110 likes | 121 Vues
Greek Mythology. An Introduction. What are the purposes of a Myth?. Explain natural phenomena Teach people morals Explain the world Explain a historical event Explain a religious practice Reveal the common hopes and fears of mankind. What are the characteristics of a myth?.
E N D
Greek Mythology An Introduction
What are the purposes of a Myth? • Explain natural phenomena • Teach people morals • Explain the world • Explain a historical event • Explain a religious practice • Reveal the common hopes and fears of mankind
What are the characteristics of a myth? • Man’s early desire to explain the universe • A metamorphosis might occur • Focus on the adventures of a god, goddess, or hero • Super human in nature (Atlas) • Sometimes appear in disguised forms (Zeus) • Gods and goddesses experience human emotion (Hera) • Magic (Athena)
What is Greek Mythology? • People of ancient Greece shared stories called Myths • Each myth was about gods, goddesses, and heroes in which they believed • Each god or goddess was worshiped as a deity and ruled over a specific aspect of the Greeks’ lives • The myths were exciting and action packed. They explained the natural phenomena that the Greeks could not explain.
What is Greek Mythology? Cont. • Many of the myths focused on the happenings of the Earth and the sky. • Also used to guide people’s behaviors
How did Greek Mythology Come to be? • As people from different villages met they combined their knowledge and rituals into one belief system. • Those who lived in ancient Greece and the surrounding areas believed that the Olympians ruled the universe. • The Greek gods were the children of the Titans who early societies believed created the Earth.
Mythology in Daily Life • The Greeks built extravagant temples to honor the gods and named cities after them (Athens) • Myths explained how mortals could interact with the gods and explained what would happen if they displeased the gods • Believed that being in the gods favor provided them with good health, harvest, and weather
Just Myths • Eventually, as people learned more about the world around them, they realized the myths were not real. • Remained popular because of well-written tales • Tales about the heroism of the virtuous • Tales about the bad luck that followed the deceitful
Why do we Study Greek Mythology? • Offer us a glimpse into day to day life of the ancient Greeks • Some are based on events in history (Trojan War) • Influenced western society in art, literature, and even the naming of the stars • The myths are entertaining
Where do we see Greek Mythology in present day? • Nike (the goddess of victory) • Ajax cleaner (Greek hero) • The Olympics (Mt. Olympus) • Midas (the Midas touch) • Medical field symbol (Hermes) • Achilles tendon • Siren (sirens) • The Apollo Theater • The Apollo Shuttle • The Titanic (titans)