Mythology as Summer Reading Study Guide [READ ONLY PARTS I-III]
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Part One: The Gods, the Creation, and the Earliest Heroes
The Gods
1) Complete this chart of the Twelve Great Olympians:
GREEK NAME
ROMAN NAME
GOD/DESS OF:
ASSOCIATED
WITH:
HOW RELATED TO
ZEUS:
HERA
JUNO
MARRIAGE, QUEEN
OF GODS
COW, PEACOCK,
ARGOS
WIFE
2. Which of the Twelve Olympians do you find most interesting? Why? Which had you heard of before you read
this chapter? What stories about them have you heard?
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3. Write a sentence identifying each of the following:
• Titans ______________________________________________________________________________
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• Cronus ______________________________________________________________________________
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• Eros ______________________________________________________________________________
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• Muses ______________________________________________________________________________
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• Ocean ______________________________________________________________________________
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• Triton and Proteus ______________________________________________________________________________
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• Naiads______________________________________________________________________________
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• Tartarus and Erebus ______________________________________________________________________________
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• Cerberus______________________________________________________________________________
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• Furies ______________________________________________________________________________
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• Pan and Satyrs______________________________________________________________________________
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• Gorgons ______________________________________________________________________________
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I. The Two Great Gods of Earth
1. Identify Demeter.
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2. Tell the story of Demeter and Persephone in your own words. How does it explain the changing of the
seasons?
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3. What are the Eleusinian Mysteries?
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4. Who is Dionysus?
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5. What happens to his mother, Semele, and what does this suggest about the nature of the power of the
Greek gods?
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6. Who are the Maenads, and what terrible thing happens to Pentheus because of them? What seems to be
the lesson of this story?
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7.
Some Greeks had trouble accepting Dionysus as a god. Why do you think this might be so?
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II.
How the World and Mankind Were Created
1. Who is Prometheus? Why does Zeus punish him, and how is he punished?
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2.
Tell the story of Pandora in your own words.
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III.
The Earliest Heroes
1. Write a sentence identifying each of the following:
• Io _____________________________________________________________________________
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• Europa _____________________________________________________________________________
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• Polyphemus _____________________________________________________________________________
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• Narcissus _____________________________________________________________________________
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• Echo _____________________________________________________________________________
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• Hyacinthus _____________________________________________________________________________
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• Adonis _____________________________________________________________________________
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IV.
Cupid and Psyche
1. Explain how Psyche comes to marry Cupid, how she loses him, and how she eventually gets him back. Do you
think that Cupid treats Psyche fairly in the course of the story? Explain.
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2.
What do you think might be the lessons of the story?
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V.
Eight Brief Tales of Lovers
1. For each of the following, sum up the story in one or two sentences.
• Pyramus and Thisbe
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• Orpheus and Eurydice
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• Pygmalion and Galatea
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• Baucis and Philemon
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• Daphne
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2. Which of the stories in this chapter is your favorite? Why?
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VI.
The Quest of the Golden Fleece
1. Why does Medea decide to get revenge on Jason, and what does she do?
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2. Do you feel any pity for Medea? For Jason? Why might the story of such a great hero end so tragically?
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VII.
Four Great Adventures
1. Who is Phaethon, and what happens to him? What might be the lessons of this story?
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2. How is Bellerophon able to tame Pegasus? Name some of the things he is able to do with his wonderful
horse.
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3. What happens to Bellerophon at the end of the story? What might be the lessons here?
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4. Who is Daedalus, and who is Icarus? What happens to Icarus?
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5. What lessons can you see in Icarus’ story?
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VIII. The Great Heroes Before the Trojan War
1. Identify each of the following:
• Perseus _____________________________________________________________________________
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• Medusa _____________________________________________________________________________
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• Theseus _____________________________________________________________________________
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• The Minotaur _____________________________________________________________________________
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• The Labyrinth _____________________________________________________________________________
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• Hercules _____________________________________________________________________________
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• The Twelve Labors _____________________________________________________________________________
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• Atalanta _____________________________________________________________________________
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2.
Which of the heroes in this chapter do you find most appealing? Explain why.
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IX.
1.
Summary Questions
What is your impression of the ancient Greeks who composed these stories? What generalizations might you
make about their culture?
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2.
Of all the stories you read, which is your favorite? Why?
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3.
Add here any questions you have that you want to remember to ask before the test.
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Pledge: On my honor, I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment.
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