English 220: Mythology: Greek

The Greeks also called Apollo, Phoebus—brilliant one, perpetually reborn, who shoots darts from afar, and who incorporates the radiant characteristics of the sun. In this program, we learn about Apollo’s mother Leto, his birth on the island of Delos, his twin sister Artemis, Python and Pythia, and the oracle of Delphi. Also discussed are Cassandra’s prediction of the fall of Troy; Apollo and the concept of spiritual cleansing; and Apollo and the lyre. The stories are told of Apollo and Daphne, Hyacinthus, Marsyas, Asclepius, and the centaur Chiron.

The main event in Greek mythology was the Trojan War, in which thousands of mortals died, while the gods watched and laid wagers on the outcome. Among the war’s prime movers were Ares, god of war, whose stone heart thrived on quarrels and wars; his sister Eris, whose name means discord; and her dolorous offspring Ponos (pain), Mahes (battles), Foni (murder), Dysnomia (anarchy), Limos (famine), and Lethe (oblivion). This program focuses on Troy, where Zeus banished Poseidon and Apollo, and on the Trojan War. We learn about Thetis and Peleus; the rivalry between Aphrodite, Hera, and Athene; Paris and Helen; Menelaus and Agamemnon’s quarrel with Achilles; and the efforts of various Olympian gods to intercede for one side or the other. In the end, it is clear that whenever Ares and Eris are present, disaster is inevitable

In the beginning was Chaos. And Eurynome divided the seas from the sky, set the wind in motion, and released the forces of nature. Out of the Universal Egg emerged the sun and moon, the planets, the stars, the earth, and all living things. This program tells that story, and that of the first family: Gaea, Uranus, and Cronus. It then moves on to Zeus: his birth on Crete, the trick by which he was saved, and how he dethroned his father. Also discussed are Zeus’s marriage to Hera, and his amorous adventures with Alcmene and Leda. The latter affair ultimately produced Helen, over whom the Trojan War was fought, and Europa, mother of King Minos.