Classical Greek Mythology

1. Classical Greek Mythology Literature Mrs. Schultz

2. Mythology • Oral tradition • Rewritten many times over • Many discrepancies

3. Purpose of Myths • Explain events in nature • Teach a lesson or moral: explain how things were supposed to be or how humans were supposed to act • To entertain

4. Classical Mythology • “Coming of the Immortals” p. 2 • “Zeus and His Family” p. 6 • “Hephaestus and the Birth of Hermes” p. 21

5. “Coming of the Immortals” • By Roger Lancelyn Green • Known for entertaining retellings

6. Greece • Origin of mythology lies in Greece • Mountains of Greece and their beauty inspired the immortals that are believed to have lived there. • Gods and Goddesses lived on Mount Olympus

7. Stories were told, and told, and told… • There are many discrepancies between names and actual events for different stories because humans retold the stories and changed the details or “facts.”

8. “Zeus and His Family” • Who were the first gods? • Gaea, Mother Earth • Uranus, God of the Sky • Cronus, Son of Gaea and Uranus • See family tree chart handout

9. Cronus • Son of Gaea and Uranus • Married his sister Rhea and had six children: • Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Zeus, Poseidon, & Hades • Swallowed his children whole because of the prophecy that he would be killed by one of them.

10. Cronus • Rhea had Cronus swallow a rock wrapped in a blanket so that she could save Zeus. • Zeus fulfilled the prophecy and killed Cronus.

11. Zeus • King of the Gods • God of the Sky (next generation after Uranus) • More powerful than the other gods • Children of Zeus: • Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Heracles, Dionysus, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, & Persephone

12. Zeus Shared Powers • Shared powers with brothers and sisters • Hades, God of the Underworld • Poseidon, God of the Sea • Aphrodite, Goddess of Love • Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest • Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth • Hera, Queen of the Gods

13. Zeus Shared Powers • Shared powers with children • Ares, God of War • Hermes, Messenger God • Athena, Goddess of Wisdom • Apollo, God of the Sun • Artemis, Goddess of the Moon • Dionysus, God of the Vine

14. “Hephaestus and the Birth of Hermes” • Hephaestus • Son of Zeus and Hera • Hera was not happy when he was born because he was so ugly. • She threw him over a cliff to die. • Raised by Thetis

15. Hephaestus • He was a great craftsman • God of Smithing • Made the thunderbolts, trident, and most of the palaces • Married Aphrodite

16. Hermes • Son of Zeus and Maia • Messenger God (winged feet) • Grew to age 4 in one day • Worked for Hades, great inventor

17. Classical Mythology • “Aphrodite” p. 25 • “Demeter and Persephone” p. 98 • “Midas” p. 183

18. Aphrodite • Goddess of Love • Most beautiful woman in the world • Magic girdle—all men were under her spell • Born from the dismembered body of Uranus in the foam of the ocean

19. “Demeter and Persephone” • Demeter • Goddess of Crops and Agriculture • Happy—fields are green, grasses grow • Sad—fields and grass suffer • Mother of Persephone • Myth explains seasonal changes

20. Classical Mythology • “Midas” p. 183 • “Prometheus” p. 185 • “Pandora” p. 190

21. Midas • King Midas was given a reward from Bacchus (Dionysus) • He asked that all that he touches turn to gold • He wanted to get rid of the power • He went to the River Factolus and plunged in to get rid of the “curse”

22. Prometheus • Titan thought to create humankind • Defies Zeus and brings fire back to humans • Was chained to a rock for years by Zeus as a punishment

23. “Pandora” • Zeus’s revenge on Prometheus and humans for stealing back fire was Pandora. • Hephaestus molded her out of clay and Zeus was said to have breathed life into her. Modeled after Aphrodite.

24. “Pandora” • A wedding gift of a beautiful box was given to Pandora, but she was told not to open it. • Hera gave her curiosity. HMMM…

25. “Pandora” • Pandora’s curiosity got the better of her and she opened the box. • Disease, famine, insanity, and all other foul kin were released into the world. • Foreboding did not get released.

26. Classical Mythology • “The Trojan War: Paris and Helen” p. 234 • “The Trojan War: Odysseus” p. 239

27. The Trojan War: Paris and Helen • Eris was not invited to a wedding so she caused problems with a golden apple that signified being the fairest between Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera. • Zeus decided that Paris would choose which goddess was the most beautiful.

28. The Trojan War: Paris and Helen • Aphrodite was chosen because she promised him the most beautiful woman he wanted. • He chose Helen and this started the Trojan War because she was married to King Menalaus, King of Sparta.

29. The Trojan War: Odysseus • Odysseus is the Greek hero that devised the plan for the Trojan Horse. • His plan helped the Spartans take the city of Troy.

30. Questions to Consider • Why are the Greek soldiers so desperate for the war to end? • It had been 10 long years. They miss their homes and families. They are tired.

31. Classical Mythology • “Arachne the Spinner” p. 331 • “The End of the Olympians” p. 366

32. “Arachne the Spinner” • Arachne was a mortal girl. • She committed the sin of arrogance which was felt to be the worst sin according to the gods. • Athena disguised as an old woman heard Arachne’s arrogant remarks.

33. “Arachne the Spinner” • Athena challenged her to a weaving contest. • Athena won and turned Arachne into a spider.

34. “The End of the Olympians” • Map of Greece