Glossary

• An aetiology is an account of the cause or origin of some feature of our world, such as physical features, societal practices, inventions, etc.
• Aristeia is a moment of excellence on the battlefield, when a hero reaches his peak.
• The caduceus is a staff with twisting snakes at the top. Carried by Hermes.
• In Hesiod (Theogony), the term chaos means separation or chasm. It is the first step in the organisation of matter into the world.
• Didactic poetry is poetry written in hexameter that is meant to teach or instruct. Also called 'wisdom poetry'.
• Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days are examples of didactic poetry.
• The epic cycle is a collection of oral dactylic hexameter poems, now lost, telling of the events surrounding the Trojan war. 
• Epic poetry is poetry written in hexameter telling the extraordinary feats of heroes.
• Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are examples of epic poetry.
• An epithet is a formulaic adjective or descriptive phrase that applies to a god or hero (i.e. man-killing Hector), which is a metrical unit that helps a rhapsode fill out a line of poetry when reciting.
• Geras is a prize or gift of honour; the material manifestation of timê.
• Kleos is glory or renown that is built upon one's exploits in life. Ideally endures past one's death. A major motivator for Homeric heroes.
• Muthos is the Greek word meaning 'speech' or 'story', from which we get our English word myth.
• Psychopomp refers to the escort of souls; one of the roles of Hermes.
• A rhapsode is the reciter of epic or didactic poetry; the name is derived from either the Greek rhapsôdein, "to weave together," or the Greek rhabdos, the staff held by the reciter.
• Ring composition is a feature of oral poetry, where a section is 'bookended' or marked off by similar themes or wording at its beginning and end.
• The thyrsus is a staff with a pine cone attached to the end. Associated with Dionysus.
• Time is honour or esteem within one’s community, a major motivator of Homeric heroes.
• Xenia is a social bond of reciprocal hospitality and friendship between people from different backgrounds.
• Nostos is an epic hero's journey home by sea; can refer to the journey itself or to the poetic telling of the journey.
• Nekuia is a rite in which ghosts are called and questioned about the future.
• Sarah Isles Johnston proposed that myths are stories designed to entertain, illicit emotion, imagine situations, and evaluate characters.
• Thomas King proposed that stories are all that we are.
• Highway defines mythology as stories that your intellect is incapable of believing but your spirit is capable of believing.
• Deinos is a Greek adjective meaning wondrous or awesome; it is ambiguous, and can be applied to things that are good or bad in excess.
• Deus Ex Machina is a tragic plot device in which a god is lowered on a crane to resolve a seemingly unresolvable conflict. Literally, 'god from a machine.'
• Intertextuality is the phenomenon of meaningful connections between texts.
• Metapoetic is an adjective used to describe poetry that talks about poetry (itself and/or other poems).
• The orchestra is a part of the ancient theatre: the dancing area, where the chorus performs.
• Panhellenism is the idea of cultural unity in Greece based on distinctive Greek traits; developed in opposition to the notion of the ‘barbarian’.
• Parodos is a part of the ancient theatre: a walkway by which the chorus enters and exits the orchestra.
• Pietas is the Roman virtue of dutifulness, devotion, steadfastness to the gods, one's country, and one's family.
• Skênê is a part of the ancient theatre: a raised stage on which the spoken action takes place, which would hold the set.
• Theatron is a part of the ancient theatre: the terraced seating area for the audience.
• Ruth Scodel looks at tragedy -> it contains legendary materials, tragic language and is not a satyr play or comedy. She says Aristotle's idea of a good tragedy doesn't line up with his list of good tragedies.
• Nussbaum discusses how Antigone and Kreon have limited worldviews and are blind to each other's views.