2. Mythology is body of stories about gods and heroes that try to explain how the world works.

3. Zeus- Main god Hera- Queen Poseidon- sea Hades-underworld Demeter- agriculture Hestia- the hearth

4. Athena- wisdom Apollo- the sun Artemis- the moon Ares- war Aphrodite- love

5. Hephaestus- metalworking Dionysus- celebration Hermes- the messenger god

6. Greeks saw the work of the gods in events all around them Hephaestus- volcanoes Demeter- the seasons Greeks built temples to keep the gods happy

7. Some Greek myths were about great heroes (some real, some imaginary) Each city had their favorite hero In Athens it was Theseus who killed the Minotaur The most famous was Hercules

8. The earliest writings are the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer. They are considered epic poems, because they describe the deeds of great heroes. The Iliad tells of the last years of the Trojan War The Odyssey tells of Odysseus’ journey home from the war

9. These stories were central to the Greek education system Homer’s poems influenced later writers who copied his style These stories are considered to be some of the greatest ever written

10. Poems set to music for a lyre We get the word “lyrics” from this Most Greek poets were men, but Sappho was a famous women poet, known for her poems of love and relationships

11. Short stories that teach a lesson about life Aesop is the most famous Often, animals are the main characters

12. Many of our words come from the Greek language (odyssey, titanic) Many places are named after Greek mythical figures (Athens) Greek myths have inspired artists for centuries (Hercules, Percy Jackson)