Greek Mythology

Myths are traditional stories. The Greeks used myths to explain things they did not understand. Other myths taught moral lessons or simply told entertaining stories. Since most myths are older tha n writing, we don't know why people began to believe in myths, but we do know that myths have been passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. Greek poets told epic stories based on the myths. An epic is a long poem about the gods and their deeds.

Most ancient cultures practiced polytheism. Polytheism is the worship of many gods. The ancient Greeks were different from most other cultures of their time because Greek gods and goddesses looked and acted like human beings. The Greeks told stories of their gods marrying and having children. Greek gods would have wars and celebrations and would often play tricks on one another. Most people no longer share the beliefs of the ancient Greeks, but they still find great inspiration in the stories and symbols of Greek mythology.

The ancient Greeks believed their gods lived atop Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. Zeus was the head of the pantheon, or family of gods. Zeus ruled the sky with his powerful thunderbolt. Many ancient Greeks feared the anger of Zeus during violent thunderstorms. Zeus's wife, Hera, was the goddess of women and marriage.

Poseidon was said to be Zeus' brother and the ruler of the sea. Poseidon also had the power to create earthquakes. Greek mariners and fishermen believed that Poseidon would strike the ground with his mighty trident when he was ignored. A trident is a three-pronged spear used by the ancient Greeks both to spear fish and as a weapon. Poseidon might cause shipwrecks with his trident, but Poseidon could also create new islands and favor sailors with food and safe travel to other lands.

A third brother named Hades ruled the underworld. The Greeks believed that people passed to Hades' territory when they died, and while they were treated fairly in the underworld, Hades would never allow them to return to the world they once knew.

The ancient Greeks would honor Zeus at great athletic contests called the Olympics. The poli built temples where the Greek people would make sacrifices or pray to the gods asking for good health or a successful harvest.

The ancient Greeks would often consult priests or priestesses called oracles before making important decisions. Many ancient Greeks believed that the gods spoke to the oracles. The Greek oracles were said to be able to read the rustling of leaves or marks on animals as signs from the gods. The oracles would often respond in unclear ways with puzzling statements so it would be difficult for people to prove them wrong.

Resources

Download this lesson as a Microsoft Word file or as an Adobe Acrobat file.