Classical Mythology

With Empedocles, the qualities of a creative religious, mytho-poetic imagination fluent in Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, and Parmenides allies itself with a rational mind keenly interested in understanding the natural world.:
The first condition for an understanding of Empedocles is to banish the notion of a gulf between religious beliefs and scientific views. His work is a whole, in which religion, poetry, and philosophy are indissolubly united. His imagination is constructive, gathering elements from every available quarter-Hesiodic and Ionian cosmogony, Parmenidean rationalism, Orphic mysticism, poetic legend, the experience of a physician, a poet’s sensuous response to the sights and sounds of mature, and the fears and hopes of a spirit exiled from heaven for ‘a brief span of life that is not life’- but building all these elements together into a unitary vision of the life of the world and the destiny of the human soul, bound, like the macrocosm, upon the wheel of birth and death (Cornford 122).
To give an idea of how Empedocles articulates the elements of muthos and logos in his system,  eleven fragments have been chosen in an attempt to illustrate the basic aspects of his system with an attention to mythical aspects:

Using a prototypical character from ancient times was an aspect that Romantic authors tried to avoid. However, Mary Shelley created on his most well-known novel, Frankenstein, or the modern Prometheus (1818), what it seems to be a completely new character based on a mythological hero, Prometheus. With her novel, Shelley did not only created an original character but also influenced in the 19 th century horror novel that would develop from Romantic literature features. The purpose of this essay is to detect the similitudes and differences between the personality of Shelley's character and the original one. By a descriptive analysis of Prometheus' and doctor Frankenstein's stories and personalities has been found a direct correlation between these two characters. Moreover, various differences between them can be distinguished, which gives to Mary Shelley's story originality. Following the characteristic gloomy and dark features of the Gothic novel, Shelley gave life to a protagonist who happens to be a rebellious hero that would be haunted until his death as well as a new kind of villain, the monster. The study answers the question regarding how much Shelly based her own novel on the mythological character and the aspects that draw them near and away from each other. Further studies are needed to clarify new doubts that have arisen while the research of this essay, such as the dependence of the monster's cruelty to its creator attitude or the apparition of the monster as a typical character in horror novels.

Based on a chapter from my Pygmalion and Galatea (2001), this article explores the nuances in the performances of the actresses who play Galatea in nineteenth-century plays on the subject, and how these feed in to Shaw’s understanding of Eliza’s knowing innocence in Pygmalion. It looks at the public fascination with women who looked like statues.

Though Odysseus’ tales to Eumaios and Aninoos in Odyssey 14.199–359 and 17.417–44, respectively, are presented as fictional tales within Homer’s larger myth, some elements have striking analogs in Late Bronze–Early Iron Age reality.

This article examines these portions of the hero’s false ainoi within their fictive context for the purpose of identifying and evaluating those elements. Particular focus is given to Odysseus’ declaration that he led nine successful maritime raids prior to the Trojan War; to his twice–described ill–fated assault on Egypt; and to his claim not only to have been spared in the wake of that Egyptian raid, but to have spent a subsequent seven years in the land of the pharaohs, during which he gathered great wealth.

Through a comparative examination of literary and archaeological evidence from the Late Bronze–Early Iron transition in the Eastern Mediterranean, it is shown that these aspects of Odysseus’ stories are not only reflective of the historical reality surrounding the time in which the epic is set, but that Odysseus’ fictive experience is remarkably similar to that of one specific member of the ‘Sea Peoples’ groups best known from 19th and 20th dynasty Egyptian records: the ‘Sherden of the Sea.’

My key role in the ERC-funded project Our Mythical Childhood http://www.omc.obta.al.uw.edu.pl/ is to produce a set of resources for autistic children using classical mythology. In February 2018, I posted my first set of activities on my blog https://myth-autism.blogspot.com/. This set is made up of a series of activities around an episode in the life of Hercules, a mythological figure whose autistic resonances are especially vibrant. The activities are focused around a specific episode in the career of this figure. This is where, in a strange place, he encounters two women who offer him a particular path in life. More specifically still, the activities are based around the episode as it represented in a particular artwork: a chimneypiece panel which dates to the eighteenth century and which can still engage people.
In creating these activities, I have been aiming to draw on the potential of Herculean stories in: stimulating the imagination, extending experience, developing social and personal skills, giving cultural experience and aiding interaction with others. I am presenting them here with a view to gaining as much feedback as possible, from autism specialists as well as from anyone with interest that bear on autism and mythology.

José Bergamín’s theater during
his exile in France goes from 1954 to 1970.
During these years, he wrote four interesting
plays to talk about, with subjects found in
the Spanish “Siglo de Oro” –the “lopesca”
Gatomaquia–; from the Greek mythology –
La sangre de Antígona and Donde una voz se
apaga–; or from Baudelaire’s poem, La cama,
tumba del sueño o El dormitorio. The relevance
of this author of the Generation of the 27th
in his stay in Paris is also evident in the
translations and performances during those
years in France. It is interesting to see that
influence in his last dramatic plays, some of
them were even written in French.

Σημειώσεις, σχολιασμός και απόδοση
από τη γλώσσα των Μάγιας και από την Αναγεννησιακή Ισπανική:
ΗΛΙΑΣ ΤΑΜΠΟΥΡΑΚΗΣ
Καθηγητής Ισπανικής & Πορτογαλικής Γλώσσας & Πολιτισμού
Απόσπασμα από το βιβλίο του: Πόπολ Βουχ, δημοσιευμένο τμηματικά από τις Εκδόσεις Περίπλους, Αθήνα, 1999 - 2007
https://idiaiteramathimataxenonglosson.wordpress.com/

The problem of regional uniqueness and intercultural relations of traditional images of Thunder-god as mythological celestial, cosmogonic, astronomic-calendaric and atmospheric being remains relevant to this day. Perkūnas image, his representations and attributes share certain similarities in different European cultures but they are still not investigated from visual point of view. This semiological investigation is mainly based on a comparative and interdisciplinary analysis of visual and narrative representations of the Baltic and Antique Thunder-gods. It aims to reveal the intercultural contextuality of the symbolic elements of images of Baltic Perkūnas and to demonstrate their similarities with the attributes of supreme Antique deities Zeus and Jupiter. A diachronic intercultural analysis of local, national or regional representations of Baltic Thunder-god helps avoid a localized ethno-centrism in explaining images of European deities as mere elements of a regional culture and w...

L’articolo è uno studio sui miti relativi all’Etna e sulla sua triplice natura di ninfa, madre e vulcano.
Come ninfa e madre, essa presenta una genealogia e una discendenza divine: figlia di Urano e Gea e madre degli dei Palici.  Come vulcano, invece, è sede dell’officina di Efesto e luogo legato agli episodi mitici del ratto di Persefone, della sconfitta di Tifone e di quella di Encelado.
È presente, inoltre, un approfondimento sul culto dei Palici e di Persefone.
Di ciascun mito sono citate le fonti antiche analizzate ed è presente una personale interpretazione.
[Link articolo: http://www.instoria.it/home/etna_mito.htm]

Paper presented for the Myth & Politics seminar series, organised by the Department of Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology at Swansea University, on the 22.6.20.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNyfJgLBrmo

This paper explores how secular and spiritual feminists of the 20th and 21st century have been challenging traditional representations women and goddesses in classical mythology, identifying how repeated narratives of victimhood and idealisation perpetuate a normalisation of this in modern western society. By applying "myth-busting" techniques, feminists seek to cause positive change today and for the future. Paying specific attention to the myths of Medusa and concepts of sex and beauty embodied by modern perceptions of Aphrodite, this paper demonstrates how the rewriting of ancient myths can have a tangible impact on people in the modern day.

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.

Fondé sur une double approche iconographique et textuelle, ce livre situe pour la première fois les sirènes antiques et médiévales au sein d'une histoire globale. Cette mise en perspective qui inclut aussi une approche anthropologique, permet d'appréhender cette figure archétypale dans son unité profonde tout en rendant compte des formes paradoxales qu'elle a pu revêtir. Mais au-delà de l'histoire du mythe et de ses variantes, des croyances magico-religieuses qui y sont associées et des interprétations philosophiques et morales dont il a fait l'objet, cette étude présente surtout l'originalité d'évoquer le passage de l'Antiquité païenne au Moyen Âge occidental chrétien au moyen d'une image-symbole qui apparaît comme un révélateur de mentalités particulièrement éclairant.

Intéressé par les mécanismes subtils qui ont permis la transmission et l'assimilation d'une bonne partie de la culture antique au Moyen Âge, l'auteur s'est notamment attaché à montrer l'étonnante continuité du discours savant tel qu'il s'exprime essentiellement dans l'oeuvre exégétique des Pères de l'Eglise et dans la littérature didactique des moines et des clercs qui s'en sont inspirés. Une place importante n'en a pas moins été faite à l'apport des cultures germanique et celtique qui semblent très impliquées dans le maintien des sirènes au sein d'une certaine forme de réalité, et surtout dans leur métamorphose en femme-poisson intervenue au VIIIe siècle au plus tard. L'apparition de "bonnes sirènes" aux côtés des sirènes vampiriques toujours craintes par les masses en plein Moyen Âge, paraît aussi devoir leur être imputée.

A cette enquête complexe mais combien passionnante s'ajoute une iconographie généreuse et de qualité qui permet de découvrir comment on représenta les sirènes durant toutes ces époques. La sculpture sur pierre du XIe et du XIIe siècle y est particulièrement bien représentée car la sirène y apparaît comme un motif privilégié. Un chapitre consacré aux sirènes dans la stylistique romane tente d'expliquer cette faveur, sur base d'arguments uniquement stylistiques.

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.).

The theme that unites the first four papers in this collection (counting the two elements of the second paper as two separate papers for the purposes of this summary only) is the view of Geta as very much the nexus-figure for three different aspects of the play: he is by turns the willing and unwilling trickster of Demipho (with Phormio as his principal ally); he is also a devotee of the goddess Fortuna (his piety sits comfortably alongside that of Demipho: they may profitably be viewed as a composite character) to whom good luck deservedly accrues (in contrast to Phormio and Chremes, who personify those who either enjoy unmerited success – Phormio – or like Chremes get found out); and, finally, Geta is co-principal architect of the resolution of the two cousins' love entanglements (although he once more needs the assistance – this time unsought - of another character: Nausistrata). All four papers, looking at the play from the varied perspectives of plot, structure and linguistic choices, present mutually-supportive evidence for this interpretation.
The fifth (summarising) paper gathers together the specific evidence to substantiate the claim that the intention of Terence was to create a play to showcase the comedic potential of a parasite let loose in a plot dominated by chance and where all intrigues are ultimately confounded. It further develops the idea that the prologue and last scene of the play were tailored to one another so as to draw direct parallels between the alleged behaviour of Luscius Lanuvinus and Phormio. The sixth paper speculatively explores an obscure element of Terence's attack upon Luscius that continues to puzzle modern commentators. The seventh paper expands the examination of pietas beyond the religious aspect analysed in the third paper (the second part to the second paper listed above) to encompass familial and wider social pietas. It seeks to demonstrate that Terence handled this theme in a wholly consistent manner, with the parasite unequivocally depicted as a vir impius - rendering it implausible that Terence, apparently so dependent himself upon patronage, should have cast Phormio as anything other than a comic rogue who got lucky.
The principal conclusions from my analysis of Phormio can be summarised thus:
1. Terence employs ring-composition as a fundamental organising technique, founded upon the stage entrances at regular intervals of four of the characters: Demipho, Phormio, Chremes and Sophrona (see the summarising table at the end of the collection).
2. Terence uses word-tags to link connected themes/ideas. These include: postilla, ire pergam, ipse (with the specific meaning of dominus), heia, eu, attat & (when used by a male) pol. Also (integrating the prologue with the remainder of the play-text): lacesso and aequo animo.
3. The theme of pietas (or its lack) leading to both deserved and undeserved felicitas is another organising principle of the play: references to the gods and to religious observance are most certainly not just incidental add-ons.
4. There are several plausible explanations for the parasite Phormio getting star-billing in the prologue. He need not be - and in this play is not - the master of intrigue portrayed by some (most?) other commentators.
5. This play provides an excellent example of how the translation choices for just a few lines can transform the overall interpretation. And why translators need to situate their decisions within the wider academic debate, failing which they run the risk of misleading their audience.
6. It is a valid approach to interpret each of Terence's plays on an individual basis, given the small number he wrote and the insistence in the prologues upon originality. To focus on elements common to his corpus - or common to the even wider concept of a comoedia palliata - can lead to unwarranted (or at least unduly restrictive) conclusions.
7. In this specific play the prologue does form an integral part of the overall play-text (both in terms of the fundamental architecture of the play and as regards important thematic elements).
8. The structuring of this play raises fundamental questions as to the basis upon which Terence selected, and the degree to which he subsequently modified, his Greek original in this specific instance and, more generally, as regards his wider approach to his Greek source material. Terence did more than merely translate: he seems actively to have sought out plays, and (where appropriate) specific scenes from other Greek works where he deemed it appropriate, so as to develop various stock-characters from play to play and thereby to put his own stamp on a particular comedy. Modern scholarship generally supports the idea that Shakespeare adopted a somewhat similar approach to his source material in a number of plays.

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.

The scholarly community has become increasingly aware of the differences between Roman myths and the more familiar myths of Greece. Early Rome: Myth and Society steps in to provide much-needed modern and accessible translations and commentaries on Italian legends.

This work examines the tales of Roman pre- and legendary history, discusses relevant cultural and contextual information, and presents author biographies. This book offers updated translations of key texts, including authors who are often absent from classical mythology textbooks, such as Dionysius of Halicarnassus and Servius. Jaclyn Neel debunks the idea that Romans were unimaginative copyists by spotlighting the vitality and flexibility of Italian myth — particularly those parts that are less closely connected to Greek tales, such as the story of Caeculus of Praeneste. Finally, by calling attention to the Italian rather than Roman nature of the collection, this book suggests that Roman culture was broader than the city itself. This important work offers:

    * Up-to-date and accessible translations of Roman and Italic legends from authors throughout antiquity
    * Examination of compelling tales that involve the Roman equivalent of Greek “heroes”
    * Unique view of the strength and plasticity of Roman and Italic myth, particularly the parts less closely connected to familiar Greek tales
    * Intelligent discussion of relevant cultural and contextual information
    * Argument that Roman culture reached far beyond the city of Rome

Fresh and readable, Early Rome: Myth and Society offers essential reading for students of ancient Rome as well as those interested in Roman and Greek mythology.

http://ca.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1119083796.html

http://earlyrome.omeka.net/

Summary: Francis Ford Coppola’s film Apocalypse Now counts as one of the best (anti-) war movies ever made, The aim of this article is to show how Classical mythology is employed in this film to represent and understand America’s Vietnam War experience. Not only does Apocalypse Now contain various references to the Odyssey, the storyline itself is structured as a myth. In our article, we show how Coppola and his screenwriter John Milius used Joseph Campbell’s book The Hero With a Thousand Faces and James Frazer’s The Golden Bough to give their film a powerful mythological foundation. These mythological references add depth to the movie and are used to manipulate the audience's expectations. Thus the artistic accomplishment of Apocalypse Now demonstrates the enduring power of myth.

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.

Student Learning Outcomes
At end of this class students will be able to…
1. Identify & Discuss some of the classical mythology & history that inspired Suzanne Collins’ novels.
2. Discuss the major themes and ideas in the novel, such as dystopias, totalitarianism, oppression, scapegoating, death games, PTSD and reality television
3. Identify and discuss parallels in the students’ own and other world cultures.

Guido von List (1848-1919) è stato uno studioso, poeta, giornalista, scrittore e alpinista tedesco. Il suo lavoro di ricerca sulle origini delle religioni pagane dell'antica Europa, e in particolar modo le sue intuizioni volte a decifrare i significati più esoterici dell'intero complesso mitico degli antichi popoli germanici, costituisce tuttora un'occasione imprescindibile per chiunque volesse approfondire l'argomento, al punto che  Marcello De Martino lo definisce "l'antesignano della teoria duméziliana" della tripartizione indoeuropea, nonché "l'esatto omologo di George Dumézil in ambito occultistico".

The inseparable relationship between the cult of Dionysus and politics in antiquity emerged as early as in archaic poleis and continued to evolve until late-antique times. Surprisingly enough, most monographs dealing with Greek and Roman political thought pay little, if any, attention to the essential role played by Dionysiac imagery. The only exception in which the name of Dionysus comes to the fore is the Bacchanalian affair, which has been widely discussed both in relation to Roman religion as well as in relation to Roman politics. Apart from that affair, however, Dionysus/Bacchus is seldom mentioned in mainstream research on Greek and Roman political practice.To date, no monograph systematically addressing the role of Dionysus in Greek and Roman political thought has seen the light of day. In existing studies, interesting and valuable as they are, the issue has been discussed only partially or in passing. The present volume fills this important gap by introducing the political importance of Dionysus into the academic mainstream. It brings together 11 contributions from an international team of scholars, starting with four top specialists in the field, Cornelia Isler-Kerényi, Jean-Marie Pailler, Richard Seaford and Richard Stoneman. The contributors develop an interdisciplinary approach to the subject by combining sub-disciplines and types of evidence: historiography, poetry, coins, epigraphy, art and philosophy, while the chapters also follow a chronological order. Thus, the reader can follow how the political ideas and motifs rooted in Greek classical thought were continued, adapted and developed in successive periods, from Hellenistic to Imperial to late-antique times. The book therefore casts a decisive light on a still underrated aspect of Greek and Roman theological refection on politics, and greatly helps to better understand the ancient thinking on the nature of ruling.

Critical edition and analysis of the Storia di Ercole e di Filottete, published by Laura Orvieto in «La Settimana dei Ragazzi» (III, 7, 16 febbraio 1947, p. 3), compared to the other writings for children on classical mythology by the same author.