Greek CivilizationsChapter 5.1

Greek Mythology

• Why were the most impressive buildings in Greek cities religious temples?

• They believed gods and goddesses affected people’s lives and shaped events.

• What is a myth?

• They are traditional stories about gods and heroes.

• Why did people write myths?

• People wrote myths to express their religious beliefs.

• Why were gods and goddesses important to the Greek people

• The people believed that they affected their lives and shaped events.

• Where did the 12 most important gods and goddesses lived on?

• Mount Olympus

• Who is the chief God?

• Zeus

• What is a set of actions carried our in a fixed way?

• Ritual

• Why would the Greeks give their gods gifts?

• The Greeks hoped that the gods would grant them good fortune in return.

• What is a prophecy?

• A prediction about the future.

• What does the word fate mean?

• Destiny

• Why would a Greek person go to an oracle?

• To find out their future

• What was the name of the most famous oracle?

• The Temple of Apollo at Delphi

Greek Poetry and Fables

• What is an epic?

• Long poems told about heroic deeds.

• Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey?

• Homer

• What was the Iliad and the Odyssey based on?

• Stories of war between Greece and the city of Troy

• What was the plan for the Greeks to take over the city during the battle for Troy?

• The built a huge hollow horse for the Trojans where the best Mycenaean fighters would be waiting inside.

• What did Homer’s stories teach people?

• Courage, honor, loyalty to your friends, and to value the relationship between husband and wife.

• Who was Aesop?

• A Greek slave

• What is a fable?

• A short tale that teaches a lesson

• What is one of Aesop’s most well- known fables?

• “The Tortoise and the Hare”

• What is the moral of “The Tortoise and the Hare”?

• Slow and steady wins the race

• What is an oral tradition?

• The stories were passed from person to person by word of mouth long before they were written down

Greek Drama

• What is drama?

• A story told by actors who pretend to be characters in the story.

• What are a few examples of dramas?

• Movies, plays and television shows

• What is a tragedy?

• When a person struggles to overcome difficulties but fails

• What is a comedy (the way that the Greeks used it)?

• When a story ends happily

• What were the three big questions that most of Greek stories dealt with?

1) What is the nature of good and evil?2) What rights should people have?3) What role do gods play in our lives?

• Who were the best known writers of Greek tragedies?

• Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides

• Who was the best known writer for Greek comedies?

• Aristophanes

• How did Sophocles develop drama even further then ever before?

• He used three actors instead of one or two and he painted scenes behind the stage as a backdrop to the action.

Greek Art and Architecture

• What did the Greek artists want people to see in their work?

• Reason, moderation, balance, and harmony

• What is architecture?

• The art of designing and building structures

• What was the most important architecture of Greece?

• The temples dedicated to a god or goddess.

• What is the best known example of a temple dedicated to a god or goddess?

• The Parthenon

• What architectural feature do you see on the White House that was used in Greece?

• Columns