UNIT 2 - MYTHOLOGY

Question 1

What are the first six steps of the Hero’s Journey?

Answer 1

1. The Ordinary World
2. The Call to Adventure
3. Refusal of the Call
4. Relationship with the Mentor
5. Crossing the 1ST Threshold
6. Test/Allies/Enemies

Question 2

What are the next 6 steps of the Hero’s Journey?

Answer 2

7. Approach to the Innermost Cave
8. The Supreme Ordeal
9. Reward
10. The Road Back
11. Resurrection
12. Return with the Elixir

Question 3

What are satyrs?

Answer 3

These creatures are human from the waist up, goat from the waist down.
- Inhabit wild places
- Companions of Dionysus
- Pan = satyr and is the God of wild, shepherds and flocks, nature of mountain wilds, rustic music and impromptus, and companion of the nymphs.

Question 4

Who are the Fates (Fata/Parcae)?

Answer 4

These were three sister goddesses that appeared in Greek and Roman mythology and were believed to have “spun out” a child’s destiny at birth.
- Aspects of a person’s life were determined by them (when life began, when it ended, and everything in between)
- Immortal Gods were afraid of them (supposedly)

Question 5

Who is Cerberus?

Answer 5

The three-headed dog who guards the
gates of the Underworld.
- permits new spirits to enter the world of the
dead, but will not allow any to leave
- Son of monster Echidna

Question 6

Who is Charon?

Answer 6

The ferryman of the dead.

Question 7

Who is Medusa?

Answer 7

She was a maiden who had an affair with Poseidon in the temple of Athena.
- Because of this, Athena turned her into a monster
- Hair became live snakes and her gaze turned people to stone

Question 8

Who is Arachne?

Answer 8

A mortal weaver who bragged about being the best weaver in the world. This angered Athena.
- She lost a weaving challenge with Athena
- Punishment was to not weave or touch a loom again
- She said she would rather die, so Athena pitied her and turned her into a spider

Question 9

How many Olympians are there?

Answer 9

12 OLYMPIANS
- Zeus (Jupiter)
- Hera (Juno)
- Poseidon (Neptune)
- Athena (Minerva)
- Ares (Mars)
- Apollo
- Artemis (Diana)
- Hephaestus (Vulcan)
- Hermes (Mercury)
- Dionysus (Bacchus)
- Demeter (Ceres)
- Aphrodite (Venus)

Question 10

(MINOR GODS) Who is Eros and Psyche?

Answer 10

Eros = God of Love, aka CUPID
- son of Aphrodite and Ares
- portrayed shooting arrows at mortals that make them fall in love

Psyche = was the most beautiful woman in the world
- Eros fell in love with her
- Made goddess of the soul by Zeus

Question 11

(MINOR GODS) Who is Nemesis?

Answer 11

As the goddess of revenge, she helped punish those who had wronged others. Helped the universe stay balanced.

Question 12

(MINOR GODS) Who is Nike?

Answer 12

The winged goddess of victory. She ran and flew very fast.

Question 13

(MINOR GODS) Who are the Muses?

Answer 13

9 daughters of Zeus and the Titan Mnemosyne (Goddess of Memory).
- They inspired mortals to create art, literature, and music.
- They liked to hang out with Apollo and sing and dance at celebrations for the gods.

Question 14

(HEROES) Who is Achilles?

Answer 14

Son of a mortal king and a sea nymph,
- mother dipped him into River Styx for invincibility
- Got shot by an arrow in Trojan war in his heel, later died

Question 15

(HEROES) Who is Hercules?

Answer 15

Son of Zeus and a mortal woman named Alcmene.
- Was given courage, strength, kindness, bravery and compassion
- Known for the 12 Labours of Heracles

Question 16

(HEROES) Who is Perseus?

Answer 16

The grandson of the King of Acrisius of Argos..
- Him and his mother Danae were locked in a box and thrown in the ocean, later saved by Zeus.
- Perseus agreed to bring the King (who wanted to marry his mom) the head of Medusa in exchange for leaving his mother alone
- Athena (gave shield) and Hermes (gave sword) helped Perseus
- He killed Medusa by cutting it off and gave it as a gift to Athena, who then put it on her shield

Question 17

Who are Gaia and Uranus?

Answer 17

They are the ORIGINAL BEINGS.
- Gaia (Mother Earth) and Uranus (The Sky) appeared from chaos
- They married each other and had 12 kids, known as the Titans

Question 18

Who is Cronos (Saturn)?

Answer 18

He is the LORD of the Titans, and youngest and bravest son of Uranus and Gaia.
- He sliced his father up with a scythe
- He was scared of his children doing the same as he did, so he ate them as soon as they were born
- Tricked by Zeus
- Eventually cast into Tartarus

Question 19

Who are the 4 Titans?

Answer 19

Coeus + Phoebe, Cronos + Rhea

Question 20

Who is Rhea (Opis)?

Answer 20

She is the wife of Cronos and mother to the first six gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia.
- Told by Gaia to hide Zeus (child #6) on the island of Crete
- Goddess of female fertility, motherhood, and generation
- Symbols are the turret crown and the
cymbal

Question 21

Who is Zeus (Jupiter)?

Answer 21

King of all Gods, Ruler of humans and Chief of Mount Olympus
- Father died and he took possession of all the heavens

Powers: Shapeshifting and control over the skies and weather
Weapons: the lightning bolt (main)

Question 22

Who is Hera (Juno)?

Answer 22

GODDESS OF MARRIAGE AND MOTHERHOOD, and the protector of all women.
- Wife of Zeus (and his sister)
- Jealous of the attention Zeus gives to other women
- Zeus and Hera = first formal marriage ever

Powers: She can morph humans into anything or anyone.

Question 23

Who is Poseidon (Neptune)?

Answer 23

GOD OF THE SEAS
- Also God of Earthquakes
- SECOND most powerful god
- He commanded all the waters and all the creatures in them

Powers: able to control the water and dry up rivers or create tidal waves. Caused shipwrecks.
Weapons: The trident, a three-pronged spear, which he uses to stir up terrible storms at sea.

Question 24

Who is Hades (Pluto)?

Answer 24

GOD OF DEATH (but not death itself)
- Ruler of the underworld
- Also God of Wealth because gold and other precious minerals come from underground
- Guards pit of Tartarus
- His servants include: three Furies, Charon the ferryman of the dead, and the three-headed dog Cerberus.

Question 25

Who is Athena (Minerva)?

Answer 25

GODDESS OF WAR, WISDOM, USEFUL CRAFTS (think weaving and pottery)
- Patron goddess of Athens
- Sprung from Zeus’ head (split by Hephaestus)
- Invented chariot and loom,
- Symbols are the olive tree and owl

Power: Change shape
Weapons: Spear, a shield called Aegis with Medusa’s head mounted on it, helmet armor

Question 26

Who is Ares (Mars)?

Answer 26

GOD OF WAR
- Son of Zeus and Hera
- Has fierce and strength but coward at heart
- Liked participating in bloody battles
- Other gods did not trust him
- Amazons are thought to be the descendants of Ares

Question 27

Who is Apollo?

Answer 27

GOD OF THE SUN, MUSIC, POETRY, ARCHERY, HEALING
- Handsome and talented
- twin of artemis
- He used magic to put an oracle (someone who could look into the future)in a temple in the city of Delphi
- 7th DAY OF EACH MONTH, the oracle told the future to whoever asked

Question 28

Who is Artemis (Diana)?

Answer 28

GODDESS OF THE HUNT, WILD ANIMALS, AND THE MOON
- Apollo’s twin sister, daughter of Zeus
- Not warm and loving but adores animals + family
- Fiercely independent and never wants to get married

Question 29

Who is Hephaestus (Vulcan)?

Answer 29

GOD OF FIRE, METALWORK AND BUILDING
- the husband of Aphrodite
- Thrown out of his home as a baby by Zeus so therefore he is ugly and crippled
- Good at working with his hands and can make anything from metal
- Built many weapons for the Gods

Weapons: hammer, anvil, axe

Question 30

Who is Aphrodite (Venus)?

Answer 30

GODDESS OF LOVE AND BEAUTY
- Born of sea foam
- Married to Hephaestus
- Subject to many works of art (Birth of Venus by Italian artist Bottecelli in 1400’s)

Power: She could make any mortal fall in love with anyone she chose
Weapons: A golden belt that made people fall in love with her

Question 31

Who is Hermes (Mercury)?

Answer 31

GOD OF TRAVEL AND THIEVES
- Messenger of the gods
- watches over all who use the roads and guides the dead to the Underworld

Powers: He could fly between Mount Olympus, Earth and the Underworld. He was the fastest of all the gods, both running and flying.

Question 32

Who is Dionysus (Bacchus)?

Answer 32

GOD OF WINE, FEASTING, AND AGRICULTURE
- son of Zeus and a mortal woman Semele, and the only god to have a mortal parent
- wild and crazy god who liked a good party

Question 33

Who is Demeter (Ceres)?

Answer 33

GODDESS OF THE HARVEST
- in charge of crops, farming, flowers, and trees
- Visited earth often
- Daughter of Cronos and Rhea

Question 34

Who is Persephone (Prosperina)?

Answer 34

GODDESS OF SPRINGTIME
- stayed in the Underworld for 6 months because she was kidnapped and tricked by Hades
- Not an olympian

Question 35

Who is Hestia (Vesta)?

Answer 35

GODDESS OF THE HEARTH AND FIRE
- Gave her spot up as an olympian to Dionysus.
- Never participated in war so she was loved
- Tends the sacred fire on Mount Olympus

Question 36

(TITANS CHILDREN) Who is Prometheus?

Answer 36

Son of Titan Lapetus.
- Born with the gift of prophecy
- Sided with Zeus during the Titanomachy (war b/w Titans and Olympian Gods)
- Tasked with molding man (taught them how to plant crops and tame animals)
- Brought the secret of fire to man
- Zeus chained him to a rock, where an eagle ate his liver everyday (his liver regrew every night)
- Saved by Hercules

Question 37

(TITANS CHILDREN) Who is Atlas?

Answer 37

The God of Astronomy and the commander of the Titan army.
- Zeus decided to punish him for his actions by making him stand on the edge of Earth and hold the weight of the sky on his shoulders for eternity.

Question 38

What did the stories about gods explain to mortals? (IMPORTANCE)

Answer 38

Everything from religious rituals to the weather, and gave meaning to the world people saw around them.

Question 39

When was the first origin story of Greek mythology written?

Answer 39

Around 700 BC .

Question 40

Who is at the center of Greek Mythology?

Answer 40

The group of deities who were said to live on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. (basically the Gods and Goddesses)
- They ruled every aspect of human life.
- They were vulnerable to human weaknesses and passions

Question 41

How did the Greeks believe the world began?

Answer 41

The Greeks believed the creation of the world began with Chaos, which was emptiness and confusion.