EEd- 222 Mythology and Folklore (Midterm)
Creation of Myth – All myths of the world have
LESSON 1 AND LESSON 2
Myth- (Theo- God) (Anthro -People)
- Spanish introduced the mythology in the
Philippine
 Credence/ Credentials- our reason what
make something true
 and whose central topics, taken as a whole,
are
 the establishment of cosmic order and the
origins...
 of the physical world (cosmogony),
 of the gods (theogony), and
 of human beings (anthropogony).
 Myths- the central character is supernatural
 Folktales- the central character is human
being
 Primitive- Having quality or style that offers
an extremely basic level of comfort,
convenience or efficiency. (to offer
something in volcano to stop erupting)
 Sacred stories- endorsed by rulers
(politics) and Priests (religion)
 Cognitive structure – Myths are a
cognitive structure analogous to language
through which primitive people organize
their experiences. (J. Peradotto, Classical
Mythology)
 Myths are the symbolic form that
generated, shaped, and transmitted by the
creative imagination of pre- and extra-
logical people as they respond to and
encapsulate the wealth of experience (R,J
Schork, “Classical Mythology,” The Classic
Journal).
How did myths come about?
1. Euhemerism – Distorted accounts real
historical events (Ex: Jose Rizal threat by
others person as God even he is a person)
2. Allegory - Some theories propose that
myths began as allegories for natural
phenomena: Apollo represents fire,
Poseidon represents water, and so on.
According to one theory, myths began as
allegories for philosophical or spiritual
concepts: Athena represents wise judgment,
Aphrodite represents desire, etc.
3. Personification- “Mythopoeic thought
theory” – Thought treats object as human
being. The act of treating non-human object
as if they were human (Ex: Zeus-Sky, Helios
– Sun)
4. The Myth Ritual Theory – to attach
mythological things, Myths and Rituals
cannot exist without each other (Example:
Fiesta and Patron saint)
Myths Themes and Motifs
Myths- symbols of fundamental truth means
it is anchored to Theme.
Folklore- way of life of a group of people,
creative expressions.
1.
all creation stories.
Creation myths set the stage for more particular
myths supporting social structures, the relation of
human beings to the natural world, and questions
of life and death.
Reincarnation – Re (Birth) Carn (Meat)
ation
2. Gods and Goddesses – People believe in ideal
beings leading them. The important role of
Mythology is to reinforce and justify religions of
power and leadership.
Universally, people believe in ideal beings leading
them.
Such deities possess human characteristics; they
have parents and offspring, and they belong to
some social grouping.
3. Heroic Figures – Hero and Heroines are semi-
divine beings.
In many mythologies, they have superhuman
powers through divine parentage, or they may have
acquired divinity through their deeds as men or
women on earth, with the help of deity, by use of
magic weapons, or acquisition of magic powers
through ingenuity or trickery.
2 Possible reasons:
1. Half divine/ half mortal
2. If the God Ask them to use their super
powers
How Immortal die? – When he or she is forgotten.
4. Monsters and Demons – the most familiar as
the beings that a heroic figure confronts and
overcomes. They defy divine order both in their
appearance–typically but not invariably deformed or
hideous – and in their actions, such as attacking or
capturing a human or divine victim.
5. The Underworld – Inevitably associated with
burial are tales of gloom and terror of the unknown
yet inevitable.
A strong mythic duality: Earth swallows up the
dead, but equally it produces food plants and
harbors mineral wealth.
6. Journeys, Quests, Trials – brings mythological
figures into a number of situation where they can
prove their strength, wisdom, and or/skills
In numerous myths, loyalty to the dead initiates
journeys to the underworld to try to bring loved
ones back to life.
7. The afterlife - The afterlife, some form of
existence after death, takes as many different
forms in mythologies as the culture from which they
are drawn.
Some speak of paradise where the pains of
life on earth are left behind. After death comes
judgment, a rigorous trial is conducted, and torture
awaits those who fail the trial.
8. World Destruction - Creation may be seen in
myth as a chance event or something that occurred
despite opposing forces.
Likewise, an end to the world in its present form
may be inevitable or threatened, whether by divine
will, as a result of attack by forces of evil or in
punishment for human misdeeds.
TYPES OF MYTH BY ELIOT
1. Primitive – stories about nature as told by
shamans
2. Pagan- (Worship everything re-cannot
control) Greek and Roman’s tales of the
interplay between deities and humans
3. Sacred Myths – Stories from current
eastern and western religions such as
Christianity and Hinduism
4. Scientific Myths – considered as the most
solemn and revered creeds of science
SOURCES OF MYTH:
1. Primitive fears – fears to be unknown
2. Psychological Sources –
 Sigmund Freud- ‘’Dreams are
product of our infantile desire”
 Carl Jungs – Animus – masculine
tendencies of women/ Anima-
feminine tendencies of Man
3. Greek Sources – Hesiod/Homeric
4. Roman Sources -Romulus and Remus –
Twin founders of Rome
5. Eclectic Variety of Sources –
6. Translations
Myth is used to explain natural phenomena.
The Rape of Persephone: Myth of the Greeks
Persephone’s fate is a symbol of lost
virginity
Existence of spring and summer
• Demeter greets the annual return of her daughter
with a replenishing of earth.
Existence of fall and winter
• Persephone’s annual descent to Hades marks a
repetition of destruction of agriculture.
Myth is also used to explain the names of
places.
Greek Myth of Io - Bosporus which means cow’s
ford and the Ionian Sea were both crossed by the
fleeing Io and both are named for her.
Myth has been used to explain aspects of
human nature.
Classical Mythology (Greece) - Gods and
goddesses personified human types, tendencies,
and activities.
• Ares, the god of war, and Aphrodite, the goddess
of love, become involved in a love affair.
• “All is fair in love and war.” Explains common
human occurrence.
• Icarus disobeys the instruction of his father
Daedalus which leads the former into a great
danger.
• Phaeton’s insubordination also leads to same fate
with that of Icarus.
Myth is a reflection of various historical events.
Historical and semi historical myths - Trojan War
reflects the clashes between thee people of Greece
and Asia Minor for the control of Dardanelles.
Noah’s Flood corresponds to the great flood that
occurred in the valley of the Tigris-Euphrates –
a deluge described similarly to those of the Old
Testament Book of Genesis.
Historical Myths
• Atlantis and Tara, Theseus and the Minotaur, King
Arthur and his knights of the Roundtable, Moses
and his promised Land.
Terms:
Pomegranate – food for dead/Persephone ate it
Drachma – silver coin of ancient Greece “To grasp”
Hubris – frequent theme throughout Greek
mythology, “often being portrayed as a hero’s fatal
flaw or tragic flaw, which is the cause of his
downfall
Nymph – any of a large class of inferior divinities
Charon – is the ferryman who transports the dead
across the river Acheron to the underworld.
Daedalus – a skillful architect and craftsman, seen
as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power.
MYTHS OF MODERN THEORIES
1. Naturalism – belief when they cannot
explain natural phenomena, they go to
myth.
2. Ritualism – is a modern way that attain in
mythology
3. Evolutionism- evolution of the human
mind
4. Freudianism - Freud believes that certain
infantile thoughts are repressed, i.e. they
are eliminated from the conscious mind but
continues to exist within the individual in
some other form. Sometimes, these feelings
emerge into consciousness under various
disguises, one of which is the myth.
5. Jungian Archetypes- (Carl Jungs) He
postulated that each of us possesses a
“collective unconscious,” which we
inherit genetically. It contains very general
ideas, themes, or motifs which are passed
along from one generation to another and
are retained as part of our human
inheritance.
Collective Unconscious
 Persona (Mask) – people persona
is different from the inner self.
 Shadow – All of us have different
types of negative
 Animus vs Anima
 Self – combination of all archetypes
6. Historical and Critical - This theory
maintains that there are a multitude of
factors that influence the origin and
development of myths and that no single
explanation will suffice. We must examine
each story individually to see how it began
and evolved.
Famous work of HESIOD
Theogony- Birth of God
Basic component of Cosmos are Gods.
LESSON 3: GREEK INTRODUCTION THE
PRIMORDIAL GODS AND OLYMPIANS
Greek mythology starts at the beginning of
the World. The Greek gods that existed then were
the primordial gods. The famous work of Hesiod,
called Theogony (meaning “birth of the Gods” in
Greek), presents a complete cosmogony. Natural
forces are personified and the most basic
components of the cosmos are gods.
According to Hesiod, in the beginning there
was Chaos. Chaos was the personification of
the absolute nothingness - an immerse, dark void
from which all of the existence sprang.
Out of Chaos came Eros, the god of love
and procreation. We can see that ancient Greeks
considered love as one of the most fundamental
powers in the world.
Then Tartarus was born, a dark place like the
abyss and the original god of the Underworld.
Goddess Gaia then followed, the personification
of Earth.
Erebus, the god of darkness, and Nyx, the
goddess of the night, were also born from Chaos.
From Gaia came Ourea, the god of the mountains,
Pontus, the god of the sea, and Uranus, the god of
the heavens.
According to Greek mythology and the ancient
Greek religion, the Titans were the pre- Olympian
gods. Their parents were Gaia (Mother Earth) and
Uranus (God of heavens).
They had two other species as siblings, born
also
from the union between Gaia and Uranus: the
Hecatoncheires (meaning "hundred-handed
ones") and the Cyclops (meaning “circle-eyed”).
The first Titans were twelve; six males
and six females. The youngest one was Cronus.
At some point, Uranus decided that he did
not like the Cyclops and the Hecatoncheires at all.
He considered them too ugly and too powerful, so
he
imprisoned them in Tartarus, the depths of the
Underworld.
Gaia, the mother of the Cyclops and
Hecatoncheires, did not like how Uranus treated
her children. She became furious with Uranus and
decided to take revenge.
She asked her other children, the Titans, to
cut Uranus’s genitals and overthrow him... The
Titans were too afraid to do that, except one: the
youngest of the twelve, Cronus. When Uranus
approached Gaia, Cronus surprised Uranus and cut
his genitals with a scythe.
Cronus with his action had separated
Uranus (the heavens) and Gaia (the Earth).
From the drops of Uranus’ blood that fell on
Gaia emerged the Erinyes (Furies). The Erinyes
were deities of vengeance. If you broke an oath or
wronged someone, they would hunt you forever.
With Uranus defeated, Cronus freed his
siblings from the dark Tartarus and the Titans
became the new Greek gods. They immediately
recognized Cronus as their leader and ruler of the
cosmos and helped him consolidate his power.
After becoming the undisputed ruler of the
world, Cronus, fearing the power of the
Hecatoncheires and the Cyclops like his father did
before him, imprisoned them once again in
Tartarus.
When Rhea became pregnant with the 1st
child of Cronus, Uranus prophesized that Cronus’
children will overthrow him as he overthrew Uranus.
When Rhea gave birth to their first child, Hestia,
Cronus could not get Uranus’ prophecy out of his
mind.
Overcome with fear and madness, and trying to
avoid the fate his father had, he swallowed the
newborn! The same happened to their next four
children; Cronus devoured all five of his newborns!
The only one who survived was the sixth
and
youngest child, Zeus. Rhea tricked Cronus into
eating a rock instead of the baby and left Zeus to
the island of Crete, to be raised away from his mad
father.
Zeus grew older and stronger and eventually
sought to free his siblings, leading to the epic battle
between the Titans and the Olympians
(Titanomachy) who the latter eventually won thus,
overthrowing the previous generation of Greek
gods.
OEDIPUS by: Josephine Preston Peabody
(1874-1922)
The following short story is reprinted from Old
Greek Folk Stories Told Anew. Josephine Preston
Peabody. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1897. Behind
the power of the gods and beyond all the efforts of
men, the three Fates sat at their spinning. No one
could tell whence these sisters were, but by some
strange necessity they spun the web of human life
and made destinies without knowing why. It was not
for Clotho to decree whether the thread of a life
should be stout or fragile, nor for Lachesis to
choose the fashion of the web; and Atropos herself
must sometimes have wept to cut a life short with
her shears, and let it fall unfinished. But they were
like spinners for some Power that said of life, as of
a garment, Thus it must
be. That Power neither gods nor men could
withstand. There was once a king named Laius (a
grandson of Cadmus himself), who ruled over
Thebes, with Jocasta his wife. To them an Oracle
had foretold that if a son of theirs lived to grow up,
he would one day kill his father and marry his own
mother. The king and queen resolved to escape
such a doom, even at terrible cost. Accordingly,
Laius gave his son, who was only a baby, to a
certain
herdsman, with instructions to put him to death.
This was not to be. The herdsman carried the child
to a lonely mountain-side, but once there, his heart
failed him. Hardly daring to disobey the king's
command, yet shrinking from murder, he hung the
little creature by his feet to the branches of a tree,
and left him there to die. But there chanced to
come that way with his flocks, a man who served
King Polybus of Corinth. He found the baby
perishing in the tree, and, touched with pity, took
him home to his master. The king and queen of
Corinth were childless, and some power moved
them to take this mysterious child as a gift. They
called him Oedipus (Swollen-Foot) because of the
wounds they had found upon him, and, knowing
naught of his parentage, they reared him as their
own son. So the
years went by. Now, when Oedipus had come to
manhood, he went to consult the Oracle at Delphi,
as all great people were wont, to learn what fortune
had in store for him. But for him the Oracle had only
a sentence of doom. According to the Fates, he
would live to kill his own father and wed his mother.
Filled with dismay, and resolved in his turn to
conquer fate, Oedipus fled from Corinth; for he had
never dreamed that his parents were other than
Polybus and Merope the queen. Thinking to escape
crime, he took the road towards Thebes, so
hastening into the very arms of his evil destiny. It
happened that King Laius, with one attendant, was
on his way to Delphi from the city Thebes. In a
narrow road he met this strange young man, also
driving in
a chariot, and ordered him to quit the way. Oedipus,
who had been reared to princely honors, refused to
obey; and the king's charioteer, in great anger,
killed
one of the young man's horses. At this insult
Oedipus fell upon master and servant; mad with
rage, he slew them both, and went on his way, not
knowing the
half of what he had done. The first saying of the
Oracle was fulfilled. But the prince was to have his
day of triumph before the doom. There was a
certain wonderful creature called the Sphinx, which
had been a terror to Thebes for many days. In form
half woman and half lion, she crouched always by a
precipice near the highway, and put the same
mysterious question to every passer-by. None had
ever been able to answer, and none had ever lived
to warn men of the riddle; for the Sphinx fell upon
every one as he failed, and hurled him down the
abyss, to be dashed in pieces. This way came
Oedipus towards the city Thebes, and the Sphinx
crouched, face to face with him, and spoke the
riddle that none had been able to guess. "What
animal is that which in the morning goes on four
feet, at noon on two, and in the evening upon
three?" Oedipus, hiding his dread of the terrible
creature, took thought, and answered "Man. In
childhood he creeps on hands and knees, in
manhood he walks erect,
but in old age he has need of a staff."
At this reply the Sphinx uttered a cry, sprang
headlong from the rock into the valley below, and
perished. Oedipus had guessed the answer. When
he came to the city and told the Thebans that their
torment was gone, they hailed him as a deliverer.
Not long after, they married him with great honor to
their widowed queen, Jocasta, his own mother. The
destiny was fulfilled. For years Oedipus lived in
peace, unwitting; but at length upon that unhappy
city there fell a great pestilence and famine. In his
distress the king sent to the Oracle at Delphi, to
know what he or the Thebans had done, that they
should be so sorely punished. Then for the third
time the Oracle spoke his own fateful sentence;
and he learned all. Jocasta died by hanging herself,
and Oedipus took the doom upon himself, and left
Thebes. Blinded by his own hand, he wandered
away into the wilderness. Never again did he rule
over men; and he had one only comrade, his
faithful
daughter Antigone. She was the truest happiness in
his life of sorrow, and she
never left him till he died.
(READ AND FAMILIARIZE THE CREATION OF
MAN BY EDITH HAMILTON)
ALSO READ THE STORIES OF LOVE AND
DIVINES
Eros and
Psyche: https://www.thecollector.com/eros-and-
psyche/
Pygmalion and
Galatea: https://www.thecollector.com/pygmalion-
and-galatea-myth/
Orpheus and
Eurydice: https://www.thecollector.com/orpheus-
eurydice-story/
Stories of LOVE:
Quotable quotes from the stories From Cupid
and Psyche
• “Love cannot live where there is no trust.”
• If you saw me, perhaps you would fear me,
perhaps adore me, but all I ask of you is to love me.
I would rather you would love me as an equal than
adore me as a god.”
From Pygmalion and Galatea
• “Often, he lays on the work of his hand to test if it
is flesh or ivory and he does not concede that it is
ivory. He kisses it and thinks it kisses him back. He
speaks with it, embraces it, and even feels that his
fingers sink into its limbs and fears to turn them
black and blue.”
• “The art to such an extent, lies hidden its own art.”
From Orpheus and Eurydice
• “Then Fame declared that conquered by the song
of Orpheus, for the first and only time the hard
cheeks of the fierce Eumenides were wet with
tears: nor could the royal queen, nor he who rules
the lower world deny the prayer of Orpheus”
• “Her last word spoken was, “Farewell!” which he
could barely hear, and with no further sound she fell
from him again to Hades.”
Read "The Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and
Rome" by E.M.Berens- specifically the section "Public
Worship of the Ancient Greeks and Romans"
ILLIAD SUMMARY
The Trojan War: The Trojan War is a legendary
conflict between the city of Troy and the Greeks,
sparked by Paris of Troy's abduction of Helen, the
wife of Menelaus, the king of Sparta. This event led
to a coalition of Greek forces, including iconic
heroes like Achilles, Odysseus, and Ajax,
assembling to besiege Troy.
The Suitors of Helen: Before Helen's marriage to
Menelaus, numerous suitors from various Greek
kingdoms competed for her hand in marriage.
Menelaus eventually won her, leading to their union
and the subsequent events of the Trojan War.
The Judgement of Paris: Paris, a prince of Troy,
was tasked with judging a beauty contest between
Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Aphrodite promised
him the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen,
as his prize, leading to her abduction and the start
of the Trojan War.
The Greeks Assemble: Following Helen's
abduction, Menelaus calls upon the various Greek
kings and heroes to honor their oath to defend his
marriage and retrieve Helen from Troy. This
assembly marks the beginning of the Greek forces
gathering for war.

The Start of the Iliad: The Iliad begins with the
anger of Achilles, a central character in the epic.
The narrative unfolds with the wrath of Achilles and
its consequences during the Trojan War.
The Tenth Year of War: The events of the Iliad
take place during the tenth and final year of the
Trojan War. The narrative spans a relatively short
period within this final year but encompasses
significant battles and events.
The Death of Hector: Hector, the greatest warrior
of Troy and son of King Priam, meets his end at the
hands of Achilles outside the walls of Troy. This
event is a crucial turning point in the Trojan War
and sets the stage for the epic's conclusion.
The Trojan Horse: The Greeks devise a cunning
plan to infiltrate Troy by constructing a giant
wooden horse, concealing warriors inside. They
present the horse as a peace offering and retreat,
leading the Trojans to bring the horse inside the city
walls. This act ultimately leads to Troy's downfall.
The Fall of Troy: After the Trojan Horse is brought
into the city, Greek warriors hidden inside emerge
and open the gates to their comrades, allowing the
Greek army to enter Troy. The city is sacked, and
its destruction marks the end of the legendary
Trojan War.
The "Odyssey" is an epic poem attributed to the
ancient Greek poet Homer. It tells the story of
Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his journey home
after the Trojan War. Here's a breakdown of its key
elements:
THE ODYSSEY SUMMARY
Introduction: The poem begins with Odysseus
being held captive on the island of Ogygia by the
nymph Calypso. Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, his wife
Penelope and son Telemachus fend off suitors who
are vying for Penelope's hand in marriage and
seeking to usurp Odysseus' throne.
Telemachus' Journey: Telemachus, urged by
Athena, sets out to learn about his father's fate. He
visits various places, seeking news about
Odysseus, and eventually travels to Pylos and
Sparta, where he meets Nestor and Menelaus, who
provide him with information about his father.
Odysseus' Adventures: The bulk of the poem
focuses on Odysseus' long and arduous journey
home from Troy. He faces numerous challenges
and encounters various mythical creatures and
divine beings. Some of the notable episodes
include:
Escape from Calypso's Island: Odysseus builds a
raft and escapes from Calypso's island with the
help of the sea nymph Ino.
Encounter with the Cyclops: Odysseus and his
men encounter Polyphemus, the Cyclops, whom
Odysseus blinds to escape.
Visit to Aeolus: Aeolus gives Odysseus a bag of
winds to aid his journey, but his crew opens it
prematurely, causing them to be blown back.
Circe's Island: Odysseus and his men encounter
the enchantress Circe, who turns his men into
swine. With the help of Hermes, Odysseus resists
her magic and eventually convinces her to release
his crew.
Journey to the Underworld: Odysseus travels to
the land of the dead to seek advice from the
prophet Tiresias and encounters various spirits,
including his mother.
Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis: Odysseus
navigates his ship through the dangers of the
Sirens' song, the monster Scylla, and the whirlpool
Charybdis.
Calypso's Island: Odysseus spends seven years
on Calypso's island before finally departing for
home at the behest of the gods.
Return to Ithaca: Athena intervenes to help
Odysseus return to Ithaca, where he is reunited
with his son Telemachus. With Athena's guidance,
Odysseus devises a plan to reclaim his kingdom
and deal with the suitors.
Revenge and Reunion: Disguised as a beggar,
Odysseus enters his own palace and, with the help
of Telemachus and loyal servants, he kills the
suitors who have been plaguing his household.
Penelope, initially skeptical of the beggar's identity,
finally recognizes her husband, and they are
joyfully reunited.
Conclusion: Peace is restored to Ithaca, and
Odysseus is reunited with his kingdom and family.
The gods intervene to restore order, and Odysseus'
long journey finally comes to an end.
The "Odyssey" is not only an epic adventure
but also a tale of cunning, perseverance, and the
power of loyalty and love. It remains one of the
most enduring and influential works of Western
literature.
ROMANS GODS AND GODESSES
Roman Religion
Before Christianity, the Romans prayed to
hundreds of different gods. Everyone made
sacrifices in the temple or their home to keep the
gods happy. Each god looked after one aspect of
people’s lives.
They adopted many of the Greek Gods and
Goddesses, and based their beliefs on a series of
myths
Roman Religion
Other gods important in the home
were the family spirits (lares) and domestic spirits
(penates).
The Lararium altar is the sacred
place of the home where offerings and prayers
were made to the gods every day.
The main Lararium altar was usually in the
Atrium -front reception room, near the front door -
or located near the hearth.
Jupiter
Roman Name: Jupiter
Greek Name: Zeus
Domain: Supreme god of Roman
pantheon; god of thunder and sky
Characteristics: Short temper,
many affairs, feared his wife (Juno)
above all
Symbols: Eagle, thunderbolt, bull,
Oak
Juno
Roman Name: Juno
Greek Name: Hera
Domain: Queen of the Gods,
goddess of women and marriage
Characteristics: Jealousy of
husband, anger and revenge
Symbols: Peacock, cow
 Neptune
Roman Name: Neptune
Greek Name: Poseidon
Domain: God of the sea and
earthquakes
Characteristics: Terrifying to sailors,
powerful, attractive, always
moving
Symbols: Trident, dolphins, horses
Minerva
Roman Name: Minerva
Greek Name: Athena
Domain: Goddess of wisdom,
warfare, medicine and crafts
Characteristics: Born of Jupiter’s
brain and his favorite daughter,
wise
Symbols: Owl
Mars
Roman Name: Mars
Greek Name: Ares
Domain: God of war and
bloodshed
Characteristics:
Handsome, strong,
arrogant, troublesome,
avoided by other deities
Symbols: Vulture, burning
torch, spear and shield
Venus
Roman Name: Venus
Greek Name: Aphrodite
Domain: Goddess of love and
beauty
Characteristics: Could be kind but
also harsh, vain, caused havoc if
angered
Symbols: doves, sparrows, swans
Apollo
Roman Name: Apollo
Greek Name: Apollo
Domain: God of music, sun, truth,
prophecy and arts
Characteristics: Twin to Diana,
protective of mother Latona,
gentle and warm, flew sun across
the sky
Symbols: Lyre, bow and arrow, sun,
Laurels
Diana
Roman Name: Diana
Greek Name: Artemis
Domain: Goddess of the moon,
hunting, virginity Characteristics:
Twin to Apollo, cold and pitiless
Symbols: Bow and arrow, cypress
tree, deer
Vesta
Roman Name: Vesta
Greek Name: Hestia
Domain: Goddess of hearth,
home and family
Characteristics: Guardian of
women, watched over domestic
tasks, Vestal Virgins guarded her
flame
Symbols: Sacred flame, plain
wooden throne
Mercury
Roman Name: Mercury
Greek Name: Hermes
Domain: Messenger God of
commerce, athletes and
travelers
Characteristics: Mischievous,
quick and clever, loyal, good
negotiator
Symbols: Winged sandals and
hat, caduceus
Vulcan
Roman Name: Vulcan
Greek Name: Hephaestus
Domain: God of fire,
volcanoes, blacksmiths and
craftsmen
Characteristics: Created
Jupiter’s thunderbolts, cast off
of Olympus by Juno because
he was born ugly
Symbols: Hammer, anvil, tongs,
fire
Pluto
Roman Name: Pluto
Greek Name: Hades
Domain: God of the Underworld,
judge of the dead
Characteristics: brother to Jupiter
and Neptune, married to
Proserpina
Symbols: scepter, Cerberus, helm
of invisibility
Other beliefs, customs and rituals
Jupiter gave Pandora, believed to be the first
woman, a golden container (analyzed to be a clay
jar, but interpreted to be a box in popular culture)
and told her never to open it since she has given
everything that she could possibly need
 Epimetheus was Pandora’s husband and
was given the key to the box.
 One night Pandora stole the key and
opened the box (though in some scholarly
accounts, it was Epimetheus who opened
it).
 Out of it came all the things that make
people suffer: sickness, hatred, greed,
poverty, jealousy, and distrust
 Pandora did not let hope out, making life
bearable for humans
The Ultimate Holiday- New Year!
 The month of March, named after the
Roman God of War, Mars, was filled with
festivals, celebrations fasts, and even
bloodletting.
 One of the biggest festivals was THE
FESTIVAL OF ANNA PERENNA to
celebrate the news years!
 The festival occurs on the Ides of March
(March 15) which started when March was
still the first month in the old lunar calendar.
 Anna Perenna was an old Roman deity of
the circle or "ring" of the year, as indicated
by the name (per annum). Many speculate
that she is a personification of the new year.
The festival includes drunkenness and
sexual and verbal freedoms typical of
carnivalesque holidays like Lupercalia.
Rituals - Lupercalia (Feb. 15)
Lupercalia has roots to pre-Roman traditions. In
Rome, the ritual was used to purify the people from
curses, bad luck, and infertility
 The festival begins with the sacrifice of
goats and dogs by two chosen young men.
  After the sacrifice, the men wipe the blood
on their forehead (to symbolize human
sacrifice) then wipe themselves clean with
wool dipped in milk.
 The young men dressed themselves in the
skin of the sacrificed goat and proceeded to
run around the city walls striking woman
with the wolf skin
 A strike was said to prevent infertility in
women.
The Mundus is Opened: Mundus Patet on October
5
 One of three times a year when the
Mundus (gate to the underworld) is opened
(Aug 24 and Nov 8 being the other two).
 The dead may communicate with the living
 No public business could be performed
 No battle is fought
 No ships set sail
 No marriages are held
Saturnalia (December 17)
 Like the Christian Christmas, it was a
serious day in that it honored Saturn
 The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice
at the Temple of
Saturn, in the Roman Forum, and a public banquet, DIDO AND AENEAS
followed by private gift-giving, continual partying, The love between Aeneas and Dido
and a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman is important, not only as a tragic influence in
social norms: gambling was permitted, and masters the epic, but also because it most clearly
provided table service for their slaves depicts Aeneas’s pietas. While Aeneas’s
recounting of the fall of Troy is a story that
Marriage does emphasize his pietas in relation to the
 Confarratio: oldest and most sacred city, gods, and his family and comrades,
form of marriage
Dido most clearly challenges, or tempts,
 Divorce was only an option for men in case
Aeneas to abandon this virtue. Mercury’s
of infertility or adultery.
 Man is the master of the woman warning to Aeneas that he must leave Dido
 Occurred in June-July emphasizes pietas and duty, and Aeneas
 Sacrifices for gods and wedding feasts suddenly conforms his mind to the will of the
 Similar to any other festival of ancient gods and his destiny, though he still loves
 Roman religion (Bacchanalian feasts) Carthage and Dido.
HISTORICAL RELEVANT
THE AENEID
Juno’s enmity toward Aeneas and the Trojans is
important for its emphasis of the historical
continuity among the Greeks, Trojans, Romans,
and Carthaginians, but it also serves as a
potentially ominous warning about the future of
Rome to Virgil’s audience.
Juno’s hatred for Aeneas is based on the old
allegiances of the gods found in the Greek myths
and Homer’s epics, and Virgil’s use of this anger as
a primary force in the Aeneid emphasizes this
historical unity. It also, obviously, explains the root
of the enmity between the Carthaginians and
Romans. However, while
Virgil’s audience would have proudly regarded the
destruction of Carthage as the triumph of Rome,
Juno’s anger at the conclusion of the work is
Elements and Theme ominously unabated.
 finding and creating a home
 nationhood AENEAS AND TURNUS
 parallels to historical romances
 civil war or imperialism? Turnus is Aeneas’s primary antagonist and the
 literary antecedents original suitor of Lavinia prior to Aeneas’s arrival.
The king breaks his oath to marry Lavinia to
Turnus, which becomes one of the main causes of
war between the Trojans and Latins. Turnus’s
gloating over the slaying of Evander’s son, Pallas,
inspires Aeneas to vindicate Pallas. We know the
Odyssey section on the execution of Penelope’s
suitors, which makes us realize that in classical
culture, it is inappropriate to gloat over a person’s
dishonorable death.
MYTHOLOGICAL ALLUSIONS
Allusion- an expression designed to call something
to mind without mentioning it explicitly. An indirect
or passing reference.
ACHILLES HEEL- An Achilles heel refers to a
person's vulnerability or fatal flaw. He was a shrewd
business man and investor, but his Achilles heel
was gambling.
ARGUS-EYED- According to the Greek legend,
Argus had 100 eyes. The Greek queen Juno had
him spy on her wayward husband, Jupiter. Argus-
eyed refers to jealous watchfulness.
BACCHANALIAN - Bacchanalia was a Roman
festival in Honor of Bacchus, the god of wine
(called Dionysius in Greek mythology). Something
described as Bacchanalian is similarly decadent
and uninhibited.
What started out as a gentle and subdued dinner
party degenerated into Bacchanalian abandon as
the hour wore on.
CUPID- Cupid was the Roman god of love, who
was also called Eros by the Greeks. He was usually
depicted as a young winged boy with a bow and
arrow. To play Cupid is to be a matchmaker, while
someone who suddenly falls in love is said to have
been struck by Cupid's arrow.
GORDIAN KNOT- According to Greek legend, King
Gordius tied a wagon to a column with an
extremely complex and intricate knot, which many
tried and failed to undo. An oracle declared that
whoever could untie the knot would rule the world.
With a single stroke of his sword, Alexander the
Great cut the knot in two and went on to rule Asia. A
Gordian knot is an intractable problem, and to cut
the Gordian knot is to resolve a difficult problem
with swift and bold action.
HERCULEAN- Hercules was a hero in Greek
mythology who was renowned for his strength and
courage. He is best known for completing his 12
labors, which included killing or capturing legendary
creatures and gaining various items. A Herculean
feat is one very hard to perform, especially one
requiring great strength.
NEMESIS- Nemesis was a Greek goddess of
retribution, the incarnation of the gods' revenge for
violating their laws. As the gods' retribution could
not be avoided, a nemesis is not only an agent of
punishment, but any challenge or opponent (an
archenemy) that a person is almost always unable
to defeat.
A Pandora's box is anything that, upon
investigation, leads to extensive and unexpected
troubles. (Recall: story of Pandora)
PROMETHEAN -In Greek mythology, Prometheus
defied Zeus, stealing fire from the heavens and
giving it to the human race. His name has become
associated with bold originality and creativity.
MERCURIAL- The word mercurial is commonly
used to refer to something or someone erratic,
volatile or unstable, derived from Mercury's swift
flights from place to place.
OTHER POPULAR ALLUSIONS
•Amazonian – woman warrior (from the Amazon
warriors in Greek myth)
•Atlas – a book of maps (from the Titan Atlas, who
knows all the
places in the world, thus he was punished by the
Olympians and was made to “carry the burden of
the world.”
•Caught between Scylla and Charybdis - in a very
hard situation (from the Odyssey)
•The face that launched a thousand ships –
beautiful (from Helen, Trojan War)
Janus – faced – either looks back in the past and
worries about the future OR
having two heads, being “plastic” as the Filipinos
call it (from Janus, Roman god of doors and
beginnings. He is a god who has two faces looking
on opposite directions)
Labyrinthine – an adjective describing a place full of
long, winding passages, like a maze (from
Labyrinth, a structure made by Daedalus to cage
the half-man, half-bull creature called the Minotaur)
Midas’ touch – golden touch (king Midas, who
wishes that anything he touches turn to gold)
Myrmidon - a loyal follower, especially one who
executes orders without question, protest, or pity,
unquestioning followers (They are Achilles
‘warriors.)
Narcissists- those with excessive self-love based
on self-image or ego (from Narcissus who is known
for praising his own beauty)
Oedipus complex- desire for the parent of the
opposite sex and may desire the downfall of the
parent of the same sex. (from Oedipus Rex)
Panic - a sudden fear which dominates or replaces
thinking and often affects groups of people or
animals (from the Greek god Pan who was said to
have the ability to cause extreme, irrational fear,
especially in lonely or open places)
Sisyphean labor - an activity is unending and/or
repetitive. It could also be used to refer to tasks that
are pointless and unrewarding (Sisyphus was a
king punished in Tartarus by being cursed to roll a
huge boulder up a hill only to watch it roll down
again, and to repeat this throughout eternity.)
Trojan Horse - decoy (from the Trojan War)
.