Western Civ. 8.29.2007
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Transcript Western Civ. 8.29.2007
What’s mythology?
Refers to the (usually) oral retelling of
myths
Myths are stories that cultures share. In
many cases, they offer explanations for:
Natural
events
The state of humanity
The origins of the universe
Historical events
The mythology of ancient Greece serves
these purposes
Greek Mythology
Believed all nature contained gods/goddesses the
natural world was alive
Gods lived on Mt. Olympus
Difference between gods and humans:
IMMORTALITY and MORTALITY
Gods could and did marry mortals
“…stories about Olympian deities reflect the human
world of ancient Greece—its understanding of
nature, its personal relationships, and its wars.”
–Barry R. Katz, Ph.D. Adjunct Assistant Professor of Classics at New York
University, in Alice Low’s Greek Gods and Heros.
Who you should know..
Name
God of:
Aphrodite
Love and Beauty
Apollo
Light and Music
Ares
War
Athena
Wisdom and Art
Dionysus
Fertility
Poseidon
The Sea
Zeus
King of the Gods