Greek Mythology
The Beginning
Chaos
Gaea (Gaia) & Uranus
Ge=Earth, Ouranos=Sky
12 Titans
(Cronus was youngest Titan)
Cyclopes (oneeyed) &
Hecatoncheires
(100-armed)
Beautiful
Ugly – banished to the underworld
Angers Gaea who loves them all
The Titans
Cyclopes
Hecatoncheires
Cronus
• Gaea encouraged Titans to kill Uranus
• Only Cronus agreed
• Gaea created a sickle for Cronus to use
• Cronus disfigured Uranus and he was now
unfit to rule
Cronus
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Cronus took control
Married his sister Rhea
Afraid they would destroy him like he did his
father he ate the first five of his kids: Hestia,
Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon
With the help of Gaea (she was mad Cronus
never released the monsters) Rhea hid their
sixth child, Zeus, in cave
Wrapped stone in a blanket for Cronus to eat
instead
Zeus
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Zeus became Cronus’ cup bearer and
slipped a potion in his drink to make him
vomit
He then threw up the five children he had
swallowed
Olympians vs. Titians
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Zeus’ brothers and sisters (The Olympians) told
him to take control over Mount Olympus
Titans (Cronus’ siblings) didn’t want to give up
power – Atlas lead them
Battle ensued over 10 years with no gain on
either side
Olympians Win
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Gaea convinces Zeus to free the monsters
Gave Olympians an edge
Cyclopes crafted lightning bolts for Zeus
With the combined forces the Olympians
won – drowning Cronus and punishing
Atlas to hold up the world
The Golden Apple
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Eris – the God of discord – was not invited to
the wedding of Peleus and Thetis
Angry, Eris threw a golden apple marked “the
fairest” into the banquet
Hera, Athena, Aphrodite all claimed to be the
fairest
Zeus would not chose – instead Paris, a Trojan
prince was appointed judge
Hera promised him power and riches, Athena
promised glory in war, and Aphrodite promised
him the most beautiful woman in the world.
Paris picked Aphrodite
• Aphrodite helped kidnap Helen from her husband, Spartan
King Menelaus
• When King Menelaus found out, he called on his brother
chieftains of Greece who had sworn an oath to help him
• Set sail on 1,000 ships (hence “the face that launched 1000
ships”)
Trojan War
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Over 10 years – many died trying to get
past the walls of Troy
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The Odyssey picks up after the war is over
and tells the travels of a brave soldier
Odysseus trying to get home.
This Guy
Not This One!
Homer
(750BC)
Author of the Iliad and the Odyssey
Blind Poet
He sang these epic poems aloud while people
sat and listened
Epic Characteristics
Definition: Long narrative poem
 Setting is vast in scope
 Plot is complicated by supernatural events
 Reflects timeless values/themes
 Contains an epic hero
 Major battle scene where weapons are
discussed in detail
The Epic Hero
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Superhuman-braver, stronger, smarter, cleverer
than an ordinary person
On a quest for something of great value to him or
his people
Embodies the values of his day
Dogged by villains who are uglier,
eviler, and cleverer than anyone we
know in ordinary life
Occupy a high position in society and are usually
“god-like”
Always COCKY!!
Conventions of
Homeric Epics
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Invocation of the Muse – A formal plea for aid that
serves to state the epic’s subject and theme
Homeric similes – Extended elaborate comparisons some developed over many lines
Stock epithets – descriptive adjective or phrase that
is repeatedly used with – or in place of – a proper
noun (usually a god)
EX: “grey-eyed Athena”
In Medias Res