CMLT316 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Lapiths, Hippomenes, Actaeon
3 Jun 2018
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February 27th - CH 11
● The Greeks as binary thinkers:
○ Zeus (sky) and Hera (earth)
○ Ares (war) and Aphrodite (love)
○ Hephaestus and Aphrodite
● Other children of Zeus
○ (+ Hera) Eileithyia
■ Goddess of childbirth
○ (+ Hera) Hebe
■ Olympian cupbearer
○ (+ Themis/Ananke) Fates: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos
● Poseidon
○ Brother of Zeus
○ God of the sea, earthquakes, horses and bulls
○ Appears middle-aged and bearded in art
○ Dishevelled hair
○ Special token: trident
● Temple of Poseidon is in Athens
● Polyphemus and Galatea (and Acis)
○ Polyphemus smashes Acis with a piece of mountain
○ From Acis’ blood flowed a Sicilian river and he became his spirit
○ Ovid being subversive:
■ A parody of love poetry
■ Combing his hair with a rake
■ Playing a 100-reed pan flute
■ Making excuses for his giant eyeball
● Apollo
○ “Young” god in art
○ Depicted with a bow and arrow or a lyre
○ Represents youthful aspects of male existence
○ Son of Zeus and Titan Leto
● Delos
○ Leto searches for a place to give birth to Apollo and finds the island of Delos
○ She reluctantly agrees to have birth there
○ Hera keeps Eilytheia away but she is eventually bribed to help Leto
● Apollo at Delphi (the Python)
○ Killed the Python at 4 days old
○ He must be purified
○ A story about Apollo establishing his oracle
○ Seen as a myth to explain the replacement of an old belief at the site
● The Site of Delphi
○ Pythian Games
○ Major oracle in Greek world
○ Key site for receiving Apollo’s prophecies
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
○ Pythian priestess
■ Debate about what role she served
■ Modern research leaning towards offering the priestess a lot of autonomy
in her ‘divine inspirations’
● Apollo’s Relationships
○ Hetero and homo
○ Several end tragically
○ His story often has been interpreted as relating the pain of young love
○ Daphne (and the origin of Apollo’s sacred tree, the laurel)
○ Hyacinthus and the jealous Zephyr (west wind)
○ Laurel crown for athletes and poets
● Sibyl of Cumae (Roman)
○ Depicted as raving when inspired by the god
○ Theme of a god’s gift
● Cassandra
○ Given gift of prophecy by Apollo if she gave herself to him
○ She changed her mind
○ She was doomed to see the future but have no one believe her
● Apollo and Helos
○ Apollo’s epithet Phoebus means ‘shining’ - may have encouraged a connection
between him and Helios
○ Illustrates the elision of gods
● Phaethon
○ Son of Helios (sun) and Cyrene (mortal)
○ Phaethon approaches Helios asking to know his true birthright
■ In india
○ Helios grants his son a wish (swearing on the river Styx)
● Gnothi Seauton = “know thyself”
March 6th - CH 12
● The Site of Delphi
○ Some have speculated that the high place of the Pythian Priestesses at Delphi is
owing to an older tradition associated with the Python
● Phaethon
○ Phaethon cannot control the horses
○ Scorches Libya and threatens Olympus
○ Zeus strikes him down with a thunderbolt
○ Horses return to the West
● Hermes
○ Winged shoes
○ Traveler’s hat
○ Caduceus - messenger's staff
○ Young god
○ The god of boundaries
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Other children of zeus (+ hera) eileithyia. Olympian cupbearer (+ themis/ananke) fates: clotho, lachesis, and atropos. God of the sea, earthquakes, horses and bulls. Polyphemus smashes acis with a piece of mountain. From acis" blood flowed a sicilian river and he became his spirit. Depicted with a bow and arrow or a lyre. Leto searches for a place to give birth to apollo and finds the island of delos. She reluctantly agrees to have birth there. Hera keeps eilytheia away but she is eventually bribed to help leto. Killed the python at 4 days old. A story about apollo establishing his oracle. Seen as a myth to explain the replacement of an old belief at the site. Modern research leaning towards offering the priestess a lot of autonomy. His story often has been interpreted as relating the pain of young love. Daphne (and the origin of apollo"s sacred tree, the laurel) Hyacinthus and the jealous zephyr (west wind)
