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Mythology
Ancient Stories from the Greek
and Roman Empires
What is Mythology?
• The study of a genre of stories called
myths written by the ancient Greeks and
Romans more than 3,000 years ago.
Why did ancient civilizations write
myths?
• Myths are traditional stories written to
explain basic questions about:
• Human nature
• Origins of the world
• Mysteries of nature
• Social Customs
How did the Greeks explain the
origin of the ancient gods and
goddesses?
• Mother Earth (Gaea) and Father Sky
(Uranus) had mighty children called
Titans.
• The youngest son, Cronus, overthrew his
father and became the father of the next
(and most well-known) group of gods and
goddesses called The Olympians.
The Gods and Goddesses of
Ancient Greece—The Olympians
• These immortal beings lived on Mt.
Olympus
• Zeus—Ruler of all gods and men
• Hera—Wife of Zeus, Queen of the gods
• Hades—Ruler of the land of the dead
• Demeter—Goddess of grain, Earth, and
harvest
• Aphrodite—Goddess of love and beauty
The Next Generation
• Athena—Goddess of wisdom
• Apollo—God of the sun
• Artemis—Goddess of the moon. Twin
sister of Apollo
• Ares—God of war
• Eros—God of love
The Roman Gods and Goddesses
• When the Romans
came to power, they
gave the Greek gods
new names:
• Jupiter - King of the Gods
Apollo - God of the Sun
Diana - Goddess of the Moon
Mars - God of War
Venus - Goddess of Love
Cupid - God of Love
•
Juno - Queen of the Gods
Mercury - Messenger of the Gods
•
Neptune - God of the Sea
Minerva - Goddess of Wisdom
•
Pluto - God of Death
Ceres - The Earth Goddess
Proserpine - Goddess of the
Underworld
Mythology Vocabulary
• Many of the most famous myths have
influenced modern language by becoming
idioms
• An idiom is an expression, word, or phrase
that has a figurative meaning based on its
original use in a Greek or Roman myth
• Your vocabulary represents some of the
most recognized idioms
Achilles Heel
• Achilles was a mighty Greek warrior.
• When he was born, his mother dunked him into the
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River Styx in order to make him immortal.
The only vulnerable part of his body was his heel where
his mother held him
During the Trojan War, Achilles killed the mighty Trojan
Prince, Hector
With the help of Apollo, Paris, Hector’s brother, shot an
arrow at Achilles. It struck his heel and killed him
We use the idiom Achilles Heel to represent a person’s
weakness or vulnerability
Adonis
• When Adonis was born, the baby was so
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beautiful that Aphrodite placed him in a closed
chest so no one else could see him
Aphrodite sent the chest to Persephone in the
Underworld for safe keeping
However, Persephone was also entranced by his
unnatural beauty, and the two goddesses fought
over him until Zeus interceded
We use the idiom Adonis to describe a very
handsome young man
Arachnid
• Arachne was an exceptional weaver
• She insulted the goddess, Minerva, by boasting
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that she was a better weaver than the goddess
The goddess turned her into an 8-legged
creature who had to constantly weave and
reweave her home
Today, we use a form of her name, Arachnid, to
represent a class of arthropods that have
multiple legs and/or weave webs
Labyrinth
• Daedalus, the ancient architect, built a maze
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called a labyrinth for King Minos of Crete to hold
the Minotaur, a creature that was half man and
half bull
The Minotaur roamed throughout the labyrinth
until he was killed by the hero Theseus
Today, the word labyrinth can represent an
actual structure or puzzle, or it can be thought
of as a symbolic pilgrimage to find
enlightenment
Midas Touch
• King Midas entertained Silenus for 10 days
• For his hospitality, the god Bacchus offered Midas a
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reward
Midas asked that whatever he touched be turned to gold
He soon realized that this gift was a burden because he
could not eat or touch anyone
He touched his own daughter and turned her into gold
Today, the idiom Midas Touch is used to explain
someone who is very successful with anything he/she
attempts
Muse
• In Roman mythology, there were 3 major
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muses:
One born from the movement of water
One who makes sound by striking the air
One who is born from the human voice
They are the inspiration for the creation of all
literature and arts
Today, we use the term Muse to represent
someone or something that is inspirational
Odyssey
• The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer
• It is the story of Odysseus who is traveling home
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after the Trojan War
After many trials and tribulations, he returns
home to find that he still has problems to
overcome
Today, we use the term Odyssey to represent
any long and difficult journey whether it is
physical or emotional
Oracle
• During the Greek civilization, the Temple
of Apollo was the home of the Delphi
Oracle
• Oracles were considered portals that the
gods used to speak to man
• Today, the term Oracle is used to describe
a very wise or authoritative person
Pandora’s Box
• Pandora was a very curious young woman
• Zeus gave her a sealed box and told her
to never open it
• When curiosity got the best of her, she
opened it and released a horde of miseries
• Today, we use the idiom Pandora’s Box to
represent any type of problem or trouble
Trojan Horse
• After a 10 year siege of the City of Troy, the Greeks
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devised a plan to enter the city
They crafted a huge wooden horse to give as a gift to
the Trojans; however, inside Greek soldiers waited to
attack the city
When night fell, the soldiers snuck out of the horse,
opened the gates, and let in the other Greek warriors
Thus, the Greeks defeated the Trojans
Today, Trojan Horse is an idiom that represents any trick
or strategy used to allow a foe into a secured place