2015-2016西方文化概论-复习提纲.docxVIP

What are the major functions of Greek mythology?The first one is explanation. Greek?myths?lent?structure and order to the world and explained how the current state of things had originated. One?of?the?commonest?types of explanation given in myths relates to ritual. Myths helped worshipers make sense of a religious practice by telling how the practice originated. A prime example is sacrifice, a ritual that involved killing a domesticated animal as an offering to the gods. The second one is exploration. Myths?charted?paths?through difficult territory, examining contradictions and ambiguities. For instance,one of Homer’s Iliads’s themes explores the limits of honor.The?dramatic?genre?of tragedy provides the clearest example of mythical exploration. The third one is legitimation（合法化). A claim, an action, or a relationship acquired extra authority if it had a precedent（先例） in myth. The final one is entertainment. Myth?telling was a source of enjoyment and entertainment.,which was seen in Homer’s epics and some performances of tragic dramas.“Achilles’ Heel” is an idiom contributed to English language by Homer in his epic of Iliad. What are the meaning and origin of this idiom?It means a weak or vulnerable factor.The legend of Achilles has it that he was dipped into the river Styx by his mother Thetis in order to make him invulnerable. His heel wasnt covered by the water and he was later killed by an arrow wound to his heel.Why is Homer regarded as one of the most important figures in Western history?Homer is best known as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. He was believed by the ancient Greeks to have been the first and greatest of the epic poets. Author of the first known literature of Europe, he is central to the Western canon.Homer was the earliest molder of the Greek outlook and character. For centuries, Greek youngsters grew up reciting the Homeric epics and admiring the Homeric heroes, who strove for honor and faced suffering and death with courage. In what