Greek Figures
God of the sea and earthquakes (will become the enemy of Odysseus)
Poseidon
Who was taken to Troy, sparking the war?
Helen
Homer is credited with writing which two epics?
The Iliad and The Odyssey
A Homeric Simile is also called an ______ simile
Epic
The Homeric hero seeks THIS Greek value, meaning a legacy that lasts after death
Kleos
Define Standard English
Widely accepted “proper” English taught in schools and used in formal/"professional" settings
Goddess of wisdom and war strategy (will become a friend of Odysseus)
Athena
Who was the greatest Greek warrior in the war?
Achilles
What are the two main components of the “Homeric Question”?
Did Homer exist, and what role did oral tradition play in the creation of the two epics
Odysseus is described as “the man of twists and turns.” What Homeric hero trait does this highlight?
Cunning
Define "xenia"
Hospitality/guest-friendship
Linda Christensen argues enforcing SOLELY Standard English can ______
Erase cultural identity & reinforce inequality and bias in schools
Goddess of agriculture, who mourned when her daughter was taken to the underworld
Demeter
What judgment did Paris make that caused the war, and what was he promised?
The Apple of Discord-- chose Aphrodite as the fairest of them all, who then promised him Helen
In what century BCE were the epics likely composed?
8th or 7th century B.C.E.
Why is this an example of an epic simile?:
"A huge wave shatters Odysseus's raft... Just as a storm wind scatters dry straw in a heap, blowing pieces here and there in all directions— that's how that huge wave split the long planks on the raft."
It extends the metaphor; it compares a herculean event to an everyday occurrence
Define "aidos"
Modesty, shame, respect for norms
Define intertextuality
When texts draw on or rework earlier texts to add meaning
Mortal hero who performed the 12 Labors
Heracles
How did the Greeks finally win the war?
The Trojan Horse
Who did Achilles kill (the greatest warrior of Troy) AND/OR Why did Achilles rejoin the war (who was his bestie?)
Hector; Patroclus (killed by Hector)
Why did Homer compare great battles to everyday activities like fishing or farming?
To make epic events relatable to his audience; to show the humanity and flaws in even the most revered of human beings
Where did ancient Greek women have the MOST freedoms, and what were they?
Sparta-- they were allowed to athletically train and own land; some got an early education
Define the "Single Story" theory
The idea that all story derives from One (the first story ever, really), and all new texts contribute to that Single Story
The male half of the two "twin" gods (children of Zeus and the Titaness Leto)
Apollo
Which two brothers quarreled after the war, leading to tragedy at home?
Agamemnon & Menelaus
Which cultural practice makes its way into Homer's final version of the epics, proving that they were part of shared memory and identity?
The epics would've been publicly performed/recited by oral bards, and perhaps even improvised
Apply a feminist lens to analyze the contrast between the 2 variations of the Gorgon myth. What is the impact of the differences between the two versions?
1) Medusa was Athena's beautiful and faithful priestess, until one day Poseidon sneaks into her temple and either coerces Medusa into intercourse or r---s her. Athena takes revenge on Medusa and turns her into a gorgon, with snakes for hair and a gaze capable of turning onlookers to stone. Medusa becomes a feared and loathed creature and is eventually slain by hero Perseus.
2) Medusa was Athena's beautiful and faithful priestess, until one day Poseidon sneaks into her temple and r---s her. Athena takes pity on Medusa and turns her into a gorgon, with snakes for hair and a gaze capable of turning onlookers to stone. She vows that no man will be able to violate Medusa again.
Name 3 of the 4 largest contributors to the single story.
1. Major religious texts (the Bible, the Tanakh, the Quran, the Pali Canon, etc.)
2. Mythology (from anywhere/everywhere)
3. Folklore (fables & fairytales)
4. Shakespeare