RESPONSE PAPER
Classics 28: Classical Mythology, Spring 2008

GSI: Cai Thorman
Email: cthorman@berkeley.edu
Phone: 916 595 7232
Office Hours: M 4-5, F 1:30-2:30, or by appointment
Office: 359A Dwinelle
Discussion Sections:
(101) M 2-3; 83 Dwinelle
(106) M 5-6; 105 Dwinelle

Response Paper (due Feb 19)

This should not take long. It is not meant to be a research paper, but simply to require you to put yourself in the place of an ancient Greek. Writing this brief response paper will help you study for the exam by once again familiarizing you with the gods and goddesses but also, ideally, with how they were worshipped. It may also give you ideas for the term paper.

This will be a short 2-4 page double-spaced response. Please give simple references (like you did in the presentations - where did you get the information?) for the second part of the question, if you choose to answer it.

1. If you had lived in ancient Greece, which god or goddess would you have honored and why?
- what did they represent or control that would benefit you?
- don’t forget there are hundreds of Greek gods and goddesses, you need not choose one that we covered in section...

2. Extra credit: Where and how would you have worshipped your god or goddess?
(you can do as much or as little of this as you please)

questions to think about ~
- Is your god/dess an olympian or chthonic (underworld) god/dess? How does that affect worship?
- What should be sacrificed to your god/dess and when? Do different “victims” have different meanings?
- What are the primary sanctuaries of your god/dess? Would you have worshipped at one of these?
- Were there “Mysteries” associated with your god/dess? How would you be initiated? Would you worship as an initiate?
- Were there festivals for your god/dess? Would you attend a festival? How would you worship your god/dess there?

Recommendations for the second part:

Definitely read the following course reader (CR) articles:
-Garland, “Accessing the Supernatural”
-Vegetti, “The Greeks and their Gods”

I will put the following books on reserve at Moffitt Library:
-Rice and Stambaugh, Sources for the Study of Greek Religion
-Mikalson, Ancient Greek Religion
-Burkert, Greek Religion

Library: search your god or goddess + cult (e.g. cult of Apollo)
+ festival (e.g. festival of Demeter)
+ sanctuary (e.g. sanctuary of Asclepius)
+ rites (e.g. rites of Aphrodite)

Enjoy yourselves!