Greek Mythology

Greek Mythology

Mythology is collection of myths belonging to a people and addressing their origin, history, gods, ancestors, and heroes.

Most myths are very old and were handed down orally for many centuries before being put in writing.

What Is a Myth?

• A myth is a story that usually explains something about the world and involves gods and other superhuman beings.

• Myths are a part of all cultures.

• Myths are deeply connected to the traditions and religious beliefs of the culture that produced them.

www.pantheon.org/.../europe/greek/zeus.html

The Purpose of Myths• Myths answered ancient people’s most basic

questions about life, such as– why do certain plants grow in certain

places at certain times?– where do landmarks come from? – why is there suffering in the world? – what is the origin of certain customs?– what is my place in the universe?

Creation Myths• Creation myths, or origin

myths, are stories that explain how something in the world began or was created.– Origins or creations often

involve a metamorphosis, a magical change from one shape or form to another one.

Now, read the Greek creation myth, creating a picture board of the story!W

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Family TreeGaea & Uranus

Earth & Sky

CronusFather

RheaMother

Titans

HestiaHearth

HadesThe Underworld

PoseidonThe Sea

DemeterGrain

HeraQueen

ZeusLightning

The Olympians

Zeus

DionysusWine

ApolloLight

Hera

ArtemisHunt

AthenaWisdom

HermesCommerce

HephaestusFire

AresWar

Mythic Heroes• Many myths tell the stories of

mythic heroes. These heroes often– have supernatural powers – face great difficulties and

challenges on their own– receive help from friendly gods

or goddesses– gain great rewards for their

heroism– possess a tragic flaw or

weakness that leads them into trouble.

Epic TermsEpic: A long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic figures

Epic Simile: an elaborate, lengthy comparison Epithet: a descriptive phrase that renames a noun Odysseus=Master Mariner

Literary TermsAllusion: a figure of speech that makes a reference to, or representation of, people, places, events, literary work, myths, or works of art, either directly or by implication.

Symbol: anything in a work of literature that stands for itself and something else.

Literary TermsCharacterization-How an author develops a character in a work of fiction.

Direct-When the author tells you about the character. “Odysseus was a stubborn man.”Indirect-When you must infer traits by what the character says, does, thinks or what others say about him/her. Odysseus devises a way to sneak into troy using a wooden horse.

Brief History to Remember

• An epic likely composed around 800 BC• Contains two books: Iliad and The Odyssey• An epic is a long, narrative poem about a

hero’s adventures• These epics were told and even sung and

not likely written down until centuries later by people who could read.

• Three important elements of their plots are The Trojan War, the heroism of Odysseus, and the interference of the gods.

The Trojan War

May have occurred in 1200 B.C. Legend says the war started when Paris, a

Trojan, kidnapped the Spartan, Menelaus’s wife, Helen.

Several kings and soldiers were recruited to sail to Troy and bring her back.

For ten years they battled unsuccessfully.Odysseus had the idea to hide men in a

large, wooden “Trojan: horse and enter the city.

The Trojans woke to this, thinking it was a gift. It was their doom.

Surprise!

The Trojan Horse

Odysseus

<oh DISS ee us>

“What started with an apple, must end with a horse…”

• King of Ithaca

• Husband of Penelope who was the daughter of the king of Sparta

• Father of Telemachus

The Odyssey by Homer (?)Translated by Robert Fitzgerald

The Odyssey: What’s it about?• Odysseus and his men leave Troy, taking spoils

and treasure, burning and destroying, and offending some gods, like Aphrodite (goddess of love), who was on the side of Paris.

• Odysseus tries to make his way home to his faithful wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, in the city of Ithaca.

• He leaves with 12 ships carrying 720 men.• His opponents in Troy were real men; his

opponents during his odyssey are monsters and enchanting women.

• Odysseus’ patron goddess is Athena. He will also offend other gods and suffer hardships before he reaches the shores of Ithaca.