Lecture 14 Flashcards
1
Q
Deaths of Agamemnon and Cassandra
A
- killed by Clytemnestra with help of Aegisthus because Agamemnon murdered Iphigenia
- also has to do with the curse of the house of Atreus, in particular deeds done by Atreus who was Agamemnon and Menelaus’ father
- also not as importantly he was sleeping with Cassandra
2
Q
Tantalus and the Curse
A
- where it starts
- son of Zeus
- crimes of thievery, infanticide, cannibalism
- stole ambrosia and nectar from gods
- tested god’s omniscience by attempting to feed them his son Pelops
- All the other gods know except Demeter and she eats a bit of Pelops’ shoulder
- Spends all eternity starving and dying of thirst because he stands in a lake that recedes when he goes to drink and trees that pull back when he goes to reach for their fruit
3
Q
Pelops
A
- resurrected
- but being in house of Atreus does evil deeds
- Cheating, betrayal, murder, patricide
- cursed
- wants to marry a girl but her father had a prophecy that anyone she marries will kill him so he challenges all her suitors to a chariot race
- vandalizes her father’s chariot and he dies in the race
- then gets cursed by the one who prophesized that
4
Q
Atreus and Thyestes
A
- seduction, political intrigue, family murder, cannibalism
- Atreus murders Thyestes children and feeds them to Thyestes and he becomes cursed
- Atreus stays king and Thyestes has to flee
- Atreus then dies and then Menelaus and Agamemnon rule after him
5
Q
Clytemnestra’s actions and their role in avenging the evil deeds of Atreus
A
- Aegisthus is Agamemnon’s cousin and is getting revenge for what happened to his brothers and his father.
- she feels like she’s ended the cycle and that she’s had the final say
6
Q
The Libation Bearers
A
- Orestes and Electra meet at Agamemnon’s tomb to plot Clytemnestra’s death
- Apollo demands Orestes avenge his father’s murder
7
Q
The Furies
A
- aim to make right any patricide, matricide, or familial murders
- physically chase Orestes trying to make his life miserable, not trying to actively kill him
8
Q
Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi
A
- Orestes comes here to cleanse himself and ask for forgiveness for killing his mother and Aegisthus
- he is cleansed with the blood of a sacrificial victim at the Omphalos
9
Q
Apollo and the Furies and Apollo
A
- furies don’t mind that Clytemnestra killed her husband because it’s not a blood relationship
- Apollo says the furies have no right to persecute Orestes but they say yes they do because what he’s done is worse
- Athena is chosen to decide
- She holds the very first court case with jurors of Athens to decide
- Athenians experimenting with Democracy
10
Q
Radical Democracy
A
- direct governance by the people
- we have representative democracy in which we elect people to represent us.
11
Q
Main Branches of Radical Democracy
A
- Ekklesia (council of all citizines, excluding slaves and women)
- The Council of 500 (prepare business for Ekklesia, selected by lottery)
- The Archons (lead Ekklesia, council of 10 selected by lot)
- The Strategoi (generals, council of 10 elected with unlimited reelection
- The Law Courts (jurors selected by lot, no judged)
12
Q
Selection by lot
A
-was a backbone of their democracy because it’s fair. They believed elections were biased toward the rich
13
Q
Key aspects of Athenian Democracy
A
- selection by lot
- paid offices so that everyone is able to take up their office if selected
- limited terms
- ostracism: meant to be a pressure release on people who had gained too much power.
14
Q
Ostracism
A
- Temporary exile (10 years)
- Ostraka: pottery shards with people’s names on them that are voted to be exiled
- come back and don’t lose their wealth and belongings, just keeps them from gaining too much power but didn’t always work
15
Q
Law Courts
A
- had timed speeches using water clocks
- secret ballot system to render a verdict
