a collection of myths and legends that Greeks used to explain their world They are fictional but...
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Transcript of a collection of myths and legends that Greeks used to explain their world They are fictional but...
What is Greek Mythology?
a collection of myths and legends that Greeks used to explain their world
They are fictional but Greeks believed them to be true.
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 legend…be grandiose.
Continued: The Greeks & Their Beliefs
The Greeks had many gods. Because the Olympian gods mirrored the
Greeks, they were heavily flawed. Because the Greeks focused on being
grandiose, the Olympian gods were mostly portrayed as physically strong, beautiful and intelligent.
The same applies to the heroes in their legends and myths.
The World according to the Greeks
Both good and evil comes from the gods.
Heroes and monsters came from the gods.
This idea has influenced many religions that came after.
Many of the conflicts that are portrayed in the myths are between family members.
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.
Chief god Lord of sky God of thunder &
lightening Married his sister
Hera Populated the
heavens and the Earth
Wife and sister of Zeus
Goddess of marriage, protector of childbirth & heroes
Portrayed as extremely jealous and vindictive
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.
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
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 daughter’s name was Persephone.
Her daughter was kidnapped by Hades. (reasons for the seasons)
• Zeus’ third sister
• goddess of hearth family and home
• her only job was to keep the fire lit in the hearth on Mt. Olympus
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)
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
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.
Zeus’ favorite goddess of wisdom,
strategy, protector of cities and civilizations
goddess of handicrafts and artShe sprang from her father’s head fully clothed and in armor. Hephaestus, Zeus’ son, had to release Athena by cutting his head open with an ax.
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 mother’s side over Zeus’.
Made all the Olympians’ thrones, armor, furniture and weapons
Married Aphrodite
Zeus’ graceful, happy son by the goddess, Maia
God of shepherds, merchants, travelers and thieves
Very mischievous and tricky Stole Apollo’s 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.
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
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
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)
Ep
ics
The Illia
dThe O
dysse
y
• written about 700 B.C.• story of a war betweenthe Greeks and thepeople of Troy• Troy won the war usinga wooden horse
• written about 700 B.C.• story of the heroOdysseus• adventures of Odysseusgoing home from theTrojan war
The earliest Greek stories were called epics. Epics arelong poems about heroes and their brave deeds. Homerwrote two great Greek epics: the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Fable
Fables were said to be written by Aesop. He is supposed to have lived around 550 B.C. Historians now know that there wasprobably never
anyone named Aesop who wrote these stories. However, the stories do exist.
They are known as Aesop’s fables. Fables are short tales that teach a lesson. Fables are
often funny and show human weaknesses and strengths.
Aesop’s fables were part of Greece’s oral tradition for
about 200 years. Aesop’s fables are read and toldtoday by people all around the world.
Both passed down from one generation to
the next teaches lesson
• long poem• has bravehero andadventures• describesbrave deeds• is writtendown• thought tobe true
• short story• uses animalswho talk• shows humanqualities• often funny• told out loud• ends with amoral
Epic Fable
Greek Dramas
A drama is a story told by people who act out the events. The Greeks developed two types of drama—tragedy andcomedy. A tragedy has an unhappy ending. The characters in a
tragedy cannot solve their problems no matter how hard they try.
The first Greek plays were tragedies. Later the Greeks wrote comedies. A comedy ends happily. For the Greeks, a comedy was any drama with a happy ending. In ancient Greece, women were not allowed to act. Men
played all the parts, even the female characters. Dramas were used to tell religious stories.
Art and Architecture
Greek artists created art that expressed the ideals of order, balance, and harmony (classical style)
Greek artists painted on pottery› using red and black paint. › Large vases portrayed myths › Small pieces, like cups, have pictures from everyday life.
The Greeks built beautiful buildings. › Large columns to support roof› Most important were the temples built for the gods and
goddesses Many Greek temples were decorated with sculptures.
› Sculpture expressed artists' ideas of perfection and beauty.