Classical Mythology All Notes

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6-10-2011 Fertility II Module

Friday, June 10, 2011
10:05 AM
1. Narcissis and Echoe

a. J.W Waterhouse painting
b. Narcissis
c. Echoe - nymph - punished byh Saturnia/Juno Hera
i. Punished because she was diverting Hera while Zeus playing around
d. Echo's death - her voice remains
e. Etological story - where echoes come from
2. Narcissus - metamorphed into a flower - moral lesson
3. Parthenius of Nicaea (c. 70 B.C) - Narcissus committed suicide/ Ovid leaves that detail out.
a. Term Narcissism comes from this - Otto Ranck (1911)
b. Karl Jung - pupil of Freud - human psychi has 2 parts - consciousness and unconsciousness - mental
health is balanced between them. Felt unconscious reveals itself in dreams. This is a veer off from
Freud teaching. Jung noted the similar between the kinds of things that happen in dreams and the
kind of things that happened in mythological stories - mythical and dream images originated in
subconsciousness. The mythical and dream symbol for the unconscious itself - destroyed by
unconscious - sea/water pools rep subconscious - intterpreation of Narcissus myth failure to
balance unconsciousness and consciousness
c. Slide - Metamorphosis of Narcissus - Salvador Dali (1927) - surrealist, what you would see in a
dream, eggs, chess board, pool - its a puzzle, meant to exercise your mind and perception.
d. Power of Aphrodite/Eros demonstrated in Narcissus myth
4. Another example of power of Aphrodite/Eros in Pygamlion myth - Pyg was critical of how women acted "wicked women: Paphos/Cyprus - Aprhodite temple - "ritual prostitution" still around - practiced in
Babylon and Phoenicia. In Hindu temples. This is Ovid's interpretation.
a. Made a marble woman, Adoration of the statue - Reminds professor of Assault of Praxitiles' statue
for Cnidus temple?
b. Statue given life - Pygmalion + statue - Ovid did not give name in his version, name was Galatea.
Had child they called Paphos, named for Aphrodite city
c. Slide - Jean-Leon Gerome: ca 1860 - Painting you see starting to take on color, 2 slide same guy,
has cupids and arrows, ca: 1860 with different perspective. Had tragic and comic masks. Typical
for this time period. Also thrown in statues, props to maybe make it seem more like a house.
i. Pygmalion + Galatea - Greeks misunderstanding of heiros gamos (sacred marriage) Chief
Priest and Chief Priestess - sympathic marriage to continue the fertility of the earth, life
produces life.
ii. Etiological story - where name of City of Cyprus come from - Paphos' son: Cinyras
iii. Psychological interpretation - Fix the problems in another person to make perfect mate,
produce ideal mate/project it onto someone else who doesnt really have it.
d. Cinyra and daughter Myrrha - Ovid
i. Myrrha - lovesick
1) Reader response Criticism: intertextuality - allusions/references - Ovid wants to
remind his audience of other greek myths and stories- probably Phaedra - Nurse urges
gratification - meant to compare situations, same kind of arguments. Maybe
coincidence. Intertextuality used all the time = ex of current type - Army of Darkness.
ii. Treacherous nurse is archtypical - Mother leaves for festival of Demeter - during Festival of
Demeter women obstained from intercourse for 9 days. Makes Myrrha's incest a sacriledge
as well. Father exiles Myrrha when found out. Myrrha: pregnant wanters to Sabataea =
South Western Arabian penn. Currently known as Yemen - ancient producer of myrrha.
Wanders there because of transformation she undergoes.
iii. Lucina = Juna/Hera - She is a birth goddess, helps out. Can translate Lucina as light bringer,
brings child into the light. - Child is Adonis
brings child into the light. - Child is Adonis

1) Slide - Adonis - Roman statute - representive of male beauty.
2) Character originates with divine myth- Adon - lord or master
iv. Adonis
1) Aphrodite scratched by Cupid's arrow and takes him as her lover.
2) Joins him as hunter - think of Achteon
3) Story of Atlanta as digression
4) Admonishment - Dont do something - Adonis does it and it causes his death by a
boar.
G. Slide - Adonis gored by boar -Mazzuoli c .
H. Worshiped by women Leevant & in Greece by 600 BC: Adonis Gardens
a) Planted seeds
b) Symbol of fertility of
I. Paolo Caliari (Veronase) - Painted Adonis and Venis - idea of baroque with stuff in
background. Realism. Painting seen as Moral allegoral vs symbolic allegory
a) Moral - Breaking a promise, rule to person in authority
b) Symbolic - true love never lasts.
c) Adonis blood - anemone flower
5. Fertility II Demeter
a. Homeric Hyumn #2
i. Demeter - Gold-Sword & bright Grain
A. Epithets - Attic, Damater (Doric Dialect)
a) Etymology - Demeter/Damater - meter = mother
b) Arguments about what the da means = da = Earth in Doric. If origin is Doric - its
Earth mother. Others argue it could be Cretan de - deai/zeai (dzeai) - barley Barley mother
B. Demeter + Zeus = Persephone
C. Demeter and Persephone
a) Archtypical maiden
ii. Ovid Hymn #2
A. Persephone is referred to as "the maiden"
B. A narcisiss is used to trap Persephone.
a) Zeus sets trap
b) Cronian/Kronion - context tells you which is which = both were sons of Kronos.
Brothers = Zeus sets trap, Hades conducts abduction
C. Hades - AKA Pluto - "Wealthy"
a) Slide - JW Waterhouse - 1900 Persephone, there is water in background
b) Redfigured vase - 400 BC- note Hermes and Hekate (could be mother)
c) Rare fresco from Greece - painted on side of royal tomb - c. 335 BC can see
horse and chariot and bearded god and Persephone and a shocked frightened
onlooker. - only a handful of ancient greek paintings from this time. Located
north of Mt. Olympus.
d) Slide - Gianlorenzo Berninni - 1621 - Guard dog at feet identifies who itt is Hades kidnapping Demter
e) Thomas Hart Benton - 1938 - Painting of Persephone
D. Pg 4 - Demeter referred to as Deo - Mistress Grain.
a) Frantic, searches with torches for 9 days- chothonic representation of
Persephone's life underground because having to search with torches, rather
than sunlight b) Slide Alter Eleusis Marble
E. Demeter encounters Hekate and Hyperion's offspring, Helios (sun & light) - fitting he
saw what happened - brings truth to light.
saw what happened - brings truth to light.

F. Demeter leaves Mt Olympus and wanders
a) Maiden's Well - Dauthers of Celeus. One daughter named Callidice (Beautiful
Justice)
b) Demeter makes up story - gives self pseudonym - Doso (dont know why mystery)
c) Story meant to be believable and appealing to audience. Said was originally
from Crete and was kidnapped by pirates and managed to escape.
d) Callidice's offer - Metaneira + Celeus - parents just had child, looking for a nurse.
Demeter volunteers.
e) Demeter gets to sit on fleece covered stool - offered by Iambe.
i) Iambe cheers up Demeter with jokes. (iambic meter - used for Greek
comedies, thats why character's name is Iambe)
ii) Mention of Demeter's veil - married Greek women wore veils.
f) Dos refuses wine - given kykeon - barley & pennyroyal. It was suggested that
LSD was part of this too.l (1960s). Highly unlikely - even if available, wouldnt
know the dosages.
g) Doso uses Demophoon (child) as substitute for Persephone. Doso places
Demophoon in flames (purification). Trying to give child immortality. Gets
interrupted. Demter's ephiphany (epiphanos - revelation, manifestation of
deity).
h) Demeter demands a temple above the Well of Kallichoris
i) Demeter leaves the earth
i) Crop failure, famine
ii) Iris is sent to try to convince Demeter to come back to earth. Demeter
refuses bribes.
One. Hermes not sent because Demeter mad at males
iii) Similar Sumerian Myth
iv) Hermes goes to Erebus (Dark Place)
v) Hades sends Persephone back
One. I'll be a fitting husband
Two. Hades offers the pomegranate
First. Slide - Perephone and pmegranate - 5th c. BC 0 figurine.
Second. Pomegrante - sacred fruit, cycle of life. Probably because of
the color of the juice - blood.
vi) Slide - Modern rendition by PreRaphaelite - Dante Rossetti - wife was
model. Painted after her death from tub. 1874. Painting has a poem with
it - imagines wife as Persephone.
j) Persephone retelling detail - to mother - typical what we find in ancient stories,
poems, hymns - editors wrote down what they heard.
k) Rhea brings news of Zeus' bargain.
i) The bargain - etiology - grain harvest : Spring - most scholars think its 4
and 8, not 6 and 6. Explains seasons.
One. Persephone under ground in Summer. Above ground in Winter.
Reason - primary wheat crop in Ancient greece - grown in winter,
winter wheat. Nothing but olives grown in summer in Greece, no
water.
l) Eumolpids - occupied highest male priest office in temple. They were
hierophant/hiera of Mysteries of Demeter. Hereditary priesthood. Every Greek
religion had a hiera, only certain people could touch certain sacred objects.
m) Kerykes - keryx - herald - but not represented/mentions. Important to have
because Moveable Feast - Easter - Didnt become fixed during council of Nincia,
but a couple of hundred years, came up with a formula. Formula Classical Mythology Page 5
but a couple of hundred years, came up with a formula. Formula i) Vernal Equinox
One. Full moon
n) Eleusis - rites and mysteries: secret - death penalty in Athens if you reveal what
happened in ceremony to someone not inducted or a foreigner. Means that we
only have hints about the actual ceremony.
i) Athens annexed shrine - Eleusis. Some changes made. Originally
independent, though.
ii) Mystery - comes from Greek word - mystes/mystai (pl) - eyes covered.
Could not join, be a part if a murderer. They did background checks. If
pass, you became a mystai.
iii) Telesterion - Fall ceremony - biggest to welcome Demeter.
One. Plan of temple. Not like typical Greek temple, no windows.
Enlarged over time. Enlarged in 5th century to hold over 20,000
people. Not much left of it today. View looking to east. NO SEATS.
Did not sit in the presence of the deities, you stood
Two. Festival began with torch-light procession - represents the search
for Pers and ends up where Demeter did.
Three. Slide - Kallikoron Well - where you got the holy water
Four. Slide - Telesterion - Anaktoron - only priests allowed. Where sacred
objects kept. Worship of Demeter goes back to Bronze age (found
Mycenaean idols in Anaktoron).
Five. Slide - Minoan figurine - 1800 BC - several show women handling
snakes.
First. Serpents were part of religion of Demeter.
Six. Priestess of Demeter lived at
Seven. When sanctuary enlarged in 5th c BC - outside porch used Caryatid
in Eleusis, just like Caryatid in Athens. Eleusis Caryatids allowed to
take sacred object from basket.
Eight. Priests brought out sacred objects from Anakgtoron and then
kykteon consumed.
iv) Possible kykteon had opium.
One. Slide - Cretan Idol - 1500-1100 BC - opium poppy. Doesnt mean
they had to get intoxicated. Part of symbolic ceremony.
o) Many modern examples - euphoria produced when in a crowd of people
praying, singing etc - can go either good or bad. Very intoxicating to be part of a
crowd.
p) Myth and Ceremony - Sir James Frazer (1854-1941) - look at how myths reflects
religious ceremony. Proposed ritual theory of myth (work called Golden
Borough), argued that all myths were created to explain religious ceremony
(monomyth). Some yes, but most no - ritual followed myth. Frazar goes to
great lengths to explain why rituals and taboos exist = ritual theory of myth.
i) Elusian mysteries - some people talked. Elusian/Demeter tale best
representation of how Frazer theory of monomyth is correct.
ii) Stalks of wheat - John 12.24: a grain of wheat must die if "from the dead
comes nourishment and growth and seeds"
iii) Know that mystes sacrificed a piglet several months before festival, when
iducted.
iv) Attic Vace (from Athens) - c 425 BC - Figures in relief, gold leaf painted on
it. Olympian divinities. Celebration of Mysteries by Olympians. Hermes
with pig, Demeter with wheat. Belong to someone associated with the
mystes.
v) Mystes witnesses allegorical journey
vi) Slide - Red-figure - 450 NBC - Hermes (psychopomos) Persephone &
vi) Slide - Red-figure - 450 NBC - Hermes (psychopomos) Persephone &

Hekata and Demeter.
vii) Mystes - what did they get - happy life after death. Not just Homeric
Hymn that represent this. Several other examples of this reward. Helps to
explain why this was THE most popular religion in Athens. Spread around
ancient Greek world.
One. Slide - Persephone * Pluto - Locri - S. Italy (6th c. BC) clay plaque figures of Pluto and Persephone sitthing
Two. Eleusis - Eleusian holy trinity. Created after Homeric Hymn
composed. Triptolemus replaces Demophoon and Role of
Triptolemus increases in importance in 5th Century BC. - Ancient
Greek equivalent of Johnny Appleseed.
Three. Slide - Red-figure c - 470-450- BC - offering bowl - Triptolemus
Four. Slide - Red-figure vase
Five. Serpent chthonic - underground - sheds its skin - rebirth-immortal.
Powerful, but not necessarily evil.
Six. Augustus Caesar - initiated into Elesian, wife also inducted
Seven. Persephone ultimate parthenos - Mother loses daughter when
daughter marries and goes to another family. Father not consulting
mother - example of how it was done in Greek family. Isolation of
bride - same thing happened in real world. Fitting husband - gifts
Eight. Nymph ingesting "seed" - allegorically woman becoming pregnant.
Sowing seed as you would sow seeds for plants.
Nine. Theodosius I (392 AD) - banned Eleusius ceremonies. Every Easter,
women of ______________ baked bread, puts bread on altar. Place
still sacred. Has been so since 1500 BC
6-14-2011 Lecture Notes - Fertility II

Tuesday, June 14, 2011
12:33 PM
Interpreting Myth
1. Literal meaning of Divine Myth challenged in 6th c. BC - enormous shift in thought in policy.
People who did it were philosophers.
a. PreSocratic Philosphers i. Aristotle - phisiologoi
1) People who pursue the meaning of physis (nature) and logos
2) Founded major school in Athens - Academy at Athens in 335 BC - get word
Academics from this. He wrote book on physics and metaphysics. One of major
sources for these ideas, one of only writers we have of this time period.
ii. Simplicius - Commentary on Aristotle's physics, metaphysics etc.
b. Earliest philosophy coincides with major land/colonizing expansion. Greek Colonies - huge in
Italy, Sicily, which spread Greek influence everywhere, but also brought Greeks into contact
with all sorts of people. 250 BC. First philosophers NOT from Athens, but from Miletus in
modern day Turkey. Miletus was extremely weathy trading center.
i. Thales of Miletus - may never have written anything down. 550 BC. Ideas quoted
extensively. Not atheist. Said gods in everything, but he separates them out from
physis and nature..the divinities are here, but they dont affect everything.
1) "water is the origin of all things, but god is that Mind which shaped and created
all things from water" - Cicero Nature of Gods 45 BC quoting Thales of Miletus.
a) Its mind, its order. Picked water can change physical state.
b) 575 BC - Thales noted this, patterns/laws of physis, observations
(empirical data) water in all things.
c) Thales was interested in astronomy. Other philosophers also interested in
astronomy.
2) Anaximander - Miletus - 550 BC - argued that in fact everything was created
from apeiron (without any boundaries, infinity) - Hesiod? Why doesnt he say
chaos? He doesn't want to be confused with Hesiod, (Aristotle argued that
infinity cant exist because the mind cannot consider it).
3) Ancient and modern scholars argue who came up with 5 humors - 4 opposites 4 elements (earth, air, fire and water) - idea if you mix things things you get
something created in our world. Seems that Anaximander has already heard of
this idea.
ii. Anaximander - has a mechanistic cosmos - wheel filled with fire, sun is not a god, not
Helios, he uses an analogy, sun is LIKE a wheel filled with fire. Credited with being first
Greek to put together a map of the world.
1) Slide - Clay tablet - Babylonian word map [Cosmos] - 12 cm ht) 500 BC, copy c.
700 BC. In cuniform tablet. Its a copy of an earlier map
2) Slide - drawing with characters translated - bitter river - may be ocean. Center
of the map is Babylon. 7 points corresponding with islands. Scholars debate the
significance of this, but you cant actually use this map to get someplace.
iii. Pherecydes of Syros - fl 540 BC - contemporary of Anaximander, but may never heard
of Anaximander's ideas. From little island in Cyclades. In center of Greek world.
1) Aristotle refers to him as a mythographer, not a philosopher
2) Offers a very different cosmology from Hesiod
a) Interprets? Hesiod Or substituting physical allegory ( 1st example of
looking at myth as a physical allegory.) Says 3 elements or principles called
Zas (dzas - possibly Zeus), Chthonic and Chronis.
i) Zas = the aither - air
ii) Chthonic - earth (Gaia or Tartaros)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
ii) Chthonic - earth (Gaia or Tartaros)

iii) Chronis - time [not Kronos]
b) Very little information on it, only 5 or 6 quotes.
c) Adherent to "Orphic" religion. Creates own offshoot of "orphic" religion
using divinities in a different kind of way.
Theagenes of Rhegium - 525 BC - not so much of a philos, but more of a
commentator of world.
Rejected Hesiod idea of divinities - gods surely wouldnt have reacted so
childishly. From Southern Italy. Divine myth is more of an allegory, not meant
to be taken literally.
a) Looks in particular at Homer's Illiad. Physical Allegory - in Homer: Gods
fight each other i) Apollo represents Fire
ii) Posiden represents Water
iii) Aphrodite reps eros (lust/desire)
b) The gods are really representations of elements, not actual beings. When
gods fighting each other, it should be viewed as an allegory of the
elements mixing.
Sicily and S. Italy - More wealthy and powerful than Athens. Magna Graecia Greek colonies founded 750 BC 7th & 6th centuries, BC - Intellectual centers were not Greece or Athens.
Empedopcles of Akragas - (Agrigentum) - 525 BC - southern Sicily. Akrages
extremely wealthy city.
a) Didact poem (Hesiod)?: About Physics - World is 2 operating principles Love and attraction or strife. He was a Dualist. However he wants to
distinguish his ideas from Hesiod, uses similar words with different
connotations. Empeocles used philia, Hesiod used eros. Emp used neikos
(quarrel/battle) vs. Eris (strife/dispute). Eris usually paired and the
opposite of Eros.
b) Emp. Forces are philia and neikos - physical allegory is attraction and
repulsion. These two forces take the 4 elements and are the building
blocks, the source of creation.
c) Philia and neikos interaction - compare it to mixing colors on a painter's
palette.
d) End - he threw himself into the caldera of Mt. Aetna to prove his
immortality - MYTH!
Xenophanes (550-525 BC) southwest Anatolia - poet not really interested in
physical world. More of a commentator of world. From Colophon.
a) Humans imagine their gods wearing clothes...anaphormorphism. See
handout. Earliest example of comparative mythology. Only could happen
starting in 6th century BC due to the travel and influence of new
learning/cultures on their own knowledge.
b) Detects basic similarities in the way numerous nations worship deities
that resemble themselves. He was a Monotheos. Single deity. "this single
universe was god" Like what Thalas had said, in spite of the fact that
Thalas was not a monotheos.
c) Both Thales & Xenophanes - god = mind - intelligent design, similar to
argument of Christians today.
Heraclitus - 500 BC - monotheist - theos = logos (reason_ divinity is the
embodiment of logos/reason. But wants to distinguish his ideas from
Thenophelus, so he uses logos.
a) His primary element is fire, everything is composed of fire. Dont have
whole argument, only quotes. Prof thinks choice of fire is influence of
Zoroaster religion which flourished in 6th c. BC. Zoroaster was a prophet
Zoroaster religion which flourished in 6th c. BC. Zoroaster was a prophet

who had a revelation and spread it around area. Zoroaster became
principle religion of Persian kings in 6th century.
i) Darius I of Persia.
One. Magi, Chaldaeans, Chaldeas - the priests of Zoroaster.
Two. Influence on philosophers in area because Persia controlled
area and the religion was well known to them. Made
influence on Greek thought enormous.
Three. First Greek philo to mention the Magi was Heraclitus
ii) Ahura Mazda was the principle deity of Zoroaster religion, principle
form was fire
One. No temples, altars on hilltops with fire.
iii) Zoroasterism was Dualist.
One. Ariman/Darkness was the enemy of Ahura Mazda - imagined
in eternal conflict for rule of cosmos.
9) Plato - 427-347 Monotheist - referred to god as demiourgos - artisan/craftsman,
not anaphormatic - life after death.
a) People laughed at him for his beliefs that gods were trash/working
people.
10) Aristotle - Platonic monotheism a) Following Plato, but talks more about it than Plato. Takes "aither" into a
cosmic fire - 5th element that composes the sun, stars etc. Not moon
because moon was lighted by sun. This stuff is the essence of divinity.
c. Many later Greek and Roman phil combined monothesm with
1) Anaxagoras - 459 BC - no gods, atheist. Gods are complete fabrication.
a) He does however borrow the term nous (mind= order), but says its a
force, not a divinity.
b) Visited Athens and was charged with impiety. Exiled.
2) Others convicted of asebeia (impiety) paid fines worth millions of dollars
3) Persistant minority who rejected divine cosmos
a) Democritus of Abdera (450 BC) atomist
i) Matter composed of these indivisible atoms, infinite number,
infinitely small and in different shaps. (atoma)
ii) Combine in different ways to create different substances, and
phyusical and chemical properties, color, hardness, taste etc due to
different shapes etc.
b) 19th century scientists like Rutherrford borrowed the term atoma from
here.
i) Democritus - no gods, no heaven, no hell, only atoms
4) Epicurus of Samos (342 BC) founded school at Athens called The Garden. Not
for aristocrats only, women and slaves welcome. Elaborated and popularized
atomology. Gods exist, but they have no interest in humans, why should they?
a) Surviving writings show he is interested in moral behavior.
b) His philo was most popular in 1c BC Rome - Caesar was a follower
i) Lucrectius 60 BC - About the Nature of Things
One. Proposes an explanation for the invention of divinities (see
handout)
ii) Dreams where people got idea of divinities and mythological
creatures etc. Connection between dreams and myth made long
ago.
2. Myths as a distortion of history
a. Euhemerus - 320 - 305 - Divinities originally real people, but made into deities. Used
Alexander the Great - while alive, worshiped in Egypt as a deity, incarnation of Zeus Ammon.
Alexander the Great - while alive, worshiped in Egypt as a deity, incarnation of Zeus Ammon.
i. Slide - Representation of Zeus Ammon - 1st c Ad. Face with rams horns, fragment
from a clay plaque.
ii. Slide - coin with Alexander as Zeus Ammon.
iii. Trivia - Sacred History - fantastic tale of a voyage to a distant land beyond Saudi
Arabia,[myth maker like Plato]. Like a romantic epic voyage tale. Fantastical. Story
sounds like combination of all those things.
1) A lot of people who write things from 4 c. BC to Roman era wrote things that
sounded like history
b. Palaephatus - later contempory of Euhemerus - Wrote About Incredible Tales - source of
myths = improper/distorted understanding of language. Similar to misunderstanding about
hieros gamos story on Minotaur. Basically people misunderstood but gave it this mythical
quality. His view is still like allegory.
i. Ex: Heracles vs. Hydra (monster), Palaephatus said there was a guy named Heracles,
but he fought a tower of archers...story turned into a mythical monster
6-14-2011 Divine Myth - Dionysos

12:47 PM
Dionysos AKA Bacchos/Bakkxos

1. Attritubes - Ivy crown, leopard skins/or leopards with him, show with sacred staff called thyrus,
has a cantharos(two handled cup) and he or people around him are playing a flute.
a. Slide - Dionysos with ivy crown, leopard skin and cantharos - Red figure 450- BC. Has grapes
around him. Cantharos is special because they are almost always really big.
2. Entourage - maenads - AKA Nysae, AKA Bacchae - ecstatic women holding thyrsoi (not always tho)
a. Slide - Maenad and Thyrsos: fennel stalk and ivy or pine - red figure 450 BC - esctasy shown
by staring off in distance
b. Slide - Maen ad and thyrsos and snakes, has leopard skin and staring off in distance.
c. Slide - white ground kylix: cup 490 BC - Looking INTO the cup. Not red figure or black,
ground clay with painting.
d. Slide - Clay plaque 400 BC - Figures dancing, Dionysos, panther, cantharos and woman
dancing with snake.
3. Also seen with Dionysos are satyrs. Crowd of party goes are bacchantes.
a. Slide - satyr and aulos - Bacchos - thyrsus, ivy crown, grape vine, red figure.
4. Etymology of name a. Dion/Diu = deus/theos
b. Nysos.Nysa = May be where frome - Nysos
i. Athens he was called Iacchos - another example of syncing
ii. Lydian inscription - mentions divinity Bakivali - deity like Bacchos. Athens : Iacchus
c. Thyrsus - etymology
Hittite word for tu-wa-sa - vine, including grape vine. Doesnt seem to be a Greek
word that means this.
5. Athens he was sometimes worshiped with Demeterat Haloa (Threshing) Festival. More than just a
god of wine.
6. Son of Zeus and Semele (daughter of King of Thebes (Cadmus and Harmonia)
a. Apollodorus - Cadmus Cadmos founded Thebes, he was son of a Phoenician king. Son of
foreigner who comes to settle in Greece.
b. Cadmus killed a dragon and sowed the teeth - led to people called Spartoi (those who have
sprouted like seeds). NOT SPARTA
c. All fighting, all dead except last 5 - 5 tribes of Thgebes (Theban "autochthonus- sprung out
of the earth") idea was they'd lived there forever.
i. Think of story of creation of man through sowing of stones.
d. Semele - Zemelo - Phrygian epithet for "Great Goddes", or Cybele or an initiate - something
to do with the worship of the Great Goddess
e. This story has a folktale theme - unfortunate wish and ate, lack of foresight. Hastily granted
wish
f. Ovid's allegory - the gift of "love consumed her"
g. Dionysos is 'twice born' - thigh - erotic zone.
i. Slide - Red figured 400-380 BC Italy - Apollo with laurel leaves, satyr dancing representation of birth of Dionysos.
h. Also displaced aggression theme - Hera angry with family and takes vengence
i. Inversion of nature - insanity
j. In both Ovid and Apollodorus - Ino is transformed to Leucothea - White Goddess
k. Dionysos turned into goat to protect him. Given to nymphs of Nysa (not Greece, not sure
where, but not Greece). While with them, he discovers how to make oinos, wine - drives
him out of his mind.
l. Dionysos is helped by Cybele and Midas - followers now carry tambourines, flutes and
l. Dionysos is helped by Cybele and Midas - followers now carry tambourines, flutes and
cymbals (instruments associated with festivals of Cybele), allowed to ride in chariot of
Cybele drawn by lion/panther.
i. Slide - 300 AD Roman mosiac - Dionysos in Cybele chariot. Thesurus reps by what
looks like a small pine tree.
m. Ate appears again - Midas of Lydia granted one wish
i. Etiological - explains where the wealth of Lydians came from. Coinage started 625 BC.
Remedy for Midas - wash in {Pactolus River at Sardis, which was actually placer gold
from Mt Tmolus.)
n. Ariadne of Crete - Rescued from island from Dionysus. Name means the Very Holy One.
Not clear when she became associated with Dionysus. Last we ever hear about her.
Wedding gift was Corona Boreaulis - turned into constellation
i. Slide - Bacchus and Ariadne - Look at her face, who are these people? Can see
Corona Borealios - 7 stars in circle in left hand upper corner
7. Resistance is futile - Apollodorus - Lycourgos/Luycourgus - Thrace - kills son land is cursed and he
is eaten by wild horses - earliest example of pharmakos -(scapegoat). Also example of inversion of
nature .
a. King Minyas of Boeotia - Minyades/Minyads (meaning daughter of Minyas) - Daughters
driven insane.
b. Dionysos and Pirates - Etruscans pirates (from Italy - always at war with Greece) - All but one
pirate turned into dolphins for being sacrilegious. Delphi is sacred to Apollo, we are told
that in the winter, Apollo not at Delphi, Dionysus is.
i. Slide - Black figure wine cup, picture inside cup - 550, Author Exekias - Grape vines as
described, dolphins. Added white clay rubbed off, showing it was used.
ii. Sequel - Semele resurrected and taken into Heaven.
c. Cadmos and Harmonia - exiled in Illyria (Albania) transformed into serpents.
8. Worshipers collectively are Baccantes (all), but also have the Maenades/Maenads - women
followers
a. Worshipers of Bacchus undergo enthousiasmous (filled with the god)- kind of possession, in
a trance, partial induced by alchohol and dancing for hours.
b. Experience ekstansis - ecstasy - stand outside one's self - lose individual identity. Become
part of the group. Set free. Dionysos epithet - lysios - set free - Roman divinity Liber comes
from this - means a free man in Latin.
c. Bacchai are usually associated with some sort of sexual activity.
i. Slide - 490 BC - Bacchai - dangerous - Makron painter, inside of the cup. Woman using
her cycerus as a weapon against a satyr. Never seem to have sex in illustrations seems to be a contradiction.
ii. Slide - Red figure 450 BC - Bacchai - hunt wild animals - hind - female - used in worship
ceremony
iii. Ceremony includes soparagmos of victim - communal consumption of raw meat part
of ceremony.
iv. Red figure vase - Figure of god, ripped goat or stag in half, representing sparagmos.
Baccae have super human strength when under the influence of Bacchus
d. Wine and omophagia: eucharist - much like Christian communion.
e. Christian communion and Dionysian (mystery) ceremony.
i. Recognition of similarity between two - anonymous play written in 1100 or 1200
century ad - "Suffering Christ" Christus Patiens, in Latin. Organized as ancient Greek
tragedy. Borrows line from ancient Greek tragedy, didnt compose it from memory of
a story, took lines from play by Euripides called Bacchae.
ii. Euripedes story of Baccae - begins with Pentheus taking over from Cadmus. Dionysos
comes in person to old home town, women driven insane and run into the forest to
worship him. Pentheus refuses to accept Dionysos. Dionysos appeared in disguise,
told Pentheus all he had to do is accept new god, Pentheus refused. Pentheus warned
by Tiresias (prophet) - to accept Dionysos. Pentheus goes to Mt. Cithaeron, spies on
by Tiresias (prophet) - to accept Dionysos. Pentheus goes to Mt. Cithaeron, spies on

women worshipping Bakkhos. Agave, Pentheus' mother . Pentheus goes up disguised
as a women, but recognized as a male and torn apart by the women. Euripedes then
describes Pentheus death as a sparagmos. Pentheus is a pharmakos - ritual to purify
city where mother died. Sacrifice that saves whole community. In ancient myth,
sacrifice of the king for the life of the community as a whole is extremely powerful.
Agave leads women who dismember Pentheus into city. Last scene - Agave comes
onto stage with son's head on cathesus. Very potent. - Pentheus, like Hippolytus denial nature - example of meden agan. Pentheus refused to accept the Dionysos side
of his personality. Too rational.
1) Slide - red figure face - 450 - Very graphic representation of Pentheus sacrifice.
Mom has veil over her hair
2) Slide - Pompeii pre 79 AD - Pentheus sacrifice/Dionysos myth
iii. Melanaegis - black goat skin, dendrites ; tree man, antheios - Mr. Bloom. Associations
with fertility and vegetation. All ephitets of Dionysos.
iv. Well known celebration of Dionysos - Lenaea at Athens - festival of the new wine.
Happened in the Spring. Athenian women worshiping Dionysos at this festival called
Lenai - Maenads. They set up a temporary divine statues, mask on a staff with ivy and
goat hair. Would put goat skins. Festival for women only, death penalty for men who
sneak in.
v. Slide - red figured - image of Lenaea, women onbly. Statue in center, women all
around with vases.
1) Crime - any person could charge another person with a crime. Persons
prosecute or defend. Majority vote of those in assembly would determine guilty
or innocence. All judge did was count the marbles or breaks any ties. If guilty,
person could argue against penalty
2) Read Plato, Phaedo, the Harvard Classics. Worship of Dionysos is not just a
bunch of people running around drunk having sex. Also about purification "but
that he
vi. Slide - Lawrence Alma Tadema - painting "Wpomen of Amphissa) 1887. Researched
all of his paintings for detail. HIGHLY detailed, despite being in Pre-Raphaelite era.
Depicts women who spent all night worshipping Dionysos, tired, other women coming
to feed them
vii. Rome - 2 c. BC - horrified at women getting drunk. Worship of Dionysos illegal in all of
Roman territory. Deported foreigners. By 1st C. BC - Roman aristocrats worship
Bacchus privately. Nothing to do with Roman state.
1) Slide - Roman Marble Statue - 2 c AD - Worship of Baccus very common by then.
Dionysos.
2) Slide - Fresco - Pompeii - orgies, thasoi/thiasos - private clubs. Very common in
this time period, and where these orgies would take place.
viii. Villa of the Mysteries - unique doc from Pompeii (Villa dei Misteri) - Wall painting that
displays the Dionysian Initiation Ceremony, each step. More written about this
painting than any other from Pompeii.
1) Slide Pompeii, Villa of the Mysteries - wall to wall - looks like dining area.
Hidden something under cloth. Woman being flogged by angel. Maenad
dancing with castenats. Close up of another scene, man holding up a Greek
tragedy mask. Satyr. Child reading sacred test. Also, in the scene with the
mask, mask held so that you could see the mask in the liquid reflection.
ix. Greek drama - Lenaea - tragedies and comedies part of ceremony. Intro by
Peisistratos in 550 BC. Thespis - altered existing practices by having an actor and a
chorus. Previously, performances by Dionysos were by a chorus only.
f. Origins - choral lyric. Aristotle wrote Poetics - origin of drama. Tragpoidia - song of tragos.
Aristotle's contem. Believe tragedy originated in songs to Dionysos. Tragoidia - song of
tragos. Tragos - goat. (goat song). Dionysos - melanaegis - black goat skin
tragos. Tragos - goat. (goat song). Dionysos - melanaegis - black goat skin
i. Aristotles poetics - tragedy - originated with dithyrambo - hym to Dionysos. Had own
special name because it was imported from elsewhere. Songs sung by chorus, always
had a lead singer. Eventually became an actor delivering a monologue.
g. Euripides - Bacchai was extremely popular - performed outside of Greek world. Performed
in Parthia (New Persion Empire - 2 cent BC - enemy of Rome)
i. 1st Triumvirate - 59 -49 BC - Military dictgatorship - Caesar, Pompey & Publius
Crassus - Crassus lead army against Parthian. Defeated and captured.
1) 51 BC, Parthian king had entertainment - Bacchae performed for Parthian king Crassus' head for Pentheus' head.
ii. Cybele & Attis/Atys - Worshi[p of Cybele spread by Alex. Great d 323 BC and by
Romans throughout Europe (Britan through Afganis.)
1) Slide - Gold Bronze - 2nd BC from Afgan. Shows Cybele and sun, and moon,
animals drawing chariot.
2) Slide - Cybele - Roman statue - shown with lions, divinity of fertility.
iii. Attis/Atys - actolyte of the Goddess 1) Pausanias Guide to Greece. Greek doctor. C 150 AD wrote travelogue of sites
and stories of Greece. Tells you what there is to look at. Mentions part of the
ceremony carried out by the Arraphori in Athens. Knew what took place in Mt.
Dindyma/Dyme (Phrygia - N.W. Turkey), where Dindymean mother (also known
as Rhea -Kybele)_ - ex of syncretism
2) Attis - born as eunuch, moves to Lydia, worshiper of Cybele/ Rhea - Zeus
jealous - sends boar and kills Attis. This explains why Gauls/Gallli living in
Anatolia "abstained from pork" - etyological. - Gauls were Germans and French
who migrated.
3) Pausanias - "Current View" View in his lifetime 150 AD - sleeping Zeus' semen
and earth - causes daemon/daimon Agdistis - where we get modern term
demon. Gods fear Agdistis, so decide to castrate him. Arnobius tells how they
did it in 4 c AD - Dionysos did it with wine - got Agdistis drunk
a) Severed penis grew into a almond tree or pomergrante - generative
power of male semen overrated, same as Ouranous and Aphrodite.
b) Nana - nymph- puts it on her stomach and she becomes pregnant.
4) Attis - exposed to die, but raised by a billy goat. Goat is always an ancient
fertility symbol. Agdistis loves Attis. Attis grows up and is sent to marry king's
daughter. Agditis comes to wedding, which drives Attis insane and he castrates
himself. Zeus declares Attis body wont decay. Attis castration was eitological Priests of Cybele had to self-castration themselves. Referred to as Galli. Went
back a long way, told they did not use metal knives etc, used broken pieces of
pottery.
5) Ovid - Fasti (Holy Days) Poem - didnt complete book, sent into exile. C 8 A.D.
Tells of every ancient holiday and ritual. Wrong about Galli - they were NOT
part of priests of Isis. They were priests of Cybele.
a) Also gives us version 3. Attis normal boy, swears chastity to gods. Breaks
it by having sex with Sagaritis - naiad-tree nymph.
b) Cybele cuts down nymphs tree - some nymphs were not immortal
c) Attis self castrates with jagged stone (very very old fertility myth, stone
example of how old)
6) Arnobius -4 c AD - Attius died but hair and finger kept growing.
7) Ovid Met. X 103 - "and pines, high girdled, in a leafy crest.
a) Attis body became pine tree, blood became violets.
b) Ex - vegetation/etiology
9. Pan "All" - Latin pascere: to feed - pastor (one who provides food) - Romans worshiped him also.
a. Hermes is his father, 6 different versions of who his mom is.
i. Aphrodite and Pan - Statue from Delos - God of countryside and shepherds. Horns,
i. Aphrodite and Pan - Statue from Delos - God of countryside and shepherds. Horns,
goat legs
ii. Slide - Pan and shepherd - panic - Shepard running from Pan (with head of a goat)
10. Priapus - Aphrodite and Hermes or Aphrodite and Dionysos. Imported after 350 BC from East
from Phrygia. 350 watershed moment for introduction of new religions and myths to Greece due
to colonies and conquests (all after Alexander)
a. Very popular with Romans
b. Apotropaic statues and pictures - meant to repel evil
c. His job was to repel evil and promote fertility
i. Slide - to recog Priapus, always have Phrgian hat and huge penis. Fresco from Pompeii
representing Priapus.
6-15-2011 Afterlives Wednesday, June 15, 2011

1:30 PM
1. Bilgames and the Netherworld - blending of Sumerian and Akkadian anaphora - first word repeated - part of oral tradition from before when
these stories were written down for the 1st time.
a. An, Enlil & Ereshkigal - Sky storm and Underworld bringing presents
as dowry.
i. Enki in boat - attending wedding of goddess of underworld.
Break in story. Someone has taken two different oral stories
and meshed them together in a manner that doesnt make
sense, very clumsy
1) Enki - fresh water and trickster again, hailstorm
2) Transition to a solitary tree, no bridge.
a) Tree next to Eurphrates. Inanna comes
(Lust/Fertility and War) Similar to Greek Aphro
(lust) and Athena (War ) Says something about the
thoughts of war and fertility going together.
b) Inanna plants and waters tree with foot
c) Utu (sun) refrain/storm etc and Inanna's planting this is a song - like repeating chorus. This story is in
the form of a rondel/rondeua, similar to 12 days of
Christmas.
d) Bilgames - kills the snake and cuts the tree
e) Slide - imprint of Sumerian cylinder seal 2500/2100 BC - Tree, snake, possibly a divinity
f) Inanna receives throne and bed, Bilgames makes
himself toys with left over wood.
g) Toys are lost through Ganzir (underworld has gates)
h) Bilgames' servant Enkidu volunteers - represents
loyal servant i) Prohibition - Bilgames instructions - Similar to
Egyptian Book of the Dead. Edkidu breaks taboos:
behaves as a mourner at a funeral, not as a
deceased.
j) Enkidu sees Ereshkigal mourning for her son Ninazu
(Gugalana: Bull of Heaven and Ereshkigal) - her
mourning is paradigm for mortal women.
k) Enki convinces Utu to allow a visit. Reunion.
Enkidu
l) Food offerings makes death better for the dead.
Didactic : conduct of living
m) Why 7 sons? One for each day of the week
n) What about social outcasts - the marginalized are
still marginalized. All about food. Burned to death,
worst of all - go down as you left here.
o) Later Addition - Lamentation of destructions by
Amorites (Nomadic Semites)
p) Overran Girsu and other Sumerian cities
(mentioned in Bilgames)
q) Bilgames does right thing and resestablishes
offering ceremonies that were destroyed by
offering ceremonies that were destroyed by

Amorites.
3) Babylonian version 1500 BC - Bilgames becomes
Gilgamesh - Enkidu descent - plot and dialogue same
4) Ex. Of Succession
2. Homer - Odyssey - theoretically written in 750/700 BC
a. Slide - red figure
b. Teiresias/Tiresias - Odysseus - Kirke's new trip to underworld to see.
c. Kirk gives directions - go north, ocean source is a confluence.
d. Confluence of Rivers
i. Sorrowing Water: Acheron
ii. Wailing : Kokytos
iii. Hate: Styx
iv. Unquenchless Burning - Per
e. Description of Odysseus as necromancy- only 3 descriptions of people
doing this, this is one.
f. Eplenor - barrow and burial (barrow - tomb, mound of earth and
stone)
i. Slide - red figured vase - Odysseus shown wearing travelers
house Odysseus and Eplenor. Hermes in red figured vase.
Psychopomas (soul guide) not mentioned at all in Homer's
Odysseus.
ii. Teiresias prophecy - oar - winnowing fan
iii. Theme of meeting women - love causes suffering.
iv. Nothing good in Homer's vision of Hades
v. People still feel same emotions they felt in life - Achilles would
rather be a slave to a poor family than lord in death. Interested
and happy at news of son. Everyone still has human
expressions and feelings, in spite of being dead.
vi. Ajax - undying anger - son of Telemon, armor of Achilles. Wont
talk to Odysseus.
vii. Agememmnon - Anger at wife and nephew for murder
viii. Punishment of really bad people - Tityos - assaulted Leto - as a
result Zeus sentenced him to eternal punishment. , Tantalos test divine omniscience - killed Pelops and served to the gods.
Sisyphos (trickster) _ went up to Hades and said he had
something important he had to finish for family, didnt come
back. Tricked death. Herakles' phantom - not really there. - all
of these characters are punished because of something they did
or did not do to Olympian divinities - impiety is punished. Not
because of what they did to other HUMANS, only the gods.
Being there is the punishment.
3. Other versions of the Afterlife
a. Better afterlives than in Homer's Odysseus
i. Islands of the Blessed - Hesiod mentions them. Makaron nesoi
1) In Western Ocean - where the sun sets
2) Hesiod doesnt say anything about them, just says they
are there
3) Also called the Elysian Fields
ii. End of Homer's Odyssey Book XXIV - describes souls heading
off to Hades squeaking as bats
iii. Led by Hermes, West, past the White Rock, go to fields of
asphodel (leimon (swamp/damp) - Fitzgerald calls it the wastes.
iv. Asphodel is a flower that grows wild all over Greece in damp
iv. Asphodel is a flower that grows wild all over Greece in damp
areas. Doesn't sound quite so desolate as the one in Odysseus
trip to Hades
v. Bk IV Menelaus'f ate
1) Eluysion
2) A dream of ease
3) Golden Rhadamanthos king
b. Difference probably because of association with mysteries of
Demeter
c. Judges of the Dead
i. Rhadamanthos of Crete (Rhadamanthys)
ii. Minos - Rhadamanthys Brother
iii. Aeacus (name means to wail or moan)
1) Zeus and Aegina
iv. People involved with mysteries of Elusis added Triptolmous
1) Slide - red-figure vase from South eastern Greece - Apulia
(Italy) from 325 BC - shows Rhadamanthos, Minos,
Aeacus - shows scenes from underworld. Dont know
why they are seated etc.
2) Slide - Hades and Perephone (same vase)
4. The Republic by Plate - next earliest version of life after death - c 350 BC
a. Translation - Latin res = affairs (things) + publicus (adjective)
i. Greek = Politeia/polis = city state
b. Republic is an expostulatory dialogue.
i. Socrates does most of the talking. Adimantus and Glaucon just
say (tell me more etc) (Adimantus and Glaucon was Plato's
brother)
ii. Ad and Glau ask Socrates to prove to them justice is better than
injustice - you have all these bad people, doing bad things.
iii. Story about the after life - Socrates - says the requirement for
Utopia is justice, the ideal state
iv. Politeia - Box X - Where we get the Myth of Er (Plato calls it a
mythos). Definitely an allegory - Er = Mr. Springtime
Pamphylia (All nations). You can tell when it is an allegory
because of the "Mr. Springtime" titling someone with attributes
of similar nature as the name.
c. Er's journey begins - - earliest example of a near death example. Er
almost dies, sees vision of the afterlife, then wakes up.
i. Walks up 12 day on pyre.
1) Numerology - 12 months Babylonian 360 days. The belief
that numbers have power. 12 months of the year, 12
constellations in the sky
ii. Sees 4 doors, doesnt name judges (assume audience knows the
names)
iii. Pythagorean - number mysticism - throwing in the exact
numbers isnt an accident. It is numerology in general. Plato
was deeply influenced by philo of Pythagorus (pre Socrates
philosopher).
1) Pythagorus - from Samos/ Croton. Move to Italy.
Polycrates of Samos (tyrannos 531-530 BC) chased out
aristrocrats of Samos.
2) Babylon ca. 800 BC. Pythagorus credited with discovering
pythagorian theory. But already known to the
Phoenicians
Phoenicians
3) Investigated algebratic forms of numbers - triangular,
square. Would take counters and make theories with
them. 10 was the perfect number, triangular (think of
bowling pins - pyramid)
4) Established school at Croton in Italy. Called hetairia actually a religious fraternity that functioned as a school.
First monastic group in this area. Had to be veg.
a) Had a heavenly paradise.
b) Plato deeply affected by these ideas.
c) Mathematics was a mediation on a kind of order in
the universe.
5) Pythagoras and Plato - Mathematic = meditation, proved
there was a rational order behind things.
a) Logos of demiourgos - mathematics PROVED that
there was intelligent design.
b) Pythagoras discovered - fractions of octave =
geometrical progression. They did experiments
with this. Proved that the fractions of octave was a
geometric progression.
c) Pythagoriums proposed that there was a "Music of
the Spheres" - Sun, Moon, Stars and Planets had to
make a sound - a harmony, a musical chord that
was perfect, so there was this heavenly music out
there being generated by the movement of the
planets
6) Croton - Aristocracy overthrown - Pythagoras school
burned. When govt changed, purge the schools, get rid of
the teachers.
7) Er sees Ardiaeus who was a tyrant. Tartarus personified jaws, roars- more than just a gate! Fiery men flayed/thorns. In Hesiod, Tartarus was where Titans
thrown. Now in this view, its where people went to be
punished. Fiery men come out and drag Ardiaeus around
and flay him.
a) People who commit crimes are punished tenfold.
i) Compared with version in Odyssey - no
punishment for crimes against people, here
there is punishment. Moral judgment made
after people die.
8) Meadow for 7 days - 4 day journey, could be allegory for
seasons and come to a place where there is a shaft of life
and see spindle of Necessity - clearly Plato invention, in
his mind. Take on Hesiod thoughts on Fates. Based on
the motion of the Sun and stars and planets doing their
movement around the earth
a) Sirens - 8 tones, women with beautiful voices. This
is a reference to the Pythagorean scale and the
Pythagorean doctrine of the music of universe.
Plato changed it by adding Sirens.
b) Morai/Fates - Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, but
they arent doing much. An unknown prophet give
out lots. Familiar to Plato's audience - they used
lotteries to get into office etc. Not quite like our
lotteries to get into office etc. Not quite like our

lotteries, they got to choose.
c) Lachesis - Addresses everyone and says "you
choose".
d) Here is the belief in metemphychosis reincarnation/human and animal.
i) Phythagoreans and Orphics believed tis.
Orpheus - prophet/revelation - secret to
eternal bliss.
One. Plato came across a guy beating a dog
who was howling - stopped the beating
saying that was the voice of his old
friend. People made fun of him for this.
e) Socrates says this is the moment when you get to
chose what path to take.
f) Choose the middle road, meden agan - you get
happiness, eudaimonia.
g) Irony Plato sets up in story - first choice was
tyranny - blamed the gods. Person lead a virtuous
life from habit, "following orders" "not disciplined"
h) Meet heroes of legend - Agamemmnon - eagle they come back as animals.
i) Then Lachesis picks a guardian of destiny. The souls
proceed to Lethe - which means forgetfulness.
j) Socrates says seeking wisdom is a journey of 1000
years (10(3 squared)
9. Plato's story of Er's vision inspired later versions
10. Orpheus - prophet had a revelation of how people are go to a
heavenly paradise. The story is that his wife Eurydice dies on
wedding day, bit by serpent. Orpheus goes to underworld.
Most complete story is in Ovid's Met. Orpheus was a master
musician, played lyre. Charms 3 headed dog, Cerebus.
Comforts Tantalus and Sisyphys (from Homer's Odyssey).
Hades and Persephone love music. Orpheus asks for wife back,
they grant it. One provision - lead way out of underworld, and
dont look back.
1) Slide - Jean-Baptiste- Camile Corot - painting of Orpheus
and Euripedes
2) Orpheus goes to Thrace in region of ____________River
3) Orpheus rejects women, becomes lover of boys.
4) Charms animals of Thrace. He is the male equiv. of the
potnia theron, the master of beasts.
5) This is his most common representation
a) Posis theron (Master of beasts) Slide - Roman
Mosaic, Tarus 3 c. AD. More popular and familiar in
Roman times than in Greek.
6) Ends up being torn apart by Thracian Maenads
a) Slide - Red figured vase, death of Orpheus.
Comparable with death of Pentheus - maybe
another pharmakos (scapegoat) death cleanses city,
land
b) Slide - J.W. Waterhouse - 1900 - Orpheus head in
Hebrus R.
c) Slide Gustave Moreau -1865- PreRaphaelite, blurry
7)
8)
9)
10)
c) Slide Gustave Moreau -1865- PreRaphaelite, blurry

background
Head floats to Lesbos - Apollo purifies it.
Orpheus revelation. Orphics believe that he got secret
knowledge from his trip to underground, and wrote it
down. Variations to story, but this is the simplest.
a) Persephone and Zeus (as a serpent) had Zagreus.
Zagreus was kidnapped and killed by Titans as a
baby.
b) When they kill him, they start cutting off pieces and
eating them, Zeus finds them and throws a
lightning bolt.
c) Persephone saves still beating heart. Zeus takes
heart and implants it into Semele. Another version
is that Zeus fed heart to Semele and became preg.
Baby becomes Dionysos (Orphics belief of where
Dionysos came from)
d) Orphics believed Humans created from ashes
e) Orphics believed that humans had flesh of
Dionysius (Zeus' son) - Human souls have divine
sparks. Believed that if you lead a good life, you
will end up in paradise with Orpheus.
Christian - Slide - Catacomb - Rome (3 c. AD - Christian
and Pagan Symbols) Shows that people worshiped both
pagan and Christ. Christ is often rep as Orpheus. Animal
Charmer or posis theron most common symbol.
a) Slide - Most syncretic objects to survive from late
antiquity - seal impression - Orpheus ca 300 AD
(1500?) Was a seal ring. Can see 7 stars of Aurolus
Borealis, Orpheus and Bacchus, all related to belief
that the proper conduct in life and the proper
performance of the proper ceremonies would
guarantee good afterlife.
Vergil Aeneid - 19 BC Most complete ancient description
of underworld. His hero visits the underworld - In
Greece and Rome, believed that a part of spirit lived on.
a) In Greece - this part called eidolon - image/shadow
i) Daimon - sprit/demon
b) In Romans - genius
c) Slide - red-figured vase, same one that depicts
judges. Also depicts Cerebus (3 headed dog) and
Persephone with torches, same as we saw in Lucius.
d) Journey to Hades - cross River Styx, Charon - Ferry
Boat, had to give him a coin. Also see same stuff
you see in Homer.
e) Slide - White crushed clay vase - Greeks painted
eyes on the bows of their boats - all things have
spirits, which is why they did it. Shows Charon etc.
f) Iconography and Beliefs change as they move
around Meditarrean. Etruscan Art - lots from their
tomb paintings and pottery which shows a
familiarity with greek myths, but some varients,
showing their remakes.
i) Slide - Charu/Charun - not boatman, but
i) Slide - Charu/Charun - not boatman, but

more like Hermes, psychopomas - on
Etruscan tomb. Has wings and a hammer
ii) Slide - Red figured vase, made in Italy, but
made for Etruscians. Shows Charun - Xapov
named borrowed. Appears they borrowed
the name from Greeks, or had divinity similar.
In vase, shows man being sacrificed. From
well known scene - Ajax killing Trojan
prisoner for sacrifice
iii) Slide - Francois Tomb - Vulchi 350 BC Sacrifice of Trojnan Prisioners, Funeral of
Patroclus (Illiad) Fresco - used Etruscan
figures and applying them to Greek legend.
(Vanth (figure with wings)
iv) Slide - Etruscan death demon - Tuchulcha Snake hair and wings. WE dont know much
about this demon. Nose hooked like a beak,
snakes coming out of back. Shows very
elaborate view of underworld, but similar to
Greek.
v) Dante - Divine Comedy - Combined Christian
and pagan myth together.
vi) Slide - Purgatorio - 1473 by Dante - multiple
layers. Man in red robe with book.
6-16-2011 and 6-17-2011 Legends

12:39 PM
1. Heroic legend a. Gilgemesh - real person. Lugal (king, head of city). Similar to King Arthur, real person who
becomes legend
i. Slide - Ur Mosaic, sea shell and lapus lazi, 2600 BC
b. Akkadians switch name to Gilgamesh - Lugal of Uruk - 2800 BC
c. Deified and worshipped by 2100 BC - believed that he had become a god and you could pray
to him.
d. Story widespread through Late Bronze Age; Hittite knew ( we have chunks of the story
preserved in Hittite/Palestine & Syria
i. Sin-lique-uninni - Scribe/editor in 1100 BC of story of Gilgamesh (like Homer, but not
by oral transmission)
ii. Continued to be read and copied until Alexander the Great conquest 333-323 BC and
destroyed it - no more cuniform writing or story of Gilgamesh, replaced by Greek in
Mesopotamia. Never translated into ancient Greek. Found in 1900s
e. He who saw the Deep - read his travails. Gilgamesh is 2/3 divine. Poses difficulty
mathematically. He is called magnificent AND terrifying, very tyrannical. Own people not
happy with him. Tyrant in modern sense, controlling everyone's lives.
i. Primae noctis - latin, droit de seigneur - French - 1st night with bride
ii. People complain to Anu, who complains to Aruru "Mother of the Gods", epithet for
Ninhursag (Sumerian) Probably another example of sync. Akkadian - Belet-Iii
1) Slide - Akkadian seal 2000 Bc - Believed to be Enkidu, because surrounded by
beasts.
2) Enkidu - primordial man - uncivilized. Hunter reports seeing Enkidu, decide to
catch him. Shamhat sent to do the work of a woman.
3) Enkidu defiled by work of woman Animals reactions. Ex of ancient relations of
women with evil.
a) Animals reaction interesting - Enkidu has a loss of innocence, gains
gnosis - knowledge. Brings him to human world.
b) Shamhat advises him to seek a friend, he will be getting an invitation to
come to Uruk. Shamhat knows that Gilgamesh had a dream about a
falling star. Very special person, almost divine powers (Shamhat)
c) Ninsun - mom of Gilgamesh - women characters are making important
contributions. Sexual overtones - like a wife.
i) Repetition AGAIN! 4 times chorus
4) Tablet II - This was an oral story. Shamhat and Enkidu repeats invitation.
Shamhat teaching him Enkidu table manners, does what mother would do with
child - teaching and raising Enkidu.
a) Wedding guest happens to stop by Shamhat, hunters and shepards and
Enkidu - Enkidu horrified with droit de seigner, rushes off to fight
Gilgamesh and it ends up a draw.
b) Enkidu's isolation - this is a very insightful poem about changes that
happen to people. Enkidu lost home, origin and is different now. Because
he has experienced gnosis of new world, he cannot go back. However, in
spite of friend, he is still isolated. So, upset enough to be crying.
c) Gilgamesh suggests a roadtrip, kill monster, Humbaba, but Enkidu says he
knew him, was part of old life. Allegory - death of an old self, birth of a
new self. In heroic myth, its just a monster to be killed.
d) Planned the journey. Talents were ancient form of measurement used all
over the world. Talent - 50 lbs.
over the world. Talent - 50 lbs.

5) Assembly - important because Assembly tell king - you are young, Adad (Storm
God) 1st, Humbaba 2nd, Igigi = Pantheon.
6) Tablet 3 - Ninsun - Sublime Palace - Ritual bath with prayers. This part is
partially didactic. Really important prays are not taken lightly, preparations
must be made. Ninsun's prayer to Shamash contains foreshadowing - literally
technique.
7) Ninsun recog that Enkidu is all by himself. At some point hero is always along.
Now, Ninsun brings Enkidu into family and adopts him. There is an adoption
ritual. We do not know many ancient Mesopotanian rituals, not as we do
Roman or Greek.
2.
6-20-2011 - Heracles - Labors and Death

Monday, June 20, 2011
11:53 AM
1. Miasma - blood guilt - person who murdered someone went to Delphi for purification - Was told
how to make reparations - The family would also have a say in what the guilty party had to pay
(money). This was in addition to whatever the oracle said person had to do (like prayers to Apollo
etc)
2. Heracles - Delphi told him he had to do 12 "labors". Not exact translation - actual myth said
athloi/athlos - This was an aristocracy thing (athletics) - its assumed that when aristocracy wanted
to claim Heracles as their own, they changed the word to "athletics"
a. Many side deeds
i. Person who was supposed to assign 12 tasks to Heracles was Euyrystheus of Mycenas
(Heracles cousin"
1) Slide of Mycenae - 1200 BC Lion Gate - ruins. Largest known city from Bronze
age in mainland Greece.
ii. 12 Labors are found on the decoration on temple built to Zeus on Olympia - Where
Olympics held. Very fragmentary. Temple built 10 years before the Parthanon.
1) Olympia is South of Greek City of Elis. Sanctuary to Zeus and Hera, where
Olympics held
iii. Heracles athloi was performed in Greece AND in Peleponessos (hand of Greece).
Dorian Hero
1) Slide - Nemean Lion - Balck figure vasee - 500 BC. Can see Heracles wrestling
with the lion. Athena usually shown in vases, even if not in story. Because of
warrior and wisdom
a) Task 1/ 1st Athlois - Lion's skin so tuff couldnt shoot with arrows,sol he
choked the lion to death. Skinned Lion with lion's own claw to get skin as
a trophy
i) This task gives Heracles his signature trademarks - a club and the
lion's skin (Heracles either peers out from mouth of lion or paws are
tied in a Heracles knot.
b) Task 2 - Lernaean Hydra
i) Black figured vase - 2 people in the vase - task too much for one
person to handle. Went South
ii) Red Figured vase of Heracles and Hydra. Heracles has dropped club.
Help from Iolaus - nephew - (Iphicles) - Has to conquer it with
cartarizing (fire). Hydra is a water creature. Also odd is nephew
helped, why not brother/twin. Iphicles with torches, Heracles
cutting heads off
iii) This is a conundrum of sorts, inversion of nature
iv) Task 3.athlos 3 - Ceryneian Deer - in Pelepessos. Deer sacred to
Artemis
One. Redfigured vase - 350 BC of this task
Two. Heracles is very much a Dorian hero
v) Task 4 Erymanthian Boar One. Black figured vase - has Athena in it, also Eurystheus in a
storage jar (when Heracles shows him the boar)
Two. Vase is 6 ft tall. Still built in Crete. Used to store grain, oil and
wine. Buried in ground. Buried to keep them from turning
over and to keep them safe/fresh
Three. Eurystheus doesnt want to see beasts and picks an agent Kopreus (Shithead) - to verify that Heracles is doing tasks.
Four. Olympia was in the territory of Ellis, but own sacred site.
Four. Olympia was in the territory of Ellis, but own sacred site.
vi) Task 5/athlos 5 Augean Stables
One. Slide Relief carving on Temple of Zeus in Olympia - 460 BC.
Has Athena in it. Damaged. Athena is so important in this
task because the task has a 1 day deadline. Rather than using
strength, uses wisdom of Athena when diverting river
Two. Stable of Agean was in town of Elis, which links Heracles to
Olympia
Three. Augeas'Augeas' cattle - 3000, supposed to give Heracles
1/10th, so Eurystheus said task didnt count
vii) Task 6/athlos 6 - Stymphialian Birds
One. Blackfigure vase of this task - 525 BC - Heracles is using a
sling - could be artistic license or another version of the
story. - birds look like swans. Dont look very dangerous. Still
in Pelapennos
viii) Task 7/athlos 7 - Heracles and the Cretan Bull
One. Slide - Relief carving in Olympia of Cretan Bull - 460 BC.
Considered sacred, so Heracles didnt kill it. Rod it back from
Crete to Greece, Same way Zeus came to Crete with Europa.
After he showed the bull, he released it. Most scholars think
capture of bull by Theseus was added later by Athenians
ix) Task 8/ - Horses of Diomedes
One. Slide not even a foot tall bronze scuplture of horses. Thrace Barbarians
Two. Slide - Gustave Moreau - 1870 - Horses of Diomedes, one
horse, Heracles has red cloak. Contemporary Pre-Raphaelite.
Horse biting Heracles on leg. End of myth - Heracles feeds
Diomedes to horses.
x) Side Deed - parergon - Alcestis & Admetus (queen and king)
One. Slide - Etruscan red figured vase - 450 - Charu with big
hammer. Tuchulcha. Etruscans knew this story. Added their
own characters.
Two. Slide - Etruscan death demon
Three. Admetus was going to die, Apollo owed him a favor, so told
him if he could find someone to fill in for him. Wife Alcestis
said she would. At the moment of death, Heracles showed
up. Fought Thanatos(Death) and saved Alcestis. Thanatos is
NOT Hermes in role of
Four. Painting by Frederic Lord Leighton ca 1890 (no slide) Hercules fighting Death. This is different from usual story of
death- going down to underworld. Actually fighting death
First. Frederic Lord Leighten painting - not like Pre-raphaelite,
more like Renaissance painting style
Second. Alcestis ideal Greek wife
Five. Athlos 9 - belt/girdle of Hippolyta - Queen of the Amazons not like the foundation girdle. More like a belt. Usually worn
by soldiers, huge buckle, used to protect the stomach. Belly
armor. Amazon land - somewhere west of Turkey
First. Sometimes Amazons imagined in Scythia, but usually in
west of Turkey
Second. Slide - Sarcophagus carving out of marble - Hippoloyta's
belt c. 150 - Hyp. Has a double axe and on horseback.
From turkey. Decorated with the labors of Heracles. In
shape of ancient greek temple, so it was inspired by
shape of ancient greek temple, so it was inspired by

temple at Olympia (what sarcophagus was meant to
refer to).
Third. Hera intervenes - Runs through town screaming that
Heracles is raping Hippolyta - Heracles kills Hippolyta typical she would wind up dead
1. Black figured vase - 550 BC - Andromache killed
(artist of vase has Heracles killing Andromache written sources say Hippolyta or someone else).
Ancient sources dont all agree that it was
Hippolyta
xi) Athlos 10 - cattle. Heracles has to fight Geurion
One. Black figured vase - 600 BC - Had to dispatch guard dog
xii) Athlos 11 - Golden Apples of the Hesperides - Zeus' wedding present
to Hera - guarded by a serpent Letharn
One. Redfigured vase of this task. Can see serpent and apples,
women
Two. Heracles gets help from Atlas. Heracles holds cosmos.
Three. Slide - temple of Zeus at Olympia carving 460 BC - Heracles
with a cushion, Athena in carving too.
First. Heracles is a figure who uses brawn rather than brains,
but he is smarter than Atlas
xiii) Athlos 12 - Cerebus - 3 headed dog that guarded Hades.
One. Black figured vase - 500 BC, maybe earlier, of this task.
Heracles brought a leash with him to lead Cerebus back. Has
club and lion skin. Porch to Hades, like house in 5th century
BC
Two. Slide - Eurystheus and Cerbeus -Etruscan vase - Black figured
vase 500 BC - Eurytheus hiding in vase again
Three. Slide - red figured - 500 bC - Reverse of black figured vase,
same vase
c) All of these labors are on the temples of Zeus at Olympia.
2) Hesiod's Theogony - just names Geryon, Lernaean Hydra and Nemea Lion.
Order appears cononical. Also includes one of most important side deeds Frees Prometheus - one of the parergon (side deeds)
3. Death of Heracles
a. Sophocles - Trachianan Women - play named for the Chorus
i. Heracles killed a guest in his house (violation of laws of hospitality in ancient Greece
(guy accused Heracles of theft - he was guilty) - Delphi told him he had to be exiled for
a year.
ii. Intertextuality again - associations that will trigger other things in audience of events
and stories. Ex - Deianeira saying in prologue -" 7 Sages" mostly Greek.
__________________ (person who said it in that time)
iii. Deianeira had lived in fear - suitor before Heracles was river god, monsterous
1) Slide - red figured vase of Achelous and Heracles fighting - doesnt kill him, just
tells him to go away.
2) New fear - Iphitus murder, who was the son of Heracles archery teacher
Eurytus - The bow and arrow is a trademark of Heracles also, very important
3) Irony that Sophocles is displaying is everyone in audience knows where Heracles
is, he was auctioned off as a slave (ordered on Delphi)
4) Sophocles sequence in play
a) Marries Deianeira
b) Kills Iphitus
c) Does penance
c) Does penance
i) This is an alteration of Apollodorus Library (opposite time line)
5) Heracles does penance - left Heracles left a tablet - Deianeira fears contents
a) Nurse gives advice - just like in Hippolytus. "if slave can speak as a free
person. Shows that Sophocles was influenced by Euripedes - introduced
as a theme by Sophocles
b) Parresia - free speech - is it right to speak the truth or
c) Hyllus is Heracles father. Knows about bondage to Omphale. Knows of
war waged by Heracles and has gone to war against Eurytus in Euboea
(father of the man he killed) Not made up by Sophocles, also described by
Apollodorus
d) Why wage the war? Heracles won the right to marry Iole - won archery
contest held by Iole father, Heracles won, but Eurytus refused because of
the murder of Heracles wife Megara and 3 sons (Eurytus doesnt want
same thing to happen to his daughter Iole.) Heracles refuses to accept
and wages ware on Oichalia (city of Eurytus)
e) Dieaneira - heard an oracle about Eurytus land and Heracles, but doesnt
know the details.
f) Deianeira convinces Hyllus to go help his father
g) Chorus - echoes the action or inserts theme. Here they echo the actions
and Deianeira's situation - Cycle of joy and sorrow - but make it general
theme/topic, this is the cycle of life, life is fleeting
h) Tablet "inscribed with tokens" Sophocles assumes audience knows that
audience is familiar with this, tablets from oracles usually a puzzle that
needs to be solved.
i) Dodona - Oracle of Zeus said - death or happinness - eudaimonia satisfaction or contentment - the desire of all ancient philosophers
i) Deianeira - fears being widowed from noblest of men - very ironic to
audience
j) Messenger - free from fear - Heracles safe, coming home soon, no more
worries
k) Chorus - calls on gods Apollo, Artemis and Dionysus. Chorus usually call
on Dionysus because these are plays in honor of Dionysus.
l) Lichas (herald) - tells Deianeira Heracles is consecrating sacrifices to Zeus
for victory
m) Irony - Deianeira - sympathy for captives
n) Heracles blamed Eurytus for his bondage to Omphale - Heracles is in
denial or lying
i) Bondage to Omphale was sexual
ii) Slide- Painting by Giovanni Romanelli - 1650 - Shows Omphale
wearing the lion skin and Heracles in Omphale's robe.
iii) Eurytus insulted Heracles time (honor) - fabricated story of insult to
hid truth
o) Deianeira - more irony - sympathy for Iole (her replacement)
p) Lichas ofuscates
q) Another point in free speech - everyone lying
r) Lichas busted for saying the truth to the crowds and a messenger tells
Deianeira of this
s) Love Alone caused Heracles to do this
i) Peripeteia (reversal of fortune)
ii) For a tragedy it is the reversal of fortune for a basically good
person - EX Deianeia - Crucial for ideal tragedy according to Aristotle
(not all Greek philo believed this)
iii) Anagnorisis - recognition or revelation of trust - Aristotle also said
iii) Anagnorisis - recognition or revelation of trust - Aristotle also said

this must also be in the ideal tragedy.
iv) Stichomythia - rapid speech, agon - confrontation - short speech,
someone also interrupted. Most of these plays are just talking
between people. Its more enlivening than just a monologue. Also
denotes a confrontation. This was deliberately put in play - about
high levels of emotion, could be good emotion, or bad emotion.
t) Chorus goes on about Aphrodite - Love
u) Irony is that Chorus is behind the times in the play - behind what the
audience knows, they arent as up to speed.
v) Deianeira's monologue - avoid anger - bad to have too much anger. Tells
story of guy named Nessus (one of the deeds during Heracles marriage to
Deianeira) Nessus - Centaur carried Deianeira across river, fondled
Deianeria, Heracles shot Nessus with poisoned arrows (tipped with Hydra
blood). Nessus gives a viol of his blood to Deianeira - love potion.
i) Slide - Heracles and Nessos "Netos" - Balck figured vase - 600 BC,
very oldest Black figured. Difference version of story (Heracles is
stabbing Nessos in back with sword, rather than shooting with
poisoned arrow)
June 23, 2011 - Trojan Saga continued

Thursday, June 23, 2011
11:48 AM
1. Mycenaean vase/wine mixing bowl - what late Bronze Age soldiers looked like
a. Achilles - Kills Troilus - young son of King Priam in an ambush - Achilles was the most lethal
warrior on Greek side, Troilus was young and inexperienced
i. Black figured 550 BC - Troilus and Achilles - Achilles hid by a spring - portrayed as an
8th century fountain - Troilus on horseback (usually portrayed on horseback)
ii. Slide - Etruscian - Tomb of the Bulls - 550 BC - Tarquinia - Achilles is hiding near
fountain
1) Story is example of familarity Greek neighbors had with story
iii. Troilus becomes the symbol of early death of a young man, not necessarily in war.
This continues into the Middle Ages, when there was remakes of this (they gave him a
much bigger role than in original Greek version)
iv. Kyrpian poem ends and Illiad begins
2. Illiad (2nd poem) - Iliad (about Illium (Troy)) - attributed to Homer
a. Troy located of coast of Aegian, by Dardenelles right before going into Europe
b. Library of Apollodorus - summarizes the Illiad, doesnt go into much detail at all. Takes place
in 9th year of war (Greeks got lost 1st time, had to come back home, then set sail again)
i. Greeks fight Trojans
ii. Greeks raid other cities
1) Apollodorus gives list of cities Greeks raided before setting foot near Troy.
a) Took booty, and female and children captives, men put to death.
2) First word of Iliad - "menis" = wrath "Wrath of Achilles"
a) First word in any piece (as well as the last word) is the most important,
most remembered
b) Illiad is about WRATH
3) Chryses - Priest of Apollo - comes to ransom his daughter Chryseis - who is a
captive of Agamemnon.
a) Agamemnon refuses ransom. Threatens Chryses (priest). BAD IDEA Red
flag to audience. Another ref flag to audience - refusing the ransom violated the international custom of his day - if reasonable ransom, then it
should be accepted - Apollo sends plague as punishment(may be cholera)
i) Biggest danger in war is disease breaking out in camp of invaders.
b) Greeks call a council. Calchas (seer) tells Agamemnon he had to return
Chryseis (captive) - Agamemnon refuses, tells assembly he prefers captive
to wife back home, Achilles defends Calchas. Athena stops Achilles from
killing Agamemnon
i) Slide - Agamemnon, Achilles and Minerva - painting by Giovanni
Battista Tiepolo 1757 - wearing 18th century armor. Athena holding
Achilles by the hair (not how it happened)
c) Agamemnon takes Briseis from Achilles as compensation for returning
Chryseis
i) Dramatic situation - narrateme - action
d) Council debates - this is the antagonistic council meeting, where everyone
angry and nothing good comes of it.
e) Scholars feels that this part of poem is influenced by Near Eastern legends
i) Gilgamesh - council and Enidu on trip to Cedar Mt. and Humbaba
(not elaborate, but still in the story)
ii) Book of Kings - after Solomon's death - Jerobaom & Assembly
(Elders vs. Rehoboam (very reminiscent of what happens in Illiad)
iii) Closer and more interesting is a fragmentary poem (parts survive in
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
iii) Closer and more interesting is a fragmentary poem (parts survive in

Hittite and Hurrian) Song of Release - 1500 BC - Right at beginning
there is a debt about releasing captives, king doesnt want to
release captives. - King Meki - Subordinate Zazalla insults King
Meki - get into big fight and hostages dont get returned. (Like
Achilles insults Agamemnon) - Unfortunately this is very damaged
and we cannot get a good reading on it, just parts to get the gist of
what it is about.
iv) Theme for Illiad - Wrath and A war over a woman. Part of a larger
saga - War over a Woman (one inside the other)
Agamemnon - Hubris and ate - pride and shortsightedness. Can see it in how he
treats people around him and his actions
Achilles - insulted in public and his time/honor has been damaged.
a) Withdraws from war
b) Plans to take Myrmidons home
Achilles convo with mom, Thetis - Prophecy
a) Stay and fight - will get kleos (glory) but die
b) Leave - keep life (bios), but no glory
c) Thumos overcomes logos (Passion overcomes reason) all about meden
agan - All of these things always go together in these stories.
d) Slide - Wrath of Achilles - Francois-Leon Benouvilla 1821-1859 - Gaze on
face notable. Not many representations of this.
Hektor/Hector (Priam's son)
a) Leads Trojan attacks
b) Gains upper hand without Achilles in Greek army. Many battles in the
poems, and leaders hurt - lots of duels between the heroes - it is a war
story
c) Slide - Menelaus vs. Hektor (Euphorbos) - Polychrome Plate - 600 BC Fight over who gets to strip the armor off the body - usually represented
by one person at head, one at the foot. Represented armor was not type
of armor actually used in Trojan War
d) All about reader response - graphic description of wounds and prolonged
battles - appealed to the males. Greek males usually had been in war, and
this appealed to what they knew. More graphic than our Hollywood
versions nowadays
Iliad/Odyssey - Which one is better? The decision is based on generational and
situational
Hector leads Trojans ion attack on Greek ships - one actually gets burned.
Patroclus borrows Achilles armor.
a) Best friend of Achilles since childhood.
b) Reason for borrowing armor - revitalize Greeks to think Achilles back in
battle, discourage the Trojans for same reason
i) Battle armor very distinctive to each hero for easy recognition by
troups
c) Slide - Scene not in Illiad or in any scenes mentioned in Kyprian - not sure
where its from - Patroclus bandaged by Achilles in the arm. Inside of a
drinking cup
d) Prohibition by Achilles to Patroclus - Drive Trojans back to the city, but
dont lead attack on city - Audience knows Patroclus will disregard the
prohibition. Hektor kills Patroclus
e) Achilles gets back into battle, Agamemnon gives back Bryseis back and
sworn didnt sleep with her, Achilles didnt care, just wanted to kill
f) Achilles kills Hector and drags body around city for 10 days - Apollo
stepped in and preserved Hector's body from decay. Accounts of when
stepped in and preserved Hector's body from decay. Accounts of when

Priam sees it, and ALSO when wife sees it.
i) Slide - Blackfigured - 550 BC - Achilles looking back to city, white
lump represents the tomb of Patroclus, Priam and Hecube or
Andromache in picture - hundreds of representations of this.
g) Book 23 - devoted to Patroclus funeral.
h) Etruscan Tomb - Vulci 350 BC - Sacrifice of Trojan prisoners for Patroclus
funeral.
i) Priam asks Achilles for Hectors body in Book 24
j) Achilles gives Priam Hektor's body.
i) Red figured vase - 450 BC - Priam, Achilles & Hektor - Achilles on
couch, Priam begging, Hektor red slashes on ground
ii) Slide - Alexander A. Ivanov (1824) - painting, has Hermes in it, has
causaus on floor, Hermes accompanied Priam to protect him into
the Greek camp, also guides him out
iii) Slide - Roman Sarcophagus -200 AD - Return of Hektor's body - This
became THE war story in the ancient world
iv) Slide k) Book 24 ends with cremation of Hektor and burial of ashes in a golden
urn. Appropriate because of funerals on both sides.
3. Aithiopis - 3rd poem - summary in Apollodorus Library
a. Called Aithiopis - Aithiopians/Ethiopians - fight for Troy: Memnon of Aithiopia came to help
Trojans - like our World Wars
b. Amazons help Trojans - Achilles kills their Queen - they fall in love when they look into each
other's eyes, but its too late
c. Achilles kills Memnon
i. Achilles & Ajax - dice game - done by Exekias in 550 BC - Black figured vase - Soldiers
amused themselves by playing dice when not fighting
ii. Slide - Bilingual vase - 525 BC - Same vase one side black figure, other side red figure some times same artist, other times, 2 different artists - Achilles & Ajax playing dice
d. Alexander (Paris) and Apollo arrow - hit Achilles in heel (Achilles heel - the one part not
covered by the River Styx) - really about the Achilles tendon - the warrior's vulnerable spot,
only part not covered with armor - couldnt heal it and without it working, warrior couldnt
fight
e. Achilles armor - dispute - Aias (Ajaz) son of Telamon (Ajax the Great) and Odysseus
i. Jury is the Trojan prisoners and Greek soldiers - decide which of the 2 have
contributed the most to the war effort.
ii. Aias (Ajax) went insane - one character that exemplifies post traumatic stress - decides
he is going to kill the other Greek leaders - gets sword and starts slashing - stops and
looks and realizes he was slaughtering sheep that had come through the camp commits suicide
1) Slide - Suicide of Ajax - common theme in ancient art representing Troy
2) Red figured 450 BC
f. End of Aithiois - Achilles'[ armor and death of Aias
4. War goes on - Little Illliad - Illias Mikra
a. Summarized in Apollodorus library - 1 page. Can tell by vase painting that stuff has been lost
b. Calchas (Kalchas) - prophecy - have to have the bow of Heracles in order to win - Bow is on
the isle of Lesbos with Philoktetes (Philoctetes) on Lemnos. Odysseus and Diomedes go and
get the bow and get it back
c. This vs Sophocles version, which has Odysseus and Neoptolemos (means new warrior) Achilles son. Philoktetes is healed by a son of Asclepius
i. Slide - Asclepius - God of Medicine - descendent of Apollo and Coronis - Marble statue
ii. Philoctetes shoots Paris/Alexandros
1) Alexandros = Man repeller
1) Alexandros = Man repeller

d. Quarrel at Illiad over Helen - throughout the saga everyone gets together and argues. Helen
never argues about this - Deiphobos wins - Helen becomes his wife. Son of Priam
e. Neoptolemos (Achilles' son) comes to fight at Troy - the time just doesnt work out on this
f. Odysseus gives the armor of Achilles to Neoptolemos (Achilles son) - essentially, Achilles is
back - but that doesn't end the war either - Odysseus has a plan
i. Slide - pithos 1.4 m Ht - relif decoration ca 675 BC of Trojan war - before they fired this
pithos, they pressed and carved mythological scenes into it - the Trojan horse is
carved into the neck.this rep wouldnt work , cux you can see the guys in the horse
ii. Leave the horse behind as sacrifice to Athena
iii. Sinon (Greek) left behind: sacrifice - this was all planned, they beat him up etc - comes
out to tell Trojans he was initially to be the sacrifice but he got away - told Trojans
that Greeks had left, but left the horse for Athena
iv. Cassandra prophetess - warning that Greeks in horse - should destroy it
1) Got gift from Apollo, but refused to sleep with him
v. Laocoon - Trojan seer warnings ignored also. One version he supposedly takes a spear
and hits the horse, but at that very moment, a serpent comes out of sea and crush
him and sons to death (because he had previously committedly a sacrilege)
vi. Slide - Laocoon ca 100 BC - Marble scuplture - oldest known representation. This
statue was eventually acquired by roman emperor Vespasian in his palace 69-79-AD.
Found later by people digging a cellar in 18th century
vii. El Greco ca 1610 - Another famous representation - author never wealthy, never
famous, very realistic - in back is the city, a horse galloping up, which is how you know
that it is Troy and Laocoon
1) 5 poems of Troy - Kypria,
viii. Illiou persis - 5th poem - Greek for The fall of Illum. Believed to be Composed by same
author who composed the Ethiopias - not sure about this though.
g. Illiupersis - Introduction of the horse and sacking of the city.
i. Slide - red figured 500 BC - center of cup - Fall of Troy
ii. Slide - Priam and Astyanaz - Neoptolemus - commonly represented scene - Priam took
refuge at the altar of a temple, Priam holding son of Hector who was stabbed to
death. Neoptolemus killed Priam.
iii. Slide - Ilious persis - black figured - Neoptolemus prepared to bash Astyanaz' brains
out
iv. Slide
v. Astyanax - thrown from wall
vi. There are many contradictory versions of how Hector's son Astyanax was killed. The
Rage of Achilles lives on.
vii. Also have a Roman version of the sack of Troy - Vergil- Aeneid - important to Roman
mythology.
1) Describes the escape of Aeneas who leads Trojan survivors out of Troy - not
invention of Vergil - there were survivors according to Greek accounts
2) Apollodorus - claims Aeneas was captured and spared for piety.
5. Homer Odysseus - Told that Odysseus and Menelaus find Helen - in bed with her husband.
Odysseus deals with Deiphobus, Menelaus was going to kill Helen, but relents and decides to keep
her for awhile.
a. Slide - Cassandra and Ajax II (Locris) - in Temple of Athena - Red figured - (temple of
Athena/other gods found in other cities besides Greek - just as other deity temples of other
places are found in Greece.
b. Slide - Pompeii - Rape of Cassandra -= also has the seer Calchas (who did not approve)
c. Polyxene/Polyxena and Neoptolemus
i. 650 BC - Black figured vase - Polyxene was sacrificed to the spirit of the dead Achilles yet another example of human sacrifice associated with Trojan saga
d. Allotment of captives - ancient contradicts it occasionally
d. Allotment of captives - ancient contradicts it occasionally

e. Agamemnon - Cassandra (weird because Chryseis was also a disciple of Apollo),
Neoptolemos took wife of Hector, Andromache (salt in the wound)
i. Slide - Fredrich Leighton - Neoclassical painter - 1888 - Captive Andromache - she is in
black, lined up at the well with pitchers to get water, figures at right is a family - what
Andromache had, vs what she has now.
ii. Odysseus was alloted Hecuba - Hector's mom - part of irony woven into the story
iii. Calchas - Athena is angry over sacrileges, especially that of Cassandra at her temple.
6. Separate from Trojan saga were the poems called Nostoi - Returns - all of heroes had to get home,
and each one had a poem on how he got home - dozen of them. Odysseus was the one poem that
survived, prolly cuz it was the favorite.
June 21, 2011 - Heracles - Death of Heracles/OedipusAntigone/Jason and Medea

11:52 AM
1. Slide - Black figured vase - Netos and Hercules

a. Deianeira - asks Chorus' opinion on using the love potion - Chorus agrees
b. Chorus is behind on the action, hasn't caught on, - irony is that hero isnt coming home to
wife, coming home to new wife
c. Deianeira - afraid again. Brings up idea of meden agan
i. Meden agan
ii. Ate = lack of foresight - causes hamartia (mistake) good person makes a mistake and it
changes their fortune - Aristotle - simply a mistake. Number of things can lead to ate,
but it involves a person's character
iii. Mistake leads to reversal of fortune - peripeteia (can be more than one) - Aristotle
normally assumes there will only be one and will be followed by anagnorisis
(recognition) - person experiences change of fortune and acknowledges their
mistake/acceptance of responsibility
iv. After Deianeira applies stuff, realizes what she may have done (what happens to the
piece of wool) - laments "what have I done
v. Hyllus returns almost immediately, relays Heracles' suffering and blames mom
1) Also learn Heracles killed Lichas - Dont blame me, I'm just the messanger ( we
see this all over the world) - collateral damage. Conceivable in Sophocles mind
and possible the audience's mind that Lichas deserved it for previous
actions/earlier
2) Chorus - blames Cyprian goddess
3) Deianeira's suicide - described off stage, short, quick and over and then Chorus
laments (threnos - song of lamentation - this was the job of women at funerals
in Greece - scratching flesh, pulling out hair etc) Its appropriate for chorus to be
doing this / female
4) Sad observation - cant count on tomorrow
5) Something similar in play of Hypolatus - agonizing screams as
Hyppolytus/Euripides author is dragged by his horses - Heracles delirium - very
melodramatic, extreme emotion - Heracles begs Zeus for death and recalls
althoi
6) Hyllus - tells Heracles about Deianeira's suicide
7) Hero now wants his mother, Alcmena.
8) Heracles now gives directions to son Hyllus - build my funeral pyre on Mt. Otea.
9) Hyllus response - No. Dad not dead yet. Also what if Heracles changed mind at
last minute, could end up like Lycos
10) Hyllus accepts "command" "loyalty to father" - Heracles wants to control
woman
11) Editor - Good outweighs bad, Deianeira's death - Iole's responsibility (I dont
think this is correct - double standard and misinterpretation)
vi. Sequel to Trachinian Women - Hyllus cannot bring himself to light the pyre on Mt.
Oeta. - promised dad he would, and cant. Along comes Prince Philoctetes - herding
sheep - he lights the pyre, and as a reward he gets the bow of Heracles.
vii. Heracles undergoes an apotheosis - he becomes a god/gets promotion. Taken up to
Mt. Olympus
1) Slide - Red figured vase - Heracles apotheosis - 450-400 BC - Heracles on pyre,
being taken in a 4 horse chariot, olive tree, driven by Athena( wearing helmet)
2) Slide - Aptheosis Antonius Pius and Faustina (191 AD) marble relief - Romans
like Heracles a lot. They also believed that their emperors experienced
like Heracles a lot. They also believed that their emperors experienced
apotheosis too, and became divine
3) Slide - Commodus - 180-192 AD - Marble bust - dressed as Heracles - Roman
emperor. Very crazy - strangled in bath with friend who was a wrestler
4) Slide - Rotenda in Capitol of Washington - another apotheosis
5) Slide - Constantino Barrolio - Another apotheosis
viii. Friedrich Nietzsche - Birth of a Tragedy - 1872 and 1876 (Reissued) - Romantic.
Believed Greek tragedy based on antithesis - struggle between reason and passion
(logos and thumos)
1) Analogy - reason is to passion as Apollo is to Dionysos (Apollo = reason, logic,
light, solving riddles)
2) Argues that by attending tragedies, Greek audiences were obtaining an
emotional balance in their lives. Equates Dionysus with the passionate side of
the story
3) "Dare to be a tragic man" - we have a lot of his letters and writings, very
controversial man. Dared people to experience the Dionysos in their lives.
a) In various writings, stated Christian Western culture
i) Dominated by slave mentality
ii) Church sides with authority
iii) Poor serves rich
b) We need to break out of this
4) Idea also obvious in his writing of Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Zoroaster) - imagines
a prophet who is telling reader of a world where everyone has freedom,
change - said "historical uniqueness" - of Zoroasterian duality ) - struggle
between good and evil lead him to write this book the way he did
5) Beyond Good and Evil - 1886 - Talked of the superior man - should abandon the
moral values of 1800 century Europe and get to know Dionysos
6) Shortly thereafter, Nietzsche described himself as last disciple of Dionysos Going very slowly insane from syphlus - spent last 10 years of life in insane
asylum - was signing letters as Dionysos.
a) Irony - Ironic neglect of meden agan (nothing excessive)
2. Oedipus - Story very important to ancient Greek. About Theban succession - Pentheus - dynastic
struggles - very common in heroic myths of ancient Greece
a. Main story is of Oedipus - son of king. Father married to Iocasta/Jocasta or Epikaste. But
even Apollodorus says there are other versions who say it was Epikaste. We use Iocasta
because it is in the most common version of story.
b. Oedipus - swollen foot. Oracle at his birth (common practice to do ) to ask about his future Oracle was that baby would kill dad and marry mom. Oedipus was then taken out and
abandoned (tied to a tree) - caused his foot to become deformed, which led to his name.
Abandonment was a common practice - foundlings. One of the most common sources of
free slaves in ancient world.
c. Element of many legends that survive (Cyrus of Persia is one of them) Child at birth
abandoned, saved. Oedipus was saved by a shepherd and taken to Corinth and raised by
king and queen. This was real story that people experienced, not usually royal families.
i. Oedipus = narratemes:
1) Oracle at birth
2) Abandoned
3) Saved by someone
4) Taken elsewhere
5) Raised by royalty
6) Returns to city of birth
7) This is usual line of story
d. Oedipus goes to Delphi (Oracle of Apollo) when he finds out his parents arent his parents.
Goes there to find out who his parents are. Corinth far away.
Goes there to find out who his parents are. Corinth far away.
e. Meanwhile, city of Thebes attacked by monster - Sphinx/Crusher at Thebes - will go away if
someone solves a riddle.
i. Apollodorus gives us one version (not one usually used)
ii. No one could solve riddle
f. Laius goes to Oracle
g. Oedipus receives the same oracle as birth parents, decides NOT to pursue finding parents
h. Leaves Delphi, takes wrong fork towards to Thebes. Guard attacks Oedipus and Oedipus
kills him and dad (Oracle part one happened), goes to Thebes and solves riddle, sphinx
throws self into ocean
i. Slide - Red figure - Vase - 450 BC - Oedipus and the Sphinx
i. Most famous version of what happens after Oedipus marries mom and has 3 kids are 3 plays
by Sophocles, produced posthumously.
i. Oedipus Tyrannos
ii. Oedipus at Colonus
iii. Antigone
3. Sophocles Theban Cycle - The way plays were presented at the Dionysos festival was a trilogy was
presented and a saytr play - One play presented, take a break. Usually followed a linear timeline,
but not always.
a. Oedipus Rex - Tyrannos (military dictator)
i. Sophocles titles his play Oedipus the dictator. Sophocles wants his audience to
corrolate the ideas in his play with current military dictatorships. At the time, there
were more military dictatorships in ancient Greece than other types of govt.
Athenians were highly against military dictatorships, worst form of govt.
ii. Oedipus discovers ancestery in this play.
1) There is plague
2) Oedipus talks with prophet Teiresias about plague - Teiresias says there is an
evil in city, but doesnt want to say what. Oedipus meets with shepherd who
saved him and finds out, and blinds himself. Jocasta had already found out and
committed suicide
a) When oedipus finds out he blinds himself - pun, the blind man can see
better now than the sighted man
i) Charles Francois Jalabert - 1843- Neoclassical period - Oedipus
leaving city being led by daughter Antigone. No one wants to touch
him, he is cursed.
b) Oedipus is the pharmakos (scapegoat) - his departure cleanses, removes
the pollution ( same as Christ role)
c) When he leaves Thebes, he tells his sons to share the rule, the kingdom (heroic legend narrateme) (sons are Eteocles and Polynices)
d) Eteocles expels brother Polynices, becomes sole king
e) Sophocles - Oedipus at Colonus - Colonus was a Sacred Grove - Athens
asylum with Antigone. Oracle surfaces - whoever possesses the bones of
Oedipus possesses Thebes - it is interpreted literally and wrongly. Result
is Oedipus gets visitors. Eteocles sends uncle Creon - bring dad back
home. Polynices arrives (had asylum in another city) and tries to convince
Oedipus to come with him so he can win. Oedipus curses sons - calls
down plague on them and Oedipus disappears into forest. Oedipus felt
that sons had disrespected him. Possible corrollation to Sophocles life he was 90 when it was written - sons had tried to get him declared
mentally incompetent to get inheritance - Sophocles read Oedipus cursing
sons part of play to assembly and was declared competent. Play
produced after death.
3) The Hero - Lord Raglan - 1936 - The Hero: A study in Tradition, Myth and
Dreams - familiar with Freud. He followed model that Vladmir Prop set out in
Dreams - familiar with Freud. He followed model that Vladmir Prop set out in
his morphography of folk tale. V. Propp's narratemes - Elements of Heroic Myth
a) One is the hero dies but no body is found. Applies to Oedipus and
Theseus. Links stories together.
b) Slide - Gustav Moreau - 1864 -Symbolist painter - Syphinx as a sexual
threat. Something that Raglan adds to his list later. Spirituality,
imagination and dreams vs. reality - Moreau chooses myths that involve
these things.
c) Sigmund Freud - Oedipus Complex - 1st version was in 1897-1909, Final
revision - 1931-1938 - worked on it most of his life. Doesnt really work,
because Oedipus didnt KNOW that Jocasta was his mother.
4) Alternate interpretations of Oedipus story - extreme example of how perverse
the Olympian gods can be.
a) Oedipus - victim of perverse fate
b) Oedipus - scapegoat
5) Sophocles called Oedipus a Tyrannos because Oedipus is driven by pride/hubris.
This is what gets Oedipus in trouble in Sophocles' play. Oedipus pridefully
boasts of his accomplishments with Sphinx
a) Oedipus seeks gtruth - driven by hubris
b) Oedipus anagnosti - seeks truth
6) Other question Sophocles raises - can ignorance be better than knowledge?
Important because of when play produced - during 5th century when produced,
huge strides made in medicine etc - opposite from current view of knowledge is
good. Sophocles doesnt come down on one side or the other, he simply raises
the question
7) Modern philop - sees Oedipus as the ultimate truth seeker.
a) Slide - Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres - 1808 - Neoclassical - Sphinx and
Oedipus in stare down contest. Oedipus in light, solve the puzzle,
knowledge - Sphinx in dark - ignorance, etc
8) Sees Oedipus as someone who struggled against ignorance, but paid heavy price
for it. Similar to Prometheus. Ingres painting highlights the "light" in the story
9) Polynices vs. Eteocles - Epic poem Thebiad (or Seven against Thebes (city had 7
gates, 7 generals) - Eteocles rules city. Lottery on who defended/attack which
gate. Polynices attacks gate that Eteocles is defending and they end up mortally
wounding each other. Oedipus curse came true. Creon, the uncle and eldest
male, now king. (brother of Jocasta and uncle of Antigone & Ismene) - Antigone
is the aftermath of the battle. In play, Creon condemns Antigone to death for
burying her brother.
4. Medea - 431 BC produced - 18 of 92 plays by Euripides. In Sophocles we only have 7 of 120 plays.
Euripides more popular to common people, Sophocles was more popular with judges.
a. Eurpides (480 BC) - Good feet, athletic.
i. Military service
ii. Priest at Delphi
iii. Contemporaries iv. 5th c. BC - sophist - the gods - Protagonist
v. Sophocles and Euripides contemporaries, corresponds to career of Pericles (476 BC)
vi. Opposed to war with Sparta. In the year that Medea was produced, everyone knew
war was coming. IN fact it was the war that ended Athens power (Peloponnesian
War) 431-404 BC - Euripides forced into exile towards end of war, went to Macedonia.
Died in exile
vii. Argonautica - pre Trojan War - The Voyage of the Argos
1) We do not have original version of this. The version that we have is another
Greek version from 3rd Century BC - version of Apollonus of Rhodes. This
becomes standard version.
becomes standard version.

a) Apollodorus version - takes place in Iolcos/Thessaly. Around same place
as where Tracandion women play took place.
b) Pelias seizes throne from Aeson (half-brother), sends Aeson's son Jason
into exile. Similar theme of dynastic struggle.
c) We do not know much about Jason's childhood. Pelia sends Jason to get
Golden Fleece. The King of Colchis - Aeetes (modern country of Georgia in
Russia - considered barbarians). Fleece has magical powers.
d) Voyage of the Argo - oenteconter (50 oars). Apollodorus has a long list of
who went on this voyage. Convenient thing for story writer is you get 50
heros, from 50 different places, everyone has an adventure - locals can
have a local hero.
e) Symplegades (Clashing Rocks) Mentioned in Homer Odyssey. Argo has to
get through this.
f) When they get to Colchis - King Aeetes greets them. Aeetes and Kirke are
the children of the sun god Helios. Aeetes has 2 kids - Medea and
Absyrtus/Apsurtus. Medea falls in love with Jason.
g) King Aeetes has trials for Jason to get Golden Fleece.
i) Harnass the bronze bulls which breath fire - Medea helps him with
magic.
ii) Get past dragon that guards fleece - Medea helps him with magic.
h) They get fleece and head for ship. Medea knows father wont let them
leave. Take brother Absyrtus as hostage. Father chases them, and Medea
and Jason kill and cut up Medea brother and toss pieces into the sea for
father to pick up and slow him down
i) Return to Iolcos - Medea restores youth to Aeson. Pelias wants the same
thing. Pelias suspicious and wants proof - she does it with a ram.
Daughters of Pelias had to chop up father
i) Red figure vase of Medea's demonstration of ram to lamb.
j) They kill Pelias, in exile, flee to Creon king of Corinth. Different person
from Creon of Thebes.
June 22, 2011 - Euripides - Medea

Wednesday, June 22, 2011
11:49 AM
1. Prologue - Have nurse - standard in Greek tragedy - person who gives the background of the story.
In this, the Nurse - "if only the Argonaut had not sailed - if only it had not made it through the
crashing rocks - symbolic of this play - clashing of people/wills. We hear of Nurse say Medea is
like a rock or a wave. Not human qualities, very hard - forces of nature.
a. Tutor brings news of exile - Nurse horrified, but nothing that she can do about it. What
about kids? Tutor comments "Old loves are weaker than new ones".
b. Medea wants to die, Nurse comments - cloud of fury - Medea says "I wish I could die" then
she wishes her children were dead.
c. Nurse - Royalty is vindictive. Not only royalty are, but royalty tends to be more concerned
about honor. Nurse's comment of "living among equals is better" is a commentary on the
democracy of Athenian society. Medea is another example of meden agan
d. Chorus - Dont refer to Medea by name but as a Colcithian woman (barbarians). If not
Greek, you are a barbarian
e. Medea wants death.
f. Chorus - comments new marriage is common. In ancient Greek world divorce was common,
usually initiated by the men, but women could if supported by parents. Most typical reason
was if there was no male children born.
g. Medea calls out to Themis (minor divinity, but divinity in whose honor you would call on
when you enter into an oath or contract). And Zeus, who is the enforcer of justice (at least
in theory)
h. Nurse compares Medea to a lion with cubs. Yet another reference to not human - Greeks
felt very superior to none Greeks, all were barbarians
i. Nurse - stupid men, poets had no songs to relieve this - this is like Euripides is taking a stab
at himself.
j. Medea - apologizes, may appear snobbish - probably autobiographical - Euripides was
criticized for spending too much time alone - Most poets would spent time with others, give
parties, attend symposiums - Euripides did not do this.
i. Metoichos - resident alien - Medea was referred to as this. Again 1/3 of work force
was aliens - Euripides is bringing attention to the plight of these people (no right to
own property, vote etc)
ii. Medea goes on about plight of women - dowryk divorce is women's fault and man
goes outdoors (private clubs and symposia). Men with money had hetairai
(courtesans) - Modern comparison is the modern Japanese Geisha. They were
companions. This is where the typical Greek husband found affection. Marriage was
for procreation, further political alliances, riches etc.
iii. Comment was women lead sheltered lives, but Medea said would rather fight three
battles than go through labor (very very painful, no pain relievers)
iv. Medea - claimed she was homeless, portrayed herself as a captive carried off from
homeland - earns the Chorus' sympathy and promise to stay quiet.
1) Origin of "hell hath no fury as a woman scorned"
v. Creon - exile NOW, one of the few times in Greek tragedy a man admitted to be afraid
of a woman
vi. Medea - my reputation for shrewdness (cleverness) brings envy and hostility - people
distrust clever people.. Also shows false modesty - I am not excessively wise
(sophos) - audiences' intended reaction - reader response - sophist! Can present a
story convincingly, regardless of truth. False modesty could be illusion / reality or
truth/lie
1) Medea - it is my husband I hate - stigomedea
2) Medea begs him to pity her children - reminds him he is a father, Creon thiniks
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
xi.
xii.
xiii.
xiv.
xv.
xvi.
xvii.
xviii.
xix.
xx.
xxi.
2) Medea begs him to pity her children - reminds him he is a father, Creon thiniks
about his children and Medea knows she has him then.
3) Irony - Creon "I am not tyrannical enough"
After Creon leaves, Medea tells Chorus true plan - lay out 3 corpses, natural gift and
will use poison
Medea swears to Hecate (patron divinity of witches)
Chorus - Rivers flow backwards - everything upside down - inversion of nature
introduced again. Now there will be glory for women again - Chorus imagines Medea
will be victorious, but will be by deceptive means - very ironic
Jason appears - good will, I am here to help
Medea - sore on face of humanity, and reminds him of everything he owes her.
Jason's response - rhetorical sophistry (using language rhetorically to deliberately
twist the truth) - Scene is set up like a courtroom (she charges him with crimes, he
responds)
1) You didnt do anything for me, Aphrodite did
2) You should be glad to be in Greece, rather than in barbarian counties (law,
justice and truth)
3) Marrying the princess to bring children up in his heritage and give them
advantages
4) Euripides meant for him to sound like an arrogant idiot - arguments are very
skillful, but he is portrayed as a sophist.
Chorus - Themes - the destructive power of Cypris, moderation (meden agan), the
pain of loss of country, loyalty of friends.
Aegeus of Athens (father of Theseus) - stichomythia - Good health to you - Irony nothing good about Medea's situation. However his showing up provides Medea with
last thing she needs.
1) Aegeus went to Oracle of Phoebus - to find out why he doesnt have kids. Dont
open wine skin before getting home, Aegeus doesnt understand and asks
Medea. Medea says she knows potions, and if he gives her asylum. He offers
asylum for HER. Not kids. She doesnt ask for asylum for kids either (already
planning to kill them). Very ironic - he wants kids, Medea doesnt want hers.
2) Tells Chorus her plans. Says she is a very dangerous women
Summons Jason back, admits wrong. She cries, Jason agrees to take kids. Medea is
playing up the stereotype "women cant help crying"
1) Physis of women - women are all about physis. Medea is the exception. "Gold
will matter more than words" - physis
2) Chorus lament - hope is gone.
Medea's emotions - misery misery. Psychological portrait Euripides asks the question what would make a woman want to kill her own children explores it here - Medea says "passion overwhelms my resolutions" - thumos defeats
logos.
Chorus - better not to have kids (pain of bringing kids into world and pain of having
them die).
Violence of death of princess and Creon shown offstage. Part of demonstration of
ability of writer to create in words a picture of this.
Ekphrasis - verbal photograph or movie - can be a description of an individual item,
but here it is an action. Very elaborate detailed verbal description of something.
Euripides - never mentions name of princess - in other texts the princess' name is
Creusa/Kreousa - name doesn't matter - Medea doesn't care who she is, would do the
same thing.
As Medea struggles with this, she begins to rationalize her plan to kill kids
1) Better she kill them with loving hands than enemies kill them later
2) Forget you kids for one day you have the future to morn them.
a) Argues the same way as Jason (sophist), except she is pathological. This is
a) Argues the same way as Jason (sophist), except she is pathological. This is
how people who are insane argue.
3) I'm a most unhappy woman!
xxii. Chorus call out to Earth and Helios to stop her - Let someone else do it, but they kept
their promise.
1) Kids not named, killed off stage, screams
xxiii. Chorus reaches same conclusion as Nurse at beginning - you are rock or steel Inhumane qualities
1) Jason - Its the children he is worried about - very ironic
a) Slide - red figured wine crater - 425 BC - portrays end scene of Medea (see
the scene Jason would see when open door) White haired figure was
nurse
b) Slide Medea and Dragon Chariot - Dragon Chariot represents the deus ex
machina (god from the machine) - used for special effects in Greek
tragedies and comedies. - Big crowd pleaser
c) Jason i) Should never have brought a barbarian home to Greece
One. Unusually because in court documents of this time have trials
of women who poisoned their children - usually stepchildren
to clear way for inheritance
ii) No Greek women would do this
iii) Skylla (man eating monster)
iv) Stichomythia (dialogue between actors) - exchange of accusations
d) Jason's end fate - death by piece of rotted Argos
e) Jason says better he had never had kids - He is (at the end of the play)
where Medea was at the beginning.
2) Peripeteia - yes, change of fortune
3) Anagnorisis - NO - neither character admitted their faults.
4) Typically in Greek tragedies there is one moral character, one good character.
This is a very atypical tragedy according to Aristotle's criteria.
xxiv. It is reported that Sophocles said about Euripides - Euripides paints men as they are,
Sophocles paint them as they ought to be. This makes Euripides more popular with
modern audiences too, because its easier to read.
June 22, 2011 - Trojan saga

12:40 PM
1. Background is in Apollodorus Bibliotheka

a. 3 sons of Pelops : 3 sons are Pittheus, Atgreus and Thyestes
b. Same format, same everything - Rule of Mycean - Dynastic struggle. Theyestes seduces
Aerope (Atreus'wife) Whole thing starts with an adulterous affair (Trojan War)
i. Atreus has golden fleece, wife steals it and gives it to Theyestes.
ii. There was an oracle - Kingship of Mycenea would be to the son who had the golden
fleece - was Theyestes seduction of Aerope deliberate to get golden fleece? We dont
know.
iii. Theyestes banished.
iv. Atreus' revenge -After he brings Thyestes back, children of Thyestes were served to
him at dinner - leads to curse of Atreus (this family seems to always do things like
this)
v. Thyestes goes to Delphi to get oracle - supposed to have sex with daughter Oracle
came true because of Thyestes' character
vi. Aigisthos is born, reunited later with father Thyestes', then kills Atreus. Miasma
(family) - this is terrible stuff.
vii. Atreus's 2 sons now exiled - Agamemnon and Menelaus
c. Meanwhile at Sparta - Tydareus of Sparta is married to Leda. Zeus comes into picture,
wants sex with Leda and changes shape.
i. Tyndareus and Leda have Clytemnestra and Castor.
ii. Zeus and Leda have Helen and Polydeuces.
1) Slide - Cesare da Sesto 1500-1523 - contemparary Raphael - Zeus as a swan and
Leda.
2) In one version she gave birth to twins, in other version, she laid eggs
3) Slide - Antonio da Corregio - 1502 Multiple time thing - swan flying, , likes swan,
swan flies away.
iii. Tydareus and Leda have the mortal Clytemnestra and Castor.
1) Tydareus allows Agamemnon marries Clytemnestra, Menelaus marries Helen
iv. Trojan Sage begins with Judgment/Verdict of Paris to Destruction of Troy- originally
there were 5 epic poems that detailed this.
1) 1st epic poem - prequel to Illiad - Kypria - author given credit - Stasinos of
Kypros - named Kypria because of link to Island of Cyprus
a) Zeus loves nymph Thetis. Gets Oracle from Prometheus - whoever gets
Thetis pregnant the son will be mightier than the father. Zeus forces her
to get married - Zeus arranges Thetis' marriage to Peleus of Thessaly.
Peleus of Thessaly - his tribe was called the Myrmidons (Ant People)
b) Peleus must wrestle Thetis in order to marry her. Thetis was a shape
shifter (she was a water goddess). Hero who has to wrestle the shape
shifter - happened with Heracles
i) Slide - inside of wine cup - Peleus and Thetis - Artist doesnt know
how to handle transformation, so it appears she is generating
animals, snake etc. Red-figured
c) Eris (Strife) was NOT invited - Greeks loved stuff like this...change a letter
and get the opposite - Eros - love, Eris - Strife
i) Black figured 550 BC - Eris (labeled)
d) Eris throws a golden apple or egg into party labeled "the most beautiful
goddess" - Zeus refuses to name the goddess - the moral lesson is that
you cannot completely eliminate strife or discord from your life..you
cannot ignore it or it will just become stronger.
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
l)
m)
cannot ignore it or it will just become stronger.

i) 3 principal divinities - Aphrodite, Hera and Athena
Zeus sends them to Paris/Alexander (man pusher - Greeks liked to give it
to their sons because it says they can push their enemies away) - The
name Alexander may be an epithet.
i) Slide - Red figured vase of 3 goddesses with Paris playing lyre
Each try to bribe Paris - Hera offers dominion. Athena offers Glory in
battle. Aphrodite offers the most beautiful woman in the world.
i) Slide - Judgment of Paris - Red-figured - 400 BC - 3 women (Hera has
crown and hair covered, Athena has helmet, Hermes there and Paris
seated on throne)
ii) Slide - multiple stages in story - 1430 painting by an anonymous
French painter of story
iii) Slide - Lucas Cranach - ca 1528 - has the kind of armor worn by a
knight in the 16th century in painting..kinda looks like the 3 Graces
iv) Slide - 1615 - Joachim Wtewael - Mannerist) Everyone is golden,
even mortal man Paris - shines like the gods. You have the past
(wedding of Peleus and Thetis) in the background, leading to apple,
leading to judgment
Most beautiful woman in world is Helen, married to Menelaus. Brother
Agamemenon ruled most powerful city.
i) We have archeological evidence that when this is supposed to have
happened, Greeks did travel to Troy to change - through pottery.
Reflection of a real historical phenomena
Troy - refers to territory. Actual city where Paris lived ws Illon/Illium citadel - city that controled Troy area
Marriage of Peleus and Thetis offspring is Achilles. Thetis dips/bapties
Achilles in River Styx (principal river of underworld), supposedly to make
him immortal - counterinuititve
i) Slide - Pieter Rubens - 1630 - Designer of tapestry, or at least his
workshop - Thetis and baby Achilles , river Styx - baptism of
Achilles - see bats? Remember the souls of the dead squeak like
bats according to ______________
ii) Achilles not raised by father. Mom went back to sea. Achilles tutor
was Chiron the centaur.
One. Slide - Wall painting from Pompeii - 60 AD - Achilles and
Chiron at Herculaneum - very life like
Agamemnon assembles invasion force - still in poem Kypria. Theme - war
over a woman.
Odysseus refused to go, pretended to be insane. Palamedes tricked him
into proving Odysseus was sane.
i) Odysseus pretended to be insane by plowing the beach as if to plant
it. Palamedes puts new born son in front of plow and Odysseus
stops.
ii) Odysseus traps Palamedes at Trojan war
Achilles tries to avoid war - hidden on Sycros - harem - this is a time
problem - dont worry about it, just go with it. Odysseus and Diomedes go
and trick Achilles into revealing his presence, and then shame him into
going to war.
i) Achilles and Odysseus were the two who contributed the most to
the Trojan War
ii) Slide - Achilles on Scyros - Pompeii - 79 AD Agamemon assembles fleet in Owles off of Crete
i) Apollodorus gives a catelog of ships
i) Apollodorus gives a catelog of ships

ii) Chalcas says it will last 10 years after seeing a snake eat a nest of
birds
iii) Greeks initially attach wrong place
iv) Calchas gives Agamenon bad news, will have to sacrifice daughter
Iphegia
v) Slide - Pompeii c 60 AD Iphigeneia from Euripides version (carried
off by Artemis and stag substituted in her place for sacrifice).
vi) Iphigeneia - Euripides One. Slide - Mycenaean Vace - 1100
BC - if war happened, this is when it would have happened.
Shows soldiers wearing armor of the time.
June 24, 2011 - Trojan Saga/Odyssey

11:48 AM
1. Wound is symbolic of many things - wont heal

a. Apollodorus library - Philototes had bow
b. Alternate version - Odysseus captures Trojan Seer - Helenus (Helenos) - Bow of Heracles
needed
c. In Apollodorus library
2. Philoktetes - play by Sophocles - uses version that prophecy comes from Helenos - reason - it uses
Odysseus, Sophocles is very interested in Odysseus. He also takes away Dem. And makes it
Neoptolemus (son of Achilles) to retrieve bow (Sophocles' invention) - why? Because of the way
the plot unfolds according to Sophocles. Also, its never explained HOW Odysseus tricked
Philktetes into releasing bow, in Sophocles, it is and it makes sense.
a. Odysseus and Neoptolemus - land and approach the cave. Lets Odysseus recount the
abandonment of Philo, on island.
b. Neoptolemus - sees rags soaked with pus - they send a spy to the cave to find out what is
going on.
c. Odysseus gives audience the plan by telling Neoptolemus. - Steal the bow, trick Philoktetes,
also inserts the story of the arms of Achilles - lie and tell Philo that Odysseus has it. Philo
will trust him, not Odysseus.
i. Neoptolemus - I dont want to lie - evil arts. Not the sort of person he is. Failure with
honor is better than winning by evil. Time(honor) preserve it.
ii. Odyssseus - You are young, I know, words are masters among men.
iii. Stichomythia (used to pick up the pace) - between Odysseus and Neoptolemus (rapid
speech repeating what we have already heard).
iv. Odysseus - encouraging him to use guile/deception
v. Neoptolemus - not if "deliverance" results
1) The ends justify the means
2) Alls fair in love and war
vi. Paradox as presented by Neoptolemos - evil is good.
vii. Odysseus - two prizes = gifts - Time!/honor! - reputation for being both wise and
valiant.
viii. Neoptolemus - Now you're talking! Agrees
d. Chorus (Crewmen) and Neoptolmus look for Philo, Odysseus hides/goes away
i. Job of the Chorus - to relay stuff, express pity and wonder
1) How can endure the misery
2) Pain & Loneliness
3) The gods
e. Neoptolemus - doesnt surprise him anymore, its all part of the god's plan ...ok to do evil ..
God told me to do it.
f. Chorus hears screams offstage.
i. Can see an evolution in Sophocles techinique that he picked up from Eurpides (see
same thing in Medea)
ii. Rapid speech is about high levels of emotion (meeting between Philo and
Neoptolemus meet and stichomythia (rapid speech)
g. Neoptolemus pretends to never have heard of Philoktetes - who is even more bitter thinking
he is completely forgotten by shipmates who abandoned himl.
i. Philo tells his story Whole point of a drama is to bring out a character, his feelings and
thoughts and experience them.
h. Wants revenge on Atreitde and Odysseus (Atriedian (Menelaus and Agamemnon for going
to the war) and Odysseus for leaving him there
to the war) and Odysseus for leaving him there

i. Neopt tells Philo part truth/part lies - Achlles death, but Apollo's arrow - disease, why no
details (sharing disease may be key)
j. Claims he's been cheated of his father's belongings - Odysseus has his father's armor.
k. Chorus - echoes the story of insult -often their job - short song- echoe story of insult
l. Philoktetes - shared hatred of Atreidae and Odysseus - common bond
m. Neoptollemus lists the other dead - Ajax and Patroclus
n. Philo - wishes Odysseus and Atreidae dead instead. - doesnt match modern clich of "only
the good die young", but could
o. Neoptolemus - consummate actor - this IS a play within the play- pretends to be leaving and
Philoktetes begs for a ride home to Oeta - why doesnt Neoptolemus say come with?
Philoktetes has to beg - very melodramatic - Neoptolemus pushes Philoktetes to emotional
edge i. Chorus urges Neopt to take Philo, Neopt agrees
p. "Merchant" sent by Odysseus arrives - weird that Philo doesnt suspect this, no one has
shown up in a long time, and now everyone is.
i. Stichomythia between Merchantand Neopt - more pretense to make "play" seem real.
ii. Merchant story 1) Phoenix and others are coming for you
2) Odysseus and Diomedes (Son of Tydeus) coming for another
3) Sophocles is alerting/reminding audience of other story, alternative version,
also letting audience know that Sophocles knows the story and is deliberately
not telling it that way - Reader/Audience response
iii. Neop seems to be playing along with the Merchant's (Odysseus) plan
1) Neopt calls Philoktetes his "best friend" - very very very short period of time
2) Merchant repeats the prophecy of Helenus about Bow of Heracles - funny
because words can be used as persuasive speech, but also prophectic words
iv. Philo expresses his hatred for Odysseus and wants to depart immediately
v. Neop - get what you might want to take (oblique reference to bow)
1) Is it the bow?
vi. Philo lets Neop hold bow - trusts him to return it
vii. Chorus 1) Pity for Philoktetes
2) His care for himself/survival
3) Joy at salvation (irony, because audience knows he has been tricked)
viii. Philo in agony (another stichomythia) - similar to Heracles delirium after wearing
poisoned robe - almost as though Philo understand why Odysseus and others wanted
to dump him. Almost passes out, wants oath not to be abandoned and Neop
swears. - dramatically - moments of suspense
ix. Chorus - urges Neopt - grab bow and go
x. Neopt exprese doubt about taking Philo with him, Philo NOW becomes suspicious They already got the bow, but its the TELLING of the story
xi. Neop reveals truth
xii. Philo curses him and calls on the creatures and cliffs as witness - emphasizes how
lonely Philo is - no friends, and now they are playing with his emotions again - why
wont they leave him alone - feels abandoned by gods etc - meant to increase the
feelings of pity in the audience for this person
xiii. Neop
xiv. Stichomythia between Odysseus and Philoktetes not pleasant
1) Odysseus tries to use verbal force - but gets cursing from Philoktetes reminscent of exchange between Jason and Medea
2) Odysseus - stay if you want, but I am taking the bow
3) Odysseus and Neop leave
4) Chorus stays - Philoktetes speaks to his cave - reminiscent of Enkidu in Epic of
4) Chorus stays - Philoktetes speaks to his cave - reminiscent of Enkidu in Epic of

Gilgamesh speaking to the door in his delirium as dying.
5) Chorus tries to convince Philo to leave, go with them
6) Philo starts to talk to the absent bow - complete disconnect
7) Philo and Chorus - Odysseus the "agent" (the collection of the soldiers at Troy)
and benefit for his friends - NOT PERSONAL
8) Philo not paying attention, talking to animals now
9) Begs Chorus for weapon to commit suicide
10) Odysseus and Neopt return - obvious what happened offstage is continuing discussion over what Neopt is about to do. - stichomythia
a) Neopt feels shame at tricking Philoktetes - Odysseus threats, but backs
down and leaves.
b) Most action seen on stage in Greek tragedy when Philo tries to shoot
Odysseus
11) Neop tries to convince Philo to go to Troy for treatment
12) Philo - no, I hate him, take me home
13) Neopt agrees - Achilles withdrew from war too (comparison of reasons why
each withdrew - both honor, but Sophocles wants you to compare the different
situations.
14) Ephiphany - Heracles appears - tells the future - cure at Troy, Kill Paris and make
offerings at Heracles' pyre - Sophocles' use of this is very impressive - not sure
why Heracles is the deliverer of this prophecy, but it may be because it was his
bow
15) Hearcles to Neopt - you need Philo to capture Troy
16) Philok farewell to cave and the nymphs/the island
17) Chorus - exodos - exit song (usually a moral message delivered at the end, but
this time it is just lets go.
q. Sophocles exploration - He takes this story without details and looks at individual suffering
and how that relates to one's obligation to society (the needs of one outweigh the needs of
many?), Self-sacrifice and the relationship between pragmata - practicality and idealism - at
what point is it ok to treat another person the way they treated Philo, or is it ever?
r. Play was produced in 429 - right after the war with Sparta - which had been going on
continuously and demanding sacrifices
i. Athenian army of 38,000 died in 2 days in battle (6 years prior to this play being
produced)
ii. This play would resonate wth a lot of people
iii. Also raises issue of leaving the wounded behind - Sophocles wanted his audience to
think about it - Is it art imitating life?
iv. 3 years after play produced - battle at Argonusa (naval battle) between Athens and
Sparta - Just before fight ended, Athenians had driven Spartans to shore - hundreds of
marines in water, storm came up, commanders realized they would risk the rest of
fleet if they tried to save men, so didnt. 8 commanders brought up on murder
charges for this, convicted and condemned - Sophocles son included.
II. Odyssey - only nostos/nostoi to survive complete - story about Odysseus
a. Dactylic Hexameter
b. Calls on Muses - Muse of Epic poetry 0 Calliope/Kalliope (kallio - beautiful, ope - eyes)
c. First word in Odyssey - a man - its about a man - poet is telling you what he is going to be
singing about.
d. Themes - topoi (where we get our word topic) - 1-10 takes 15 lines to get it into English - A
man skilled in many ways of fighting - many twists - polutropon (epithet) /A trickster,
primarily /Odysseus principal epithet - no exact English word
i. Themes - fighting for survival, fighting to save friends - what Homer is exploring
ii. Theme - crewmen destroyed by own recklessness (some people who cannot be saved)
iii. Odysseus is the selfless hero
iii. Odysseus is the selfless hero

iv. All things that Homer wants you to think about, or else he wouldnt have put them at
the beginning
e. Helios with cattle - Odysseus on island with Calyposo. Also told that Posidon is angry with
Odysseus - this is a nostro (need to get hero home) - but not told why Posidon is angry
i. Go to Olympus - get main nostros 1) Nostos of Agamemnon - killed by Agisthos (nephew) and Clytemnestra - Homer
wants you to think of this nostos or else he wouldnt have brought it up
2) Aigisthos - warned by Zeus not to do this, Agamemnon son would kill him Moral?
a) Orestes performs son's obligation and kills Aigisthos and Klytaimnestra this is what Zeus is thinking about.
b) Moral is - humans always blame gods when their lives go bad, greed and
folly destroy man - take responsibility for your own actions, dont blame
the gods
3) Athena - patroness of Odysseus
a) Zeus - not his fault, Posidon is mad
i) Posoidon angry because Polyphemos was blinded by Odysseus child of Posoidon
b) Hermes Argeiphontes - epithet "killer of Argos (Argos was a hundred eyed
monster)
4) Zeus sends Hermes to Calypso to order her to let Odysseus go
5) Athena (child of Power) - goes to Ithica and changes form into Mentes (old
family friend) - Telemakhos - offers hospitality right away to Mentes
6) Suitors - feasting and song- Phemios entertaining with cithern harp cithera Odysseus gone for 20 years already.
7) Homer has inserted someone like himself into story in form of Phemios.
a) Slide - Wall paiting fresco - 1300 BC in Pylos - you can see the harp, swans
heads, 5 strings
b) Arc. Found a late bronze age royal palace at Pylos
8) Mentes story - old friend of Laertes - merchant in copper and iron - everything
referenced in story is bronze, very little iron in story at all, its a bronze age
story, but because things have been removed from story.
a) Gives assurance that Odysseus will return
b) Mentes comparison of
c) Telemakhos and Odysseus - look just like Odysseus
i) My mother says I am his son, but who knows. - very bitter and
alone.
ii) Mentes advice - get off butt and go find him
iii) Later Mentes becomes Mentor - root word. Athena is there in role
of a father in this story. This is directly where our word mentor
comes from, this story.
d) Phemios - nostoi Achaeans/Argives/Danaans - Homer refers to the people
by their tribes, rather than as a group (Hellens).
e) Penelope doesnt like Phemios' song because it is the nostos stories, and
makes her sad.
f) Tele tells mom its not poet's fault, its Zeus' fault - Odysseus not the only
one who didnt return
g) Antinoos and Eurymakhos - represent the rest of the suitors - REMEMBER
these people - dramatic and situational irony - when they say the gods
must be teaching you to act this way - the audience knows its true
(Athena giving him advice)
h) Eurykleia and Lertes - Eurykleia is the nurse, slave, person who nursed
Tele.
Tele.
i) Dawn is personified - "her fingers of pink light"
j) Assembly - Aigyptios has called them to order and handed staff to
Telemakhos (staff gives the person the right to speak). ThIS IS THE FIRST
ASSEMBLY SINCE ODYSSEUS GONE, first time Tele gave public speech. He
ends speech badly
k) Antinoos chastises Tele and blames Penelope - again its the woman's
fault.
i) Narrative structure - an agon - fight - same as at the beginning of
the Illiad. Fight over a woman
ii) Goes into tapestry story - gives the audience an idea of how smart
Penelope is and that she doesn't want to get married again.
iii) Pair of eagles out of sky - birds of Zeus - dont attack people
usually - when come out of sky and start clawing people - seen as a
sign of divine disapproval
l) Halitherses - seer and Eurymakhos (suitor) - Hal - bad idea, gods mad,
Eurymakhos - disregards and scoffs - reminscent of Illiad - like how
Agamemnon treated Kykos and Chrycheus.
m) Agon ends without an agreement, same as in Illiad - Tele angry and goes
away mad, Achilles angry and goes away mad.
n) Prolly from Song of Release
9) Athena there on seashore, to help Tele
10) Suitors mock Tele, Euryk helps him pack
11) Athena as Mentor shows up - before sailing away, fill wine bowls with libations
and give to the gods - Telemakhos libation - piety: respect didactic function teaching the young audience goers. Also, contrast between Tele and suitors
behavior.
June 27, 2010 - Odysseus/Odyssey cont

Monday, June 27, 2011
11:49 AM
1. Odyssey continued - Book III - V

a. Telemakos and Athena - End up in palace of Nestor of Pylos - not part of Illiad - but
enormously important to the success of the Greek enterprise at Troy
i. We have a linear B tablet found at Pylos - Clay writing Tables (syllabry: 200 symbols)
c. 1450-1200 BC - late Bronze Age (actually a Bronze Age form of Greek - not a lot of
documents around) - deciphered in 1953 by British codebreaker
1) Similar to cuniform writing
a) Slide - Linear B. Tablet found at Pylos inventory of animal hides (leather).
Different colors because these tablets were discolored when the palace
was burned to the ground. The inventories contained - goods, animals,
people, property holdings, religious sacrifices - they do not contain
literature, no history and no myths. May not have had it long enough for
these to develop. We do have the names of the gods in the Greek
pantheon. It was used to keep tract of things under the powers that be's
control
i) Linear B Tablets - Social Hierarchy - Warrior society - wanax =
ruler/leader - very similar with Egypt and Near East. Important
priethoods, rulers that control everything, leaders linked with the
divinities.
ii. Pylos - has an archive of linear B tablets - Cnossos has largest archive of linear B
tablets - significance is the Myceaneans came and took over the island of Crete.
Mycenaean Greek from Mainland conquered pre-Greek culture by c. 1400 BC (Linear
A writing disappeared)
iii. Trade - Mycenaean Greeks from Mainland and Crete
iv. "Keftiu" - Cretans - Tomb of Rehhmire (objects from Crete portrayed in Egyptian
tombs) - Frescas of people bringing offerings from other lands to rulers in Egypts Slide - shows objects that were used in Crete before the conquest and after the
conquest -- bowl used in Myceanean and Crete - Thebes Egyption c. 1435 BC
v. Hittite and Egyptian documents - 12 c. BC
1) Mentioned people named Ahhiyawa (Achaeans)
a) Ahhiyawa raid Anatolia
b) Ahhiyawa raid Egyptian delta
c) To take stuff away and bring home - resonates with attack on Troy. Very
Homeric activity that is reflected in these ancient historical documents.
2) None of the documents from Pylos mention anyone named Nestor.
b. Telemakhos shows himself to be shy - Athena in Mentor guise urges him on.
i. Xenia - hospitality to strangers - Nestor happy to welcome everyone
1) Minor detail, but significant in grand scheme of story - good people who offer
prayers before they eat - showing respect for the gods is a big deal in Homer. Its
also another example of dramatic/situational irony - Mentor (Athena) prays to
Poseidon - meant to be humorous - ironic because Poseidon is the one who is
keeping Odysseus from home, and she is a god as well.
2) Nestor's news of Odysseus - Ilioupersis - reference back to Illioupersis - Akhilleus
= Achilles - references to trips homes (nostroi) - part of intertextuality - meant
to remind audience of these other stories and to compare the different kinds of
homecomings 0 very much a part of Reader Response
3) Zeus and Athena both angry at Trojans - Athena's anger is because of treatment
of supplicant in one of her temples.
a) Counsel when drunk - failed agreement - acrimonious debate again - we
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
a) Counsel when drunk - failed agreement - acrimonious debate again - we

dont have whole thing, but we see a couple of examples of these in
Homer.
b) Agamemnon & Aigisthios AGAIN. - parataxus - side by side comparison of
homecomings - Nestor vs Agamemnon - does it again in a few pages Menelaos in Egypt, and doesnt get back until after Orestes kills
Aigisthios - in 8th years to visit Menelaos - Egyptian connection - son
avenging father. Homecomings are stacking up, different kinds of
adventures on way home.
Hero's journey - Gilgamesh - Urek
a) Votive - heifer - didactic (how do you prepare an animal for sacrifice) used to teach values and actions - sacrifice described.
i) We know from arche finds of bulls with horns wrapped in gold, this
actually happened.
Nester of Gerenia - has many sons - Greek audience would recognize number of
sons as a measure of his happiness
a) Pisistratos - becomes hero's companion.
Make 2 day trip to Sparta to visit Menelaus - distance of a little over 100 miles apparently in chariots.
Name game again - Lakedaimon = Lacedaemonia - Spartans did not call
themselves Spartan, they called themselves Lakedaimon - Sparta was the capital
city.
Hero and sidekick arrive during double wedding - Megapenthes (son) and
Hermione was being sent to Thessaly to marry son of Achilles
Megapenthes is the son of Menelaos and a slave.
a) Interesting point - when Helen left Menelaus, she left a baby daughter slipped in to remind audience how bad Helen was
Eteoneus - minor character - contrast easy to see - Arrived at Pylos - accepted
and welcomed, no questions asked. When arrive at Sparta, Eteoneus comes in
and asks if they should be let in - Menelaus said he wasnt an idiot before, why
now? All about the importance of xenia - hospitality. It was obvious that
visitors were members of royalty - should be automatically welcomed. No other
place to stay (no motels etc), also very dangerous - pirates, robbers etc. You
give people of your social class hospitality. Ancient golden rule - hospitality for
everyone, because sooner or later you may need it, or your kids may need it.
More detail about the nostos of Menelaos - fantastic things in story - however
the stories the heros tell have to have some sort of root in reality - in Menelaos
story talked of Mycenaean artifacts in Egypt and vice versa a) Menelaos - one third as rich - interesting statement - would give away 2/3
of wealth if friends who died in war could come back - came home rich,
lost all friends, seems to be sad - meden agan. This is NOT meden agan!
b) Telemakhos tears when Menelaos mentions Odysseus recognition/anagnorisis of drama - another thing to find in tragedy - not
as big as most, but still an agagnorisis
c) Helen makes the observation - get list of similarities between
Telemakhos - reinforcement of the connection between father and son first mentioned by Athena in beginning with different reaction
d) Everyone cries
Slide - Cretan statue - poppy heads/slasheed - gotten in Egypt - one of
anesthetics widely used by Greeks and Egyptians.
Helen's story of Odysseus at Troy - Trojan horse - Characterization - what is
Odysseus like? This is how people remember him. Helen says Odysseus had
warned her this was going to happen when he snuck into the city - Helen
repented.
repented.
14) Menelaos - "an excellent tale and most becoming" - irony - double meaning antiphrasis = say the opposite - Helen - had lied - when she walked around
horse, she mimicked the Greeks' wives - Menelaos calls her out in a polite way.
15) Menelaos - trip to Egypt - Pharos (island) - part of Alexanderia - Nymph
Eidothea - Proteus - Ancient of the Salt Sea - dont know why she decided to
help him, we dont have information on this.
16) Proteus capture - Menelos has to capture him to talk to him - probably a
humorous anedote - what the hero had put up with to catch Proteus
17) Problem was IMPIETY - forgot to honor Zeus and give thanks before leaving
Troy - has to sail up coast and hekatomb (100 head of cattle) to Zeus required!!!! IN the typical festivals for Zeus they had to slaughter 100 head of
cattle.
18) Menelaos finds out story of Agamemnon - wishes he could have been there to
do something about it - from Proteus - Proteus also gives news of Odysseus
(with Kalypso) - In Menelaos's recounting of his story of Proteus, Tele finally
finds out about where dad was 2 years ago.
19) Gift giving - part of hospitality
20) Suitors practicing discus - meant to be humorous (also how aristocracy spent
time) - Neomon comes up and wants his boat - suitors didnt know Tele had
actually gone - Antinoos - give me a ship - will assassinate Tele - Penelope finds
out and gets upset - chairs were a step away, but far beyond her - got news and
fainted - much more effective than just saying she fainted. Athena sent her a
dream - Dreams VERY important to Greeks. - Athena came to Penelope as
Penelope's sister - Athena reassures her about son, but doesnt give her
information about Odysseus.
2. Kalypso - reminds Odysseus what he will lose?
a. Note how he answers - he is playing it - very deliberate - shows cleverness in his speech.
b. Poseidon's return - long description of how it feels to be shipwrecked - probably aimed at
people in audience who had actually experienced it - Greeks at time were seafarers
c. Nymph shows up again - not told who sent her - idea - you dont get through difficult things
without the help of the gods. - Ino (nereid - sea nymph - White Goddess)
d. Powerful description of Odysseus is clinging to stone, skin on stone
e. Athena instructed him (Odysseus is using his brain) - shown by how he survived the rip tide
f. Minor thing - Odysseus takes the time to pray to the god in the stream, even though he has
it beat - characterization - good guys, just like Nestor and Tele
g. Olive and wild olive tree - Odysseus is symbolically under the protection of Athena.
3. Book VI Phaiakians - Skheria - Phaiakians moved Skheria to get away from neighbors.
a. Athena sends dream to Nausikaa - wash wedding dress and trousseau - time to get married
b. Epic simile - special device that Homer loves - something like something else, direct
comparison - but Homer doesnt simply say it straightout ie - Naissaika doesnt "look" like
Artemis straightout, uses 8 lines to make the audience think of comparison
c. Slide - Odysseus and Naissaika - red figured
d. Odysseus - using honeyed speech (literary device) the way Odysseus speaks flattery (on and
on) here is deliberate to display his cleverness by the author.
e. Nausikaa has to call to her maids - scared.
f. Her advise to Odysseus - go to mom in megaron, go to Arete not Alkinoos - shows women
have influence in this household
g. Book VII - Athena as a child to lead Odysseus to palace
i. More history on Phaiakians - Alkinoos and Areta - uncle and niece marriage
ii. Palace of Alkinoos - earthly paradise - motif - dazzling place. - always fruit there,
blooms year round, every kind of fruit - also throws in the irrigated by water Archelogogist found an aqueduct at Pylos from 13 c. BC
iii. Little details that are true of the Greek Bronze Age
iii. Little details that are true of the Greek Bronze Age
h. Supplication to Arete (follows Naissaika's advise)
i. Homer clearly deviates from what is expected in the story- would expect Arete to say
something, but she doesnt - one of the king's men breaks in and says cant be allowed need to do the hospitality thing
Slide - plan of arch. Remains of palace at Pylos - 1300 BC - length of football field shows megaron/hearth. Multi storied, wine storage, oil storage. IN center is the
Megaron, using the term borrowed from Homer. Megaron - the hall/ big room. Arch.
Have found a place where there is an indention of where a loom was set up near fire.
Kind of palace which Homer imagines at Pylos, Sparta and Skriaran
j. Alkinoos - fates - Moirai
i. Arete notices the clothing - shows how observant she is..Helen was also this
observant.
ii. Incredible offer - marriage to the princess - typical of heroic myth - narrateme or
motif - also handsome stranger, already had in earlier part of story. - Ridiculous, but
it is a fantasy.
iii. Why would Homer insert it in here - to drive point home of how much Odysseus
wants to go home.
iv. Local poet - bard - who entertains in palace - seen earlier at Odysseus palace Demodokos (aoidos) 1) 1st song - dramatic irony - sings of Trojan war - Achilleus and Odysseus were
arguing over something at Troy and Agamemnon was really happy to see his
captians arguing over something - NOT in Illiad! - we do not know where this
comes from - presumably its a story that the audience would have recognized,
but we dont because we do not have all the books of the Trojan sagas.
v. Take break - playing games - scene whoich would be easy to miss, Seareach - insults
Odysseus - what are you, a skipper of some tramp - tallier of cargoes , not an athlete
(not an aristocrat).
1) Games - discus throw 2) Then archery - which is foreshadowing of future actions/eent mentioned INDIRECTLY/UNEXPLICITLY
vi. Demonicus 2nd song - includes a pantomine - precursor of Greek comedy? Song
about Aphrodite and Ares - song about adultery and not getting away with adultery
1) Hephaestos - Gamelegs - lame
a) Kakos married to kalos - beauty and the beast theme in folk tales
vii. Another break - gifts and jugglers, very lavis
viii. Third song - back to Troy - Iliou persis - Odysseus and Menelaos break into bedroom of
Deiphobos and Helen.
1) Similar to story about Aphrodite and Ares
2) This is probably something that is on Odysseus' mind
ix. Phakaiian ships take Odysseus home
x. Archinoos is reminded of a prophecy that he mentions - Posidon upset that their ships
are a sure conveyance and will wreck one of their ships.
4. Book 9 - Most famous and well known - very very important - Odysseus - Laertes son - travels Kikones - Labors of the hero,.
June 28, 2010 - Odysseus continued

11:49 AM
1. Odysseus' travel tales to court of Alkinoos - First tells whose son he is (Laertes) - lineage very
important
a. First tale is Kikones - 1st sack Troy (one of wealthiest cities) and go right to sack someplace
else
i. Characterization of Odysseus crew - mutinous, dont obey, reckless.
b. Next Lotus Eaters - Whoever eats these didnt want to leave - have to tie scouts down to
keep them from going back. - Not sure what the lotus is, not narcotic. Maybe its the use of
opium, but not sure
i. Tested in Cretan idols - 1500 BC with poppies in headdress
c. Next - Kyklopes/Kyklops - story Homer is most interested in, he goes into the most detail.
i. Live on isolated island - chased away previous neighbors
ii. Odysseus has premonition - takes wine from Maron with him - incredibly strong wine,
had to be diluted 1/20. Generally, Greeks did dilute their wine with water, possibly
similar to grape jelly to make it drinkable.
1) In the time of Homer, they could not distill wine as we know it.
iii. Wine taking was a good thing. Go to cave - crewmen wanted to snatch and grab Odysseus wanted to stay and see if owners of cave would give gifts - shows character
trait of curiosity
iv. Things go badly when Polythemos come back
1) Odysseus comes up with a plan - first time in the story, but happens several
times
2) Cyclops asks what Odysseus' name is - outia - Nobody - Cyclops not very smart
a) Slide - 650 BC - proto black figure of Cyclops from Athens - not as refined
as the other black figured examples we have. Cyclops holding wine cup
b) Slide = 625 Black figured of Cyclops
c) Slide - Relief plaque from Khafaja Iraq - 1700 BC of Cyclops - used as
decoration. (Cyclops - ROUND eye, not one eye)
d) Slide - artistic representation of blinding of Cyclops - larger than life, male
figures human life size - found in a cave in Sperlogna Italy - south of Rome.
Cave known as the Cave of Tiberius. Known this way because Tiberius had
a Roman Villa on the coast - had a dining room in the cave decorated with
life size statuary. Includes the wine cup. The cave itself collapsed during
a dinner party and almost killed the emperor - all sculptures smashed.
i) Slide - Speronga cave
3) Sheep - Another example of Odysseus' quality which he was named with
(cleverness) at the beginning of story
a) Modern interpretations
i) Freudian - cave and phallic symbol - repressed sexuality - Freud
believed that dream imagery and violent behavior was because of
repressed sexuality - leads to the symbolism of phallic symbol
ii) Jungian Interpretation - exit from cave was interpreted as rebirth Odysseus was reborn. Also another Jung interpretation to this
story - collective unconscious that all humans share that make up
our psycholocial make up - generates archtypes/personality ie Great Mother, Wise Old Woman or Wise Old Men - figures that
appear in dreams and have some help for psychological aspects of
the dreamer.
One. Shadow is another archtype - "dark side of personality" things you fear come out as an enemy in your dreams. Jung
d.
e.
f.
g.
things you fear come out as an enemy in your dreams. Jung

referred to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as an example of this. In
relation to this tale - Polythemos represents everything evil in
Odysseus. There are some qualities that Odysseus shares
with the Cyclops
iii) Ancient Greek dramatist looks at it as Odysseus is undone by his
own hubris, and it leads to ate (lack of foresight), thumos
overcomes logos, Odysseus loses his advantage when he just had to
tell Polythemos his name.
Next tale - Aiolos/Aiolia - Odysseus' crew - caused problems this time - Crew didnt believe
him and thought he was holding out on him - Odysseus should have told his crew what was
in the bag - been honest . When he goes back to Aiolos, Aiolos sends him away, afraid
Odysseus' bad luck will rub off on him
Next story - Laistrygonia/Laistrygones - May have been more important than Cyclops story
initially - why? Start out with 12 ships, end up with 1 ship due to attack by Laistrygonias
Next story - second best known encounter of Odysseus - Aiaia Island - encounter with Kirke
i. Slide - Black figured Kylix - inside nothing but black color, outside is decorated with the
story of what happened when Odysseus' crew drank Kirke's potion. 550 BC
ii. Slide - Red figured version from 450 - can see the hog-headed man.
iii. Humorous allegory in Kirke and men - the beautiful women turns men into
animals/pigs/swine - this is the joke behind the story.
iv. Slide - Dosso Dossi - Giovanni Luteria - c 1490 -1542 painting - book of spells means
she was an alchemist in this portrayal - animals all over
v. Hermes hands Odysseus the antidote (comes out of nowhere) - antidote - molu - only
time this word shows up in translations - may be made up. - who sent him? We dont
know
1) Sometime have nonsensical magical writing in the texts - they just do it.
vi. Slide - Waterhouse version of Kirke - like potnia theron in lion chair, whip, c 1891 Mirror showing Odysseus - nice piece of magic
vii. Hero meets the temptress, sometimes she is a witch, sometimes just a temptress.
1) Kirke is the one who tells Odysseus he had to go to underworld - All great heros
have to do this...if they dont have to go to underworld, then they have to meet
death face to face
Underworld - importance of burying the dead
i. Also emphasizes the recklessness of the crew (Elpenor story)
1) Slide - Red figured - Elpenor
2) Irony of meeting mom in underworld - she died young
3) Slide - Teiresias prophecy on winnowing fan - point of story is that Odysseus
would be well away from water - what this does is gives future authors the
sequel to the Odysseus - Voyage over land.
a) Also oars are the ships wings - didnt originate with the Greeks - ships with
wings. - Scholars have noted the similarities to the fact of Egyptian
pharoahs travel after life in a boat with wings.
b) Tutankanum's tomb - 14 BC - found oars, but no boat
4) Scholars believe this shows Greek knowledge of Egyptian beliefs
ii. Antikleia - mom died from sorrow when he didnt come home - feels unhappiness
towards him when she sees him, he feels guilty.
iii. Ladies of myth - people who experienced pain and suffering from love.
iv. Agamemnon - tells Odysseus story of his homecoming - draws contrast between his
own wife and Penelope.
v. Akhilleus - Odysseus praised him, worshiped like a god at Troy - Akhilleus gets
sarcastic with him on Odysseus' oratorical skills - dont give me any of your BS.
Regrets death - would rather be a slave alive than ruling in Hades - second thoughts
about choice in Troy? Only thing that cheers him up is news about his son - No one
about choice in Troy? Only thing that cheers him up is news about his son - No one
but Nestor and Odysseus could beat Akhilleus son in debate. Wisdom of Nestor
comes through again.
vi. Punishments - Tityos, Tantalos and Sisyplus
vii. Then he sees a saurian death's head (dragon comes from this)
h. Kirke tells him he has to take the long road home - short road closed. Argo/Drifting rocks
(Symplegades) - only one ship could get through the rocks, which was Argos.
i. Gets to do something no one else has done, but gets to live and tell about it - symbols
of femme fatale - Seirenes - Sirens - treachery of women
ii. Slide - bird ladies - 550 BC Seirenes - front of a war ship - snout of a pig
iii. Slide - 450 BC - another representation of Seirenes - red figured, Odysseus tied to
mast to hear Seirenes
iv. Kirke tells him have to make choice - rock and hard place - he choses Skylla - example
of hero is powerless sometimes.
1) Slide - Sperlonga Cave - Odysseus and Scylla. Back side - Odysseus trying to
steer ship, head of Odysseus very well preserved, has dog skin cap.
2) Slide - Skylla Group signed - Athanodorus, Agesander aend Polydorus - 1 c BC
(statuary in Sperlonga Cave) Although signature doesnt survive on it, they also
made the famous Lacooon Group being devoured.
3) Look at slide on placement of statuary in Sperlong Cave (Emperor's dining room)
i. Next story - Island with the Cattle of Helios - Thrinakia - where crew dies, and we see what
separates Odysseus from his men, characteristics that make him a hero and them not
heroes.
i. Piety of Odysseus - Odysseus still trusting in gods- falls asleep because he has stayed
up too long watching the men - sleep/Gilgamesh
1) Omen - Thunderbolt/Lightening bolt of Zeus acting on Helios' request everyone dies but Odysseus.
j. Now faces Kharybdis alone
i. We can be sure where the poets were imaging the whirlpool - Straits of Messana
between Sicily and Italy- still there today, but not a danger to boats - natural
phenomena that sailors knew about back then.
ii. Interesting that its a fig tree and not an olive tree - Homer having fun with audience
1) Slide - Arnold Bocklin 1883 - Representation of Odysseus staring out at sea
crying wanting to go home
2) Kalypso - name is an atronym - I will hide - aptronym - character's name is
significant to what is profession etc - Kalypso hid Odysseus for 7 years before
she let him go
iii. Kalypso/Ogygia - half way through book everyone is in the present.
2. Athena - Story - Odysseus' 1st draft of his tale, said to Athena - Athena calls him a chameleon find out why Athena interceded for Odysseus with Zeus - they are two of a kind. She also gives
him the news of Penelope and Telemakhos - she doesnt tell him she will save him - she tells him
to put his mind to a way to figure out a solution - she will back him, but wont fix it for him.
Odysseus commented he could have ended up like Agamemnon
3. Goes up to Eumaios - swineherd - this is a contradiction with 2nd version, where he was referred
to a forester - it is the merging of two versions.
a. Eumaios still mourning for Odysseus. - Know right away Eumaios is a good guy.
b. Curses radce (genos) of Helen - means WOMEN, not Helen's family specifically
c. Talks about suitors - worse than pirates - this is a way in fact which we the audience learn
about the wealth of the kingdom, its a way to bring it in - if it werent for the extensive
wealth of Odysseus, the suitors would have destroyed the estate long ago.
d. Convinced that Odysseus is NOT coming home - fish bait
e. Odysseus then (disguised as beggar) - gives his "own" story. Starts out as Megapenthes
(menelaos' son) - a bastard son - wouldnt have told him if it wasnt believable. Carnage
suited him. Fought at Troy and then went to Egypt. (blending of truth and fiction - all
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
suited him. Fought at Troy and then went to Egypt. (blending of truth and fiction - all
believable to audience). Talks about crews reckless greed and Phoinikians and Kronion
(didnt actually meet them) - Territory of Phoencians were known to Greeks and very strong
competitors to Greece in trade - known to audience. - crafts identity with pieces of what
actually happened to him to make it believable.
Beggar saw Odysseus - Thesprotia/Dodona - Oracle of Zeus (wind blowing through leaves
was voice of Zeus) - Significance is that Dodona is 125 miles from Ithaka - one day's trip from
Ithaka!!
Eumaios - doesnt believe beggar - sheltering him not for tales, but for xenia (hospitality) in
honor of Zeus - offers prayer for return of Odysseus (irony is obvious)
Telemakhos vision of Athena - grabbing Peisistratos - supposed to be funny - Peisistrotos
inherits voice of reason from dad - wisdom.
i. Telemakhos takes dream seriously
1) Just as about to leave (after receiving gifts) - an eagle grabs a goose from sky Helen interprets the omen - prophecy = foreshadowing?)
2) Telemakhos libation - example of piety - one of the good guys
3) Offers a ride to Theoklymenos - descendeant of famous seer Melampous Telemakhos expresses his own brand of xenia and offers a ride.
a) Theoklyhmenos also has a blood debt - killed a cousin miasma (blood
guilt) - however not chased by Erinyes (Furies) - however introduces the
theme of incurring wrath for the murdering of relatives.
Back on Ithaka - Allows storytellers of the legend to give heritage of swineherder - he is
royalty - Laertes purchase of Eumaios - could be born a king, and end up a slave - this was a
reality in the Bronze Age. Also dig at Phoenicians - thieves and kidnappers - bad barbarians.
Point of story . Also Eumaios story shars some of Beggars story. This book is a transitional
book to set up for next story
Telemakhos arrival - omen involving birds - haw & dove. Hawk - Apollo. From here on we
start seeing more reference to Apollo.
i. Ironic reunion - What is ironic is that Odysseus is there, and Telemakhos doesnt
realize it and Telemakhos has been running all over looking for him.
ii. Telemakhos predicament vs. Beggar advise - Beggar's advise is the advise of a father.
Death before dishonor is the first lesson Odysseus gives his son.
iii. Eumaios sent to palace - Athena forces reunion
iv. Telemakhos makes a joke about how Odysseus gets there
v. Telemakhos tells of number of suitors - Odysseus - ok, gods are on our side
vi. Synchronicity - Telemakhos crew, suitors and Eumaios all meet up at same time
vii. Antinoos - Eupeithes son - kill Telemakhos, simplify everything.
viii. Amphinomos of Doulikion - cant do that, have to first consult the gods.
1) Amphinomos - means opposite/names - cant be an accident, he is good/bad
guy - aptronym
ix. Penelope challenges Antinoos, was told what he was planning - - reminds him what
Antinoos owed Odysseus and his family for taking them in
1) Eupeithes - Antinoos father - joined Taphian pirates and raids Ithaca - saved
from execution by Odysseus - TRAITOROUS family
x. Telemakhos returns to palace, Penelope wants news - Telemakhos tells mom to go
bath and pray - similar to scene in Illiad - meant to make audience recognize similar
scene occurred and wonder if it will have similar results.
xi. Melanthios - see what kind of person he is - Telemakhos death = luck. Be great if
Telemakhos is dead...bad bad guy
xii. Argos - dog fidelity - one person who recognizes Odysseus, has to die
xiii. Odysseus goes around to beg for food - Goes into Egyptian story, adding details, really
knows how to tell a story. Antinoos reaction bad - rejects Odysseus completely
1) Telemakhos sneeze - definitely an omen - comes when Penelope wishes for
Odysseus (falcon) return
Odysseus (falcon) return

2) Beggar reluctant to speak to Penelope.
3) Penelope response - he's no fool/he's smart.
k. Contrasting beggars - Iros. Parataxis - paratactic scene - juxtaposition
i. Antinoos - lucky new beggar showed up - very ironic, since beggar is Odysseus and
going to kill him
ii. Odysseus plan - gentle blow - breaks Inos jaw etc - irony!
iii. Amphinomos - here's luck - ironic because they dont not know they are saying and
how ironic it is since the beggar is Odysseus
iv. Penelope's modesty and sadness - Penelope's promise comes out to audience now Stay at home and raise son until Telemakhos grows a beard.
June 29, 2011 - Odyssey continued

11:45 AM
1. Beggar and Maids - sends maids away, says he would take care of the fire - has run in with
Melathos, daughter of _______________. Brother is the suitor who wants to kill Telemahkus
a. Odysseus response - if 'Tele heard what you were saying, he would cut her arms and legs off
b. Eurthmeys (suitor) picked a fight with beggar
c. Amphinomos - hands off the stranger - saves the day - supports the beggar.
d. Arkeisiades - son of Arkeisias is Laertes - note on Book XXIV.
2. Telemakhos to Eurykleia - lock up the women

a. Gynaikeion - women's quarters
b. Andreion - mens quarters
c. Men would lock up women at night
3. Melantho berates Odysseus - Penelope - blind to your conquest - (Eurymakas is sleeping with
Melanthos - Penelope doesnt miss it)
a. Odysseus' evasion - either loses ability to answer her questions, or deliberately being
evasive - cant launch into his story when he is asked who he is
b. Penelope acknowledges his pain, and says she has been in pain too and launches into loom
story.
i. Slide - red figured vase - Penelope and loom - probably
Antinus who discovered her deception.
c. Odyesseus elaborates - gives himself a royal lineage, which he didnt do before (before he
was same) - gave himself the pseudonym - Aithon (burned man)
d. Tears vs tough guy - had ability to control his emotions -had to when he saw Penelope crying
over his description of seeing Odysseus (describing the clothes)- makes same distinction of
where he saw Odysseus (Phaidon of Thesprotia at Dodona) - ie will be here in a couple of
days
e. Penelope still doesnt believe him, but calls on maids to give him a bath - part of xenia thing
f. Odysseus makes a mistake - dont know why.
i. Red figured - Eurykleia washing Odysseus' feet
ii. Eurykleia - anagnorisis (recognition of scar on Odysseus) - Aristotle didnt think this
was good enough for the definition of Greek tragedy, however, it leads to a
digression - flashback - always has a point even if not immediately obvious. Flashback
was story of Odysseus and how he got the scar - and about his grandfather - Autolykos
(Grandfather) - professional thief!!
1) Odysseus = The Hated Man (odium = hatred) - named after grandfather as per
grandfather's request.
g. Penelope - one brief question - dream matches the omen that Tele saw that Helen
interpreted - eagle killing the geese - - doesnt really need it interpreted, just wants to share
it. Dreams come from two doors - one with a gate of horn and one with gate of ivory. Also
has a second question - asked if the bow contest was a good idea - Why? Because she has a
suspicion of it being Odysseus - could listen to him talking for hours. Also Eurykleia said that
he sounded like Odysseus - Penelope's question about bow contest is a "trial balloon" leaking information - an unobtrusive way of asking if Odysseus would be ready for bow
contest.
4. Omens at dawn - thunder in a cloudless sky - servant grinding grain about suitors - may they feast
no more. a. Eumaios and Melanthios - Philoitos (cowherd) - "Welcome sir" - another sign that he is the
good guy.
good guy.
5. Telemakhos and Antinoos - argue - heralds are going around announcing that it is the Feast of
Apollo (heralds would go around and announce feasts etc ) - its Apollo because of the bow
contest.
a. Penelope - significance of Odysseus' bow in story - magical weapon. It was a double torsion
bow = recurved.
i. Slide - Recurve bow - Persian Archers 5th c. - strong enough to go through bronze
armor.
b. Eumaios tears - lack of sympathy from Antioos. Tele has a nervous fit - was going to string
bow, but Odysseus shook head and he didnt - but proof of like father like son, both to
audience because he can string the bow and because he stopped in order to pull off the
caper, and to Tele himself.
c. Leodes - false prophet - thats why he is inserted at this point - yeah right, he's the seer.
d. Interlude and recruits - this allows Odysseus to recruit more help. 4 against 125 rather than
2 against 125
e. Eurymakhos - what shame - when he cannot string the bow- then Odysseus asks to string it.
i. Does Penelope suspect? Maybe, because she intercedes, which makes it happen
easier.
f. Antinoos - pray to Apollo and try again tomorrow. - Coward!!! All blow and no go. NO PIETY!
g. Eurymakhos and Penelope - Penelope shames Eurymakhos - Everyone knows what you are,
you have nothing to lose.
h. Extremely clever speech by Penelope - Husband can go where he will, if she suspects
i. Tele - asserts his authority and sends Penelope away.
j. Singing bow - double imagery of Apollo (bow god and god of lyre)
k. Oh Apollo, please help me hit a target that no man has helped before - very humorous irony
l. Green fear pulled at their entrails - bowels are becoming loose.
m. Eurymakhos - It was all Antinoos' fault
n. Battle scene - not as long as the Illiad, however this is the kind of language and the way that
the battles are talked about in the Illiad.
i. Slide - few ancient versions of this, - Suitors 450 BC - has a dining couch, but they
werent using those in the bronze age, see arrow in a back. Red figured.
ii. Slide - Red figured - painted shortly before Alexander the Great died - stuff people in
Alexander's day would have on their table. See Odysseus in beard and dog skin cap Odysseus Telemakhos and Eumaios
o. Telemakhos kills Amphimedon ( the good bad guy who saved Telemakhos from assination)
p. Melanthios - treatment is didactic - treatment of traitors, the depth of the description shows
its importance.
q. Odysseus wrath - no mercy for anyone
r. Balance - first to shoot bow is the last to die - Leodes - mouth the dust (bite the dust comes
from the Odyssey)
s. Phemios and Medon - humor - Phemios - poet and entertainer
t. Suitors - description is very similar to deaths of 6 crewmen by Skylla - Homer did this
deliberately so you can compare the deaths.
u. Odysseus to Eurykleia - dont gloat, very different from Illiad, when there was a lot of
gloating. Difference in attitude - reflects the effect of having spent the time doing what he
did.
v. Tele shows he's grown up when he disobeys orders (partially) - makes slight adjustment to
way he kills women - suffer longer - Melanthios mutilated.
6. Reunion with Penelope - Eurykleia tries to convince Penelope to come down stairs - says "You're
just like Odysseus" - meaning stubbornness
7. Odysseus tells Tele dont worry about Odysseus and mom - worry about having just killed the
flower of Ithica (get ready for war)
8. Penelope's test - the marriage bed - but angers Odysseus - proves she too has the quality of
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We hear Teiresias' prophecy - Homer setting up audience for sequel
Summary of travels Kikone to Kylypso.
Reunion with Laertes - lots of people have criticized this part as too much and not very well done.
Relatives of suitors seek revenge - Leader - Eupeithes (same guy who join pirates, made war on his
own people, and Odysseus saved)
Hermes in psycho guide for suitors
Akhilleus greets Agamemnon - This would be a flash back to the poem - Aithiopis - Homer brings it
up for the contrast between how a hero dies and the suitors death.
Amphimedon - tells what Odysseus did, Penelope's resistance and Odysseus' return. Looking for
sympathy from Agamemnon - bodies unburied - doesnt work, Agamemnon doesnt even answer.
a. Get contrast between good wife/bad wife; death of a hero, death of the suitors, good
homecoming/bad homecoming.
King Allwoes' only son - Quarrelman - deceives father. The fact that Odysseus toyed with is father
doesn't matter - no time for tears, you killed the suitors, we have a war on our hands. Homer is
talking about the cycle of vengence.
Diolios and sons - We go back to assembly (harmonia - using the same thing) - Halitherses is telling
Eupeithes (Antinoos father) I told you so...compare and contrast between this assembly and
previous one
Also have earthly and heavenly assemblies - in earthly - disagreement, in heavenly - agreement.
Zeus says honor has been satisfied, do what you can to bring about peace.
Last battle - 3 generations in battle together - Laertes = Arkeisades. The one death is Eupeithes
(Antinoos father) and Laertes kills him. The cycle goes on.
Odysseus wants to continue battle, but Athena makes him start. Athena arbitrates peace which
brings about the end of the cycle of Revenge
Lesson of poem - sooner or later you have to stop killing. You can have peace if you are constantly
at war. About the institution of justice, living with the verdict and stopping the cycle of revenge.
Sequel - Telegony - we dont have it. There was more than one sequel - if you look at Apollodorus,
there are contradictions. Odysseus has a son with Kirke - Telegonos - distant born - narrateme of
legends - son seeking lost father.
a. Odysseus chasing cattle rustlers, meets Telegonos
b. Telegonos spear tip, has sting ray barb - throws it and hits Odysseus - symbol of Posidon's
revenge. Telegonos takes Penelope and Telemakhos back to island of Kirke - Telegonos
marries Penelope and Telemakhos marries Kirke.
c. Variation - Telemakhos marries Nausikaa (Aristotle's version)
June 29, 2011 - Roman

12:45 PM
1. Bronze Age Europe and Near East - Havent said much about Europe.
a. During Bronze age in Europe - no literate cultures, no urban centers, minimal technology.
Nothing to compare with Near East and Egypt - no stone buildings - night and day difference
2. Late Bronze Age - Migrations into Europe - Egypt invaded, Troy fell etc - there were successive
pushes of people into Europe from what is now known as the Ukraine.
a. Osco-Umbrians (Indo-Europeans) - Crossed Adriatic Sea to Italy from Balkans 2000-1800 BC
b. When we start getting written histories of Italy - we know linquistic groups have settled
there. Oscos settled in the Appennine Mountains (dis-sectioned part of Alps)
c. Osco-Umbrian family - Latin - Latium was the territory
i. Latium (Lazio)
ii. North from the Tiber River (northern most limit of Latium) to Liris (about 75 miles
long) - Rome was in northern part right on Tiber River
iii. Ca 1000 BC - Settlements on the hills, 10-15 houses
iv. Burials in Forum area - but no single city
v. Practiced Cremation - slide - cinerary urn - ca 750 BC from Latium. Would dig hole in
ground and put it in the ground, often with offerings. The slide is a representation of
what the houses looked like (as depicted by the form of the cinerary urn).
1) Slide - Model - 8th c. BC Rome - 300 years, huts didnt last 300 years, but
arcitechture didnt change.
d. Rome - Etruscan - Roma is an Etruscan word, latinized from Ruma or Rumis meaning breast.
Etruscan is a non Indo European language. Etruscans had an ENORMOUS impact on Rome,
right next to them. Gave alphabet to the Romans
e. Etruscans - Romans referred to area as Etruria, but we call it Tuscany - ran from Tuscano
river to
f. Neighbors from Livy's history - Latins, Sabines ________, _______
g. Greeks once settled in Italy. Phoencians from ancient Phoenica also settled there in colonies
800-600 BC. Initially trading settlements, but became independent city states. All the way
up to France.
i. Trade with Phoenicians and Greeks - Etruria common area to go. Etruscans urbanized
by this contact. A wealthy elite formed and adopted Greek artistic forms and
borrowed alphabet - influence lessened later
1) Slide - An Etruscan couple buried
2) Etruscan Tomb - Tarquinia - Some painted by Greeks who moved Etrusca, some
painted by Etruscans who learned the Greek style.
3) Developed so quickly because its agricultural was so big - wine and olives big
export. Some vineyards cultiveated since 8th c BC. Another thing Etruscans had
that others did not have was large deposits of minerals - gold, silver, copper,
iron etc. This is what the Greeks and the Phoencians were after - wanted the
raw materials.
4) Slide - mirror - color of new penny originally. Has 97% reflection.
5) Slide - incense burner with wheels, used in religious ceremonies - kind of stuff
produced by Greek and Etruscans in Etrusca
6) Etruscan Vases - NOT black figured - In ancient Greece and Etrusia - would put
alphabet on things for decoration (perfume jar)
7) Greeks brought chicken to Italy.
8) To the south - the Greeks - Magna Graecia - major Greek cities in toe of boot
9) Earliest Greek colonies in Italy - Ischia and Campania. Ischia (also known as
Pithecusae) not found in writings, but found by archi digs 775 BC - Cumae and
Naples (largest city, larger than Rome) Neapolis (New City)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Naples (largest city, larger than Rome) Neapolis (New City)

10) Greek merchants moved from there and settled into these cities.
11) Tarquinia plays huge role in Roman history, Greek city. Gravisca - Harbor for
Tarquinia - Greek Temple ca 500 BC.
a) Slide - broken bronze statue - found in a Greek temple in the Etruscan city
of Gravisca. Also found 1/2 of stone anchor - to Apollo of Ageana from
Sostratoes
Herodotus - Greek historian - c 450 BC - mentions the merchant Sostratos of Aegina "whom none
can surpass for wealth) - port cities were multi - ethnic areas - traders came to coastal cities.
Etruscan Inscriptions - names show Etruscan/Greek intermarriage. Initially Greeks influenced
Romans through Etruscans. No Etruscan literature or histories survive complete - lost after the
Roman takeover. However, Etruscans did give alphabet to Romans, as well as some stories.
Earliest Latin Literature - doesnt come for over 500 years (200 BC) -- 1st literature comes from
Livius Andronicus a slave - hired by a wealthy Roman family to tutor children and to translate
existing Greek plays to Latin. Earliest Roman literature and mythology was Greek!
Romans used their writing to keep inventories, Roman priests kept Annales (Annals) , which were
records of events - two headed calves, floods, attacks on the cities, prophecies, etc. However, we
do know that there were story tellers - Eventually Roman legends got written down, but at the
time they were written down, the Romans also knew the Greek stories. Very hard to get
something purely Roman, which doesnt have a Greek flair.
Traditional date of founding of Rome - 753 BC
a. New political unit
b. Arrival of Greeks in Italy
c. Homer's Illiad and Odyssey written same time.
June 30, 2011 - Roman History - Livy - Book I

Thursday, June 30, 2011
11:46 AM
1. 753 BC something happened - some sort of coalition formed between Latins, Sabines and
Etruscans - could have been any combination. We only have legends on this. If one looks at what
we know about Roman names, it fits all.
a. Why Rome - strategic location - first river crossing - people could travel parallel to coast or
go up the Tiber River Valley - it was where major trade routes crossed. If you followed the
Tiber River Valley, could get to the
b. Central Italy - arable land is limited - graze sheep and goats, but not much area to grow
grain.
c. Campania and Po R. Valley to north were only exception. Rest of pennisula no. Romans and
other towns in Latium fought each other to try and get good territory - Rom and
neighborsing towns and tribes fight continuously to control resource - developed into a
militaristic society. Eventually Romans won. Expanded territory to South and annexed
Greek colonies, first Campania the rest of S. Italy - 343 BC - 275 BC (Alexander young man,
Plato died a few years prior)
d. Then got into wars with Carthigians, (3 different wars with them) and annexed Sicily after
1st Punic War, which included Greek cities on the island. After these annexations that we
get first Roman literature from Greek slave Livius Andronicus from Tarentum.
e. Carthage and Greece - Rome fought another war with Carthage, asked to help Greece ended up annexing Greece - 146 BC is the beginning of Roman control in politics and
economic. Egypt was still techinically free, but Rome controlled economics and politics.
f. Greeks influenced Roman culture - reverse of "normal" pattern following conquest Typically when empires conquer other perifial groups, the conquorers submerge the
conquerees.
g. Usually when "core" (political center) annexes periphery cultures, core culture submerges
peripheral culture -- only place where Greek culture did not influence Roman is in politics
i. Famous Roman poet - Horace (died 8 BC) - poet and personal friend of Emperor
Augustus said in personal literature letter "captive Greek
ii. Romans also knew that their mythological narrative was borrowed from Greek. Ovid
knew..changed names, but source still same
1) Did have oral histories. Before wrote anything down, had dramatic
performances, but not written down, memorized...improvised...each time you
saw the play, it was a little different - ending and main story same, but actors
would ad lib
2) Legends - family oral histories very important
3) Divine myth was minimal in Roman mythology - we dont have ANY at all.
iii. Prayers and Sacrifices were numerous, frequent and elaborate. On creation, Romans
just accepted the world as it was. Had a complex religious calendar, like Greeks. WE
have a lot of the religious prayers preserved.
iv. Roman pantheon - syncretism with Geeks - found closest equivalent to Greek and
represented them the same way. Greek characteristics assigned to Roman deities
1) Slide - marble relief of Roman deities - all named;. 1-2nd century relief carving.
Minor differences, but not many.
v. Religion - comes from latin re-ligio officium/beneficium - duty /benefit - about power,
not love.jealous gods...we do something we get something in return..
1) Do ut des - I give so that you MAY give - general attitude to gods, but no
guarantees.
2) Pietas/piety (respect) - if you showed piety to gods, you would receive pax
deorum "gods peace"
3) Religious hierarchy - priesthoods - very complex. We know the chart.
3) Religious hierarchy - priesthoods - very complex. We know the chart.

a) Chief Priest - Pontifex maximus (chief bridge maker) - bridge was between
heaven and earth
i) Had to be wealthy, much responsibility, had to keep track of under
priest, had a college of pontifs - all religious observance - could shut
down government, if they decided gods were angry, they could
declare religious observance. Enormous power!
vi. Major deities -(priests to major deities were called flamen/flamines (12-15) - not sure
which were the most important. It was enormous honor, administer temples, make
religious sacrifices. Got to wear a special hat
1) Flamines - marble relief in Rome - Ara Pacis - 9 BC
2. Roman Pantheon
a. Jupiter/Jove/Juppiter - Father of the Gods
b. One thing that is distinct from Greek is Rome had a Capitoline Triad - Minerva, Jupiter, Juno
i. Temple of Jupiter - Capitoline Hill - 3 cellae - typically had 3 rooms with statues to the
triad
ii. Slide - Marble statuary - Minerva (to right of Jupiter), Jupiter and Juno & Birds - why
the geese - because Juno was the goddess of the home/marriage, geese tend to get
fat if enough food, and defend gooslings
iii. Slide - oil lamp of Capitoline Triad - clay lamp 2nd-3rd - used in religious ceremony,
Capitoline Triad in their respective cellae
iv. Slide - Romans transplanted their trinity all over the empire - each regional capital had
a spot for the triad.
1) Slide - Forum Sbeitla - Tunisia - 2 C AD - 3 separate temples to the trinity. Idea
was Father mother and holy daughter.
2) Temples tended to look the same way, used same kind of columns as Greeks,
but arranged different way. Really liked to use arches. Can see Greek influence,
but not used same way.
c. Unique Roman Deities
i. Janus, Silvanus, Quirinus
1) Janus - slide - earliest Roman coinage had this image on it - denarius AG. 1 day's
wages - divinity of entrances and exits. He looks forward and backwards.
January named after him.2 faces, forward and backward. Represents what the
Romans called a numen (spirit) - didnt fit with Greek diden. Got promotion.
a) Roman Polytheism - Animism/Numina - numen comes from word nod when god gives approval.
b) Romans believed in nymphs, dryads etc same as Greeks, but they went
further. Janus is an example of this.
i) Augustine d. 429 AD - Famous Bishop of Hippo Regious
(Annaba/Algeria) Book City of God - ideal city compared to Rome.
Made fun of fact that Romans could offer prayers to not just Janus,
but also to gods of doorframe, lock, wood etc - example of the
Animism taken to the extreme.
2) Silvanus - protector of fields and flocks. Name means the guy who lives in the
forest. The forest is not where you keep your flocks or plant fields. This is an
odd name for him since the forest is the bad place, means he morphed to
something else
a) Image - Slide - Sivanus Branch and Pruning hook - marble relief - usually
has a dog with him (protects the flock) - nothing in Greek matches him
b) Slide - bronze statue - 50 BC - 44"ht sold at Christies for $95,0000
c) Slide - Marble statue of him - Animal skin 2nd AD - master of animals and
beasts.
3) Lares and Penates - health & wealth of home - every single house had at least
one of these - job was to watch over the pantry - head of household, eldest
one of these - job was to watch over the pantry - head of household, eldest
male, was expected to go to a shrine and make offerings to the Lares and
Penates every day. Major holidays to these divinites as well.
a) Shown wearing shorts/robe and usually has an offering dish (Marble
statue, missing offering dish)
b) Slide - Fresco painting from Pompeii - Lararium - shown with drinking
horn, shown with guardian spirit of the house.
i) If you saw a snake in the garden, the Lares are trying to tell you
something, could be good, could be bad.
ii) Offerings could be incense burnings, flowers, fruit etc.
4) Every city - numa (Roma) - Ag. Denarius 2nd c. BC coin, X represents 10
denarius, Minerva with winged helmet (slide) - every city had a statue to their
divinity, and they were women. Every Roman province also had a numa.
5) Slide - Gold coin - Aureus - Nero 65 AD - Statue = Vitory paladium = woman
holding a female deity statue - harkens back to Trojan war story 6) Slide - Roman coin - same sort of iconography. Has a shield behind her, has a
septer, dagger on belt, helmet, holding minature female deity.
a) Romans do this, personify the city, but has no story behind it - no story
about her birth or anything, she just is.
d. 1st century copy of Palladion/Palladium - Wooden Statue of Athena at Troy - 1 c. AD Marble
Relief.
i. What happened to Palladium? Several versions, but one is that Odysseus and
Diomedes stole it from Troy.
1) Slide - red-figured, Odysseus and Diomedes carrying it off, with Athena watching
it.
ii. What does it matter to Romans? Roman legend was Aeneas was a survivor of Illiou
persis - brought Palladion to Rome, not stolen.
iii. Romans had a statue called Palladion, which was moved.
3. Greeks knew about Rome and mentioned it in 5th BC - Different versions
a. Aeneas and Evander (Greek who moved there and founded it)
b. Evander (
Archadia)
c. Valentia
d. Rhome (a woman very rare)
e. Most popular one - Aeneas
i. Slide - Aeneas - red figured 450 BC - idea that Aeneas survived Troy was not Roman,
but part of Greek literature. Can tell this is Aeneas, carrying his invalid father, has son
with him. Wife started to follow them, she got lost, it was night, and she died - she
was killed in the seige. He led other survivers
4. Roman versions of founding
a. Rhomus/Rhome or Romulus - imagined city took name from person who founded. Roman
version is from 1 c. BC to forever. This version is in Vergil Aeneas and in Livy.
b. Aeneas escapes Troy with father and founds Rome
i. Slide - Marble carving from alter - 1st century AD - from Carthage, after Romans
rebuilt it from being vacant for 150 years. Child looks bigger than should, like a
puppet.
ii. Slide - Gian Lorenze Bernini 1618-19 - Bernini - lifting UP movement that he is known
for, marble statue - Aeneas lifting father, father is carrying the Lares, not the
Palladiom.
iii. Slide - Denarius of J. Caesar - 47-46 BC - Aeneas with Palladion - All of Caesar clan
believed they were decendant to Aeneas son, part of political idea of reforming Rome.
c. Vergial Aeneid - asked by Roman emperor write an epic about Rome - 12 Books, it combines
aspects of the Odyssey and Illiad but order is inverted - starts out with journey and ends
with war.
with war.
i. Worked on it for 10 years, wasnt happy with it, wanted it burned after death, but
Emperor Augustus forbid it.
ii. One of the earliest surviving books from this time is the Vatican Vergial Codex - 450 500 AD arma virumque cana - on papayrus (animal skin) in Vatican library, illustrated.
1) Slide from Vatican Vergial Codex - illustrated to show Aeneas leaving Troy.
iii. Starts out arma virumque cano - weapons and a man my song - not wrath, but
weapons, but also a man. Very like Odyssey. Distinquished his man from Odysseus - a
man propelled by fate, he first came to Italian shore - Mention of fate HUGE
difference from Illiad.
iv. Man is told his is to found a new Troy - has to find the area, gets series of prophecies,
interpretes them wrong and gets lost, first half of book is the wanderings of Aeneas.
Lots of false starts - passes some of route Odysseus did. At one point they even land
on island of Polythemos and see blinded Polythemos stumbling around with his
wound.
v. When get to Italy, they get final sign - when see a sow with 30 piglets, thats where
you build the city.
1) Slide - Marble slide - why 30 piglets? There were 30 Roman tribes.
vi. At end of story, it comes back to FATE - it is fated that Aeneas comes to this shore and
found the city - the gods are on his side.
vii. Throughout it all, he suffers, its about the future, not present. He is very pious. He
never questions the gods. A lot of different outlooks from the Illiad and Odyssey.
d. Vergils' contemporary - Livy - Titus Livius - 59-17 AD - No title for this book. History = ab
urbe condita- 1st 3 words from book is from the founding of Roman - I will tell as story. Livy
and Vergil are working together. 753 traditional date. 725 years after the founding is the
1st writing of the history. Livy was working on it 1st 0 142 roles of papyrus initially - Books
1-V e. 27 BC is when we date the Roman empire - Octavian Caesar receives title - Augustus - 1st
Roman emperor.
5. Livy History a. Refers to Rome as the greatest nation that ever was/is - considered hyperbole - however,
for Livy and Vergil - Rome controlled EVERYTHING - already beat everyone they knew controlled economics etc of all their known world - pax deorum must have worked - gods
are on Rome's side. Livy also complains about how hard it is to do a history over 725 years
old
b. Immense labor - antiquity vs. contemporary. Rome had a history of civil unrest - Caesar v.
Pompey; Augustus vs. Antony and Cleopatra - Livy wants to look at the happy old days
c. Divine origin - glory - Mars was the first parent and father of the man who founded their
city, Venus & Mars. Aphrodite & Ares.
d. Venus was ancestoress of Aeneas (parent).
i. Dominion - Rudyard Kipling e. Livy - in my own time there has been a complete collapse of morals. Audiences of his time
would think of Hesiod. Livy talks about the vices and their remedies, the remedies would be
so strong that it is probably too late.
f. Whats the value of history? To provide examples of conduct (term in Latin - exempla exemplum (sing) - for conduct) - can find these examples for yourself in your history, base
things on both good and bad. Roman history is didactic for him.
g. Rhetorical training come through in his history. Greek models antitheses - vices of avarice
and luxury" Rhetoric extremely important in Latin life. Livy studies all of the Greek writers can see the balance of this.
h. Ends up in parafrastic way - end with prayers to all the hosts of heaven to help me with this
work - roundabout way of giving praise to Muse of history - Clio
i. Survivors of Illioupersis - Another survivor of Troy - Antenor.
i. Antenor - settled in Italy: Po Valley/Sicily
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Antenor - settled in Italy: Po Valley/Sicily

Told Diomedes settled in southern italy after trojan war.
Aeneas wanders - nostos - Reference by Vergil on page 31.
Livy gives 2 versions of the existing myths (makes him unique among historians of the
time)
1) Landed at Laurentium - Aeneas vs. Latinus - Eponomus ancestors - everyone
from that line and territory named after them. Aeneas marries Princess
2) Alternatively - Aeneas shows up and Latinus recognizes that he is a noble man
and offers him a alliance and Lavinia - comparable to Odysseus landing in
Phraekia. Its the second version that Vergil follows.
3) Turnus, local chieftain of Rutuli - makes war because he wanted to marry
princess - same as Illiad and Odysseus theme - War over a woman, Vergil
WANTS you to think of these. Aeneas dies fighting (although other versions) In
Vergil - Aeneid - Aneas kills Turnus.
a) We know there are completing stories about what happened after the
defeat of Turnus - Livy says he survives and founds the city called Lavinia
(named after his wife)
b) Ascanikus or Iulus (Julus), son of Aeneas - grows up and goes with some of
Trojans and Romans and founds new city - Alba Longa. Julus has a son
Aeneas Silvius (or son of Aeneas in other version) who founds the Silvian
Dynasty.
i) Importance of Julus is the importance of Julius to Augustus - not
actually censorship, but poet chooses this to get Augustus approval.
c) 12 generations of Silvian Dynasty - 12 is the magical number - its about
lunar cycles. Sons of Proca who were Amuliusand Numitor - two brothers
that are supposed to share kingdom.
i) Amulius locks up Numitor and forces daughter to become priestess Rhea Silva - Vergil calls her Illia (forms connection to Illiad). Had to
join Vestal Virgins - Hestia/Vesta - goddess of home and hearth.
Temple of Vesta was situated right in center of Roman forum.
Priestess were choosen from the best of the best Roman families.
Highest public honor for a Roman women. Did it for 30 years. Had
to take a vow of chastity. Job was to conduct religious services
every day and to keep a fire burning on the temple hearth. If it
went out, the person who was in charge was flogged. If broke the
vow of chastity, they were buried alive (Antigone). Last time was in
90 AD. Underground chamber, given food, and locked in.
d) Reason he did this is so that his children and not Numitor's children will
rule city. However, Mars falls in love with Rhea Silvia. Result - twins Romulus and Remos
i) Slide - 5tyh c. BC wolf - saved twins. Wolf was a totem for the
Romans in prehistoric times, eventually it becomes this story.
Statue - found in Italy, probably Rome. Dont know if part of
statuary group, added in Reneissiance
e) In Livy's day - could go visit the CAVE where the wolf used to live, it was a
shrine right in center of city on Pallentine hill, surrounded by a fence was
the ficus ruminalis - the fig tree where the twins were nursed by the wolf.
Ruma or rumis - breast. - why a fig tree? Shape of fig like a breast and if
you cut a fig tree, the sap looks like milk.
f) Twins saved by a shepard who takes them home to wife.
g) Livy's skeptiscm of story shows - not actually shephard's wife, but the lupa
(prostitute) for the shephards.
h) Livy recounts story that Evander of Arcadia - established the festival of the
Lyupercalia in February - lived there.
Lyupercalia in February - lived there.

i) R & R like Robin Hood figures - protect shephards from bandits etc Remus captured, and recognized by Numitor - parallels to Oedipus and
sons of Oedipus. Kill the evil king, Numitor put back in power, all is right
with world. Twins now have to go found their own city.
j) Twins go to Rome (Etruscan word for breast)
k) 7 hills - Capitoline, Palatine, Aventine (3 that are important for founding of
Rome) and Rome was called Roma Quadrata (the four sided city)

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Classical Mythology Page 2

6-10-2011 Fertility II Module

1. Narcissis and Echoe

brings child into the light. - Child is Adonis

saw what happened - brings truth to light.

vi) Slide - Red-figure - 450 NBC - Hermes (psychopomos) Persephone &

Classical Mythology Page 7

6-14-2011 Lecture Notes - Fertility II

ii) Chthonic - earth (Gaia or Tartaros)

Zoroaster religion which flourished in 6th c. BC. Zoroaster was a prophet

Classical Mythology Page 11

6-14-2011 Divine Myth - Dionysos

Dionysos AKA Bacchos/Bakkxos

by Tiresias (prophet) - to accept Dionysos. Pentheus goes to Mt. Cithaeron, spies on

Classical Mythology Page 16

6-15-2011 Afterlives Wednesday, June 15, 2011

offering ceremonies that were destroyed by

lotteries to get into office etc. Not quite like our

c) Slide Gustave Moreau -1865- PreRaphaelite, blurry

i) Slide - Charu/Charun - not boatman, but

Classical Mythology Page 23

6-16-2011 and 6-17-2011 Legends

over the world. Talent - 50 lbs.

Classical Mythology Page 25

6-20-2011 - Heracles - Labors and Death

shape of ancient greek temple, so it was inspired by

iii) Anagnorisis - recognition or revelation of trust - Aristotle also said

Classical Mythology Page 30

June 23, 2011 - Trojan Saga continued

iii) Closer and more interesting is a fragmentary poem (parts survive in

stepped in and preserved Hector's body from decay. Accounts of when

1) Alexandros = Man repeller

d. Allotment of captives - ancient contradicts it occasionally

Classical Mythology Page 35

June 21, 2011 - Heracles - Death of Heracles/OedipusAntigone/Jason and Medea

1. Slide - Black figured vase - Netos and Hercules

becomes standard version.

Classical Mythology Page 40

June 22, 2011 - Euripides - Medea

Classical Mythology Page 43

June 22, 2011 - Trojan saga

1. Background is in Apollodorus Bibliotheka

cannot ignore it or it will just become stronger.

i) Apollodorus gives a catelog of ships

Classical Mythology Page 46

June 24, 2011 - Trojan Saga/Odyssey

1. Wound is symbolic of many things - wont heal

to the war) and Odysseus for leaving him there

4) Chorus stays - Philoktetes speaks to his cave - reminiscent of Enkidu in Epic of

iii. Odysseus is the selfless hero