Transcript B3) mythology-edit

Background of Greek Mythology
Why study
mythology?
Myths symbolize human
experience and embody
the spiritual values of a
culture.
Myths are an important way to
understand ourselves and our
connection to other people at
a time when the welfare of
each culture depends on the
attitudes and actions of other
cultures.
Although most of the myths were
created by people who lived in
societies that were much less
complex than our own, they
address fundamental questions
that each thinking person
continues to ask:
 Who am I?
 What is the nature of the universe in which I
live?
 How much control do I have over my own life?
 What must I do in order to survive?
 How can I lead a satisfying life?
 How can I balance my own desires with my
responsibilities to my family and my community?
 How can I reconcile myself to the inevitability of
death?
 To explain the nature of the universe;
 To instruct the members of the
community in the attitudes and
behavior necessary to function
successfully in that particular culture.
 On the other hand, some cultures
are interested in the creation
 The Heroic myths and epics of a
society teach its members the
appropriate attitudes, behavior and
values of that culture.
Myths usually originate
in an ancient oral
tradition.
Some explain origins,
natural phenomena, and
death.
•Others describe the nature
and function of divinities;
while still others provide
models of virtuous behavior
by relating the adventures
of heroes or the misfortunes
of arrogant humans.
•Many myths believe in
one or more divine powers
who create life and
control the direction of
the universe.
 The hero myths examine the relationship between
the individual’s desires and his responsibilities to the
society.
 Often the choice is crucial but uncomplicated:
whether or not to risk death to save the community.
 In spite of their extraordinary abilities no hero is
perfect.
 The Greeks are recognized as an
exceptional people because of their
attainments in literature,
sculpture, architecture and
philosophy.
 No epic poet to compare with
Homer, no lyric poet to equal
Pindar; no prose aside from the
Bible, more poetic than that Plato.
 Of the 4 great tragic poets the
world has produced, 3 are Greek;
the fourth is Shakespeare.
 The history of Greek literature is
divided into three periods: PreHomeric Age and Homeric Age,
Athenian Period and the Period
of Decline.
The Greeks made their gods
in their own image.
Greek artists and poets
realized how splendid a man
could be, straight and swift
and strong.
Man was the fulfillment of
their search for beauty.
The Greeks had no wish to
create some fantasy shaped
in their own minds.
 Between deities and humans there
were many differences.
 The first was that the deities never
suffered from old age or death.
 The deities was based not so much
on their goodness as on the feeling
of deep respect for their
incorruptible beauty and unfailing
strength.
 The Greeks asked their deities for
help in routine prayers and they
asked advice and counsel through
omens.
 The Greeks had shrines, called
oracles, where the priests and
priestesses interpreted the words
of the deities to the people who
came to pray for help.
Titans and Olympians
The First Generation
 Gaea
 Uranus
 Briares
 Cronus
 Hecatonchieres
 Rhea
 Cyclops
 Hyperion
 Titans
 Themis
 Iapetus
 Atlas
 Epimetheus
 Prometheus
 Coeus
 Phoebe
 Ocean
 Tethys
 Mnemosyne
 Zeus
 Apollo
 Poseidon
 Artemis
 Hades
 Hera
 Athena
 Aphrodite
 Ares
 Demeter
 Hephaestus
 Hestia
 Hermes
 Dionysus
Uranus = Gaea
(Heaven) (Earth)
Cronus = Rhea
Hestia
Pluto
Hera =
Zeus
Zeus
Hephaestus
(Hera’s son
alone)
Ares &
Hebe
Demeter =
Zeus
Athena
Coeus = Phoebe
Ocean = Tethys
Leto =
Zeus
Iapetus
Poseidon
persephone
Apollo &
Artemis
Prometheus
Atlas
Epimetheus
Maia =
Zeus
Dione =
Zeus
Hermes
Aprhodite
 The Greek gods are ageless &
immortal, can possess great
knowledge of the future, and are
influenced by the pleas of one
another & prayer of mortals.
 They do not give nor have any
moral codes.
 They are not all-powerful; thus,
mortals can be dignified,
morally responsible, and
important.
 The Greeks believed that their gods
and goddesses played an active role
in the affairs of human beings.
 Although people are the actual
combatants of the war, the gods take
sides in the conflict and have a
profound effect on its outcome.
 The Greek gods are not all powerful.
 However, the gods may participate in their
lives by giving advice, by supplying
thoughts and ideas, strength, skill, courage
and determination, by causing weapons to
hit or miss their mark.
 They may appear as their divine selves or
they may disguise themselves, depending
on the purpose they have in mind.
 The Greek gods clearly have their favorites
among mortals and make an effort to help
them.
 However, a mortal must earn divine esteem
and goodwill by the way he treats both the
gods and other mortals.
 Their help enhances the heroic stature of
those warriors who receive it.
 The Greek gods do not change a mortals
personality or fate.
…there was chaos
Gaea, Mother Earth, was created
And plants, animals, and rivers appeared
Their first born were the twelve Giant Titans, six boys
and six girls.
 Three were the mighty Cyclops, one-eyed giants
 And three were the Hecatoncheires,
monsters with a hundred arms
and fifty heads
And he threw them into Tartarus – the deepest pit
of the underworld.
 He attacked Uranus with a sickle and banished
him from earth.
 Cronus replaced his father as Lord of the
Universe. But he was cruel and did not free his
brothers from Tartarus.
 Cronus married his sister, Rhea, and they had
many children.
 So as each child was born, he swallowed it whole.
(Remember he was a giant Titan and his children were
much smaller. )
 Also the children were gods (immortals) so they could
not die. They remained alive and grew inside his
stomach. (Imagine the indigestion.)
 Zeus was raised on the island of Crete by gentle
woodland nymphs who fed him honeyed milk. When
the baby would cry, the Curettes – Zeus’s guards –
clashed their weapons to hide the sound from Cronus.
 Zeus lived there with his brothers, sisters, six of his
children, and Aphrodite (goddess of love) forever.
 The gods dined on nectar and ambrosia, the food and drink
of the gods and they could change shape or form to mingle
and control the mortals on earth.
The magical kingdom of all of the Gods and Goddess.
Ruled by Zeus!
Greek
Name
Roman Name
Description
Zeus
Jupiter
Hera
Juno
King of the Gods
(Player)
Queen of the Gods
Goddess of family
(Jealous)
Zeus, Jupiter
 King of the
gods
 Women loved
him and he
loved them.
 Symbol:
Lightning bolt
Hera, Juno
 Queen of the gods
 Goddess of the
family
 Symbol:
pomegranate
(symbol of fertility)
Hera, queen of the gods
Greek
Name
Roman Name
Description
Poseidon Neptune
Ruler of the seas, brother
of Zeus
Hades
Brother of Zeus, ruler of
the Underworld.
Pluto
Poseidon,
Neptune
• Ruler of the sea
• Responsible for
natural and
supernatural
events
• Symbol:
Trident
Hades,
Pluto
• Supreme ruler
of the
underworld
• God of the
dead
• Symbol: Helmet
(helped him
stay invincible)
Greek Name
Roman Name
Description
Aphrodite
Venus
Goddess of love, romance, and
beauty
Apollo
Apollo
God of sun, music, and poetry.
Twin of Artemis
Ares
Mars
God of War
Artemis
Diana
Goddess of the hunt and moon.
Twin of Apollo
Athena
Minerva
Goddess of wisdom and war
Demeter
Ceres
Goddess of agriculture
Hephaestus Vulcan
God of fire and forge
Hermes
Mercury
Messenger of the gods
Hestia
Vesta
Calm goddess of home and
homelife.
Dyonysus
Bacchus
Joyful god of wine
•
•
•
•
•
Aphrodite,
Venus
Goddess of
love and beauty
Mother of Eros
Wife of
Hephaestus
Lover to Ares
Symbol: Dove
•
•
•
•
Apollo,
Apollo
God of sun,
music, poetry
Twin to Artemis
Gift of
prophecy
Symbol: Lyre
•
•
•
•
Ares, Mars
God of War
Not well liked
by the other
gods
Ares and
Aphrodite had
a daughter-Harmony
Symbol: Spear
and dogs
•
•
•
•
Artemis,
Diana
Goddess of
moon and hunt
Twin to Apollo
Absolute power
over nature
Symbol: Bow
Athena,
Minerva
• Goddess of
wisdom and
war
• Approached
war in terms of
Justice
• Symbol: Staff
and Owl
•
•
•
•
Demeter,
Ceres
Goddess of
agriculture (grain)
Mother of
Persephone
Taught mortals
harvest
Symbol: Wheat
Dionysus,
Bacchus
• God of wine
and festivities
• Party Guy
• Symbol: Grapes
•
•
•
•
Hephaestus,
Vulcan
God of metal
working
Only physically
ugly god
Husband to
Aphrodite
Symbol: Fire,
ax, and hammer
•
•
•
•
Hermes,
Mercury
Messenger God
Fastest because of
his winged shoes
Only god who
could visit heaven,
earth, and
underworld
Symbol: Wings
Hestia, Vesta
• Goddess of the
hearth
• Kind and
forgiving
• Symbol: Flame
Name
Description
Persephone
Queen of the Underworld; Daughter of
Demeter
Cerberus
Three headed dog off the Underworld.
Eros
God of love; son of Aphrodite
The Fates
Three fates: spin measure, and cut life
The Muses
Nine beautiful deities
Persephone
• Hades loved her
and stole her from
her mother,
Demeter
• She spends 6
months with Mom
and 6 months with
husband
Cerberus
• Watch dog of
the underworld
• Prevent the
dead from
exiting
• Three heads,
very scary
Eros, Cupid
• Son of Aphrodite
• Falls in love with
beautiful, mortal
Psyche
• Convinces Zeus to
make her
immortal
•
•
•
•
•
The Fates
Clotho-spins the
thread of destiny
Lacesis- measures
Atropos-cuts
Determined every
mortal’s life
No other god could
alter their decision
Muses
• 9 beautiful, intelligent deities
• Each Muse was in charge over an
intelligence
• Required to praise them in epic poetry