Greek Mythology and Literature

1. Greek Mythology and Literature Section 3, Chapter 9

2. Mythology Mythology is body of stories about gods and heroes that try to explain how the world works.

3. Zeus- Main god Hera- Queen Poseidon- sea Hades-underworld Demeter- agriculture Hestia- the hearth

4. Ares- war Aphrodite- love Athena- wisdom Apollo- the sun Artemis- the moon

5. Hephaestus- metalworking Dionysus- celebration Hermes- the messenger god

6. Gods and Mythology Greeks saw the work of the gods in events all around them Hephaestus- volcanoes Demeter- the seasons Greeks built temples to keep the gods happy

7. Heroes and Mythology • Some Greek myths were about great heroes (some real, some imaginary) • Each city had their favorite hero • In Athens it was Theseus who killed the Minotaur • The most famous was Hercules

8. Ancient Greek Literature • The earliest writings are theIliad and the Odyssey by Homer. They are considered epic poems, because they describe the deeds of great heroes. • The Iliad tells of the last years of the Trojan War • The Odyssey tells of Odysseus’ journey home from the war

9. These stories were central to the Greek education system Homer’s poems influenced later writers who copied his style These stories are considered to be some of the greatest ever written

10. Lyric Poetry Poems set to music for a lyre We get the word “lyrics” from this Most Greek poets were men, but Sappho was a famous women poet, known for her poems of love and relationships

11. Fables Short stories that teach a lesson about life Aesop is the most famous Often, animals are the main characters

12. Greek Literature Lives Many of our words come from the Greek language (odyssey, titanic) Many places are named after Greek mythical figures (Athens) Greek myths have inspired artists for centuries (Hercules, Percy Jackson)