Download Mythology - Gallipolis City Schools

Mythology
Introduction to Mythology and
Homer
Terms and Definitions
• Myth-a person or thing having only an
imaginary or unverifiable existence
• Mythology-a branch of knowledge that
deals with myths (The study of myths)
• Epic-a long heroic narrative poem
Homer: Believed to be the author of
The Iliad
and The Odyssey
Little is known about the
author of The Iliad and The
Odyssey. He is simply
referred to as Homer.
Historians believe that he
was blind as he was
believed to have told these
stories to others who
documented them.
Greek and Roman Mythology
The Romans, who eventually conquered Greece,
admired the culture and copied certain aspects of
it. One of these aspects was its mythology. For the
sake of pride, they changed the names of some
gods and goddesses. Some of the gods and
goddesses’ personalities also changed. For
example: Ares was a cowardly god in Greek
mythology because the Greeks preferred peace to
war, but in Roman mythology, Mars, his
counterpart, was a brave and noble character
because the Romans did like wars.
Make a Chart
Ten Blocks Long and Three Blocks Across
Greek
God/Goddess
God/Goddess of: Roman Name:
Major Gods and Goddesses
• Zeus- the leader of all the gods because he is the god of
•
•
•
•
the sky, thunder, and lightning. His Roman name is
Jupiter.
Hera-the jealous and powerful wife of Zeus. She is the
goddess of marriage and childbirth. Her Roman name is
Juno.
Aphrodite-the goddess of love and beauty. Her name
means foam born, even though some say that she is the
daughter of Zeus and Dione. Her Roman name is Venus.
Athena-the goddess of wisdom. She was also Zeus'
favorite child. Her Roman name is Minerva
Apollo: the god of music (he directed the choir of the
Muses) and archery (but not for war or hunting), poetry,
dance, and flocks. He was also a god of light, His
Roman name is Phoebus
Major Gods and Goddesses
• Poseidon- is Zeus’s older brother, the god of
the sea, and constantly wants more territory.
His Roman name is Neptune.
• Hermes- the son of Maia and Zeus, he
became the god of thieves, herdsman,
messages and travelers. His Roman name is
Mercury.
• Hades-Hades is the god of the underworld and
riches. He is also the unluckiest of all the gods.
His Roman name is Pluto.
The Tale of the Golden Apple
“To the Fairest”
• Eris, the goddess of strife, was not
invited to the wedding of Peleus and
Thetis. She went anyway, and threw
a golden apple into the middle of the
wedding. Inscribed on the apple was
a message. It read "To the Fairest."
Immediately, the apple was claimed
by Hera, Athena and Aphrodite.
They all asked Zeus to decide who
should receive the apple. Zeus knew
how much trouble he would be in if
he chose one, because the other two
would have grave revenge. So Zeus
descended to Mount Ida where
Prince Paris was farming and
asked him to be the judge. Zeus told
Paris this was a privilege due him for
his faithfulness to the gods.
Hera/Juno
• The queen of the
Olympian deities.
She is a daughter of
Cronus and Rhea,
and wife and sister
of Zeus. Hera was
mainly worshipped
as a goddess of
marriage and birth.
Athena/Minerva
Athena: the Greek goddess of wisdom,
war, the arts, industry, justice and skill
She was the favorite child of Zeus. She
had sprung fully grown out of her
father's head. Her mother was Metis,
Zeus' first wife. In fear that Metis would
bear a son mightier than himself, Zeus
swallowed her. Inside of Zeus, she
began to make a robe and a helmet for
her daughter. The hammering of the
helmet caused Zeus great pain in the
form of headaches and he cried out in
agony. Skilled Hephaestus, god of
blacksmiths/fire, ran to his father and
split his skull open. From it emerged
Athena, fully grown and wearing her
robe and helmet her mother had made
for her.
• In Greek
mythology,
Aphrodite is the
goddess of love
and beauty
• She emerged from
within a shell in the
sea.
• “Foam-arisen"
Aphrodite was born
of the sea foam
Aphrodite/Venus
Paris, being a mere mortal, could not decide which
goddess should have the golden apple; however,
each of the three goddesses decided to make it
easier for him. They would each offer him gifts, and
he would get the gifts from the goddess he chose.
• Hera - offered to give him all of Asia and great power. He
thought this offer was great, but he decided to hear the other
offers first before deciding.
• Athena-offered him great wisdom and great luck in battle. He
would be the best strategist in the world. He loved this idea, but
he waited to hear Aphrodite's offer.
• Aphrodite-offered him two things. The first was his body (well
built and handsome) and the second was the love of the most
beautiful woman in the world, Helen, even though she was
married.
Paris’ Choice
• Since Paris' first love was
women, he decided to pick
Aphrodite’s offer.
• Hera and Athena vowed
vengeance to Paris.
Helen:The Most Beautiful
Woman
• Paris arranged an entire fleet of ships to
escort him to get Helen. Unfortunately
for Paris, Helen was married to King
Menelaus of Sparta (located in Greece).
While Menelaus was away on a hunting
expedition, Paris stole the spellbound
Helen from him along with much
treasure.
HELEN & PARIS
Helen: Flesh and blood but most definitely
immortal, since her father was none other than
Zeus. Her mother was the beautiful Leda, queen of
Sparta, who was ravished by the father of the gods
in the form of a swan. Being the most beautiful
woman in the world, Helen had many men that
wanted to marry her. The suitors (men that want
to marry a woman) made a pact that if Helen was
to run away or be taken away, they would join
forces and return her to her husband. So when
Paris stole Helen from Menelaus, all of Greece
declared war on the city of Troy, Paris’s home.
Helen and Paris Escape to Troy
*The Trojan War*
The Greeks Against the City of
Troy for the return of Helen
The Trojan War
•
•
•
•
•
•
THE GREEKS/ Achaeans
Menelaus-Married to Helen and the brother of
Agamemnon. He is also the King of Sparta.
Agamemnon-the leader of the Greek forces during the
Trojan War, brother of Menelaus.
Nestor-the oldest of the Grecian chiefs, and one to whom
they all looked up to for counsel.
Achilles-He was the mightiest of the Greeks who fought in
the Trojan War, and was the hero of Homer's Iliad.
Diomedes-second only to Achilles in all the qualities of a
hero.
Odysseus-brave and wise – ultimately comes up with the
war ending strategy. Main character of Homer’s Odyssey
• Ajax-Warrior prince who was huge and strong, but
slow in speech. His father was king Telamon of Salamis.
The Trojan War
The Trojans of Troy
• King Priam: King of Troy during the Trojan
War. Had fifty sons and several daughters
and obviously several wives.
• Paris-Stole Helen from Menelaus with
Aphrodite’s help and returned to Troy
(Paris is the son of King Priam of Troy).
• Hector: King Priam’s eldest son of Hecuba and
King Priam. He was a great warrior for the Trojan
force.
Odysseus:Hero and Main
Character of the Odyssey
•
Odysseus was one of the original
suitors of Helen of Troy. When
Menelaus succeeded in winning
Helen's hand in marriage, it was
Odysseus who advised him to get the
other suitors to swear to defend his
marriage rights. However, when
Menelaus called on the suitors to help
him bring Helen back from Troy,
Odysseus was reluctant to make good
on his oath. One tale has it as though
he pretended to have gone mad,
plowing his fields and sowing salt
instead of grain. Palamedes placed
Odysseus' infant son in front of the
plow, and Odysseus revealed his
sanity when he turned aside to avoid
injuring the child.
A Few of the Men of the
Trojan War
• The Trojan War is the
main issue of The Iliad by
Homer, and is described in
the Aeneid by Virgil.
The war took place between
Greek Kings and their
warriors and the Trojans,
and raged for ten years.
Through most of the war,
Agamemnon (king of the
Achaeans and brother of
Menelaus) was unable to
penetrate the fortified city
of Troy. On the tenth year,
Achilles joined the
Achaian’s army and killed
Hector, the Trojan prince.
The Fall of Troy
• Paris fights in the war, but he is mostly out of
legend until Hector is killed by Achilles. While
Achilles and his allies bring Hector's body
back into Troy for a funeral, Paris takes a
bow and arrow and shoots it at Achilles.
Apollo (god who has sided with the Trojans)
guides his arrow so that it hits Achilles' foot,
in the famous Achilles tendon. Achilles dies.
Paris is soon killed afterwards in the war by
PHILOCTETES who carried poisonous
arrows of Hercules.
•However reluctant he may have been to
join the expedition, Odysseus fought
heroically in the Trojan War, refusing to
leave the field when the Greek troops
were being routed by the Trojans. He
lead a daring nocturnal raid in company
with Diomedes. After the death of
Achilles, he and Ajax competed for
Achilles' magnificent armor; when
Odysseus' eloquence caused the Greeks
to award the prize to him, Ajax went mad
and killed himself.
The Trojan Horse
• After the death of Achilles, the Achaeans, utilized
Odysseus’ plan to built a Wooden Horse. They
filled it with warriors and fooled the Trojans into
thinking it was a gift from them. The Trojans
wheeled it into their city of Troy cheerfully. While
inside the city, the Greeks attacked at nightfall.
Once the city of Troy was defeated by the Greeks
it was destroyed. The Trojan King Priam and most
of his family were killed. Cassandra, his daughter,
was raped and taken as slave to Agamemnon in
Greece. Helen, whose abduction had started the
war was still beautiful and was returned to
Menelaus who had forgiven her.
Odysseus was claimed as hero!
The Odyssey:
Odysseus Starts Home