Edith Hamilton's Mythology

Grade Levels

Excerpt

Mythology Greeks Gone Wild

Ok, who were the Greeks?

• Greeks are from Greece
• From about 750 BC to 146 BC, the Greeks were one of the most powerful cultures
• They made advancements in many areas,including politics:
• Our democracy is loosely based on their model
• In fact, the word democracy is Greek
• “demo” means “people; “cracy” means rule

Ok, what about the Romans?

• The Romans were the most powerful nation of their time
• They took over Greece & “adopted” their stories of gods & heroes
• That’s why all Greek gods have Roman names too….. they’re the same god!

So what can we expect from greek mythology?

• You can expect stories of gods who are a lot like people
• They have lots of drama
• Did you know the Trojan war was started because 3 goddesses were fighting over who was prettiest?

They’re really, really jealous

• Hera often turns women into animals because she thinks her husband is cheating on her with them! Usually, she’s right.

They mess with people’s lives

• Greek myths are full of stories of bad things happening to people who don’t respect the gods

Why are they important?

• You will hear references to the gods everywhere you turn…from literature to movies to the planets and the stars

Now, your task, should you choose to accept it………………

• Pick a partner. Yes, you may pick, but I recommend someone that you know will do their work. You may also work alone if you’d like.
• Choose a god or goddess from the bag as I walk around. What you get is what you get: no whining!

You will have several assignments, which you must divide EQUALLY amongst yourselves:

1. Write a 1-2 page “report” about your god/goddess, which must include the following information:

• Greek/Roman names
• Symbols
• Their job in mythology
• Summaries of any important stories in which they play a role (Ex: Athena in the Trojan War, Poseidon in The Odyssey, etc.) This will require you to use the index in the back of the book, & do some reading on

2. A resume for your god/goddess. Pretend work on Mt. Olympus is slow, and he/she are applying for a job as a new god/goddess someplace else. Ask yourself these questions: What kind of experience do they have? What are their skills?

3. A retelling of one story from his/her point of view. It should be AT LEAST ½ page long, and should be written in first person

OR

A letter from or to the god/goddess. It can be from someone they helped, or to someone they will be helping./punishing/whatever.

4. An original story about your god/goddess. That means YOU create it. Read the other stories to get an idea of his/her personality, and use your imagination.

5. Finally, create a poster with the following information:

• God/Goddess’ Greek & Roman name
• What they are the god/goddess of in myth
• His/her symbols
• Any important stories about him/her.
• An illustration depicting your god/goddess

• Yes, you will present to the class!
• Both of you will be responsible for the presentation

About

A brief introduction to Greek mythology, to give students an idea of what to expect. Also includes a comprehensive project, asking students to choose a god or goddess and analyze their role in mythology.