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CHAPTER 8 – ANCIENT GREECE
Greek
Mythology
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Why did Greeks create myths?
How has Greek literature influenced our world today?
I. MYTHS EXPLAIN THE WORLD
A. GREEK GODS
1. People today have scientific explanations for events
like thunder, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
2. The ancient Greeks did not have these scientific
explanations. Instead, they believed their gods
caused these events to happen.
3. They created myths to explain the gods’ actions.
B. GODS AND MYTHOLOGY
1. The Greeks saw the work of gods in daily events all
around them.
2. They had myths that explained the common
earthquakes.
3. The also had a goddess of agriculture, Demeter, that
created the seasons.
4. To keep the gods happy, the Greeks built great temples
to honor them all around them.
B. GODS AND MYTHOLOGY
5. In return, however, they expected the gods to give them
help when they needed it.
6. Many Greeks in need of advice traveled to Delphi to
speak to the oracle, a female priest of Apollo to whom
they thought the god gave answers.
C. HEROES AND MYTHOLOGY
1. Not all the Greek myths were about gods.
2. The Greeks loved to tell stories of heroes who had
special abilities and faced terrible monsters.
3. Perhaps the most famous of all Greek heroes was man
named Hercules who fought many monsters and
performed nearly impossible tasks.
II. ANCIENT GREEK LITERATURE
A. HOMER AND EPIC POETRY
1. Among the earliest Greek writings are two great epic poems,
The Iliad and The Odyssey, by a poet named Homer.
2. The Iliad tells the story of the last three years of the Trojan
War. It focuses on the deeds of the Greeks, especially
Achilles, the greatest of all Greek warriors.
3. The Odyssey describes the challenges that the Greek hero
Odysseus faced on his way home from the war.
4. Homer’s poems were central to the ancient Greek education
system.
A. HOMER AND EPIC POETRY
5. Homer’s poems influenced later writers. They copied some his
writing styles and borrowed some of the stories and ideas he
wrote about in his works.
6. His poems are considered some of the greatest literary works
ever produced.
B. LYRIC POETRY
1. Other poets wrote poems set to music.
2. During the performance the poet played a string
instrument called a lyre while he read the poem.
3. Most poets in Greece were men, but the most famous
lyric poet was a woman named Sappho. Most of her
poems were about love and relationships.
C. FABLES
1. Other Greeks told stories, called fables, to teach
people important lessons or give advice on how to live.
2. Aesop, famous for his fables, used animals as the main
characters in his stories. They typically has human
qualities.
3. Two of Aesop’s most famous fables are: “The Tortoise
and the Hare” and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”
III. GREEK LITERATURE LIVES
A. LANGUAGE
1. Many English words, expressions, and places come from
Greek mythology.
a) Titanic (something very large and powerful) comes from the
Titans, a group of large and powerful gods in Greek myth
b) The expression “Achilles heel” (a person’s weak spot) comes
from the great warrior Achilles who was killed when an arrow
struck his heel.
c) The name of the Aegean Sea comes from Aegeus, a legendary
Greek king.
B. LITERATURE AND THE ARTS
1. Great painters and sculptors have used gods and
heroes as the subjects of their works.
2. Writers have retold ancient stories set in modern times.
3. Moviemakers have also borrowed stories from ancient
myths. (ex: Hercules)
4. Many sports teams have adopted the names of
powerful figures from myths. (ex: Titans)