Download Name: #8 Period: Date: Greek Mythology – Guided Notes World

Name:
Period:
Greek Mythology – Guided Notes
#8
Date:
World History – Mrs. Crum-Reinsel
What is Greek mythology?
Greek mythology is the collection of stories, or myths, about ancient gods, goddesses, and
heroes.
Greek mythology was part of the religion in ancient Greece.
Greek mythology was a polytheistic belief system.
Greek mythology was how the ancient Greeks explained the nature of the world and
humans. For example:
-the changing of the seasons
-the reason for suffering
-human behavior
-moral lessons
Greek gods and goddesses looked and acted like human beings. For example:
-fell in love, married, had children
-celebrated, played trick, felt jealousy and rage
The beginning of these stories is the Greek explanation of how the world was created.
In the beginning, the universe was without form. It was nothing; there was matter, but it
was unorganized, shapeless, mixed up, and dark. This was called Chaos.
Out of Chaos emerged Gaia, or Earth.
From Gaia emerged Uranus, or Sky.
Gaia and Uranus had a bunch of kids called the Titans.
Gaia and Uranus had six boy Titans and six girl Titans.
One of those boy Titans was named Cronus and one of those girl Titans was named Rhea.
Cronus overthrew his father, Uranus, and became ruler of the Titans.
Cronus married his sister, Rhea, and they had a bunch of kids.
Cronus feared that he would suffer the same fate as his father by being overthrown by one
of his children.
As a result of this paranoia, he swallowed the first five of his children upon their birth so as
to prevent any rebellion against him.
Rhea grew a little sick of seeing all her children swallowed alive, so she tricked Cronus upon
the birth of their sixth child, Zeus.
When Zeus was born, Rhea wrapped up a rock to look like a baby and had Cronus swallow
that instead.
Zeus eventually rescued his five siblings:
-Demeter
-Hestia
-Hades
-Poseidon
Zeus overthrew Cronus to become king of the gods.
Zeus married his sister, Hera, but he also had many girlfriends.
Zeus had many children.
-Hera
We will study Zeus, his five siblings, as well as seven of his children:
-Aphrodite
-Athena
-Apollo
-Hephaestus
-Ares
-Hermes
-Artemis
Olympian Gods (12)*
They resided on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece.
Zeus*
Aphrodite*
Demeter*
Apollo*
Hera*
Ares*
Hestia*
Artemis*
Poseidon*
Athena*
Hades
Hephaestus*
Hermes*
Hades is not usually considered an Olympian god because he resided in the underworld.
Zeus
-supreme ruler of the gods
-lord of the sky
-god of rain
-bringer of storms
-god of justice
-threw thunderbolts at those who displeased him
-married to Hera
-father of many other gods
Hera
-queen of the gods
-married to Zeus
-protected married women
-protected households
Poseidon
-god of the sea
-seas churned and earth shook with his anger
Hades
-ruled and lived in the underworld
-caretaker of dead souls
Demeter
-goddess of farming and the harvest
Hestia
-goddess of the hearth
Athena
-goddess of wisdom
-protector of cities
-gave the Greeks the olive tree
-guardian of the city of Athens
-protected and helped the Greeks when they fought against other peoples
Apollo
-god of music, poetry, prophecy, healing, and light
-twin brother of Artemis
Artemis
-goddess of hunting and childbirth
-twin sister of Apollo
Ares
-god of war
Aphrodite
-goddess of love and beauty
Hermes
-messenger of the gods
-patron of merchants
-protector of travelers
Hephaestus
-god of fire and craftworkers
Honoring the Gods and Goddesses
Publicly:
-prayers
-animal sacrifices
Privately:
-household shrines
City-States:
-temple for patron god/goddess
-sacrifices on holy days
-offered gold, cakes, wine, animals
-asked for favors
Athletic Contests:
-boxing, wrestling, running, throwing
-honored gods through skill and strength
-Olympic games honored Zeus
Sacred Sites:
-tree groves, springs, etc.
-Mount Olympus
-Delphi
-site of Apollo’s temple
-housed Apollo’s priestess, the Delphic oracle
-oracle – one who predicts the future
-answered in puzzling statements and riddles that confused those asking about
the future