Transcript Introduction To Greek Mythology

INTRODUCTION TO
GREEK MYTHOLOGY
WHAT IS A MYTH?
• A story which is the product of imagination
• Myths were more than just folk tales to the Ancient
Greeks—it was more like a religion
• Closely related to the religious beliefs.
• About supernatural events and gods
• Combines a religious purpose with an explanatory purpose
• For example a mythmaker tries to interpret nature through
personification (gods and mortals)
WHAT IS A MYTH?
 Myths were attempts to explain things that would
nowadays be explained scientifically.
 Ancient people had basic scientific knowledge so
they used their imagination to fill in the gaps.
 Explained how people acquired basic things
 (Speech, fire, grain, wine, oil, honey, agriculture, metal work,
and other skills and arts)
PURPOSE OF GREEK MYTHS
• To explain human emotions
• To answer questions people asked about the world
around them and the natural events that occurred in it
• To teach morals by justifying their social system and its
customs
COMBINING GODS AND MYTHS
• Myths evolved over many centuries
• During times of war and invasions in Ancient Greece
• Conquerors and settlers brought their own gods
with them
• Probably changed less once the myths were
written down
STRANGE BEHAVIOR
• The gods did many strange things in the myths
• Greeks accepted this because the gods were
supernatural beings
• Ordinary people would not have been allowed to do
these strange things
• Examples
• Grew up instantly
• Able to do miraculous things right away
RELIGION
• The stories told in the Greek myths formed part of the
religion of Ancient Greece.
• The myths illustrated the nature of the gods
• The myths taught what pleased or angered the gods
• Teaching morals, values
• The myths did not set out religious rules or ideals like the
Bible or the Koran
WHAT THE GODS WERE LIKE
• The Greeks thought of their gods as being like
themselves
•
•
•
•
Human shaped
Got married and had children
Made friends and enemies
Had human-like faults
• Jealousy, bad temper, bad behaviors
WHY SHOULD WE STUDY GREEK
MYTHOLOGY?
• Ancient Greek culture has been kept alive by the oral
and later written stories handed down through thousands
of years.
• Modern plays, novels, television programs, movies, and
even advertisements refer to Greek gods, goddesses,
and heroes in their stories.
GUESS THE GREEK GOD
GUESS THE GREEK GOD
Hermes
God of Travel
and
Messengers
GUESS THE GREEK GOD
GUESS THE GREEK GOD
Poseidon
God of the
Sea
GUESS THE GREEK GOD
GUESS THE GREEK GOD
Eros
God of Love
GUESS THE GREEK GOD
GUESS THE GREEK GOD
Zeus
God of the
Sky
GUESS THE GREEK GOD
GUESS THE GREEK GOD
Ares
God of War
GUESS THE GREEK GOD
GUESS THE GREEK GOD
Hades
God of the
Underworld