Ancient Greek Mythology

This book presents a new study of Greek large-scale bronze statuary of the late Archaic and Classical periods. It examines the discovery, origin, style, date, artistic attribution, identification, and interpretation of the surviving bronzes, and focuses in particular on their technical features and casting techniques. It contains over 170 plates of photographs and drawings to illustrate its discussion.

It also places the development of the casting techniques in connection with the stylistic evolution in Greek free-standing sculpture. During the Classical period, artists preferred bronze to marble when creating their contrapposto figures. Indisputably, bronze gave particular freedom to artists in creating three-dimensional figures. In addition, the evolution in style encouraged the development of the uses of bronze to serve the new needs and tendencies in sculpture during the late Archaic and especially the Classical period. Through the examination of how technical matters affect style, this book presents fresh interpretations of these important monuments of Greek art and offers a new approach in the field of Greek free-standing bronze sculpture.

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  Ο Διόνυσος, υιός του θεού Δία και της θνητής Σεμέλης —θεός κι ο ίδιος απ' τη σύλληψη και τη γέννησή του— καταφθάνει στην πόλη των Θηβών απ' την Ασία, συνοδευόμενος από τις «Βάκχες», τις ακολούθους του. Αυτές, ενδεδυμένες με δέρματα ελαφιών («νεβρίδες») και κρατώντας στα χέρια τους θύρσο (κοντάρι τυλιγμένο με κισσό, σύμβολο και φορέα της θεϊκής δύναμης του Διονύσου), βιώνουν την έκσταση που τους προκαλεί η μέθεξη στα ιερά μυστήρια του θεού, ενόσω βρίσκονται σε κατάσταση ένθεης μανίας —έχοντας απελευθερώσει τον νου τους απ' τα δεσμά και τους κανόνες των εγκοσμίων, και έχοντας συνενωθεί σ' ένα σώμα και σε μια ψυχή, η οποία πάλλεται στον ρυθμό των τυμπάνων και δονείται απ' το γλυκό κελάηδημα των φρυγικών αυλών. Σκοπός του θεού είναι να μυήσει τη Θήβα, πόλη της καταγωγής του, πρώτη ανάμεσα σ' όλη την Ελλάδα στη νέα αυτή ελευθεριάζουσα λατρεία.

  Με το τελευταίο του έργο, τις «Βάκχες», ο Ευριπίδης εισάγει «καινά δαιμόνια» στη γνωσιολογία της αττικής Τραγωδίας αλλά και στη δομή της θεατρικής της πράξης, προσπαθώντας ταυτοχρόνως να τα εισαγάγει και στον τρόπο αντίληψης και σκέψης των θεατών· περισσότερο, ίσως, για να τους προειδοποιήσει, παρά για να τους μεταρρυθμίσει γνωσιολογικώς. Οι «Βάκχες» αποτελούν ίσως περισσότερο μια πολιτισμική κραυγή αγωνίας και μια ποιητική διαμαρτυρία απέναντι στο διαφαινόμενο τέλος της ίδιας της αττικής Τραγωδίας, της αθηναϊκής δημοκρατίας και του κλασικού ελληνισμού, και λιγότερο ένα αμιγώς διδακτικό περιεχόμενο με σκοπό τη νοητική αυτοβελτίωση εκάστου εκ των θεατών. Ο Ευριπίδης νεωτερίζει, ανασκευάζοντας τους μηχανισμούς προσληψιμότητας (και, εν μέρει, και αισθητικής) της αρχαίας αττικής Τραγωδίας· την «καταργεί» ως διακριτό είδος ποιητικής και θεατρικής δημιουργίας και την «ενταφιάζει» (ίσως προσδοκώντας μια πιθανή επαναγέννεσή της στο μέλλον, με τρόπο παρόμοιο με τη διπλή γένεση του Διονύσου, του δημιουργού του θεάτρου), λίγο μόλις καιρό πριν κι ο ίδιος πεθάνει με τρόπο παρόμοιο με αυτόν του πρωταγωνιστή του δράματος.

  Tο βιβλίο περιλαμβάνει το αρχικό (μερικώς ανακατασκευασμένο) αρχαίο κείμενο των "Βακχών", σε έμμετρη μετάφραση στα νέα ελληνικά. Η μετάφραση συνοδεύεται από τον σχολιασμό ενός επιλεγμένου αριθμού στίχων και από έναν εκτενή Πρόλογο —στον οποίο αναλύονται οι «Βάκχες» και το περιεχόμενό τους, συμπεριλαμβανομένης μιας σύνθετης ερμηνευτικής θέωρησης της τραγωδίας.

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  The god Dionysus —son of Zeus and of the mortal woman Semele— arrives in the city of Thebes from Asia, impersonating a mortal and accompanied by the "Bacchae", his female followers. The latter, clad in deer skins and holding in their hands the "thyrsus" (a wooden staff wrapped in ivy, the symbol and the carrier of the divine power of Dionysus), experience the ecstasy by participating in the sacred mysteries of the god Dionysus, while being at the same time in a state of divine madness —after having freed their mind from the worldly bonds and rules, united in one body and one soul; their body pulsating in the rhythm of the drums, and vibrating to the sweet warbling of the Phrygian flutes. The purpose of Dionysus is to initiate Thebes, his natal city, first among all of Greece, in his new liberating cult.

  In his last work, the "Bacchae", Euripides introduces novelties in the epistemology of the Attic Tragedy as well as in the structure of its theatrical representation; at the same time, he tries to introduce these novelties in the way of perception and thinking of the spectators (perhaps, more in an effort to warn them, rather than to reform their mindset). The "Bacchae" can be considered more as a cultural cry of agony as well as a poetic protest against the looming end of the Attic Tragedy itself, the end of the Athenian democracy and the end of the classical Hellenism, and less as a purely didactic content which aims at the intellectual self-improvement of the spectators. Euripides brutally modernizes and reconstructs the mechanisms of the theatrical receptivity (and, in part, of the aesthetics) of the ancient Attic Tragedy; he "abolishes" it as a distinct kind of poetic and theatrical creation, and "buries" it (perhaps anticipating its possible rebirth in the future, in a manner similar to the double birth of Dionysus, the creator of the theater), shortly before he himself dies, in a manner similar to that of the protagonist of the drama.

  This book includes the original (partially reconstructed) ancient text of the "Bacchae", translated side-by-side in modern greek, in verse. The translation is accompanied by commentary on a selected number of verses, and by an extensive Prologue (both in modern greek) —in which the "Bacchae" and its contents are analyzed, including a composite interpretive view of the tragedy.

Edited and Translated into English by Brian Duvick XXXVII. After the Trojans saw this, Antenor, Aeneas, and Polydamas came to Priam, pleaded with him to convene the council and deliberate about their future fortune. Priam convened the council. Those who requested the opportunity to speak he ordered to state what they wanted. Antenor recalled that the principal defenders of Troy, Hector and his other sons, had been killed with the foreign leaders, that the Argives still had their bravest-Agamemnon, Menelaus, Neoptolemus, who was no less brave than his father, Diomedes, Locrian Ajax, and several others, including men of the highest good sense-Nestor, Ulysses. In contrast, he said, the Trojans had been shut up and worn out with fear. He argued instead to return Helena and the goods that Alexander had taken with her companions and to make peace. After they talked about procuring peace with lengthy speeches, Amphimachus stood up, a young son of Priam, very brave, delivered a horrid speech against Antenor and those who had consented. He upbraided their deeds, argued instead to muster the army and invade the camp until victorious or fall for the fatherland defeated. After he concluded, Aeneas stood up, contested Amphimachus with calm and gentle words, argued to seek peace from the Argives with urgency. Polydamas persuaded the same.

Per entendre la cultura grega és absolutament necessari entreveure, si més no, com eren les relacions dels grecs amb els déus, amb els morts, amb el que podem anomenar el món metafísic, i aquest volum vol ser una guia que acoste l'estudiant al coneixement tant dels problemes de la religió grega antiga com dels plantejaments metodològics amb què es pretenen resoldre.

A handfull of ancient Greek myths and mythical figures of the Greek antiquity that have left an impact on Greek mythology and serve as moral lessons. The myth surrounding Orpheus, who descended to the Underworld to get his wife, the nymph Eurydice, back, is not an exception. Therefore, in this essay, I will present and analyze this specific myth, along with the different version there is to it, I will discuss the moral lesson it carries, and lastly, I will show how it is depicted in ancient artifacts, such as ancient vases, sculptures and modern paintings and statues.

Les mythes grecs et latins ont été transmis par les poètes et par les mythographes. Mais, quoique leur rôle ait été décisif, ces derniers ont été peu étudiés. Une des raisons en est que leur activité n'a jamais été constituée en genre, leurs pratiques étant aussi diverses que complexes. Ce volume, issu des travaux du groupe de recherches international Polymnia, cherche à répondre à la question : Que recouvre le terme 'mythographie' ? en étudiant un choix de textes représentatifs de la tradition mythographique en Grèce, à Rome, dans l'Europe du moyen âge et de la Renaissance. Pour mieux appréhender la diversité des méthodes et des propositions des mythographes anciens et modernes sur les significations et la fabrication des mythes, ces études sont centrées sur les formes, usages et visées de leurs écrits. Loin d' être de simples médiateurs et compilateurs, les mythographes ont été des analystes, des interprètes et des recréateurs de mythes, qui nous invitent à réfléchir à notre tour sur les constants efforts d' exégèse qui ont construit la culture occidentale.

In archaic and classical iconography, eminent figures, such as the Olympian gods, are often represented seated on thrones. This symbol of power, however, is also regularly used by ancient authors and artists as an allegory of punishment associated to a hybris committed towards the gods –Theseus and Pirithoos on the thrones of oblivion, Hera on the golden throne. This theme alludes to the destiny of those who do not respect the laws and rules established by official authorities (divine or human).
The present article aims at studying the transformation of a typical symbol of power to an image of suffering and torture as well as determining the pictorial elements that enabled the distinction between the two themes in space (Greece and South Italy) and time (from the sixth to the fourth centuries B.C.).

RESUME
Le motif de la figure assise apparaît souvent dans l’iconographie de personnages éminents, tels les Olympiens, faisant référence à leur pouvoir. Néanmoins, ce même motif est parfois utilisé par les auteurs et les artistes antiques pour évoquer des scènes de supplice liées au châtiment d’une démesure envers les dieux –Thésée et Pirithoos sur les sièges de l’oubli, Héra sur le trône d’or– faisant allusion de façon allégorique au sort réservé aux personnes qui ne respectent pas les lois et les règles établies par la hiérarchie officielle (divine ou humaine).
Le présent article étudie la transformation d’un thème typique de pouvoir en scène de châtiment et tâche de déterminer les conditions qui imposaient la diffusion de l’un ou de l’autre motif dans l’espace (Grèce et Italie du Sud) et dans le temps (du VIe au IVe siècle av. J.-C.).

Estos bellos relatos nos enseñan cómo concibieron los griegos las relaciones de la Humanidad con su entorno, con el cielo y la tierra, el sol y los mares, la belleza y la inteligencia, el miedo y el amor. Algunos nos resultarán fantásticos y distantes; otros, cercanos y familiares. Pero todos nos ayudarán a comprendernos en esa historia común en la que estamos integrados: la humanidad llamada Occidente. También, a perder el miedo a lo desconocido, que queda transformado en belleza y conocimiento de nosotros a través de la fabulación. Tanto los mayores como los niños (los mejores fabuladores) aprenderemos, de la mano de Alicia Esteban y Mercedes Aguirre y acompañados de los preciosos dibujos de Siro López, a contarnos nuestros propios y maravillosos cuentos a partir de las preguntas más hondas.

An encyclopedic A-to-Z guide, this beautifully illustrated volume offers hundreds of rich, fascinating definitions of 700 major and minor characters, creatures, and places of classical mythology.

Classical Mythology A-to-Z is a comprehensive and engrossing guide to Greek and Roman mythology. Written by Annette Giesecke, PhD, Professor of Classics and Chair of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies at the University of Delaware, this brilliant reference offers clear explanations of every character and locale, and captures the essence of these timeless tales.

From the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus, to the heroes of the Trojan War, to the nymphs, monsters, and other mythical creatures that populate these ancient stories, Giesecke recounts, with clarity and energy, the details of more than 700 characters and places. Each definition includes cross-references to related characters, locations, and myths, as well their equivalent in Roman mythology and cult.

In addition to being an important stand-alone work, Classical Mythology A-to-Z is also written, designed, and illustrated to serve as an essential companion to the bestselling illustrated 75th-anniversary edition of Mythology by Edith Hamilton, including 10 full-color plates and 2-color illustration throughout by artist Jim Tierney.

I will present this paper at the annual meeting of the Northern New England Philosophical Association on November 3, 2017 at Stonehill College.

This essay investigates Plato's use of " hope " (ἐλπίς, ἐλπίζειν) in the Phaedo. I have shown elsewhere that in the Philebus, Plato devotes significant attention to hope, attributing to it a number of features. Two of those will also emerge from my explanation of hope in the Phaedo: (1) That it is a pleasure of the soul, and (2) that it anticipates pleasure with certitude, unlike the ambiguity of mere expectation: προσδοκία—a reversal of the modern meaning of these words. I will also illustrate that hope is potentially inexhaustible even if it is limited by the capabilities of reason. Furthermore, my interpretation of the " True Earth " afterlife myth reveals that the dialogue engenders hope in two distinct, but closely related ways: theologically and intellectually. My explanation of the former aids in demarcating the pagan foundations for Christian theological hope, while my account of the latter contributes to an underrepresented area of Plato scholarship, and perhaps of modern philosophy broadly construed.

Due saggi, apparsi nello stesso volume, relativi l'uno all'interpretazione di un erbario alla luce del mito antico, l'altro alla paternità stessa dell'erbario, che si lega, attraverso curiose vicende, all'opera di Giorgio Santi, professore di scienze naturali dell'Università di Pisa alla fine del secolo XVIII.

Using adaptation theory and literary analysis, this paper aims to provide an academic deconstruction of the development of Hades in Anaïs Mitchell's Hadestown. Through discussions surrounding poetry, revolution, industry, death, and the political implications of the wall, this panel will show how it's possible for Hades to be a man, a king, and a god, all while avoiding satanic and devilish stereotypes.

Originally Presented at BroadwayCon 2020

En el firmamento, en esa inmensidad oscura y a la vez plagada de millones de luces...Ahí transcurre la acción de gran parte de estos bellos cuentos llenos de fantasía, en los que los astros se entremezclan en las vidas de los humanos. Porque, aunque los veamos tan lejanos en lo alto del cielo, para los griegos eran seres vivientes: unos, poderosos dioses (como el Sol), que -en su recorrido eternamente reiterado a través del espacio celeste-rigen la vida del universo, siendo responsables de la luz y el calor, así como del transcurrir del tiempo. Pero también, a semejanza de los humanos, son capaces de sentir pasiones y de vivir historias intensas y extraordinarias. Otros, que fueron mortales en origen, ahora permanecen por siempre convertidos en estrellas y constelaciones, como Andrómeda, Pegaso o la Osa Mayor.

В статье определены и систематизированы значения термина «теология» в античной культуре. На основе анализа источников и критической литературы показано, что под теологией в античности подразумевались различные виды теоретической деятельности, имевшей отношение как к религии (мифологии), так и к философии. Указанный термин обозначал 1) систематизированное и как правило поэтическое изложение мифов о богах и героях древности; 2) философию в целом как «науку о божественном», то есть о наивысшем; 3) специальное философское учение о богах, то есть рациональную интерпретацию содержания «народной религии»; 4) «первую философию», то есть учение о первопричине всего существующего; 5) философско-мистическую теорию восхождения ума к высшему совершенству; 6) учение о божественном происхождении космоса и мировых законов; 7) доктрину сверхъестественного происхождения политической власти. Рассмотрена также ранняя систематизация теологического знания у Прокла, Тертуллиана и Августина. Таким образом, определён историко-культурный контекст рецепции термина «теология» христианством и обозначены причины, потребовавшие радикального переосмысления содержания этого термина в процессе его перенесения в христианскую религиозную традицию.

The meanings of the term ‘theology’ characteristic for Ancient culture are defined and systematized in this article. Based on an analysis of sources and critical literature, I show that theology in Antiquity was understood to mean various types of theoretical activity related to both religion (mythology) and philosophy. The named term meant 1) a systematic and usually poetic representation of myths about the gods and heroes of Antiquity; 2) philosophy as a whole as a ‘science of the divine’; 3) a special philosophical doctrine of the gods, that is, a rational interpretation of the content of the ‘popular religion’; 4) first philosophy, that is, the doctrine of the root cause of everything that exists; 5) the philosophical-mystical theory of the ascent of the mind to final perfection; 6) the doctrine of the divine origin of the cosmos and of world laws; 7) the doctrine of the supernatural origin of political power. The early systematization of theological knowledge by Proclus, Tertullian, and Augustine is also examined. Thus, it is defined the historical and cultural context of the reception of the term ‘theology’ by Christianity, and the reasons that required a radical rethinking of the content of this term in the process of its transfer to the Christian religious tradition

This is not work of mine, but primary source material. In 2015 the ancient goddess Aphrodite contacted me on Facebook; over the next several months she told me about her life in ancient times and her return to our world. I intend to write about these stories but am posting them here (with her permission) for anyone interested.

El presente artículo ofrece al lector el conocimiento y el análisis de aquellas tradiciones elaboradas por diversos autores griegos sobre la fundación de Roma que, por diferentes motivos que también serán abordados, fueron desestimadas en el proceso que condujo a la confección final del mito que tiene lugar en época augústea.

Este artículo intenta pensar la relación del juego, el mito y la educación en el pensamiento filosófico griego antiguo. Una versión "pervertida" -en el mejor sentido deleuziano- de cómo las tradiciones antiguas, a partir de sus enseñanzas mitológicas, provocaban una profundidad sensible en la actividad pedagógica, que se ha diluido en las versiones racionalistas letradas de las posteriores formas de enseñanza.

Edited and Translated into English by Brian Duvick 8. At the same time, when the alliance of all Greece was revealed in Troy by Scythian barbarians, who commonly wandered here and there trading with neighbors throughout the Hellespont, fear and sadness seized the Trojans since each who had been displeased from the start by the crime of Alexander testified that he had wronged Greece and it was therefore rash to hasten into common danger due to the depravity of a few. In the middle of these turbulent affairs, Alexander and other very bad counselors selected a great many people from every order to gather auxiliaries from neighboring regions, and they were told to return as soon as the business was complete. This was carried out quickly especially by the sons of Priam to expedite deployment of the army, seize the moment to depart, and transport the entire war machine they had prepared into the regions of Greece. 9. While these matters were being conducted in Troy, Diomedes learned more about the undertaking and, travelling throughout Greece, gathered all the commanders and, explaining the Trojan plan, advised and exhorted them to equip with the necessities for war and hasten to sail as soon as possible. Not much later, when they understood the plan, they all gathered in Argos. There, Achilles,

https://elibrary.steiner-verlag.de/article/10.25162/hermes-2020-0031

This article addresses the topic of excerpts by focusing on modern excerpting practices used in the analysis of Greek myth. It examines the mythological exemplum about Melanion and Timon from Aristophanes' Lysistrata within the context of Greek myth's flexibility and potential for innovation. After discussing the innovative details of the exempla, I turn to the use of the Melanion excerpt by two prominent classicists, P. Vidal-Naquet and M. Detienne. This leads to some general remarks on the transmission of knowledge regarding mythological lore, as well as on our modern scholarly practices of excerpting passages out of their original context.

There is a popular view, supported by Oxford historian Robin Lane Fox and others, that Alexander the Great's personal motivation and public persona were heavily influenced by the myth of Achilles. However, skeptics of this view raise many legitimate doubts about its historical accuracy.  This article takes a broad look at the evidence linking Alexander the Great to Achilles.

http://www.casaitaliananyu.org/multimedia

This talk explores Naples as the architectonic setting of Elena Ferrante’s novel My Brilliant Friend through the lens of classical mythology and urban sociology. It examines the city – and more specifically, the neighborhood or the rione – as a symbolic and literal labyrinth, an architectural manifestation of the patriarchal order which structures and oppresses the feminine body and psyche. The talk follows Ferrante’s two female protagonists, Lila and Elena, as they negotiate the labyrinth of the rione and face the monster-Minotaur of their childhood, thereby articulating new ways of resisting male-dominated urban space.

Maciej Paprocki is an academic whose current research examines depictions of political tensions between the families of Zeus and Hyperion in Ancient Greek literature. Since November 2015 he has been a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Distant Worlds Graduate School (Münchner Zentrum für Antike Welten) at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in München. He has a keen interest in ancient Greek political theology, especially in the assignation and transferral of divine powers, rebellions against Zeus and the ontology of Ancient Greek godhood; he has also previously worked on research in both cultural studies (on concepts such as the body politic metaphor in English and American culture) and desert road archaeology (examining the road links between Roman Egypt, oases and neighbouring lands). Between April 2013 and February 2015, Maciej was also a member of the Alientrap Games team, where, as Mythology Consultant, he helped to design their latest project, Apotheon™, a 2D platform action-RPG game done in a black-figure vase art style. He acted as a consultant on the game narrative/story as well as co-designing characters and writing dialogues. This interview with Emma Bridges developed from a presentation which Maciej gave at the colloquium 'Remaking ancient Greek and Roman myths in the twenty-first century' which was held at the Open University's London centre on 7 th July 2016.