Greek Culture Quest

Scout Schillings

Art, Architecture, and Writing

• There are many temples, but theaters were also built during the Hellenistic period.

• The Greeks wrote many pieces of literature that are still available today. These were works such as epics, poems, plays, and political speeches.

• Ancient Greek art is mainly in five forms: architecture, sculpture, painting, painted pottery, and music.

Map of Ancient Greece

Major Greek Gods

• Zeus was, for many Greeks, the king of the gods.

• Athena is the goddess of wisdom. • Hades was the god of the dead, who

ruled the place where dead people went after they died

Trojan War• Three goddesses were said to be having an argument. The

goddesses Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera were arguing about which one of them was the most beautiful. They agreed to choose a human man and let him decide. At random, the goddesses picked Paris, the youngest son of King Priam, to be their judge. Each of the goddesses offered Paris a bribe to get him to vote for her. Athena offered him wisdom. Hera offered him power. But Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful woman in the world, and Paris voted for her. So Aphrodite had to come through on her promise. She sent Paris to go visit the Greek king of Sparta, Menelaus. Menelaus was married to Helen, who was the most beautiful woman in the world. Menelaus and Helen welcomed Paris kindly, and gave him dinner and let him stay the night in their house. But during the night Paris convinced Helen to run away with him (because Aphrodite made her agree). He took her back to Troy with him and married her, even though she was already married to Menelaus. This caused a war between the two rivals as one side attempted to retain their princess.

Famous Heros

• According to the Greeks, Hercules was the son of a woman named Alcmene and the god Zeus. He was a great hero, and very strong.

• Achilles was the strongest and most fearless warrior in the Greek war against the Trojans.But in the end Paris, son of the Trojan king, fatally wounded Achilles in the heel. Today, the tendon that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone is called the Achilles tendon, and a small but dangerous weakness is known as an “Achilles heel.”

Famous Monsters

• Medusa was caught kissing her boyfriend in a goddesses temple. Naturally, Athena, the goddess of their new love nest, was very upset. Athena made Medusa grow very ugly, and have snakes instead of hair. It is said that when you look her in the eye, you turn to stone.

Citations• http://www.google.com/imgres?

q=map+of+ancient+greece&hl=en&safe=active&sa=X&rlz=1R2RNQN_enUS462&biw=1024&bih=368&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=dn-UsdTu1ADjIM:&imgrefurl=http://karenswhimsy.com/maps-of-ancient-greece.shtm&docid=hJ-CetQj4mQxoM&imgurl=http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/maps-ancient-greece/images/maps-ancient-greece-1.jpg&w=550&h=392&ei=SDDqTui7E8a2twe4oZm8Cg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=438&sig=103221927020400887234&page=1&tbnh=90&tbnw=126&start=0&ndsp=14&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0&tx=56&ty=52&surl=1

• http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/architecture/greekarch2.htm