Aim: What is a myth? Who were the ancient Greek gods and goddesses?

Do Now: Explain how you would define a myth. What are myths? What do myths help us to understand?

English 9 3/3/15 – 3/6/15Mr. Verutes

What is a myth?

• A traditional story rooted in primitive folk beliefs of cultures

• Uses the supernatural to interpret natural events

• Explains the culture’s view of the universe and the nature of humanity

• Passed down through the oral tradition

Classwork Activity (DO NOT COPY)

• Begin completing the Approaching the Text row of the Questioning Texts worksheet with the information from the Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of Greek Myth packet. Complete the Reading Purpose row of the Questioning Texts Worksheet by writing our purpose for reading:– To consider the content and information the text presents about the topic.

• Answer “What do I already understand about the text?” based on our class discussion of what a myth is and what myths communicate.

• Next, add the following guiding questions to the Questioning the Text row:– What do I learn about the topic as I read?– How do the ideas relate to what I already know?

• Complete the Text-Specific Question row of the Guiding Questions Worksheet by adding the question:– What do the myths communicate about ancient Greek culture? – According to the stories of the gods and goddesses, what qualities and ideas did

the ancient Greeks value?

Classwork Share

• How did you answer the question “What do I already understand about the text based on this information”?

Homework1. Begin reading the selected myths contained in the packet. As you read,

note any details that help you to answer either of the guiding questions for HGaM:– What do I learn about the topic as I read?– How do the ideas relate to what I already know?

2. As you re-read the text to complete your Say, Mean, Matter journal entries, identify quotations that communicate details to help us answer our text-specific questions for the ancient Greek myths:– What do the myths communicate about ancient Greek culture? – According to the stories of the gods and goddesses, what qualities

and ideas did the ancient Greeks value?

3. Begin working on journal entries for our reading of the ancient Greek myths. Complete at least two journal entries per myth (2x Say, Mean, Matter- 26 in total)

Ancient Greek Culture• The Ancient Greeks were a polytheistic culture, meaning that they

believed in many gods (also known as Pagan).

• The Ancient Greeks tried to make sense of the world around them through their belief in gods. For example, an earthquake would be attributed to the god Poseidon (god of the seas), for the ancient Greeks believed that he could cause the Earth to tremble with the force of the ocean’s waves.

• Many Greek city-states had patron gods, whom they believed protected their city. For example, Athena was said to be the patron goddess of Athens (a right that she was said to have won in a contest with Poseidon).

• The gods often disguised themselves among humans, which is why the ancient Greeks were known for their hospitality. It was said that you never knew who might be a god in disguise, and no one wanted to risk angering a god (some mortals did with unfortunate results).

Greek Gods• Belief in the ancient Greek gods spread throughout the ancient world,

and, eventually, the ancient Romans began to imitate the ancient Greeks by developing their own system of gods which were duplicates of the Greek gods (though many were renamed).

• Each god (according to the order of their birth) was charged with a responsibility (often numerous responsibilities) of which they became the patron god. For example, Ares was god of war, and in wartime many soldiers would pray to him for a successful battle.

• The twelve main gods made up the Pantheon (meaning “all gods”) and ruled from Mount Olympus (home of the gods). Zeus, as king of the gods, would often settle disputes between the other gods and led the Pantheon. Depending on which myth you consult, different gods made up the Pantheon of 12 (though all myths refer to lesser gods). All seem to agree that Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Demeter, Hephaestus, Hades, Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis, and Hermes were part of the Pantheon.

Whole Class Review

• Greek gods and goddesses Family Tree

Classwork Activity

• Zeus review questions (on Family Tree worksheet)

The First Parents

• Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia)• Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus)• They had three kinds of children:– Monsters with 100 hands and 50 heads (hundred-

handed ones)– The cyclopes (giants with one eye)– The titans (parents of the gods)

• These were the first characters that had the appearance of life, although it was unlike any life known to man.

The Titans (The Elder Gods)

– There were many of them.– They had enormous size and incredible strength

• Cronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titans• Rhea: Wife of Cronos• Oceanus: River that encircled the world• Iapetus: Father of Prometheus,

Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)

The Principal Gods

• Cronos and Rhea were parents of:– Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)– Poseidon (Neptune)– Hades (Pluto)– Hera (Juno)– Hestia (Vesta)– Demeter (Ceres)

• Other Olympians include– Athena (Minerva)– Ares (Mars)– Hebe (Juventas)– Hephaestus (Vulcan)– Apollo (Apollo)– Artemis (Diana)– Hermes (Mercury)– Aphrodite (Venus)– Dionysus (Bacchus)– Persephone (Proserpina)

Classwork• As we review each of the gods and goddesses, complete the

Olympians Worksheet according to your reading and class notes.

The Olympians

Zeus

• Roman Name: Jupiter (also Jove)

• Supreme god of the Olympians.

• Fathered many characters in mythology

Zeus

Hera

• Roman Name: Juno• Zeus’s sister and

wife• Goddess of women

and jealous protector of marriage

• Punished the women Zeus fell in love with

Poseidon

• Roman Name: Neptune

• God of the Seas and Waters

• “The Earthshaker”

Hades

• Roman Name: Pluto

• God of the Underworld (sometimes called Tartarus) and the dead

• Kidnapped Persephone

Hestia

• Roman Name: Vesta

• Goddess of Home

• Powerful Protector

Demeter

• Roman Name: Ceres

• Goddess of the Harvest

• A Goddess of the Earth

Athena

• Roman Name: Minerva

• Goddess of Wisdom and War

• Sprang from Zeus’s head

• Punished a young weaver named Arachne and turned her into the first spider

Ares

• Roman Name: Mars

• God of War• Son of Zeus and

Hera• Bloodthirsty and

merciless

Hephaestus

• Roman Name: Vulcan (Mulciber)

• God of Fire/Forge• Son of Zeus and

Hera• Kind, unlike his

brother

Apollo

• Roman Name: Apollo

• God of light, the Sun, mathematics, and music

• Brother of Artemis

Artemis

• Roman Name: Diana

• Goddess of the Moon and hunting

• Sister of Apollo

Hermes

• Roman Name: Mercury

• Messenger of the Gods

• Appears in more myths than any other character

Aphrodite

• Roman Name: Venus• Goddess of Love and

Beauty• In some myths, was

said to have sprang from the ocean foam

• In other myths, was said to be the daughter of Zeus and Dione (a titaness)

Dionysus

• Roman Name: Bacchus

• God of Wine• Patron god of the

Greek stage• A God of the

Earth

Persephone

• Roman Name: Proserpina

• Goddess of the Underworld and springtime

• Daughter of Zeus and Demeter

• Abducted by Hades

Eros

• Roman Name: Cupid• Young God of Love• Son of Aphrodite

and Hephaestus according to some myths

• Called one of the primordial gods in other myths

The Muses

• Nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne

• Inspired artists of all kinds

• Goddesses who presided over the arts and sciences

• “He is happy whom the muses love.”

Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Polyhymnia

Homework

• Complete the Greek gods and goddesses crossword (Quiz #8) based on your reading and class notes.

Classwork ActivityReview your reading the myths and your reader’s notepad entries. Then copy down and answer the following review exercises on a sheet of looseleaf. Explain each answer, using a quote from your reading to support your point. Make sure to introduce and explain the quote and cite it. Finish any questions that you do not complete in class FOR HOMEWORK.

1. Explain how an event in the myth of Zeus shows that the ancient Greeks valued cleverness or intelligence.

2. Identify a passage from one of the myths (other than the myth of Zeus) that demonstrates that the ancient Greeks placed great value on physical beauty and explain how the selection you identified does so.

3. What in the myth of Hera helps support the idea that the ancient Greeks valued loyalty? Discuss.

4. Using examples from the myth of Artemis and/or the myth of Hades, what supports the idea that the ancient Greeks valued fame and glory? How is fame and/or glory achieved?

5. Identify examples from the myths of Aphrodite, Apollo, and/or Poseidon that support the idea that the ancient Greeks believed that their gods were flawed and had human failings. What failings did you identify in the example(s) you chose?

6. Why does the myth of Athena reveal that the ancient Greeks believed that hubris could earn a god’s wrath? What lesson do we take away as a result?

7. Identify an example from the myth of the sons of Apollo that reveals that the ancient Greeks valued hospitality, especially toward strangers. Why did they do so? Explain.

8. How does the myth of Hephaestus and/or Hermes demonstrate that the ancient Greeks highly valued ingenuity and/or craftsmanship? Explain