Name: KEY Period: Date: World History – Mrs. Schenck

Greek Religion Packet FQ: Where can we find allusions to Greek mythology today?

Allusions in Myth AND History

Why should we study Greek gods and religion? Because they are everywhere in the form of ALLUSIONS!!

ALLUSION: a reference to some piece of knowledge (in this case mythology) that the

reader is expected to know and understand

NOT an Illusion: something that deceives by creating a false/misleading impression of reality Example of an ALLUSION:

• The Seahawks’ super bowl loss finally showed their team’s Achilles’ heel to be the lack of a running game.

o You are expected to know that Achilles’ heel refers to a weakness – based on the Greek myth that Achilles mother dipped him in the river Styx, making him immortal except for his heel, which she held to dip him in the waters.

• List some other allusions to Greek mythology from the examples in class – they

are everywhere!

o Venus Razor – Venus is the Roman name for the goddess Aphrodite. If you know that Venus was the goddess of beauty, you can better understand the ad campaign that sells razors to women who want to be beautiful like the goddess, Venus.

GREEK CREATION MYTH

1. Summarize the key events in the Greek creation myth: Gaia, the Earth mother, and Uranus, the sky god, were the first couple and had many monster children and gods. Uranus was cruel, and Gaia gave her son Kronos a sickle to kill him. Kronos and Rhea created the first men and other gods. Fearful of being overthrown like his father, Kronos ate his children. Rhea tricked Kronos, and his one son Zeus survived to overthrow Kronos and create the next ages of men.

2. What big questions or natural events did the creation myth help ancient Greeks understand? Where do humans come from and what is their purpose? How was the Earth and its landforms created? Etc.

3. What similarities/difference do you see to other creation myths we

have read so far:

Similarities: Earth began in darkness and chaos, gods create humans, etc.

Differences: there were four different “ages” of men created, father killing gods complex, etc.

4. Why do you think these key similarities exist?

Ancient people used myth/stories to explain the world around them. The Greeks would have traded with and been influenced by other civilizations too. If you imagine how you would explain the natural world without the scientific knowledge we have today, you would probably see some of the same things the ancients did.

5. Did you think of any other allusions after reading the myth?

Uranus – god of the sky has a planet in space named after him, etc.

On the following page, identify the god with their Greek and Roman name, job,

and an important symbol.

Zeus/Jupiter: King of the gods, lightning bolts

Hera/Juno: queen of the gods, peacock

Poseidon/Neptune: God of the sea, trident

Ares/Mars: God of war, skull/spear

Hermes/Mercury: Messenger god, winged sandals/hat

Artemis/Diana: Goddess of moon/women/hunters, silver arrows

Demeter/Ceres: Goddess of grain/agriculture, wheat

Haphaestos/Vulcan: God of craftsmen, hammer/anvil

Aphrodite/Venus: Goddess of love and beauty, seashells/roses/doves

Dionysus/Bacchus: God of wine/parties, Cup/vine

Apollo: God of sun/music/ science/etc., laurel tree/lyre

Athena/Minerva: Goddess of wisdom and war, owl/olive branch

Greek Myths

FQs: What is human nature? How are the Greek gods like us?

With your group, read the myth you were given and complete your story in the chart.

Plot Summary Theme Allusions

Firebringer (Prometheus)

Prometheus steals fire from the gods and is punished by

Zeus.

Do what’s right even when it’s hard.

promethean = creative, boldly,

original, etc.

Pandora

Pandora opens a box she was forbidden to

open and let’s all evil out into the

world.

Hope endures, don’t go looking for

trouble, do as you’re told…

“opening Pandora’s box” = situation where you get

yourself into more trouble

Arachne

Arachne challenges Athena to a weaving contest and her pride

causes Athena to turn her into a spider.

Pride is dangerous, vanity is a bad trait,

humility is important…

arachnophobia = fear of spiders

Sisyphus

Sisyphus tries to hide from death and is punished by Zeus

and Hades.

You can’t cheat death.

sisyphean = endless, tortuous task

Echo and Narcissus

Echo is punished for her endless talking

and Narcissus for his vanity.

Self-interest is harmful, vanity is a

dangerous trait

echo = reverberating sound, narcissistic =

self-love, vanity, arrogant

Join the other groups and complete the chart and the final discussion questions here.

• How does myth explain nature? How humans got fire, where spiders come from, origin of echoes, etc.

• How does myth explain human nature?

Humans are vain, full of pride, think they’re smarter than the gods, can cheat death, etc.

Pre-Writing Organizer

Question: Explain the theme the author is trying to convey in your Greek myth.

Answer - Theme:

Claim:

Example “Direct Quote”:

Claim:

Example “Direct Quote”:

FQ: Where can we find allusions to Greek mythology today?

Hades/Pluto: God of the Underworld, Cerberus (three headed dog)