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TEACHER’S GUIDE
Follow-up Discussion
• Discuss Hammurabi’s legal code of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a
tooth.” Is this law of retaliation fair? Are there other ways, or better
ways, to preserve order and insure justice?
• Why is the alphabet such an important and critical step forward for civilization?
• Explain how trade and commerce influenced the development of
religion in ancient times.
• Suggest reasons as to why the monotheistic religions of Judaism,
Christianity and Islam eventually replaced the polytheistic Roman and
Greek gods of antiquity.
• Discuss how the mythology of ancient Mediterranean civilizations still
influence western society today.
Follow-up Activities
• Have students research examples of religious and social rites of passage.
Conduct a class discussion on why these rituals are important in a
society. Also discuss contemporary United States society and whether it
has rites of passage.
• Obtain a copy of the Code of Hammurabi and have students read the
text. Make comparisons between this ancient code and a modern legal
code of your choice. How dated is Hammurabi’s Code? Discuss its
importance in the development of our western legal system.
• Locate a translation of the Myth of Gilgemesh. Have the students read
and analyze the myth for its major points and insights into gods and
humans.
• Have the students research the ancient gods of Egypt and develop a
poster with the animal symbol and a narrative covering who the god
was and what the god was responsible for and associated with.
• Select a group of students to research and present to the class a report
on the Egyptian process of mummification. Be sure to have the students
stress the religious aspects of this process.
• Create a pantheon of the twelve Olympian gods of Athens and use it as
informative artwork for the classroom. Have another group of students
create a similar project, substituting the Roman gods for the Greek.
Internet Resources
http://pubpages.unh.edu/~cbsiren/sumer-faq.html
Sumerian Mythology FAQ — Extensive descriptions of the history, religious beliefs, practices and cosmology of this most ancient civilization are
presented in a question-and-answer format. Links to descriptions of
Assyrian, Babylonian, Canaanite and Hittite mythology and history are
included as well.
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TEACHER’S GUIDE
TEACHER’S GUIDE
http://members.aol.com/tokapu/Walkle01.htm
Walk Like an Egyptian — A modern guide to the philosophies and religion of
ancient Egypt.
http://eawc.evansville.edu/anthology/hammurabi.htm
Hammurabi’s Code of Laws — Contains Hammurabi’s Code as translated by
L.W. King
www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/GILG.HTM
Mesopotamia — A summary of the Epic of Gilgamesh with links to additional information on the Code of Hammurabi and cuneiform.
Suggested Print Resources
• Doniger,Wendy. Trans. Greek and Egyptian Mythology. University of
Chicago Press, 1992.
• Graves, Robert. The Greek Myths. Penguin, 1993.
• Kovacs, Maureen. Trans. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Stanford University
Press, 1990.
• Morford, Mark P.O. and Lenardon, Robert J. Classical Mythology.
Addison-Wesley, 1998.
• Time-Life. Ed. Sumer: Cities of Eden (Lost Civilizations). Time Life, 1994.
TEACHER’S GUIDE:
Paul J. Sanborn
Assistant Professor of Intelligence, American Military University
Historian, Freedoms Foundation
TITLES IN THIS SERIES
• AFRICAN AND AFRICANAMERICAN RELIGIONS
• ANCIENT RELIGIONS OF
THE MEDITERRANEAN
• BUDDHISM
• CONFUCIANISM & TAOISM
• HINDUISM
• ISLAM
• JUDAISM
• NATIVE AMERICAN SPIRITUALITY
• ORTHODOX AND ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHRISTIANITY
• PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY
• RELIGIONS OF SMALL SOCIETIES
• SHINTO
• SKEPTICISM & RELIGIOUS
RELATIVISM
Teacher’s Guides Included
and Available Online at:
800-843-3620
P.O. Box 580, Wynnewood, PA 19096 800-843-3620
©1998 Religions of the World, LLC under license from
Liberty International Entertainment, Inc.
Produced and directed by Greenstar Television
ANCIENT RELIGIONS
OF THE
MEDITERRANEAN
he study of world religion is the examination of
the specific beliefs, customs and traditions of a
particular religion as well as its impact on world
culture and history. The Religions of the World video
series and its accompanying Teacher’s Guides are
designed to supplement World Cultures and History
curriculum. These teaching aids are meant to invite
classroom study and dialogue and challenge students
to make connections between the past and the
present. Questions and insights are likely to develop
and will reveal striking similarities and vast differences
among the world’s major religions as well as the
unique perspective of its many individual cultures.
T
Historical Overview
Vocabulary
Focus Questions
As the world’s largest sea, the Mediterranean has nourished civilizations for
centuries. Trace the spiritual history of the Mediterranean basin, examining
the ancient cultures that have greatly influenced the religions of the modern
world. From Mesopotamia and Egypt to the empires of Greece and Rome,
discover the mythologies, gods and rituals that played an important role in
the social and political lives of these ancient peoples.
Oceanus — The mythological father of all fresh waters for Mediterranean
cultures.
• Provide students with blank outline maps of the Mediterranean basin.
Prior to viewing the program, have students research the geographical
locations of the places, cities, countries and rivers that will be mentioned. It
will be helpful to have them in mind ahead of time. While viewing the
program, have students note key events in the appropriate locations on
their maps for post-viewing discussion.
1. What is a ritual and what purpose did rituals of worship and sacrifice
serve in early religions?
2. Why did Neolithic farmers worship the bull?
3. What is a fertility goddess? Why was she worshiped?
4. What is the primary motivating force behind the spirituality of these
early religions?
5. What is cuneiform and for what purpose did the Sumerians develop it?
6. What are some of the great contributions of the Sumerian civilization?
7. What do the languages of Sumer and Latin have in common?
8. What influence did the Semites have on modern civilization and
religion?
9. Who is Hammurabi? What specific contribution did he make to our
modern world?
10. What is the Tower of Babel?
11. What are some of the architectural differences between the Egyptian
pyramid and the Babylonian ziggurat?
12. What is the focus of early Egyptian religion? Why?
13. What is the religious significance of the Ka, and how is it usually portrayed?
14. Who are the Phoenicians? Where in the Mediterranean basin did they
settle, and what two key contributions did they make to western
society?
15. What is the story of Ba’al? What was his connection to the Jews?
16. What are the main characteristics of the early Greeks, and how did
these traits influence the development of Greek religion?
17. According to the program, how were the lower classes responsible for
the decline of Greece?
18. How did the Olympic games originate and what took place during the
games?
19. Who are the main Greek gods of the classical period?
20. How do the Greek temples differ from Egyptian temples?
21. What was the Parthenon and which statues were displayed inside?
22. How are the gods of Greece portrayed by Homer?
23. From where does the word museum originate?
24. Who is Jupiter? Who is he normally identified with in the Greek pantheon of gods?
25. Who is Alexander the Great and how was he perceived by the
Egyptians, Persians and the Greeks?
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Tethys — The wife of Oceanus.
Nymphs — Any one of a group of minor nature goddesses, represented as
beautiful maidens living in rivers.
Animae — Spirits as opposed to earthly creatures like humans.
Time Line
c3100 B.C.E. — King Menes joins a divided Egypt into a new Bronze Age
kingdom.
3000 B.C.E. — The first Bronze Age civilizations (Sumer and Mesopotamia)
are established on the Tigris and Euphrates delta.
3000 B.C.E. — The Sumerians invent the first system of writing called
cuneiform.
2300 B.C.E. — Sargon founds the first Semitic dynasty in the region of
Mesopotamia.
2250 B.C.E. — The ziggurat is built at Ur.
2000 B.C.E. — An unknown Sumerian historian writes a creation poem
describing the birth of his homeland.
18th Century B.C.E. — Hammurabi, known for his famous code of law,
rules Babylon.
1600 B.C.E. — Greeks begin to settle in the Mediterranean basin in what is
now present-day Greece.
1400 B.C.E. — The first alphabet is invented by the Phoenicians.
c1250 B.C.E. — The Greeks are first mentioned in the historical records of
other Mediterranean peoples.
13th Century B.C.E. — The Egyptian empire is eclipsed by a second wave
of Semitic tribes including the Phoenicians, the Canaanites and the Hebrews.
c1200 B.C.E. — The Dark Age of Antiquity begins for Eastern Mediterranean
cultures.
800 B.C.E. — Greece begins to emerge culturally from the Dark Ages.
800–700 B.C.E. — The Geometric Age in Greece.
700 B.C.E. — The Age of Homer and Hesiod in Greece.
c650 B.C.E. — The Tower of Babel, a Babylonian ziggurat, is built.
c600 B.C.E. — The twelve Olympian gods are canonized by the Athenians of
Greece.
c500–50 B.C.E. — The Roman Republic grows in Italy and spreads throughout the Mediterranean basin.
146 B.C.E. — Rome captures Greece and overtakes the Greek culture and
civilization.
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Neolithic — The later period of the Stone Age, which marks the development of polished stone tools, metal tools, pottery, weaving, stock rearing and
agriculture.
Bronze Age — The period of ancient civilization characterized by the use of
bronze for weaponry and tools that begins circa 3000 B.C.E. and ends with
the advent of the Iron Age.
Cuneiform — One of the first systems of writing. It was developed by the
Sumerians and characterized by wedge-shaped symbols.
Hammurabi — The ruler of Babylon in the 18th century B.C.E. and creator
of the code of laws including “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
Marduk — The chief god of Babylon.
Gilgamesh — A legendary ancient ruler and hero of the epic poem of the
same name.
Ziggurat — A temple in the form of a terraced pyramid, making each story
smaller than the one below it.
Phoenicians — A Semitic tribe that came to power in the Mediterranean
around 1600 B.C.E. The creation of the first alphabet is attributed to their
civilization.
Ba’al — The main Phoenician god who rules over storms and the rain.
Hades — The ancient Greek and Roman term for hell.
Pre-viewing Discussion
• Greek and Roman mythology is rooted in the ancient myths of the
Mediterranean. Discuss what students know about Greek, Roman and
Egyptian mythology, and compare similarities and differences among the
three.