Ancient Greek Culture Flashcards
(36 cards)
What were the rules of hospitality?
Welcome strangers and feed them and house them before asking why they’re there
What are mystery cults?
Cults dedicated to a particular god or goddess whose activities and beliefs were kept secret. Most had to do with getting a better place in the afterlife for those initiated
Why did people avoid talking about Hades? How did they talk about him when they had to?
They feared him, and used apotropaic names whenever talking about him to avoid attracting his attention.
Why can’t a timeline of the events in myths be established?
The stories are local to particular areas, and are collected from all over Greece. Things contradict each other when we try to establish a timeline
How were the Romans influenced by Greek culture?
They borrowed the stories of the Greeks and supplanted their stories into them. They had their own set of gods and stories about the origins of their cities, but were impressed by the Greeks and wanted to emulate them
Who were the Mycenaeans? When did they live? What do we know about how they lived?
The people who lived in Greece from 1600-1100 B.C.E. We don’t know anything about their mythology, and texts from their cities are accounting documents about trade and taxes and stuff. They’re written in Linear B, but mention many of the gods, indicating that they were worshipped then.
Which gods are mentioned in Mycenaean texts?
Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Artemis, Hermes, Ares (under the epithet Enyalius), Apollo (under the epithet Paean), Eileithyia
What is the role of magic in Greece?
It is competitive, meant to harm and rival. The goddess of magic is Hecate, and she will stand by anyone she favours
Why are actual time periods called the Bronze Age and the Iron Age?
Inspired in part by the ages of man in Ovid and Hesiod, but the bronze age is characterized by bronze and copper metallurgy, and the Iron Age is economic depression and the beginning of iron metallurgy
Why do myths often have sexual attacks in them? 3 reasons
- gods are anthropomorphic, and produce other gods, heroes and aspects of the universe sexually
- Women aren’t regarded as autonomous, property of men, first their fathers then their husbands, marriages were arranged
- The stories were written by men for men, and are conditioned by societal norms to present stories like that
What gods are associated with rites of passage?
Apollo and Artemis
Why are rites of passages significant in Ancient Greece?
It represents a death (death of childhood, death of innocence), and that death creates their adult self
What is the rite of passage for boys in Sparta?
They mourn Hyacinthus for a while, spend time outside of the cities as animals, then are brought back into the city as adults
How is Apollo’s temple in Delphi important in society?
The high priestess, the Pythia, is the oracle to Apollo. She receives divine knowledge from Apollo when someone makes a sacrifice to him and fills the room with the smoke. She thens sends the cryptic message down with the priests to the person who requested it
What were the pythian games?
Sport and poetry contests in honour of Apollo held every 4 years before the olympics
Why is knowing that the Mycenaeans worshipped many of the same gods important?
Shows persistence/conservatism of the gods that are worshipped
What are the cities that are prominent in the Late Bronze Age?
Athens, Thebes, Sparta, Pylos, Tiryns, Knossos, Mycenae
Why are these cities especially important when looking at myths from later times?
They were usually the setting of myths, show that the Mycenaeans were involved in the politics and conflicts of those times
What are the most powerful cities in the Archaic period?
Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Corinth, Megara, Miletus
When was the Archaic Period? Why was it important?
750-480 B.C. A renaissance happened at the very beginning getting out of the Iron Age, and the earliest texts that have myths in them from this time
Why did Mycenaean civilization fall in 1100 B.C.?
Climate change (likely from a volcanic eruption). Led to cooler climate and agriculture failed. People left the area and conflicts arose
Why were oral poets important in the transmission of knowledge?
The were keepers of the knowledge about the past and the gods, and sung stories to an audience
Why did poets adapt the stories to present events?
To satisfy their audiences. Times and politics change, and the poet can’t just tell the same story over and over. That won’t satisfy the audience, and things that don’t do that get forgotten and not passed on.
What are the conservative mechanisms and the innovative mechanisms poets used to tell stories?
Conservative: telling the same stories, keeping the knowledge consistent
Innovative: adapting the story to satisfy the audience
