Mythology

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Mythology

• Ancient Stories from the Greek and Roman Empires

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What is Mythology?

• The study of a genre of stories called myths
  written by the ancient Greeks and Romans more
  than 3,000 years ago.

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Why did ancient civilizations write myths?

• Myths are traditional stories written to explain
  basic questions about
• Human nature
• Origins of the world
• Mysteries of nature
• Social Customs

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How did the Greeks explain the origin of the
ancient gods and goddesses?

• Mother Earth (Gaea) and Father Sky (Uranus) had
  mighty children called Titans.
• The youngest son, Cronus, overthrew his father
  and became the father of the next (and most
  well-known) group of gods and goddesses called
  The Olympians.

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The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient GreeceThe
Olympians

• These immortal beings lived on Mt. Olympus
• ZeusRuler of all gods and men
• HeraWife of Zeus, Queen of the gods
• HadesRuler of the land of the dead
• Poseidon-Ruler of the Seas and Oceans
• DemeterGoddess of grain, Earth, and harvest
• AphroditeGoddess of love and beauty

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The Next Generation

• AthenaGoddess of wisdom
• ApolloGod of the sun
• ArtemisGoddess of the moon. Twin sister of
  Apollo
• AresGod of war
• ErosGod of love

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The Roman Gods and Goddesses

• When the Romans came to power, they gave the
  Greek gods new names
• Jupiter - King of the Gods
• Juno - Queen of the Gods
• Neptune - God of the Sea
• Pluto - God of Death

Apollo - God of the Sun
Diana - Goddess of the Moon
Mars - God of War
Venus - Goddess of Love
Cupid - God of Love
Mercury - Messenger of the Gods
Minerva - Goddess of Wisdom
Ceres - The Earth Goddess
Proserpine - Goddess of the Underworld
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Mythology Vocabulary

• Many of the most famous myths have influenced
  modern language by becoming idioms
• An idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that
  has a figurative meaning based on its original
  use in a Greek or Roman myth
• Your vocabulary represents some of the most
  recognized idioms

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Achilles Heel

• Achilles was a mighty Greek warrior.
• When he was born, his mother dunked him into the
  River Styx in order to make him immortal.
• The only vulnerable part of his body was his
  heel where his mother held him
• During the Trojan War, Achilles killed the mighty
  Trojan Prince, Hector
• With the help of Apollo, Paris, Hectors brother,
  shot an arrow at Achilles. It struck his heel
  and killed him
• We use the idiom Achilles Heel to represent a
  persons weakness or vulnerability

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Adonis

• When Adonis was born, the baby was so beautiful
  that Aphrodite placed him in a closed chest so no
  one else could see him
• Aphrodite sent the chest to Persephone in the
  Underworld for safe keeping
• However, Persephone was also entranced by his
  unnatural beauty, and the two goddesses fought
  over him until Zeus interceded
• We use the idiom Adonis to describe a very
  handsome young man

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Arachnid

• Arachne was an exceptional weaver
• She insulted the goddess, Minerva, by boasting
  that she was a better weaver than the goddess
• The goddess turned her into an 8-legged creature
  who had to constantly weave and reweave her home
• Today, we use a form of her name, Arachnid, to
  represent a class of arthropods that have
  multiple legs and/or weave webs

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Labyrinth

• Daedalus, the ancient architect, built a maze
  called a labyrinth for King Minos of Crete to
  hold the Minotaur, a creature that was half man
  and half bull
• The Minotaur roamed throughout the labyrinth
  until he was killed by the hero Theseus
• Today, the word labyrinth can represent an actual
  structure or puzzle, or it can be thought of as a
  symbolic pilgrimage to find enlightenment

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Midas Touch

• King Midas entertained Silenus for 10 days
• For his hospitality, the god Bacchus offered
  Midas a reward
• Midas asked that whatever he touched be turned to
  gold
• He soon realized that this gift was a burden
  because he could not eat or touch anyone
• He touched his own daughter and turned her into
  gold
• Today, the idiom Midas Touch is used to explain
  someone who is very successful with anything
  he/she attempts

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Muse

• In Roman mythology, there were 3 major muses
• One born from the movement of water
• One who makes sound by striking the air
• One who is born from the human voice
• They are the inspiration for the creation of all
  literature and arts
• Today, we use the term Muse to represent someone
  or something that is inspirational

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Odyssey

• The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer
• It is the story of Odysseus who is traveling home
  after the Trojan War
• After many trials and tribulations, he returns
  home to find that he still has problems to
  overcome
• Today, we use the term Odyssey to represent any
  long and difficult journey whether it is physical
  or emotional

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Oracle

• During the Greek civilization, the Temple of
  Apollo was the home of the Delphi Oracle
• Oracles were considered portals that the gods
  used to speak to man
• Today, the term Oracle is used to describe a very
  wise or authoritative person

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Pandoras Box

• Pandora was a very curious young woman
• Zeus gave her a sealed box and told her to never
  open it
• When curiosity got the best of her, she opened it
  and released a horde of miseries
• Today, we use the idiom Pandoras Box to
  represent any type of problem or trouble

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Trojan Horse

• After a 10 year siege of the City of Troy, the
  Greeks devised a plan to enter the city
• They crafted a huge wooden horse to give as a
  gift to the Trojans however, inside Greek
  soldiers waited to attack the city
• When night fell, the soldiers snuck out of the
  horse, opened the gates, and let in the other
  Greek warriors
• Thus, the Greeks defeated the Trojans
• Today, Trojan Horse is an idiom that represents
  any trick or strategy used to allow a foe into a
  secured place