Midterm Terms

Question 1

Agon

Answer 1

On-stage debate between 2 characters

Question 2

Amoibaion

Answer 2

Choral dialogue

Question 3

Alastor

Answer 3

A spirit of revenge, (like a masculine fury) – Oed somewhat becomes one in Colonus

Question 4

Anagnorisis

Answer 4

Recognition (Aristotle -> discovery of a true identity (yours or otherwise) essentially ignorance into knowledge).&raquo_space;one of Aristotle’s 2 requirements for tragedy other than reversal

Question 5

Archon

Answer 5

Official or magistrate

Question 6

Aeropagus

Answer 6

Hill of Ares, location of trial scene in Eumenides, where the Aeropagus Council was imagined to be created. Oversight over certain murder trials.

Question 7

Ate

Answer 7

Delusion/Ruin (which are essentially the same thing here)

Question 8

Associative Poetics

Answer 8

Aeschylus’ juxtaposition of dramatic action with another (Basically when one thing can remind you of another thing) Ex: Fire conveys the fall of Troy (Agamemnon) but also red and killing, and destruction.

Question 9

Bacchanal

Answer 9

Female worshipper of Dionysus, Bakkh(e-), Bacchant, Bakkhos for a male which is also the word for Bacchus himself.

Question 10

Blood-guilt

Answer 10

Special crime of killing someone related by blood

Question 11

Bromios/Bromius

Answer 11

Greek name for Dionysus

Question 12

Catharsis

Answer 12

Cleansing etc –> Aristotle says the audience experiencing pity and fear produces catharsis/purification from the psyche.

Question 13

Choregia

Answer 13

Duty imposed by the state on a wealthy citizen. A choregus’ job was to fund and organize the production of drama at a festival. Would receive special recognition if his production won.

Question 14

Coryphaeus

Answer 14

Chorus leader, job to dialogue with speaking characters or insert brief comments into dialogue between characters.

Question 15

Crepidata

Answer 15

Genre of Roman drama. Crepida: soft boot worn by actors performing Greek tragedy. Crepidatae were adapted/translated from Greek originals.

Question 16

Delphi

Answer 16

A Greek city 2 hours west of Athens, where Apollo’s most famous oracle. Pythia-the priestess of Apollo who serve as God’s mouthpiece.

Two famous sayings inscribed at the temple;
“Know thyself!”
“Nothing to excess!”

Question 17

Desis

Answer 17

Aristotle’s term for complication –> the problem tragic action seeks to resolve

Question 18

Dues Ex Machina

Answer 18

Latin for “God from the machine”.

Question 19

Dike

Answer 19

Justice

Question 20

Dionysia

Answer 20

Any festival honoring the God Dionysus. Greater Dionysia is the principal festival of the God. Lenaea, very old festival from lenai –> female worshippers

Question 21

Dionysus

Answer 21

Son of Zeus and Semele. God of wine, revelry, drama. Aka: Bacchus, Bromios, Iacchus. “The Twice Born” because he was born once from his mother and once from Zeus’ thigh.

Question 22

Dithyramb

Answer 22

Choral poems honoring Dionysus. 50 males dancing and singing in a circle.

Question 23

Ekkuklema

Answer 23

Stage trolley used to roll corpses in order to reveal what happened behind the scenes.

Question 24

Episode

Answer 24

Any section of a play following the entry of the chorus, between stasimon choruses, and featuring dialogue between actors or with the chorus leader.

Question 24

Eponymous Archon

Answer 24

Athenian official whose duties included overseeing the selection of finalists in dramatic competitions.

Question 25

Erinys (Furies)

Answer 25

Daughters of night, ancient Greek goddesses of punishment. In tragedy, spring up to punish blood guilt.

Question 26

Eros

Answer 26

Love, desire, lust, greed, hunger, ambition, often overpowering, irrational, disastrous. Eros also refers to the god of love/lust.

Question 27

Essentialism

Answer 27

The idea that a category can describe some fundamental core truth about a class of things. Ex: chair can be used to describe many objects, but most chairs also share characteristics. Think of it in sense of tragedy.

Question 28

Eumenides

Answer 28

"Kindly Ones" (those who we wish were kindly, though we fear them greatly), alternative name of the Furies (Colonus).

Question 29

Exodos

Answer 29

Finale and chorale exit song

Question 30

Ethos

Answer 30

"Character": dramatized personage's inner motivations in relation to their morals.

Question 31

Fabula

Answer 31

Latin for story, myth, fable, play. Two genres: Crepidata Praetextia

Question 32

Hamartia

Answer 32

Greek, error/mistake/transgression. (NOT flaw). Ham. of a noble or lofty is always what sets tragic action in motion.

Question 33

Heros

Answer 33

Greek word (we get hero) deified spirit of a dead person, capable of protecting or harming the living. (Oed at Colonus)

Question 34

Hubris

Answer 34

Greek, insult, arrogance, insolance. Any act of infringing on the dignity of another.

Question 35

Hupokrites

Answer 35

Answerer/Actor

Question 36

Iacchus

Answer 36

He of the cry, lo! --> Dionysus

Question 37

Ideal type

Answer 37

Intellectual construct mapping out key features of a category or classification. Ex: what makes pizza pizza (the essence of pizza)

Question 38

io bakkhe!

Answer 38

Worship of Dionysus

Question 39

Khoros

Answer 39

Chorus

Question 40

Komast

Answer 40

Male performer of a Komos --> root of comedy, drunken revel, country district, word for dramas

Question 41

Kommos

Answer 41

To strike [one's breast in lamentation]. A kommos is sung lamentation scene featuring dialogue between main character and the chorus

Question 42

Koros

Answer 42

Excess --> wealth, power, pleasure which can induce hubris and crime

Question 43

Lusis

Answer 43

Aristotle: Resolution , usually through reversal

Question 43

Libation

Answer 43

A drink offering to a god or to the dead. It is poured on the ground or altar. At drinking parties its customary to offer 3 libations to 3 gods, the third to Zeus the Savior

Question 44

Maenad

Answer 44

Female worshipper of Dionysus

Question 45

Mekhane

Answer 45

Greek: stage machine

Question 46

Mimesis

Answer 46

Greek: imitation

Question 47

Mos Maiorum

Answer 47

Latin: Way of the ancestors

Question 48

Muthos

Answer 48

Greek: myth, story, plot.

Question 49

Nominalism

Answer 49

the position that categories are merely conventional labels

Question 50

Omophagia

Answer 50

Greek: "Raw flesh eating", sometimes attributed to Dionysus worship

Question 51

Orkhestra

Answer 51

Dancing area in front of the stage of a Greek theater.

Question 52

Parodos

Answer 52

1. "side path" where performers pass when enter/exiting the performing area of a Greek theater 2. "entry song" of the chorus

Question 53

Pathei Mathos

Answer 53

Aesh's Agamemnon: "learning through suffering"

Question 54

Peripeteia

Answer 54

Greek: Reversal