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CLAS111 Lecture Notes, Lecture notes of Classical Literature

Victoria University of Wellington Classical Literature

Lecture notes for CLAS111 course

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2019/2020

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CLAS111 Lecture Notes

Week One

Lecture One – Introduction to the Greek World

Important Periods in Greek History

- Mycenaean/Late Bronze Age (ends ca. 1200/1150 BCE)

- “Dark Age”

- Archaic (ca. 700-480 BCE)

- Classical (480-323 BCE)

- Hellenistic (323-31 BCE)

- Roman (Imperial) (31 BCE–235 CE)

More Information

• Mycenaean/Late Bronze Age Linear B

• “Dark Age”

• Archaic Homer, Hesiod, Homeric Hymns

• Classical Theatre, history, philosophy

• Hellenistic “Literary” poetry & epic

• Roman (Imperial) More literary poetry & epic (including in

Latin), (extant) novels

Lecture Two – Introduction to Greek Myth

Greek Religion

- No sacred texts that claimed to reveal religious truths

- Not expressed in creeds or doctrines that officially articulated essential beliefs about

the Gods

- All the necessary and sacrifices could be carried out by ordinary people

- Greek religion didn’t have a supernatural revelation of the divine will, but instead the

Greeks communicated with their Gods and religious things through honoured

practices. People learned about them through rituals at home and at public festivals

and through stories about the Gods (myths).

- Polytheism – more than 1 God.

- The Greek Gods were named the Olympians based on where they lived on Mount

Olympus.

The Olympians

- Made to look like humans – anthropomorphism (human appearance)

- Family structure

- Human behaviours (quarrels, jealousy)

- Immortal (has a birth) but not eternal (no beginning, no end)

- Only have limited knowledge and foresight

- Immortal but can be wounded, bleed a clear liquid (ichor) and suffer pan.

- Superhuman strength, but can be defeated and imprisoned

Social and Political Functions of Myth

- Athens city had a special connection to Athena

- Myth of Athena and Poseidon competing for Athens

- Poseidon presented a salt spring to the city which wasn’t as useful as olive trees that

Athena presented, so Athena won over the city. In revenge, Poseidon flooded the

city, but eventually this let up.

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CLAS111 Lecture Notes Week One Lecture One – Introduction to the Greek World Important Periods in Greek History

Mycenaean/Late Bronze Age (ends ca. 1200/1150 BCE)
“Dark Age”
Archaic (ca. 700-480 BCE)
Classical (480-323 BCE)
Hellenistic (323-31 BCE)
Roman (Imperial) (31 BCE–235 CE) More Information
Mycenaean/Late Bronze Age Linear B
“Dark Age”
Archaic Homer, Hesiod, Homeric Hymns
Classical Theatre, history, philosophy
Hellenistic “Literary” poetry & epic
Roman (Imperial) More literary poetry & epic (including in Latin), (extant) novels Lecture Two – Introduction to Greek Myth Greek Religion
No sacred texts that claimed to reveal religious truths
Not expressed in creeds or doctrines that officially articulated essential beliefs about the Gods
All the necessary and sacrifices could be carried out by ordinary people
Greek religion didn’t have a supernatural revelation of the divine will, but instead the Greeks communicated with their Gods and religious things through honoured practices. People learned about them through rituals at home and at public festivals and through stories about the Gods (myths).
Polytheism – more than 1 God.
The Greek Gods were named the Olympians based on where they lived on Mount Olympus. The Olympians
Made to look like humans – anthropomorphism (human appearance)
Family structure
Human behaviours (quarrels, jealousy)
Immortal (has a birth) but not eternal (no beginning, no end)
Only have limited knowledge and foresight
Immortal but can be wounded, bleed a clear liquid (ichor) and suffer pan.
Superhuman strength, but can be defeated and imprisoned Social and Political Functions of Myth
Athens city had a special connection to Athena
Myth of Athena and Poseidon competing for Athens
Poseidon presented a salt spring to the city which wasn’t as useful as olive trees that Athena presented, so Athena won over the city. In revenge, Poseidon flooded the city, but eventually this let up.

Benefits and Disadvantages of Athena’s Patronage:

Men sided with Poseidon in refusing the rights for women to vote. Ironic considering Athena was considered their goddess (a woman). Paradox as it credits women for making a powerful city, but also blames them for the violence against men.
Athens is thriving on the olive industry
Athena is attributed with giving the Athenian polis (city state) a ‘modern’ justice system to try homicide cases. This is based on rationality and rule of law, rather than the earlier system of blood revenge.
Trilogy – three plays.
Patriarchy – Athena was born of Zeus’ head. Women were subordinate to men. Anthropomorphism
Greeks visualised Gods in their own idealised image. In both literature and art, the Olympians are depicted like super-privileged humans, just more beautiful, powerful and strong. Couldn’t get sick, old, and couldn’t die.
Divine quarrels
Human character traits
Manipulate humans for their own purposes
Banquets with nectar and ambrosia (sustain youthfulness)
The Greek Gods didn’t expect people to worship them exclusively, but they did punish or destroy humans who didn’t pay them respect, honour, and sacrifice they should have. They favoured humans (mortals) who regularly prayed to them and made animal sacrifices to acknowledge their importance. Temples
Temple was the house of the god whose image was inside it. It was a holy place where humans could encounter a divine power.
Weren’t meant to hold a congregation. Greek worshippers assembled outside to perform animal sacrifices on altars.
The inside of a temple was reserved for the divine presence and to store offerings.
Dark inside. Colourfully painted.
Roofs were made of wood, so nowadays they’re gone. All that remains is marble. The Divine Family
Imagined as a family – that is the unit of the Greeks’ own, human social structure.
All the gods in Greek myth are related. They’re descended from Gaea (Earth) and Uranus (the Sky). Zeus is their grandson.
The divine family is set up as a patriarchy.
Different gods have different areas of influence.
Intergenerational and interpersonal conflicts. Hera’s jealousy.
Humours depiction, but the great divide between gods and humans was clear (shape-shifting, immortality). Humans were inferior. Myth: Definition
Greek mythos literally means ‘utterance’ or ‘story’
A traditional story, often set in the remote past and dealing with the actions of divine beings and/or human heroes (who were presenting human models of either good deeds, or courage which was to be imitated or of wrongdoing to be avoided).
Greek myth was originally orally transmitted after created by anonymous storytellers. During long process of transmission by word of mouth, one could add one’s own changes to the myth. There were also lots of regional versions on the same myth. Poleis and individual prominent families liked themselves to heroes or gods.
Poets changed myths.
There is no ‘official’ right version of a myth.

Human heroes in myth are in the paradoxical situation of pursuing immortality by taking risks of death. Gods and Humans
Myths deal with themes like warfare, rage, murder, family violence, sexual aggression, and other acts, and insist that suffering and ultimate loss are inevitable for humans. Even though they show heroes defeating evil adversaries, most of them lack happy endings.
Greek myths echoes the tensions and problems of Greek society. Gods have it all (eternal youth, beauty, honour, reputation, power, and can assert individualism)
For all their superiority over humans, the Greek gods are compelled by the same kids of competitiveness and worry about individual needs which also trouble human leaders.
The Greeks worshipped gods who were basically projections of their own idealised (and fallible) selves. This is why Greeks created myths in which the gods are just as fascinated by human affairs as humans are intrigued by the gods. Differences between Greek and Roman Mythology
Roman myths are usually based on Greek originals but add their own Roman twists and flavour
Ovid’s Metamorphoses is the single most important collection of Greco-Roman myths. Most of its tales are drawn from Greek sources, but retold in a witty and entertaining matter, adding a cosmopolitan touch to please Roman audiences.
Virgil takes a more serious and didactic approach to his revised retelling of Greek myth. His Aeneid celebrates distinctly Roman social, ethical, political values. Particularly heroes’ self-discpline and self-sacrifice in serving Gods and taste.
Roman mythology is only later than Greek myth, but also has different aesthetic and political purposes and is written for a different audience. Lecture Three – Ways of Interpreting Myth Ancient Ways of Interpreting Myth Archaic Views
Most ancient Greeks in early times would have uncritically viewed their myths as vulnerable traditions which told reliable accounts of the world’s origin, and the distant past in which heroes and gods interacted, and about the nature of things divine.
This changed around 600BC with the rise of philosophy, which used observation and rationality to interpret the world, rather than relying on inherited beliefs  critical views of the Homeric gods.
Xenophanes – someone who pointed out the moral issues with the Homeric gods, since humans fashion gods in their own image. Claimed there was only one god who was unknowable, and governed the universe by thought alone.
Theagenes – found a literal reading of Homeric myth ethically inacceptable. Said that stories were allegories (myths have symbolic meaning – e.g. fighting gods is symbols for natural phenomena like fire and water). And gods can symbolise human qualities/emotions. Classical Views
Anaxagoras – allegorical interpretation of myth – the Homeric epics demonstrate the evil results of wrongdoing, and so teach virtue. Many Greek intellectuals wanted to rationalise myths to make they seem more plausible, however they didn’t question them. Viewing myths as imaginary creation is a modern, post-Enlightenment way to think about myth.

Socrates and Plato insisted that gods cannot be immoral, but they must be entirely good and are not subject to human passions. Plato revised selected myth to illustrate his own teachings. Hellenistic View
Euhemerus proposed a revolutionary new theory about the origin of gods. He used this as evidence that the Homeric gods were really mortal kings from way back, who just in later imagination had been made into gods. Interpretations of Myth – Influences of Christianity
People believed in their myths in both Greece and Rome – this changed when Christianity became the official state religion in the Roman Empire in the 4th^ century AD.
Myths opposed Christian faith, so they lost importance in Western culture during the Middle Ages.
Myths became popular in Renaissance and Enlightenment period – particularly for art and literature Modern Interpretations of Myth
Different disciplines such as anthropology, cultural history, psychology, sociology and religious studies are used to interpret Greek and Roman myths
There are those that assume an external basis such as a reaction to physical nature for the creation of a myth, and those that view myth-making as spontaneous and instinctive, or an expression of the human mind. Modern Interpretations of Externalist Theories Myth as a Product of the Environment
Externalists view myth as a pre-scientific attempt to explain natural phenomena or to provide reasons for social, religious, or political customs or institutions Nature Myths
Max Mueller
View myths as a reaction to the awe-inspiring power of physical nature, especially to those phenomena that most affect humans
Many myths personify natural processes (e.g. Poseidon personifies violent natural forces)
However this is a narrow aspect – as some gods have other ethical values Myth and Ritual
Gilbert Murray
Views myth exclusively in light of ritual, a religious ceremony in which a prescribed series of actions (accompanied by repeated phrases) are strictly observed
It views myths as stories invented to explain ceremonies whose real origin have been long forgotten
Doesn’t explain all myths as they don’t all involve rituals Charter Theory
Polish anthropologist during WWI got stuck on an island and observed natives in how they created myths for social and practical purposes. These charter myths give the rationale for customs and rituals.
They justify some debatable social/religious customs, and explains how and what but not why. Aetiology Theory

Gods are:

Anthropomorphic
Idealised but still fallible humans with super powers
Family structure Iliad Excerpt
Zeus is protecting Trojans.
Hera was watching (her brother in law is Poseidon). She is on different side of battle to Zeus. Olympian Gods Family Tree
Sometimes Hades is part of the 12 Olympians, sometimes not. There’s 12 Olympians but they often get switched out. Zeus and the Maintenance of Order
Zeus is the King/Father of the Gods.
Sometimes called Dios, or Jupiter/Jove in Latin
He maintains cosmic order (theogony), in making the world go round
Divine Order, making sure the Gods are in order
Human order – making sure the humans are in check Establishing and Maintaining the Cosmic Order
Prophecy Cronus would be overthrown by son, so Cronus ate children. Rhea got sick of this and didn’t want him to eat Zeus, so swapped Zeus him out for a rock, and Cronus ate that. Zeus was hidden in Mount Dicte, Crete.
This created an association between the god and that place.
Zeus does overthrow father, and establishes rule over other gods by force.
Power of ‘civilisation’/human order over ‘chaos’/nature
Zeus as a Sky God
Bell-krater vase example – Zeus defeating a Giant. It is Zeus as he is holding a lightning bolt, and there is an eagle on his arm. These symbols represent the god. Presiding Over the Divine Order
Zeus wins by force, and then the other Olympians agree with it
In Iliad – Poseidon said that the world was divided in 3 parts and shared by the three brothers Zeus, Poseidon and Hades
Apparently Hera was Zeus’ 7th^ wife. Each wife represents some characteristic.
Hera is queen of the gods.
Zeus also has many mortal wives e.g. that time he transformed into a bull and swam off into Crete with Europa.
He sleeps off with Io, and Hera finds out and turns her into a cow.
He abducts Ganymede Hera
Latin – Juno
Hera is often the counterpoint to Zeus – just the angry wife who discovers Zeus sleeping around etc. Overseeing the Human Order
Relationship of humanity to labour and natural abundance
Increasing social dissent and warfare
Relationship of humanity to divine will and to suffering
Things happen because Zeus willed them to happen
The will of Zeus – Zeus will punish if people do not comply.

Contradiction of Zeus – wrathful upholder of justice, and a promiscuous lover (and rapist?).
Zeus as enforcer of structures of power Lecture Five – Greek Religion
Polytheistic
No official creed, dogma, or canonical sacred texts.
Ordinary people can perform all rites and sacrifices.
Communication with their gods through ritual.
Knowledge conveyed through public and private rituals and festivals. Oracles, Phophecy and Fate
Place significant to a god
Religious experts
Interpretation of signs
Many oracles:
Olympia and Dodona (Zeus)
Oracle of Delphi (Apollo)
Ammon (Zeus) Cult and Rituals
Terminology: “Cult”
Latin: colo, colere, colui, cultum (verb) to care for ; cultus (noun)
The practice of rituals customary to a particular god.
E.g. Cult of Zeus at Olympia
Generalized reciprocity
Importance of Locality, place Temples
Varied in size and location
Public facing
Housed the cult statue Festivals
Public
Participatory
Communal
Frequent
Latin festa , feast
Processions
Sacrifices
Feasts
Theatrical performances
Varied by god, region, cult Lecture Six – Demeter, Persephone, and Hades Demeter (Ceres)
Demeter is the goddess of the soil’s fertility and the growth of grain and so closely associated with agriculture, the underworld and the cycle of life-death-rebirth.
In Euripides’ Bacchae , Demeter’s gift to humans of grain is compared to Dionysus’ gift of wine.

The Thesmophoria

Sowing festival.
Only female participants.
The bodies of the sacrificed pigs were put into pits filled with snakes, together with pinecones and cakes baked in phallic shapes. After 3 days, specially purified women were lowered into the pits (so re-enacting Persephone disappearing into the underworld) in order to retrieve all these things, which were then mixed with the seeds for next year’s crop. This was supposedly benefitting plant, animal and human fertility. The Demeter Myth as a Mediation of Contraries
After Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and Demeter refused to let grain grow, unless she got her back, Zeus managed to find a compromise where Persephone spent part of the year with her new husband in the underworld and the rest of the time with her mother on earth.
In this way, the myth finds middle ground between the self-sufficient Great Goddess- aspects of Demeter and the patriarchy of the Olympians.
The myth also mediates between life and death. Persephone’s Abduction: Legalised Rape?
Persephone’s “marriage” is sanctioned by Zeus.
Symbolic death.
Her underworld-journey does not bring her any personal glory (contrast: male heroes’ underworld quests), but it provides communal benefits: it achieves a reconciliation of life and death (annual cycle of the seasons). Demeter and the Feminine Archetype
Demeter can be seen as an embodiment of the feminine archetype: she has a triple nature as mother (creator), grain goddess (source of sustenance) and goddess of the mysteries (both, the link to the cycle of life/death/renewal and the source of spiritual rebirth or transformation).
The Demeter myth also shows the motif of the triple functions in the figures of the mother (Demeter), the maiden (Persephone) and older women (the goddess Hecate, who helps Demeter find her daughter).
Even the role of Persephone as Kore/Maiden is three-fold: three virgin goddesses Athena, Artemis and Persephone herself. Male vs. Female Archetype
Male archetypes go a linear path: the hero is seen as a unique individual, so has to separate himself from others (especially from his father) and go and fight powerful forces by himself.
The hostility between hero and father (or father figure) which we see so often in myth is an important aspect of the male archetypal hero, and he needs to literally or symbolically overcome and kill or emasculate the father.
This is very different for the female archetype, which exemplifies the continuity between the generations, especially the strong bond between mother and daughter. Endless pattern of renewal. Agriculture and Civilisation
In this myth, agriculture stands at the centre of civilisation.
Demeter teaches the secrets of growing grain to Triptolemos and tells him to teach the secrets of planting to humans everywhere. This is an important step for humanity, as the ability to grow grain allowed humans to settle in villages. From these early villages more complex social structures developed.

Contrast: Pormetheus steal the fire from the gods for humans. Prometheus’ gift to humans separates them from the gods and creates conflict between humans and divine beings.
The myth about Demeter is all about reconciliation and unity, both among the gods and between gods and human beings. Persephone and the Cycle of Life
The myth also depicts how individual females progress through the cycle of life, from being a girl to an old woman, from virgin to wife to mother and to a wise old woman, as represented by Hecate and Demeter’s disguise as an old woman.
Losses and gains for both mother and daughter.
Pomegranate = sexual knowledge.
Persephone is at a new stage in her life (married)
and is also the Queen of the Underworld. Homeric Hymn to Demeter
This is the longest of the so-called Homeric Hymns and was probably written in the 7 th^ century BC.
It is unusual for its time, in that it highlights the female point of view.
The myth does not mention Demeter giving the gift of agricultural knowledge to Triptolemus. Instead the focus is on the goddess’ promise of immortality to her followers.
In the hymn, the cult is presented as an alternative to the literal immortality that the goddess tries to give Demophoon, the baby son of the king and queen of Eleusis. Hades (Pluto, Dis)
Chthonic god = relating to earth or the infernal regions. This is usually related to gods and goddesses of fertility, death and regeneration.
Hades presents the darker, more sinister aspect of gods. He is the polar opposite to Zeus’ bright vitality.
Hades was neither an evil character nor the cause of death. But he was feared because he is associated with the dead over which he and Persephone rule.
The underworld was imagined as a very gloomy and hopeless place. Homeric View of the Afterlife
Greek heroic myths were painfully aware of human mortality. Death imposes limits on all human ambitions, but it also gives them meaning. Even though heroes could win eternal glory by accomplishing feats that brought them in danger of death, they also were always aware that should the die before they had achieved their goal, they would loose everything that Greek heroes valued.
The Homeric descriptions of the underworld were the earliest and most influential vision of what happens after death. Over time, views of the underworld changed and various ideas about the underworld were added to the existing myths. Odysseus in the Underworld
Death was not seen as an escape from earthly pains and struggles, but on the contrary, death only meant one thing: permanent imprisonment in a dark world with no joy, purpose or hope.
By having to travel there, Odysseus is forced to face his own mortality and the bleakness of the soul’s pointless half-life in the underworld.
The picture the Odyssey draws of the underworld emphasises the finality or death and the impossibility of any satisfying contact between the living and the dead.
Importance of proper burial.

Human power overcoming the natural world (violence) (ordering) (chaotic) Athena/Minerva
Daughter of Zeus and Metis (Wisdom)
Especially close to Zeus
War goddess, armed and armoured
Carries the aegis
Often accompanied by Nike bearing a crown
Cunning/practical intelligence
Associated with cities & human activities
Helps heroes Athena and Arachne
Arachne’s attitude
hubris
Athena’ disguise
Arachne’s depiction of the “shameful deeds” ( caelestia crimina : divine crimes)
Athena’s reaction
Athena’s punishment Weaving
Important household economic activity
Metaphor for writing, especially poetry
… Fate
… plots & schemes
Manipulation of the natural world Athens and Athena
Panathenaia (Erichthonios)
Persian Wars (480-479 BCE): - Sack of Athens
Athenian revival: Pericles
Reconstruction of the Acropolis (447-438 BCE): - Pheidias: creator of statue of Zeus at Olympia.
Temple of Athena Parthenos (vir gin)
Temple of Athena Promachos (front-fighter)
Statue of Athena Polias (city-protector)
Temple of Nike Lecture Eight – Artemis and Apollo – Youthful Siblings Leto/Letona
Wife of Zeus, and gave birth to children Apollo and Artemis
Artemis and Apollo both ‘delight in arrows’, are ‘vengeful’, and ‘associated with initiation rituals’ Artemis/Diana
Archer
Wild animals
Chastity and ‘correct girlhood’
Moon
Traces of fertility. Childbirth.

Vengeful Artemis

Niobe (vs her mother)
Orion (vs her body)
Actaeon (vs her image)
Callisto (vs chastity of her companions) Artemisian Initiations
Brauronia
Athenian girls
“playing the bear” before marriage
Origin: mythic anger of the goddess
Artemis Orthia
Spartan boys
Whipped at the altar
Origin: cleansing altar of blood Artemis of Ephesus
Mural crown
Fertility (of beasts of generally?
Animals
Lions
Deer Apollo
Doesn’t appear to everyone, but to who is good
If you’ve seen Apollo, you’re great
Music
Poetry
Archery
Prophecy
Medicine
Sun Apollo and Zeus
Delphi
Pytho
Omphalos
Oracle
Attempted lovers
Cassandra
Marpessa
Daphne
Hyacinthus Apollonian Initiations
Hyacinthia
Day 1: mourns Hyacinthus
Day 2: Procession; musical and athletic competitions for boys
Day 3: (Little known)
Dangers of youth
Apollo’s long hair as a marker of young manhood.
Cut to enter full adulthood.

Dionysus and the Cycle of Life

God of nature’s vital force.
Also associated with death, suffering, re-birth.
Orphism: variation of Dionysus’ double birth: son of Zeus and Persephone, killed and eaten by Titans on Hera’s orders. Zeus swallowed Dionysus’ heart and impregnates Semele with Dionysus.
Sparagmos = tearing apart of a living being.
Omophagia = eating of raw flesh.
Human race sprang from Titans’ ashes: humans’ dual nature (evil/divine), body is prison of soul. Dionysus and Jesus of Nazareth
Many similarities although Dionysus is a mythical and Jesus a historical figure.
Archetypal patterns: birth to divine parent, not much known about the formative years, but suddenly reappear as a young adults with miraculous gifts, struggle against evil forces, return to place of origin, rejection/betrayal/suffering, death and resurrection to divine status, establishment of cult.
Both mediate between the moral and divine worlds

Dionysus as God of Drama

Dramatic festivals in his honour, especially the Great Dionysia in Athens (dithryambs, dramatic comptetitions).
Dionysus as character in plays which are performed in his honour: cf. Euripdes’ Bacchae (tragedy), Aristophanes’ Frogs (comedy). Dionysus in Aristophanes’ Frogs
Old Comedy (personal mockery, commentary of current events in the polis).
Dionysus goes to the underworld where he judges over a competition between the deceased tragic poets Aeschylus and Euripides. He brings Aeschylus back to life. In the first half of the play, the god is depicted as a cowardly, unfit comic buffoon (role as wine god), but in the second half, he plays the more serious role of judge. Plays on the ambiguities inherent in Dionysus. Dionysian Blurring of Categories
Life - death
Male - female
Young - old
Serene - raging (cf. wild animals in iconography)
Inventor of wine – is present in the wine which his followers drink.
Positive and negative effects of wine on humans.
Symbolises irrationality.
Theatre in his honour, but he could be lampooned in these plays. Lecture Ten – Hermes and Pan Hermes  Son of Zeus and Maia.  Zeus’ messenger.  Physical and mental mobility: supports communication, travel, trade, theft, and those who profit from it, athletes.  Trickster.  Dispenses good luck, prosperity. Hermes Iconography  Winged sandals.  Petasus (traveler’s hat).  Caduceus.  Can be young and athletic. Hermes’ Childhood  Source: Homeric Hymn to Hermes.  Ambitious baby, tries to get noticed by Zeus.  Steals Apollo’s cattle.  Lies to Apollo and Zeus.  Invents various things, e.g. lyre, syrinx.  Apollo gives him caduceus, teaches him minor form of divination.  The Homeric hymn to Hermes hints at the class system: Apollo stands for the aristocracy, Hermes for the lower classes which invent many things which the upper classes enjoy. Myths about Hermes  Punishes Ixion (for Hera).  Frees Ares from Otus and Ephialtes.  Acts as intermediary in conflict between Zeus and Prometheus.

Fertility and procreation (primarily human):
Various divine and mortal lovers
Various children
Attendants: Horae/Seasons, Graces
In art: Eros (Cupid), winged, fleeting
Judgement of Paris – three goddesses Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena competing for golden apple (most beautiful). Aphrodite got it for offering Helen of Sparta.
Aphrodite of Knidos – statue
Lover: Ares
Husband: Hephastos Kore and Kouros
Kore – young woman, clothed, especially associated with temples of Athena and Artemis
Kouros – young man, nude, associated with temples of Apollo
Archaic
Idealised, stylised
Rigid and frontal Aphrodite and Adonis Myth
Myrrha and Cinvras
Adonis
Divine warnings – unheeded The Power of Love
Aphrodite and Myrrha
Zeus and Hera
Pygmalion – creative power – fell in love with statue he created
Aphrodite and Anchises – mortal lover Aphrodite and Anchises
Zeus’ revenge
Ornamentation
Trickery
Action
Revelation
Reaction Priapus
Son of Aphrodite
Fertility
Garden ornament Aphrodite and Artemis
Hippolytus
Theseus and Phaedra
Euripides
Seneca
Sexuality vs. asexuality Eros and Strife Lecture Twelve – Ares and Hephaestus

Hephaestus

Son of Zeus and Hera
Sculpting god
‘The Limping God’ – only God with a disability.
Creative fire – associated with volcanoes
Divine crafter – associated with Athena (born from head). Sculpted from fire.
Created Achilles shield. Hephaestus and Olympus
Thrown down from Olympus by Hera (shame for disability), or by Zeus (because he defended Hera?)
Hera and the golden chair – gave birth to crippled Hephaestus
Led back to Olympus by Dionysus Ares
God of war
Homer described him as hateful and defensive
Had an affair with Aphrodite, Hephaestus found out, created a net to keep them there. Lecture Thirteen – Hestia and Eros Hestia
One of the 12 Olympians, but then was replaced by Dionysus.
She is the goddess of the hearth, protectress of the home. Her only function in Greek myth is to guard the Olympian hearth and its fire.
She is one of the older generation of Olympians.
In Roman times, she plays a much more important role as Vesta.
Hestia is the only Olympian for whom no major myths were created.
She is one of the virgin goddesses.
Hestia represents the fixed centre of (human and divine) family life.
Hearth: centre of family life, but also of larger political units.
Hestia never leaves her assigned place and is a symbol for stability. She neither acts or becomes involved in the actions of others.
2 short Homeric Hymns to Hestia Vesta
Keeper of the sacred flame of Rome. Publicly much more important in Rome than in Greece.
The Vestal Virgins looked after Vesta’s eternal flame in a temple near the Forum Romanum.
Festival in honour of Vesta: the Vestalia.
Myth of Priapus, Vesta and the donkey. Eros
Eros was either one of the oldest gods (according to the creation myths of Hesiod and the Orphics) or Aphrodite’s son by Ares (according to Homer).
Eros is a masculine aspect of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. He is often seen as her attendant.
Like Aphrodite, he stands for all aspects of love and desire. In the Greek Classical period he is often especially associated with male homosexuality.
He shoots arrows of fierce desire into the hearts of gods and mortals.
The Greeks imagined Eros as a very handsome adolescent, an idealisation of masculine beauty.
The Romans depicted him as a chubby baby (Cupid).

CLAS111 Lecture Notes, Lecture notes of Classical Literature

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