Chapter's

6-7: Myths of Male Gods & Guest Speaker

Thursday, January 21, 2 016

11:08 A M

Terminology
Brotos - to describe us ( it means one is just like us, you, me, and every other)
Ambrotos - God ( they don't have what we have in terms of anatomical and
physiological structures)
Ambrosia - food of the Gods
Eichor - when Aphrodite is wounded, eichor pours out ( the God's are made out
of different things)
Homeric Hymns - best source we have for mythic biographies for the Gods ( 34
of them in total)
No homer wrote or composed them
Oldest poem - 720 BCE
They can range from 3-500 lines
Henotheistic - recognizes multiple Gods, only acknowledges one
Polytheistic (Greek culture) - worshipping many Gods
The group of Gods is known as a Pantheon
Awanke - driving force that stabilizes the universe ( similar to karma)
Gods have/are:
1- Competency (on handout sheet)
2- Epithet - a title attached to a God
3- Fixed - Gods stop growing at a certain age (it was convenient)
Ex. Apollo will always remain in his early 20s
The Gods - live forever, as long as the world exists
They reflect and embody human nature and nature itself
They are sometimes used to present allegory (something used to
represent something else)
The Olympians
1- Zeus (his name can also have a "d" in it [ex. Dios])
Lives on Mount Olympus
Brings storms

The Olympians
1- Zeus (his name can also have a "d" in it [ex. Dios])
Lives on Mount Olympus
Brings storms
Wheels the thunder bolt, as a means of fighting the Titans
Carries a shield called the Aegis
Recognized as the only god with supreme powers
He guards justice and Xenia (relationship between the guest and host)
He produces offspring for the 2nd generation of the Olympians ( he has
MANY affairs)
Ex. Maya and Zeus mate = Hermes
He resides over the cosmos
His various affairs = syncretism (a process of blending together with local
goddess figures)
Close connection to Crete
2- Poseidon (god of the earth and seas)
"Pos" - spouse/husband
His name is found among the linear B tablets = he goes back around to
2000 BCE
The god of earthquakes
His weapon is the trident (3 point fork)
Apparently, at a time he was competing with Athena
Poseidon gave a salt water spring and Athena gave a olive tree
Raised on an island called Rhodes
Amphitrite (sea goddess) - his bae
One of the fathers of the hero - Theseus
3- Hades (the one who is not seen)
Polydegmn - taker of all
This makes him Pluton (rich)
4- Hephaestus (god of the black smith)
Son of Zeus and Hera ( or just Hera)
Only Olympian that is described as ugly
Some say he's so ugly bc of his profession ( blacksmith disease)
Hunched over, walks with a cane, limps
Bc he's so unattractive, she flings him from Olympus and he lands on
Lemnos
This is the other reason why he might be ugly ^
No one knows which 2 versions of the stories are correct

 Hunched over, walks with a cane, limps

Bc he's so unattractive, she flings him from Olympus and he lands on
Lemnos
This is the other reason why he might be ugly ^
No one knows which 2 versions of the stories are correct
[Guest Speaker]: V isualizing the Gods
Chronology

Archaic period - Emergence of small cities

Classical period - Flourishing of arts
Hellenistic period - Kings ruling over regions ( clash of diff cultures)
Roman period - eruption of Mount V esuvius

Sources of Materials

Vase Paintings - way to represent narratives/certain gods of myth

Sculpture - archaic to roman period
Architectural sculptures - provided evidence for their myths
Coins - represents gods on a smaller scale & they're mass produced = they can
travel to diff regions
Wall paintings
Ritual and performance - the gods biographies get tied to these
Temples - sacred space and focal point of sacrifice
Sanctuaries - could be multiple ones for gods

Visual Literacy
Labeling - if you don't know a narrative, you can still know who people were
(from pictures)
Attributes - convey aspects of the gods character (ex. Hercules - skinned a lion
with it's own claws)
Known associates
Key scenes
Olympia - Image of Zeus transformed and disseminated on a global level
Use of Oracles
A decision-making technique
Seeking dive guidance concerning the future consequences of one's actions
Oracles of Zeus and Dodona - Localized mythical biography

 A decision-making technique
Seeking dive guidance concerning the future consequences of one's actions
Oracles of Zeus and Dodona - Localized mythical biography