From Cunningham. Culture and Values, 5th Edition, Volume 1
Requirements of a civilization:
Some form of urban life (construction of permanent settlements)
Development of distinct social classes
Tools for the production of goods
Some form of written communication
Shared system of religious belief
“Civilized” does not imply a value judgment
Some of what follows owes a debt to The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, 7th Edition, Volume 1
Masterpieces of the Ancient World
Thoughts, notes, quotes
Mediterranean basin from 800 B.C. to 400 A.D. “Intellectual and religious foundations of the Modern Western outlook were laid” (1).
All advanced civilizations of the ancient world depended upon slaves to do manual work of society—mining, agriculture, building.
Evolved into feudal system of technically free peasants working the land for the benefit of an overlord.
Fertile Crescent—Present-day
Great rivers: the
Nile, Euphrates,
Great cities:
The Hebrews—
Slaves of the Egyptians—helped build pyramids—Moses
David and Solomon—1005-925 B.C.—expansion and prosperity
Internal and external war and strife broke them apart
Deported as slaves to
Mesopotamia--Great cities:
These civilizations were immemorially old when the three creators of Western culture were born: the Hebrews, the Greeks, and the Romans
Train track span=Roman chariots 4’ 9”—the width of a Roman chariot built to hold two legionnaires side-by-side
Most of what we will be reading is an attempt by humans to explain their human situation: living raises questions regardless of era:
Is there a God (gods)?
What is God (the gods) like?
What is our relationship to God (the gods)?
How were the universe and we created?
Why were the universe and we created?
What, if anything, is or purpose on earth? (Why are we here?)
Why do we suffer?
Why do we die?
What happens to us after death?
Why do events occur the way they do? What, if anything, controls them?
Why is experience fickle—in other words, why do events sometimes favor us and sometimes oppose us?
Can we influence events, shape their outcome to our advantage?
Greeks--many gods (polytheistic). Hebrews—one god (monotheistic).
Greeks—celebrated the human condition—both strengths and weaknesses—since the gods weren’t perfect, humans did not have to aspire to be either.
Hebrews—weaknesses were sins, to be concentrated on (guilt) fall short in the eyes of God because of our imperfections. Humans would still be with God (Eden) had they not sinned. Therefore, since God was perfect, human failings, weakness, imperfections, glared at them—caused sorrow, guilt, penance.
Greeks—Zeus was the father of the gods, their god, lord of the heavens—father of other gods and mankind. Had human qualities like them.
Athena—war/peace/the arts
Eros (Cupid to the Romans) love
Aphrodite beauty (steal the wits even from the wisest)
Prometheus legend devoutly believed. Prometheus was the god of fire and interested
in humans. Gave fire
to humans. This angered
Zeus—punished Prometheus by tying him to a mountain in the
Zeus punished mankind by sending Pandora (a woman) with a both he forbade her to open. Her curiosity led to her opening it and out rushed plague, disease, suffering, death.
Later, Zeus became even more disappointed and angry at humans and their behavior—called a meeting of the gods, wanted to burn earth—worried that the fire might not be contained. As an alternative, asked the god of the sea to send a great flood to sweep all away.
Realm of the gods--powerful
Everything else
The Future
Natural events
Fate
All that we do not understand but
yearn to explain, understand, and control
Our
Understanding, our will, relatively powerless
The
Epic of Gilgamesh
Describe Gilgamesh before the arrival of Enkidu. What is he like? What sort of king is he? What are the implied expectations of a king? In what ways is Gilgamesh more of an animal than Enkidu?
Gilgamesh is like the alpha male of a herd—chasing away or killing all of the male rivals, mating with as many females as he can. Strength is his tool to maintain power. 2/3 god, 1/3 human—power is raw without control, direction.
Why do the gods create Enkidu? What other options might they have tried to solve the complaints against Gilgamesh? Counterbalance to Gilgamesh’s baser nature. To represent mankind’s nature.
What is Enkidu’s nature before the arrival of the harlot?
What effect does the harlot have on him? Why would the storytellers choose a harlot to civilize Enkidu? What does it say about their views of the male-female relationship, and the role of women in the culture?
Describe the first encounter between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Is it exciting or anticlimactic? Could missing parts of the story account for your answer?
Describe the nature and purpose of dreams in the story? Why are they useful—what is needed by the dreamer? Why cannot the dreamer interpret his/her own dreams?
Dreams are predictive, symbolic, one way the gods speak to you.
What is fate or destiny? What is Gilgamesh’s destiny according to Enkidu’s interpretation of Gilgamesh’s dream?
Destiny is kingship, not everlasting life.
Does Gilgamesh embrace this destiny in any way?
Gilgamesh has a restless heart—seeks fame (not the same as kingship)
Why do they hunt and kill Humbaba?
Supposedly to protect the people and open the forest, but at least as much for fame.
Who is Ishtar? What does she want from Gilgamesh?
Goddess with the hots for him. She wants another lover trophy
What is his response to her request?
He details her past of betrayals—turns her down.
What is her reaction?
Curses him, goes to the gods, gets Bull of heaven to do him in.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill sthe bull—punishment—one of them must die.
Describe Enkidu’s death? What stages does he go through?
Curse life givers first—later grateful for the experience he had.
What is Gilgamesh’s reaction to Enkidu’s death?
See that no matter what he does in life, his destiny is death, dust. To him, this end overwhelms any earthy accomplishment.
Create a statue to honor Enkidu.
The Old Testament
Three Hebrew patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
Four Matriarchs—Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah
Old Testament—God is just, New Testament, God is loving
Adam-Eve > Cain, Abel >>>>>>Noah >>>Shem >>>Abraham –covenant with god that if he is obedient, Sarah will bear a son who will be a leader of God’s people.
Abraham is 86—no kid—Sarah gives him Hagar, and Egyptian slave as a concubine—She bears him Ishmael
Abraham is 100 (Sarah 90) Sarah bears him Isaac
Hagar and Ishmael are banished to the wilderness, given bread and water. Almost dead, Hagar moves away from him so she does not have to watch him die. God intervenes, provides a well of water.
Promises that Ishmael will found a nation that will populate
the
Back to Abraham and Isaac
God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac—makes no sense but he prepares to do it. God stops him, rewards his OBEDIENCE.
Isaac marries Rebekah—twins—Esau the red hairy one (Enkidu) and Jacob
Jacob (also named
Jacob has 13 sons—youngest is Joseph—dad’s favorite—brothers sell him into slavery in Egypt—Potiphar’s wife—prison—interprets dreams—put in charge—second to pharaoh--7 years plenty to prepare for 7 years of famine. Very successful.
Jacob’s people starving—go to
Years later a pharaoh enslaves them—pyramids—Moses (basket, river) one of pharaoh’s wives—adopted son of pharaoh
Leads Israelites out of
Kings—Saul, David, Solomon builds kingdom in present-day
Solomon dies—chaos inter-tribal war—Assyrians conquer
northern kingdom—scatter group—the lost tribes of
The Babylonians conquer southern kingdom—take Israelites as
slaves to
Released later and return—then Roman domination—finally scattered by Hadrian—diaspora “scattering’ 131-4 A.D. Back in 1948.