WEEK 02 西概筆記(Western Literature)

1. extension of quiz and orientation

a. blood moon

For starters, the first blood moon eclipse coincided with the Jewish holiday of Passover, a pivotal event that commemorates the ancient Israelites’ Exodus from slavery in Egypt.

b. lyre  →  lyric
  Hermes created the lyre for him, and the instrument became a common attribute of Apollo.

c. Oedipus

Oedipus was a mythical Greek king of Thebes, the son and killer of Laius, son and consort of Jocasta, and father and sibling of Polynices, Eteocles, Antigone, and Ismene. A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus accidentally fulfilled the prophecy, despite his efforts not to, that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his city and family. When the truth was discovered, his wife-mother hanged herself, and Oedipus gouged out his own eyes.

d. owl, Athena and wisdom

In Greek mythology, a little owl baby (Athene noctua) traditionally represents or accompanies Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom, or Minerva, her syncretic incarnation in Roman mythology.Because of such association, the bird — often referred to as the "owl of Athena" or the "owl of Minerva" — has been used as a symbol of knowledge, wisdom, perspicacity and erudition throughout the Western world.

e. ancient greek orchestra

parodos is a term used in the theater of ancient Greece, referring either to a side-entrance, or to the first song sung by the chorus after its entrance from the side wings.
The skene served as another "hidden stage." At times some of the action went on inside, in which case it was up to the audience to decide what was happening based on the noises coming from the inside.

2. prefix, root and suffix

e-: out     eliminate, evacuate
dia: go through      dialogue, dialect, diagnosis
de:away from 　decline, depreciate
mono-:one       monotheistic, monopoly
poly- :many      polytheistic, polygamy