KS2 Ancient History Club

George, Jason, Leigh, Magali, Natalie, Nicola

The Great Greek Gods & Myths

Where is Greece?

About 2500 years ago, the Greeks created a way of life that other people admired and copied.

The people of ancient Greece shared stories called myths about the gods, goddesses, and heroes in which they believed.

Each god or goddess was worshipped and ruled over certain areas of the Greeks’ lives.

These exciting stories explained natural events that could not be explained by science in the ancient world.

What is Greek Mythology?

The Ancient Greek culture has been kept alive by the oral and written stories handed down through thousands of years.

Modern plays, novels, television programs, movies and even advertisements refer to Greek gods, goddesses, heroes and their stories.

Historians and archaeologists use the Greek myths to help study Ancient Greek civilisations.

Why Should We StudyGreek Mythology?

Son of Cronos He ruled the Olympians.He was the god of the sky,

lightning and thunder carrying a thunderbolt as his symbol.

He married Hera, his sister, which was a family habit.

He fathered many children with various goddesses and mortals.

Zeus – Leader of the Olympian Gods

She was the protector of marriage and the home.

She was associated with the peacock, because of her great beauty.

She and Zeus were always quarrelling.

She was called the queen of intriguers, a vindictive and jealous wife, who frequently outwitted her husband, Zeus.

Hera – Wife of Zeus

He built an underwater palace with a great pearl and coral throne.

Although he chose Thetis, a beautiful water nymph, as his queen, he, like his brother Zeus, was a great wanderer fathering hundreds of children.

He was a difficult god, changeful and quarrelsome, but created many curious forms for his sea creatures.

He invented the horse for his sister Demeter, whom he loved.

His symbol was the trident.

Poseidon – God of the Sea

Brother of Zeus & Poseidon, jealous because he had to live with the dead

Kidnapped Persephone from his sister Demeter and married her

Had a three-headed dog, Cerberus and a helmet that made him invisible

Hades– God of the Underworld

GoddessesAthena-Goddess of Wisdom, Justice, War, Civilisation and Peace

Artemis- Goddess of Woods, Moon and the Hunt

Demeter-Goddess of Corn and the Harvest

Aphrodite- Goddess of Love

Hestia-Goddess of the Hearth

Gods

Apollo-The Sun God; God of Music, Poetry, Wisdom, Light and Truth

Dionysius-God of WineHermes-Messenger of the GodsAres-God of WarHephaestus-God of Fire and Forge

HERCULES

AND HIS TWELVE

LABOURS

The great warrior HerculesWas made out of pretty stern stuff.He carried out twelve famous tasks,All of them really tough.

He fought a lion with claws so sharpThat it could rip armour to shreds..

He fought a lion with claws so sharpThat it could rip armour to shreds..

And then he killed a hydra, that'sA monster with nine heads.

And then he killed a hydra, that'sA monster with nine heads.

After that he was told to go And catch a golden deer.The deer was very hard to catchIt took Hercules a full year.

After that he was told to go And catch a golden deer.The deer was very hard to catchIt took Hercules a full year.

After that he was told to go And catch a golden deer.The deer was very hard to catchIt took Hercules a full year.

After that he was told to go And catch a golden deer.The deer was very hard to catchIt took Hercules a full year.

After that he was told to go And catch a golden deer.The deer was very hard to catchIt took Hercules a full year.

His next task was hunting againThis time a wild savage boar.

His next task was hunting againThis time a wild savage boar.

After that he cleaned a stableWhich was full of manure.Hercules cleaned those huge stables In just one single day,

After that he cleaned a stableWhich was full of manure.Hercules cleaned those huge stables In just one single day,

And then he had to go and chaseSome nasty birds away.

And then he had to go and chaseSome nasty birds away.

Next he caught a dangerous Bull'Twas rampaging through Crete.

CRETE

Next he caught a dangerous Bull'Twas rampaging through Crete.

After that he stole some horsesThat had a taste for meat.

After that he stole some horsesThat had a taste for meat.He went to the Amazons nextAnd wound up having a battle.

He went to the Amazons nextAnd wound up having a battle.And after that he had to goAnd steal a monster's cattle

And after that he had to goAnd steal a monster's cattle

Next he had to search the whole worldTo find some special magic fruit.

Next he had to search the whole worldTo find some special magic fruit.

Next he had to search the whole worldTo find some special magic fruit.

And finally he caught a dog -A huge, three headed brute.

And finally he caught a dog -A huge, three headed brute.

Hercules earned a great rewardFor being so strong and so clever;His father Zeus promised himThat he would live forever.

You can live forever.

The IliadOdysseus and his voyagePerseus and MedusaJason and the ArgonautsEcho and NarcissusBellephron and PegasusAND MANY MORE...

Other myths to know

Draw a cartoon story/strip of one of the heroes or any Greek myths you know

3 part matching game: name of god/what they are god of/symbol

Make a Medusa mask

Activities

Local libraries

Here are some online resources to help you do further research on the characters and ancient places you have encountered in this lesson. Herakles: Greece's Greatest Hero

The life and times of Herakles. Find out about the famous 12 Labours and the Ancient places he visited on his adventures.http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/

Historical timeline of Ancient GreeceFind out about the key dates and events, from 800 BC until the end of the Greek empire in 146 BC.http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/landmarks/ancientgreece/timeline/index.shtml

A Tour of Ancient OlympiaTake a tour of the site of Ancient Olympia, accompanied by colour photographs and a detailed history.http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/site.html

A Guide to DelphiLearn about the ancient archaeological site of Delphi. This site is published by The Hellenic Ministry of Culture and it includes colour photos and historical information.http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21110a/e211ja01.html

Ancient Greek House Ever wondered what an Ancient Greek house really looked like? Well now you can explore a 3-d reconstructions of a fifth century B.C. Athenian house.http://webraft.its.unimelb.edu.au/107134/pub/houses.html

The Encyclopaedia MythicalAn online encyclopaedia of mythology, folklore and legends. This site is not only about Classical Greek literature - there is information about gods and goddesses, supernatural beings and legendary monsters from all over the world. http://www.pantheon.org/mythica.html

The Perseus ProjectThe Perseus Digital Library project is one of the most comprehensive guides to the Classics on the web. It includes an extensive collection of Greek and Roman texts, images of Classical myth and maps.http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/

The adventures of BellerophonA really cute version of the Bellerophon story, accompanied by cartoon style illustrations.http://www.mythweb.com/heroes/bellerophon/index.html

Websites