pdf doc
- 1. Introduction toIntroduction to Greek MythologyGreek Mythology Sixth Grade Language ArtsSixth Grade Language Arts Mrs.Mrs. HuffineHuffine
- 2. What is Greek Mythology?What is Greek Mythology? •• The people of ancient GreeceThe people of ancient Greece shared stories called mythsshared stories called myths about the gods, goddesses,about the gods, goddesses, and heroes in which theyand heroes in which they believed.believed. •• Each god or goddess wasEach god or goddess was worshipped as a deity andworshipped as a deity and ruled over certain areas ofruled over certain areas of the Greeks’ lives.the Greeks’ lives. •• These exciting storiesThese exciting stories explained natural phenomenaexplained natural phenomena that could not be explainedthat could not be explained by science in the ancientby science in the ancient world.world.
- 3. Why Should We StudyWhy Should We Study Greek Mythology?Greek Mythology? •• The Ancient Greek cultureThe Ancient Greek culture has been kept alive by thehas been kept alive by the oral and later writtenoral and later written stories handed downstories handed down through thousands ofthrough thousands of years.years. •• Modern plays, novels,Modern plays, novels, television programs,television programs, movies and evenmovies and even advertisements refer toadvertisements refer to Greek gods, goddesses,Greek gods, goddesses, heroes and their stories.heroes and their stories. •• Adventurous and excitingAdventurous and exciting stories delight andstories delight and entertain us.entertain us.
- 4. Who Were the Gods andWho Were the Gods and Goddesses of the Pantheon onGoddesses of the Pantheon on Mount Olympus?Mount Olympus? •• ..
- 5. ZeusZeus –– Leader of the Olympian GodsLeader of the Olympian Gods •• He ruled the Olympians.He ruled the Olympians. •• He was the god of theHe was the god of the sky, lightning andsky, lightning and thunder carrying athunder carrying a thunderbolt as histhunderbolt as his symbol.symbol. •• He marriedHe married HeraHera, his, his sister, which was a familysister, which was a family habit.habit. •• He fathered manyHe fathered many children with variouschildren with various goddesses and mortals.goddesses and mortals.
- 6. HeraHera –– Wife of ZeusWife of Zeus •• She was the protector ofShe was the protector of marriage and the home.marriage and the home. •• She was associated withShe was associated with the peacock, because ofthe peacock, because of her great beauty.her great beauty. •• She and Zeus wereShe and Zeus were always quarreling.always quarreling. •• She was called the queenShe was called the queen of intriguers, a vindictiveof intriguers, a vindictive and jealous wife, whoand jealous wife, who frequently outwitted herfrequently outwitted her husband, Zeus.husband, Zeus.
- 7. PoseidonPoseidon –– God of the SeaGod of the Sea •• He built an underwaterHe built an underwater palace with a great pearlpalace with a great pearl and coral throne.and coral throne. •• Although he choseAlthough he chose ThetisThetis,, a beautiful water nymph,a beautiful water nymph, as his queen, he, like hisas his queen, he, like his brother Zeus, was a greatbrother Zeus, was a great wanderer fatheringwanderer fathering hundreds of children.hundreds of children. •• He was a difficult god,He was a difficult god, changeful andchangeful and quarrelsome, but createdquarrelsome, but created many curious forms formany curious forms for his sea creatures.his sea creatures. •• He invented the horse forHe invented the horse for his sister Demeter, whomhis sister Demeter, whom he loved.he loved.
- 8. HadesHades –– God of the UnderworldGod of the Underworld •• He was the jealousHe was the jealous brother to Zeus andbrother to Zeus and Poseidon.Poseidon. •• He made Persephone hisHe made Persephone his wife after stealing herwife after stealing her from her mother,from her mother, Demeter, who was hisDemeter, who was his sister.sister. •• Because he was a violentBecause he was a violent god, who was also verygod, who was also very possessive of every newpossessive of every new soul, he rarely left hissoul, he rarely left his underworld domain.underworld domain.
- 9. DemeterDemeter--Goddess of CornGoddess of Corn and the Harvestand the Harvest •• She was the goddess ofShe was the goddess of growing things.growing things. •• She was the mother ofShe was the mother of Persephone, whose fatherPersephone, whose father was Zeus.was Zeus. •• Her daughter wasHer daughter was kidnapped by Hades andkidnapped by Hades and taken to the Underworldtaken to the Underworld for six months of the yearfor six months of the year causing the change ofcausing the change of seasons.seasons.
- 10. HestiaHestia--Goddess of the HearthGoddess of the Hearth •• She was the sister ofShe was the sister of Zeus and the daughter ofZeus and the daughter of CronosCronos and Rhea.and Rhea. •• She represented personalShe represented personal and communal securityand communal security and happiness.and happiness. •• She was thought of asShe was thought of as the kindest and mildest ofthe kindest and mildest of the goddesses.the goddesses. •• She was of littleShe was of little mythological importance,mythological importance, appearing in only a fewappearing in only a few stories.stories.
- 11. AthenaAthena--Goddess of Wisdom,Goddess of Wisdom, Justice, War, Civilization and PeaceJustice, War, Civilization and Peace •• She was born full grownShe was born full grown out of the head of Zeus.out of the head of Zeus. •• She taught man to useShe taught man to use tools and taught his wifetools and taught his wife to spin and weave.to spin and weave. •• She was the bestShe was the best--lovedloved goddess on Olympus.goddess on Olympus. •• She hated Ares, god ofShe hated Ares, god of war, often besting him inwar, often besting him in battle.battle. •• The Greek city of AthensThe Greek city of Athens is named after her.is named after her. •• She was said to haveShe was said to have created the spider.created the spider.
- 12. ApolloApollo--The Sun God; God of Music,The Sun God; God of Music, Poetry, Wisdom, Light and TruthPoetry, Wisdom, Light and Truth •• He was the twin brotherHe was the twin brother of Artemis and the mostof Artemis and the most handsome of the gods.handsome of the gods. •• He was also the god ofHe was also the god of the healing arts and ofthe healing arts and of medicine.medicine. •• He drove his chariotHe drove his chariot across the sky to pull theacross the sky to pull the sun each day.sun each day. •• His son,His son, PhaethonPhaethon, drives, drives Apollo’s sun chariot withApollo’s sun chariot with disastrous results.disastrous results.
- 13. ArtemisArtemis-- Goddess of the Woods,Goddess of the Woods, Moon and the HuntMoon and the Hunt •• She was the twinShe was the twin sister of Apollo,sister of Apollo, whose mother waswhose mother was LetoLeto and father wasand father was Zeus.Zeus. •• She was a chasteShe was a chaste huntress, who alwayshuntress, who always carried a silver bowcarried a silver bow and arrows.and arrows. •• She ruled over theShe ruled over the untamed places of theuntamed places of the earth.earth.
- 14. DionysusDionysus--God of RevelryGod of Revelry and the Vineand the Vine •• He is said to be theHe is said to be the only god ononly god on Olympus with aOlympus with a mortal parent.mortal parent. •• His creation of wineHis creation of wine brings ecstasy andbrings ecstasy and drunkenness to hisdrunkenness to his revelers.revelers. •• Much of the ancientMuch of the ancient world’s greatestworld’s greatest poetry was createdpoetry was created in his honor.in his honor.
- 15. AresAres--Cruel God of WarCruel God of War •• He was a ruthless andHe was a ruthless and murderous god, whomurderous god, who displayed the worst ofdisplayed the worst of humanity’s traits.humanity’s traits. •• He, along with grief,He, along with grief, strife, panic, andstrife, panic, and terror, roams theterror, roams the earth.earth. •• Ironically, he was aIronically, he was a coward, who fled thecoward, who fled the field of battle.field of battle.
- 16. HephaestusHephaestus--God of Fire,God of Fire, Volcanoes and the ForgeVolcanoes and the Forge •• He was the ugliest of theHe was the ugliest of the gods, who was rejectedgods, who was rejected by his mother,by his mother, HeraHera,, when she hurled him offwhen she hurled him off of Mount Olympusof Mount Olympus crippling him.crippling him. •• He fashioned the armorHe fashioned the armor and tools of the gods onand tools of the gods on a broken mountain neara broken mountain near Mount Olympus.Mount Olympus. •• He made beautifulHe made beautiful jewelry for thejewelry for the goddesses.goddesses.
- 17. AphroditeAphrodite--Goddess of LoveGoddess of Love and Beautyand Beauty •• She is the goddess of desireShe is the goddess of desire born from sea foam. Anotherborn from sea foam. Another myth credits her mother asmyth credits her mother as DioneDione and her father as Zeus.and her father as Zeus. •• After all the gods on MountAfter all the gods on Mount Olympus courted her, sheOlympus courted her, she married Hephaestus, the ugliestmarried Hephaestus, the ugliest of the gods.of the gods. •• Because she was judged theBecause she was judged the most beautiful of all themost beautiful of all the goddesses on Mount Olympusgoddesses on Mount Olympus by Paris, the other goddessesby Paris, the other goddesses envied her.envied her.
- 18. HermesHermes-- God of Mischief andGod of Mischief and Messenger of the GodsMessenger of the Gods •• He was the precociousHe was the precocious son of Zeus andson of Zeus and MaiaMaia, a, a TitanessTitaness.. •• As a baby, he made aAs a baby, he made a lyre and pipe for his halflyre and pipe for his half-- brother, Apollo.brother, Apollo. •• He carried Apollo’s goldenHe carried Apollo’s golden staff and flew around thestaff and flew around the heavens and earth onheavens and earth on winged sandals.winged sandals.