希腊罗马神话期末考试

1、Section1 ：T or FSection2 ：ChoiceSection3 ：Explain idioms? 1.Pandora ' s Box 灾难之盒含义： to open Pandora's box means to create evil that cannot be undone.来源： Pandora's box involves a mythological story in which the a box was given to a human who waswarned never to open the box, but his curios

2、ity made him open it resulting in a disaster.2. The Horn of Amalthea丰饶角含义： A symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers, nuts, other edibles, or wealth in some form.来源： One day, as Amalthea played with little Zeus, she accidentally b

3、roke off her horn. To make up for it点石成金and as a sign of gratitude, Zeus made the broken horn always be full of whatever its owner desired.3. The Midas/Golden Touch含义： Ability to turn everything he touched into . if someone has the Midas touch, everything they do is successful and makes money for th

4、em来源： Midas's job knew no bounds and as soon as he got home, he ordered the servants to set a splendidrepast on the table.4. A Procrustean Bed强迫一致含义： When something is Procrustean, different lengths or sizes or properties are fitted to an arbitrary standard.来源： Procrustes was a rogue smith and b

5、andit from Attica who physically attacked people by stretchingthem or cutting off their legs, so as to force them to fit the size of an iron bed.5. Sow the Dragon Teeth挑起纠纷含义： The dragon's teeth, once planted, would grow into fully armed warriors.来源： In , dragon 's teeth feature prominently

6、in the legends of the Phoenician prince Cadmus and Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece.6. Apple of Discord祸根含义： A euphemism for a small matter that could lead to a bigger dispute.来源： The Greek goddess of discord, , became disgruntled after she was excluded from the wedding ofand . In retaliation

7、, she tossed a golden apple inscribed( for the most beautiful one'), into the weddingparty. Three goddesses claimed the apple: , , and .of was appointed to select the recipient. Heawarded the apple to Aphrodite, thus indirectly causing the .7. The Heel of Achilles 唯一的弱点含义： A deadly weakness in s

8、pite of overall strength, that can actually or potentially leads to downfall来源：The mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, metaphorical references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to downfall are common.Thetis treated Achilles with Ambrosia, making him invulnerable. The

9、tis burned away his mortality in the house fire except on the heel, with which he was held.Thetis dipped the infant Achilles in the river Styx, holding onto him by his heel.8. Penelope ' s Web永远做不完的工作含义： The tactics of delaying sth on purpose; the task that can never be finished来源： Penelope is t

10、he wife of Odysseus who was called to fight in the Trojan War. She waits twenty years for the final return of her husband .In order to put off remarriage, She has devised tricks to delay her suitors, one of which is to pretend to be weaving a burial shroud for Odysseus's elderly father Laertes a

11、nd claiming that she will choose a suitor when she has finished. Every night for three years, she undoes part of the shroud, until Melantho, one of twelve unfaithful serving women, discovers her chicanery and进退维谷reveals it to the suitors.9. Between Scylla and Charybdis含义： Being between Scylla and Ch

12、arybdis is an idiom expresses the meaning of "having to choose between two evils".来源： Scylla was rationalized as a rock shoal (described as a six-headed sea monster) on the Italian side of the strait and Charybdis was a whirlpool off the coast of Sicily. They were regarded as a sea hazard

13、located close enough to each other that they posed an inescapable threat to passing sailors; avoidingCharybdis meant passing too close to Scylla and vice versa. According to Homer, Odysseus was forced to choose which monster to confront while passing through the strait; he opted to pass by Scylla an

14、d loseonly a few sailors, rather than risk the loss of his entire ship in the whirlpool.10. Necklace of Harmonia不祥之物含义： Necklace of Harmonia brought great misfortune to all of its wearers or owners.来源： Aphrodite bore a daughter, Harmonia, from Ares' seed. Harmonia married Cadmus, the founder ofT

15、hebes. Upon hearing of the royal engagement, Hephaestus presented Harmonia with an exquisite necklace as a wedding gift. The necklace was made by Hephaestus' own hand and was cursed to bring disaster to any who wore it.13. A Sisyphean Task含义： Endlessly laborious or futile来源：Sisyphus was famed as

16、 the craftiest of men. He was condemned forever to roll a huge stone up a hill in Hades only to have it roll down again on nearing the top.15. Give a cake to Cerberus含义： bribe来源： Cerberus is a watchdog at the gates of Tartarus. He would let the souls in but not out. However he could be bribed with a

17、 honey cake on occasion or with sweet music.Section4 ： Explain in English the meaning of following terms. 15% (5)1. Anthropomorphism神人同形同性In Greek myth, the gods and goddesses are not only personifications of the forces of the universe, theyAnthropomorphism ”are seen as beings much like common men a

18、nd women. The term for this is meaning “in the form of a human being.”2. The Five Ages of Men 五个时代The Golden Age; the Silver Age; the Bronze Age; the Heroic Age; the Iron Age3. Tartarus 地狱The deeper region, where the Titans had been imprisoned( Tartarus itself formed a dismal picture, it had gates o

19、f bronze guarded by Cerberus, surrounded by fire, encased by triple wall, and within, the wailing and cries of those being punished. It is the underworld zone of eternal torment, where the greatest sinners have been punished for their wrong doing. )4. The Elysian Field 天堂领域The paradise for the Greek

20、s5. The Asphodel Field充满游魂的地方A field inhabited by wandering souls6. Styx 冥河A river in Hades across which Charon ferried the souls of the dead.7. Hubris 过分骄傲Overbearing pride or presumption.8. Satyr 森林之神，好色的人Satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus .In myths they are often associated

21、 with pipe-playing9. Maenad 酒神的女祭司，异常激动的女人Often the maenads were portrayed as inspired by him into a state of ecstatic frenzy, through a combination of dancing and drunken intoxication. In this state, they would lose all self-control.10. Narcissism 自恋Narcissus is a man who was renowned for his beaut

22、y. He was exceptionally proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. Nemesis saw this and attracted Narcissus to a pool where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it, not realizing it was merely an image. Unable to leave the beauty of hisreflection, Narcissus died.11. Har

23、py鹰身女妖Half woman, half bird； vicious winged monster; often depicted as a bird with the head of a woman12. Xenia好客Xenia is the Greek concept of hospitality, or generosity and courtesy shown to those who are far from home.酒神节(in ancient Greece) festivals of the god Dionysus, an orgiastic festival in a

24、ncient Greece in honor ofDionysus羊皮盾（宙斯及其女儿雅典娜所持的帝盾）A shield hold by Athena.Under one 's aegis means doing something under the protection of a powerful, knowledgeable, or benevolent source.15. Metamorphosis 变形，变质A person or thing develops and changes into something completely different.(变形 acomp

25、lete change of physical form or substance especially as by magic or witchcraft.)半人半神A less important god, especially one who is half god and half human人首马身的动物，半人马A creature with the head, arms, and chest of a man, and the body and legs of a horse.( In classical mythology, a centaur is a creature wit

26、h the head, arms, and body of a man, and the body and legs of a horse.)Deucalion FloodAphrodite's magic girdle was a golden girdle that caused men and gods to fall hopelessly in love withher.( Zeus visited Arcadia and Thessaly ， and disliked the deadly wrongs of men He decided to clear theearth

27、of them all Without hesitation he released the rainy south wind and called upon the heartlessPoseidon to help Soon the whole world sank in a vast oceanand the entire human race disappeared inthe unheard of flood ，all but two poor Thessalians)Section5 ： Essay questions 15 %( 3)Unit 1: Examples of myt

28、hological accounts explaining the explainable.Uranus lay upon Gaia and made love to her without stop. (The interplay between rain and soil that makesplants come to life and grow.)Human Beings fashioned from clayGods and heroes descending into the Underground in the west and emerging in the East. ( S

29、un rises in theEast and sets in the West.)Persephone lived three months in the Underground with her husband and returned to live with her mother Demeter for the rest of year. (The return of spring after winter.)Eros, equipped with his sharp and blunt arrows, brings about many tragedies of human love

30、. (Freud'stheory about love or sex as the most fundamental drive from humans.)Unit 2: Similarities betweenthe first woman ” in the Greek(Pandora) and Christiancreation myth(Eve)Eve was the instigator of tbe whole affair, for through her beauty and her wiles she seduced Adam to tasteof the forbid

31、den fruit."Woman is like an apple, lovely without, rotten within."Eve was lured by the snake. Pandora was driven by her curiosity. Their behaviors caused evil and plaguesto human-beings.Unit 3: Reasons that ancient Greeks tend to depict Zeus as a promiscuous man, an unfaithful husband?Zeus

32、 ' fatal Weaknesses: an uncontrollable lust for sexual driveThis shows the anthro pomorp hism. The ancient emp erors usually had many lovers, so the Greeks depictZeus as a p romiscuous man. This also shows the ancient Greeks'imagination for a man. Rep roduction isblessing.Unit 4: Symbolic me

33、aning of Olive Tree in the Greek story and Holy BibleWhen Po seidon and Athena dis pu ted as to which of them should give the name to the cap ital of Attica, the gods decided, that it should receive its name from him who should bestow upon man the most useful gift.'s ark. When the water recededP

34、o seidon then created the horse, and Athena called forth the olive tree, for which the honor was conferred on her. The olive branch in Bible app ears in the story of Noah dove flied with an olive branch in its mouse. In the Greek story, Olive Tree means p eace and wealth. In the Holy Bible , Olive T

35、ree app eared after the flood ,so it rep resents p eace.Unit 5:Differences between Athena and AresAres: thirst for the“ hand to hand combat” and the“ frenzy of battle and bloodshedAthena:“ war for the purposes of justice"peaceful settlements” "war at a distance",straof war ”What are t

36、he distinctive features of Dionysus as a religious festival?The Dionysia was a large religious festival in ancient Athens in honor of Dionysus.The central event was the p erformance of tragedies and comedies.Dionysus was a god, mirroring the innate wildness of humanity which Athenians abhorred and t

37、ried to control. The Dionysia was a time to let out their inhibitions through highly emotional tragedies or irreverent comedies. People dressed like Satyrs and Maenads. Some men dressed as women and women as men.The Dionysia was also marked by an element of role-reversal and boundary-crossing: lower

38、 class citizens could mock the upper class; or women could insult their male relatives.What are the Ap ollonian and Dionysian elements in music style and human p syche?MusicHuman p sycheAp olio (rational)Golden lyre, with clear melodies, evoking feelings of harmony and serenitySelf-control, moderati

39、on, mental balanceDionysusTambourine, with furious andSpo ntaneous and instinctiveerratic rhythms, exp ressingemotions; self-indulgence,(irrational)p assionate and impu Isive nature.excessUnit 6Interpretation of the Furies' A polio 'and Athena 'judgment on Orestesmatricide See the scri p

40、ts in PPT for Unit 6)Orestes is being hounded and terrorized by the Furies for the blood crime of matricide. Orestes killed his (背景)mother Clytemnestra, who murdered his father Agamemnon.Furies: holiness of motherhood, reminiscent of matriarchies; tribal laws = an eye for eyeAp olio: laws of males-d

41、ominated societyAthena: rep resenting the voice of womanhood to deny mother'role as the creator.In the tales of Callisto being transformed into a bear, and Acteon being transformed transformationinto a stag, what common theme does thereveal?Ancient Greeks were sober and conte mpl ative. They exp

42、lore the mystery of human identify and humandestiny.1) Transformation from human to non- human which indicates the loss of human identifies.2) Inesca pable destiny of “ the Hunter being huntedUnit 7How do you interpret the landsca pe imagery in the story of Narcissus? (See PPT forsession 7)Landsca p

43、e imagery:"There was a clear fountain, with water like silver, to which the she pherds never drove their flocks. Nordid the mountain goats resort to it, nor any of the beasts of the forest; neither was it defaced with fallen leaves or branches; but the grass grew fresh around it, and the rocks

44、sheltered it from the sun.His tears fell into the water and disturbed the image.The "stillness" of clear fountain suggests Narcissus' insusce ptibility to the lust of the world. While his tearsdisturbed the image, his lust of eyes had "deflowered" him, taking away his virgini

45、ty - a pure soul and ap eaceful mind.Inter pretation of how Cupid (Eros) falls in love with P syche. (See the scri pts in PPT for unit 7)The erotic love (Eros) and the spiritual love (Psyche) belong together in an inseparable union. The the union of Cupid (Eros) and Psychesymbolic meaning ofis "

46、;animating spirit".In Venus's garden there are two fountains: one with sweet water, the other one with bitter. Cupid fills twovases with each and then goes to Psyche's bedchamber where she is sleeping. Cupid proceeds to let a few drops from the bitter fountain water fall on her lips, th

47、en touches her side with his pointedthe touch ofthe arrow, Psyche wakes up, opens her eyes, and seems to be gazing straight at Cupid who is invisible.This startles Cupid enough that he ends up wounding himself. Cupid immediately sets out to repair thedamage he has done to Psyche, and pours a few dro

48、ps of the sweet water in her hair.Interpretation of ancient GreeksTithonus and Eos' attitudes toward immortality in the love story ofAncient Greeks against immortal youth. They thought that a man shouldn't desire in any way to vary from the kindly race of men, or pass beyond the goal of ordi

49、nance.Unit 8&91 Why is Perseus regarded as a perfect hero?Perseus was the most perfect Greek hero in myths. He was the only Greek hero who maintainedsupportive relationship with women throughout his career.In his pursuit of glory, he exhibited both courage and wisdom. In killing Medusa, he outwi

50、tted themonster by his shrewdness and tricks rather than mere courage and strength.He was favored by gods when he was alive and after his death, he was transformed into a constellation.2 What is Greeks ' conception of Hero as the story of Heracles/Jason reveals.Hercules is Greece's greatest

51、heroes in myth, is the embodiment of strength, courage and wisdom.Jason :youthful confidence and the spirit of adventurecourage to come alone to capture a kingdom ?leader of a group of heroesvaliance to fight enormous evils and conquer monsterssuccess in accomplishing the impossible3 What is Greeks ' conception of destiny as the story of Oedipus reveals?It reflects the