Download Greek Mythology

Greek Mythology
Background
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Ancient Greeks believed in gods and goddesses
Zeus ruled all gods
Zeus and his wife, Hera lived on Mount Olympus
Each god or goddess is linked to an idea or part
of nature
Ancient Greeks believed the gods and goddesses
taught lessons to people who were too proud or
arrogant
Characteristics of Myths
• Created by ancient people
• Originally existed as an oral narrative
• Explain natural occurrences
• Express beliefs about right and wrong
• Feature gods and goddesses who have
human traits or human heroes with
superhuman traits
• Explore universal themes
Characteristics of Epic Tales
• A long narrative poem or story
• Deals with the deed of a traditional or
historical hero
– Supernatural beings or heroes
• Usually involves the hero going off on an
important quest
• Uses narrative and literary techniques
New Literary Language
• Oxymoron—combines two contradictory
terms
– Sweet sorrow
– Icy hot
• Pun—a play on words
– The ballet shoes made a point
– I wondered why the baseball was getting
bigger. Then it hit me.
Why the Seasons Change
• Scientists explain the changing of the
seasons as the rotating of the Earth vs the
Earth’s revolution around the Sun
• The Ancient Greeks explain the seasons
with the story of “Demeter and
Persephone”
“Demeter and Persephone”
Includes several characteristics of myths:
• Explains a natural occurrence: why
seasons change
• Contains gods and goddesses with human
traits
• Explores universal themes of want &
plenty and love & loss
Gods & Goddesses in “Demeter and
Persephone”
• Pluto – King of the Underworld
• Aphrodite – goddess of love & beauty
• Eros – god of love (Cupid to the Romans)
• Demeter – goddess of the harvest
• Persephone – daughter of Demeter
• Zeus – Master of all Gods & Goddesses
• Hermes – messenger of the Gods
“Demeter and Persephone”
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