The Age of MythologyTimeless Tales of Heroes, Gods, and Monsters

Mythology• Definition: a usually traditional story

of events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon . Myths often involve divine, supernatural, and/or heroic characters.

• Or in other words…

Mythology

• Definition #2: A collection of fictional stories involving the actions of gods, goddesses and other imaginary characters, intended to explain the unexplainable.

Oral Tradition

• Definition: the practice of passing along stories, tales, and folklore by word of mouth

• Oral tradition is responsible for many of the “inconsistencies” of ancient mythology.

Legends• Definition: fictional stories loosely

based upon real/historical people and events.

• Also known as “tall-tales”

• Are rooted in facts, but stories have been changed through the years…WHY?

Fables

• Definition: A brief story, often containing animal characters that teaches a lesson or moral

• Fables deal with “useful truth”

Fantasy

• Definition: highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life

• Many science fiction and fantasy books, movies and comic books are based upon the style and manner of myths.

Classical Greek Mythology• Definition: A collection of stories

about a set of gods, based upon oral tradition, as told and recorded by the ancient Greeks

• Myths served as entertainment, a sense of national/regional pride, and religious education

“The Classicists”• Greek mythology existed for hundreds

of years before these stories were ever recorded with written words.

• The scholars/poets who recorded the myths are known as “classicists.”

• The major classicists of Greek Mythology include Virgil, Homer, and Ovid.

Categories of Myths

• Myths of creation: these explain the beginning of time, space, and man

• Myths of explanation: these explain the great questions of the universe

• Myths of morality: these teach lessons and reinforce cultural morality

The Importance of Myths

• Myths were critical to the Ancient Greeks

• These stories touched all aspects of Greek life, including their art, music, architecture, military endeavors, religion, and education.

Why Study Mythology?

• Greek myths are the foundation for the arts as we know it, including: movies, television, commercial products, sports, music, and comic books.

• A knowledge of Greek mythology enhances a person’s ability to understand and appreciate the world as a whole.

Mythology: A Brief Timeline

The beginning: according to popular belief• Uranus was the “First One”, and he

created the universe.• Uranus created and married Gaia,

otherwise known as “Mother Earth.”• They lived on Mt. Olympus

• Uranus and Gaia had many children:• Some were human-like giants, called the

“Titans”• Some were hideous, disfigured monsters• The Titans lived for many years under

Uranus’s cruel reign• Uranus’s most powerful son would soon

challenge his rule.

• Cronus killed his cruel father and assumed his role as “king of the Titans.”

• Before Uranus died, he predicted that Cronus would be killed by one of his sons, just as he had been.

• What is the logical solution to this problem?

• Cronus married his sister, Rhea, and had:

-Three daughters: Hestia, Demeter, Hera

-Three sons: Posiedon, Hades, and Zeus

• These offspring were considered Titans, but would later become the gods and goddesses of Greek Mythology

• Because he feared his sons, Cronus ate his first two sons whole

• Fed up with his baby-gobbling, Rhea gave birth to her third son in secret

• Rhea dressed a boulder up as a baby and Cronus ate the rock unknowingly

• Zeus was sent as an infant to be raised in secret by human shephards

“Cronus Devours His Children”

• Zeus returned to Mt. Olympus as a young man and poisoned Cronus

• Cronus vomited up brothers Poseidon and Hades

• Zeus was celebrated as a hero• An epic battle ensues between Cronus

and his sons for the right to rule Mt. Olympus and the universe.

The Great Battle!

• Cronus is assisted in battle by his Titan brothers

• Zeus and his brothers are assisted by the monsters Cronus had abused and tortured for years in captivity.

• These monsters included the Cyclopes (3) and the Hundred-Handed Ones (3)

Mythology and Classic Art• The Battle Between the Gods and the Titans by Wtewael Art Institute of Chicago,

Chicago

Cronus is Defeated!

• The three sons roll dice to divide Cronus’ kingdom

• Poseidon wins, but elects to choose second, knowing that naïve Zeus would choose the empty sky.

• Poseidon is correct, and Zeus chooses unwisely.

• Hades is left to bitterly receive “leftovers.”

Enter the Gods…• Magically and mysteriously, the children of

Cronus become immortal, and become gods and goddesses.

• Mythology offers no explanation for this important transformation!

The Pantheon

• There are many gods, goddesses, demi-gods (half-gods) and supernatural beings in Greek Mythology.

• The twelve main gods and goddesses are known as the Pantheon.

Zeus

Zeus:• King of the gods, ruler of Mt. Olympus

• Also god of lightning

• Was a powerful and aggressive ruler

• Struck Earth with lightning bolt when upset

• Waged constant war with wife Hera

• Cheated on wife countless times, and had numerous children with mortals, gods, and other creatures

Zeus (continued)

• Was a master of disguise, which aided him in his philandering

• Was a complex character: capable of unspeakable acts of immorality and occasional acts of mercy

HeraHera

HERA• Queen of immortals, goddess of marriage

and childbirth

• Unhappy wife of Zeus

• Disapproved of Zeus’ constant cheating

• Held grudges against Zeus’ “children”

• Often punished Zeus with childish pranks and vengeful schemes

• Associated with the peacock

PoseidonPoseidon

Poseidon• God of water

• God of horses as well

• Ruled over seas, oceans, rivers and all the sea creatures

• Did not live in the lost city of Atlantis

• Invented many of the fish and sea monsters of mythology

• Created the horse for Demeter (*)

DemeterDemeter

Demeter

• Goddess of the harvest, plants, farming

• One of Zeus’ favorite females (also sister)

• Poseidon also loved Demeter

• Mother of Persephone

• Responsible for the all-important growing season (most Greeks were farmers)

AthenaAthena

Athena• Goddess of wisdom and warfare

• Zeus daughter out of wedlock

• Mother was Metis, a Titaness

• Zeus became paranoid that his child would harm him, so he eats her whole.

• Zeus developed a splitting headache

• Hephaestus split his head open with a chisel, and…

The “Rebirth” of Athena

• Athena jumped out of Zeus skull, full-grown and wearing battle armor.

• Often associated with the owl

• Carried a shield adorned with the head of Medusa, the Gorgon

• One of the most popular and respected immortals

• Athens, Greece is named for her

ApolloApollo

APoll0• God of the sun, art, music, math,

moderation and poetry

• Artemis’ twin brother

• Was especially talented but arrogant

• Often engaged in unfair competitions with mortals

• Regarded as Zeus’ most powerful son

• Known for his bloated self-esteem

The Flaying of Marsyas

ArtemisArtemis

Artemis• Goddess of hunting, sport, and the

moon

• Born of Zeus and Leto (a nymph)

• Was Zeus’ favorite daughter

• Zeus granted Artemis three wishes to show her his affection

• Many of Zeus’ children were jealous of Artemis’ attention and gifts

Artemis (continued)

1)Artemis wished for a silver hunting bow and arrow.

2)Artemis desired to be known by many nicknames.

3)Artemis desired to stay forever young.

*Artemis remains chaste for eternity. She endures countless advances, though.

HadesHades

HADES• God of the Underworld

• Was an aggressive, moody and selfish god

• Often depicted inaccurately as the “antagonist” of mythology

• “Hades” refers to both the character and the region of the Underworld itself

Hades (continued)

• Ruled over the three regions of Underworld:

• Tartarus: dark field bordered by hideous, animated trees, filled with lost souls

• River Styx: raging river, often depicted as lava or blood, that marked the entrance to the Underworld.

• Also called the “River of Souls”

Hades (continued)

• Elysian Fields: a barren wasteland where the good dead reside

• (*) Isle of the Blessed: blissful paradise where only the most priviledged mortals went upon dying

Hades (continued)• Lived with his kidnapped wife, Persephone

• Cerberus (three-headed dog) guarded the entrance to the Underworld

• Despite being an important mythological character, Hades only left the Underworld a handful of times.

HephaestusHephaestus

Hephaestus (Vulcan)

• God of iron work, blacksmithing, mechanics and manual labor

• Son of Zeus and Hera

• Was born ugly and fitful

• Hera kicked him from Mt. Olympus

• Was reinstated by Hera for his masterful skill of jewelry-making

• Was ugly, crippled and hideous

Hephaestus Strikes Gold…

• Married to Aphrodite, the most beautiful of all goddesses

• Had no children with his wife

• Endured Aphrodite’s many affairs and constant flirtations

• Was emotionally scarred by Aphrodite’s affair with Ares, the god of war

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Aphrodite

• Goddess of beauty, love, and sex

• Most beautiful of all immortals

• Aphrodite has a sketchy and controversial past

• Due to oral tradition and censorship, the tales of Aphrodite have changed considerably through the years

Aphrodite’s Creation

• Version #1: Aphrodite was the son of Zeus and a Dione

• Version #2: Aphrodite was born of Zeus and the daughter of one of his arch enemies

But both of these stories are less-than-accurate twists on the real version…

The Real Creation of Aphrodite

• Aphrodite was born from the death of Uranus

• Cronus castrated his father before death, and threw the “part” into the ocean

• From the bubbling, boiling, bloody foam, Aphrodite appeared

• She was accompanied at birth by sea nymphs and doves

• Often depicted as having hatched from a seashell

Aphrodite (con’t.)

• Discovered by fishermen and taken to Mt. Olympus as a gift to Zeus

• Hera, fearing a relationship between Zeus and Aphrodite, insisted that she marry Hephaestus, her ugliest child

• Aphrodite serves as a constant temptation for gods and mortals alike.

• Her name literally means “from the foam”

AresAres

Ares

• God of warfare

• Was violent, aggressive, and unlikeable

• Was Hera and Zeus’s most despised son

• Had an awkward love affair with Aphrodite

• Was actually a coward (traitor)

• Was feared, but not respected by Greeks

HermesHermes

Hermes• Messenger god, god of gambling, theivery

and trickery

• Has a sketchy creation:

– Zeus child with a nymph

– Zeus child with a goddess (unnamed)

– Son of two enchanted mortals

*Oral tradition is contributed to the many different creations of Hermes

Hermes

• Considered Zeus’ “toadie”

• Messenger and courier of the gods

• Only mythological character with ability to enter and leave Underworld freely

• Ran on air with a pair of special winged sandals called “thalia”

• “Thalia” were a gift from Athena