The dream of a shadow

June 22, 2005 Classics 222 Lecture III: 

June 22, 2005 Classics 222 Lecture III The dream of a shadow

Today’s lecture: 

Today’s lecture Understanding mankind in relation to the gods, a relationship determined by Prometheus Understanding women in relation to men, a relationship exemplified by Pandora Understanding the present age in relation to past ages, as determined by the story of the four races

σκια̂ς ὄναρ  ἄνθρωπος. : 

σκια̂ς ὄναρ ἄνθρωπος. SKIAS ONAR ANTHROPOS ≈ man is but the dream of a shadow --Pindar, Pythian 8.95

Slide4: 

But cf. Protagoras: “man is the measure of all things” The Sophists taught the centrality of man and his perceptions These two views seem poles apart…

Slide5: 

Striking in the Theogony by contrast with e.g. Genesis is the minimal role of humankind. Let us review the Theogony from this perspective.

Slide6: 

ΘΕΟΓΟΝΙΑ = theogony ΘΕΟΣ = theos ≈ god ΓΟΝΗ = gonē ≈ generation, coming to be Cf. theology: giving a rational account (logos) of God/the gods

The action of the Theogony: 

The action of the Theogony Hesiod’s narrative moves from primeval beings to Titans to Olympians, from natural forces to anthropomorphic gods, from the abstract to the recognizably manlike; from Chaos to an ordered world humans can inhabit Proliferation and distribution The Theogony is a cosmogony; Zeus a cosmocrator (kratos = power), not a Creator

Slide8: 

Gigantomachy (not in Hesiod) Pelion and Ossa vs. Olympus, order vs. chaos and lawlessness n.b. Ida in Crete, Pelion and Ossa in Boeotia, Olympus in Thessaly

From Panhellenic to Mediterranean order: 

From Panhellenic to Mediterranean order Zeus vs. Typhoeus/Typhon, a new son of Gaea Death at Mt. Cassius in Lebanon, the Looser under Mt. Aetna in Sicily From a Hellenic (Greek) setting to a Mediterranean one Socrates: “we live like frogs around a pond”

Slide10: 

Is the theogony also an anthropogony? Are the Olympian gods anthropomorphic? Or are humans theomorphic? Cf. the theriomorphic gods of the Egyptians, e.g. Sobek, the crocodile god

Antiquity of “anthropomorphism”: 

Antiquity of “anthropomorphism” Cf. the Great Goddess from Catal Huyuk (6000 B.C) with the Magna Mater/Cybele worshipped in Rome in 200 AD

How do gods differ from men?: 

How do gods differ from men? stronger larger faster better looking Ageless Deathless Ambrosia and nectar instead of food and drink Ichor instead of blood They have sight, we have only fallible sight (subject to doxa (mere appearance or seeming) and kleos

The fundamental contrast: 

The fundamental contrast ἀθάνατος = athanatos = without death α- alpha privative; cf. asexual; amoral θάνατος = thanatos = death Cf. immortal from Latin in- + mortalis (subject to mors, death)

Cf. the polarity of Night and Olympus : 

Cf. the polarity of Night and Olympus Daughters of Nyx (Night) include Hypnos (Sleep), Thanatos (Death), Old Age, Eris (Strife), Deception

Doubleness: 

Doubleness Good and bad Eris: agon and phthonos (envy); mimesis (imitation) and aemulatio (emulation) Aphrodite from Uranus or from Zeus and Dione? Eros from the latter Aphrodite, with Pothos (yearning), or primeval? This duality is exemplified in feminine nature: is Gaea good or bad? What about Pandora?

Doubleness of immortality: 

Doubleness of immortality Leo Baeck: “Es gibt immer ein Zwiefaches” ≈ there’s always a twoness to things ≈ there’s always a catch Their actions are weightier, but they can be indifferent They cannot die for anything or anyone

Slide17: 

But cf. Prometheus: he comes as close to dying for anyone (man) as possible for a god Iapetos the brother of Kronos Atlas, Menoitos, Prometheus, Epimetheus Prometheus in Theogony (507-616) between birth of Zeus/tricking of Kronos and Titanomachy pitting Zeus vs. Kronos

The sacrifice at Mecone: 

The sacrifice at Mecone When gods and mortal humans parted company… Prometheus offers a large bull to Zeus, “testing his mind” Heap one: meat and fat entrails wrapped in the hide and covered in the stomach Heap two: bare bones wrapped in shining fat Zeus induced to pick the bad portion: does he do so deliberately?

aetiology: 

aetiology Aition/aetion a cause, occasion, explanation for something

Slide20: 

Food trick an aetiology for sacrifice Prometheus responsible for our contact with the gods through sacrifice and divination

Slide21: 

When Zeus deprives mankind of fire, Prometheus steals it back in hollow fennel stalk

Prometheus punished: 

Prometheus punished Chained to a pillar in Mt. Caucasus Eagle feeds on his liver by day, it regenerates by night As a god he can suffer more than humans Heracles shoots the eagle

Cf. Hesiod and Aeschylus: 

Cf. Hesiod and Aeschylus In Hesiod Prometheus is justly punished: Zeus should not/cannot be cheated In Aeschylus the young Zeus is an unjust tyrant, who later makes amends: he allows his son Heracles to free Prometheus

Prometheus: source of the human condition: 

Prometheus: source of the human condition Prometheus ≈ Pro + mētis ≈ Foresight Trickster Culture hero: invents sacrifice, medicine, metallurgy, divination from Communication with gods through sacrifice and divination (dreams, stars, haruspicy) Determines our need of women (marriage) and our status between gods and animals

Doxa: deceptive appearances: 

Doxa: deceptive appearances Different forms of hiding: Muses wrapped in mist Rock wrapped in swaddling clothes Bones wrapped in shining fat Woman wrapped in lovely ornaments God may hide as mortals

Pandora: 

Pandora Zeus creates an evil for men: Hephaestus makes girl from clay (she is an Olympian creation) Athena dresses her up Wonder befalls gods and men, beholding the clever trick Pandora ≈ all gifts: exogamy and dowry

Epimetheus: 

Epimetheus Epimetheus ignores Prometheus’s warning to fear Olympians bearing gifts Epimetheus ≈ Hindsight Source of work for humans: a beatiful destruction Marriage a zwiefaches/Catch 22: choice between hard work for an idle woman and barren old age; anankaion kakon: necessary evil Mortals must work to live; cf. context of the Works and Days: Perses urged to good Eris

Slide28: 

Barrel/jar opened by Pandora Curiosity of woman; cf. Eve Bad housewife opens jar? Evils released Does hope remain? Why is mankind punished for Prometheus’s tricks?

Dual nature of women: 

Dual nature of women Gaea source of all things, giver of life Makes Typhoeus/Typhon Monsters from Gaea, from emphasis on female element in reproduction (Ceto, Echidna)

Another duality:: 

Another duality: From progress to degeneration

The race of the Golden Age: 

The race of the Golden Age Men lived as gods; become good spirits/daimones Guardians Duality of Kronos Cf. Saturn, Saturnalia

The race of the Silver Age: 

The race of the Silver Age Less noble by far, still have honor Second best, impious

The race of the Bronze Age: 

The race of the Bronze Age Terrible, strong Love violence Born from ash trees war

The race of Heroes: 

The race of Heroes Nobler, more righteous, godlike Heroes of Theban and Trojan wars In Isles of Blessed Kronos is king there An interpolation?

The race of the Iron Age: 

The race of the Iron Age Present age Hesiod’s argument w. Perses Work and poverty Shame and Indignation will abandon mortals, leaving humans defenseless

Slide36: 

Cf. Dark Ages (ca. 1200-800 BC) from Mycenaean Bronze Age Greece, Linear B, palace civilization to Geometric Greece (ca. 800-650 BC) of Homer and Hesiod Emergence of agonistic Hellenism