Greek Mythology!
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147 Terms
What is the Greek word for a city state?
polis
Which is NOT a period in ancient Greek history?
Classical Renaissance
Which empire invaded Greece and lost?
Persian Empire
What was Greece originally called?
Hellas
Which best describes euhemerism?
the idea that myths grow out of historical figures and events
Which mythographer had the greatest influence on George Lucas and Star Wars?
Joseph Campbell
Who developed the theory of "solar mythology"?
Max Müller
Whom do the Romans claim travelled from Troy to start the Roman people?
Aeneas
King Oidipous was prophesied to do what?
kill his father and have sex with his mother
What should the word "mythology" mean?
the study of myth
Which of the following is the many-headed hound who guards the gates of Hades’ realm?
Cerberus
Which of the following etiologies is NOT included in the folktale of Pandora?
The origins of sacrifice
Which of the following are the clever smiths of the gods, and make Zeus’s lightning?
Cyclopes
Eos, the goddess of the dawn, had many lovers, but she loved _______ so much that she asked Zeus to make him immortal (while forgetting to ask that he stop ageing).
Tithonus
Who is the father of the ill-fated Phaëthon?
Helius
Which of the following means “sexual love” or “attraction,” and is the source of motion that brings sexual beings together to produce offspring?
Eros
Cosmogony is, for Hesiod, the same as _______.
theogony
Which skill is NOT taught to human beings by Prometheus?
writing
Pandora’s name probably means “_______.”
all-giver
The Greek word amnion is used both for the membrane that surrounds the fetus and for _______.
a jar that holds the blood of sacrifice
Hera is identified with which Roman goddess?
Juno
Apollo’s son, the Greek god of medicine, is _______.
Asclepius
From as far back as Homer, Hera was particularly associated with which place?
Argos
_______ is one of the few deities in Greek myth whose form was sometimes only partly human.
Pan
Q: What was Greece originally like politically?
: It wasn’t a unified country but made up of city-states (polis). The word 'Greek' came later from the Romans.
What were Panhellenic sanctuaries?
A: Cultural/religious sites shared by all Greeks (ex. Delphi).
Q: What were the two main dialect/cultural differences in Ancient Greece?
A: Sparta vs. Ionia.
Q: What are the main historical periods of Greece?
A: Helladic (2900–1100 BCE), Greek Dark Ages (1100–800 BCE), Archaic (800–480 BCE), Classical (480–323 BCE), Hellenistic (323–31 BCE), Roman Empire (from 31 BCE).
When was the Helladic Period?
(2900–1100 BCE)
When was the Greek Dark Ages Period?
(1100–800 BCE)
When was the Archaic Period?
(800–480 BCE)
When was the Classical Period?
(480–323 BCE),
When was the Hellenistic Period?
(323–31 BCE)
When was the Roman Empire Period?
(31 BCE).
Q: Who were the main civilizations of the Helladic period?
A: Minoans (Crete, traders ~1800 BCE) and Mycenaeans (Greek mainland, warlike ~1600 BCE).
Q: Why is the Greek Dark Ages controversial?
A: It marked a widespread collapse at the end of the Bronze Age, but the cause is unknown (possibly environmental catastrophe).
Q: What were the characteristics of the Greek Dark Ages?
A: Collapse of civilization, literacy ceased, reduced crafts, no monumental architecture, migration to smaller communities
Q: What important changes occurred during the Archaic Period?
A: Literacy reborn, rise of polis, Panhellenic sanctuaries, colonization, hoplite warfare, tyrants, poetry, trade
Q: When did Greek colonization begin?
A: Around 750 BCE.
Q: What wars ended the Archaic Period?
A: The Greek-Persian Wars (499–479 BCE), Athens defeated Persia.
Q: What defined the Classical Period?
A: Architecture (Parthenon, Acropolis), marble sculpture, Athens recorded history.
Q: Who became dominant after Athens?
A: Sparta.
Q: What happened after Sparta overtook Athens?
A: Alexander the Great conquered Greece and Persia before dying unexpectedly.
Q: What began the Hellenistic Period?
A: Alexander’s death, empire divided into 3–4 kingdoms.
Q: What were the cultural characteristics of the Hellenistic Period?
A: Spread of Greek culture, expressive art, focus on women/elderly/sick, Cleopatra last ruler in Egypt.
Q: What event ended Greek independence?
A: Battle of Actium (31 BCE), Rome defeated Greeks.
Q: What came before the Roman Empire?
A: Roman Republic (509–27 BCE), Roman Kingdom (from 729 BCE, mythic Romulus origins).
Q: How do we know about Ancient Greeks?
A: They recorded epics (Odyssey), comedies, histories, poems; though copies could have errors.
Q: What materials preserved Greek culture?
A: Vellum, papyrus, vases (storytelling), monumental buildings (Parthenon).
In an alternative tradition, Aphrodite was Zeus’ daughter by _______.
Dionê
Who is Hermes’ mother and father?
Maia and Zeus
Hermes looked after _______.
shepherds and their flocks
Apollo’s shrine at Delphi is perched on the slope of what mountain?
Mount Parnassus
Which god, according to the poetic tradition, did not live on Mt. Olympus?
Hades
Who got Hephaestus drunk and brought him back to Mt. Olympus to free Hera, whom Hephaestus had trapped on her throne?
Dionysus
Q: What is a myth?
A: A myth is a traditional story a society tells itself that represents its worldview, beliefs, and often fears.
Q: What is the purpose of myths in societies?
A: Myths offer explanations for important aspects of life, especially in pre-literate societies, and provide another way of thinking about reality.
Q: What are the main subdivisions of myths?
Myth: Stories of gods (e.g., Zeus, Hera).
Legend: Rooted in historical fact, describing real events/people.
Folktale/Fairy Tale: Primarily entertaining, often involving animals, sometimes propaganda.
Q: What are the main characteristics of myths?
Traditional stories in narrative form
Set in the distant past (Golden Age, etc.)
Events are seen as true for that society
Function: explain, justify, or warn
Involve gods, supernatural beings, or religion
Q: Who killed Medusa in Greek mythology?
A: Perseus, with Athena’s help.
Q: How did Medusa become a monster?
A: Athena punished Medusa by turning her into a monster after she was raped by Poseidon in Athena’s temple (Athena could not punish another god).
Q: Who retold the story of Medusa differently?
A: Ovid offered an alternative version of the myth.
Q: What is Euhemerism (Euhemerus, c. 300 BC)?
A: The idea that myths are exaggerated history.
Q: What is Max Müller’s “Solar Mythology” theory (1823–1900)?
A: Myths are allegories, especially battles between light and darkness.
Q: What was Andrew Lang’s view of myth (1844–1912)?
A: Myths are the beginning of science—early explanations for why things happen.
Q: What is Sir James Frazer’s view of myth (1854–1941)?
A: Myths serve as explanations for rituals (myth = ritual explanation).
Q: What was Freud’s interpretation of myth (1856–1939)?
A: Myths reflect unconscious sexual forces present in people.
Q: What was Vladimir Propp’s view (1895–1920)?
A: A formalist/structuralist approach: depending on which elements you put together, you get a certain story structure.
Q: What was Claude Lévi-Strauss’s contribution (1908–2009)?
A: Myths can be analyzed structurally; meaning depends on how elements are combined.
Q: What was Joseph Campbell’s theory?
A: The “monomyth” or Hero’s Journey—myths are transcultural and share a universal structure.
Q: Who was Hesiod, and when did he write?
A: Hesiod was an early Greek poet (c. 750–650 BCE) from Cyme in Asia Minor.
Q: What is Theogony?
A: A didactic poem describing the origins of the gods (theogony) and the formation of the universe (cosmogeny).
Q: What was the purpose of Hesiod’s poetry?
A: It was didactic—meant to teach the reader about myths and origins.
Q: What is Cosmogeny?
A: The formation of the universe.
Q: Who is Nyx (Night)?
A: A primordial deity associated with emotions and feelings, mother of many gods.
Q: Who were the Titans?
A: The 12 children of Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky), with Cronus as their leader.
Q: How was Aphrodite (Venus) born?
A: From the castrated genitalia of Uranus thrown into the sea.
Q: Why did Cronus eat his children?
A: Out of fear of losing power and control.
Q: Which children did Cronus swallow?
A: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon.
Q: How was Zeus saved from Cronus?
A: Rhea tricked Cronus by giving him a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes instead of baby Zeus.
Q: Where was Zeus raised?
A: Secretly in a cave on Crete.
Q: What happened after Zeus grew up?
A: He forced Cronus to vomit up the swallowed children (and the stone), freeing them.
Q: Who was reborn last from Cronus?
A: Hestia, making her the youngest.
Q: Why is Zeus technically the eldest?
A: He was never swallowed by Cronus, so he wasn’t “reborn.”
Q: How did the Olympians defeat the Titans?
A: They recruited monsters to help in the Titanomachy (war against the Titans).
Q: Who did Zeus have to defeat after becoming king?
A: Typhon, a monstrous challenger.
Q: Who rules the Underworld?
A: Hades, though he is not the same as the underworld itself.
Q: What is syncretism in mythology?
A: The blending or adding of gods and retroactive ideals from different traditions.
Q: What trick did Prometheus play on Zeus with sacrifices?
A: He made two piles:
Good meat hidden under gross-looking stuff
Inedible bones and fat covered in tasty-looking stuff
Zeus chose the bad pile, leading to punishment for humans.
Q: How did Zeus punish humans after Prometheus’ trick?
A: He took away fire.
Q: How did Prometheus help humans after Zeus took away fire?
A: He stole fire back and gave it to humans.
Q: What was Prometheus’ punishment?
A: He was chained to a rock where an eagle ate his liver every day, and it grew back each night.
Q: Who was Pandora, and why was she created?
A: Pandora was the first woman, sent as a punishment to men.
Q: What gifts did the gods give Pandora?
A: Athena gave her needlework skills, Aphrodite gave her grace and beauty, and Hermes gave her a deceitful mind.
Q: What did Pandora bring to mankind?
A: A jar containing all the world’s evils (plague, depression, etc.), which were released.
Q: What was left inside Pandora’s jar?
A: Hope (it got stuck inside).
Q: What was the Golden Age?
A: A time when humans lived in peace and harmony, destroyed when the gods became displeased.
Q: What was the Silver Age?
A: People stayed children for a long time, but when grown, became violent and wicked—destroyed by gods.
Q: What was the Bronze Age?
A: A violent age where people loved war, weapons, and fighting—destroyed by gods.