Oh I just want to rant (mythology class)

[Cooper]

For mythology class we had to do a group project. I did analysis on greek goddesses with another person. He took the virginal goddesses mentioned in our analysis textbook, and I took the non (meaning Hera, Demeter, and Aphrodite.)

I sent him the project in an email as school was cancelled today, the day we were going to meet up.

For those who are curious: here it is

[4:01:05 PM]Usually I don't say anything but i feel like you kind of missed the mark on some of these. I reread Aphrodite in TED and I fail to see how you could call her a slut. sure she was the goddess of love and charm and passion but that has nothing to do with being a slut. Also, comments about "who can sleep with the most people" are off handed and not rooted in fact. For example poseidon had many more lovers. I feel as though I read through your slide you didn't even read the book. It seems as if you took your own predispositions and threw them into a slide or two seeing as though your quotes aren't even to be found in the reading. I also fail to see how comparing Aphrodite to prostitutes and courtesans is relevant as well as a modern day Marilyn Monroe. I feel as though the point of this book is to dig into the deeper psychological meanings behind these goddesses and I hardly see where these slides go in that direction. The connection to HIlary Clinton with Hera is also a mystery to me. The final three slides are not even in the reading. YOu can do what you will about this but I'm just letting you know that I think that you simply missed the point of the readings. Sorry to be a dick.

Since I believe I took the "who can sleep with the most people" out, it was a joke referencing that Aphrodite could ENTER that contest, not that she would win it.

If any of you agree with him, or have some suggestions, shoot them my way, but right now it feels like he's telling me I should stick to the textbook and nothing else.

[Kheldarson]

When I get to my computer I can give you a longer response, but Aphrodite is the Lover.

It's the stages of womanhood: lover, wife, mother. Or maiden, matron, hag, if you go with the Fates' outline.

[Kheldarson]

Okay. At computer.

On the whole, I get your analysis. However, it did seem to miss the mark with not highlighting the triune reflection of the state of woman. A lot of the pagan mythos had this idea of women: we're either completely virginal or otherwise we're involved in one of the states of sexuality, with no real cross over. That's part of why Aphrodite's birth story is unique: to an extent, she's one of the most powerful female goddesses because she is beholden to no man. She just appears from the sea.

What you could do is address the fact that Aphrodite represents man's conflicting ideas about female sexuality: on the one hand, Aphrodite is powerful and fascinating, with a commanding draw over those who view her. On the other, as the gods got older, she became more and more vain, playing suitors against each other and rewarding them the only way she could.

As for your Hilary-Hera connection, you do need to explain that more, if you're going to use it. I mean, I get it (both are powerful women who support their husbands in near equal status despite their husbands' many infidelities), but you do kind of make a leap there.

[Cooper]

Lover is a much more apt term than what I used, and I plan on using it. It does seem I'm having difficulty with Aphrodite. If I get the chance I'll look into more myths related to her, as our textbook only really mentions a few (Adonis, another mortal whose name I don't remember, her birth (our textbook says it was due to a castrated god's penis that fell into the sea, her marriage, and her infidelity.)

[MoonCat]

As a pagan, I would say that Aphrodite represents woman's sexuality, but not as viewed by men, which is usually where you get terms like "slut." Aphrodite, aka Venus, owned her sexuality. Remember that most of the older texts on mythology were written from a patriarchal viewpoint, by people who were used to seeing women as second-class citizens.

Hera, for instance, was once held in much higher esteem. She was not just "Zeus's wife." She was a power in her own right. The Greeks liked to compartmentalize everything: This one was a god of fire, that one was a god of water, etc. Hera's worship goes back to before she was relegated to secondary status.

[Kheldarson]

Interestingly, you see that trend with all of the gods (great power to becoming lesser) if you track the myths according to approximate age. The women just got the worse of it.

And yeah, Cooper, one of the stories of her birth involves Uranus' balls being cast into the sea. But much like Athena, she was pretty much born unto her own person. Contrast those two and their myths to, say, Artemis, and you can see a difference.

[Mytical]

The Greek gods/goddesses were not known for their fidelity. Zues was the worst of the worst of course, and Hera did indeed go after the people that she could in retribution. Though she was feared and a force all her own, as mentioned Zues was in a whole league by himself. However, Hera was easily the second most powerful in Olympus (Poseidon might have disagreed here. So might Hades, but he did not stay on Olympus).
Hera was not a goddess to mess with.

Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, but he was lame (bad leg) and she thought him hideous. So yes, she fooled around quite a bit. Mind you, not near as much as Zeus, but of course Zeus was male so therefore it was 'ok' ( ). Again, it is a double standard here though. Both male and female greek gods and goddesses often had lovers, but if the females did it.. it was considered 'sluttish' behavior.

[Sapphire Silk]

For mythology class we had to do a group project. I did analysis on greek goddesses with another person. He took the virginal goddesses mentioned in our analysis textbook, and I took the non (meaning Hera, Demeter, and Aphrodite.)

Since I believe I took the "who can sleep with the most people" out, it was a joke referencing that Aphrodite could ENTER that contest, not that she would win it.

If any of you agree with him, or have some suggestions, shoot them my way, but right now it feels like he's telling me I should stick to the textbook and nothing else.

The only part you should change is your comparison of Hera to Hilary Clinton. First of all, you didn't discuss WHY they are similar; what is it about Hilary that you think identifies her with Hera. You take a big risk there; Hilary is popular with many people (clearly not with you, exposing a political bias). You have to say what it is about Hilary that makes her similar to Hera, or find another analogy.

The rest of it I actually thought was spot on.

[Cooper]

Oh no, I adore Hillary. I'd vote for her for president. The large point is that they both dealt with cheating husbands, but Hillary had the power to confront Bill while Hera did not have the power to confront Zeus.

[Gravekeeper]

Oh no, I adore Hillary. I'd vote for her for president. The large point is that they both dealt with cheating husbands, but Hillary had the power to confront Bill while Hera did not have the power to confront Zeus.

Zeus had to hide from Hera's wrath a few times. Like with Io. Plus she even forced Zeus to kill one of his dalliances. So I don't think that really holds true.

I think you missed the mark on Aphrodite though. Aphrodite's priestesses, who were in essence sacred prostitutes at her temples, were the highest station a woman could achieve. They were educated ( pretty much the only educated women in Greece ), independent and had legal control of their own finances. They were even allowed to debate politics and philosophy with men.

They were, in essence, the most powerful women in Greece.

[houdini]

There's a good book called "Goddesses, whores, wives and slaves" by Sarah Pomeroy that looks at women in the ancient world if you're interested in the subject at all.

I'd agree with your categorisation of Aphrodite in the "slut" category - although that is the wrong word, so I'd possibly go with "lover". In the ancient Greek world, women were wives (Hera), lovers/courtesans (Aphrodite), mothers (Demeter), or virgins (Diana). Our modern word "slut" has a lot of connotations; in the ancient world, as long as you had sex with a women who was available for sex (ie. a courtesan or prostitute) then that was good! There wasn't the same stigma attached to sex work - some courtesans (hetairae) married their lovers, and they often wielded a lot of power. Admittedly there is less evidence for the lower pornai, aka. prostitues who sold sex on the streets.

I'd also argue - which may spark some interesting thoughts from everyone else - that Aphrodite taking lovers was not punished, and was not seen as bad. She plays with them and they don't have a particularly good time of it, but she very rarely suffers (her husband or related gods don't punish anyone). Zeus, on the other hand, gets to suffer as he sees all of his conquests punished by Hera, and has to go to great lengths to hide them. I'd argue that simply from the myths, marital infidelity was seen as worse than being a "slut". Any thoughts from anyone else?

[Seshat]

Modern English doesn't have a word for Aphrodite's position.

She was a wife, yes, but she was a free, strong, powerful woman. She owned herself, including her sexuality.

Her sphere was love in all its forms: agape (spiritual), filios (familial), and eros (erotic). In fact, one of her underlings was Eros himself, the demigod of erotic love. (Eros is also known as Cupid. And no, he was NOT a chubby little cherub with a bow.)

It was not just her pleasure, but her duty as the Goddess of Love to express Love. And not just express it, but encourage it, stimulate it.

But she's not one-dimensional, not even in her expression of love. She's as likely to encourage someone to become entranced with the beauty of a sunrise, or to spend an afternoon helping a child learn to make a clay pot, as she is to encourage lovers.

[Cooper]

I wish my book was more comprehensive, but this has helped a lot. I will have to put my references to courtesans back in.

And that school had cancelled already. (I live north, and school has been cancelled since Saturday, but it claims on the weather hotline that it will reopen today. It better not. Everyone is saying they don't want me to go, but I have to go today.)

Update: It appears I have four (small) books of mythology on my bookshelf. I should check that thing more often. XP

[Cooper]

The first book was no help. The second one hasn't been either, though I have seen my first bookworm. (I've seen their holes in a lot of my older books, but this one had the worm too. I would have taken a picture but I wasn't fond of getting to the part where it was while it was still there.

Though I did enjoy this line: "Hera watched Zeus narrowly. "You must marry [Aphrodite] off," she whispered. "At once--without delay!"

EDIT: school has not been cancelled, so I can only change this up until around 11 AM today. Thank you guys for all the help. I do think I have a stronger essay now than I did before.

[Mytical]

At one time I was a vault of Mythological information on the Greek/Roman/Norse and somewhat the Egyptian patheos. So if you find yourself needing some help in the future on these matters feel free to PM me. Though I will admit, most of my knowledge has been lost