Myth & Symbol
Chapter Eight Study Guide for Hamilton's Mythology
Part II: Four Great Adventures
pp136-145 Small B 180+Big B
Phaethon
1 Who is Phaethon's mother and why did Phaethon seek out the Sun god?
2 What did Phaethon ask to do and why was the Sun reluctant to allow this request?
3 Describe the route the Sun travels daily. (road conditions, monsters, horses)
4 What happened to the world during Phaethon's ride?
5 What does Mother Earth request, and how does Jove react?
6 What ultimately happened to Phaethon?
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS:
7 What drives children to find their biological parents?
8 How is this myth a cautionary tale for fathers?
Hubris. is a great word. 'HUE-briss'. It can be
simply defined as "keep your feet on the
ground even if your head is in the sky", but it
means much more than that. It also means
excessive pride.
Pegasus and Bellerophon
1 Who was Glaucus and how did he bring the wrath of the gods on him?
2 What was his fate?
3 Who was rumored to be Bellerophon's father, and who was his mother?
4 Why did it seem likely he was the son of a god?
5 What did Bellerophon want? Who was Polyidus and what did he advise Bellerophon to do?
6 What was Bellerophon given so he could gain Pegasus, and who gave it to him?
7 Why did Anteia want her husband to kill Bellerophon, and why would he not do so? (What did he do instead?)
8 What did the letter to the King of Lycia read, and what did the king do in response?
9 Name three great beings Bellerophon conquered:
10 How did Bellerophon and Proetus ever reconcile?
11 What eventually caused the beginning of Bellerophon's demise? …and how did he die?
12 What happened to Pegasus after Bellerophon's death?
Another definition of 'hubris': Scornful and
presumptuous ambition that leads to a
downfall.
CRITICAL QUESTION:
13. This ancient myth was used to teach young people about good character. Explain how this myth specifically does
just that. Include the term hubris. You can also use the adjective hubristic and/or the adverb hubristically.
Otus and Ephialtes
Who was their father, and what were they commonly called?
Who did they imprison, and how did the gods free this prisoner?
What did they strive to do, and how did they want to accomplish their goal?
How does Poseidon convince Zeus not to throw his thunderbolt?
What two goddesses do Otus and Ephialtes love (respectively)?
In reality, who did they really only care for?
How does Artemis lead the two to their death?
Why is their death especially painful?
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION: The majority of Greek myths used one character as a protagonist in their
narratives. What may have been going on in this ancient culture that inspired a story-teller to use two brothers in this
myth?
Daedalus
What was Daedulus' profession, and what famous object did he build?
Who was Daedulus' son?
Why did King Minos imprison Daedulus and his son?
How did Daedulus and his son escape?
What did Daedulus warn his son of?
What happened when his son did not heed this warning?
To where did Daedulus flee?
How did King Minos know that Daedulus was in Sicily?
What happened to King Minos?
CRITICAL QUESTION: Circle the one that you feel best fits the story. Explain your answer.
a. Haste makes waste.
b. Pride goes before a fall.
c. Rising to fame on borrowed wings