Introduction to Greek Mythology

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Introduction to Greek Mythology

• Ms. Michelle Hayworths
• 9th Grade English Classes

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Greek Mythology Is

• The body of stories belonging to the ancient
  Greeks
• Made up of
• their gods and heroes
• the nature of the world
• their own cultural and ritual practices

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The History- A Quick Overview

• First records shown in 5500 BC
• Due to bad living conditions, Greece did not
  become heavily populated until about 3000 BC.
• Their history is usually separated into three
  distinct times

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The Ages of Ancient Greece

• The Stone Age- from about 2200 BC to about 3500
  BC
• The Bronze Age- Lasted from about 3000-1200 BC

• Finally The Iron Age- 1200 BC- 1453 AD

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Common Beliefs

• - Commonly people of ancient Greece believed in a
  group of gods and goddesses called deities
• - Zeus, the master god, ruled over these and
  other immortal beings
• - Together, The Olympian Gods and the many other
  higher immortal beings were worshipped by the
  overall population

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Greek Influence

• The Greeks made a wealth of contributions to
  human culture, especially in the areas of
  government, philosophy, drama, and the visual
  arts.
• Since this is an English class, we will focus
  primarily on the literary influences produced for
  our culture

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Mythologia

• All mythological legends are derived from the
  narratives of the Scriptures
• A compound of two smaller words
• Mythos- which in Classical Greek means roughly
  the oral speech or words without action
• Logos- in Classical Greek stands for the oral or
  written expression of thoughts and the ability to
  express them

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Importance of Literature

• Any accounts of Greek myths are known primarily
  today through literature
• The oldest known are The Iliad and The
  Odyssey written by Homer 5 B.C
• Every term that you have ever used has an origin
• Most of the time, the origin is said to be of a
  Greek background

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A Few Words For The Wise

• Is Greek Mythology still relevant today?
• Consider how often Greek characters are used in
  every day speech
• It could be said that Greek influences are of
  abundance in our American culture

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The Importance of This Presentation

• We will soon be starting our work in Homeric
  Poetry
• You will be asked to read The Odyssey
• A background is given through the links and
  information is provided in your text to help you
  get a better understanding of Greek mythology
• With this, you will be expected to read and
  participate with the class

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Expectations Cont.

• During the story you will be assessed as per I
  see fit
• We will discuss every question and concern
  related
• After the story is over, you will write a paper
  about any aspect of The Odyssey you want

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The Overall Expectations are

• Use phonics, context clues, and a growing
  knowledge of English and other languages to
  determine the meaning of words and become fluent
  readers.
• Develop strategies such as asking questions
  making predictions and identifying and analyzing
  structure, organization, perspective, and
  purpose.

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Expectations Concluded

• You are to
• 1. Identify story elements such as character,
  theme, plot, and setting, and make connections
  and comparisons across the texts 2. Enhance
  understanding of history, culture, and the social
  sciences.3. With the writing, you will be
  expected to pre-draft, draft, revise, revise
  again, and hand in a final draft.

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Standards and Resources

• 9.1.1-Identify and use the literal and figurative
  meanings of words and understand the origins of
  words.
• 9.1.2-Distinguish between what words mean
  literally and what they imply and interpret what
  the words imply.
• 9.1.3- Use knowledge of Greek, Roman, and Norse
  mythology to understand the origin and meaning of
  new words.
• 9.2.3-Generate relevant questions about readings
  on issues or topics that can be researched.
• 9.2.8-Make reasonable statements and draw
  conclusions about a text, supporting them with
  accurate examples

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Sources

• www.historyforkids.org
• http//www.google.com
• http//www.indianastandards.org/
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_mythology
• http//www.mythweb.com/

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Homework

• Read the Introduction to Homeric Poetry pg. 718
  in your text
• Look through The Odyssey over the weekend, pg.
  720 in your text
• Be ready to answer questions relating to the
  introduction and the basis of Greek mythology
• HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!