• The Ancient Greek cultureThe Ancient Greek culturehas been kept alive by thehas been kept alive by theoral and later writtenoral and later writtenstories handed downstories handed downthrough thousands ofthrough thousands ofyears.years.• • Modern plays, novels,Modern plays, novels,television programs,television programs,movies and evenmovies and evenadvertisements refer toadvertisements refer toGreek gods, goddesses,Greek gods, goddesses,heroes and their stories.heroes and their stories.• • Adventurous and excitingAdventurous and excitingstories delight and wonder.stories delight and wonder.

So why do we study So why do we study mythology?mythology?

Examples of mythology in movies, etc.

• “Dante’s Inferno”• Heroes• Thor• Disney’s Hercules• Lord of the Rings• Wrath/Rise of the

Titans• Any others

Other types of mythology

• Roman – (similar to Greek)

• Native American

• Norse – (Thor, LotR, Loki)

• Japanese

The people of ancient The people of ancient GreeceGreeceshared stories called mythsshared stories called mythsabout the gods, goddesses,about the gods, goddesses,and heroes in which theyand heroes in which theybelieved.believed.

• • Each god or goddess wasEach god or goddess wasworshipped as a deity andworshipped as a deity andruled over certain areas ofruled over certain areas ofthe Greeks’ lives.the Greeks’ lives.

• • These exciting storiesThese exciting storiesexplained natural explained natural phenomenaphenomenathat could not be explainedthat could not be explainedby science in the ancientby science in the ancientworld.world.

What is Greek Mythology?What is Greek Mythology?

The god’s before them

• The father of Zeus, Hades and Poseidon was Cronus, who was a Titan.

• The Titans ruled over the world before the gods.

• The Titans were imprisoned in Tartarus.

ZEUSZEUSRoman name Jupiter

• Zeus was the Zeus was the supreme god of supreme god of the Olympians.the Olympians.

• Had multiple Had multiple lovers.lovers.

HeraHeraRoman name Juno

• Hera was the Hera was the goddess of goddess of marriage. She marriage. She was the wife of was the wife of Zeus and Queen Zeus and Queen of the Olympians.of the Olympians.

APHRODITEAPHRODITERoman name Venus

• Aphrodite was the Aphrodite was the goddess of love, goddess of love, beauty and beauty and fertility. She was fertility. She was also a protectress also a protectress of sailors. of sailors.

ARESARESRoman name Mars

• Ares was the god Ares was the god of war, or more of war, or more precisely of precisely of warlike frenzy. warlike frenzy.

HEPHAESTUSHEPHAESTUSRoman name Vulcan

• Hephaestus was Hephaestus was the lame god of the lame god of fire and crafts or fire and crafts or the two together, the two together, hence of hence of blacksmiths.blacksmiths.

ARTEMISARTEMISRoman name Diana

• Artemis was the Artemis was the goddess of the goddess of the hunt. She helped hunt. She helped women in women in childbirth, but childbirth, but also brought also brought sudden death sudden death with her arrows. with her arrows.

DIONYSUSDIONYSUSRoman name Bacchus

• Dionysus was the Dionysus was the god of wine.god of wine.

HERMESHERMESRoman name Mercury

• Hermes was the Hermes was the messenger of the messenger of the gods and guide of gods and guide of dead souls to the dead souls to the Underworld.Underworld.

POSEIDONPOSEIDON Roman name Neptune

• Poseidon was the Poseidon was the god of the sea, god of the sea, earthquakes and earthquakes and horses. Although horses. Although he was officially he was officially one of the one of the supreme gods of supreme gods of Mount Olympus, Mount Olympus, he spent most of he spent most of his time in his his time in his watery domain.watery domain.

APOLLOAPOLLORoman name Apollo

• Apollo was the Apollo was the god of prophesy, god of prophesy, music and music and healing.healing.

ATHENAATHENARoman name Minerva

• Athena was the Athena was the goddess of crafts goddess of crafts and the domestic and the domestic arts and also those arts and also those of war and wisdom. of war and wisdom. She was the patron She was the patron goddess of Athens. goddess of Athens. Her symbol was the Her symbol was the owl.owl.

DEMETERDEMETERRoman name Cerus

• Demeter was the Demeter was the goddess of goddess of agriculture. She agriculture. She was the sister of was the sister of Zeus and the Zeus and the mother of mother of Persephone. Persephone.

HADESHADESRoman name Pluto

• Hades was the Hades was the God of the dead God of the dead and ruler of the and ruler of the Underworld, which Underworld, which was called Hades was called Hades after the god. after the god. Hades abducted Hades abducted Persephone, who Persephone, who became his queen.became his queen.

Other stories of mythology

• Icarus and Daedulus

• King Midas• Arachne the

Spinner• Narcissus