Introduction to Greek Mythology

Freshmen English

What do we know about Greek Mythology?

Origins of Greek Mythology

Greek Myths are all that’s left of the ancient Greek religion. About 1200 B.C., the residents of Greece and Asia Minor, shared a common belief in a group of deities (gods) that came to be known as The Olympians.

Origins of Greek Mythology

The Olympians were descendents from the primal, self-created gods, beginning with Kaos. The Olympians were ruled by Zeus. He is the strongest god and without him, the other Olympians would still be held captive by their devious father.

Origins of Greek Mythology

The oldest myths can be traced to three main sources: Homer, Hesiod, and the Homeric Hymns (circa 800 B.C.). That means that by the time these works had been written down, they had survived 400 years of additions, subtractions, and mutations to finally becoming the versions we now call “authentic.”

Origins of Greek Mythology

Kaos and Gaea

Father of universe & Mother Earth

The Titans Hyperion, Atlas, Oceanus, Prometheus, Kronos

Kronos ruled the universe

Origins of Greek Mythology

Kronos & Rhea

Kronos was afraid he would be overpowered, so he swallowed 5 of his

children. Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Hestia, & Hera

(what about #6?)

Origins of Greek Mythology

Rhea tricked Kronos into swallowing a stone wrapped in a blanket, thinking it was her 6th child.

Zeus was born and grew up secretly on the island of Crete.

Zeus overthrew his father, Kronos, and made him disgorge all his brothers and sisters. (Remember, gods are immortal!)

Origins of Greek Mythology

Zeus took over control and divided the universe into 3 kingdoms:

Heavens, Sea, and Underworld

Origins of Greek Mythology

Zeus took control of the heavens. He controlled the rain and clouds. Thunder and lightning bolts were his weapons. The eagle and oak tree were sacred to him.

Origins of Greek Mythology

All the Titans were imprisoned except Prometheus (because he fought on Zeus’ side). Atlas was sentenced to “hold up the world.”

Origins of Greek Mythology

Poseidon ruled the sea. His weapon was the three-pronged trident. His gift to mankind was the horse.

Origins of Greek Mythology

Hades ruled the underworld. He also controlled gold, silver, and gems that came from the soil in earth. Hermes would escort mortals down to the underworld when their time was up. Hades was a gloomy god, but shouldn’t be confused with being evil. He just had a bad job.

Origins of Greek Mythology: Hades and Persephone

Hades fell in love with Demeter’s daughter, Persephone. He stole her away from her mother (the goddess of crops) and made her very sad. Because of this, all of the crops died. Hades was forced to make a deal to save farmers and their crops. The deal was Hades would be allowed have Persephone for six months out of the year, September to March, and the other six months she would live with her mother. That is where our seasons come from: When Persephone is with her mother, it is spring and summer. When she is with Hades, it is fall and winter.

Origins of Greek Mythology

The Underworld

Tartarus Elysian Fields (evil) (good)

Earth was considered middle ground, withno gods ruling over it. The gods could visit,

interacting with humans and animals, but did not control what happened there.

Vocabulary to Know

odyssey – any long and difficult journey wrath – anger, especially the anger of the gods, which

carried dreadful consequences. ambrosia – food of the gods; any especially delectable food arrogance – pride in imagining oneself equal or superior to

the gods epic – a long, narrative poem that follows the journey of a

hero Ithaca – island home of Odysseus Cyclops – one-eyed monster, the most famous of which was

Polyphemus (from the Odyssey); Cyclops is a combination of two Greek words meaning “wheel-eyed.”

Vocabulary to Know

Sirens – sea nymphs whose beautiful song lured ships to destruction on the nearby rocks; sailors who heard their song leaped out of their ships and into the sea, where they drowned or were eaten (from the Odyssey)

Crete – island home of King Minos and the Minotaur; Zeus grew up here away from his father, Kronos

lyre – a small, harp-like musical instrument invented by Hermes and presented to Apollo as a gift

Intro to The Odyssey

Odysseus was best known for his long suffering as a traveler in “The Odyssey” by Homer. He was the grandson of Hermes, yet still a mortal, Odysseus was extremely brave in battle. He was one of the soldiers hidden in the famous Trojan Horse (being mainly his idea).

Odysseus was married to his wife Penelope and had one son Telemachus. Odysseus left for the war when his son was just a baby (against his will). The war lasted ten long years and another ten passed before Odysseus returned.

Who’s who of Greek Gods & Goddesses

The following slides will give you an idea of who the main Greek gods and goddesses were. Are you taking notes? There will be a quiz!

Ares – God of War

ARES (AIR-eez; Roman name

Mars) was the god of war, or more precisely of warlike frenzy. Though an immortal deity, he was bested by Hercules in battle and was almost killed when stuffed into a jar by two giants. When another hero wounded him during the Trojan War, he received scant sympathy from his father Zeus. In appearance, Ares was handsome and cruel. He is often depicted carrying a bloodstained spear. His throne on Mount Olympus was said to be covered in human skin.

Aphrodite – Goddess of Love & Beauty

APHRODITE (a-fro-DYE-tee; Roman

name Venus) was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. She was also a protectress of sailors. The poet Hesiod said that Aphrodite was born from sea-foam. Homer, on the other hand, said that she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione.

When the Trojan prince Paris was asked to judge which of three Olympian goddesses was the most beautiful, he chose Aphrodite over Hera and Athena. The latter two had hoped to bribe him with power and victory in battle, but Aphrodite offered the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. She was married to Hephaestus.

Apollo – God of Music

APOLLO (uh-POL-oh; Roman name

Apollo) was the god of prophesy, music and healing. Like most of his fellow Olympians, Apollo did not hesitate to intervene in human affairs. It was he who brought about the demise of the mighty Achilles. Of all the heroes besieging the city of Troy in the Trojan War, Achilles was the best fighter by far. He had easily defeated the Trojan captain Hector in single combat. But Apollo helped Hector's brother Paris slay Achilles with an arrow. As god of music, Apollo is often depicted playing the lyre. He did not invent this instrument, however, but was given it by Hermes in compensation for cattle theft. Some say that Apollo did invent the lute, although he was best known for his skill on the lyre.

Artemis – Goddess of the Hunt

ARTEMIS (AR-ti-mis; Roman name

Diana) was the virgin goddess of the hunt. She helped women in childbirth, but also brought sudden death with her arrows. Artemis and her brother Apollo were the children of Zeus and Leto. In some versions of their myth, Artemis was born first and helped her mother to deliver Apollo. When Apollo noticed that Artemis was spending a great deal of time hunting with the giant Orion, he decided to put an end to the relationship. He challenged Artemis to prove her skill at archery by shooting at an object floating far out at sea. Her shot was perfect. The target turned out to be the head of Orion.

Athena – Goddess of Wisdom & War

ATHENA (a-THEE-nuh; Roman name

Minerva) was the goddess of crafts and the domestic arts and also those of war. She was the patron goddess of Athens. Her symbol was the owl. By the late Classic, she had come to be regarded as a goddess of wisdom. Zeus was once married to Metis, a daughter of Ocean who was renowned for her wisdom. When Metis became pregnant, Zeus was warned by Earth that a son born to Metis would overthrow him, just as he had usurped his own father's throne. So Zeus swallowed Metis. In time he was overcome with a splitting headache and summoned help from the craftsman god Hephaestus (or, some say, the Titan Prometheus). Hephaestus cleaved Zeus's forehead with an ax, and Athena sprang forth fully armed.

Dionysus – God of Wine

DIONYSUS (dye-oh-NYE-sus; Roman name Bacchus) was the god of wine. Dionysus was the son of Zeus and the mortal heroine Semele. Dionysus is considered the god of merrymaking and good times.

It was Dionysus who granted Midas the power to turn whatever he touched into gold, then was kind enough to take the power back when it proved inconvenient.

Hephaestus – God of Metal Working and Blacksmith to the

Gods

HEPHAESTUS (he-FEE-stus or he-FESS-tus; Roman name Vulcan) was the lame god of metal working & a blacksmith. Hephaestus was the son of Zeus and Hera or, in some accounts, of Hera alone. He limped because he was born lame, which caused his mother to throw him off Mount Olympus. He was the only ugly god. Hephaestus accomplished numerous prodigies of craftsmanship, such as the marvelous palaces that he built for the gods atop Mount Olympus, or the armor that he made for Achilles during the siege of Troy (the description of which occupies a great many lines of Homer's epic of the Trojan War). He was also married to Aphrodite.

Hera – Goddess of Marriage

HERA (HEE-ruh; Roman name Juno)

was the goddess of marriage. Hera was the wife of Zeus and Queen of the Olympians. Hera hated the great hero Hercules since he was the son of her husband Zeus and a mortal woman. When he was still an infant, she sent snakes to attack him in his crib. Later she stirred up the Amazons against him when he was on one of his quests.

On the other hand, Hera aided the hero Jason, who would never have retrieved the Golden Fleece without her sponsorship.

In Greek mythology, Hera was the reigning female goddess of Olympus because she was Zeus's wife. The Goddess took many forms, among them that of a bird.

Hermes – Messenger God and Guide of Dead to Underworld

HERMES (HUR-meez; Roman name

Mercury) was the messenger of the gods and guide of dead souls to the Underworld. A prankster and inventive genius from birth, Hermes aided the heroes Odysseus and Perseus in their quests. Hermes was the son Zeus and a mountain nymph. On his very first day of life, he found the empty shell of a tortoise and perceived its utility as a sounding chamber. Stringing sinews across it, he created the first lyre. Hermes was known for his helpfulness to mankind, both in his capacity as immortal herald and on his own initiative. It was Hermes' job to convey dead souls to the Underworld.

Prometheus – God of Fire

Prometheus was the wisest Titan. In all accounts, Prometheus is

known as the protector and benefactor of man. He gave mankind a number of gifts including fire.

For this Zeus punished Prometheus by having him chained to a rock with an eagle tearing at his liver. He was to be left there for all eternity or until he agreed to disclose to Zeus which of Zeus children would try to replace him. He was eventually rescued by Hercules without giving in to Zeus.

Heroes

What type of a person is a hero?

What qualities do they possess?

Does a hero have to perform “Superman-like” feats?

Can heroes make mistakes?

Who are some heroes from history?

Do you know any everyday heroes?

Odysseus was considered a hero for his heroic actions, bravery, strength, persistence, and wisdom. Although he was not perfect, he had many admirable qualities.