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Software Vault: The Gold Collection
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Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO
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hellenes.zip
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HELLENES.TXT
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1993-06-12
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Mah Jongg Tile Set Description
Tile Set Name: HELLENES.TIL
Subject: Items familiar to the people of ancient Greece (Hellenes)
Created by: David Daniel Anderson (w/ creative input from my sister Cheryl)
Creation time: tiles- about 15 hours, text- about 6 hours
Completion date: June 13, 1993
Description:
------------
This set was just going to be Greek letters, but since there are only 24
letters and at least 36 different designs are needed, I included various items
familiar to Hellenes--which is what the ancient Greeks called themselves.
I tried to duplicate the original suits and dragons format, but the 24 letter
alphabet forced me to arrange the tiles as follows:
Tiles 1, 11, 21: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian column styles. Only the top is
drawn. Representing their magnificent architecture.
Tiles 2-9, 12-19, 22-29, (Dots, Bamboo, Characters): The Greek alphabet, in
order, with the two forms (analogous to our upper/ lower case?) on top and the
name of each letter on the bottom.
Tiles 10, 20, 30, (Dragons): Circumference of a circle, Area of a circle, and
Volume of a sphere, respectively. Chosen because of the Hellenic contribution
to geometry and the fact that the Greek letter Pi is used.
Tiles 31-34, (Winds): Four primary Hellenic disciplines with well-known
figures and a famous work by each person; detailed below:
31: Philosophy, Plato, Republic: Plato, 4th century B.C. philosopher, author
of "Republic".
32: Science, Euclid, Elements: Euclid, 3rd century B.C. mathematician,
compilator of "Elements", a geometry text, the principles and approach of
which was used almost unchanged for the next 2000 years.
33: Art, Phidias, Athena: Phidias, 5th century B.C. sculptor, creator of the
statues of Athena at the Athenian Acropolis and Achaea.
34: Literature, Homer, Iliad: Homer, 9th century B.C. epic poet, known
traditionally as the author of "Iliad" and "Odyssey", in which he revealed
much of what is known of the nature of the Greek gods and goddesses.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The wild cards suits are Greek goddesses (35-38, Seasons) and gods (39-42,
Flowers). Of course, I had to leave out many prominent characters, but the
careful observer will note my strategy: Cronus and Rhea's three sons, and
their wives, are the first three in each set, while the beloved twin children
of Zeus and Leto are the last tile in each set.
In the explanation, a capitalized name means that individual has a separate
explanation. A (1) means the information is from "Encyclopedia Britannica"
and a (2) means it is from "The New York Public Library Desk Reference".
35: Hera- Heaven, Olympus: Daughter of Cronus and Rhea, sister-wife of ZEUS,
sister of POSEIDON and HADES. She is the ruler of the heavens and the
Olympian gods, along with ZEUS. She is jealous of ZEUS's affection for the
heroines, including Alcmene, Leto and Semele (1). Additionally, she is the
"goddess of marriage and of the life of women... the protectress of women in
childbed" (1).
36: Demeter- Earth, Harvest: Daughter of Cronus and Rhea, wife of POSEIDON,
mother of PERSEPHONE. She is the goddess of earth and agriculture, usually
seen as a fertile and somewhat promiscuous mother goddess.
37: Persephone- Goddess of the Netherworld: Daughter of ZEUS and DEMETER,
wife of HADES. Stolen by HADES, taken to the underworld. She is the symbol
of the seasons, since through ZEUS's intervention, she spends only one-third
of the year below. Surprisingly, Homer does not mention her relationship to
DEMETER.
38: Artemis- Hunt, Moon: Daughter of ZEUS and Leto. Artemis and APOLLO are
twins. She is "...the most popular of all goddesses with the ordinary wor-
shiper" (1). She is the "the goddess of wild nature" and stands for "the
sacred inviolability of what [is] private to womankind" (1). She is as-
sociated with chastity, "the hunt, moon, and nature" (2).
39: Zeus- Heaven, Olympus: Son of Cronus and Rhea, brother of POSEIDON and
HADES, husband of HERA. He overthrew Cronus to become ruler of the heavens.
He is the sky and weather god, wielding thunder and lighting (2). He is the
one indigenous Hellenistic god (1), and Homer refers to him as the natural
ruler/ father of gods and men. He is the chief god of Olympus.
40: Poseidon- Waters, Horses: Son of Cronus and Rhea, brother of ZEUS and
HADES. His name can be interpreted to mean "'husband of the Earth'", and in
one sense, by being the husband of DEMETER, he is. He received the sea when
the world was divided between the three sons of Cronus. He can shake the
world (earthquakes), and with his trident he can raise storms.
41: Hades [also Aïdes]- God of the Netherworld: Son of Cronus and Rhea,
brother of ZEUS and POSEIDON. Husband of PERSEPHONE. HADES received the
infernal regions when lots were cast for the three kingdoms of the world. He
rules over the dead, but is generally not a judge. Furthermore, he leaves
torture to the Furies.
42: Apollo- Song, Sun: Son of ZEUS and Leto. Apollo and ARTEMIS are twins.
He is "...a god of manifold function and meaning, [who] occupied together with
ZEUS and Athena the loftiest place in the Greek pantheon" (1). He is the god
of death; the god who gives help and turns away evil; "the god of beauty,
youth, poetry, music, prophecy, and archery" (2). Although Helios is the god
who drove the chariot with the sun daily across the sky from east to west,
"from the 5th century B.C. Apollo ...was more and more interpreted by thinkers
as a sun-god" (1).
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David Daniel Anderson
241 N Madison St
St Croix Falls, WI 54024-9135
(715) 483-9138