1. FANTASY FICTION Explain: What’s the difference between fiction, fantasy, and mythology? Bellringer

2. Fiction: a story that involves imaginary events that could be true, but aren’t. Fantasy: a work of literature that involves elements that are so highly imaginative they could never truly exist. Mythology: a collection of stories that teach a lesson, inspire, explain the unexplainable, entertain, that belong to a certain culture or tradition.

3. Mythology

4. The word ‘mythology’ made up of two Greek roots. 1) “mythos” meaning story 2) “-logy” meaning the study of. By definition, mythology is the study of stories of a specific region or culture.

5. WHERE DO THEY COME FROM? Many people wonder where myths come from. About 2,000 years ago an ancient Greek scholar suggested that all myths are based on historical facts that, over time, have been exaggerated into impossible events. Most modern scholars believe myths serve as metaphors or symbols for teaching the beliefs of a culture. They believe the events are not based in truth, but serve as an exciting way to get people to listen and learn from the story.

6. WHY LEARN? Learning about myths is important when studying history because they teach a lot about a society’s values, life experiences, environment, and beliefs and allow people to compare them to their own. Myths, historical evidence, and archaeological finds offer insight into a society’s past.

7. ANCIENT GREEK MYTHOLOGY Ancient Greece is well known for its stories of gods, goddesses, and heroes. Basically, a myth is a story with a purpose. Myths attempt to give explanations for events in the natural world among humans and between Gods. For example in Ancient Greece where volcanic eruptions were common- they told myths about the God Hephaestus who lived underground. They explained the lava and fire from the volcanoes as the huge fires of Hephaestus’s forge that he created weapons at.

8. MYTH OF THE SEASONS The Greeks did not think that they Gods were only responsible for disasters, but also for basic daily events. For example they believe the four seasons were created by the Goddess Demeter. According to a Greek myth Demeter had a daughter, Persephone, who was kidnapped by Hades, God of the Underworld, because of her beauty.

9. Demeter missed her daughter terribly and begged Hades to release her. He agreed to let her return to her mother for 6 months every year. During the fall & winter, Demeter is separated from her daughter once again and misses her. Her grief is what causes the plants to not grow. When she returns home this is the spring & summer months when the plants return due to Demeter’s happiness.

10. A CLASSICAL GREEK MYTH: Explains a natural phenomenon or the creation of something Depicts a struggle between good and evil Shows a relationship between mortals and the supernatural Contains magical characters, gods, goddesses, nymphs, giants, etc. Sometimes depicts a hero’s quest to accomplish a great feat Makes reference to geological places and cultural aspects of ancient Greece

11. HONORING THE GODS To keep the Gods happy the Greeks built great temples to honor them around Greece. They expected the Gods to give them help when they needed it in return, When they needed advice they traveled to Delphi, a city in central Greece, to consult the Oracle. The Oracle was a female priest of Apollo to whom they though the Gods gave answers. Very well respected - was asked by Greek leaders for advice on how to rule.

12. GREEK MYTHOLOGY

13. IN THE BEGINNING… Greek mythology begins with Gaia, the earth goddess who formed the world from nothingness. She birthed and later married Uranous, the sky-god. They had a child named Cronus, who left his parents and started a group of fierce gods called the Titans. Nervous about being overthrown by one of his children, Cronus swallowed all but one of them—a child named Zeus.

14. OVERTHROW OF KRONOS As legend predicted Zeus killed his father, opened his father’s belly and freed his brothers and sisters. Zeus banished the Titans to the Underworld. He went to live on Mount Olympus. This would become the home of the Gods. The gods and goddesses who lived with Zeus on Mt. Olympus were known as civilized deities, helping to bring order to Greece.

15. GREEK GODS & GODDESSES Besides the main Olympian gods and goddesses, Greeks honored hundreds of other gods and goddesses. Some were local deities, known only to the residents of particular city-states, while others were known throughout Greece.

16. GODS AND GODDESSES OF ANCIENT GREECE

17. ZEUS (JUPITER) King of the gods Ruler of the Sky and weather Upholder of oaths Hospitality Symbol: Lighting Bolt

18. HERA (JUNO) Sister of Zeus Wife of Zeus Queen of the Gods Upholder of marriage Extremely Jealous Symbols: Peacock & Cow

19. POSEIDON (NEPTUNE) Brother of Zeus God of the sea Creator of Horses Earthquakes Symbol: Trident

20. HADES (PLUTO) Brother of Zeus God of the Underworld Ugly, Unlucky, & Unfortunate Watches over the souls of the dead and the monsters imprisoned by Zeus in the great war.

21. DEMETER (CERES) Sister of Zeus Goddess of the Earth/Agriculture Symbols: Wheat & Plants

22. PERSEPHONE (PROSERPINA) Daughter of Demeter Wife of Hades Queen of the Underworld Spends six months in the underworld (winter) and six months with her mother (summer)

23. HESTIA (VESTA) G oddess of the Hearth or Fireside Daughter of Cronus and Rhea

24. ATHENA (MINERVA) Daughter of Zeus Born from Zeus’s head Goddess of Wisdom & Strategy Warfare Crafts Symbol: Owl

25. APOLLO (APOLLO) Son of Zeus God of many things: Light & Sun Truth & Prophecy Healing & Plague Music & Poetry Drives a Golden Chariot Across the Sky Twin sister is Artemis Symbols: Python, Raven, & Bow & Arrows

26. ARTEMIS (DIANA) Daughter of Zeus Twin sister of Apollo Goddess of the Hunt & the Moon Wild animals Childbirth Symbol: Bow & the Deer

27. ARES (MARS) Son of Zeus and Hera God of War While Athena was seen as strategic in war, Ares was seen as unpredictable and violent. Loves battles. Symbols: Wild Boar & a Spear

28. APHRODITE (VENUS) Born from sea foam Daughter of Zeus Married to Hephaestus Goddess of Love, Beauty, & Pleasure Anyone will magically fall in love with her upon sight Symbol: Dove

29. HEPHAESTUS (VULCAN) Son of Hera God of Metal Working, Fire, Smelting, & Crafts Blacksmith for the Gods Symbols: Hammer and Anvil

30. DIONYSUS (BACCHUS) God of Wine, Music, Theater, and Wild Behavior Son of Zeus and the mortal woman Semele Only major God that has a mortal mother Symbols: Grapes

31. HERMES (MERCURY) Son of Zeus Messenger of the Gods God of commerce, thieves, travelers, sports, athletes, and border crossings, Guide to the Underworld Symbol: Cadeuces

32. EROS (CUPID) Son of Aphrodite Minor Love God Represented as mischievous- interventions in affairs of Gods and Mortals to create bonds of love Symbols: Bows, Arrows, Candles, Hearts, Cupids, & Wings and Kisses

33. PAN (FAUNUS) God of Nature, Shepherds and flocks, hunting, rustic music, & companions of nymphs Legends tell us that he was so ugly his own mother ran away screaming in a panic. Half man, half goat- such as the mythical creatures- Satyr

34. LEARN THESE! Graded Quiz on Friday at the beginning of class over these Gods & Goddesses! Study!!!