...Odysseus of Ithaca: Famed or Fraud? Homer’s Odyssey tells the tale of the Trojan War hero Odysseus’s return home to his land of origin, Ithaca. Homer describes Odysseus as being one of, or possibly the greatest hero in all of Greece’s history. He is characterized as being a fearless, heroic man, who, with divine assistance, bests even the greatest monsters, and overcomes the most troublesome and life-threatening situations that he encounters, or the gods throw at him. However, if not for the assistance given to him by Athena, or any other divine figure, Odysseus’s journey would most likely have not worked out in his favor as it did, and he most likely would have perished within the very first books of The Odyssey. If divine assistance is what gave Odysseus his spark, courage and abilities, then are his abilities really justified? Who is the real Odysseus of Ithaca? Throughout many instances of The Odyssey, Odysseus is seen as this “almighty figure of excellence,” that can “never be beat or conquered.” However, despite the recognition that Odysseus deserves for accomplishing most of his feats, most of the work and assistance given to him was crafted by the goddess Athena; who constantly monitors Odysseus’s every move and protects him throughout the course of the tale. For example, on page 175 of the text, when Odysseus confronts the Phaecian princess Nausicaa, Athena personally makes him appear less menacing and worn. By doing this, Athena guaranteed that Odysseus would...
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...Hermes, in addition to being god of shepherds, travelers, merchants, and thieves, is also the guardian of graves (D’Aulaire 50; Jordan 122). He is often described as one of the least important gods of Olympus (Devambez 235). He is described as a young and lively god and as someone who is graceful and swift of motion (Devambez 236; Hamilton 33).Hermes is a Machiavellian character, his shrewdness and cunning often caused trouble for others (Jordan 122). As an infant, he snuck out at night and stole a herd of Apollo’s cows, using a multitude of tricks to cover his tracks. He sacrificed two of the cows to the twelve Olympian gods, and at dawn Apollo confronted him. When Zeus ordered Hermes to bring show Apollo where the cows were hidden, Apollo was angered when he discovered two were missing. In order to placate him, Hermes gave Apollo his lyre in exchange...
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...Krystal Jones Mrs. Labouchere 10th lit/ comp February 18, 2012 Zeus from Pandora’s Box is classified as the trickster because he tricked man and doomed the world with evil things. The Greek myth, “Pandora’s Box”, the author uses Zeus as a trickster to portray a theme that we should never trust our enemies no matter how good they pretend to be. Zeus’ precise will to punish early mankind for having any benefit through the tricks that Prometheus, the divine benefactor of human beings, played at Zeus’ expense. In the beginning of the story, Zeus thought that since he was the chief god, anything he wanted went his way. Back then, at any meal, gods and goddesses were allowed to pick out what they desired before any other person. So Zeus , being the chief god, “took the largest portion he could see” thinking it was covered with the most meat. When he found out that Prometheus replaced the actual meat with bones, his anger level rose very quickly and that’s when he decided to seek revenge. Zeus thought that just because he was the chief god, every best thing would be made just for him and him alone to devour( in this case). Even though he is chief god, he should at least be considerate of others and not get mad because his expectations were not met. After finding out what Prometheus had done to him, Zeus “declared that men would never have the luxury of fire on earth”. If anybody knew what...
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...Etiological Myths There are many different myths told around the world; some are stories of heroes or Gods from long ago, others explicate the rituals or common society of a culture, and others give details of the causes for certain things. An etiological myth is a story which gives an explanation for odd factors in nature or other events. The myth of Demeter and Persephone is one of the most popular etiological myths in Greek mythology which explains the change of seasons. Demeter is the Goddess of the Earth, she taught humans how to plant, raise, and harvest corn, wheat, and barley. The farmers loved her and their wives would set an extra place for her at the dinner table hoping she would join them for dinner. Persephone is the daughter of Demeter; she loved sunshine, wildflowers, and was just a truly happy little goddess. One day Persephone was gathering flowers on a Sicilian meadow and in the distance she noticed a beautiful bloom she had never seen before. What she did not know was that the bloom was created by the earth to lure her to Hades, lord of the Underworld, who fell in love with her since he got struck by one of Eros’ arrows. As she was reaching down to grab the flower, the earth opened up and out came Hades in his chariot, he grabbed her and placed her right beside him in his chariot and drove off before anyone saw anything. Persephone cried for help but no one could hear her screams. The sound of her voice echoed from the mountain heights and Demeter heard...
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...Hermes is the Greek god of commerce. Hermes was born very playful and right away Zeus loved him very much. Zeus knew he was going to have a lot of fun raising Hermes. When Hermes was only a few days old he got out of the blanket that his mother had him wrapped in and escaped from his crib. He ran off on his own very quickly. Hermes was born with the ability to run fast. He also was very smart for such a young baby. To the Greeks, mythology was a literal part of their histories. The Greeks in particular used myths to explain natural phenomena and many other occurrances. One of these gods revered by the Greeks was Hermes, the winged messenger of the gods. There are many myths associated with this god. The importance and significance affects the Greeks in many ways. Like other Greek gods, Hermes has relatives, myths, and symbols. Hermes is a god of many. He is the god of roads, mail, and travel. Hermes, known to the Romans as Mercury, was originally a fertility god, and then became the god of roads and travel. He was also known as Hermes Psychopompos, because he escorted souls to Hades. Eventually, many other fields fell under his wide jurisdiction. He became responsible for increase in the animal world, as well as being the god of commerce, manual skill, oratory and eloquence, thieves and the wind. He was even the patron of athletes, especially wrestlers, basically all activities that required skill and dexterity. He had many children by various godesses and mortals, including...
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...In mythology, one of the main reasons that the trickster character holds an archetypical position is because they don’t simply symbolize trickery or deceit, they also exhibit intellect and secret knowledge. Specifically in Greek mythology, Prometheus is an excellent examples of a trickster who uses typically frowned upon means to achieve positive ends. “When gods and mortal men divided up an ox; Prometheus audaciously set out the portions, trying to deceive the mind of Zeus” (Devinney/Thury 486). When Zeus demands a sacrifice from humans, Prometheus presents him two different bundles of animal parts. Tricking him by making the bundle with the useful and edible animal parts look unappealing with bones on the top, encouraging Zeus to leave the...
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...Hermes the Greek Messenger God Hermes was the youngest son of Zeus, the king of all gods. He was born on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. ("Olympian Gods", 2005-2011). Hermes was born very playful and right away Zeus loved him very much. Zeus knew he was going to have a lot of fun raising Hermes. When Hermes was only a few days old he got out of the blanket that his mother had him wrapped in and escaped from his crib. He ran off on his own very quickly. Hermes was born with the ability to run fast. He also was very smart for such a young baby. (Russell, 1992). While out on his adventure, Hermes came across a bunch of cows grazing in a field. The cows turned out to be owned by his brother Apollo. Hermes thought it would be funny to play a joke on Apollo. He decided to steal his cows. Since Hermes was so smart he decided to pad the cow’s feet and walk them backwards. He did this so Apollo would be confused and wouldn’t know which way the cows had gone. (Russell, 1992). The effort it took to pad and move all of the cows made Hermes very hungry. Hermes decided to put his clever ideas to good use again so he invented fire. He cooked and ate one of Apollo’s cows. Eating the cow definitely satisfied Hermes hunger. He decided to bring the rest of the cows’ home with him in case he got hungry again. ("Hermes", 2000-2011). While traveling home the cows were mooing in a musical way that made them sound like they were singing. Hermes saw a tortoise shell on the ground and he had another...
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...over. He is harsh, as all those new to power are harsh” (Aesch. Prom. 36-38). Here Hephaestus is trying to explain to Prometheus that the punishment that he is to endure will be terrible and no matter how much he suffers and begs he will not convince Zeus to free him. This whole exchange shows that Zeus is not interested in the welfare of his fellow gods, but he cares more about the fact that he be view as a ruler with an iron fist. This most certainly shows Zeus in a tyrannical and abusive way. In addition to being characterized as tyrannical in tragedies Zeus is also shown to be only interested with himself and threats to his power. For example when Prometheus revels that he knows of a prophecy that could lead to Zeus’ demise, Zeus sends Hermes to tell Prometheus, “Expect no limit to such suffering until some god proves willing to take on your struggles and descend to sunless...
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...Circe is the goddess of magic and the most similar female to her encountered by Odysseus is Calypso, a nymph. These two goddesses have both had affairs with Odysseus and are similar in that Circe is a beautiful goddess/witch and Calypso is a beautiful goddess/nymph but they contrast in their motives toward and treatment of Odysseus. After Odysseus (following Hermes' advice) initially conquers Circe, she does everything she can to help him. In addition to releasing the spell that turned his men into swine, she shows excellent xenia to Odysseus that his men must talk him into going on with the journey a full year later. Even then, Circe helps the Odysseus and his men with supplies and advice. Calypso holds Odysseus captive for seven years in hopes of marrying him. When he resists and is saved by Hermes under orders from Zeus, Calypso offers him immortality if he will stay. When he declines her offer, Calypso leads Odysseus to believe that letting him go is her idea, "I am all compassion," she says. Athena is a powerful goddess and is often appears in disguise and her intervention is essential to help Odysseus with his journey home. She is similar to Circe as they are both powerful independent goddesses and both help Odysseus get home. Athena intervenes just enough to encourage Odysseus but then she recedes into the background and allows him to make his own way. However, Athena lives on Mount Olympus as she is an important goddess and cannot be overpowered whereas Circe lives...
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...*Intro* From the dawn of time, (:P) human beings have had a vast range of beliefs. They have advanced from thinking that storms are the sign of the sea God, Poseidon’s wrath to explaining it in scientific terms involving the winds and the positions of the moon. However, is everything science tells us really true? What if the Gods exist to this very day, and roam about in the guise of normal humans? What would occur, if they assembled in one single place? With their egos, different opinions and self-importance, what would happen if we added a little competition to the mix? Chaos. So here’s a little play about our all- time favorite Greek Gods, in which they all decide to take some time off their usual jobs and try something different. Scene-recruitment room. There’s a table in one corner and some chairs arranged in another. There’s a person at the table, writing something. There’s another shabbily dressed person sitting on a chair and reading something. A pretty receptionist enters the room carrying a cup of coffee which she places on the table. The man looks up, gives her a curt nod and then goes back to what he was doing. The receptionist spots the shabbily dressed guy and walks up to him. Receptionist: You here for the interview? Man looks up at her, nods and then looks back down. She peeks into the manuscript he’s reading and squeals. Receptionist: Oh my god! The Greek Gods! I absolutely LOVE them!! *looks at the title* How can you even call them crazy? Your book...
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...Art History: Name: Institution: Course: Prometheus Bound Description Artist: Thomas Cole Style: Romanticism. Material: Canvas Start date: I846 Completion date: 1847 Genre: Mythological Painting. Dimension: 244 * 163 Gallery: Private Collection. Prometheus bound was a painting that was done with oil by Thomas Cole. In his painting, he is able to achieve among many things, the central theme; suffering. Through the theme of Prometheus bound, major artists such as Thomas Cole embarked on artistic works (Noble). Through Thomas Cole, a generation of American painters especially on landscape such as the Hudson River resulted. Thomas Cole was born in Bolton-le-moors, England in 1801 (Noble). However, he started painting portraits at the age of seventeen. His painting developed from portraits, genre to landscapes respectively. Through the playwright of Greeks in the 10th BC, Thomas Cole embarked on pencil sketches coupled with oil paintings, where he developed the subject of the play into an exhilarating and at the same time fascinating art (Noble). His work ended in 1827 into a highly impressive piece of painting. In the 1840s Cole managed to make the Prometheus bound for a private potential customer (Noble). One important thing to note about the Prometheus bound is that in his work, Cole ensured his painting had the right size. Through his work, an artist who believes in his work and possesses an impressive piece of work...
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...Part I: Research * Hephaestus, the god of fire, especially the blacksmith's fire, was the patron of all craftsmen, mainly those working with metals. His Greek name came from the word “hearth” and “to kindle”. He was also known as Vulcan by the Romans. He was worshiped primarily in Athens, but also in other manufacturing centers. * Lame God: He was also known as the lame god because he was born weak and crippled. Hera was unsatisfied with the looks of Hephaestus, so she threw him off Mount Olympus and fell for a whole day before landing in the ocean. Hephaestus was then founded by the people of Lemnos where he was raised. * Powers/ Abilities: Like other Olympian Gods, Hephaestus is immortal. He is immune to all known worldly diseases and is safe to any injury. If he is hurt, his godly power would allow him to recover with unexpected speed. He doesn’t look old since maturity and can’t die by any usual means. Hephaestus is a master of weapons creator, inventor, sculptor and artisan. Some of his creations are the chains of Prometheus, armor of Achilles and Talos the imitation man. With help from the Cyclopes, who were his workmen and assistants, he fashioned the thunderbolts for Zeus and his scepter. He made weapons and armor for the other gods and heroes. Hephaestus has surprising abilities which can help him to realize how any object works after studying it and being able to destroy and create the object at anytime. * Family Relationship: Hephaestus was...
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...In his prologue to Daphnis and Chloe, Longus refers to his four books as “a0na/qhma me\n7!Eroti kai\ Nu/mfaij kai\ Pani/” (Pr 2.3-4). Coming before any of the action of the novel, the reader asks, and for good reason, why these three gods or sets of gods? Then in the final book, Daphnis gives “a0naqh/mata…tw~| Dionu/sw|…tw~| Pani\...tai~j Nu/mfaij” (4.26.6-8). Here Dionysus has filled the place of Eros, or, as I shall argue, Dionysus represents the same universal force as Eros in the earlier books. These divinities, Eros/Dionysus, Pan, and the Nymphs, directly influence the lives of the titular protagonists. Their influence serves different purposes depending on what the situation calls for, but, overall, the influences could be labeled as such: Eros/Dionysus controls their lives, the Nymphs nurture the youths, and Pan enflames their passion. In many Greek novels, Eros functions as a stock figure, “not much more than a convenient method of setting [the] plot in motion” (Turner 119). Critics have heavily studied the role of Eros in this novel, and many find that the text of Daphnis and Chloe can be seen as an introductory text for syncretic monotheistic religions, specifically that of Orphic Dionysus. This argument holds valid, yet, I think, over reads the text, and Chalk admits as an introductory text, it is merely “allusive” and not clearly instructive (36). Philetas certainly describes the “cosmic Eros” found in Hesiod’s Theognis in his interaction with Eros in his garden...
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...Is Daphnis and Chloe a Religious novel? The story of Daphnis and Chloe The story of Daphnis and Chloe pays homage to the God of love, Eros, Pan, and the Nypmhs with Dionysius and Hermes also present within the story, The role of the Gods in the novel is one of protection towards the essential love plot of Daphnis and Chloe, Whilst it is important to not take the Gods involvement away from the nature of love ( a dominant theme of the book) The religious themes of the novel are already apparent in the title, without even opening the pages a reader with a knowledge of greek lore and myth will already relate the name Daphnis to its greek meaning of ‘Laurus nobilis’ or ‘Bay Laurel’ which stood as a significant symbol to Apollo, Daphnis himself in greek myth was citied to be the child of Hermes and a Nymph who struggled to contain himself and subsequently lost his eyesight at the wrath of a infatuated nymph. The similarities between the Mythological Daphnis and Longus’ Daphnis would suggest that Longus intended to relate his character to the legend. However in the novel Daphnis barely portrays any of the divine features which the legend holds, the word ‘par excellence’ is used in relation to the Legend, the word meaning ‘Better than all others of the same kind’ and it does not relate to Longus’ Daphnis . Furthermore the name Daphnis was a commonly used name in Greek literature especially in pastoral poetry which is hardly surprising seeing as the Legend is supposedly the...
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...Poetry -A languagearranged in lines with regular rhythm, meter andoften with definite rhyme scheme -Use figurative language -“rhythmical creation of beauty” – Edgar Allan Poe a.Narrative Poetry -intends to tell a story - Usuallyrelates the events in an order of time ^Types^ 1.Epic –tells about the adventures of a traditional hero important to the history 2.Ballad –meant for singing &usually deals with subject such as love, honor or death 3.Metrical Romance- is a long rambling love story in revolving around knights, lords and their ladies 4.Metrical Tale –deals with any emotion or phrase of life & is often told in simple manner b.Lyric poetry - meant to be sung -focus on the writer’s feeling ^Types 1.Ode –most majestic type 2.Elegy –poetic lamentation for the dead 3.Sonnet –can be distinguished by its form for it always consist of 14 rhymed lines 4.Idyll –a descriptive poem of rural or pastoral character which expresses the poet’s feeling of his immediate landscape 5.Song –has a particular melodious quality 6.Simple Lyric –includes all those lyric poems that don’t belong under the other types c.Dramatic Poetry - focus on the characters feelings- designed to be spoken or acted on stage These are plays whose dialogues are written in the form of poetry1. Comedy –a dramatic play of light and humorous character w/ a cheerful or happy ending 2.Tragedy –portrays struggle of a strong –willed protagonist against fate Ex. 5...
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