The Greeks 2

• History
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

 The Time of Greeks and Romans

4.3 (A) Gods and Myths

What you will learn in 

this lesson

• the most important Greek gods
• the main characteristics of Greek gods
• why the gods were important to the Greeks
• how the Greeks worshipped their gods

Gods and Goddesses

The Greeks worshipped many different gods and goddesses. They believed the gods looked like humans, but they had special powers and they were immortal.

Each god controlled a different aspect of everyday life. 

Gods were shown in Greek art with a symbol that showed who they were. 

The twelve most important gods lived as a family on Mount Olympus, ruled by Zeus. Like humans, they had feelings. They loved, argued, fought and made up again, just like a human family. 

Picture: Mount Olympus, as seen in the fantasy film "Clash of the Titans", 2010

The Greek gods lived in Heaven

1. true
2. false

The Greek gods lived forever

1. true
2. false

The Greek gods had power over humans

1. true
2. false

The Greek gods were not related to each other

1. true
2. false

Living with the gods (I)

The Greeks believed that the gods could, and did, come to Earth and interfere in everyday life. They built up a personal relationship with humans, so it was important to keep the gods happy. The gods helped or harmed people, depending on their relationship with them. Poseidon, god of the sea, could help sailors in a storm by stopping it. But if he was angry with the sailors he could call up a storm on a calm day, to drown them all. Different gods could help or hinder the same person. 

Painting: The Return of Neptune

Artist: John Singleton Copley (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1738–1815 London)

Date: ca. 1754

The Greek gods could help or harm a person

1. true
2. false

Living with the gods (II)

The Greeks tell a story of the battle of between them and the Trojans at Troy. Different gods supported each side - treating the war as a game between themselves. This got worse when jealousy was involved. Several Greek stories were about human women who have children by the Greek god Zeus (Hercules was one such child). 

He and his wife Hera fought over the lives of these children, known as demi-gods. Hera made their lives difficult, while Zeus tried to help them.

click here for more information about Hercules

A demi-god is the child of a god and a goddess

1. true
2. false

worshipping the gods

The Greeks worshipped the gods at religious festivals, which often took several days. They prayed, sang and danced. Priests made sacrifices to the gods. Actors performed plays and athletes held sporting competitions. All of this was done to please the gods. The Greeks also worshipped the gods daily, both at public shrines and at shrines in their homes.

Sacrifice scene. Attic red-figure vase, ca. 430 BC–420 BC. Found in Athens

the Oracle of Delphi

The Greeks sometimes wanted to ask the gods if a marriage, a journey, or a battle would go well. Sometimes they went to a special shrine, an oracle. There were oracles in several parts of Greece, the most famous at Delphi. They took an offering and asked the priest or priestess at the oracle their question. The priest went away and returned with the answer. If they could not make the journey to the oracle, they took an animal to a local priest. The priest sacrificed the animal and examined 

its insides. In these he saw the god's answer to the question and told the person giving the offering.

Picture: Just below all the main ruins of Delphi is this magnificent structure, the Tholos of Delphi, believed to be the sanctuary of Athena.

Gods of the city

Although the Greeks worshipped many different gods and goddesses, each city state chose a god to be the special protector of their city. The Greeks believed that the gods were pleased to be chosen; it showed that the people of the city especially respected them. The people of Athens told the story of how the goddess Athena came to be the protector of their city. She and Poseidon both wanted to be chosen. So they decided to fight about it. Athena won. Some versions of the story say that the Athenians voted for the winner. Others say that Zeus decided, because he was king of the gods.

Picture: Modern life size replica of the statue of Athena, located in Tennessee (USA), that is an identical copy built to size and based off research and descriptions. 

MYTH

The word "myth" has two very different meanings. The Greek myths were stories about the Greek gods and goddesses involving supernatural events. usually they were told to explain something about the world that people did not understand (like an earthquake, or thunderstorm), or how to behave well. 

You can compare myths to "fairytales". They are made up stories, but with an important message.

For instance, the fairytale of  Little Red Riding Hood (Roodkapje) is a fabricated story, but it explains to children that Little Red Riding Hood came into trouble because she did not listen to her mother and strayed off the path to pick flowers. 

The message of the story (to little children): Listen to your parents or you'll get into trouble

Modern 3D model of Theseus and the Minotaur

Greek myths are fabricated stories. Therefore a historian has no use for them.
Do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
(the explanation is the important part of your answer!!)

Click Here

for extra information about the Greek Gods

Use this to do the next task.

Tekst

Copy this overview into your notebook.

Choose your 6 favourite Greek gods from the website (previous slide) and fill in the details.

ccc

Chapter 3.3: Gods and Goddesses

Copy this in your notebook and fill in the gaps.

Summary ch 3.3: Gods and Goddesses

The Greeks worshipped many _______________gods

Main characteristics of the gods. 

_____________________________________________(write your own sentences)

Living with the gods (I + II):

The first three lines in the text give you the main information. The rest is examples that illustrrate the main information.

Now make your own summary of this. 

_____________________________________________..

Worshipping the gods

The Greeks worshipped the gods at _____________. ____________made ______________ to the gods.

The Greeks also worshipped the gods ____________, both at _______________ and at _____________ in their homes.

Sometimes they went to a special shrine, an _________________, like in Delphi, to ask an important question to a god.

Word Duty

Lesson 3.3:

• immortal (not in glossary)
  
• sacrifice
• oracle

What you learned in 

this lesson

• the most important Greek gods
  
• the main characteristics of Greek gods
  
• why the gods were important to the Greeks
  
• how the Greeks worshipped their gods
  

Do you think that this lesson was enough for you to understand the learning goals?

1. yes, I got it.
2. no, I still do not understand everything

Was your answer in the previous question "A"?
Then you can fill in "OK".

Was your answer in the previous question "B"?
Then write down what part of the lesson you do not understand and (if you can) what can help you.

congratulations