greek mythology(1)

Ancient

Greek Literature

Ancient Greek LiteratureAncient Greek Literature

Classical (900 B.C. to 323 B.C.)Classical (900 B.C. to 323 B.C.)

Hellenistic (323 B.C. to 146 B.C.)Hellenistic (323 B.C. to 146 B.C.)

Greco-Roman (146 B.C to 395 A.D.)Greco-Roman (146 B.C to 395 A.D.)

Byzantine Period (395 A.D. to 1453 A.D.)Byzantine Period (395 A.D. to 1453 A.D.)

ClassicalClassical (900 B.C. to 323 B.C.) (900 B.C. to 323 B.C.) This period of Greek literature stretches from Homer

until the 4th century BC and the rise of Alexander the Great.

This period saw the birth of original works. In the classical period many of the genres of western

literature became more prominent. The main literary types were developed to express

the needs and ideals of the communities of which the writer was a member.

The earliest known Greek writings are Mycenaean. Literary Types:

Epic poetry Comedy Lyric poetry Historiography Tragedy Philosophy

Types of Literature Famous People

Epic PoetryHomer

Hesoid

Lyric PoetrySappho

Pindar

Tragedy

Aeschylus

Sophocles

Euripides

ComedyAristophanes

Menander

HistoriographyHerodotus

Thucydides

Philosophy

Socrates

Plato

Aristotle

HellenisticHellenistic (323 B.C. to 146 B.C.) (323 B.C. to 146 B.C.) By 323 BC many of the key Greek city-states had been

conquered by Philip II of Macedon. Philip II's son Alexander the Great extended his father's conquests greatly.

Later Greek poetry flourished primarily in the 3rd century BC. The chief poets were Theocritus, Callimachus, and Apollonius of Rhodes.

Theocritus, was the creator of pastoral poetry, a type that the Roman Virgil mastered in his Eclogues.

One of the most valuable contributions of the Hellenistic period was the translation of the Old Testament into Greek. The work was done at Alexandria and completed by the end of the 2nd century BC.

The name Septuagint means "seventy," from the tradition that there were 72 scholars who did the work.

Greco-RomanGreco-Roman (146 B.C to 395 (146 B.C to 395 A.D.)A.D.)

The significant historians in the period after Alexander were Timaeus, Polybius, Diodorus Siculus, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Appian of Alexandria, Arrian, and Plutarch. The period of time they cover extended from late in the 4th century BC to the 2nd century AD.

Eratosthenes of Alexandria, who died about 194 BC, wrote on astronomy and geography, but his work is known mainly from later summaries.

The physician Galen, in the history of ancient science, is the most significant person in medicine after Hippocrates, who laid the foundation of medicine in the 5th century BC.

Patristic literature was written in the Hellenistic Greek of this period. Syria and Alexandria, especially, flourished.

Byzantine PeriodByzantine Period (395 A.D. to 1453 (395 A.D. to 1453 A.D.)A.D.)

If Byzantine literature is the expression of the intellectual life of the Byzantine Greeks during the Christian Middle Ages, then it is a multiform organism, combining Greek and Christian civilization on the common foundation of the Roman political system, set in the intellectual and ethnographic atmosphere of the Near East.

Byzantine literature partakes of four different cultural elements:

Greek ChristianRoman Oriental

Chronicles, distinct from histories, arose in this period.

Encyclopedias also flourished in this period.

THE

GREEK MYTHOLOGY

CHARACTERS

the titans

The titans

also known as the elder gods and ruled the earth before the Olympians overthrew them.

GAEA | CRONUS | URANUS | RHEA

OCEANUS | TETHYS | HYPERION | CRIUS

MNEMOSYNE | THEMIS | IAPETUS | COEUS

PHOEBE | THEA | ATLAS | METIS

PROMETHEUS | EPIMETHEUS

The

Olympians

The Olympians

a group of 12 gods who ruled after the overthrow of the titans.

they are named after their dwelling place, the mount Olympus.

Aphrodite | Apollo | Ares | Artemis | Athena

HADES | HERA | HERMES | HeSTIA

Hephaestus | Poseidon | Zeus |

The

Lesser gods of the earth

Demeter pan

Persephone nemesis

Dionysus the graces

Eros the muses

Hebe the erinnys

Eris the fates

Helios

thanatos

The Heroes

Achilles | Aeneas | Diomedes | hector

Hercules | Jason | Odysseus

Perseus | THeseus

THE CREATURES

CYCLOPES | HECATONCHEIRES |

ASH TREE NYMPHS | TYPHOEUS |

GIANTS | CERBERUS | SIRENS |

CENTAUR

Aether God of the Upper Air

AphroditeGoddess of Love, Lust and Beauty

Apollo God of Music

Ares God of War

Artemis Goddess of the Hunt

Athena God of Wisdom

Cronus Titan of Eternal Time

Coeus Titan of Intelligence

Demeter Goddess of Fertility

Dionysus God of Wine and Parties

Erebus God of Darkness and Shadow

Gaea Earth Goddess

Hades God of the Underworld

Hebe Goddess of Youth

Hemera Goddess of Daylight

Hephaestus God of Fire

Hera Goddess of Marriage

Hermes God of Flight

Hestia Goddess of Hearth and Home

Hyperion Titan of Light

Mnemosyne Titan of Memory

NyxGoddess of Darkness and Night

Phoebe Titan of the Moon

Poseidon God of the Sea

Prometheus Protector of Man

Themis Titan of Justice

Uranus Sky God

Zeus King of the Gods

THE PRINCIPAL THE PRINCIPAL GODS’ FAMILY TREEGODS’ FAMILY TREE

The principal gods’ family tree

((( (< heaven> Uranus = Gaea <earth>

Cronus = Rhea Coeus = Phoebe Oceanus = Thethys

Leto = Zeus

Apollo Artemis

Tapethus

Prometheus

Atlas Epimetheus

Zeus=Maia Zeus=Dione

Hermes Aphrodite

Hestia

Hades

Poseidon Demeter=Zeus

Persephone

Zeus = Hera

Athena

Ares Hebe Hephaestus

URANUS GAEA

Cronus Rhea Coeus Phoebe Oceanus Tethys

Hestia Poseidon Demeter Leto Zeus Iapetus

Apollo Artemis Prometheus Atlas Epimetheus

VOCABULARY WORDSVOCABULARY WORDS Supplication – To ask humbly or earnestly through praying Luscious – Sweet and pleasant to taste or smell. Mutter – To speak or utter in a low voice or to complain. Plunder – To rob of goods by force, especially in time of war. Hades – A place they call the Underworld or Hell. Weep – To shed tears or to express sorrow, joy or emotion. Bid – To request, offer or propose something. Resist – To work against or actively oppose. Solemn – Very serious, sacred and characterized by dignity. Grove - A small group of trees lacking undergrowth. Tyrant – An absolute , unjust, and cruel ruler.

IMPORTANCE OF IMPORTANCE OF GREEK GREEK

MYTHOLOGYMYTHOLOGY

Greek Mythology serves several purposes, such as:

Helping rationalize natural phenomena, like someone already stated. They help to explain the unexplainable.

They teach us about different cultures and history, as well as science and religion.

In the case of creation myths, they try to provide an explanation for the origin of our universe and all the intricacies that make it up.

They often provide lessons ("Moral of the Story") or guidelines for life.

MORAL OF THE STORYMORAL OF THE STORY "Greek mythology is quite generally supposed to show

us the way the human race thought and felt untold ages ago. Through it, according to this view, we can retrace the path from civilized man who lives so far from nature, to man who lived in close companionship with nature; and the real interest of the myths is that they lead us back to a time when the world was young and people had a connection with the earth, with trees and seas and flowers and hills, unlike anything we ourselves can feel. When the stories were being shaped, we were given to understand, little distinction had yet been made between the real and the unreal. The imagination was vividly alive and not checked by the reason, so that anyone in the woods might see through the trees a fleeing nymph, or bending over a clear pool to drink, behold in the depths a naiads face."                                                         [Edith Hamilton]

ABOUT THE AUTHORABOUT THE AUTHOR

EDITH HAMILTONEDITH HAMILTON A WORLD RENOWNED CLASSICIST

SHE WAS BORN IN DRESDEN, GERMANY AND SPENT HER CHILDHOOD IN FORT WAYNE, INDIANA

SHE WAS MADE AN HONORARY CITIZEN IN ATHENS

she became a writer on mythology. Her most famous books are The Greek Way (1930) and Mythology (1942).

SHE BECAME THE HEAD MISTRESS OF BRYN MAWR SCHOOL IN MARYLAND WHERE SHE GRADUATED AND RECEIVED BOTH B.A AND M.A.

SHE DIED IN WASHINGTON ON MAY, 1963

GaeaGaea

Gaea is the Earth goddess. She Gaea is the Earth goddess. She mated with her son mated with her son UranusUranus to to produce the remaining Titansproduce the remaining Titans. .

uranusuranus

Uranus is the sky god and first ruler. Uranus is the sky god and first ruler. He is the son of He is the son of GaeaGaea, who created , who created him without help. He then became him without help. He then became the husband of Gaea and together the husband of Gaea and together they had many offspring, including they had many offspring, including twelve of the Titans. twelve of the Titans.

cronuscronus Cronus was the ruling Titan who came to

power by castrating his Father Uranus. His wife was Rhea. There offspring were the first of the Olympians. To insure his safety Cronus ate each of the children as they were born.

Cronus managed to escape to Italy, where he ruled as Saturn. The period of his rule was said to be a golden age on earth, honored by the Saturnalia feast.

rhearhea

Rhea was the wife of Cronus. Cronus made it a practice to swallow their children. To avoid this, Rhea tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock, saving her son Zeus.

oceanusoceanus Oceanus is the unending stream of

water encircling the world. Together with his wife Tethys produced the rivers and the three thousand ocean nymphs.

tethystethys

Tethys is the wife of Oceanus. Together they produced the rivers and the three thousand ocean nymphs.

hyperionhyperion

Hyperion is the Titan of light, the father of the sun, the moon, and the dawn.

mnemosynemnemosyneMnemosyne was the Titan of

memory and the mother of Muses.

themisthemis Themis was the Titan of justice and

order. She was the mother of the Fates and the Seasons.

iapetusiapetusIapetus was the father of

Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Atlas.

coeuscoeus

Titan of Intelligence. Father of Leto. Titan of Intelligence. Father of Leto.

phoebephoebeTitan of the Moon. Mother of Titan of the Moon. Mother of

LetoLeto. .

prometheusprometheus the wisest Titan. His name means the wisest Titan. His name means

"forethought" and he was able to "forethought" and he was able to foretell the future. foretell the future.

Prometheus is known as the Prometheus is known as the protector and benifactor of man. He protector and benifactor of man. He gave mankind a number of gifts gave mankind a number of gifts including fire. including fire.

atlasatlas Atlas was the son of Iapetus. Unlike Atlas was the son of Iapetus. Unlike

his brothers Prometheus and his brothers Prometheus and Epimetheus, Atlas fought with the Epimetheus, Atlas fought with the other Titans supporting Cronus other Titans supporting Cronus against Zeus. Due to Cronus's against Zeus. Due to Cronus's advance age Atlas lead the Titan's in advance age Atlas lead the Titan's in battle. As a result he was singled out battle. As a result he was singled out by Zeus for a special punishment and by Zeus for a special punishment and made to hold up the world on his made to hold up the world on his back. back.

epimetheusepimetheus Epimetheus was a stupid Titan, Epimetheus was a stupid Titan,

whose name means "afterthought". whose name means "afterthought". He is delegated, along with his He is delegated, along with his

brother Prometheus by Zeus to brother Prometheus by Zeus to create mankind. He also accepted create mankind. He also accepted the gift of Pandora from Zeus, which the gift of Pandora from Zeus, which lead to the introduction of evil into lead to the introduction of evil into the world. the world.

metismetis Metis was the Titaness of the forth Metis was the Titaness of the forth

day and the planet Mercury. She day and the planet Mercury. She presided over all wisdom and presided over all wisdom and knowledge. knowledge.

APHRODITEAPHRODITE

Aphrodite is the goddess Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire and of love, desire and beauty. beauty.

APOLLOAPOLLO

god of light, truth, god of light, truth, music, and music, and healinghealing

Twin sister of Twin sister of artemisartemis

ARESARES

The God of The God of WarWar

ARTEMISARTEMIS Her twin brother is Her twin brother is

ApolloApollo. . Goddess of Wild Goddess of Wild

thingsthings Goddess of Chastity Goddess of Chastity

and protector of the and protector of the young. young.

ATHENAATHENA

She is the goddess of the city, handicrafts, and agriculture.

She is the embodiment of wisdom, reason, and purity.

HADESHADES Hades is the brother Hades is the brother

of of ZeusZeus. . lord of the lord of the

underworldunderworld, ruling , ruling over the dead. over the dead.

He is also the god of He is also the god of wealthwealth

His wife is His wife is PersephonePersephone

HERAHERA

Zeus wife

Goddess of Marriage and married women.

HESTIAHESTIAGoddess of the Goddess of the

Hearth, the symbol Hearth, the symbol of the house around of the house around which a new born which a new born child is carried child is carried before it is received before it is received into the family.into the family.

HERMESHERMES He is the fastest of

the gods. He wears winged sandals, a winged hat, and carries a magic wand.

He is the god of thieves and god of commerce.

HEPHAESTUSHEPHAESTUSHe is the god of

fire and the forge. He is the smith and armorer of the gods.

His wife is Aphrodite.

POSEIDONPOSEIDON

lord of the sealord of the sea

He is second He is second only to Zeus in only to Zeus in power amongst power amongst the gods. the gods.

ZEUSZEUS The supreme ruler of

the gods. He is lord of the sky,

the rain god. His weapon is a

thunderbolt which he hurls at those who displease him.

He is married to Hera but, is famous for his many affairs.

DEMETERDEMETER

The Goddess of Corn, Grain, and the Harvest. She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea.

Demeter is intimately associated with the seasons.

PERSEPHONEPERSEPHONE

The daughter of The daughter of ZeusZeus and and DemeterDemeter. . After her abduction by After her abduction by HadesHades she she became his wife and Queen of the became his wife and Queen of the underworldunderworld. .

DIONYSUSDIONYSUS

Dionysus is the god of Dionysus is the god of the vine. He invented the vine. He invented wine and spread the art wine and spread the art of tending grapes. He of tending grapes. He has a dual nature. On the has a dual nature. On the one hand bringing joy one hand bringing joy and devine ecstasy. On and devine ecstasy. On the other brutal, the other brutal, unthinking, rage. unthinking, rage.

EROSEROS

Eros is the son of Eros is the son of AphroditeAphrodite. Eros is . Eros is the god of love. In particular erotic, the god of love. In particular erotic, romantic, love. He is often romantic, love. He is often represented blindfolded because, represented blindfolded because, love is often blind. His "weapon" is love is often blind. His "weapon" is darts or arrows. darts or arrows.

HEBEHEBE

Hebe is the daughter of Zeus and Hera. She is the goddess of youth. She, along with Ganymede are the cupbearers to the gods. Hebe is Hercules wife.

ERISERIS

She is the goddess of discord. In addition to her main activity of sowing discord, she frequently accompanies her brother Ares to battles. On these occasions she rides his chariot and brings her son Strife. .

helioshelios

He was the son of Hyperion He was the son of Hyperion and the Greek Sungod.and the Greek Sungod.

THANATOSTHANATOS

Thanatosos was the greek god of Thanatosos was the greek god of death. death.

PANPAN

Pan is the son of Pan is the son of HermesHermes. He is the . He is the god of goatherds and shepherdsgod of goatherds and shepherds

NEMESISNEMESIS Nemesis means righteous anger, due Nemesis means righteous anger, due

enactment, or devine vengence. This enactment, or devine vengence. This god helped to avenge those who god helped to avenge those who were wronged. were wronged.

THE MUSESTHE MUSES

They are the daughters of They are the daughters of ZeusZeus and and MnemosyneMnemosyne. They are known for the music . They are known for the music of their song, which brings joy to any who of their song, which brings joy to any who hear it. There are nine Muses, each with hear it. There are nine Muses, each with her own specialty: Clio (History), Urania her own specialty: Clio (History), Urania (Astronmy), Melpomene (Tragedy), Thalia (Astronmy), Melpomene (Tragedy), Thalia (Comedy), Terpsichore (Dance), Calliope (Comedy), Terpsichore (Dance), Calliope (Epic Poetry), Erato (Love Poetry), (Epic Poetry), Erato (Love Poetry), Polyhymnia (Songs to the Gods), Euterpe Polyhymnia (Songs to the Gods), Euterpe (Lyric Poetry). (Lyric Poetry).

THE GRACESTHE GRACES

They are the daughters of They are the daughters of ZeusZeus and and EurynomeEurynome. There are three Graces: . There are three Graces: Aglaia (Splendor), Euphrosyne Aglaia (Splendor), Euphrosyne (Mirth), and Thalia (Good Cheer). The (Mirth), and Thalia (Good Cheer). The are known for singing and dancing are known for singing and dancing for the gods. for the gods.

THE ERINNYSTHE ERINNYS

Also known as the Furies, punish Also known as the Furies, punish crime. They persue wrong doers crime. They persue wrong doers relentlessly, until death, often driving relentlessly, until death, often driving them to suicide. They are particularly them to suicide. They are particularly concerned with matricide. There are concerned with matricide. There are three Erinnyes, Tisiphone, Megaera, three Erinnyes, Tisiphone, Megaera, and Alecto. The Erinnyes came from and Alecto. The Erinnyes came from the blood of the blood of UranusUranus when he was when he was castrated. castrated.

THE FATESTHE FATES The Fates have the subtle but, awesome The Fates have the subtle but, awesome

power of deciding a mans destiny. power of deciding a mans destiny.

There are three Fates. Clotho, the spinner, There are three Fates. Clotho, the spinner, who spins the thread of life. Lachesis, the who spins the thread of life. Lachesis, the measurer, who choses the lot in life one measurer, who choses the lot in life one will have and measures off how long it is will have and measures off how long it is to be. Atropos, she who can not be turn, to be. Atropos, she who can not be turn, who at death with her shears cuts the who at death with her shears cuts the tread of life. tread of life.