Reading Notes: Ancient Mediterranean

Partheons
religion

Video 1: Pantheons of the Ancient Mediterranean

Pantheons are families of gods and they are extremely complicated. The video attempts to explain two Pantheons - the Mesopotamian and the Egyptian. The Egyptian Pantheon was the Nine-god Pantheon that forms the core of Egyptian belief. The narrator told the story of Iris and Osiris in two different forms, showing that there is not standard version. It was also pointed out that the gods roles are fluid and do not always follow a strict adherence to what they represent.

Video 2: The Greeks and Romans - Pantheons

The video discusses the Greek Pantheon and provides some useful definitions to understand the terms commonly used in mythology. Gods are divine, immortal beings, usually created out of the sexual union between other immortal beings, or sometimes out of some unorthodox nativity. Demigods are minor-deities or the offspring of gods and mortals. They usually have special powers. Sometimes they can be raised to divine status. Heroes are exalted mortals, meaning they can die, but they can perform special feats on earth. Sometimes they are also the offspring of a god and a human. Sometimes they are just lucky. Olympian gods are explained after the defeat of the Titans. Zeus, who was the youngest, led the defeat and was the greatest of the next generation of the Olympian Pantheon. The video briefly discusses the Roman Pantheon and how the Roman borrowed some of the greek gods and also had their own. Many of the greek gods were models for and renamed as roman gods. The video ends with the telling of Aphrodite and Ares getting caught in bed in the net set by her husband.

Video 3: Herakles. Or Hercules. A Problematic Hero

Hercules was born as the result of Zeus sleeping with Queen of Thebes. Born a twin, Hercules (then called Alcaeus) was identified when he was found holding the serpents that had been sent in the twin’s room by Hera. He had great strength and killed his music teacher with a lyre. Frustrated, his dad sent him out as a shepherd, then he later returned to Thebes. Turning point in Hercules life - He burns his children and nephews alive. He visits an oracle for help. The Oracle tells him  to appease Hera, hence he changed his name to Herakles and then the oracle tells him that he must atone the killings. He was given as punishment the 10 Labors of Hercules - which were impossible tasks. However, in completing them, he would not only atone for the killings of his children and nephews, but also gain immortality. He actually did 12 labors, but two didn’t count. He performs all the labors. Hercules dies after his second wife gives him a poisoned shirt which she was led to believe would make him love her again. He is granted immortality and becomes a god.

Bibliography: Crash Course Mythology: Ancient Mediterranean,http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2017/12/crash-course-myth-ancient-mediterranean.html