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Introduction To Greek Mythology
Arbor Hills GATE/English
Greek history can be traced back over 40,000 years
Land that is now called Greece and Turkey
At the time of the myths, the area was divided into many small states – States are in all
Caps, cities are in normal print
What is a Myth?
A story which is the product of imagination Myths were more than just folk tales to the
Ancient Greeks—it was more like a religion– Closely related to the religious beliefs.
About supernatural events and gods Combines a religious purpose with an
explanatory purpose– For example a mythmaker tries to interpret
nature through personification (gods and mortals) through it
What is a Myth?
Myths were attempts to explain things that would nowadays be explained scientifically.
Ancient people had no scientific knowledge so they used their imagination to fill in the gaps.
Explained natural phenomena that could not be explained otherwise
Like the daily motion of the sun across the sky Explained how people acquired basic things
(Speech, fire, grain, wine, oil, honey, agriculture, metal work, and other skills and arts)
Purpose of Greek Myths
To explain human emotions To answer questions people asked about
the world around them and the natural events that occurred in it
To teach morals by justifying their social system and its customs
Forms of Greek Myths
Motif of the quest– Jason and the Golden
Fleece– The Odyssey
Stories of heroes– Heracles– Theseus
Stories of wars– Trojan War
Stories of the creation of the world
Explanations for natural phenomena
Combining Gods and Myths
Myths evolved over many centuries– During times of war and invasions in Ancient Greece
Conquerors and settlers brought their own gods with them– Took over or merged with similar deity (god) figures that
already existed in Greece Most notably Rome
– Different versions of stories about gods Conflicting stories of parents, birth place, etc.
Probably changed less once the myths were written down
Strange Behavior
The gods did many strange things in the myths– Greeks accepted this because the gods were
supernatural beings– Ordinary people would not have been allowed to do
these strange things
Examples– Gods often married very close members of their family
such as siblings or parents– Grew up instantly – Able to do miraculous things right away
Religion
The stories told in the Greek myths formed part of the religion of Ancient Greece.– The myths illustrated the nature of the gods– The myths taught was pleased or angered the
gods Teaching morals, values
The myths did not set out religious rules or ideals like the Bible or the Koran
What the Gods Were Like
The Greeks thought of their gods as being like themselves– Human shaped– Got married and had children– Made friends and enemies– Had human-like faults
Jealousy, bad temper, bad behaviors
Religion and Everyday Life
Religion was a part of everyday life Greeks often said a quick prayer to the
particular god before doing something– In hopes of it bringing success
Each god was responsible for some aspect of life
People worshiped the gods they found relevant– Pan was the god of shepherds, for example.
Temples
Remains of the temple of Poseidon, the god of the Ocean, at Cape Sounion.
Many magnificent temples were built to the gods. Priests or priestesses looked after the temples and carried
out religious ceremonies. People had shrines in their homes.
– Daily prayers and private ceremonies
Festivals and Drama
Greek Comic Actor
The Greeks had special feast days for the gods– Processions and sacrifices– Plays were performed telling the gods’ lives.
Much of what we now know about Greek myths comes from these plays.
The Creation Myth
The Ancient Greek religion tried to explain how the world began.– Again, not based on science but rather based
on imagination It all started from Chaos
– Before anything existed, there was a dark nothingness call Chaos
– Gradually the shape of Mother Earth, Gaea, emerged from the emptiness and formed the world.
Mother Earth’s Children
Gaea (Mother Earth) produced a son, Uranus, who was the sky– They had children together
Rain fell from the sky onto Earth– Making plants grow and animals appeared from
the rivers and the seas
Mother Earth’s Children
Many strangely-shaped monsters and giants were born– Including the three one-eyed Cyclopes
Uranus treated them cruelly and banished them to the Underworld
Human-shaped giants called Titans were born who became the first gods and goddesses.
The Revolt of the Titans
Gaea, (Mother Earth) could not forgive Uranus for his treatment of her first children (cyclops) and encouraged the Titans, led by Cronos, to rebel.– Cronos attacked and overcame Uranus with a
sickle and took power.
The Birth of Zeus
Cronos married his sister, Rhea, and became King of the Titans.
They had five children– Cronos had been warned that one of them would kill him– He swallowed each one as it was born
To save her sixth child, Rhea tricked Cronos into swallowing a stone wrapped in baby’s clothes and hid the real child among some lesser goddesses called nymphs.– This child was Zeus and was raised safely by the
nymphs.
Zeus’s Revenge
When he grew up, Zeus returned home in disguise
Slipped a potion into Cronos’s drink– Made him choke
The children Cronos had swallowed were coughed out, whole and safe– Daughters—Hestia, Demeter, and Hera– Sons—Hades and Poseidon
Zeus’s Revenge
A fierce battle took place
Zeus freed the Cyclopes– Made thunderbolts for
Zeus to hurl– Made a forked trident
for Poseidon– Made a helmet that
made its wearer invisible for Hades
Zeus’s Revenge
Most of the Titans and giants sided with Cronos– Remember the giants and Titans (the first gods and
goddesses) were children of Mother Earth and Uranus—Brothers/Sisters of Cronos
After a terrible struggle, the children of Cronos (the New Gods) were victorious.
The Titans were banished– One of them, Atlas, was made to hold
up the heavens as punishment
What the World Was Like
The victorious gods divided the world amongst themselves by drawing lots– Zeus became ruler of the sky and king of all the
gods.– Poseidon was made king of the Ocean– Hades was made god of the Underworld.
Olympus
The home of the gods was the peak of Mount Olympus There was a real mountain in the north of Greece called
Mount Olympus– Seemed very high and remote to most Ancient Greeks
Seemed a likely place for the gods to live– Gradually, Olympus was associated less with the actual
mountain and became more an imaginary place high above the Earth.
Zeus married his sister, Hera, and they ruled as king and queen.
No-one but the gods could visit Olympus, except by special invitation.
The Underworld
Ruled by Zeus’s brother, Hades Everyone went there when they died Three parts
– Asphodel Fields Ordinary people wandered here as “shades” where they were
shadowy versions of their earthly selves
– Tartarus Place of punishment for really evil people
– Elysian Fields Exceptionally good or heroic people Golden, blissful place of rest
The Underworld
You could be sent back to Earth to live another life, but if you earned a place in the Elysian Fields three times, you were allowed to go to the Isles of the Blessed, and never had to leave.
The Styx– The Styx was the name of the river you had to cross to
enter the Underworld.– You had to pay the boatman, Charon, one obol (Ancient
Greek coin) to ferry you across People were buried with a coin so they could pay Charon
Ocean
Poseidon’s Kingdom– Controlled the winds and waves– Important to sailors
Made sacrifices to appease Poseidon– Poseidon was powerful, but had to obey Zeus
Earth
Where humans lived Many weird and dangerous creatures lived there
too– Greek heroes had to fight these monsters
Gods frequently visited the Earth– Sometimes made friends with humans– Came in disguise, rewarding or punishing people
according to how they treated the gods– Sometimes they fell in love with humans and had
children with them Heroes of the Greek myths were born in this way—half human,
half god (demi-god)
Why Should We Study Greek Mythology?
Ancient Greek culture has been kept alive by the oral and later written stories handed down through thousands of years.
Modern plays, novels, television programs, movies, and even advertisements refer to Greek gods, goddesses, and heroes in their stories.
