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Women in Myth & Religion

Women in Myth & Religion. Athena & the Maenads. Lecture outline. Beginning of the Athens – foundation myth of masculine citizenship The First Woman , Pandora

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Women in Myth & Religion

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  1. Women in Myth & Religion Athena & the Maenads

  2. Lecture outline • Beginning of the Athens – foundation myth of masculine citizenship • The First Woman, Pandora • Athena – representations of, myths, religious practice – what type of a woman and goddess was Athena? Look at a selection of images Maenads– who were these woman? What are there most famous actions? How are these females represented?

  3. The Beginning of the Athenians Athenian myth of autochtony Erichthonios The Birth of Erichthonios, red-figure stamnos

  4. The Race of Women The race of women and all femininity come from her (the first woman) From her comes that cursed race, the tribes of women. Theogony, 590-591

  5. Pandora Born out of revenge Not a natural being, created by Hephaestus Athena gives her beauty and makes her dangerous The Birth of Pandora, Red-figure krater

  6. Who is Athena? Daughter of Zeus Parton Goddess of Athens The goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, just warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill Virgin goddess

  7. The Parthenon Victory Monument – on the Acropolis at Athens, highest point Began in 447 BC, completed in 438, decorations finally finished in 432 BC Project tainted by corruption Erected to honour Athena How does this monument reflect Athena?

  8. Athena v. Poseidon: West pediment Reconstruction of the West Pediment Depicting the conflict between Athena and Poseidon The olive tree against seawater

  9. Greeks and Amazons West Metopes Athena is similar but significantly different to the Amazons!

  10. The Consequences… • Three fold penalty imposed upon women to appease Poseidon: • Women were deprived of the vote, • of their ability to pass on their names to their children • and of their right to be addressed as Athenian women

  11. Birth of Athena: East pediment Reconstruction of East pediment

  12. East Frieze Festival preparations and Athena sitting with Hephaestus Girl and maiden

  13. Colossal Athena of Pheidias

  14. Representing Athena • Decide upon one image to discuss • What is the most important characteristic of Athena displayed here? • How does the type of representation effect this?

  15. Thesmorphoria In honour of Demeter Thesmophoros Held throughout the Greek world, most well documented in Athens Main features: secrecy, pig sacrifice, and promoting agricultural fertility Who killed the pigs?

  16. Maenads: Worshippers of Dionysus Abandon, without control Possessed by Dionysus

  17. The Bacchae • Performed in 405 BC • The consequences of banning the worship of Dionysus to the King of Thebes • Play involves transvestism and aggression

  18. Maenads of the mountains • “ To the mountain, to the mountain” • Ritual cry in the Bacchae Dancing on the mountain, beating their drums – dancing with abandon, but not necessarily alcoholic and sexual excess!

  19. Drawing wine in Athens: ‘Lenaea vases’ Drawing wine during the Lenaea festival?

  20. Comparing Athena and a maenad

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