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©2015HappyEdugator What is a myth? Myths are traditional stories about gods, goddesses and mortals with special powers. Myths were passed down by oral tradition to explain the natural world, and became an important part of the religious beliefs of ancient peoples. ©2015HappyEdugator What is a myth? Myths are still an important part of our culture, because they often describe timeless ideas such as the creation of the world, the forces of nature, the battle between good and evil, and universal human characteristics and emotions. ©2015HappyEdugator Where do myths come from? Every culture has some form of myths. The Incas, the Mayas, the Aztecs, and Native Americans all had myths that were passed down through their history. The North Germans, Scandinavians, and Vikings created myths as well. (You may have hear of Thor) The Egyptians created large temples and pyramids in honor of their gods, and told stories about them. ©2015HappyEdugator Where do myths come from? However, when someone mentions mythology, or the study of myths, the stories we usually think of first are those of classical mythology, which come from the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. ©2015HappyEdugator Greek or Roman? In classical mythology, many of the gods and goddesses have two names: a Greek name and a Roman name. When the Greek civilization declined, Romans conquered much of Europe and parts of Asia. They took over many of the Greek myths and gave the gods and goddesses new names in their own language, Latin. ©2015HappyEdugator Greek or Roman? In the next slides, you will learn about some of the most famous characters from classic mythology. When two names are given, the Greek name will be given first, and the Roman name will follow in parentheses. Once you are introduced to the characters, you will have a better understanding of the myths that you read. ©2015HappyEdugator Achilles Achilles a great Greek warrior in the Trojan War. He was a main character in Homer’s The Iliad. Plato called him the most handsome of the heroes gathered in Troy. The only way to defeat him was to attack his one weak spot, his heel. When Achilles died because of a small injury to his heel, the term is now used to describe weakness in a person’s character. ©2015HappyEdugator Adonis Adonis was a Greek young man who was so good-looking, even Aphrodite, the goddess of love, fell in love with him. Today, any young man who is extremely handsome may be referred to as an Adonis. ©2015HappyEdugator Agamemnon Agamemnon was the Greek king who led his forces against Troy in the Trojan War. ©2015HappyEdugator Amazons The Amazons, in Greek mythology, were a race of female warriors who were known for their great size, strength, and fierceness. ©2015HappyEdugator Aphrodite (Venus) Aphrodite was the beautiful goddess of love and beauty. She was said to have been born from the sea foam. Some artists portray her rising out of the sea on a sea shell. ©2015HappyEdugator Apollo Apollo was the god of prophecy, music, poetry, medicine and light. He was very important for both the Greeks and the Romans. He controlled many of the activities of civilization. People often went to his oracle, or shrine, in the city of Delphi, to ask for guidance. Head of Apollo – Vatican Museum ©2015HappyEdugator Ares (Mars) Ares was the god of war. He was the son of Zeus and Hera. ©2015HappyEdugator Artemis (Diana) Artemis was the goddess of the hunt. She is often pictured with a bow and arrow and a deer. Statue of Diana – Louvre Museum ©2015HappyEdugator Athena (Minerva) Athena was the goddess of wisdom. She was also the warrior and protector of Athens and other Greek cities. She had an unusual birth. She was born full grown and fully in armor from the head of Zeus. Statue of Athena Athens ©2015HappyEdugator Atlas Atlas was a Titan who rebelled against the gods, and so he was punished by being forced to hold the earth and sky on his shoulders for all eternity. Today, a person who is very strong, is sometimes called an atlas. An atlas is also a book of maps of the earth. Atlas supports a globe, on Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia ©2015HappyEdugator Cerberus Cerberus was a three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the underworld, Hades. He allowed the dead to enter, but not to leave. ©2015HappyEdugator Cyclops The Cyclopes were giants that only had one eye, set in the middle of their foreheads. The best known Cyclops imprisoned the Greek hero Odysseus and his men, but was tricked and they escaped when they put out his eye. ©2015HappyEdugator Daphne Daphne was a nymph that Apollo fell in love with. However, she was not in love with him and tried to escape from him. She asked the gods to help by turning her into a laurel, or bay tree. Apollo adopted the bay leaf as his symbol. ©2015HappyEdugator Daedalus Daedalus was a famous Greek inventor who built the Labyrinth, a great maze from which no one could escape. His son, Icarus, fell into the sea and died when he failed to follow his father’s advice and flew too close to the sun. ©2015HappyEdugator Delphic Oracle The Delphic Oracle was a temple in the city of Delphi, where people would go to try to find advice and guidance about their future. A priestess, also called an oracle, gave puzzling messages (also called oracles) to people from the god Apollo. Priests heard the oracles and explained and interpreted them for people. Ruins of the temple in Delphi ©2015HappyEdugator Demeter (Ceres) Demeter was the goddess of grain and farming. Her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped by Hades, god of the underworld. Demeter made all the crops wither and die while she looked for her. Zeus then allowed Persephone to return, but she had to go back to the underworld for four months every year because she tasted four pomegranate seeds when she was there. Every year, when Demeter finds her daughter, her happiness brings spring, but when she loses her again, winter begins. ©2015HappyEdugator Echo Echo was a nymph who loved Narcissus. When he rejected her, she wasted away until nothing was left of her except her voice. Our word echo comes from this story. ©2015HappyEdugator Eros (Cupid) Eros was the god of love and is often identified as the son of Aphrodite. When he shot arrows into people’s hearts, they would fall in love. Eros, or Cupid, is often portrayed on Valentine’s Day cards as a baby dressed in pink or red carrying a bow and arrows. ©2015HappyEdugator Eurydice Eurydice was the wife of Orpheus. When she died, Orpheus followed her to the underworld. He charmed Hades with his music to secure her release. However, on his way out, Orpheus disobeyed Hades and turned back to see if Eurydice was following, and ended up losing her forever. ©2015HappyEdugator Fates The Fates were three old women who decided how long every one would live, and what would happen in their lifetime. Everyone’s life was represented by a thread. One Fate spun the thread, one Fate measured it, and one Fate cut it resulting in death. ©2015HappyEdugator Furies The Furies were ugly goddesses of revenge who had snakes for hair. They would chase people who were guilty of terrible crimes and drive them insane. ©2015HappyEdugator Golden Fleece The golden fleece was a gold woolen coat that had been taken from a magical winged ram. It was a prize sought by Jason, a Greek hero, on one of his quests. ©2015HappyEdugator Gordian Knot The Gordian knot was a very complicated knot tied by a Greek king. Whoever untied the knot was supposed to be able to rule all of Asia. There was a story that Alexander the Great undid the knot by cutting through it with his sword. ©2015HappyEdugator Hades (Pluto) Hades was god of the underworld, the gloomy place where the dead lived. Hades was also the name of the underworld. ©2015HappyEdugator Hector Hector was a noble warrior and a leader of the Trojan army during the Trojan War. He was slain by Achilles, who dragged his body around the city of Troy. ©2015HappyEdugator Helen of Troy Helen, thought to be the most beautiful woman in the world, was born in Greece. However, she became Helen of Troy because she was kidnapped by Paris of Troy and he made her his princess. The Trojan War started when the Greeks sent a fleet of ships to attack Troy and win her back. ©2015HappyEdugator Hephaestus (Vulcan) Hephaestus was the god of fire, and was also the blacksmith of the gods. He used his fire to make their tools and weapons. ©2015HappyEdugator Hera (Juno) Hera was the wife of Zeus and the queen of all the Greek gods and goddesses. She was also the goddess of marriage. She sometimes would take the shape of a bird. ©2015HappyEdugator Hercules Hercules was the strongest man in the world, and a great Greek hero. He proved his might by performing a series of supposedly impossible tasks known as the Twelve Labors of Hercules. ©2015HappyEdugator Hermes (Mercury) Hermes was the winged messenger of the gods. He wore winged sandals and a winged cap which allowed him to fly very fast. He also carried a magic wand. ©2015HappyEdugator Icarus Icarus, the son of the inventor Daedalus, who failed to follow his father’s instructions. Daedalus had made wings of wax that he and his son used to escape from an island where they were imprisoned. Icarus was told not to fly too close to the sun, but he ignored the warning, and the wings melted and he fell into the sea and was drowned. ©2015HappyEdugator Jason and the Golden Fleece Jason had to set sail to search for the Golden Fleece in order to claim his rightful throne. The task was thought to be impossible because the Fleece was so far away and guarded by a terrible snake. Jason, sailed his ship the Argo, with some other Greek heroes called the Argonauts. They had many perilous adventures, but were able to recover the Fleece. ©2015HappyEdugator Labyrinth A great maze invented by Daedalus. It had many passages and dead ends. Those who entered would get lost and never come out. A great monster, the Minotaur, was kept at the center. ©2015HappyEdugator Medusa Medusa was a Gorgon, which was a terrible monster with snakes for hair. Whoever looked at her directly turned into stone. Perseus, a Greek hero, was able to kill her by looking at her reflection in a polished shield as he swung his sword. ©2015HappyEdugator Midas Midas was a greedy king who wished everything he touched would turn to gold. The gods granted him his wish, and found out he could not even eat, because his food turned to gold before he could eat it. He begged the gods to take away his power so he would not starve to death. ©2015HappyEdugator Minotaur The Minotaur was a monster that was half man and half bull, and was kept in the Labyrinth to destroy those who entered. He was finally destroyed by the Greek hero Theseus. ©2015HappyEdugator Narcissus Narcissus was a handsome young man who gazed into a pond and fell in love with his own reflection. He wasted away staring at himself, and the gods turned him into the flower now called the narcissus. ©2015HappyEdugator Nymph A nymph was a female spirit who lived in forests, bodies of water, and other places of natural beauty. ©2015HappyEdugator Odysseus (Ulysses) Odysseus was another Greek hero who fought in the Trojan War. He encountered many adventures, and his journey, or odyssey, lasted ten years. He was finally reunited with his wife Penelope and his son. His story is told in The Odyssey by the epic poet Homer. ©2015HappyEdugator Oedipus Oedipus was a great king, but a tragic one. He solved the riddle of the Sphinx and saved the city of Thebes. However, the Delphic Oracle predicted he would kill his father and marry his mother. Since he had been abandoned in childhood, he did not know his parents. He ended up arguing with an old man on the road to Thebes and killed him, not knowing it was his father. After he save the city of Thebes, he married the queen, his mother. When he found out the prophecy had come true, Oedipus blinded himself. ©2015HappyEdugator Olympus Mount Olympus is an actual mountain in Greece, the highest in the country, and the legendary home of all the Greek gods. The Olympic games were held every four years on the plain of Olympus in honor of Zeus. Our modern Olympic games originated from these. ©2015HappyEdugator Orpheus The husband of Eurydice and a great musician, who could play and sing almost as well as the gods themselves. ©2015HappyEdugator Pan Pan was the god of shepherds and their flocks. He was half man and half goat and played tunes on musical pipes. ©2015HappyEdugator Pandora’s Box Pandora’s Box was a box Zeus gave to Pandora, the first woman. He warned her never to open it. However, her curiosity got the better of her and she opened it. When she did, she let out all the evils, sorrows, and miseries that have plagued the world ever since. However, there was one good thing in the bottom of the box…hope. ©2015HappyEdugator Paris Paris was the prince of Troy who kidnapped Helen, which started the Trojan War. He was also the warrior who killed Achilles by shooting an arrow into his heel. ©2015HappyEdugator Pegasus Pegasus was a winged horse that could fly above the earth. ©2015HappyEdugator Penelope Penelope was the wife of Odysseus and many men tried to woo her while Odysseus was away for ten years. However, Penelope had faith in her husband and believed he would return, so she remained true. ©2015HappyEdugator Persephone (Proserpina) The goddess of spring and the daughter of Demeter who was kidnapped by Hades and became the queen of the underworld. ©2015HappyEdugator Phoenix The phoenix is a mythical bird that burns itself to death, and arises out of the ashes as a new phoenix. ©2015HappyEdugator Poseidon (Neptune) Poseidon was god of the sea, and one of the most powerful gods, after Zeus, his brother. ©2015HappyEdugator Prometheus Prometheus was a Titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans. He was punished by Zeus, who had him chained to a rock while a great eagle gnawed at his liver. He was rescued by Hercules. ©2015HappyEdugator Psyche Psyche was a beautiful girl who fell in love with Cupid. After a long series of tests given by Cupid’s mother, Venus, Psyche was given immortality and allowed to marry Cupid. ©2015HappyEdugator Pygmalion Pygmalion was a sculptor and a king of the ancient island of Cyprus. He feel in love with a statue he carved, and begged Aphrodite to find him the perfect woman. Aphrodite brought the statue to life so Pygmalion could be with his best beloved. ©2015HappyEdugator Romulus and Remus Romulus and Remus were twin brothers. They had been taken from their mother and abandoned when they were just babies. A female wolf found them and cared for them until they were taken in by a shepherd. Romulus later founded the city of Rome. ©2015HappyEdugator Saturn Saturn is the Roman name for the king of the Titans. He was the father of Jupiter. ©2015HappyEdugator Sphinx The Sphinx was a terrible monster that had the body of a winged lion and the head of a woman. She devoured anyone who could not solve her riddle. When Oedipus did, the Sphinx killed herself. The most famous statue of a sphinx is the huge one near the Great Pyramids in Egypt. ©2015HappyEdugator Styx Styx was a river that the dead would have to cross on their way to the underworld. ©2015HappyEdugator Titans The Titans were a race of incredibly strong giants who ruled the universe until Zeus and the gods overthrew them. Zeus in battle with the Titans ©2015HappyEdugator Trojan Horse The Trojan Horse was a gigantic wooden horse left outside the city of Troy by the Greek army. Inside it hid some of Greece’s best soldiers. Another Greek soldier, who pretended to have deserted, tricked the Trojans into bringing it inside their walls. At night, the Greek soldiers crawled out and conquered the city. ©2015HappyEdugator Trojan War The Trojan War began when Paris kidnapped Helen and the Greeks sent a fleet to the city of Troy to get her back. The war went on for ten years. Then finally, the Greeks came up with a plan, and placed the Trojan Horse outside the walls of the city. When the city brought it inside its walls, the city of Troy was conquered and destroyed. ©2015HappyEdugator Troy Troy was a powerful ancient city in Turkey. It sat on a hill overlooking the sea, and it was well protected by high walls. Its people were called the Trojans, and it was destroyed at the end of the Trojan War. ©2015HappyEdugator Ruins of the walls of Troy Zeus (Jupiter) Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. He and his siblings fought to gain control of the universe from the Titans and his father. Zeus and his brothers Poseidon and Hades divided up creation between them. Zeus became the absolute ruler of all the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece. He controlled thunder and lightning, and used thunderbolts as weapons. He was more powerful than all the other gods and goddesses. ©2015HappyEdugator Thank you for downloading my Mythology – What Everyone Should Know From A – Z PowerPoint. I hope that you enjoy the resource and get a lot of use out of it. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. My email address is [email protected] Commercial Graphics used with permission from the following: Microsoft Design, GraphicStock.com For more teaching ideas and freebies, please click on the link to visit my blog! http://www.happyedugator.blogspot.com Also, I would love to have you follow me on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and Linked-In! Please leave feedback at My TPT Store. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/HappyEdugator Remember, you will earn credits for leaving me feedback which goes toward any future TPT purchases. Thank you and happy teaching! Deborah Hayes Aka HappyEdugator ©2015HappyEdugator