CL 28 - Classical Mythology
EXAM 3 (Wednesday, May 13th) - REVIEW

Please bring a blue book!!

The exam will consist of 4 sections:

1. Image identifications (20 points). Five images that have been shown in class. You will be asked to identify specific figures, myths etc. as seen in the images and relating to them.

2. Short answers and ids (20 points). Characters and attributes associated with the heroes and the Trojan War, the Nostoi and the House of Atreus; names, terms and places from the word lists; definitions and characteristics of Homeric epic, Homeric Society and their relation to the Bronze Age; charcters, places and events in the adventures of Odysseus.

3. Passages (30 points). The identification of passages, characters and important details from from the original-text readings for this segment of the class: Iliad, Odyssey, The Oresteia, Iphigenia at Aulis, Trojan Women, Aeneid. You should be able to identify the play/poem, its author, themes, characters and attributes associated with them, as well as details of the plot. These will be fill-in-the-blank!

4. Long identifications (30 points). To be written in the blue book. In a minimum of 4-5 sentences define the who, what, where, when and especially why of terms, characters, places or things. You will choose five out of eight possible. N.B. There is usually more to these than just the obvious answer - explore that possibility. Don't simply re-tell a story. Use material from the readings to "beef up" your answer.

The images will be shown first, so please be on time! You will have the full class period to complete the exam, but you may not need it. You are responsible for all material presented in class and in the relevant readings.

For review:

Homer and The Bronze Age - know the basic facts about oral poets, their epics and how they developed; the possible Bronze Age origin of the stories - evidence from Linear B tablets; dactylic hexameter; elements of oral poetry in Homer; material from the Bronze Age and later contemporary intrusions; *characteristics of "Homeric Society" and how this is important to the epics and plays we read (xenia, kleos, time).

The Trojan War - know the events leading up to the war: the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, parents of Achilles; the Judgement of Paris; the Oath of Tyndareus; accumulation of the Greek contingent and the sacrifice of Iphigeneia.

The Iliad - takes up the tale in the ninth year of the war; know the various themes, plots and stories which tie the epic tale together but also make it interesting; the roles of Agamemnon and Achilles, Patroklos and Ajax; review the portrayal of the enemy - how does it compare to that of the Greek heroes? Know the importance of kleos and xenia.

Sack of Troy - How is the war ended? Who's idea is it and why is this important to another epic? What happens to our characters? What are the fate of the Trojan characters? Review the Trojan Women.

The Returns (nostoi) - know the basic stories of the primary characters: Neoptolemus, Menelaus, Agamemnon and of course, Odysseus.
*Don't forget Aeneas in this context as well as his story in The Aeneid (see below)

The House of Atreus - review the stories and characters of the foundation and ascent of this family, rulers of Mycenae; know Pelops and how he established himself in Greece; the brothers Atreus and Thyestes and their conflict; issues of the next generation - Agamemnon, Menelaus and Aegisthos (how does each member of this clan measure up to their ancestor - Tantalus)
The Oresteia - know the story of the trilogy with attention to themes, details and relevance both to the myth and to our understanding of Greek society, during the Bronze Age and in 5thc. Athens.

The Odyssey - review the structure of the epic; know the most important stories recounted in it with a view to how they contribute to the overall themes/plots; you will need to remember specific names and events; know the major themes and be able to provide several examples of each: the need for sons to be worthy of their fathers, xenia as a foundation of civilization, journey as a symbol of growth, kleos as the most important pay-off in life, etc.

Roman Mythology - know the basic differences between Greek and Roman myth; who are the specifically Roman deities and what are their roles in Roman religion? Review the two foundation myths for Rome - know the main characters and events
The Aeneid - know the main characters and events; review its importance to the Romans and the debt it owes to the epics of Homer; differences?

 

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sheltonk@berkeley.edu 4/29/15