Term
Ancient Theories: 2 Approaches |
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Definition
1. Where/How Myths Originated
2. Allegory |
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Term
believed gods of myth were originally human beings
(Where/How Myths Originated) |
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Definition
Euhemerus
(ex. Zeus may have started as a human king who was elevated to the status of a god for his successful rule) |
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Term
myth developed as a result of linguistic error and understanding
(Where/How Myths Originated) |
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Definition
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Term
Theory of Allegory
Who?
Explain w/ examples |
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Definition
Theagenes
-gods were not to be understood literally, but each was a symbol of something else in nature, a human characteristic or way of life
ex. Demeter = grain
Athena = intelligence, contemplative life
Aphrodite = desire, amorous life
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Term
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Definition
-an account that explains the reason/cause of something
-myth served to explain why a religious object/practice was odd or important |
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Term
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Definition
-esplains why such an important religious site as Apollo's sanctuary was located on Delos (small/politically unimportant)
-explains this by saying Delos is the island of Apollo's birth |
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Term
Callimachus' Hymn to Apollo |
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Definition
-after his adventure w/ the Minotaur on Crete, Theseus stopped on Delos:
1. boys/girls rescued performed a dance called the crane (twisting movements reflected the twists of the Minotaur's maze)
2. Theseus left a wooden statue of Aphrodite (actual religious object in the sanctuary)
-this later intro of Theseus reflects the historical reality of how Delos came under the influence of Athens politically |
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Term
Apollo, Theseus and Coming of Age Rites |
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Definition
-Theseus set up Delian games (boxing, singing, dancing)
-activities typical of young men undergoing "coming of age" rites of passage
-activities are typical of Apollo who represents an ephebe
-Theseus' journey to Crete to face the Minotaur is a coming of age story |
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Term
Who showed how the myth of Jason's visit to Lemnos was parallel by the Festival of New Fire? |
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Definition
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