Lesson 1

Introduction to
Greek Mythology

Greek mythology is not only interesting, but it is also the foundation of allusion and character
genesis in literature. In this lesson plan, students will gain an understanding of Greek mythology
and the Olympian gods and goddesses.
Learning Objectives:
After completing the lessons in this unit, students will be able to:

 Understand the Greek view of creation.

 Understand the terms Zeus, Rhea, Poseidon, Apollo, Hades, Hyperborean, Ethiopia,
Mediterranean, and Elysian Fields.

 Describe the Greek view of the world's geography.

 Identify the names and key features of the Olympian gods/goddesses.

 Create their own god/goddess.

 Create their own myth explaining a natural phenomenon.

Main Ideas

The Greeks created myths to explain the world. Ancient Greek literature provides some of the
world’s greatest poems and stories. Greek literature lives in and influences our world even
today. The ancient Greeks created great myths and works of literature that influence the way we
speak and write today.

Key Vocabulary:

 Mythology  Greek God and

 Homer Goddesses
 Sappho  Aesop

As a farmer in ancient Greece, your way of life depends on events in nature. The crops you grow
need sunshine and rain, though thunder and lightning scare you. When you look up at the night
sky, you wonder about the twinkling lights you see there. You know that at certain times of the
year, the weather will turn cold and gray and plants will die. Then, a few months later, green
plants will grow again.

1. How might you explain these natural events?

Building Background

The Greeks lived in a time long before the development of science. To them, natural events like
thunderstorms and changing seasons were mysterious. Today we can explain what causes these
events. But to the Greeks, they seemed like the work of powerful gods.

Myths Explain the World

The ancient Greeks believed in many gods. These gods were at the centre of Greek mythology a
body of stories about gods and heroes that try to explain how the world works. Each story, or
myth, explained natural or historical events.

Task 1: Read and Discover

Follow the instruction below and answer the question after reading the book of god and
goddesses by Aliki.

1. Read The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus by Aliki.

2. Draw your own representation of the Greek view of the world on the paper plate using
colored pencils and the map on the previous page as a guideline. Be sure to include the
Ethiopians, the Hyperborean and the Elysian Fields on your map.

3. Write a one-paragraph essay comparing the Greek view of the world to the contemporary
view of it, including at least two points of comparison and two of contrast. You can
follow this guideline:

o Directions for Paragraph: Begin with a topic sentence. Here is an example:

The Greek view of the world both resembles and differs from the contemporary
view.

o Next, list two ways the views are similar. Here are examples:
The Greek view resembles the contemporary view in that:
Additionally, the views are similar because:

o Next, list two ways the views are different. Here are examples:
However, the Greek view is not the same as the contemporary view because the
Greeks believed
The Greeks also thought

o Last, you will state a conclusion. Here's an example:

Therefore, even though the views have similarities, they differ in important ways.
Greek Gods

People today have scientific explanations for events like thunder, earthquakes, and volcanic
eruptions. The ancient Greeks did not. They believed their gods caused these events to happen,
and they created myths to explain the gods’ actions.

Among the most important Greek gods were the ones in the picture below:

• Zeus, king of the gods • Poseidon, god of the sea • Hades, god of the
a underworld

• Hera, queen of the gods • Athena, goddess of wisdom • Artemis, goddess of the
v moon

Gods and Mythology

The Greeks saw the work of the gods in events all around them. For example, the Greeks lived in
an area where volcanic eruptions were common. To explain these eruptions, they told stories
about the god Hephaestus (hi-FES-tuhs), who lived underground. The fi re and lava that poured
out of volcanoes, the Greeks said, came from the huge fires of the god’s forge. At this forge he
created weapons and armor for the other gods.
The Greeks did not think the gods spent all their time creating disasters, though. They also
believed the gods caused daily events. For example, they believed the goddess of agriculture,
Demeter (di-MEE-tuhr), created the seasons. According to Greek myth, Demeter had a daughter
who was kidnapped by another god. The desperate goddess begged the god to let her daughter
go, and eventually he agreed to let her return to her mother for six months every year. During the
winter, Demeter is separated from her daughter and misses her. In her grief, she doesn’t let plants
grow. When her daughter comes home, the goddess is happy, and summer comes to Greece. To
the Greeks, this story explained why winter came every year.

To keep the gods happy, the Greeks built great temples to them all around Greece. In return,
however, they expected the gods to give them help when they needed it. For example, many
Greeks in need of advice travelled to Delphi, a city in central Greece. There they spoke to the
oracle, a female priest of Apollo to whom they thought the god gave answers. The oracle at
Delphi was so respected that Greek leaders sometimes asked her for advice about how to rule
their cities

The Labyrinth the Minotaur lived in the Labyrinth, a large chamber with many twisting
passageways. Before entering the Labyrinth, Theseus was given a ball of string, which he tied to
the door and used to find his way back out of the maze like chamber after he killed the Minotaur.

2. What was the purpose of telling myths?

3. What was often the explanation for natural events such as earthquakes?

Heroes and Mythology

Not all Greek myths were about gods. Many told about the adventures of great heroes. Some of
these heroes were real people, while others were not. The Greeks loved to tell the stories of
heroes who had special abilities and faced terrible monsters. The people of each city had their
favorite hero, usually someone from there. The people of Athens, for example, told stories about
the hero Theseus. According to legend, he travelled to Crete and killed the Minotaur, a terrible
monster that was half human and half bull. People from northern Greece told myths about Jason
and how he sailed across the seas in search of a great treasure, fighting enemies the whole way.
Perhaps the most famous of all Greek heroes was a man called Hercules. The myths explain how
Hercules fought many monsters and performed nearly impossible tasks. For example, he fought
and killed the hydra, a huge snake with nine heads and poisonous fangs. Every time Hercules cut
off one of the monster’s heads, two more heads grew in its place. In the end, Hercules had to
burn the hydra’s neck each time he cut off a head to keep a new head from growing. People from
all parts of Greece enjoyed stories about Hercules and his great deeds.

How did the Greeks use myths to explain the world around them?
Task 2

Match the following names of god and goddesses bellow.

World View

The Greek view of the world was a little different than ours. The Greeks believed that the world
was flat, but circular, like a paper plate. At the center of the Universe was Greece.
Their world was divided by the Mediterranean, which means "Middle of the Lands" in Latin. The
river Ocean flowed around the world in a clockwise motion.

In the north lived the Hyperborean — an extremely happy people for whom life was sweet.
When the old people became tired of living, they threw themselves into the sea. This was a land
of constant vacation where people were said to live for 1,000 years.
In the south lived the Ethiopians. In Greek drama, mention is often made of various gods being
in Ethiopia, meaning really far away. So, if I say I parked in Ethiopia this morning, would that
mean I'm close to my office or far away? The Ethiopians were said to be on good terms with the
gods and liked to entertain them.
To the west were the Elysian Fields. This was the closest the Greeks got to the idea of heaven;
only the best and brightest of the dead people got to go there.

Ancient Greek Literature

Because the Greeks loved myths and stories, it is no surprise that they created great works of
literature. Early Greek writers produced long epic poems, romantic poetry, and some of the
world’s most famous stories.

Homer and Epic Poetry

Among the earliest Greek writings are two great epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, by a poet
named Homer. Like most epics, both poems describe the deeds of great heroes. The heroes in
Homer’s poems fought in the Trojan War. In this war, the Mycenaean Greeks fought the Trojans,
people of the city called Troy.

The Iliad tells the story of the last years of the Trojan War. It focuses on the deeds of the Greeks,
especially Achilles (uh-KILeez), the greatest of all Greek warriors. It describes in great detail the
battles between the Greeks and their Trojan enemies. The Odyssey describes the challenges that
the Greek hero Odysseus (oh-DI-seeuhs) faced on his way home from the war.

For 10 years after the war ends, Odysseus tries to get home, but many obstacles stand in his way.
He has to fight his way past terrible monsters, powerful magicians, and even angry gods. Both
the Iliad and the Odyssey are great tales of adventure. But to the Greeks Homer’s poems were
much more than just entertainment. They were central to the ancient Greek education system.
People memorized long passages of the poems as part of their lessons. They admired Homer’s
poems and the heroes described in them as symbols of Greece’s great history. Homer’s poems
influenced later writers.

They copied his writing styles and borrowed some of the stories and ideas he wrote about in his
works. Homer’s poems are considered some of the greatest literary works ever produced.
Lyric Poetry

Other poets wrote poems that were often set to music. During a performance, the poet played a
stringed instrument called a lyre while reading a poem. These poets were called lyric poets after
their instrument, the lyre. Today, the words of songs are called lyrics after these ancient Greek
poets.

Most poets in Greece were men, but the most famous lyric poet was a woman named Sappho
(SAF-oh). Her poems were beautiful and emotional. Most of her poems were about love and
relationships with her friends and family.

Fables

Other Greeks told stories to teach people important lessons. Aesop (EE-sahp), for example, is
famous for his fables. Fables are short stories that teach the reader lessons about life or give
advice on how to live. In most of Aesop’s fables, animals are the main characters. The animals
talk and act like humans. One of Aesop’s most famous stories is the tale of the ants and the
grasshopper:

“The ants were spending a fi ne winter’s day drying grain collected in the summer time. A
Grasshopper, perishing [dying] with famine [hunger], passed by and earnestly [eagerly] begged
for a little food. The Ants inquired [asked] of him, “Why did you not treasure up food during the
summer?”

He replied, “I had not leisure enough. I passed the days in singing.”

They then said in derision: “If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance
supper less to bed in the winter.”

–Aesop, from “The Ants and the Grasshopper”

The lesson in this fable is that people shouldn’t waste time instead of working. Those who do,
Aesop says, will be sorry. Another popular fable by Aesop, “The Tortoise and the Hare,” teaches
that it is better to work slowly and carefully than to hurry and make mistakes. “The Boy Who
Cried Wolf” warn readers not to play pranks on others. Since we still read these fables, you may
be familiar with them.

Why did the Greeks tell fables?

Fables Today
 Some fables by Aesop are so famous that they have given us expressions that we still use today.
When someone “cries wolf,” they are warning of danger that is not really there. The expression
“a wolf in sheep’s clothing” is from another fable by Aesop. It means a person who appears
harmless but is really not.

Greek Literature Lives

The works of ancient Greek writers such as Homer, Sappho, and Aesop are still alive and
popular today. In fact, Greek literature has influenced modern language, literature, and art. Did
you know that some of the words you use and some of the stories you hear come from ancient
Greece?

Language

Probably the most obvious way we see the influence of the Greeks is in our language. Many
English words and expressions come from Greek mythology. For example, we call a long
journey an “odyssey” after Odysseus, the wandering hero of Homer’s poem. Something very
large and powerful is called “titanic.” This word comes from the Titans, a group of large and
powerful gods in Greek myth.

Many places around the world today are also named after figures from Greek myths. For
example, Athens is named for Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Africa’s Atlas Mountains were
named after a giant from Greek mythology who held up the sky. The name of the Aegean Sea
comes from Aegeus, a legendary Greek king. Europe itself was named after a figure from Greek
myth, the princess Europa. Even places in space bear names from mythology. For example,
Jupiter’s moon Io was named after a goddess’s daughter.

Literature and the Arts

Greek myths have inspired artists for centuries. Great painters and sculptors have used gods and
heroes as the subjects of their works. Writers have retold ancient stories, sometimes set in
modern times. Moviemakers have also borrowed stories from ancient myths. Hercules, for
example, has been the subject of dozens of films. These films range from early classics to a Walt
Disney cartoon.

Mythological references are also common in today’s popular culture. Many sports teams have
adopted the names of powerful figures from myths, like Titans or Trojans. Businesses frequently
use images or symbols from mythology in their advertising. Although people no longer believe
in the Greek gods, mythological ideas can still be seen all around us.

How did Greek myths influence later language and art?

Task 3: Critical Thinking

On a one whole sheet of paper, work on your group and answer the following question in a
paragraph type and explaine your answer.

1. a. Define what is mythology?

b. Summarize why did the ancient Greek create myths?

2. a. Identify what are Homer’s most famous works?

b. Contrast how are fables different from myths?

3. a. Recall in what areas have Greek myths influenced our culture?

b. Analyze why you think mythological references are popular with sports teams and businesses
today?

c. Evaluate why do you think Greek literature has been so influential throughout history?

4. Categorizing Draw a chart

List two characteristics of each type of Greek literature.

FOCUS ON WRITING

5. Putting Your Ideas Together Look at your notes from the previous sections. Think about the
personalities you gave physical features and government leaders. Now imagine that those
personalities belonged to gods. What stories might be told about these gods? Write some ideas
down.

 Epic
 Poetry
 Lyric
 Poetry Fables

S U MMARY AND PREVIEW

The myths, stories, and poems of ancient Greece have shaped how people today speak, read, and
write. Like democracy, these myths, stories, and poems are part of ancient Greece’s gift to the
world. In the next chapter you will learn about the story of Cupid and Psyche.

PREPARED BY : MARIA EVELYN O. WON