Hamilton’s Mythology Chapter 1 24-47
1. Identify the best-known writers of Greek mythology.
a. Ovid-responsible for telling almost all of the mythological
stories at great length
b. Homer-writer of the Iliad and the Odyssey, the oldest of
Greek writings
c. Hesiod-a poor farmer whose poetry shows man how to live a
good life
d. Pindar-the greatest lyric poet of Greece
e. Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides-the greatest playwrights of
Greece
f. Aristophanes-a great writer of Greek comedy
g. Plato-a great Greek philosopher
h. Virgil-Roman author who writes about but does not believe
in mythological events
2. What is the best guide to Greek mythology?
The best guides to a knowledge of Greek mythology are the Greek writers, who believed in what they
wrote.
3. 12 gods of Olympus
4.Some of the lesser Gods of Olympus
a. Eros-the god of love
b. Hebe-the goddess of youth
c. Iris-the goddess of the rainbow
d. The Graces-the triple incarnation of grace and beauty
e. The Muses-the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, Memory
Gods of the Waters
a. Poseidon (Neptune)- the ruler of the sea on and below the Earth
b. Ocean-the lord of the river Ocean which surrounds the Earth
c. Triton-the trumpeter of the sea who uses a large shell as his trumpet
d. Proteus-son of Poseidon who can foretell the future and change his shape
e. Naiads-water nymphs
God of the Underworld
a. Charon-the person who ferries the souls of the dead to the shores of Hades
b. Cerberus-the three-headed, dragon-tailed dog that allows spirits to enter Hades but not to leave
c. Acheron, Cocytus, Styx-the three rivers of Hades
d. The Furies-punishers of evildoers
e. Sleep and Death-brothers who dwell in the lower world
Less Gods of the Earth
a. Demeter (Ceres)-associated with grain or harvest
b. Dionysus (Bacchus)-associated with wine
c. Pan (Faunus)-associated with the forest; a goat man
d. Castor and Pollux-popular brother gods who live half of their lives on Earth and half in heaven;
the protectors of sailors
e. The Satyrs-goat-men found in the wild places of the earth
f. Nymphs-the lesser gods of nature; nymphs of the seas, of the waters, of the mountains, and of
the trees
g. Boreas, Notus, Eurus, Zephyr- the four winds; North, South East, and West winds, respectively
h. The Gorgons-dragon-like creatures that can turn men into stone
i. The Centaurs-half man, half horse; savage beast like creatures
j. The Sirens-creatures with enchanting voices that lure sailors to their death
k. Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos-associated with the fates: the spinner, the disposer of lots, and the
cutter of the thread of life, respectively
8. Who are two-known lesser Roman gods?
a. Saturn-the Protector of the Sowers and the Seed
b. Janus-the God with two faces in opposite directions; namesake of the month of January