CMLT316 Lecture 4: Class 4: The Age of Zeus
31 May 2018
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2/15 Class Notes
Lecture 4: Early Humans and Their Origins continued, The Greek Pantheon-Zeus and Hera
Bronze Age Greece: Mycenae
● Linear b (deciphered)
● Very similar to linear a (island of Crete)
● After 1100 BCE, this writing disappeared
● Followed by “Dark Age” from 220-750 BCE
● No writing; cities depopulated
Names of Divinities on Linear B
● Zeus and Hera (named together)
● Poseidon
● Hermes
● Athena
● Artemis
● Paean (later associated with Apollo)
● Enualios (later associated with Ares)
● Dionysus
● Cf. end of Theogony
The Creation of Men: Prometheus
● Most common tale
○ Prometheus (forethought) ordered by Zeus to create man
○ Prometheus formed him in the gods’ image using clay (i.e. earth and water)
● Plato’s protagoras
○ Prometheus and Epimetheus (afterthought) told to make animals
○ After distribution of qualities, humans left with the scraps
The Hesiodic ‘Five Ages of Man’
1. Golden Age (time of Cronos)
○ Idealized people; lived in harmony with gods; “earth covered over them”
2. Silver Age (time of Zeus)
○ Prolonged infancy; disrespected gods; destroyed by gods
3. Bronze Age
○ Warlike; killed themselves
4. Heroic Age
○ Noble, if sometimes flawed; better than us. Some in Hades, but others taken to
“Isle of the Blessed”
5. Iron Age
○ Hesiod’s present day; will one day be destroyed
Ovid’s ‘Four Ages of Man’
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Lecture 4: early humans and their origins continued, the greek pantheon-zeus and hera. Very similar to linear a (island of crete) Followed by dark age from 220-750 bce. Prometheus (forethought) ordered by zeus to create man. Prometheus formed him in the gods" image using clay (i. e. earth and water) Prometheus and epimetheus (afterthought) told to make animals. After distribution of qualities, humans left with the scraps. The hesiodic five ages of man": golden age (time of cronos) Idealized people; lived in harmony with gods; earth covered over them : silver age (time of zeus) Prolonged infancy; disrespected gods; destroyed by gods: bronze age. Noble, if sometimes flawed; better than us. Hesiod"s present day; will one day be destroyed. Zeus asserts himself as a chief god. Prometheus was a titan and unofficial patron god of men. Given a choice of two offerings to choose from, zeus chose the more attractive one: gods were left with the fat and bones.
