myths + beliefs Flashcards
(99 cards)
1
Q
what are the three sources ab roman gods?
A
- Livy’s Ad Urbe Condita
- Ovid’s metamorphoses
- the gilt bronze statue of Minerva
2
Q
why were the couches put out for the gods in Ad Urbe Condita?
A
for a ceremony
3
Q
why is pluto not given a couch in Ad Urbe Condita?
A
pluto isn’t there because he doesn’t leave the underworld
4
Q
is Livy religious?
A
yes
5
Q
what was Livy’s job?
A
he was a Roman historian
6
Q
what time period did Livy live in?
A
the Augustan age, around the 1st century AD - just after a civil war, was a time of patriotism and propaganda
7
Q
what does the ‘six couches’ being put out tell us ab the Romans’ view of the gods?
A
they had an anthropomorphic view of them
8
Q
what are the uses of livy’s ad urbe condita?
A
- names the major Olympian deities, plus Vesta (12 Gods named)
- couches suggest anthropomorphic nature of gods
- shows the gods are worshipped
- the gods like comfort and luxury
- shows the relationships between the gods
8
Q
what are the limitations of Livy’s ad urbe condita?
A
- about mythology
- pluto is missing
- Livy portrays rome as pious and therefore somehow blessed/favoured by the gods
- patriotic (biased towards Rome)
9
Q
does Livy support Augustus?
A
yes
10
Q
where is Livy from?
A
he is Roman
11
Q
what are the views on religion in Rome?
A
Rome is religious but it doesn’t matter if you believe, as long as you do the sacrifices/rituals
12
Q
what is the point of Ovid’s metamorphoses?
A
to entertain and teach moral/religious lessons
13
Q
what kind of poem is Ovid’s metamorphoses?
A
an epic poem, so it’s mythical and not a factual story
14
Q
what does Ovid’s metamorphoses tell us about the gods? (baucis and philemon extract)
A
- they can disguise themselves and visit the humans
- mercury is Jupiter’s son
- mercury is the messenger god and is related to wands and wings (iconography)
- gods expect the people to help each other as well as the gods
- gods are immortal
- gods will reward you for hospitality and generosity
15
Q
what is the story of Baucis and Philemon?
A
- Jupiter and Mercury go down to earth disguised as humans and ask to stay/be helped but are turned away by everyone except for Baucis and Philemon
- the Gods protect them while they kill everyone else (with a flood)
- one dies and they want to die together so the Gods turn them both into trees
16
Q
which time period is Ovid from?
A
the Augustan age
17
Q
what is the story of Baucis and Philemon a vivid portrayal of?
A
pietas - religious devotion/duty - and it is found in the humblest household
18
Q
what are the limitations of the Ovid’s metamorphoses? (baucis and philemon extract)
A
- designed to entertain rather than inform
- not factual (epic poem)
- didactic poem - so has a lesson so the story is geared towards a certain goal
- only mentions two characters
19
Q
who is sulis-minerva?
A
a roman-british god
20
Q
how many layers of gold are used in the gilt bronze statue of minerva?
A
6 layers
21
Q
where does the gilt bronze statue of minerva come from?
A
the cult statue (the main statue/focus in a temple so very important) - from Bath
22
Q
what are the uses of the statue of minerva?
A
- shows use of cult statue to represent the god’s presence in a temple
- romanisation in Britain involved assimilating Celtic religious practices into Roman state religion to keep both celts and romans happy
- shows importance of gods because of expensive materials
- romans worshipped
- minerva was a woman
- primary source
- anthropomorphic gods
23
Q
what are the limitations of the statue of minerva?
A
- only the head survives so it’s hard to reconstruct the og statue so we don’t know what it would’ve looked like (incomplete)
- can’t reconstruct the building which it stood in so hard to reconstruct exactly how it was used
- don’t know who made it
- helmet is missing
- might not be what minerva looked like - this is the british version (sulis-minerva)
24
what are the two sources about state religion in rome?
- the temple of Jupiter in pompeii
- the triumphal arch of Marcus Aurelius making a sacrifice
25
where was the temple of jupiter placed in pompeii?
the north end of the forum (the focal spot)
26
what was the chamber underneath the temple of jupiter for?
to store sacrifices
27
what were the temples used for in rome?
- used to hold statues of gods
- also used as treasuries (storing the state's wealth and stuff)
28
what were the uses of the source of jupiter's temple in pompeii?
- shows importance of Jupiter (+triad) because it is high up and in north end of forum
- shows were temples would be placed in the forum
- shows the layout of the temple
- shows the designs of a temple
- shows the materials used
- shows that religion is an important part of roman society
29
what do the stairs to the temple of jupiter do?
make it seel elevated, grand, and special
30
what was the inner room called and what did it do?
the cella, it was where the statues were displayed
31
what are the limitations of jupiter's temple?
- incomplete (in ruins)
- colour of temple is gone
- from pompeii and temples may have varied in diff cities so might not be typical
32
which temple is marcus aurelius making the sacrifice in front of?
Jupiter's optimum maximus
33
what is the source with marcus aurelius doing a sacrifice taken from?
a triumphal arch
34
what does a popa do in sacrifices?
bashes the animals head to stun it
35
what is there evidence of on the tombs at pompeii?
frescos and paintings
36
what was the triumphal arc with the relief of the sacrifice with marcus aurelius made for?
to celebrate emperor marcus aurelius' victories over the germanic and samaritan people
37
what are the uses of the relief of the sacrifice?
- shows the structure of a sacrifice and people involved
- shows where the sacrifices happen (outside of the temple)
- is evidence that there was a temple on the capitoline
- evidence of what might be on a triumphal arch
- primary source
- shows what they wore
38
what are the limitations of the relief of the sacrifice?
- no colour
- displays marcus aurelieus the way he wants to be seen (pious) - biased
- snapshot of sacrifice
- bias towards romans as it is from a triumphal arch
- imperial propaganda
- designed to show emperor's family as blessed by the gods (jupiter) with divine right to rule
- idealised heroic scene to portray the emperor in the best way
39
when was the relief of the sacrifice made?
176 AD
40
which people does the relief of the sacrifice show?
- marcus aurelius (pontifex maximus)
- his son
- pipe player
- victimarius (sacrifier)
- sacrifice
- haruspex/imperial family
41
what was missing from the relief of the sacrifice?
- popa (who bashes the animals head to stun them)
- animal would have had gilded horns
42
what was marcus aurelius doing in the relief of the sacrifice?
pouring wine as a libation - a sacred offerring
43
where are tombs typically placed?
outside the cities or by the entrances of the cities
44
why were the tombs placed outside the cities/by the entrances?
- to prevent religious pollution
- to prevent the spread of disease
- reminder of the dead
- show off wealth with family tombs
- so the dead can see what's happening
- there was no room in the cities
45
how many people were tombs designed to hold?
families, not just one person
46
why did tombs have information about the dead?
to remember the dead
47
what would the tombs have had?
statues or carvings of what the person who died looked like
48
why did you have to maintain the family tomb?
to bring you good fortune and prevent you being cursed
49
why would people go into the tombs?
to leave offerings, have meals with the dead, and interact with the dead
50
who had tombs?
the rich
51
what did the romans believe about the dead?
they believed they were still present and conscious in every way except physically
52
what were the uses of the tombs at pompeii?
- gives an insight into the beliefs of Romans
- shows how romans treated the dead
- shows how romans buried their dead
- the romans believed in the after-life bc they would interact with the dead
- shows what romans wanted to be remembered for
- belief of religious pollution
- belief that the dead are still present
- importance of family tombs
- small doorways lead to enclosed spaces containing niches for urns of ashes and stone benches for dining with the dead
53
what were the limitations of the tombs at pompeii?
- incomplete
- could vary from town to town
- engravings are missing
- statues are missing
- no colour
- only wealthy could afford tombs so we don't know how the poor would be buried
54
what does the fasti desribe?
the religious festivals and their origins, based on the roman religious calendar
55
who was the fasti written to appeal to?
to germanicus and to improve relations with the royal family
56
what does the mention of the pyres in the fasti tell us?
the roman were cremated
57
what is the styx?
the river in the underworld
58
what foods are mentioned in the fasti extract and what does this tell us?
- sprinkled corn
- a few grains of salt
- bread softened in wine
tells us gods are active + tells us what sort of food they ate
59
where does ovid say to place the offerings to the gods in the fasti + what does this tell us?
- in the jar left in the middle of the road
- shows the dead can leave the tomb
60
how does ovid say to placate the souls of your fathers in the fasti?
by bringing small gifts
61
what does ovid say is more important/pleases the dead more than large offerings in the fasti?
'piety pleases them more than a rich gift', and the gods in the depths of the Styx are not greedy
62
what does Ovid say to do as well as leaving the offerings for the dead?
to add prayers and appropriate words - they prayed to the dead
63
who does ovid say set up the tradition of leaving the offerings to the dead in the fasti?
Aeneas
64
what festival is ovid describing in the extract of the fasti?
the parantalia (parental days) - honouring the gods
65
what does Ovid claimed happened when the romans had waged long wars and abandoned the parental days in the fasti?
- rome grew hot with the pyres of the dead (lots of people died)
- the ancestors came out of their graves and uttered groans during the silent night
- through the streets and fields howled ugly spirits
- basically the dead came to haunt them after they had neglected them
66
what had augustus done around the time when Ovid wrote the fasti?
he had restored religious practices
67
what are the uses of the extract from the fasti?
- belief of afterlife
- shows consequences of not carrying out the religious festivals
- shows food is gifted to the gods
- gods in the afterlife live in a separate place to the rest of the gods
- romans value the god
- primary source of how the festival is celebrated
- didactic story teaching the importance of honouring the dead
- cremation
68
what two gifts other than foods does Ovid mention giving to the dead in the fasti?
- a tile wreathed in garlands
- loose violets
69
what are the limitations of Ovid's fasti?
- slightly mythological - poetry not fact
- festivals might be celebrated differently in different parts of rome
- fasti made to entertain rather than inform
- used to popularise the calendar of julius caesar
- trying to please Augustus - sorta propaganda for his religious reforms
- only shows values of romans under augustus
- shows romans as they want to be portrayed
- supports the roman imperial religious agenda
70
what sources are there about beliefs in the afterlife?
- tombs in pompeii
- ovid's fasti
- epitaph of Mus
71
what does it mean on Mus's epitaph when it says 'I am ash'?
she has been cremated
72
what is an epitaph?
an inscription of a grave
73
how many names does Mus have and what does this mean?
she only has one so she's not a citizen, she's a slave
74
what does Mus's epitaph reveal ab her relationship with her master?
- her master must have cared about her bc she has a proper grave and epitaph
- 'mus' (mouse) is a nickname, so probably had a positive relationship
75
where is Mus from?
Rome
76
what are the uses of Mus's epitaph?
- shows what a grave inscription looked like
- shows relationship between master and slaves (in some cases)
- cremation was common
- burial was important to Romans
- spirits live on after death
77
what are the limitations of Mus's epitaph?
- unusual and imaginative epitaph, might not be typical of other tombs
- don't know for sure if mus was rich or poor
- epitaphs may vary from town to town
- don't know how she died
- don't have any context
- not sure if she is a slave or not
- not much info written
78
what sources are there about Aeneas, Romulus, and Remus?
- Ovid's metamorphoses
- statue of Aeneas w father and son from 1600s AD
- statue of she-wolf who looks after Romulus and Remus
- extracts from Virgil's Aeneid
- extracts from Livy's history of Rome
79
who is Aeneas's father?
Anchises
80
who is Aeneas's son?
Ascanius/Iulus
81
what does the mention of destiny in Ovid's metamorphoses tell us? (story ab aeneas)
that the Romans believed in preordained right
82
what are penates?
sacred statues of household gods
83
who was Aeneas's mother?
Venus (so Rome had divine origins)
84
what does Ovid's metamorphoses tell us ab Aeneus? (story ab aeneas)
- who his parents are
- that he's a demigod
- who his son is
- where he's from
- that he's brave + strong
- cares ab household gods
- praises aeneas's pietas (duty to family, gods, state)
- he is the ideal roman
- cares ab his family
85
what did Aeneas take with him from troy?
- his father
- his son
- the penates (household gods)
86
what are the limitations of ovid's metamorphoses? (extract ab Aeneas)
- part mythology
- biased towards Troy and making Aeneas sund heroic
- poetry so designed to entertain not to inform
- propaganda
- trying to make aeneas and romans seem divinely chosen
- trying to make augustus seem divine
87
how is aeneas depicted in the 1600s statue?
- heroic
- serious
- focused
- handsome
- pietal / devoted
- athletic
88
what are the uses of the 1600s statue of Aeneas?
- physical representation of story
- story is still present even in 1600 AD
- heroic portrayal
- shows aeneas' pietas
- shows typical roman hero
89
what are the limitations of the statue of aeneas?
- designed to be beautiful and flatter, not factual
- made in 1600 AD, so secondary source
- idealised, heroized and retrospective view of aeneas
- not roman
- tells you nothing ab rome
90
who was the king of Alba Longa?
Amulius
91
who was Amulius's brother?
Numitor
92
who is Numitor's daughter?
Rhea Silvia
93
why did Rhea Silvia become a vestal virgin?
- to prevent pregnancy
- to end the line of Numitor
94
who was supposedly the father of Rhea Silvia's twins?
Mars
95
who were Rhea Silvia's twins?
Romulus and Remus
96
what did Amulius do with Rhea Silvia's twins?
he ordered a slave to kill the twins, but he couldn't do it
97
what did the slave who was ordered to kill Romulus and remus do instead?
put them into a basket into the river Tiber
98
