Mythology
Dvd – “The Greek Gods”
Name ________________________
The History Channel
1.
Why did Cronus begin to devour his children? How did his wife Rhea deceive Cronus following
the birth of their sixth child?
2.
What happened in the Battle of the Titans?
3.
Where did the deities make their home? What did they eat and drink?
4.
What were some reasons that the Greeks prayed to Zeus?
5.
How did Zeus’s philandering influence the actions of mortal Greek men?
6.
In 776 B.C., the city of Olympia began to honor Zeus in what way?
7.
Each cult built shrines. What types of ceremonies did the cults hold in the shrines?
8.
Demeter, the goddess of grain and everything that grows, was the mother of Pesephone.
According to legend, Hades dragged Persephone to the underworld. Demeter searched for her
daughter. During her search, what happened?
9. What did Hades trick Persephone into eating? How was Persephone punished?
10. What did Demeter and Persephone come to symbolize for the Greeks?
11. The cult of Demeter than began. In public initiation ceremonies, piglets were sacrificed to the
goddess. Some secret initiation ceremonies were also held. What happened to the two
teenagers who spied on a secret ceremony?
12. Greek women became involved in the cult of Dionysus, god of wine and ecstasy. Cult followers
became dancers who could be lured into doing bad deeds. What kind of bad deeds would
women do when they were under the influence of Dionysus?
13. Apollo, god of light, had a twin sister, Artemis. As he mounted his chariot and rode across the
sky, he brought light to the world. Be he had a dark side and shot arrows into men. This shows
us that that gods were humanlike and had weaknesses. When Apollo fell in love with Daphne
but couldn’t have her, what item did he make that became a symbol in the Olympic games?
14. Ancient Greeks believed in the prophetic powers of a local village woman at the Oracle at
Delphi. What would the priestess then do? What kinds of questions did the Greeks ask of the
Oracle?
15. Why did Apollo become enraged at Zeus? What did Apollo do because of his anger?
16. What types of sources did the Greeks turn to when they were looking for physical cures?
17. When a devastating plague spread through Greece and wiped out many people, what goddess,
from whom the word “hygiene” is derived, was worshipped?
18. The matron of all the goddesses was Hera, protector of women. When Leto became pregnant
with Apollo and Artermis, what power did Hera possess that she used? What other powers did
Hera have?
19. The Greeks believed Aphrodite symbolized love and beauty. What are the various legends
regarding the origin of Aphrodite?
20. What was a favorite pastime of Aphrodite?
21. Aphrodite was married to Haephestus but had an affair with Ares. Who was the son of
Aphrodite?
22. Athena, daughter of Zeus and Metis, was the goddess of wisdom. Why did Zeus swallow
Athena before she was born?
23. What was the cause of the battle between Athena and Poseidon?
24. What city is named after Athena?
25. What was the Acropolis?
26. What was the Parthenon?
27. What is a demigod?
28. What did the god Hercules symbolize?
29. How did Hercules demonstrate his superhuman strength as a young child?
30. What caused Hercules to murder his own children?
31. What did the Oracle at Delphi suggest Hercules to make up for these murders?
32. What did the feats Hercules have to complete become known as?
33. Why did Hercules have to be burned at the end of his mortal life?
34. According to legend, what was the cause of the Trojan War?
35. In what sense do the gods still exist today?