Greek Gods Argumentative Essay
Use Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial 12 pt font, double-spaced. If you use
your own sources, attach them to the essay. Other Sources follow the Guide.
1. Introduction
5 pts.
a. Hook—describe a scene involving the Greek Gods using imagery and
figurative/descriptive language (onomatopoeia, hyperbole,
metaphors)
b. Explain the Hook—Explain who the Greek Gods were. Explain that
the Ancient Greeks and Romans worshipped many gods.
c. Claim – Although the Ancient Greeks and Romans worshipped many
gods, the behavior of most of these gods ranged from pettiness and
self-centeredness to acts of cruelty and immorality so they were poor
role models.
2. Body Paragraph 1—Transition, Topic Sentence, Examples 10 pts.
First, many of the gods were petty and selfish. For example,…..
a. Textual Evidence from source
b. Textual Evidence from source
3. Body Paragraph 2—Transition, Topic Sentence. Examples.
The gods were not just simply self-centered and petty, they often behaved
cruelly and immorally.Some of the behavior of these gods broke many
cultural taboos.
10 pts
a. Textual Evidence from source
b. Textual Evidence from source
c. Textual Evidence from source
4. Counterclaim--- Transition, Topic sentence, Examples, Rebuttal 10 pt
Not all the gods were cruel and immoral. Some gods…….
a. Example of a good being kind, protective, etc. from source
b. Example of a good being kind, protective, etc. from source
c. Rebuttal—Unfortunately, these gods were not the major gods. The
major gods…..
5. Conclusion 5 pts.
a. Transition
b. Explain why these gods are not good role models.
c. End by explaining how these gods no longer have followers. Explain
what modern people think of these gods.
Sources below
SOURCE 1
Hera
http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Hera/hera.html
Hera was Zeus' wife and sister. She was the supreme goddess, patron of marriage and childbirth, having a special
interest in protecting married women. Zeus initially courted Hera, but after many unsuccessful attempts, he
resorted to trickery. He took the form of a sick bird; Hera, feeling sorry for the bird, held it to her breast to keep it
warm. Zeus then resumed his normal form and taking advantage of Hera's surprise, he raped her. Hera then
married him to cover her shame; their marriage was turbulent and they often clashed.
Occasionally, Zeus treated the other gods with particular harshness; Hera took advantage of that and asked them
to join her in a revolt. They all accepted and set the plan in motion; Hera drugged Zeus, and then, the others bound
him to a couch. At that stage, however, they began to argue over what the next step should be. Briareus, one of
the Hecatoncheires, overheard the arguments. Still full of gratitude to Zeus for saving him and his brothers,
Briareus sneaked in and quickly untied the knots that held Zeus in place. Zeus sprang from the couch and grabbed
his thunderbolt. The gods fell to their knees begging and pleading for mercy. He seized Hera and hung her from the
sky with gold chains. She wept in pain all night, but none of the other gods dared to interfere. Her weeping kept
Zeus up, so the following morning, he agreed to release her if she swore never to rebel again. She had little choice
but to agree. While she never again rebelled, she often interfered with Zeus's plans and she was often able to
outwit him.
SOURCE 2
Hera, Greek Goddess of Love and Marriage by Sharon Turnbull, Ph.D
http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/greek_goddess_hera.htm
Hera was worshipped as the Roman goddess Juno, and the month of June (which is the most popular month for
weddings) is named in her honor.
It is partly on account of Hera's great beauty, and particularly her beautiful, large eyes, that she is linked to her
sacred animal, the cow, and also the peacock with its iridescent feathers having "eyes". The cow symbolizes the
goddess Hera's nurturing watchfulness over her subjects, while the peacock symbolizes her luxury, beauty, and
immortality.
In ancient times Hera was revered as being the only one the Greek goddesses who accompanied a woman through
every step of her life.The goddess Hera blessed and protected a woman's marriage, bringing her fertility,
protecting her children, and helping her find financial security. Hera was, in short, a complete woman, overseeing
both private and public affairs.
Unfortunately, the goddess Hera's life was not to remain so enviable. Once the honeymoon was over, Zeus
reverted to his earlier "playboy" lifestyle, married or not, compulsively seducing or raping whichever of the Greek
goddesses or mortal women caught his wandering eye.
His amorous exploits left the regal goddess Hera feeling betrayed and humiliated on numerous occasions. To
make matters even worse, Zeus often showed more favor towards the offspring of his illicit liaisons than he did to
the children Hera bore him.
In Greek mythology Hera, although wounded, remained faithful and steadfast in her loyalty to Zeus, electing
instead to vent her fury on "the other women" rather than Zeus himself even though it was usually Zeus who had
deceived, seduced or raped the innocent women.
This wasn't always Hera's reaction, however. On one occasion she decided to give Zeus a "taste of his own
medicine" by conceiving and delivering a child by herself, proving that she really didn't need him anyway.
It didn't work out quite as she'd hoped. She gave birth, as the sole parent, to Hephaestus (God of the Forge) who
was born with a deformity that made him lame. Zeus was not impressed, and Hera rejected her son, sending him
away from Mount Olympus to grow up among the mortals.
It is unfortunate that it is not the goddess Hera's nurturing or her steadfastness in the face of adversity that are
remembered today, but mostly the stories of her jealousy and vindictiveness.
Some historians argue that the goddess Hera was unjustly portrayed in the famous stories of Homer, probably
because he was himself victimized by a mean and shrewish wife.
More than any of the other Greek goddesses, the goddess Hera reminds us that there is both light and dark within
each of us and that joy and pain are inextricably linked in life. The Greek goddess Hera represents the fullness of
life and affirms that we can use our own wisdom in the pursuit of any goal we choose.
SOURCE 3
Hera Made Hercules' Life Difficult by Dr. Edward Crane, Tufts University
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/
Zeus fell in love with a beautiful Greek woman named Alcmene [Alk-ME-ne]. When Alcmene's husband,
Amphitryon, was away, Zeus made her pregnant. This made Hera so angry that she tried to prevent the baby from
being born. When Alcmene gave birth to the baby anyway, she named him Herakles. (The Romans pronounced the
name "Hercules," and so do we today.) The name Herakles means "glorious gift of Hera" in Greek, and that got
Hera angrier still. Then she tried to kill the baby by sending snakes into his crib. But little Hercules was one strong
baby, and he strangled the snakes, one in each hand, before they could bite him.
Hera remained angry. How could she get even? Hera knew that she would lose in a fight, and that she wasn't
powerful enough to prevent Zeus from having his way. Hera decided to pay Zeus back for his infidelity by making
the rest of Hercules' life as miserable as she could.
When Hercules grew up and had become a great warrior, he married Megara. They had two children. Hercules and
Megara were very happy, but life didn't turn out for them the way it does in the Disney movie. Hera sent a fit of
madness to Hercules that put him into so great a rage, he murdered Megara and the children.
When Hercules regained his senses and saw the horrible thing that he had done, he asked the god Apollo to rid
him of this pollution. Apollo commanded the hero to do 12 Labors (difficult tasks) as a punishment for his wrongs,
so that the evil might be cleansed from his spirit.
During the course of the Labors, the goddess stepped in to make things harder, stirring up the Amazons against
Hercules, or sending a gadfly to break up the herd of Geryon's cattle.
Even after Hercules finished the Labors, and went on to other adventures, Hera got in his way. When the hero
sailed from Troy, Hera sent violent storms that tossed the boat around like a toy. Zeus got so mad at Hera for
causing trouble that he hung her off the edge of Mount Olympus.
Hercules did try to smooth things over with the angry queen of the gods; when he noticed that she had not
opposed him during his fight against Hippocoon, he sacrificed goats to her, in thanks. When Hercules died, Hera's
anger finally cooled, and after the hero ascended to Olympus, he married Hera's daughter, Hebe.
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY---WERE THE GREEK AND ROMAN GODS GOOD ROLE MODELS?
SOURCE 4 Greek Religion by Mark Cartwright published on 11 April 2013
In the ancient Greek world, religion was personal, direct, and present in all areas of life. With formal rituals which
included animal sacrifices and libations, myths to explain the origins of mankind and give the gods a human face,
temples which dominated the urban landscape, city festivals and national sporting and artistic competitions,
religion was never far from the mind of an ancient Greek. Whilst the individual may have made up their own mind
on the degree of their religious belief and some may have been completely sceptical, certain fundamentals must
have been sufficiently widespread in order for Greek government and society to function: the gods existed, they
could influence human affairs, and they welcomed and responded to acts of piety and worship.
THE GODS
Polytheistic Greek religion encompassed a myriad of gods, each representing a certain facet of the human
condition, and even abstract ideas such as justice and wisdom could have their own personification. In the Greek
imagination, literature, and art, the gods were given human bodies and characters - both good and bad - and just
as ordinary men and women, they married, had children (often through illicit affairs), fought, and in the stories
of Greek mythology they directly intervened in human affairs. These traditions were first recounted only orally as
there was no sacred text in Greek religion and later, attempts were made to put in writing this oral tradition,
notably by Hesiod in his Theogony and more indirectly in the works of Homer.
GODS WERE CALLED UPON FOR HELP IN PARTICULAR SITUATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, ARES DURING WAR AND HERA
FOR WEDDINGS.
Gods became patrons of cities, for example, Aphrodite forCorinth and Helios for Rhodes, and were called upon for
help in particular situations, for example, Ares during war and Hera for weddings. Some gods were imported from
abroad, for example, Adonis, and incorporated into the Greekpantheon whilst rivers and springs could take on a
very localised personified form such as the nymphs.
TEMPLES, RITUALS & PRIESTS
The temple (naos - meaning dwelling place in reference to the belief that the god dwelt in that place, or at least
temporarily visited during rituals) was the place where, on special occasions, religion took on a more formal tone.
Gods were worshipped at sacred sites and temples in all major Greek communities in ceremonies carried out by
priests and their attendants.
Over time massive temples came to be built in honour of a particular god and these usually housed a cult statue of
the deity, most famously the huge statue of Athena in the Parthenon of Athens or Zeus at Olympia. In time, a
whole complex of temples to lesser gods could spring up around the main temple, creating a large sacred complex,
often built on an acropolis dominating a city or surrounding area.
This sacred area (temenos) was separated from the rest of the community by a symbolic gate or propylon, and in
fact it was believed that this area belonged to the particular deity in question. Sacred sites also received financial
donations and dedications of statues, fountains and even buildings from the faithful, often to celebrate a great
military victory and give thanks to the gods, and larger sanctuaries also had permanent caretakers (neokoroi) who
were responsible for the upkeep of the site.
The temple itself, though, was not used during religious practices as these were carried out at a designated altar
outside the temple. Ancient authors often show a reluctance to go into explicit details of religious ceremonies and
rites as if these were too sacred to be publicised in the written word. What we do know is that the most common
religious practices were sacrifice and the pouring of libations, all to the accompaniment of prayers in honour of the
god. The animals sacrificed were usually pigs, sheep, goats or cows and always the same sex as the god which was
being honoured. The meat was then either burnt completely or cooked, with part offered to the god and the rest
eaten by some or all of the worshippers or taken away to be eaten later. The actual killing of the animal was
carried out by a butcher or cook (megeiras) whilst a young girl sprinkled seeds onto the animals head, perhaps
symbolic of life and regeneration at the moment of the animal’s death. Other such rituals included examining the
entrails of sacrificed animals to ascertain signs which could help predict future events.
Priests then, orchestrated the religious ceremonies and delivered prayers. The position was generally open to all
and once assuming the role, particularly when wearing the sacred headband, the body of the priest became
inviolate. Priests served a specific god but they were not necessarily religious experts. For theological questions, a
citizen could consult an exegetes, a state official, who was knowledgeable in religious affairs. Women could also be
priests, which is perhaps surprising given their lack of any other public role in Greek society. Often, but not always,
the priest was the same sex as the god they represented. Priestesses did have the added restriction that they were
most often selected because they were virgins or beyond menopause. Worshippers, on the other hand, could be
both sexes and those rituals with restrictions could exclude either men or women.
MYSTERIES & ORACLES
In addition to the formal and public religious ceremonies there were also many rites which were open to and
known only by the initiated who performed them, the most famous example being the Mysteries of Eleusis. In
these closed groups, members believed that certain activities gave spiritual benefits, amongst them a better afterlife.
Places could also acquire a divine connection; the great oracles such as that of Apollo at Delphi and Zeus at
Dodona may well have begun as places considered particularly good to receive signs from the gods. Such places
became hugely important centres with their priest oracles consulted by both individuals and city-states so that the
rather vague and ambiguous proclamations might help guide their future conduct.
FESTIVALS & GAMES
Athletic Games and competitions in music (especially playing the kithara and lyre) and theatre (both tragedy and
comedy) were held during festivals such as the City Dionysia of Athens and the Panhellenic games at the most
important sacred sites of Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmia to honour a particular god. These events were
attended by visitors from all over Greece and the experience was perhaps more akin to a pilgrimage rather than
that of a mere sports fan. Illustrating their sacred status, warfare was prohibited during these events and pilgrims
were guaranteed free-passage across Greece. However, there were also much smaller festivals, sometimes only
attended by a very select number of individuals, for example, the Arrhephoria in Athens, where only priestesses
and a maximum of four young girls participated.
PERSONAL RELIGION
Although the historical record reveals much about formal religious occasions and ceremony, we should remember
that Greek religion was in fact practised anywhere, at any time, by private individuals in a very personal way. Not
only temples but also the hearth in private homes was regarded as sacred, for example. Individuals could also visit
a temple anytime they wanted to and it was customary to say a prayer even when just passing them in the street.
People left offerings such as incense, flowers, and food, no doubt with a hopeful prayer or in gratitude for a past
deed. Individuals could also organise their own private sacrifice if they had the means to do so, and these have
been commemorated in thousands of stone relief markers found at sacred sites. In addition, temples were often
visited in order to seek healing, especially at those sites associated with Asclepius the god of medicine, notably at
Epidaurus.
People also looked for signs from the gods in everyday life and to interpret these signs as indicators of future
events. Such signs could be birds in the sky or a spoken word between friends said at a particular moment or even
a simple sneeze which might be interpreted as an auspicious or inauspicious omen.
Such beliefs and, indeed, certain aspects of religion such as the immorality of the gods as portrayed in the arts,
were severely criticised by intellectuals, artists, and philosophers from the 5th century BCE, but these may or may
not reflect the commonly held views of the wider populace, and it is difficult to believe from the wealth of
archaeological and written records that religion was anything but a fundamental part of life for the ordinary
inhabitants of the ancient Greek world.
SOURCE 5 Greek Gods and Religious Practices http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grlg/hd_grlg.htm
The ancient Greeks worshipped many gods, each with a distinct personality and domain. Greek myths explained
the origins of the gods and their individual relations with mankind.
Although the Iliad and the Odyssey of Homer, believed to have been composed around the eighth century B.C.,
were powerful influences on Greek thought, the ancient Greeks had no single guiding work of scripture like the
Jewish Torah, the Christian Bible, or the Muslim Qu'ran. Nor did they have a strict priestly caste. The relationship
between human beings and deities was based on the concept of exchange: gods and goddesses were expected to
give gifts. Votive offerings, which have been excavated from sanctuaries by the thousands, were a physical
expression of thanks on the part of individual worshippers.
The Greeks worshipped in sanctuaries located, according to the nature of the particular deity, either within the city
or in the countryside. A sanctuary was a well-defined sacred space set apart usually by an enclosure wall. This
sacred precinct, contained the temple with a monumental cult image of the deity, an outdoor altar, statues and
votive offerings to the gods, and often features of landscape such as sacred trees or springs. Many temples
benefited from their natural surroundings, which helped to express the character of the divinities. For instance, the
temple at Sounion dedicated to Poseidon, god of the sea, commands a spectacular view of the water on three
sides, and the Parthenon on the rocky Athenian Akropolis celebrates the indomitable might of the goddess Athena.
The central ritual act in ancient Greece was animal sacrifice, especially of oxen, goats, and sheep. Sacrifices took
place within the sanctuary, usually at an altar in front of the temple, with the assembled participants consuming
the entrails and meat of the victim. Liquid offerings, or libations, were also commonly made. Religious festivals,
literally feast days, filled the year. The four most famous festivals, each with its own procession, athletic
competitions andd sacrifices, were held every four years at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmia. These
Panhellenic festivals were attended by people from all over the Greek-speaking world.