Themis Questions

DAY 1 (Tuesday)

1. What is a daimon?

2. What is a dromenon?

3. What is a titan?

4. What is a kouros; Who are the Kouretes?

5. What is a dithyramb?

6. What is the origin of the sacred?

7. What is the meaning of "Le sacre est le pere de Dieu?"*

8. What is mana?

9. Discuss, using Harrison' thesis concerning the origin of the gods, her statement: "This vague force in man and in almost everything is constantlly trembling on the verge of personality." (Harrison, p. 67)

DAY 2

1. What is magic? What is a tool? What is a totem?

2. What is the difference between a sacrifice and a sacrament? What is the significance of this difference?*

3.  Explain the symbolism on the Hagia Triada sarcophagos.

DAY 3

1. What is a hero?  How do heroes emerge from daimons? (or, why does Cecrops have a tail?)*

2.  What happens at Delphi?  Why is it important?*

3. What is an Olympian?  How do Olympians arise from and also reject daimons and heroes?  What kind of society do the Olympians reflect?*

 

DAY 4

1. What is the problems with saying that Themis is the mother of Dike?  What is the meaning of the myth that has Themis being the mother of Dike?*

 

*All starred questions are possible paper topics.

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