it. Gigantic in form. 1. 2. 3.

Brontes (thunderer) Steropes (Lightener) Arges (Brightener, Flash)

The Hecatonchires work as a group. It translates into having 100 hands and 50 heads each. 1.

Kottos

Only 6 Titans play important roles currently. 1.

Oceanus-ocean, river encircling the Earth. Oceanus held the Earth (Gaia) together (male) a. He mates with his sister Tethys and had 3000 daughters, they are called into the Oceanids. They are the female spirits of the rivers and streams. Styx ** b. They were also the parents of 3000 sons who were the spirits of the rivers. Rivers had male and female spirits.

2.

Hyperion- means he who goes above. He was the first sun god (male) a. He will mate with his sister Theia (goddess) their son is named Helios (the sun). They had two daughters, Selene (moon) and Eos (dawn). Helios was imagined to live in the East. Every morning he hitched 4 horses to his chariot and got in and rode it through the sky, brining sunlight to the world. At the end of the day he rode his chariot towards Oceanus and ride a cup (wine glass) home. The cup would return back to the east to wait for Helios. Helios cannot go into the underworld so he must travel around the world. Selene and Eos also rode chariots but with two horses. Eos cleared a path for her brother so he could bring daylight. Selene followed her brother. The sisters abducted handsome mortal men and took them to their home in the east. A Shepard name Endymion, Selene saw him and fell in love with him. Selene asked Zeus to grant Endymion a wish, he did. Endymion asked to sleep eternally to be young forever. Eos found Tithonos, a prince of Troy. Eos asked Zeus to make Tithonos immortal and he did, but he got old.

3. 4. 5. 6.

She locked him in a chamber when he got old. Romans thought Tithonos was changed into a cicada. This is Aetiological, explains the origin of cicada. b. Memnon is the son of Eos and Tithonos. He died in battle. She was so upset she cried all night and all the earth cried with her and that is the aetiological formation of dew. Themis- tradition and custom (female) Mnenmosyne-Memory (female) Rheia-(female) Kronos- he is the youngest. He castrated his father(male) a. This myth is an allegory. Ouranos become powerless. Psychological theory. Comparative theory. Ritual Theory-young successor killing their father. This castration was important, Kronos threw his genitals at the Earth (Gaia) and brought on more kids. b. Erinyes-hounded those who killed a family member. Spirits of vengeance. They take on the gender of the victim. Blood vengeance. c. Gigantes-giants, earth born. All male. Human like, with snake tails. d. Nymphs-ash wood, used in battle. e. As the genitals floated in the seas, aphros (foam) began to form. Aphrodite (foam born) was born, she steps ashore on Cyprus, and she is the god of love and fertility.

Epithet-Placed before Tartaros (us)-The whole of everything underneath the Earth. Later becomes a specific place in the underworld. *** Eros-Erotic love. Erebos (us)-Dark and gloomy, associated with Tartaros. Nyx-night, responsible for many monsters. Second Generation Ouranos has been disposed by his son Kronos, who is the new king of the gods, he is especially the sky god. He mates with Rheia, this a union of the earth and sky again as Rheia has replaced Gaia. They become the parents of six children. The daughters are: 1. Hestia 2. Demeter 3. Hera The three sons are: 1. Hades 2. Poseidon 3. Zeus Kronos Kronos was afraid of his children. There’s been a prophecy given by Gaia, the prophecy is that Kronos will be other thrown by one of his children. To avoid being overthrown, as each child is being born he swallowed the first 5 children. Kronos swallowed his first five children, not ate, they are still alive. Rheia asked her parents how she could save her sixth child because he will take over from Kronos. Rheia gives birth to Crete, she is the center of the cult to earth goddess. Gaia hides Zeus in a cave on Crete. To trick Kronos, Gaia swaddles a rock and gives it to Kronos, he swallows the rock.

Zeus

As Zeus is growing up, he and Gaia make a plan to help him overthrow his father. Gaia tricks Kronos into drinking a potion that makes him throw up the rock and his first five children. Zeus then overthrows his father. Iapetos is the father of Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Atlas. When Zeus comes into power he releases his uncles (Cyclopes) from Tartaros. In return they give him thunder and lightning, his power over the gods. Zeus has 3 tests: 1. Titanomachy a.

2.

3.

Battle against Kronos, against Atlas and against 10 titans. Zeus’ allies were Themis, Styx, Prometheus, Epimetheus and the Hecatonchires who threw rocks with 100 hands. They throw 300 rocks at the titans and defeat them. The titans are sentences to eternity in Tartaros, and the Hecatonchires act as guards at the gates of Tartaros. Atlas is condemned to hold up the sky in the west on the edge of Oceanus. Zeus is happy Styx became his ally and brings her 4 children, Glory, Victory, Strength and Force, they all sit with Zeus on his throne for the rest of time. Battle with Typhoies. a. Typhoies is the son of Gaia and Tartaros. He’s dragon and snake like. He has 100 snake heads that all yell like different animals. Fire versus Fire. Eye flashes versus lightning bottles. The Earth melts from battle. Zeus comes down from the sky and lays the final blow, he sends Typhoies to Tartaros. From this battle comes terrible winds that bring calamity to seamen. This is also an archetype for dragon slaying myth. Zeus versus Typhoies and Marduk versus Tiamat. Gigantomachy (not in Theogony) a. Gaia urges the Gigantes to climb Olympus and attack Zeus. The Gigantes Climb mount Olympus with rocks and burning trees. Zeus can’t defeat them with his lightning bolt, Gaia prophesizes that they may defeat the Gigantes with the aid of Heracles. Athena asks Heracles for help. With Heracles help, they are somehow able to dispatch the Gigantes. Structuralist: Nature versus Culture.

Allegories: all describe natural disasters (volcanic eruptions), battle of gods against nature, triumph of sky god over earth, civilization versus nature. After these three tests are passed, Zeus is placed as worthy of the title leader/king of the gods and rules above all. Sky-Zeus Ocean-Poseidon Underworld-Hades Demeter-earth, growth, the average person worshipped her the most, farm growth. By winning the battles, Zeus has brought Comos (balance) to the world from chaos and disorder. Zeus cousin Prometheus gave him a fourth test. An animal sacrifice on earth with the humans. Prometheus sacrifices an ox and wrapped the flesh in skin and gave it to the humans and wrapped the bones in fat and gave it to the gods. Zeus says the portions are not equal, Prometheus tells him to choose whichever one he likes. He choose the bones wrapped in fat. Prometheus dare to trick Zeus, Zeus punishes the benefactors; humans. He takes away fire and places it in the sky, Prometheus steals it back. This angers Zeus, he takes Prometheus to a mountain range and bound him to the side of a mountain with chains, everyday Zeus eagle comes and eats his liver and each night the liver regenerates itself.

Prometheus

In myth, tricksters play tricks on people more powerful than them. The trick the trickster plays causes a change in societies, Prometheus tricked Zeus at a sacrifice. He caused a change in the relationship between gods and humans. Gods and humans used to meet at feasts and eat together until Prometheus played his trick against Zeus. The first sacrifice took place at the end of the golden age. Gods and humans lived separate lives after this. Humans had to appease the gods through sacrifice and prayer. Prometheus is also a culture hero, is someone who brought civilization to human beings. He brought skills or techne (technology). Originally humans lived in misery, no mind or reason until Prometheus came along and gave it to them. Had eyes but couldn’t see, had ears but could hear. “All human skill and science was Prometheus’ gift.”*** exam Pandora was created by Hephaistos, Athena, and Aphrodite, and Hermes. Hephaistos molded Pandora from earth and water. Athena clothed Pandora, Aphrodite gave Pandora beauty and made her seductive. Hermes taught her how to say flattering words and tell lies. Pandora is an epithet for Gaia, this tells us this is very old myth. After Pandora meets Epimetheus (he who thinks afterwards) who offers her hand in marriage. Prometheus told Epimetheus not to accept anything from Zeus as it will cause harm. Pandora had a jar (Pithos-oi, storage jar). She opened the jar, when she did, all the evils that have since plague humans escaped. Work, painful diseases, and death. When she put the lid back on she trapped hope inside the jar. Hope may be an allegory, hope trapped in a jar, may relate a child in the womb. A good mother is a bad wife. The Five Ages Golden Age-at the end of each age, everyone disappears. Humans in this age are created by the immortals who live on Olympus, the titans. This takes place in the time of Kronos. People lived as if they were gods, no work, no pain and no disease. Humans spent their days feasting. Vegetarians. Humans also did not grow old, they fell asleep and never woke up, didn’t die. During this age gods and humans feasted together, the first sacrifice was at the end of this age. Silver Age-New generation of humans. Humans were created by the Olympian gods. In the silver age, childhood lasted for 100 years and they grew up overnight and died shortly after. Crime started and they stopped worshipping the gods. Zeus hid them away for not worshipping or he may have engulfed them. Bronze Age-this generation created by Zeus. The people of the Bronze Age made all of their tools and weapons and houses out of bronze. Strong and warlike. They fought continually and destroyed each other. They all went the house of hades (underworld). Age of Hero’s- same as the Bronze Age. These people were created by Zeus. Heroes can also be demi-gods, half god. During this age, 2 great mythic battles took place, The Seven against Thebes, the 7 heroes who lead a campaign against Thebes. The second was the Trojan War. Zeus sent the dead heroes from these battles to the isle of the blest. Zeus’ father Kronos is the ruler. Iron Age-the worst age of all. No end to work or suffering and no one gets along. Children dishonor their parents and no one respects the gods. Violence and evil are praised. Shame (Nemesis-divine vengeance) they leave the earth and go back to Olympus. ML West-expert on Hethous. He says the five ages not only shows the deterioration of humans from the golden age of justice to a complete lack of justice. It also shows a deterioration in the length of life. The Myth of the Flood-Ovid (roman poet) Metamorphoses Apollodous-much later, author.

Flood, Mesopotamia from the Sumerians in c. 2700 BC, Epic of Gilgamesh The flood is the gods punishing the humans, all are wiped out except for a chosen few. Lycaon Zeus disguised himself as a human and travelled to earth and he gave a sign that he was a god and the people bowed down and began to worship him. Lycaon didn’t believe him so he invited the god for dinner and served a human. Zeus punished him by destroying Lycaons palace. Lycaon ran away and tried to speak and couldn’t. Zeus transformed him into a wolf, Aetiological myth, tells the origin of wolves. Ovid, Metamorphoses, tells the story of Lycaon. Zeus Zeus sends a flood to wipe out the human race, 2 people survive. Deicalion (son of Prometheus) and Pyrrha (daughter of Epimetheus). Prometheus knows of the flood and warns his son and his wife, and this couple is innocent of all crimes and they worshipped the gods so Zeus lets them live. They encounter the temple of Themis (daughter of Gaia) and ask for companions because they are lonely and so they can repopulate the human race, Themis told them to throw the bones of their great mother over their shoulders (Gaia). They grabbed stones around the temple and through them over their shoulders, Deucalion (men), and Pyrrha (women). The Earth recreated all other life again. They have a son named Hellen. The Olympians are a family, Zeus is the head of the family, a Bronze Age king. Zeus’ word was final, though all gods how their own powers, natural and human affairs. The Olympians were worshipped with temples. We don’t know how the gods look. Differences between gods and humans. Some gods could appear or disappear in a moment, or even shape shift. Gods were immortal. Ichor (food) and nectar (drink) are the foods of the mortal. Ambrosia (food) for the immortal. Achilles and Odysseus. Calypso feeds Achilles and Odysseus ambrosia, not an attempt to make them immortal. Hestia means fire play, personification of a hearth. It was an eternal flame, it was a symbol of life, necessary for warmth, to cook, for technology, and sacrifices. A hearth was set up in all the other temples of the gods. In Roman, Hestia is called Vesta. Vesta had her own temple and servants (Vestal) were young girls that were token from noble families. They had to take an oath of chastity, if they broke it they died. Gods who came before Zeus were referred to as pre-Hellenic (before the Greeks). There’s one whose non-Hellenic. Justice is customary, but it was never written down. Xenia-guest friendship. All strangers are sacred in the eyes of Zeus. When a strangers leaves a host home, it was customary for the host and guest to exchange gifts. A way to create alliances in an unsettled period. When the guest returned to his home, he was obliged to welcome any member of his hosts family or their descendants. Violation of this could be serious and result in war, and a violation of this custom was one of the events leading up to the Trojan War. Diomedes started to fight Glaucus during the Trojan War. When they introduced themselves by genealogy and discovered they had a guest friendship from their grandparents. They must exchange gifts, as they put down their weapons and exchange weapons and armor. Gifts must be of about equal value. Elysian Fields, the beautiful and peaceful Epithet: The Pie or

The Loud Thunderer. Aegis-bearer. Attribute: Thunder bolt. Bird: Eagle Animal: Bull and Cattle Plant: Oak Tree Cult Centres: Olympia Dodona-Oracle, a place where prophecies are given. Zeus gave the prophecies through wind. Iris-personification of a rainbow, Zeus’ messenger, a bridge between the sky and the earth. Zeus’s Marriages As Zeus mates with each goddess, he gains more power. When Metis became pregnant, Gaia told Zeus he would have a daughter who equal of Zeus in warlike spirit and wisdom. After she’ll give birth to a son and over thrown Zeus and become the new king of the immortals. Zeus swallows Metis (wisdom and cunning intentions). Allegory, he swallowed wisdom. He’s gonna rule the cosmos with intelligence. After swallowing her, Zeus got a terrible headache, Hephaistos (or Prometheus) came along with an axe and struck him in the head, split over his head, and his daughter Athena was born (wisdom was born). Themis-traditional and customary law and justice. Zeus’ marriage to her was an allegory, it explains why he guards the law and justice. Zeus and Themis have 2 sets of triplets. The first set is the Horai, their names are Order, Justice, and Peace. The second set of daughters are the fates. The fates controlled everyone fates. They did this by weaving the thread of life, they worked as a group. Their names are Clotho (spun the thread as a child was born), Lachesis (determine length of life), Atropos (cut the thread when it was time to die). Mnemosyne (titan, daughter of Gaia, memory) she gave birth to nine daughters called the Muses. Zeus’ marriage and the birth and of the muses is an allegory. The represent all the art. Their function was to inspire the rhapsodes (stitcher of song). If a rhapsode didn’t honour the muses, they took away their memory. The Muses were challenged by 9 women in a storytelling contest. The mortals made a mistake in challenging the gods. When the Muses told the women they lost the contest the woman got very angry and shouted insults at the muses. As this was happening their bodies started to change, they were transformed into black and white birds (magpies), screeching. Aetiological myth telling where magpies came from. Hera, feminine form of hero. Last of all, Zeus married Hera. She was a pre-Hellenic. Archetypal, the marriage of the sky and earth again. When Zeus marries Hera, she confirms his power to rule over the gods. Hera is a warrior goddess. She was active for strife, she actively supported her warriors. Outside of myth, she was the goddess of women, she protected marriage and watched over women in child birth. They had 3 daughters, Ares, Hebe (youth), Eileithyia (replaces her mother of watching over women). Zeus and Hera were the parents of another son, Hephaistos. Apparently Hera was the sole parent of Hephaistos, vengeance for Zeus giving sole birth to Athena. Hera is a cow-eyed/ox-eyed. Her attribute was a golden throne made by Hephaistos and her animal was a cow that was sacrificed to her and her bird was the peacock. Her fruit was a pomegranate.

Poseidon

Poseidon is the god of the sea and earthquakes. There’s a sacrifice to Poseidon, 81 bulls. It takes place at Pylos. Poseidon received the most sacrifices over other gods. He has a temper to be feared, violent. Sailors always prayed to them to keep the sea calm. His wife was Amphitrite (nereid). Poseidon has 2 more sons made Theseus and Polyphemos (Cyclops). Epithet: Earth Shaker Horse God Hippios Attributes: Trident Animals: horse, bull and dolphin Cult Centers: Pylos Corinth Poseidon didn’t have a temple to be worshipped. Poseidon always loses a contest, then punished them, usually with water. At Argos Poseidon challenged Hera and he lost, so all the rivers dry up in the summer. In Athens, Poseidon offered the Athenians the sea, Athena offered them olive trees. They chose the tree. Poseidon retaliated by flooding the land around Athens. At Corinth with Helios, he lost that too. They lived in a beautiful palace at the bottom of the ocean, Poseidon always left his home to travel up to Olympus. They had a son named Triton. Triton is the father a few sons who appear in the heroes tale. Arion is one of them. He is an immortal horse who has wings. Hades Hades didn’t wanted to be called early as those who did feared an early death. He was without mercy, no one could leave the underworld. He is not evil, doesn’t represent Satan. He is the ruler of the underworld. Married to Persephone. She is an intermediary, between the hades and the heroes. He fathers no chidren because he lives in a place of death. Attribute: helmet of invisibility, that’s why he was un...