Download Greek Religion Packet Allusions in Myth AND History

Name: KEY
Period:
Date:
World History – Mrs. Schenck
Greek Religion Packet
FQ: How are the Greek gods still “alive” today?
Allusions in Myth AND History
Why should we study Greek gods and religion?
Because they are everywhere in the form of ALLUSIONS!!
ALLUSION: a reference to some piece of knowledge (in this case mythology) that the
reader is expected to know and understand
NOT an
Illusion: something that deceives by creating a false/misleading impression of reality
Example of an ALLUSION:
 The Seahawks’ super bowl loss finally showed their team’s
Achilles’ heel to be the lack of a running game.
o You are expected to know that Achilles’ heel refers to a
weakness – based on the Greek myth that Achilles
mother dipped him in the river Styx, making him
immortal except for his heel, which she held to dip him in
the waters.

List some other allusions to Greek mythology from the examples in class – they
are everywhere!
o Venus Razor – Venus is the Roman name for the goddess Aphrodite.
If you know that Venus was the goddess of beauty, you can better
understand the ad campaign that sells razors to women who want to
be beautiful like the goddess, Venus.
GREEK CREATION MYTH
1. Summarize the key events in the Greek creation myth:
Gaia, the Earth mother, and Uranus, the sky god, were the first couple
and had many monster children and gods. Uranus was cruel, and Gaia
gave her son Kronos a sickle to kill him. Kronos and Rhea created the
first men and other gods. Fearful of being overthrown like his father,
Kronos ate his children. Rhea tricked Kronos, and his one son Zeus
survived to overthrow Kronos and create the next ages of men.
2. What big questions or natural events did the creation myth help
ancient Greeks understand?
Where do humans come from and what is their purpose? How was the
Earth and its landforms created? Etc.
3. What similarities/difference do you see to other creation myths we
have read so far:
Similarities: Earth began in darkness and chaos, gods create humans,
etc.
Differences: there were four different “ages” of men created, father
killing gods complex, etc.
4. Why do you think these key similarities exist?
Ancient people used myth/stories to explain the world around them.
The Greeks would have traded with and been influenced by other
civilizations too. If you imagine how you would explain the natural
world without the scientific knowledge we have today, you would
probably see some of the same things the ancients did.
5. Did you think of any other allusions after reading the myth?
Uranus – god of the sky has a planet in space named after him, etc.
On the following page, identify the god with their Greek and Roman name, job,
and an important symbol.
Poseidon/Neptune:
God of the sea,
trident
Zeus/Jupiter:
King of the
gods, lightning
bolts
Hera/Juno:
queen of the
gods, peacock
Artemis/Diana:
Goddess of
moon/women/hunters,
silver arrows
Ares/Mars:
God of war,
skull/spear
Hermes/Mercury:
Messenger god,
winged sandals/hat
Demeter/Ceres:
Goddess of
grain/agriculture,
wheat
Haphaestos/Vulcan:
God of craftsmen,
hammer/anvil
Aphrodite/Venus:
Goddess of love and
beauty,
seashells/roses/doves
Dionysus/Bacchus:
God of wine/parties,
Cup/vine
Apollo:
God of sun/music/
science/etc.,
laurel tree/lyre
Athena/Minerva:
Goddess of wisdom
and war, owl/olive
branch
Greek Myths
FQs: What is human nature? How are the Greek gods like us?
With your group, read the myth you were given and complete your story in the chart.
Firebringer
(Prometheus)
Plot Summary
Theme
Allusions
Prometheus steals
fire from the gods
and is punished by
Zeus.
Do what’s right
even when it’s hard.
promethean =
creative, boldly,
original, etc.
Pandora
Pandora opens a box
Hope endures,
she was forbidden to
don’t go looking for
open and let’s all
trouble, do as
evil out into the
you’re told…
world.
“opening Pandora’s
box” = situation
where you get
yourself into more
trouble
Arachne
Arachne challenges
Pride is dangerous,
Athena to a weaving
vanity is a bad trait,
contest and her pride
humility is
causes Athena to
important…
turn her into a spider.
arachnophobia =
fear of spiders
Sisyphus
Sisyphus tries to hide
from death and is
punished by Zeus
and Hades.
You can’t cheat
death.
sisyphean = endless,
tortuous task
Echo and
Narcissus
Echo is punished for
her endless talking
and Narcissus for his
vanity.
Self-interest is
harmful, vanity is a
dangerous trait
echo = reverberating
sound, narcissistic =
self-love, vanity,
arrogant
Join the other groups and complete the chart and the final discussion questions here.

How does myth explain nature?
How humans got fire, where spiders come
from, origin of echoes, etc.

How does myth explain human
nature?
Humans are vain, full of pride, think they’re
smarter than the gods, can cheat death, etc.
Pre-Writing Organizer
Question: Explain the theme the author is trying to convey in your Greek myth.
Answer - Theme:
Claim:
Claim:
Example “Direct Quote”:
Example “Direct Quote”:
FQ: How is Greek mythology still “alive” today?
Hades/Pluto:
God of the
Underworld, Cerberus
(three headed dog)