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Ancient Greek Mythology

What do I need to know?

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How does Ancient Greek mythology

provide insight into the customs andvalues of the period?

What is mythology?

Who were the Greeks?

What were their customs and values?

How does myth help us to uncover the

Greeks culture?

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How can we use Ancient Greekcustoms, language, and archetypalcharacters to understand our world

today?

How have aspects of Ancient Greekculture and language endured in our

modern world?

Who were the gods and heroes, and why

are they so notable?

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What are the purposes for which

myth is written and literary

technique used?

What are the main types of myth?

How did the writers use each type?What are the elements of literary style and

structure used in mythology?

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Modern man often holds themistaken belief that myth is about

magic and nature rather thanreligion.

In ancient times, the stories we refer

to as myth were considered truthfulaccounts of the past.

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Mythology

A myth is traditionalnarrative considereda truthful account of

the past in society inwhich it is told.Generally, mythexpresses and

confirms religiousvalues and norms.

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Mythology versus Folklore

Myth is different fromfolklore or fairytale(admittedly fantastic).

Both contributed tothe cultural base oforal stories finally putto paper.

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Oral Tradition

For centuries, stories, history, et cetera were passed downby word of mouth. Finally committing this information towritten form fixed the stories and allowing them to be

organized and reflected upon in art, philosophy, and

theatre.

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Written Word

Linear Blettersrepresented variousphonetic (sound)

patterns

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Why begin with the gods?

The Greeks, unlike otherearly cultures onrecord, imagined theirgods in their own

image.

Before then, deitieswere monsters thatinspired a crippling

fear, like the sphinx.

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Human form grounded the gods

in reality. Greeks couldunderstand them and be at

ease with them.

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Though Hercules spent his life battlingmonsters, he was born in Thebes.

One can point to the exact spotwhere Aphrodite rose out of foam inCythera.

Pegasus, the winged horse had astable.

Even the gods have houses built by

Hephaestus and beds they sleep in.

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Even though the godsand goddesses were

beautiful and

powerful (and mostwere, of course,

immortal), they were

also jealous, silly,and vengeful. They

could be tricked.

They fell in love.They chose favorites.

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What does Classical Lit really shows us? It shows us how members of the human race

thought and felt during a time period. One may argue that this is what all literature

does. We learn about a time period bymean of its records.

These texts provide amazing insight into anearly civilization and early man, which isparticularly significant as the Greeks are ourpredecessors intellectually, politically, and

artistically.

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Types of Greek Myth

1. Origin myth

2. Creation myth

3. Moral stories

4. Hymns (prayers)

5. Epic

6. Ritual