Download Greek Mythology – Becoming a Greek God/Goddess of Knowledge

Greek Mythology – Becoming a
Greek God/Goddess of
Knowledge
Project Overview:
Greek Mythology is about the beliefs and ritual observances of the ancient Greeks, who became the first
Western civilization about 2000 BC. It consists mainly of a body of diverse stories and legends about a variety
of gods, heroes and fantastical creatures.
With a partner, you are to create a presentation (in Goggle Slides) to show you are ready to become a Greek
God/Goddess of Ancient Greece. There will be 3 topics to the research project….(1) Gods and Goddesses (2)
Heroes and Places (3) Creatures and Monsters. For each section you will be required to find specific
information and display it on your slides.
Due Dates:
Topic One - November 27th
Topic Two - December 16th
Topic Three - January 21st
Who were the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece?
Introduction:
Greek mythology probably developed from the primitive religions of the people of Crete (Kríti), an island in the
Aegean Sea where the region’s first civilization arose about 3000 BC. These people believed that all natural
objects had spirits, and that certain objects had special magical powers. Over time, these beliefs developed
into a set of legends involving natural objects, animals, and gods with a human form. Some of these legends
survived as part of classical Greek mythology.
The ancient Greeks themselves offered some explanations for the development of their mythology. In Sacred
History, Euhemerus, a mythographer from the 300s BC, recorded the widespread belief that myths were
distortions of history and the gods were heroes who had been glorified over time. The philosopher Prodicus of
Ceos taught during the 400s BC that the gods were personifications of natural phenomena, such as the sun,
moon, winds, and water. Herodotus, a Greek historian who lived during the 400s BC, believed that many
Greek rituals were inherited from the Egyptians.
Greek mythology has several distinguishing characteristics. The Greek gods resembled humans in form and
showed human feelings. Unlike ancient religions such as Hinduism or Judaism, Greek mythology did not
involve special revelations or spiritual teachings. It also varied widely in practice and belief, with no formal
structure, such as a church government, and no written code, such as a sacred book.
Greek mythology emphasized the weakness of humans in contrast to the great and terrifying powers of nature.
The Greeks believed that their gods, who were immortal, controlled all aspects of nature. So the Greeks
acknowledged that their lives were completely dependent on the good will of the gods. In general, the relations
between people and gods were considered friendly. But the gods delivered severe punishment to mortals who
showed unacceptable behavior, such as indulgent pride, extreme ambition, or even excessive prosperity.
The mythology was interwoven with every aspect of Greek life. Each city devoted itself to a particular god or
group of gods, for whom the citizens often built temples of worship. They regularly honored the gods in
festivals, which high officials supervised. At festivals and other official gatherings, poets recited or sang great
legends and stories. Many Greeks learned about the gods through the words of poets.
Topic 1 - Slide Information: Gods and Goddesses
In Greek there are numerous major and minor deities. It would be impossible to go through each and
everyone, so I have limited it to the most import characters in Greek mythology. For each of the
Gods/Goddesses listed you must provide the following information on each of them. Each slide must contain
a picture/s and text. Use the links below to help research each of the deities.
http://www.greekmythology.com/ (harder read but a lot of information)
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0881990.html (click on the blued out words to find further information)
http://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/
http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/
http://mythology.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Greek_mythology_locations
Slide 1
 title page for this topic
Slides 2 and 3 (Zeus)
 who was Zeus? what position did he hold among the Greek Gods?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought he looked like
 what was his realm? (what was he in charge of? what did he control?)
 what symbols represented Zeus? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was his Roman name?
 which of the 7 ancient wonders of the world pertained to Zeus?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
Slides 4 and 5 (Hera)
 who was Hera? How was she related to Zeus (2 ways)?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought she looked like)
 what was her realm? (what was she in charge of? what did she control?)
 what symbols represented Hera? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was her Roman name?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
Slides 6 and 7 (Poseidon)
 who was Poseidon? how was he related to Zeus?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought he looked like
 what was his realm? (what was he in charge of? what did he control?)
 what symbols represented Poseidon? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was his Roman name?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
Slides 8 and 9 (Hades)
 who was Hades? how was he related to Zeus?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought he looked like
 what was his realm? (what was he in charge of? what did he control?)
 what symbols represented Hades? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was his Roman name?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
Slides 10 and 11 (Athena)
 who was Athena? how was she related to Zeus?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought she looked like
 what was her realm? (what was she in charge of? what did she control?)
 what symbols represented Athena? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was her Roman name?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
 include how she was born
Slides 12 and 13 (Apollo)
 who was Apollo? how was he related to Zeus?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought he looked like
 what was his realm? (what was he in charge of? what did he control?)
 what symbols represented Apollo? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was his Roman name?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
Slides 14 and 15 (Artemis)
 who was Artemis? how was she related to Zeus?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought she looked like)
 what was her realm? (what was she in charge of? what did she control?)
 what symbols represented Artemis? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was her Roman name?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
Slides 16 and 17 (Aphrodite)
 who was Aphrodite? how was she related to Zeus?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought she looked like)
 what was her realm? (what was she in charge of? what did she control?)
 what symbols represented Aphrodite? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was her Roman name?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
 include the unique way she was born/created
 who is her son that is closely related to Valentine's Day?
Slides 18 and 19 (Ares)
 who was Ares? how was he related to Zeus?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought he looked like
 what was his realm? (what was he in charge of? what did he control?)
 what symbols represented Ares? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was his Roman name?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
Slides 20 and 21 (Hestia)
 who was Hestia? how was she related to Zeus?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought she looked like)
 what was her realm? (what was she in charge of? what did she control?)
 what symbols represented Hestia? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was her Roman name?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
Slides 22 and 23 (Hephaestus)
 who was Hephaestus? how was he related to Zeus?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought he looked like
 what was his realm? (what was he in charge of? what did he control?)
 what symbols represented Hephaestus? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was his Roman name?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
 include what makes him unique from all the other deities?
Slides 24 and 25 (Demeter)
 who was Demeter? how was she related to Zeus?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought she looked like)
 what was her realm? (what was she in charge of? what did she control?)
 what symbols represented Demeter? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was her Roman name?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
 include what happened with her daughter Persephone
Slides 26 and 27 (Dionysus)
 who was Dionysus? how was he related to Zeus?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought he looked like
 what was his realm? (what was he in charge of? what did he control?)
 what symbols represented Dionysus? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was his Roman name?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
Slides 28 and 29 (Hermes)
 who was Hermes? how was he related to Zeus?
 make sure you provide a picture of what people thought he looked like
 what was his realm? (what was he in charge of? what did he control?)
 what symbols represented Dionysus? (weapons; animals; food; clothing etc.)
 what was his Roman name?
 interesting facts and characteristics (minimum 3)
 include what makes him unique when it comes to the underworld?
Topic 2 - Slide Information: Heroes and Places
Heroes of Ancient Greece were seen as the first super or comic book heroes. They achieved amazing feats
and accomplished numerous heroic deeds that no mere mortal could accomplish. Below you are to find out a
little about each of the 5 most popular and well known of the Greek heroes.
Places in Ancient Greece are also important to the stories and tales Greek mythology. Some places play
significant roles and are essential to learn about.
http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-heroes/perseus/
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0882168.html
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/heroes/tp/TopHeroes.htm
http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Heroes/heroes.html
Slide 30
 title page for this topic
Slide 31 (Hercules)
 Who was Hercules father?
 Why did Hera hate Hercules so much? How did see try to kill him as a baby?
 Hercules is not the name the Greeks knew him by. What was his Greek name?
 What made Hercules special?
 Was he a god or a mortal?
Slides 32 to 34 (Hercules)
 What were the 12 labors of Hercules? (put these over two slides – 6 labors per slide)
 Why did Hercules have to accomplish these goals?
 How was Hera’s hatred of Hercules involved?
 Of the 12 labors which one impressed your group the most and why? – come to a consensus
Slides 35 and 36(Theseus)
 Which of the Greek Gods is possibly the father of Theseus? Who else is considered his mortal father?
 Which of the other heroes of Greek mythology is the cousin of Theseus?
 What challenge did Theseus’s mortal father set before him before he could meet him?
 What famous mythological monster did Theseus supposedly kill? Why did he kill it?
 Why did Theseus’s mortal father kill himself?
 What famous Greek city did Theseus become king of?
Slides 37 and 38(Odysseus)
 What other name is Odysseus known as?
 Odysseus was the King of which island nation?
 The Trojan War is one of the most important events in Greek mythology. Odysseus plays an extremely important
role in ending the conflict. What idea did he have to end the Trojan War? (include a picture of the idea)
 After the war, Odysseus took ten years to return home due many different problems that arose. Name two
mythical creatures Odysseus encounters on his way home.
 Who were the “Lotus Eaters”? What happened to those who ate the lotus flower?
 How did Odysseus prove to his wife, Penelope, that he had arrived home? Has to do with a bow.
Slides 39 and 40 (Perseus)
 Who Perseus's father?
 What famous monster of Greek mythology did Perseus slay?
 Perseus was given 5 special tools and implements to complete the task of killing the monster. Can you list all
five?
 What two deities helped Perseus in this task?
 Name the Princess Perseus would save and later become his wife.
Slide 41 (Achilles)
 When he was born Achilles mother wanted to make him immortal. How did she do this?
 What part of his body remained mortal? Why?
 How did he die?
 What part of the human body is named after him? Why?
Places Important in Greek Mythology
Places also play a role in the myths of ancient Greece. For each of the following places, give a very brief
overview as to what each place was or symbolized, how each place is important. 1 slide per place. Provide a
picture on each slide.
Slide 42
 title page
Slides 43 to 46
 Mount Olympus
 Delphi
 The River Styx
 Tartarus (who were imprisoned there? Why were they imprisoned there) - yes it was a name of a God but it was
also the name of a place….focus on the place
Topic 3 - Slide Information: Creatures, Monsters and Other Important Figures
While the Gods/Goddesses and heroes usually dominate Greek mythology, there were many other interesting,
terrifying and unusual characters that also played an important role in Greek mythology. For each of the
following, make sure you create one slide for each and include these 3 things on each of the slides...



brief description as to who or what they were
why they are important to Greek mythology (may not be able to answer for all)
o some of the people/monsters below have some specific things to include
provide a picture of what history might have thought what they looked like.
http://www.greekmythology.com/
http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/creatures.html
http://www.greek-gods.info/monsters/
Slide 47
 title page for this section
Slides 48 to 65
 Cronus (mention how he tried to prevent his
children from taking power)
 The Titans
 The Muses
 The Fates
 The Graeae
 Medusa
 Cyclops
 Cerberus (what do the 3 heads represent)
 Sirens








Centaur
Satyr
Pegasus (he is often associated with Hercules
or Perseus but what hero actually captured
Pegasus?)
Chimera
Minotaur
Harpy
Hydra
Amazons
Slide 66 and 67 (miscellaneous)
 If you could have dinner with one god or goddess, who would it be and why?
o Each person must answer this question separately…make sure you put your name on the slide
Slides 68 and 69 (miscellaneous)
 Imagine that Zeus has come to you and said that Olympus is lacking a god or goddess, and he needs you to help.
Invent a new Olympian and describe him or her below on a slide. Again, each of you must create your own god
or goddess on separate slides. Here is what should be included…
o Name
o Roman Name
o Connection to Olympus (related to another god or goddess? Married to a god or goddess?)
o Powers
o Symbol
o Personality traits
o Friends
o Enemies
o Picture of what your god may look like (optional)
Rubric
5
Slide
Information
Slide
Pictures
Content
X3
Pictures and
Background
All 69 slides
contain
information
All 69 slides
contain a picture
Content is
accurate and all
required
information is
presented
Images are
excellent and on
topic
Layout is pleasing
to the eye.
4
3
Majority of the
slides contain
information
Majority of the
slides contain a
picture
Content is
accurate and with
little required
information
missing
Some of the slides
contain
information
Some of the slides
contain a picture
Few of the slides
contain information
2
Little or no slides
contain information
1
Few of the slides
contain a picture
Little or no slides
contain a picture
Content is
accurate but some
required
information
missing
Content is
inaccurate or a lot
of required
information is
missing.
Content is
inaccurate or little
to no content is
present.
Images are
appropriate.
Layout
satisfactory
Most images are
appropriate.
Layout is
satisfactory.
Images are
inappropriate.
Layout is
confusing/cluttered
Little to no images
provided. Layout id
disorganized
/30