Intro to Greek Mythology

1. Intro to Greek Mythology and The Odyssey

2. What is the purpose of myths? • Myths are stories that serve one or more of the following purposes: • Explain the creation of the universe • Explain the human condition: • how and why people were created, • why we are flawed, • what happens after death • 3. Explains natural phenomena • (phases of the moon, tides, weather) • 4. Explains the nature of gods and goddesses and how they interact • 5. Explains the meaning behind religious rituals, customs, and beliefs • 6. Explains historical events • 7. Teaches moral lessons, helps people find order and patterns in life

3. Greek Gods and Goddesses • Ancient Greek religion was polytheistic, meaning people believed in many different gods. Each god controlled specific aspects of earth’s activity and human life. • The greatest gods shared a paradise-like dwelling called Olympus, or Mount Olympus. There is a mountain called Olympus in Greece, but the concept of the Greek gods living in a place called Olympus pre-dates the naming of that mountain.

4. Zeus, supreme ruler, king of the heavens (not Heaven) Hades, god of the underworld (not hell), brother of Zeus Poseidon, god of the sea, Brother of Zeus Hera, goddess of marriage, sister and wife of Zeus Aphrodite Athena Apollo Artemis Hephaestus Ares goddess of love, beauty, and fertility goddess of wisdom, patron of Athens, Greece goddess of the hunt & the night sky god of light, poetry, & music Hermes god of metal-working god of war and warlike frenzy messenger god

5. Before you read The Odyssey, you need to know… These gods and goddesses.

6. Zeus • Ruler of all the gods • Symbols: • Lightening bolt • eagle • Genealogy: • Son of Titans Cronos and Rhea • Related by marriage or by blood to most of the major gods and goddesses, and many minor ones too! • Other info: • While Zeus is the supreme god, he is not omniscient or omnipotent. He could be fooled by other gods! • Zeus has many, many lovers, and many myths exist describing the tricks he plays to keep Hera (his wife) from knowing and/or from killing his lovers

7. Poseidon God of horses and the sea • Symbols: • Trident (three-pronged spear) • Horses • Genealogy • Brother of Zeus • Father of the Cyclops Polyphemous • Other info: • Poseidon is less powerful than Zeus, more powerful than everyone else. • Commonly called the “Earth Shaker.” With his trident, he can shake and shatter anything.

8. Heragoddess of marriage and married women • Symbols: • Cow • Peacock • Genealogy: • Wife and sister of Zeus • Other Info: • Hera is a very jealous goddess, and many of the stories that involve her show her punishing Zeus’s other love interests. • Hera plays an important role in the Trojan War (which happens right before the action in The Odyssey begins), causing grief and bloodshed all because a mortal chose Aphrodite instead of her as the most beautiful goddess.

9. AphroditeGoddess of love and beauty Symbols: • Myrtle tree, • Dove Genealogy • The daughter of Zeus in some stories, in other stories, she was not born but sprang into the world from sea foam Other info: • Even as the goddess of love, she still has a treacherous and malicious side

10. Athenagoddess of wisdom, warfare, and reason • Symbols: • Owl • Olive tree • Genealogy • Daughter of Zeus alone, said to have sprung from his head as a full-grown goddess wearing armor. • OtherInfo: • Favorite daughter of Zeus • Plays an important role in the Iliad and Odyssey, as guide and protector of Odysseus and his son • Athena is the patron goddess of Athens, Greece. The Parthenon is her temple.

11. The Parthenon Athena’s temple in Athens, Greece The Parthenon replica, built in Nashville In her hand, Athena holds the goddess Nike, the “winged goddess of victory”. The statue of Nike if 6ft tall. The statue of Athena is 42 feet tall

12. Before you read The Odyssey, you need to know… The characteristics of an EPIC.

13. What is an epic? An EPIC, or heroic poem, is… A long narrative on a serious subject (like war or a perilous journey) that is told in a formal and elevated style and centers on a heroic or semi-divine figure, upon whom the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race depends.

14. Characteristics of an epic • The hero is a figure of great importance (like a king) • The setting is huge…the hero’s adventures take him all over the world • The action involves super-human deeds accomplished in the face of opposition by some of the gods • The gods are interested, if not actively involved, in the hero’s success • The epic is a ceremonial performance, and the language used is not normal. It is made to sound more elegant and formal than normal speech Paraphrased from: A Glossary of Literary Terms, by M.H. Abrams

15. The Epic and Virtues An epic poem illustrates its culture’s most valued characteristics and rituals. In the Odyssey, you will see that all of the “good guys”… • are very polite and respectful of their guest Odysseus, and do not question him about where he came from or why he has shown up on their doorstep until after they have given him the best of what their house has to offer: food, clothes, treasure. • Never forget to make offering to the gods Odysseus displays… • Courage • Wits (intelligence) • Endurance • Pride (which sometimes worked against him)

16. The Epic and Virtues Penelope (his wife, waiting in Ithaca for Odysseus to return) displays… • The common courtesy expected of a woman “newly single” (after a decade or so, it looks like Odysseus isn’t going to make it home) • This means welcoming dozens of suitors into her home, allowing them to eat all the food that they had stored and waste the resources of the house. She does not turn them away and tell them to go home. • Loyalty – she doesn’t give up on Odysseus, but waits for his return • Wits –she tricks the suitors into backing off for a while by telling them that she has to weave a shroud for her father-in-law to be buried in, and that she will choose a suitor to be her husband after she finishes weaving the shroud. Each night, however, she sneaks down to her loom and rips out all the rows she weaved during the day to prolong the weaving process.

17. The Epic and Virtues The suitors, who are “bad guys” model qualities that are looked down upon… • Ignorance--It takes them a REALLY long time to realize what Penelope is doing as she weaves the shroud • They are rude and demanding, taking and taking of the house of Odysseus, and never giving anything in return • They pressure Penelope to choose one of them…they should have given her all the time in the world to decide

18. The Epic and Virtues • Later epics take a similar form to The Iliad and The Odyssey, but the characteristics that are most valued are different. • What are the most important characteristics displayed (either by the good guys having them or the bad guys not having them) in these epic tales? • The Lord of the Rings • Forest Gump • The Lion King • Harry Potter • Star Wars