Study Guide for Chapter Two: The Two Great Gods of Earth

Do you agree with Hamilton's condemnation of the Greek Pantheon as mostly "harmful and capricious" in the first paragraph of this chapter?

Questions on Demeter: Of what was she goddess? Why does Hamilton argue that Demeter had to be a woman? When is her chief festival? Why don't we know more about the Eleusinian Mysteries?

Homeric Hymn to Demeter and a Study Guide to Demeter's Hymn

Who was Persephone? What does she go? How does Demeter react to her disappearance? Why does she disguise herself? How does Demeter try to give Demophoon immortal youth? Why isn't she successful? How does Demeter suggest Eleusis can get back in her good graces? What effect did Demeter's grief have on the earth? Why does Zeus pull rank on Hades and force him to return Persephone? What is the importance of the pomegranate? What sad message does Rhea bring to Demeter?

Questions on Dionysus: Of what was he god? Why does Hamilton call Dionysus and Demeter "suffering gods"?

Homeric Hymn to Dionysus and its Study Guide

Who were Dionysus's parents? What awful fate befell his mother? Why did Zeus have to stick to his promise? What was unusual about his birth? Why is Dionysus' birth of fire and childhood of rain appropriate for his function as god of the vine? Why do the pirates kidnap Dionysus? How does Dionysus exhibit his divinity to the pirates? What fate do the pirates suffer?

Who are the Maenads or Bacchantes? What did they look like? How did the followers of Dionysus differ in their worship from the attendees of the other gods? What are the two ideas present in the worship of the god?

Why does Dionysus return to Thebes? Who is Pentheus? Why does he ignore the advice of Tiresias and the band of soldiers? What awful fate does Pentheus experience? Why do you think Dionysus encouraged his demise?

What, besides viticulture, was Dionysus' greatest gift to the world? Where was his festival celebrated? What did the ceremony entail? Why and how did Dionysus die every year?


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