Flashcards on Ancient Greek Literature and Culture

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xenia

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A civil and religious code of conduct for guests and hosts in ancient Greece

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rhapsode

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A person who would sing lengthy poems from memory

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in medias res

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An expression in Latin that means in the middle of things, used to describe a story that starts in the middle of the action

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epic

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A long narrative poem that tells the adventures of a hero and in some way conveys the values of the hero’s civilization

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muses

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Greek goddesses who inspired the arts

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myth

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A traditional story explaining some natural or social phenomenon, typically involving supernatural beings or events

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epithet

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A group of words regularly used to characterize a person or thing. Examples: Resourceful Odysseus, Deceitful Odysseus, Cunning Odysseus.

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The Iliad

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The title of the epic of the war between the Greeks and Trojans.

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The Trojan Horse

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In The Odyssey, the so-called gift that the Greeks gave the Trojans near the end of the Trojan War; it was actually a deception to get Greek soldiers inside the city of Troy.

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The Odyssey

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The title of the epic of Odysseus’ journey home from Troy to Ithaca after the Trojan War; a sequel to the Iliad.