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Greek Mythology

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Title: Greek Mythology


1
Greek Mythology
2
What is Greek Mythology?
  • Greek Mythology is a collection of myths and
    legends that Greeks used to explain their world.
  • Although we now view these stories as fiction,
    the Greeks believed them to be true.

3
The Greeks and Their Beliefs
  • The Greeks loved life.
  • They believed in living life to the fullest
    because death was going to happen whether you
    wanted it to or not.
  • The only response to death was to make a mark on
    the world. Be a legendbe grandiose.

4
Continued The Greeks Their Beliefs
  • The Greeks had many gods.
  • The gods exemplified the need to be grandiose.
  • Because the Olympian gods mirrored the Greeks,
    they were heavily flawed.
  • They were quarrelsome, unforgiving, jealous,
    vengeful, spiteful, sinful deities.
  • The Olympian gods were mostly portrayed as
    physically strong, beautiful and intelligent.
  • The same applies to the heroes in their legends
    and myths.

5
The World according to the Greeks
  • Both good and evil comes from the gods.
  • Heroes and monsters came from the gods.
  • Many of the conflicts that are portrayed in the
    myths are between family members.
  • Start handout here

6
The World according to the GreeksIn the
Beginning
  • In the beginning there was no earth, sky or sea.
    There was only confusion and darkness, called
    Chaos. Chaos gave birth to Mother Earth. She
    eventually gave birth to a son, Uranus, also
    known as Father Heaven. Mother Earth and Father
    Heaven had many children.
  • First, they had three monstrous sons. Each had
    fifty heads and one hundred hands.
  • Then, they had three more sons. They were just
    as big and just as ugly. They were called
    Cyclops. They had one eye in the middle of their
    foreheads. They were as strong as Earthquakes
    and Tornadoes combined.
  • Finally, they had the first gods, six sons and
    six daughters called the Titans.

7
Among their children was the greatest Titan,
Cronus (Kronus). Cronus gained power from his
father, Uranus, by castrating him. Then, Cronus
became ruler over heaven and Earth and married
his sister, Rhea. From their union came the
Olympian gods.
8
The bigger you are, the harder you fall
  • Power changed Cronus and made him evil. He was
    so afraid that one of his sons was going to do to
    him what he did to his father that he swallowed
    all of his children immediately after their
    birth. One by one, Cronus swallowed Hestia,
    Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. When Rhea
    was pregnant with her sixth child, she thought of
    a plan. She secretly gave birth to her sixth
    child, Zeus, and gave him to Mother Earth.

9
Mother Earth decided that the child would be safe
if she hid him as far away from Cronus as she
could. When Cronus asked to see the sixth child,
Rhea handed him a rock wrapped in a blanket.
Just like her previous children, Cronus swallowed
the rock without hesitation, just as she had
planned. Rhea was happy and could not wait for
the day Zeus would grow up and destroy his
father.
10
  • Zeus was safely being raised by Nymphs and
    shepherds. Eventually Zeus grew up and Rhea, his
    mother, told him about what Cronus did to his
    siblings. Zeus made a promise to his mother that
    he would make Cronus pay for what he did.

11
Rhea and Zeus plan
  • When Zeus returned to his mother, she disguised
    him as a servant. Rhea concocted a poisonous
    potion and Zeus, acting as a servant, put it in
    Cronus drink. The concoction caused Cronus to
    get sick and vomit. First, Cronus vomited up the
    rock. Then each of his five children, one by one.
    Zeus was seen as a hero for saving his siblings.
    They were extremely thankful. Once everyone was
    freed, the six children decided to battle against
    Cronus.

12
The battle between father and sons
  • The war lasted ten years. Neither side could
    get the upper hand because they were equal in
    strength. Mother Earth suggested that Zeus and
    his brothers go free the Cyclops and have them
    fight on their side. Zeus and his brothers did as
    they were advised and freed their uncles, the
    Cyclops. The Cyclops gave them the advantage
    they needed. Finally, the war was over. Zeus
    and his siblings were victorious.

13
After the battle was over
  • Now that the battle was over, the three
    brothers had to decide who was going to rule the
    universe. They decided the fairest way to choose
    was to draw lots. Hades won the underworld.
    Poseidon won the sea and Zeus won the heaven and
    became ruler of all the gods of Mt. Olympus.

14
The gods and goddesses of Mt. Olympus
  • Mt. Olympus was the largest mountain in Greece.
    It was the home of the gods and goddesses.
  • Gods and goddesses were immortal they could not
    die.
  • No humans were allowed on top of Mt. Olympus, but
    the Olympians were allowed on Earth.
  • Resume notebook paper

15
Greek Gods and Goddesses
  • English I
  • Class notes

16
  • Chief god
  • Lord of sky
  • God of thunder lightening
  • Married his sister Hera
  • Populated the heavens and the Earth
  • promiscuous liaisons.

Zeus
17
Hera
  • Wife and sister of Zeus
  • Goddess of marriage, protector of childbirth
    heroes
  • Portrayed as extremely jealous and vindictive

18
Zeus and Hera
19
Poseidon
  • God of the sea, horses and earthquakes
  • Lives in a palace beneath the ocean
  • Carries a three-pronged trident
  • Gave people the horse
  • Married a sea nymph named Amphitrite
  • Like his brother, he fathered many children.
  • Very fond of his sister Demeter

20
Poseidon
21
Hades
  • god of the underworld and the dead
  • god of wealth
  • Owned all of the precious metal on Earth
  • Wore a cap that made him invisible
  • Kidnapped his niece and made her his wife

22
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23
Demeter
  • Demeter means Barley-mother
  • Another name for her is Ceres, from the word
    cereal
  • Goddess of the cornfield, mistress of planting
    and harvesting, lady of growing things
  • She had a son and a daughter. Her daughters
    name was Persephone.
  • Her daughter was kidnapped by Hades. (reasons for
    the seasons)

24
  • Zeus third sister
  • goddess of hearth family and home
  • her only job was to keep the fire lit in the
    hearth on Mt. Olympus

Hestia
25
All of Zeus children
  • Zeus had eight children on Olympus
  • The twins Apollo and Artimis
  • Athena
  • Hephaestus
  • Hermes
  • Ares
  • Dionysus
  • Aphrodite (not really Zeus child, but he took her
    in)

26
Apollo
  • god of light, music and poetry
  • most beautiful god
  • also the god of medicine
  • taught people the art of healing
  • fine marksman
  • could predict the future

27
Artemis
  • goddess of hunting, wild things, unmarried girls
    and the moon
  • She decided never to marry
  • Once when she was bathing under the moonlight
    a human was watching her. She threw rain drops
    on him and changed him into a stag. Then she
    had him killed by his own dogs.

28
  • Zeus favorite
  • goddess of wisdom, strategy, protector of cities
    and civilizations
  • goddess of handicrafts and art
  • She sprang from her fathers head fully clothed
    and in armor. Hephaestus, Zeus son, had to
    release Athena by cutting his head open with an
    ax.

Athena
29
Hephaestas
  • god of fire
  • The only ugly god, but he was peaceful, loving
    and popular.
  • He walks with a limp because Zeus threw over the
    palace walls one day when he took his mothers
    side over Zeus.
  • Made all the Olympians thrones, armor, furniture
    and weapons
  • Married Aphrodite

30
Hermes
  • Zeus graceful, happy son by the goddess, Maia
  • God of shepherds, merchants, travelers and
    thieves
  • Very mischievous and tricky
  • Stole Apollos cows the day he was born
  • Guided the newly dead to the underworld
  • Invented the alphabet, astronomy, scales, playing
    cards and card games
  • Zeus messenger
  • Wore winged sandals and a winged cap
  • Had a son named Pan. He was half goat.

31
Ares
  • god of war
  • Boastful, cruel and had no manners
  • Son of Zeus and Hera
  • Loved to fight, but was a coward once he got hurt
  • Wherever he went there was violence and bloodshed
  • the curse of mortals

32
  • god of wine
  • Zeus youngest son
  • His mother, Semele, was a princess and a mortal
    woman
  • His mother was consumed by fire when she was
    tricked by Hera
  • He was saved by Hermes.
  • Taught people the art of wine making the
    consequences of too much wine

Dionysus
33
Aphrodite
  • Goddess of love and beauty
  • Goddess of desire
  • Wherever she walked flowers sprang up beneath her
    feet
  • she appeared from the foam of the sea
  • Her son is Eros (Cupid)

34
The OdysseyBackground
35
What is an Epic?
  • A long narrative poem about the deeds of a hero.

36
Characteristics
  • The hero is a figure of great national or
    international importance.
  • The setting is large in scale.
  • Hero often portrays the goals and values of
    society

37
Characteristics of an epic
  • action involves heroic deeds in battle or on a
    long and arduous (hard) journey.
  • Gods, Goddesses and other supernatural beings
    take an interest and active part.

38
Characteristics of epic poetry
  • The poet begins by asking the Muses to help him
    with his story telling.
  • The muses were the daughters of Zeus and
    Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. They were
    believed to inspire all artists, especially
    poets, philosophers and musicians.
  • The narration usually begins in the middle point
    of the action the events that happened before
    the narrative opening are introduced later.
  • Flashbacks

39
Narrative features of epic poetry
  • Epic poems were initially performed as oral
    traditions by wandering professional bards, also
    called minstrels or rhapsodes.

40
Features continued
  • epithets- descriptive words or phrase that become
    a fixed formula.
  • These develop the characterization by reinforcing
    particular aspects of a character.
  • They are used over and over
  • Examples Honest Abe
  • wine-dark sea
  • the gray-eyed goddess Athena

41
Features Continued
  • Similar phrases used to introduce and/or conclude
    speeches which describe everyday life (e.g.
    beginning a meal) or events (e.g. Dawn). These
    are designed to give the bard a staged pause to
    assist in composition and to assist with the
    poetic metre.

42
Features Continued
  • The physical setting is created by
  • Imagery
  • Homeric Similes - extended similes which compare
    heroic or epic events to everyday things
  • metaphors
  • Personification

43
Homer not Simpson
  • Poet traveling rhapsode/minstrel
  • thought to be blind
  • lived around Chios (Asia Minor)

44
Homer
  • Authored the Iliad - war epic
  • Authored the Odyssey journey epic
  • Passed down orally written down by someone else
  • Stories about events between 900 and 700 B.C.

45
Homer
  • Ancient Greeks believed Homers stories to be
    true.
  • The Greeks of the 5th century B.C. used the epics
    as ethical textbooks in their schools.

46
The Iliad -- The Trojan War
  • Background for the Odyssey
  • Action is set in the tenth and final year of the
    Trojan War
  • According to the epic, the Greeks attacked Troy
    to avenge the insult suffered be King Menelaus
    when his wife ran off with Paris of Troy
    (Believed to be Western Turkey).
  • The audience for the Odyssey would already know
    this story.
  • Many believed that Troy was located in modern day
    Turkey. Real battles would have taken place as
    early as 1200 B.C.

47
Ancient Greece
48
Modern Greece
49
The beginning of the war Paris, Prince of Troy
  • Paris was initially raised as a shepherd because
    of a prophecy that he would be the downfall of
    Troy.
  • Zeus (King of the Gods) decided that Paris would
    settle a quarrel between Hera, Athena and
    Aphrodite.

50
The Quarrel
  • Peleus and Thetis got married
  • They didnt invite Eris, the goddess of discord
  • She threw an apple into the banquet inscribed To
    the most beautiful
  • The goddesses fought over it
  • Paris was called to settle the fight

51
The Bribe
  • The goddesses tried to bribe Paris.
  • Athena offered Paris wisdom and skill in battle.
  • Hera offered Paris political power and control of
    all of Asia.
  • Aphrodite offered Paris the love of the most
    beautiful woman in the world.

52
Paris Chooses
  • Paris awarded the golden apple to Aphrodite
  • Aphrodite suggested Helen of Sparta as the most
    beautiful mortal woman.
  • She was already married

53
Helen of Sparta
  • Helen was so beautiful and wealthy that her
    father was not sure who she should marry.
  • He feared retaliation from those not selected to
    wed Helen.
  • Helen of Sparta is better known as Helen of Troy.

54
Helen of Sparta
  • A plan was proposed that whoever was chosen would
    be defended by all of Helens suitors.
  • Helen chose Menelaus to wed.

55
Helen of Sparta Paris of Troy
  • Paris went on a diplomatic mission to Sparta.
  • With Aphrodites help, Paris seduced or kidnapped
    her (accounts vary) and took her back to Troy as
    his wife.
  • All the Kings of Greece were called upon to make
    good on their oaths to retrieve Helen.

56
The Spartan Fleet
  • A fleet of more than a thousand ships was
    gathered and commanded by Agamemnon (Menelaus
    brother).
  • The forces consisted of 28 contingents from
    mainland Greece, the Peloponnese, the Dodecanese
    Islands, Crete and Ithaca, amassing a force of
    100,000 soldiers.

57
Ancient Greece
58
The War
  • The Greek armies besieged Troy for nine long
    years, but were never able to penetrate the city
    walls of Troy.
  • The events of Homers Iliad begin at this point.

59
The End of the War
  • The Greek army appeared to have set sail for
    home.
  • They left the giant wooden horse as a peace
    offering - at least that is what the Trojans
    thought. - The Trojans moved the giant horse from
    the shoreline into the city of Troy.
  • The Trojans were overjoyed that the ten year
    siege was over.

60
The Ruse Succeeds
  • The city of Troy erupted into a drunken
    celebration.
  • The Greek soldiers suddenly emerged from the
    giant wooden horse.
  • The Greeks opened the city gates to allow their
    fellow soldiers into the city of Troy.

61
The Trojan Horse
62
The Odyssey
  • The story of the journey of Odysseus and his men
    trying to get home after the Trojan War.
  • 10 years
  • an epic about humans on the journey of life
    overcoming temptations along the way.

63
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64
Odyssey
  • The word has come to mean an epic voyage in
    modern English.
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