1. Introduction to Mythology

2. Mythology
A usually traditional story of events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon.
A collection of fictional stories involving the actions of gods, goddesses and other imaginary characters, intended to explain the unexplainable.

3. Myths seek to explain all those unexplainable or unknowable aspects of life.
Where do we go after we die? How was the world created? Why can we see our reflection in water? Why are there four separate seasons? Why do we fall in love? How is lightning created? Why do our voices sometime echo? How was fire created? Why do we have it?

4. Mythology
Ancient cultures used mythology belief systems much the same way that people use modern religion.
to explain the world
to instruct or guide proper behavior
to give a sense of community

5. Classical Greek Mythology
What is it?
Specifics
A collection of stories about a set of gods, based upon oral tradition, as told and recorded by the ancient Greeks
Myths served as entertainment, a sense of national/regional pride, and religious education
The Greeks were the earliest people to give their gods human forms.
The Greeks also gave the gods human qualities and emotions.
Greeks were able to determine proper behavior based on what would “anger the gods” or “please the gods.”

6. Ancient Greek Beliefs and Characteristics
Death is inevitable and final, so the goal was to become a legend through great deeds.
The Greeks were tough, restless, ambitious, hard-living, and imaginative.
Honor was extremely important, and the Greeks were very vengeful if wronged.
The gods mirrored human feelings and physical form.
Their flaws were pride, cruelty, stubbornness, impulsiveness, lust for power, and a desire to be like the gods.

7. Oral Tradition
The practice of passing along stories, tales, and folklore by word of mouth Oral tradition is responsible for many of the “inconsistencies” of ancient mythology
stories passed orally appealed to the non-literate
2. these stories were a form of entertainment
3. the stories enabled the passing of history and culture from one group to the next

8. “The Classicists”
Greek mythology existed for hundreds of years before these stories were ever recorded with written words.
The scholars/poets who recorded the myths are known as “classicists.”
The major classicists of Greek Mythology include Virgil, Homer, and Ovid.

9. The Importance of Myths
Myths were critical to the ancient Greeks These stories touched all aspects of Greek life, including art, music, architecture, military endeavors, religion, and education. Greek myths and sunlight are represented by moral quality. Heroes are set in sunlight; monsters belong to the darkness.

10. Categories of Myths
Myths of creation: these explain the beginning of time, space, and man
Myths of explanation: these explain the great questions of the universe
Myths of morality: these teach lessons and reinforce cultural morality

11. Why Study Mythology?
Greek myths are the foundations for the arts as we know them, including movies, television, commercial products, sports, music, and comic books. A knowledge of Greek mythology enhances a person’s ability to understand and appreciate the world as a whole.

12. The History of the Gods
Brief outline

13. The Creation Myth
First there was Chaos (vast and unorganized space from which all other things originated).
Chaos gave birth to Gaea, the earth, and Night, which gave birth to day.
Gaea and Uranus (the sky) gave birth to Cronus and the other Titans, the Cyclopes, one-eyed giants, and the Hecatonchieres with 50 heads and 100 arms apiece.

14. Remember the Titans?
Gaea: Earth Goddess; made the rest of the Titans by mating with her son, Uranus.
Uranus: Sky god; first ruler. Created the universe. Dethroned by Cronus, his son.
Cronus: Fathered the first of the Olympians, who threatened his power

15. Cronus mutilated his father and overthrew him.
Cronus and Rhea married and produced the Olympians:
Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon.
Cronus swallowed them to keep from being overthrown. When Zeus
was born, Rhea gave her husband a rock to swallow. Zeus overthrew his
father Cronus and forced him to disgorge the other Olympians.

16. Mythology & Classic Art
The Battle Between the Gods and the Titans
by Wtewael
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago

17. Who were the Olympians? The offspring of the Titans
Overthrew the Titans in a war to control the universe
Led by Zeus, the god of the other gods
Zeus and his brothers split territory
Zeus- earth/sky
Poseidon- the seas
Hades- the underworld

18. Greek Mythology: Gods & Goddesses

19. The Olympians
A group of 12 gods who ruled after the overthrow of the Titans
All the Olympians related in some way
Named after their dwelling place, Mount Olympus
The Olympian Gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Hera, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes, Artemis, and Hephaestus

20. Zeus Realm: King of gods, god of thunder and lightning
Symbols: eagle, oak tree, lightning bolt
Married to Hera; had many affairs and many children, some of whom were gods and goddesses
The spiritual father of gods and men

21. Hera Realm: goddess of marriage Symbols: peacock, cow Married to Zeus
Jealous of Zeus’s affairs
Because of this, asked a 100-eyed giant to watch him. When Hermes put the giant to sleep, she turned him into a peacock, an animal with eyes on its tail feathers.

22. Poseidon Realm: god of the sea and earthquakes
Symbol: trident, dolphins
Zeus’s brother
Controlled earthquakes, hurricanes, rough seas, tidal waves
Gave the horse to mankind

23. Hades Realm: god of the Underworld Symbol: Cerberus, cypress, bident
Rarely visited Earth
Not friendly, but not evil either

24. Ares Realm: god of war Symbols: dogs of war; vulture, weapons
Son of Zeus and Hera
Very unpopular
No myths written about Ares

25. Artemis Realm: goddess of the moon and hunt
Symbols: crescent moon and bow and arrow
Apollo’s twin sister
Avoided men
She turned Acteon, a hunter, into a stag (deer) and set his own dogs on him because he watched her bathe.

26. Aphrodite Realm: goddess of love, beauty, sexuality
Symbols: shell, mirror, dove, swan
Born of sea foam
Married to Hephaestus
Son was Eros (Cupid)

27. Hephaestus
Realm: god of the forge; made Zeus’s lightning bolts and the armor for war
Symbols; the forge
Son of Zeus and Hera
Zeus threw him out of heaven for siding with his mother (Hera)
Husband of Aphrodite, who was constantly unfaithful to him

28. Demeter Realm: goddess of agriculture Symbols: sheaves of wheat
Zeus’s sister, mother of Persephone
More about Persephone later

29. Athena Realm: goddess of defensive warfare, wisdom, handicrafts
Symbols: armor, owl, olive tree
Emerged from Zeus’s head fully grown
City of Athens named for her after she gave them the olive tree

30. Apollo Realm: god of light (the sun), music, shepherds
Symbols: bow and arrow, the sun chariot, the lyre (small harp)
Some myths say he drove the sun chariot, others give this job to Helios
His son Phaeton tried to drive it and burned part of the earth
Always shown in pictures as being young, beardless, and handsome

31. Hermes
Realm: messenger of gods; god of commerce, thieves, science (sometimes medicine)
Symbols: winged helmet or sandals, caduceus (medical staff with 2 snakes)

32. Dionysus Realm: god of wine, revelry, drama Symbol: grapes
Brought pleasure and insanity (from wine)
Followed by the Maenads, crazed women who tore people apart, the satyrs, centaurs, and nymphs
First plays were presented during the festivals of Dionysus
Popular “party animal”
Not typically considered an “Olympian” god

33. Other characters in Mythology
the muses
Nine goddesses in charge of different sciences and arts including music, poetry, history, astronomy, dance, etc.
Daughters of Zeus
They were meant to inspire

34. Other characters in Mythology
The fates
daughters of Zeus
Three blind sisters who determined people’s lifespan
One spun the thread of life (Clotho)
One measured the thread (Atropos)
One cut the thread with scissors of death (Lachesis)

35. Other Gods and Goddesses
Eris - Goddess of Discord.
Eros - God of Love.
Helios - Personification of the Sun.
Heracles - Greatest hero of the Greek myths.
Iris - Personification of the Rainbow, also the messenger of Olympus along with Hermes.
Morpheus - God of Dreams.
Nemesis - Greek goddess of retribution.
Nike - Goddess of victory.