2.  As a farmer in ancient Greece, your way of life depends on events in nature. The crops you grow need sunshine and rain, though thunder and lightning scare you. When you look up at the night sky, you wonder about the twinkling lights you see up there. You know that at certain times of the year, the weather will turn cold and gray and plants will die. Then, a few months later, green plants will grow again.  How might you explain these natural events?

3.  The Greeks lived in a time long before the development of science. To them, natural events like thunderstorms and changing seasons were mysterious. Today, we can explain what causes these events. But to the Greeks, they seemed like the work of powerful gods.

4.  Because they did not have scientific explanations, the Greeks used mythology to make sense of the world around them.  Myths are stories about gods and heroes that attempt to explain how the world works.

5.  Greek mythology includes stories about many gods and goddesses. This belief in many gods is called polytheism.  The Greeks believed in hundreds of different gods, but the most important gods were the Olympians.

6.  The home of the gods was thought to be atop Mt. Olympus, the tallest mountain in Greece.

9.  Zeus, the king of the gods, also ruled the sky and controlled thunder.

10.  His wife, Hera, was his queen. She was the goddess of women and marriage.

11. Poseidon was the god of the sea. The ancient Greeks believed that he caused earthquakes and could control horses.

12. Hades was the ruler of the underworld.

13.  Goddess of wisdom and warfare  City-state of Athens named for her  Parthenon built in her honor

14.  The god of fire and metalworking  The fire in his underground workshop was believed to be the cause of volcanic eruptions

15.  Goddess of agriculture  Mother of Persephone  Responsible for the changing seasons

16.  Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and brought to the Underworld.  Demeter begged for her daughter’s return.  Eventually, a deal was reached : Persephone would spend 6 months out of every year in the Underworld and the other six months on Earth.  During the cold months, Demeter is separated from her daughter and misses her. She doesn’t let the plants grow.  When she is reunited with her daughter, springtime begins and the plants start to grow again.

17.  Theseus slays the Minotaur, a monster that was half human and half bull  Hercules fights and kills the hydra, a 9-headed snake

18.  Some of the world’s most famous stories were told by the ancient Greeks.

19.  Homer was the legendary author of two epic poems – the Iliad and the Odyssey.  The Iliad tells the story of the Trojan War, fought between the Mycenaean Greeks and the people of Troy. It focuses on great warriors and the many battles fought during the war. Trojan War

20.  The Odyssey tells the story of a hero named Odysseus. He was on his way home after the Trojan War, but it took him 10 years because of many obstacles put in his way  Animated video clip about the crazy adventures of Odysseus Animated video clip about the crazy adventures of Odysseus

21.  The story of the Trojan Horse involves a scheme used by the Greeks to win the Trojan war. Odysseus is said to have come up with this tricky plan!story of the Trojan Horse  The Greeks built a huge wooden horse and soldiers hid inside of it.  The people of Troy took the horse as a victory trophy and brought it inside the walls of their city.  When the Trojans were asleep, the Greeks climbed out of the horse and surprised their enemy.  The Greeks defeated the Trojans and won the war.

22.  Now we are going to watch a video about some Greek myths  Pay attention and fill in the video worksheet as you watch  Myths you will learn about  Daedalus and Icarus (including Theseus and the Minotaur!)  Pandora’s Box  Jason and the Golden Fleece