Greek Writers/Writing
During which period of Greek history were the Homeric poems, the Iliad and Odyssey, composed?
Archaic Period (800-479 B.C.)
What are the three categories myths are commonly divided into?
Myth proper/divine (concerns gods/supernatural beings; explains part of the world); legend/saga (concerns heroes/heroines; great deeds of human past); folktale/fairytale (concerns ordinary people/animals; entertains and teaches a lesson)
What are the three characteristics of Greek religion?
Polytheistic: many gods
Anthropomorphic: gods conceived of in human form
Orthopractic: focus on correct acts/behaviors
During which period of Greek history did the great tragedians, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides write their tragedies?
Classic Period (479-323 B.C.)
In what ways are myth and religion similar?
Myth and religion tend to be concerned with supernatural beings: Gods/goddesses; Heroes/heroines
Myth and religion tend to be concerned with existential ideas: Nature of god; Nature of humankind; Creation of the world; Life and death; Morality
In what ways is religion different from myth?
Myth--“A traditional story with collective importance”
Religion--“A set of practices based on belief in supernatural beings”
During which period of Greek history was writing lost?
Dark Age (1100-800 B.C.)
Which of these myths was not set in Crete and inspired by Minoan Civilisation?
A. King Midas and the golden touch
B. Daedalus and the Labyrinth
C. Pasiphaë and the bull
D. Theseus and the Minotaur
A. King Midas and the golden touch
How are seers different from oracles?
Oracles were religious figures believed capable of foretelling the future based on their connection to the divine, whereas seers were religious figures believed capable of foretelling the future based on their ability to interpret signs.
Which of the following works was not written in the Hellenistic Period?
A. Argonautica (Apollonius)
B. Hymns (Callimachus)
C. Republic (Plato)
D. Idylls (Theocritus)
C. Republic (Plato)
During which period of Greek history are Greek myths often set?
Bronze Age (3000-1100 B.C.)
If I were to worship the gods and beings of the underworld, such as Hades, Persephone, and the Furies, which category of Greek religion would I be subscribing to?
Chthonic religion
Michael Ventris (1922-1956), who built on the work of Alice Kober (1906-1950).
Mycenaean civilization served as the inspiration for Greek myths concerning the Age of Heroes. Name three of these myths.
•The Trojan War
•The Return of Odysseus
•The House of Atreus
Name three ways in which myth and religion can be related.
Myth may give the cause/origin of a certain aspect of religion; may justify a certain ritual of religion; may reinforce a certain lesson of religion