1. Classical Mythology

2. What is mythology? Mythology is the study of myths. The word myth comes from the word mythos, the Greek word for “story.”

3. What is a myth? A myth is a traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society. "myth." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 12 Nov. 2006. "myth." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 12 Nov. 2006. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/myth

4. What is a myth? A myth is a traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society. "myth." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 12 Nov. 2006. "myth." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 12 Nov. 2006. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/myth

5. What purpose do myths serve? Imagine you see two people arguing in a parking lot of your local grocery store. They are shouting loudly enough for you to hear some of the argument. If you are like most people, you slow down and watch. What are they fighting about? How did the fight start?

6. What purpose do myths serve? It is human nature to find explanations for the unknown. It is human nature to find explanations for the unknown. Myths were created for this human need to explain the unexplainable. Myths were created for this human need to explain the unexplainable. –How did life begin? –Where do stars come from? –Why are there different seasons? –Why do people die? Where do they go when they do?

7. Questions to Answer In the Greek creation myth, what came first? In the Greek creation myth, what came first? Who is Gaia? Who is Gaia? Who are Gaia’s children? Who are Gaia’s children? What did Uranus do to his children? What did Uranus do to his children? Who is Cronus? Who is Cronus? What did Cronus do to his children? What did Cronus do to his children?

8. The Beginning Chaos came first. Chaos was enormous, dark, and without shape. It contained all land, sea, and air.

9. The Beginning The forever-changing nature of chaos made it impossible to walk on the land, swim in the water, or breathe the air.

10. The Beginning Then came Gaia, the Earth Goddess. She was either born from Chaos or rose on her own.

11. The Beginning With Gaia came order. The ever-shifting elements of Chaos stabilized. Through Gaia and Chaos all else came into being.

12. The Beginning In her sleep, Gaia gave birth to Uranus, the god of the sky. Gaia and Uranus mated to create the world’s mountains, seas, animals, and plants.

13. Gaia and Uranus Heaven and Earth brought forth the three 100-Handed Giants and the three Cyclopes.

14. World’s Worst Dad Uranus found his children threatening, so he forced them into Tartarus, the Underworld. This caused pain to Gaia because Tartarus was her bowels! Ouch!

15. The Titans Gaia and Uranus also brought forth the twelve Titans. The Titans were the gigantic and powerful beings who were the first to rule the universe.

16. Titanic Indigestion Uranus hated these children passionately. He feared they would overpower him. After each of the twelve Titans were born, he forced the baby back into Gaia’s womb so they would never live in the light of the world. Ouch again!

17. Bloody Revenge To get back at Uranus for his cruelties, Gaia came up with a plan. Cronus, the youngest of the Titans, sliced off his father’s genitals.

18. Another Round of Births When Uranus’ castrated organ landed in the sea, the severed organ floated in the water, and Aphrodite was born. Aphrodite is the goddess of sexual love and beauty.

19. The Reign of the Titans After the victorious castration, the Titans named Cronus their king. The union of Cronus and his sister Rhea produced six children who would soon sit on thrones on Mount Olympus as powerful gods.

20. Like Father, Like Son Cronus also feared that he would lose his great power to a son. Instead of forcing his children back into their mother, which didn’t work for Uranus, Cronus swallowed his offspring.

21. More Questions to Answer Who are Zeus’ parents? Who are Zeus’ parents? How was his birth different than his siblings? How was his birth different than his siblings? How did Zeus help his siblings? How did Zeus help his siblings? Who was the war of the Titans between? Who was the war of the Titans between? Who won? Who won? What happened to the losers? What happened to the losers?

22. Rhea’s Plan Pregnant with their sixth child, Zeus, Rhea begged her parents to help. Gaia and Uranus agreed to hide the baby in a cave and care for him. Other versions of the myth say that nymphs raised Zeus.

23. Then Along Came Zeus Rhea brought Cronus a stone wrapped in a blanket Cronus, thinking that the stone was the baby, swallowed it whole.

24. Hey Zeus! Zeus grew to be invincibly strong. He met with his mother, Rhea, to devise a plan to free his brothers and sisters.

25. The Gagging of a God Zeus, disguised as a servant, offered Cronus a drink. This emetic potion caused Cronus to throw up all the children he had swallowed.

26. Grandmotherly Advice Gaia urged the Titans to accept Zeus as the leader of the gods, but most refused. War broke out.

27. War of the Titans The Olympians Led by Zeus and his newly freed siblings: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. The Titans On the other side was Cronus and the other Titans (although some of the Titans avoided getting involved).

28. A Titanic Struggle The war waged on for 10 years. Each side was strong and stubborn. Even after 10 years, neither side was winning.

29. A Visit to the Underworld Zeus, hoping to gain an upper hand in the war, went down to the Tartarus (aka Gaia’s bowels) and freed the three 100- Handed Giants and the Cyclopes

30. The Grateful Not-So-Dead Now freed from Tartarus, the place in the underworld even lower than Hades, these scorned children of Uranus were grateful to Zeus. To Zeus and two of his brothers, the Cyclopes gave gifts of gratitude.

31. Helmet for Hades To Hades, son of Cronus and brother of Zeus, the Cyclopes gave a helmet of invisibility. Do you see him?

32. Helmet for Hades To Hades, son of Cronus and brother of Zeus, the Cyclopes gave a helmet of invisibility. See him now?

33. Present for Poseidon To Poseidon, also a son of Cronus and a brother of Zeus, the Cyclopes gave a trident.

34. What a Gift! To Zeus, the Cyclopes gave thunder and the lightning bolt. These would become his weapons of choice.

35. Helping Hands The 3 Hundred-Handed Giants were great warriors.

36. Gaining an Upper Hand(s) They hurled huge boulders at the Titans, causing much damage.

37. Zeus: Back in the Game Zeus felt renewed and strong. His new powers caused great destruction. Forests were wiped out in angry fires caused by his lightning.

38. Great Zeus! The seas boiled with the heat of Zeus’ attacks

39. Gifts of the Gods Invisible with his helmet, Hades was able to steal the weapons of Cronus. Invisible with his helmet, Hades was able to steal the weapons of Cronus. Armed with his trident, Poseidon attacked their father. Armed with his trident, Poseidon attacked their father. While Poseidon attacked, Zeus was able to throw a lightning bolt at the distracted Cronus. While Poseidon attacked, Zeus was able to throw a lightning bolt at the distracted Cronus.

40. Victory! Cronus admitted defeat. The Titans had lost to The Olympians.

41. What Losers! The defeated Titans were imprisoned in the lowest depths of Tartarus. But for Atlas, an important Titan soldier, a special punishment was reserved.

42. A Heavy Load to Bear Old Uranus, the sky, nearly collapsed onto the earth after the war because so much fighting had occurred below. As a result, Zeus condemned Atlas to hold up the heavens and sky for eternity.

43. Prometheus and Epimetheus Epimetheus, Menoetius, and Prometheus switched sides and aided Zeus in the war therefore they were not punished.

44. Where’s Cronus? Some say Cronus was banished to Tartarus...... But some say he escaped after the war and is in hiding...... But some say he escaped after the war and is in hiding...

45. Mount Olympus After the war, the Olympians retired to Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece.

46. The Mighty Twelve At Mount Olympus, twelve gods and goddesses spent their days drinking and feasting.

47. The Olympian Age Though this particular chapter of Greek mythology is over, the story has just begun!