SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔Contrasts between Demeter and Dionysus - ✔✔• Demeter gives the grain, precious
to human beings, but by nature is dry and passive.
• Dionysus represents a wet and active substance, the "juice" that gives life to things.
Water is the natural element closest to Dionysus.
• Dionysus- Lycurgus drives him into the sea to the protective arms of the sea-goddess
Thetis.
• Dionysus descends through the Aycyonean lake to bring back his mother from the
underworld.
• Dionysus' encounter with the Etruscan pirates takes place at sea.
• Ino his nurse and victim, becomes a sea-goddess.
• Watery god is associated with the wet components of living things: semen, sap milk
and blood.
✔✔Hero Vs. Divine Myth - ✔✔-Divine myths have gods/goddesses as principal
characters. Generally explain why the world, or some aspect of it, is the way it is.
Supernatural beings sometimes take on human/animal shapes. Control awesome
forces natures
-Hero myths are about mortals worshiped on Earth
✔✔Greek perception of Hero - ✔✔-for ancient Greeks, hero means protector. Homer's
version of hero means noble and well born male & always alive. The term was also
applied to noble figures from the distant past, all dead.
✔✔Major elements of hero stories - ✔✔-a story, supernatural or liminal characters
(between gods and human), cultural/universal symbols.
-heroes are those worshiped beneath the earth
-most of the famous heroes had well known tombs (hero), these were built in well-
travelled places
✔✔Perseus - ✔✔-founded Mycenae (popular center of wealth and power, later ruled by
Atreus and his son, Agamenon (led forces against Tory) and former king of Tiryns)
✔✔Perseus Birth - ✔✔-Began with Io & Zeus. Hera was about to learn of Zeus' affair,
so Zeus turned Io into a cow. From this affair, Io gave birth to Epaphus.
-Danaus & Aegyptus (twins). Aegyptus became king of Arabia, Danus became king of
Libya. Aegyptus had 50 sons and Danaus had 50 daughters (danaids). Danaus agreed
to have his daughters married off to A's sons but told them to kill their husbands on their
wedding night.
-Hypermenstra didn't' kill her husband, Lynceus, because he spared her virginity.
-Lynceus has twins; Acrisius and Proteus (didn't get along.) Proteus's has daughter,
Danae. Oracle said that Danae would give birth to a son that would kill Acrisius &
, Danae was then put in a chamber where Zeus impregnated her. That child was
Perseus. They were cast to sea, saved by Dictys.
-Perseus promised the head of a gorgon (female creature) as a wedding gift for
Polydectes and Hippodamia so that Polydectes would lay off his mom.
✔✔Perseus' Quest - ✔✔-Gorgons, Stheno, Eurale, & Medusa
-Medusa was mortal, but no had ever survived an encounter w/ her.
-Athena came to Peresus and told him instructions (must learn whereabouts of helpful
nymphs were from the Graeae.)
-3 witches with 1 eye and 1 tooth
-He took them and so they revelaed where the nymphs were, but had to obtain 1)cap of
hades (invisibility cloak) 2) Winged sandals 3) leather pouch to conceal head.
-Flew to ricer ocean, slashed off Medusa's head.
-Medusa was pregnant by Posedion, so Peagasus and Giant Chrysaor flew out her
head.
-When he returns, he learns Polydectes has assaulted Danae. Returns magical items
and gives Gorgon's head to Athena.
-Perseus saw Andromea chained to a rock & fell in love
-P wanted to meet his father, Acrisius. Unknowlingly, P enters an athletic competition
but accidentally hits and kills Acrisius when throwing the discus.
✔✔Heracles birth - ✔✔-Son of Zeus & Alcmena (grandfather of Perseus who was to
marry Amphitryon.)
-On their wedding night, Zeus (disguised as Amph) and Amphitryon both slept with
Alcmena. Alcmena received both mortal and divine seeds, and out came Heracles and
Iphicles.
-Hera was jealous so tried to delay birth, but was tricked and babies were born.
-Hera tried to kill Heracles with snakes, but he smashed them together. Amph then
knows Heracles is son of Zeus.
✔✔Heracles first wife and kids - ✔✔-Amphitryon killed in war. Heracles is now new king
of thebes and Megara is now his wife. They have 3 kids.
-Hera still jealous so makes Heracles crazy for a day, in which he kills his wife and
children.
-To attone for his crime, he had to perform 12 labors for Eurystheus (king of mycenae)
and then he would become immortal
✔✔1st Labor- Nemean Lion - ✔✔-had to kill it by snapping neck
-worse skin as prize and protection
✔✔2nd Labor- The Lernaean Hydra - ✔✔-Hydra: enormous serpent that lived in
swamps of Lerna
-Cut 1 head off and 2 would grow.
-Fire branded heads- stopped reproduction
-Cut off head & dipped arrows in mister's bile as weapon
-Crab attacked him; Cancer