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Class 9E
Pandora, Prometheus, Epimetheus Group
Brief Summary
Pandora was the first mortal woman ever created. She was
created by Zeus, with gifts given to her from many other gods and
goddesses. She was created as a punishment to the Titan brothers
Prometheus and Epimetheus. Zeus was angry with Prometheus,
because Prometheus stole fire from heaven, to give to mankind. Zeus
had his revenge on Prometheus. He chained Prometheus to a large
rock, and every day a giant eagle would come and devour his liver –
which would re-grow daily.
Although Zeus had gotten his revenge on Prometheus, he believed
that mankind should be further punished. After creating Pandora, he
presented her to Epimetheus, the brother of Prometheus. Prometheus
warned Epimetheus about accepting gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus
did not listen to the warnings. Epimetheus was the less intelligent
brother, his name meaning “afterthought”; Prometheus meaning
“forethought”. Epimetheus gladly accepted Pandora for she was
beautiful.
There are many different variations on what happens next, but
Pandora is given a box or jar, from Zeus and instructed not to open it.
She promises not to, but she is curious. Curiosity being one of the gifts
given to her by the gods, Zeus knows she will be tempted to open the
box. When Pandora opens the box, it releases all the evils of the
world. Left at the bottom, is hope.
Character List
Zeus (In our story): God of gods, angry with Prometheus for stealing
fire from heaven, creates Pandora to punish mankind.
Prometheus: Titan, brother to Epimetheus, steals fire from heaven,
punished by having his liver eaten by giant eagle.
Epimetheus: Titan, brother to Prometheus, wife to Pandora.
Pandora: First mortal woman, wife to Epimetheus, created by Zeus as
a punishment to mankind.
Odysseus & Penelope
Summary
Odysseus and the rest of his crew get shipwrecked by the gods
because they have been disobedient during the Trojan War. Odysseus
was stranded on the island of Calypso and a nymph fell in love with
him. After many years, the gods felt piety towards Odysseus and
Athena decided to hold a council in his benefit.
In Odysseus’ homeland of Ithaca, many men were trying to win over
Penelope, Odysseus’ wife.
After the council, Athena sent Odysseus’ son Telemachus on a journey
and sent Hermes to help Odysseus. The nymph helped Odysseus
make a raft to go home. During Odysseus’ sail home, Poseidon sent a
storm to wreck his raft. Poseidon was angry with Odysseus because
Odysseus killed his son the Cyclops. Luckily, Ino the goddesses saved
Odysseus and guided him back to shore.
At the new island he was on, Princess Nausicaa found Odysseus and
helped him. The king and queen of the island agreed to help Odysseus
get back home to his true love after hearing about his long journey.
When Odysseus returned home, he was disguised as an old man, but
he was reunited with his son. After staying with his friend Eumaeus,
Odysseus made plans to kill all of the men trying to marry his wife.
During the contest to see who would marry Penelope, no one
completed the challenge. The challenge was to shoot a bow and arrow
through twelve rings. Odysseus, who was still disguised, completed
the challenge and then killed all of the men. Odysseus revealed
himself to Penelope and they were reunited after 20 years.
Characters
King Alinouse
Queen Arete
Ino
Athena
Poseidon
Odysseus
Penelope
Telemachus
Jason & Medea
Summary
In the story of Jason and Medea, Jason is sent on a seemingly
impossible journey to bring back the Golden Fleece. Pelias is the one
who sent Jason on this journey. Pelias foresaw that someone would
overthrow him for the throne and so he sent Jason on this journey
thinking he could not get the Golden Fleece. Pelias wanted to keep
Jason away from the throne and this journey seemed like the perfect
way to do so.
While on the journey Jason faced many obstacles and trials. It was
when Medea saw Jason working and close to failing, that she was put
under a spell and was there to help Jason. Jason was incredibly
thankful. There was a terrible serpent guarding the fleece when he
arrived. Jason grabbed the Golden Fleece once he defeated the
serpent. Jason, Medea and Medea’s brother ran off with the fleece.
Jason and Medea got married but once Medea saw her competitors
gaining on them, she had to kill her brother. Jason and Medea had
two children together and lived happily. Then one day Jason chose to
leave Medea for the daughter of Creon. Medea was so furious that she
killed Jason’s new wife. She also killed her two children that she had
with Jason just to cause him more pain.
Characters
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Jason
Medea
Medea’s brother
Pelias
Oracle
King Creon
The other women (king Creon’s daughter)
Medea’s father: Aeetes
Jason and Medea’s children (2)
Hercules
Characters
Hercules:
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Son of Zeus and Alcmene
Hera tried to kill him as a baby
Completed the 12 labors as a way to redeem himself
killed his wife and children when Juno/Hera drove him insane
Was poisoned by 2nd wife Deianira but was made immortal by the gods
was very strong even as a baby
Zeus/Jupiter:
~ Husband of Hera
~ Father of Hercules
~ Lord of the sky
~ Greater than all other gods
~ Symbol : Eagle
Hera/Juno:
~ Wife of Zeus
~ Protector of Marriage
~ Zeus's wife and sister
~ Punished women Zeus fell in love with
~ Goddess married women prayed to
Alcmene:
~ Mother of Hercules
~ Daughter of Electryon
~ Wife of Amphitryon
~ She was beautiful and intelligent
Apollo:
~ God of light and truth
~ Symbols: Dolphin, Crow and Laurel tree
~ Told Hercules the 12 labors he would have to do
~ Most Greek God
~ Son of Zeus and Leto
Eurystheus:
~ King of Tiryns
~ Hercules served him for 12 year
~ Was very mean
Deianira :
~ Second wife of Hercules
~ poisoned Hercules by accident
~ Captured by Nessus
Summary
Hercules was the son of Jupiter (Zeus) and Alcmene. He was the strongest man. He
was so strong, that he was able to kill a lion. One day Juno drove Hercules so insane that
he killed his wife and 3 children. After this happened, he was in disbelief, so he exiled
himself in shame. He wanted to regain his honor so he went to the Delphic Oracle, the
Delphic Oracle sent Hercules to Eurytheus but couldn't think of any task for Hercules, so
Juno came to help. Together they came up with the 12 labors for Hercules to complete.
Hercules completed all 12 of the labors. Each task was difficult, and tested Hercules's
strengths. Once Hercules returned home he married and had children with Deianira. A
man named Nessus captured Deianira, but Hercules came and rescued her. Before
Nessus died, he gave Deianira a potion. He said to her that if she ever felt the Hercules
was drifting away, she should give it to Hercules to win his love back. That day came
and Hercules drank the potion. Surprisingly it was a poison. Hercules died, but gained
immortality because of all the good deeds he had done.
Perseus & Medusa
Plot Summary
Danaë, a mortal woman, was the mother of Perseus. She was an only child, and her
father, Acrisius, wanted a son. One day, he went to ask Delphi, the god, if he would ever
have a son. Delphi said "No, you will not have a son, however your daughter's son will
kill you." The only way to escape this fate would be for him to kill his daughter, however
he could not bring himself to kill his own daughter, so he decided to build a house out of
bronze, and sunk it in the ground, with only the roof open, for air and light. He stood
there guarding her.
Then one day, Zeus decided to come over, and Danaë became pregnant. She tried to hide
it from her father, but he found out. He asked who the father was and she said "Zeus".
Her father didn't believe her, and he realized that her son was a danger to his life, but he
didn't want to kill the little boy because he might actually be Zeus's son. He decided to
take action right away. He built a big chest, put his daughter and her son in it, and cast it
out to sea.
A fisherman named Dictys found them and cared for both of them. Soon afterwards,
Polydectes, Dictys' brother, fell in love with Danaë and wanted to marry her. However,
Perseus stopped him. Realizing that marrying Danaë with Perseus around was
impossible, he had a feast in which everybody must bring him a horse as a present.
Perseus didn't have a horse, so Polydectes sent him on a quest to slay Medusa, one of the
Gorgons, and bring her head to him. For a while, Perseus wandered around aimlessly,
wondering how he was going to accomplish this task. Athena took pity on him, and
convinced three nymphs to help him. The nymphs then gave him a pair of winged
sandals, a helmet of invisibility, and a shield of polished bronze.
After that, they told him to go into a cave where the Gorgons lived. He ambushed
Medusa using the speed given to him by the winged sandals, and used his shield to look
at her face (indirectly) to avoid being turned to stone by her deadly gaze. Perseus then
took her head off and snuck out of the cave using the helmet. After taking Medusa's head,
he saved and married a woman called Andromeda from a sea serpent and went back to
Argo. He then offered Medusa's head to Athena, who put it on her shield (the aegis) and
flew off. After a while, Teutamides, the King of Larissa, invited Perseus to his father's
funeral games. Perseus accepted, and, while throwing the discus for the disk-throwing
contest, accidentally hit Acrisius, who was watching the games as a guest of honor, in the
head, killing him instantly and fufilling the prophecy.
Characters
1. Perseus
2. Diane
3. Zeus
4. Delphi
5. Acrisius
6. Dictys
7. Polydectes
8. Medusa
9. Athena
10. Nymphs
11. Andromeda
12. Teutamides
Theseus & the Minotaur
Characters
King Aegeus: Theseus was the son of the Athens king Aegean. The
King of the Mioniers had a pet, The Minotaur. Theseus was to be
sacrificed to the Minotaur He told his father that if he came back and
he was alive that he would changed the color of his sails from black to
white.Theseus killed the Minotaur but he forgot to change to sails. And
when Aegeus saw the black sail he jumped into the sea. This is why
the Aegean Sea is called the Aegean Sea.
Aethra: Aethra was a daughter of King Pittheus of Troezon. She is
also the mother of Theseus.
Theseus: Theseus was a legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra and
Aegeus. Theseus is the killer of the Minotaur.
Poseidon: Poseidon is the God of the sea. In some tales of this story
he was said to have been the father of Theseus.
Minos and Pasiphae: Minos prayed to Poseidon to send him a snowwhite bull, as a sign of approval. He was to sacrifice the bull in honor
of Poseidon but decided to keep it instead because of its beauty. To
punish Minos, Poseidon caused Pasiphae, Minos' wife, to fall madly in
love with the bull. This was the birth or the Minotaur.
Ariadne: Ariadne is Theseus’s love interest in this story. She helps
him get out of the maze after he kills the Minotaur. The condition was
that they would get married. Instead of marrying her, Theseus
decides to leave her on an island.
Minotaur: The Minotaur is the offspring of Pasiphae and a bull brought
by Poseidon. The Minotaur lived in a maze and was killed by Theseus.
Summary
Theseus is the most famous hero of Athens. His mother was
Aethra, daughter of King Pittheus of Troezen. His father was either
King Aegeus or the Poseidon, the god of the Sea. Poseidon also slept
with Aethra. When Aegeus left, he put a sword and sandals under a
rock. He left instructions with Aethra to tell his son about them when
he was older. She was to tell him to move the rock and bring the
sword and sandals to Athens so Aegeus would recognize his son.
When he was old enough, he attempted to move the stone under
which his father had buried the sword. He was unable to move it, so
he built a pulley system to lift the rock. With the pulley system,
Theseus was able to get the sword and sandals.
He set out for Athens overland. He was advised to take the much safer
boat route but refused. Instead, he traveled through the dangerous
Isthmus of Corinth. On his journey, he encountered many evil men. He
defeated all of them. By the time he reached Athens, he was famous.
King Aegeus did not yet recognize Theseus as his son, and he was
worried that this popular young man might try to steal his throne. To
prevent this, he sent Theseus on a mission to kill the Marathonia Bull
and bring it back to Athens. Theseus caught the bull and returned it to
the king. The king’s wife Medea, recognized Theseus and suggested
poisoning the young hero. King Aegeus recognized the sword Theseus
was wearing just before the poisoned wine was given to his son.
Medea and her son were banished from the kingdom for their part in
the plot kill Theseus.
The Minotaur was a monster with a head of a bull and body of a man.
Theseus offered to be one of the men to be given to the Minotaur.
When Theseus arrived in Crete, Ariadne, the daughter of the king fell
in love with him at first sight. She gave him a sword and spool of
string he could use to find his way back out of the labyrinth. Theseus
went into the maze and found the Minotaur sleeping near the center.
He killed the Monster and escaped with the others from Athens.
Theseus escaped to his ship and headed back to Athens. Theseus had
forgotten a promise he had made to his father. The ship always carried
a black flag. Theseus had promised his father to change the flag to
white on the voyage home if he had survived. Aegeus, seeing the
black flag threw himself into the sea, believing that his son had died
on his mission. The sea was named the Aegean in his honor. Due to
his father’s death, Theseus now became the king of Athens.
Orpheus & Eurydice
Summary
Orpheus was the son of Apollo and the muse Calliope. Apollo gave him a lyre and
taught him to play it. He played it so well that his music enchanted everything, even the
rocks and the trees. He fell in love with the beautiful Eurydice and they got married.
Soon after the wedding Eurydice was walking in a meadow when she was seen by the
shepherd Aristaus who began to chase her. As she was running she stepped on a snake.
It bit her and she died. Orpheus was distraught. He decided he couldn't live without
Eurydice and went down into the underworld to get her. He survived the dangers of the
underworld by playing the lyre. Even the Furies cried. He asked Hades for Eurydice
back and played his lyre. Hades and Persephone cried and said he could have Eurydice
back as long as he did not look around to see if she was there on the way out of the
underworld.
He traveled through the underworld and as soon as he was out, he turned around, unable
to wait any longer. Eurydice was still inside underworld and had to go back. He tried to
follow, but was not allowed in the underworld again while he was still alive. He played
songs of sadness that called for death so animals came and tore him apart, even though
they didn't want to. The Muses took the pieces of him and buried them in Libertha,
where the nightingales sing sweeter than anywhere else.
Characters
Orpheus
Eurydice
Aristaus
Persephone
Hades
Icarus & Daedalus
Summary
In Crete, Daedalus has made a Labyrinth for the keeping of
the Minotaur. Daedalus showed Ariadne the path out of the
Labyrinth, so she could show Theseus how to escape. Ariadne
was the daughter of King Minos, and she also had fallen in love
with Theseus. Ariadne also stated that if she shows Theseus
how to escape the Labyrinth, he would marry her.
At the moment King Minos had found out that Ariadne
and Theseus had escaped from the Labyrinth, he knew that
Daedalus had helped them. King Minos was furious and he put
Icarus and Daedalus in the prison, in the Labyrinth.
Daedalus created wings for him and Icarus to use, in an
attempt to escape the Labyrinth. He warned his son, Icarus,
that the sun could melt his wings and he would fall. Icarus
didn’t listen to the advice his father, Daedalus, gave him but
instead was so happy and flew high up. As a result, the sun did
melt his wings and he fell into sea. Daedalus continued to
travel to Sicily to meet with the king.
King Minos was furious to hear that Daedalus had
escaped the Labyrinth. “He (King Minos) was determined to
find him.” (145) “King Minos also offered a reward to whoever
could pass a thread through a spiral shell.” (145) Daedalus
was able to do this. He put an ant into the shell and the ant
were able to come out with a thread. King Minos purposely did
this because he knew Daedalus was the only one who was able
to do this, “so he came to Sicily to seize him.” (145) The King
of Sicily protected Daedalus and instead of Daedalus, “King
Minos was slain.” (145)
Characters
Daedalus: The master craftsman of Athens, killed his nephew,
built the labyrinth.
Icarus: The son of Daedalus, the ignorant one who flew too
near to the sun and drowned.
King Minos: The king of Crete who tricked Poseidon and put
Daedalus and Icarus in the labyrinth.
Theseus: The heroic warrior of Athens who killed the Minotaur.
Pasiphae: The wife of King Minos, been enchanted a spell upon
herself to fall in love with the white bull, gave birth to the
Minotaur.
Ariadne: The daughter of King Minos and offered to help
Theseus kill the Minotaur and leave the Labyrinth safely.
Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Iphigenia, Orestes, Electra
Summary
In ancient Greece, there lived a family in the House of Atreus.
This family consists of Agamemnon and his wife Clytemnestra
and their three children, a young son Orestes and two
daughters, Iphigenia and Electra. Agamemnon is leader of the
Greek army. He and his fleet are about to leave and embark
on a journey to Troy, but bad winds halt this. In order for the
winds to be good for sailing, Agamemnon finds out from a seer
named Calchas that he must sacrifice Iphigenia, his daughter.
Reluctantly, he does so. The winds are now working well, and
the army leaves for Troy.
While Agamemnon is away, Clytemnestra has an affair with
a man named Aegisthus. Aegisthus and Clytemnestra live
happily together for many years. They live with Electra and
Orestes. Agamemnon returns home and as soon as he begins
to settle in and relax, he is killed. Clytemnestra has murdered
him because she is upset by Agamemnon’s sacrificing
Iphigenia and having killed members of Clytemnestra’s family.
Orestes returns from having lived with friends of the family for
a while. He was sent to them by Electra, for his safety, when
he was young. Now he and Electra plot to kill Clytemnestra,
after some debating on the part of Orestes.
Orestes had wondered whether or not to kill his mother
because thought it was his duty to avenge his father’s murder,
it was a major sin to kill his mother. Having killed his mother
would have put him out of favor with the gods. Undecided, he
consults a goddess. She tells him to commit the murder,
because his father’s murder must be avenged. He does this. As
a result, the Furies (which symbolize a guilty conscience)
follow him around for the rest of his life. He finally cannot take
it anymore, and begs for help from another goddess. She tells
him that because he commits the murder he cannot be
forgiven, even if he was advised to do so (as was his plea).
The goddess who advised the murder came and told this
goddess that because she advised the murder, he should be
forgiven. This goddess agrees. Even so, Orestes decides to
repent by admitting that even though he was advised to
commit the murder, he should not have.
Characters
Agamemnon- husband of Clytemnestra. Leader of the Greek
army.
Clytemnestra- wife of Agamemnon, she is related to Helen of
Troy.
Orestes- son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, he ends the
curse that is upon the House of Atreus.
Electra- Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, she is
their middle child.
Iphigenia- Eldest daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.