Download Greek Mythology Notes

MYTHOLOGY NOTES
Greek Mythology is
• Made up of stories about gods &
goddesses
• Early explanation of things in nature
& universe
• Early science
• Early literature - Iliad - 1st written
record of Greece
• Pure entertainment
Background of Greek Myths
• people worshipped Divine Mother
– protected crops, vineyards, sailing fleets
• Greece invaded by barbarians from central
Europe: see map
–
–
–
–
cultures collided
Goddess worship replaced by male sky god
Goddess remains in many myths
By 1000 B.C.Zeus, the father god, was supreme.
•
The Greek Miracle=the new
birth of the world and awakening
of
Greece.
Mankind became center of the universe.
– Mankind was important
– Everything on earth for man’s use.
• Greeks made their gods in their own image.
– Like a young man
– All art & thought centered in humans.
– Previous civilizations created gods in inhuman form
(Sphinx)
– Knew where Human-shaped gods made gods familiar.
– gods lived, what they ate, drank, where they held banquets,
and how they amused themselves.
– Gods were to be feared - all powerful.
–Humanized gods freed Greeks
from paralyzing fear of
unknown.
–Man at ease with gods because
they were in human form.
Greeks developed mythology for
science & literature.
• Mythology became their science.
• Mythology became their literature.
• Mythology shows us the way the human
race thought & felt ages ago.
• Greeks built statuary and temples in honor
of their gods.
Mythology is an important part
of Western heritage.
• References to gods & goddesses abound in language,
ideas about world, and feelings.
• References are used by writers, painters, poets ,
musicians.
• Mythic names used in science, business, and
government.
• Building designs imitate Greek temples.
• Names of body parts (first vertebrae of neck is an
atlas), arachnoid tissue, Achilles' tendon,iris.
• Idea, democracy, myth, psyche, amazon, echo,
orphan all have Greek origins.
Space science - named after GrecoRoman myths: Mercury capsule
launched from Atlas rocket, Project
Gemini (twins) and Project Apollo
(mistakenly named).
Greek Mythology is NOT
• to be read as Greek
Bible
• an account of Greek
religion.
• NOT religion