midterm 2 passages Flashcards
“Said Uta-napishti [= boat maker
and flood survivor] to him, to Gilgamesh: ‘Let me disclose, O
Gilgamesh, a matter most secret, to you I will tell a mystery of
gods. The town of Shuruppak, a city well known to you, which
stands on the banks of the river Euphrates: this city was old—the
gods once were in it—when the great gods decided to send down
the Deluge. Their father Anu swore on oath, and their counsellor,
the hero Enlil, their chamberlain, the god Ninurta, and their
sheriff, the god Ennugi. Princely Ea swore with them also,
repeating their words to a fence made of reed: “O fence of reed!
O wall of brick! Hear this, O fence! Pay heed, O wall! O man of
Shuruppak, son of Ubar-Tutu, demolish the house, and build a
boat! Abandon wealth, and seek survival! Spurn property, save
life! Take on board the boat all living things’ seed!”
This is the beginning of the Tablet XI of The Epic of Gilgamesh and it talks about the flood. Gilgamesh lived in Uruk and Shuruppak was the city that was flooded.
‘I understood, and spoke to Ea, my master: “I obey, O master, what thus you told me. I understood, and I shall do it, but how do I answer my city, the crowd and the elders?” ‘Ea opened his mouth to speak, saying to me, his servant: “Also you will say to them this: ‘For sure the god Enlil feels for me hatred. In your city I can live no longer, I can treat no more [on] Enlil’s ground. [I must] go to the Ocean Below, to live with Ea, my master, and he will send you a rain of plenty: [an abundance] of birds, a profusion of fishes, [he will provide] a harvest of riches. In the morning he will send you a shower of bread-cakes, and in the evening a torrent of wheat.’”
This is the Tablet XI of The Epic of Gilgamesh and it’s Uta-napishti recounting the harrowing lie to Gilgamesh.
“How could I speak evil in the gods’ assembly, and declare a war to destroy my people? It is I who give birth, these people are mine! And now, like fish, they fill the ocean!”
This is from the Tablet XI of The Epic of Gilgamesh and it talks about the six-day-seven-night storm that stands behind the lie that even terrified the gods, leading the one goddess to question her role in events.
“And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh; for the earth is filled with violence through them; behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch…For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you, to keep them alive. Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them.” (6.13-21, RSV)
The Flood compares to the one in the Bible with Noah’s Ark and the flood that lasted for 40 days and 40 nights. This is from Genesis and was written in Biblical Hebrew.
“I have determined to make an end of all flesh; for the earth is filled with violence through them; behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”
This is from the Bible, Genesis and this is when God wipes out all humans except Noah and his family because of their violence.
“but how do I answer my city, the crowd and the elders?” ‘Ea opened his mouth to speak, saying to me, his servant: “Also you will say to them this: … In the morning he will send you a shower of bread-cakes, and in the evening a torrent of wheat.’”
This is from the Epic of Gilgamesh and this passage describes how Gilgamesh deals explicitly with the lie Uta-napishti tells his people (following the god instructions)
“The goddess Aruru, she washed her hands, took a pinch of clay, threw it down in the wild. In the wild she created Enkidu, the hero, offspring of silence, knit strong by Ninurta. All his body is matted with hair, he bears long tresses like those of a woman: the hair of his head grows thickly as barley, he knows not a people, nor even a country. Coated in hair like the god of the animals, with the gazelles he grazes on grasses, joining the throng with the game at the water-hole, his heart delighting with the beasts in the water.”
This is from Tablet I of The Epic of Gilgamesh and this is Enkidu before.
“[Take the road,] set your face [toward Uruk,] [do not rely on] the strength of a man! [Go, my son, and] fetch [Shamhat the harlot=a temple prostitute,] [her allure is a match] for even the mighty.”
This is from Tablet I from the Epic of Gilgamesh and this is the advice of the Hunter’s father when Enkidu disturbs his hunt.
“She did for the man the work of a woman, his passion caressed and embraced her. For six days and seven nights Enkidu was erect, as he coupled with Shamhat. When with her delights he was fully sated, he turned his gaze to his herd. The gazelles saw Enkidu, they started to run, the beasts of the field shied away from his presence. Enkidu had defiled his body so pure, his legs stood still, though his herd was in motion. Enkidu was weakened, could not run as before, but now he had reason, and wide understanding. He came back and sat at the feet of the harlot, watching the harlot, observing her features. Then to the harlot’s words he listened intently, [as Shamhat] talked to him, to Enkidu: ‘You are handsome, Enkidu, you are just like a god! Why with the beasts do you wander the wild? Come, I will take you to Uruk-the Sheepfold, to the sacred temple, home of Anu and Ishtar, where Gilgamesh is perfect in strength…”
This is from Tablet I of the Epic of Gilgamesh and this is Enkidu and Shamhat. 6 days and 7 nights in Tablet I is the length of sex act, compared to Tablet XI which was the failed sleep and the flood.
“The stars of heaven [appeared] above you, [like a] rock from the sky one fell down before you. You lifted it up, but it weighed too much for you, you tried to roll it, but you could not dislodge it. You lifted it up, set it down at my feet, and I, Ninsun, I made it your equal. Like a wife you loved it, caressed it and embraced it: a mighty comrade will come to you, and be his friend’s savior. Mightiest in the land, strength he possesses, his strength is as mighty as a rock from the sky. Like a wife you’ll love him, caress and embrace him, he will be mighty, and often will save you.”
This is Tablet I from the Epic of Gilgamesh and this is Ninsun describing her first dream that repeats into a second dream. These dreams are of her Son Gilgamesh’s dreams of Enkidu.
“I drew my sword and sat on guard, preventing the spirits of the dead from coming hear the blood, till I had met Tiresias.”
This is from Odyssey Book 11 and It’s Odysseus speaking about his journey to the underworld and speaking to the dead.
“When you arrive in your own land, do not / anchor your ship in full view; move in secret. / There is no trusting women any longer.”
This is Odyssey Book 11 by Homer and this is Agamemnon speaking
“When you meet somebody, a traveler, / who calls the thing you carry on your back / a winnowing fan, then fix that oar in earth / and make fine sacrifices to Poseidon— / a bull and a stud-boar. Then you will go home…”
This is from Odyssey book 11 by Homerand this is the prophecy of Teiresias.
“By the men you left, the absent ones! And by your wife! And father, who brought you up from babyhood! And by your son Telemachus, whom you abandoned alone at home, I beg you! When you sail from Hades and you dock your ship again at Aeaea, please, my lord, remember me. Do not go on and leave me unburied, abandoned, without tears or lamentation—or you will make the gods enraged at you. Burn me with all my arms, and heap a mound beside the gray salt sea, so in the future people will know of me and my misfortune.”
This is the Odyssey Book 11 by Homer and this is Elenor’s request to Odysseus
“My child! How did you come here through the darkness while you were still alive? This place is hard for living men to see. There are great rivers and dreadful gulfs, including the great Ocean which none can cross on foot; one needs a ship. Have you come wandering here, so far from Troy, with ship and crew? Have you not yet arrived in Ithaca, nor seen your wife at home?”
Odyssey Book 11 by Homer and this is Antikleia offering a view of the underworld and it’s geography
“Oh my child! You are the most unlucky man alive. Persephone is not deceiving you. This is the rule for mortals when we die. Our muscles cease to hold the flesh and skeleton together; as soon as life departs from our white bones, the force of blazing fire destroys the corpse. The spirit flies away and soon is gone, just like a dream. Now hurry to the light; remember all these things, so you may tell your wife in times to come.”
Odyssey Book 11 by Homer and this is Antikleia offering a view of Ancient Greek beliefs about death
“Alcinous replied, “Odysseus, the earth sustains all different kinds of people. Many are cheats and thieves, who fashion lies out of thin air. But when I look at you, I know you are not in that category. Your story has both grace and wisdom in it. You sounded like a skillful poet, telling the sufferings of all the Greeks, including what you endured yourself. But come now, tell me if you saw any spirits of your friends, who went with you to Troy and undertook the grief and pain of war. The night is long; it is not time to sleep yet.”
Odyssey Book 11 by Homer and this is In the Palace of Alkinous and Crete on Phaeakia 7-8 years later
“I cried out, “Curse her! Zeus has always brought disaster to the house of Atreus through women. Many men were lost for Helen, and Clytemnestra formed this plot against you when you were far away.”
Odyssey Book 11 by Homer and this is Odysseus on the Women in the House of Atreus (The family of Agamemnon and Menelaus, Atreus’ sons)
“Odysseus, you must not comfort me for death. I would prefer to be a workman, hired by a poor man on a peasant farm, than rule as king of all the dead.”
Odyssey Book 11 by Homer and this is Achilles speaking to Odysseus in the underworld
“Please, Ajax, son of mighty Telamon, can you not set aside your rage at me about those cursed arms? Not even now, in death? The gods made them to ruin us. You were our tower; what a loss you were! We Greeks were struck by grief when you were gone; we mourned for you as long as for Achilles. Blame nobody by Zeus.”
Odyssey Book 11 by Homer and this Odysseus speaking to Ajax
“so you are also tortured by the weight of fortune as I was while I lived beneath the sun? I was a son of Zeus, and yet my pain was infinite. I was enslaved to someone far less heroic than myself, who laid harsh labors on me. Once he sent me here to bring back Cerberus, since he could think of no worse task for me.”
Odyssey Book 11by Homer and this is Heracles speaking to Odysseus on katabasis
“This is the rule / for mortals when we die. Our muscles cease / to hold the flesh and skeleton together; / as soon as life departs from our white bones, / the force of blazing fire destroys the corpse. / The spirit flies away and soon is gone.”
Odyssey Book 11 by Homer and this is Antikleia describing the underworld and how your soul/shadow is all that goes and that warriors keep their armor.
“Do not go on and leave me there
unburied, / abandoned, without tears or lamentation— / or you will make the gods enraged at you.”
Odyssey Book 11 by Homer and Elpenor describes the importance of burial and other rites of the dead.
“It’s said that Daedalus, fleeing Minos’ kingdom, trusted himself to the sky on sweeping wings, taking this unusual passage to to the frosty North. At last he floated down on Chalcis’ peak. Back on land, he pledged Phoebus [=Apollo] his wings—his oars for flight—and built a lofty shrine.”
This is the Aeneid 6 by Vergil and this is describing the temple of Apollo at Cumae founded by Daedalus