CMLT316 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: F. M. Cornford, Semitic People, Greek Alphabet
19 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Theogony: creation/origin of the gods
cosmogony:creation/origin of the universe
Cosmology: metaphysical statement about the order of the universe
3 generations as universe becomes stable
Chaos
Nyx
Erebos
Gaia: earth mother
Ouranos (+gaia=12 titans, 3 cyclopes,100 hand monsters)
Ourea
Pontos
Tartaros:underworld
Eros:desire
Kronos+Rhea (titans)=hestia, hera, demeter, hades, poseidon, zeus
zeus+metis/thetis(titans)=fates+muses
Zeus conceives apollo, artemis, ares, athena
Hera conceived Hephaistos
Near Eastern Influences
Hans Gustav Güterbock: Indo European (central turkey)
Francis Cornford: some text from syria
Similarities to hesiod's-mythology common part of culture of mediterranean
3 major groups: hittites, mesopotamia (sumerians, babylonians),
phoenicians
Clear influence in hesiod & homer’s writings
1400-1200 BCE:mycenaeans contacts hittites & west semitic peoples
1000 (iron age/dark ages): greeks on euboea trading with the levant
800-700 BCE (late geometric/early archaic): Greeks colonize mediterranean,
intensification of trade
Greek Alphabet: ca 800 BCE
2. Theogony: An Oral Poem
Hesiod repeats himself like a million times to make a point
3. Key Characters in the Poem
Zeus: top god
creates(?) mt olympus
a slut thats bad at marriage (invents marriage)
Marries his sister Hera, he’s a bitch to her-unloyal
Hera has a son by herself to retaliate
Gaia: mother earth
Fertility goddess
Mates with her son ouranos
Super important to creation of primary olympians
Document Summary
Theogony: creation/origin of the gods cosmogony:creation/origin of the universe. Cosmology: metaphysical statement about the order of the universe. Kronos+rhea (titans)=hestia, hera, demeter, hades, poseidon, zeus zeus+metis/thetis(titans)=fates+muses. Similarities to hesiod"s-mythology common part of culture of mediterranean. 3 major groups: hittites, mesopotamia (sumerians, babylonians), phoenicians. 1400-1200 bce:mycenaeans contacts hittites & west semitic peoples. 1000 (iron age/dark ages): greeks on euboea trading with the levant. 800-700 bce (late geometric/early archaic): greeks colonize mediterranean, intensi cation of trade. Greek alphabet: ca 800 bce: theogony: an oral poem. Hesiod repeats himself like a million times to make a point: key characters in the poem. Zeus: top god creates(?) mt olympus a slut thats bad at marriage (invents marriage) Marries his sister hera, he"s a bitch to her-unloyal. Hera has a son by herself to retaliate. Concerned with humans: teaching perses to live in this world zeus made.
