Myths were primarily oral; they were passed

down through verbal stories

Had to be entertaining so that people
wanted to listen
Greeks used myths to serve two main
purposes:
To Explain
To Teach

The social, ethical, religious ideas are still

relevant to people today

 Creation Myths
Origin of Man
Creation of the World

Explain the existence of natural

phenomena which was not able to be
understood or controlled

 Greeks created many immortal deities

(gods) who controlled one part of the
natural environment
Polytheistic many gods

Myths created order out of chaos and

provided rational reasons for things instead
of confusion and question
Myths told the Greeks how their lives
became what they were

 Taught people how to behave by telling

about decisions and their consequences
Models of good and bad behavior
Avoiding Hubris
Doing what youre told