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Mythology. “To the mean person the myth always means little; to the noble person, much.”. --John Ruskin. “Great are the myths.”. --Walt Whitman. What is a myth?.
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“To the mean person the myth always means little; to the noble person, much.” --John Ruskin
“Great are the myths.” --Walt Whitman
What is a myth? • An account of the deeds of a god or supernatural being. It relates a supposed historical event, or it serves “to explain some practice, belief, institution, or natural phenomenon.” • Mythology is present in every culture, but we will be studying western mythology (specifically Greek and Roman).
Why do we study mythology? • They have a deep influence on great literature • They have influenced music. The word music comes from the Muses. Many myths describe the origin of instruments. • They have greatly influenced visual art. • They are an important link to the past allowing us to understand how ancient people viewed the world.
CHAOS The Greeks believed the original state of the universe was chaos which means a vast, seething confusion with no limits or bounds. Eventually, though, it resolved itself into two great beings… (Chaos is still believed to lurk around at night when all is dark.)
The First Generation Gaea (Mother Earth) The mother goddess who nourishes all life. Uranus (Overhanging Heavens) The son AND husband of Gaea; Ruler of the Sky.
Hecatonchires • A trio of giants of incredible strength and ferociousness, consisting of Briareus (”The Vigorous”), Cottus (”The Furious”) and Gyges (”The Big-Limbed”). • They had fifty heads and a hundred arms. • In fact, the name means “The hundred handed.” • Their father Uranus, who saw them as monsters, cast them into Tartarus (underworld). • But Cronus, another son of Uranus, rescued them to help him overthrow their father. • They would become the guards of the gates of Tartarus.
Cyclopes • Triplets • A race of giants that had a single eye in the middle of their forehead. They were great weapon makers who forged thunderbolts that Zeus used to overthrow Cronus and the Titans. • In Homer’s “Odyssey,” Polyphemus was one such giant whose only eye was pierced with a hardened spear by Odysseus and his men.
TITANS The titans, a race of immortals who, with their children, ruled the universe before the gods conquered them.
Gaea and Uranus • They are considered to be titans. Go ahead and put a “T” next to each of their names on your notes.
Cronus (Saturn) • The youngest child of Gaea and Uranus • Ruler of the sky after his father • Ruler of the titans • Father of the first six Greek gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia
Rhea (Cybele) • Sister and wife of Cronus • A great mother goddess like her mother, Gaea
Helios • God of the sun prior to replacement by Apollo in late Greek and Roman Mythology
Selene • Goddess of the moon prior to replacement by Artemis in late Greek and Roman Mythology
Themis • Goddess of prophecy at Delphi before Apollo conquered her oracle
Atlas • Strongest titan • Condemned by Zeus to eternally hold up the sky
Prometheus • Prometheus was the wisest Titan. His name means "forethought" and he was able to foretell the future. When Zeus revolted against Cronus, Prometheus deserted the other Titans and fought on Zeus side. • By some accounts he and his brother Epimetheus were delegated by Zeus to create man.
Prometheus is known as the protector and benefactor of man. He gave mankind a number of gifts including fire. He also tricked Zeus into allowing man to keep the best part of the animals sacrificed to the gods and to give the gods the worst parts.
Cont’d • For this Zeus punished Prometheus by having him chained to a rock with an eagle tearing at his liver. He was to be left there for all eternity or until he agreed to disclose to Zeus which of Zeus children would try to replace him. He was eventually rescued by Hercules without giving in to Zeus.
Epimetheus • Epimetheus was a stupid Titan, whose name means "afterthought". • In some accounts he is delegated, along with his brother Prometheus by Zeus to create mankind. He also accepted the gift of Pandora from Zeus, which lead to the introduction of evil into the world.
Oceanus, Tethys, and Hyperion • Oceanus is the unending stream of water encircling the world. Together with his wife Tethys produced the rivers and the three thousand ocean nymphs. • Tethys is the wife of Oceanus. Together they produced the rivers and the three thousand ocean nymphs. • Hyperion is the Titan of light, an early sun god. He married his sister Theia. Their children Helios (the sun), Selene (the moon), and Eos (the dawn).
Mnemosyne, Themis, and Coeus • Mnemosyne was the Titan of memory and the mother of Muses. • Themis was the Titan of justice and order. She was the mother of the Fates and the Seasons. • Coeus was the Titan of Intelligence. Father of Leto.
Phoebe and Metis • Phoebe is the Titan of the Moon. Mother of Leto. • Metis was the Titaness of the fourth day and the planet Mercury. She presided over all wisdom and knowledge. She was seduced by Zeus and became pregnant with Athena.
Metis • Zeus became concerned over prophecies that her second child would replace Zeus. To avoid this, Zeus ate her. It is said that she is the source for the wisdom of Zeus and that she still advises Zeus from his belly.
Metis • It may seem odd for Metis to have been pregnant with Athena but, never mentioned as her mother. This is because the classic Greeks believed that children were generated solely from the fathers. The woman was thought to be nothing more than a vessel for the fetus to grow in.
The Third Generation The Greek Gods
Zeus (Jupiter, Jove) • Youngest, most intelligent, and most powerful • Ruler of the sky after Cronus • Maintains order in the world of mortals • Protects strangers and guests
Poseidon (Neptune) • Brother of Zeus • Lord of the sea • Causes earthquakes • Father of Polyphemus (the cyclops) in the Odyssey
Hades (Pluto) • Brother of Zeus • Ruler of the underworld • Lord of the dead
The Underworld • Elysium • Acheron • Tartarus
