Homework:

Study lecture notes

Know nuts and bolts of Gods of Olympus (quiz on Friday)

Honors 9 Notes 9/6/18 - The Gods of Olympus

Polytheism is the belief in many gods.

The suffix -ology means theory, science, or study of. 

Cosmology is the study of the cosmos. The cosmos is the universe. 

The opposite of cosmos is Chaos.

How did the cosmology begin?

Chaos over darkness.

Chaos is described as silent, dark, and cold. 

Love and the fates are born out of darkness.

The Gods of Olympus are also called the Olympian Pantheon.

Pantheon means “family of gods”.

The gods were created by humans in the form of man (anthropomorphic).

Olympian gods live on Mount Olympus. 

The first god is Uranus (Father Sky) and the first goddess is Gaia (Mother Earth). 

Uranus and Gaia have three series of children:

1. 100-handed, 50-headed giants
2. Cyclops (meaning wheel eye)
3. Titans

Chronos is Father Time. 

Chronology is the study of time.

Chronos overcomes his father, Uranus. Later, Zeus overcomes his father, Chronos. 

Symbols are abstract constructs. Gods are anthropomorphic projections for Greeks to look inside themselves. They are an early form of psychology and philosophy.

Early Greek literature was not written down until around the 3rd century B.C.E.

A rhapsode is a professional storyteller. 

The Greek myths were originally told orally (in song).

Rhapsodes were always male and usually performed before a male audience.

Thus, the stories of the Greek gods are from a patriarchal tradition. 

Patriarchy means government or rule by men.

Prometheus is a traitor. He is a Titan who steals fire from the gods and gives it to humans.

An archetype is the first of its kind. Zeus is the archetypal politician.

Fire is a symbol of knowledge, intelligence, thinking, reasoning, intellect, or ability to question.

Why does Zeus punish Prometheus for providing fire to humans?

The possession of fire gives man the power to overcome the gods. 

Why does the possession of fire give man the power to overcome the gods? 

The gods are anthropomorphic projections of humankind.

Fire is a symbol of knowledge, reason, or intellect. 

People are distinct from animals because we are self-surpassing.

We are able to surpass ourselves because we are self-aware. 

Thus, humans are able to overcome the gods (projections of themselves) as a result of acquiring fire (knowledge/reason/intellect). 

Gnothi seaton - know thyself

Meden agan - stick to the middle (nothing to excess)

Myth has 5 purposes:

1. to explain the world geographically.
2. to explain the world scientifically.
3. to explain the world historically.
4. for entertainment.
5. to teach ethics.

A demi-god is half man, half god.