CLA 10 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Euripides, Homeric Hymns, Anchises
Document Summary
A chronological beginning the creation of the earth, the gods, etc: gods come before men. Where does myth begin: stories of men mixed in with stories of gods from the beginning, hesoid speaks of power of eros, one of the earliest cosmic forces, over both gods and men. Mythical stories are human stories, no matter how fantastic: humans play a critical goal. Greek gods are anthropomorphic: they have the shape of human beings. Gods have biographies; they do not exist outside of time. Gods are much more powerful than human beings, though not omnipotent. Crucially, they are subject to fate: prophecies. Gods exist outside of time and space. Gods often have sex with human beings. Gods sometimes favor a particular city or people. Gods desire worship and sacrifice from human beings. Prometheus fashioned human beings from mud, but made them in the shape of god. Prometheus steals fire back and gives it to mankind.
