1. Chapter 8 Section 3 Notes Greek Mythology and Literature 1

2. Myths Explain the World  Ancient Greeks were polytheistic  Used myths about their gods to explain natural or historical events  (religion explains what they do not understand) 2

3. Greek Gods  Greeks did not have scientific understanding of  Thunder  Earthquakes  Volcanic eruptions  Believed gods caused such events  They created myths to explain why the gods caused these events. 3

4. Zeus King of the gods of Mount Olympus 4

5. Hera Queen of the gods Sister and Wife of Zeus 5

6. Poseidon god of the seas brother of Zeus 6

7. Hades god of the underworld brother of Zeus 7

8. Hermes the messenger god 8

9.  Demeter – goddess of agriculture  Hestia – goddess of the hearth  Athena – goddess of wisdom  Apollo – god of the sun  Artemis – goddess of the moon  Ares – god of war  Aphrodite – goddess of love  Hephaestus – god of metalworking  Dionysus – god of celebration 9

10. Gods and Mythology  Greeks thought the gods caused natural disasters  Also felt they caused daily events  Sunrise and sunset  Seasons changing  Built temples to keep the gods happy 10

11. Heroes and Mythology  Not all myths were about gods  Some were about heroes  Each city had a favorite hero  Most Famous was Hercules  Killed the hydra 11

12. Homer and Epic Poetry  Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey  The Iliad is the story of the last years of the Trojan War  The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus’ journey home from the Trojan War and the challenges he faced 12

13. Lyric Poetry  Poems that were set to music  Called Lyric poetry because the music was played on a lyre  Sappho was the most famous female lyrical poet of all Greece 13

14. Fables  Fables are stories that teach a lesson or give advice how to live  Aesop was famous for his fables (even today)  The main characters are usually animals and they live and behave like humans  The Boy Who Cried Wolf  The Ants and the Grasshopper  The Tortoise and the Hare 14

15. Greek Literature Lives  Much of the literature produced by the Ancient Greeks is still popular today 15

16. Language  Many of our words come from the Greeks  Many places in world are named for figures in Greek Mythology  Greek mythology has inspired artist for hundreds of years  Trojans have roots in mythology 16