Transcript Introduction to Greek mythology

INTRODUCTION TO GREEK MYTHOLOGY
WHAT IS GREEK MYTHOLOGY?
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The people of ancient Greece
shared stories called myths
about the gods, goddesses,
and heroes in which they
believed.
Each god or goddess was
worshipped as a deity and
ruled over certain areas of the
Greeks’ lives.
These exciting stories
explained natural phenomena
that could not be explained by
science in the ancient world.
WHY STUDY GREEK MYTHOLOGY?
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The 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, heroes and
their stories.
Adventurous and exciting stories
delight and entertain us.
GREEK MYTHOLOGY RESEARCH PROJECT
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You will be conducting a short research project on the
gods and goddesses in our stories.
You will:
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Complete each column on the mythology chart using ONLY AVL
sources. NO GOOGLE/WIKIPEDIA!! Each column MUST have
parenthetical documentation.
The last column is titled MLA source. You will write your works
cited entry here. REMEMBER, most AVL databases cite the
source for you. If you don’t know how to find the citation, raise
your hand, and I will show you.
Appropriate AVL databases to search
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Britannica High School
Search the name of the
god/goddess for this database.
EBSCO host
Search the name of the god/goddess for this
database. Make sure to choose the reference article.
WHO WERE THE GODS AND GODDESSES OF THE
PANTHEON ON MOUNT OLYMPUS?
ZEUS-LEADER OF THE OLYMPIAN GODS
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He ruled the Olympians.
He was the god of the sky, lightning
and thunder carrying a thunderbolt as
his symbol.
He married Hera, his sister, which was
a family habit.
He fathered many children, including
the famous Hercules, with various
goddesses and mortals.
POSEIDON-GOD OF THE SEA
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He built an underwater palace with a
great pearl and coral throne.
Although he chose Thetis, a beautiful
water nymph, as his queen, he, like his
brother Zeus, was a great wanderer
fathering hundreds of children.
He was a difficult god, changeful and
quarrelsome, but created many curious
forms for his sea creatures.
He invented the horse for his sister
Demeter, whom he loved.
The symbol associated with Poseidon is
the trident.
HADES-GOD OF THE UNDERWOLD
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He was the jealous brother
to Zeus and Poseidon.
He made Persephone his
wife after stealing her from
her mother,
Demeter, who was his
sister.
Because he was a violent
god, who was also very
possessive of every new
soul, he rarely left his
underworld domain.
The sacred symbol of
Hades was his helmet,
which helped him stay
invisible.
DEMETER-GODDESS OF CORN & HARVEST
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She was the goddess of growing things.
She was the mother of Persephone,
whose father was Zeus.
Her daughter was kidnapped by Hades
and taken to the Underworld for six
months of the year causing the change
of seasons.
The symbols of Demeter were the ear
of wheat and the grains.
ATHENA-GODDESS OF WISDOM, JUSTICE, WAR,
CIVILIZATION AND PEACE
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She was born full grown out of the
head of Zeus.
She taught man to use tools and
taught his wife to spin and weave.
She was the best-loved goddess on
Olympus.
She hated Ares, god of war, often
besting him in battle.
The Greek city of Athens is named
after her.
She was said to have created the
spider.
Athena's symbols were the spear,
the distaff (spindle), and
the aegis (a shield of goatskin), to
which the head of the Gorgon
Medusa was fastened in order to
terrify the opponents).
APHRODITE-GODDESS OF LOVEAND BEAUTY
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She is the goddess of desire born from
sea foam.
Another myth credits her mother as
Dione and her father as Zeus.
After all the gods on Mount Olympus
courted her, she married Hephaestus,
the ugliest of the gods.
Because she was judged the most
beautiful of all the goddesses on
Mount Olympus by Paris, the other
goddesses envied her.
Aphrodite's symbols were
the girdle (which she was using to
compel love), the seashell, and
the mirror.
PERSEHPONE- GODDESS OF SPRINGTIME
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Persephone is the daughter
of Zeus and Demeter.
After her abduction by Hades she
became his wife and Queen of
the underworld for six months of
each year.
This explained the changing of the
seasons.
Her symbols are the sprouting
seeds of springtime, mint, and
pomegranate.
EROS- GOD OF LOVE
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Eros is the son of Aphrodite.
He is often represented
blindfolded because love is
often blind.
His "weapons" are two sets of
arrows-one made of gold and
one made of lead.
The golden arrows induce
infatuation, love, and lust.
The lead arrows induce hate
and anger.
HERMES- GOD OF THIEVES AND COMMERCE
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Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia
and is Zeus’s messenger.
He is the fastest of the gods and wears
winged sandals, a winged hat, and
carries a magic wand.
He is the guide for the dead to go to the
underworld.
The symbols for Hermes are the
caduceus (his staff), the purse (or
leather pouch), the winged sandals, the
ram, and the petasus (his hat).
CREATURES
MEDUSA
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The Medusa was the daughter of Phorkys and Keto, the
children of Gaea (Earth) and Oceanus (Ocean).
She was one of the three sisters known as the Gorgons, and
she was the only mortal out of the three.
She was originally a golden-haired and very beautiful maiden,
who, as a priestess of Athena, was devoted to a life of
celibacy.
After meeting Poseidon, she fell in love with him and married
him.
Athena punished Medusa in the following ways
 Each wavy lock of the beautiful hair which had so
charmed her husband change into a venomous snake;
 Her once gentle, love-inspiring eyes now became bloodshot, furious orbs, which excited fear and disgust in the
mind of the beholder;
 Her former rosy hue and milk-white skin assumed a
loathsome greenish tinge.
 Whoever she gazed upon turned into stone.
After this punishment, Medusa fled from home and
personality began to match her outward appearance.
Finally, her misery ended when Perseus killed her.
PEGASUS
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Pegasus was a winged horse and good flyer.
Pegasus was the result of the ill fated union
of Medusa and Poseidon.
It was born from Medusa when her head was cut
off by Perseus.
Tamed by Bellerophon it served as his mount
during his adventures including his slaying of
the Chimaeras.
When Bellerophon attempted to fly Pegasus
to Mount Olympus, he was dismounted by Zeus.
Pegasus continued on and made it to Mount
Olympus.
Here Pegasus spent his days carrying lighting
bolts for Zeus.
MYTHS
PANDORA
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Pandora was the very first woman who was formed out of clay by
the gods.
Prometheus had originally been assigned with the task of creating
man, but because he stole fire from heaven, Zeus was angered,
and commanded Hephaestus and the other gods to create a
woman.
He then delivered her to Epimetheus, the foolish younger brother
of Prometheus, for a bride.
When he had received her into his house, Pandora opened
the pithos (storage jar) which Zeus had given her as a wedding
present, and released the swarm of evil spirits trapped within.
They would ever afterwards plague mankind.
Only Elpis (Hope) remained behind, a single blessing to comfort
mankind in their suffering.
PROMETHEUS-THE WISEST TITAN
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His name means "forethought" and was able to foretell the
future.
When Zeus revolted against Cronus, Prometheus deserted
the other Titans and fought on Zeus side.
Prometheus and his brother were delegated by Zeus to
create man.
Prometheus is known as the protector and benefactor of
man.
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He gave mankind a number of gifts including fire.
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He also tricked Zeus into allowing man to keep the
best part of the animals sacrificed to the gods and to
give the gods the worst parts.
Since Prometheus stole fire from the heavens and tricked
Zeus, Zeus punished him by having him chained to a rock
with an eagle tearing at his liver.
He was to be left there for all eternity but was eventually
rescued by Hercules.