Chapter 15
Section 1
Greek Mythology
and Religion
Anticipatory Set
• How are we united as a
country?
• Laws
• Belief in freedom
• Diversity
• Greeks never became
unified to one state.
They lived apart from
each other in city
states and colonies
• The Greeks became
united by their
• Language
• Religion
• And traditional stories
Standards
• S.S. 6.4.4
• Explain the significance of Greek mythology to
the everyday life of people in the region and
how Greek literature continues to permeate our
literature and language today, drawing from
Greek mythology and epics, such as Homer’s
Iliad and The Odyssey, and from Aesop’s Fables.
• E-LA Reading 6.1.2
• Identify and interpret figurative language and
words with multiple meanings.
Objective
• Students will learn about the gods of ancient
Greece, as well as the significance of
mythology and Homer’s epics in Greek life.
Language of the
Discipline
• Deity
• Muse
• Mythology
• Homer
• Odysseus
• Oracle
Greek Religious Beliefs
(Input)
• The Greeks were polytheists who believed in many
gods, or deities
• A deity is a being with supernatural powers
• Greeks believed that gods and spirits were at work all
around them
• Unlike the gods we have seen in Egypt or India, Greek
deities looked like ordinary people
• They did not take on the form of animals
• They did not have extra body parts
• Most looked like attractive, athletic men or women
The Gods of Mount
Olympus (Input)
• The Greeks believed their gods lived on Mount Olympus
in northern Greece
• Zeus was the supreme ruler of the gods and lord of the
sky and god of rain
• His main weapon is a thunderbolt
• This was used for those who displeased him
• Hera, the wife of Zeus, protected married women and
their households
• Zeus had two brothers
• Poseidon (god of the sea) was quarrelsome when he was
angry and could make the earth shake and seas churn
The Gods of Mount
Olympus (Input)
• Hades ruled the underworld. He was greedy and was always looking
for dead people to add to his domain
• Other major gods
•
•
•
•
•
•
Apollo- god of the arts, prophecy, and healing
Ares- the god of war
Artemis- god of the woods and hunting
Aphrodite- goddess of love and beauty
Demeter- god of farming and harvest
Eros- god of love
• Athena was the favorite deity of many Greeks
• According to the myth she gave the Greeks the olive tree
• She was the guardian of the city of Athens a a patron of crafts
(weaving and pottery)
The Gods of Mount
Olympus (Input)
• She helped in times of war
• She was fierce and brave in battle
• She fought to protect the Greeks from outside enemies
• Minor gods included Muses, a group of nine sisters
• Gods inspired many poets, historians, scientists, and
musicians.
• Today the word muse is often used to refer to the
inspiration for a creative artist
• Museum originally meant “the place of the Muses”
Greek Mythology (Input)
• The Greeks based most of their religious belief on
their mythology
• Mythology is the collection of stories that people
tell about their history and their gods
• Greeks used mythology to answer questions about
the world around them
• Myths explained changing seasons, trouble in the
world, and human behavior. It also included stories
about heroes
Greek Mythology (Input)
• Hercules
•
•
•
•
•
Famous for amazing strength and courage
He was only half human
His mother was human and his father was Zeus
Zeus did not protect Hercules from suffering
Hera casted a spell on Hercules that drove him mad and made him kill
his beloved wife and sons
• gods behaved like ordinary people
•
•
•
•
•
•
They fell in love
They married
They had children
They celebrated
They played tricks
They grew jealous and angry
Homer’s Epics (Input)
• Two epic poems provided another source of Greek religious
beliefs
• The Iliad and the Odyssey told stories of ancient times
• gods took a part in human affairs
• They were the work of the poet Homer who lived in the eighth
century B.C.
• His stories may have been based on real events.
• Earlier stories had stated that the Trojan war began with a
quarrel among Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite over who was
the most beautiful
• During the war, some gods sided with the Greeks, others
with the Trojans
Homer’s Epics (Input)
• After the war, different gods often influenced
the fate of Odysseus and his companions
• Homer’s epics reflected the Greeks’ belief that
the gods controlled much of their loves
• They also portrayed human characters such as
Odysseus as a crafty and intelligent
Religion in Everyday Life
(Input)
• Greek myths and Homer’s epics shaped the Greek’s
identify
• They saw little separation between the gods and their
own
• Public and private religious rituals were part of everyday
life
• Families had household shrines
• Public meetings began with prayers and animal sacrifices
• Women participated in these ceremonies even thought
they could not participate in government
• Each city-state built temples to their favorite deity
(sacrifices and asking favors happened)
Festivals and Games
(Input)
• Greeks honored the gods with festivals and games
• Poets and musicians competed to offer the best songs
• Contests were a feature of religious rituals
• Athletes dedicated their skill and strength to the gods
•
•
•
•
•
Boxing
Wrestling
Running
Throwing the javelin and discus
Chariot and horse races
Festivals and Games
(Input)
• Leading competitions brought together athletes from many
city-states
• City-states at war would stop fighting
• Most of the competitions honored Zeus and the games
took place every 4 years at Olympia
• A huge gold ivory statue or Zeus stood at the site
• Winners were given a wreath of leaves and became heroes
• Often wealthy aristocrats supported these athletes
• Cities awarded valuable gifts and free meals for life
Sacred Places (Input)
• Many people believed that the gods lived in Greece
and therefore the landscape was sacred
• Groves of trees, springs, and other places were
thought to be the home to various gods and spirits
• The Muses had many favorite mountains
• A great temple to Apollo stood at Delphi, a religious
center on Mount Parnassus. They believed that a
priestess names Delphic lived there
• An oracle is a person who predicts what will happen
in the future
Sacred Places (Input)
• People traveled to Delphi to ask the priestess
questions of the future
• The oracle was famous for answering in puzzling
statements that could be interpreted several ways
• Tourists today no longer go to look for an oracle
• The Greek religion died but the myths are still rad
today and still hold people’s interest
Check for Understanding
• Please determine the BEST answer for the
following question.
• Please write your answer on your white
boards and wait for the teacher’s signal.
• On the teacher’s signal, hold up your white
boards.
Checking for
Understanding #1
Fill in the blank
• _______________ is the collection of
stories that people tell about their
history and their gods.
• Mythology
Checking for
Understanding #2
Answer the following question.
•How did the Greeks honor the gods
publically?
•Festivals and Games
Checking for
Understanding #3
Answer the following question.
•What helped shape the Greek’s
identity or their idea of what it
meant to be Greek?
•Homer’s epics
Guided
Practice/Independent
Practice
• Guided Practice
• Complete questions 1 - 3 on the reading comprehension
worksheet.
• Raise your hand and wait to get stamped.
• If you received an “R” go to the back table with Ms. Graham.
• Independent Practice
• Once you have been stamped moved to independent practice
and complete numbers 4 and 5 on the reading comprehension
worksheet.
• Homework
• Note-taking guide on the reverse side.