Lesson No.

& Title Lesson 5: Greek and Roman Mythology

Learning Objectives At the end of the lesson students must have:
1. understood the Greek view of creation;
2. described the Greek view of the world's geography;
3. identified the names and key features of the Olympian
gods/goddesses;
4. created their own myth explaining a natural phenomenon.

Time Frame 1 week

Introduction Greek mythology is not only interesting, but it is also the foundation of allusion
and character genesis in literature. In this lesson plan, students will gain an
understanding of Greek mythology and the Olympian gods and goddesses.
Activity
Direction: Fill in the chart with correct data on your notebook.

Analysis 1. Read The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus by Aliki.

2. Draw your own representation of the Greek view of the world on the
paper plate using colored pencils and the map on the previous page as a
guideline. Be sure to include the Ethiopians, the Hyperboreans and the
Elysian Fields on your map.
3. Write a one-paragraph essay comparing the Greek view of the world to
the contemporary view of it, including at least two points of
comparison and two of contrast. You can follow this guideline:
o Directions for Paragraph: Begin with a topic sentence. Here is
an example:
 The Greek view of the world both resembles and differs from
the contemporary view.
o Next, list two ways the views are similar. Here are examples:
The Greek view resembles the contemporary view in that:
Additionally, the views are similar because:
o Next, list two ways the views are different. Here are examples:
However, the Greek view is not the same as the contemporary
view because the Greeks believed
The Greeks also thought
o Last, you will state a conclusion. Here's an example:
Therefore, even though the views have similarities, they differ
in important ways.

Greek creation mythology

Although when we think of mythology we think of a collection of stories, there

is a beginning to them. Understanding the beginning of the story, the creation of
the world, gives us a framework to build upon as we learn about the different
myths.

The short answer to how the Greeks viewed the creation of the world is this:
Scary old gods came first; they got stomped down by their kids, who were
better looking, younger gods. These gods created humans. Humans and gods
fought for supremacy, and the humans won a few rounds but eventually got
trounced and became more and more miserable.

Now, the longer answer: In the beginning, the universe was without form. It
was not nothing; there was matter, but it was unorganized, shapeless, mixed up
and dark. This was called Chaos.

After Chaos, more divinities, or gods, came into being.

Gaia, the Earth, held up Uranus, the sky. Gaia and Uranus had a bunch of kids.
First they had a bunch of monsters including the Cyclops, and then they created
the Titans as the second generation. Uranus hated all the Titans and was
actually quite ugly about it — but there are only a couple of Titans that you
need to remember: first, Oceanus, the god of the sea, and then Cronus, the
strongest and best one of all. Gaia was pretty ticked at Uranus for being a jerk,
so she helped Cronus overthrow him.

So, let's keep this straight. Cronus is Uranus's son. Cronus became the king
(bye-bye Uranus), and married his sister, Rhea — another Titan. It's like a soap
opera. This was called the Golden Age because men, who had been made by a
Titan named Prometheus, were living in harmony. Everything was hunky dory.

It didn't last, though, because Cronus heard a prophecy that one of his sons
would dethrone him, so every time his wife, Rhea, had a baby, he swallowed it.
Rhea got a little sick of seeing all of her children swallowed alive, so she
tricked Cronus when her sixth child, Zeus, was born; she wrapped up a rock to
look like a baby and had Cronus swallow that instead. Zeus rescued his
previously swallowed siblings, and all was right with the world.

World View
The Greek view of the world was a little different than ours. The Greeks
believed that the world was flat, but circular, like a paper plate. At the center of
the Universe was Greece.
Their world was divided by the Mediterranean, which means "Middle of the
Lands" in Latin. The river Ocean flowed around the world in a clockwise
motion.

In the north lived the Hyperboreans — an extremely happy people for whom

life was sweet. When the old people became tired of living, they threw
themselves into the sea. This was a land of constant vacation where people were
said to live for 1,000 years.

In the south lived the Ethiopians. In Greek drama, mention is often made of

various gods being in Ethiopia, meaning really far away. So, if I say I parked in
Ethiopia this morning, would that mean I'm close to my office or far away? The
Ethiopians were said to be on good terms with the gods and liked to entertain
them.

To the west were the Elysian Fields. This was the closest the Greeks got to the
idea of heaven; only the best and brightest of the dead people got to go there.

The Olympian gods

Mount Olympus is a real mountain in the north of Greece. Gradually, it became

associated less and less with an actual mountain and more with an imaginary
place high above the earth. According to the ancient Greeks, the gate to
Olympus was made of clouds and it was guarded by four goddesses, the
Seasons. Each god had his or her own dwelling place, but Olympus was home
base.

According to the ancient Greeks, the gate to Olympus was made of clouds and
it was guarded by four goddesses, the Seasons. Each god had his or her own
dwelling place, but Olympus was home base.
There were up to 14 gods considered Olympian gods. Seven of them were Zeus
and his siblings, and seven others were children of Zeus. Sometimes only 12
will be listed. The Greeks and Romans shared mythology, so you will find two
names for most gods.
Eight brief Tales of Lovers

Each myth conveys different ideas. They are all examples of romantic
love, but most of the myths can fit into three categories: unconditional
love, which is love that never ends, no matter what; unrequited love,
which is love that is not returned; and sacrificial love, which is love that
requires one to self-sacrifice. Even though all these myths can fit into one
of the groups, each story itself varies, which provides an interesting lens
through which to examine how love really worked in ancient Greece.

Pyramus and Thisbe

Pyramus was the most handsome of young men and Thisbe was the fairest
beauty of the East.” ~Ovid in Metamorphoses Pyramus and Thisbe lived in
Babylonia and from the time they were young, were neighbors. They played
together daily as children and fell in love as they grew older.

Although neighbors, their families were hostile to one another so the love
between Pyramus and Thisbe remained a secret. They had a special meeting
place at a wall between their houses. This particular wall bore a scar. A large
crack marred its smooth surface as a result of an earthquake long ago. Pyramus
and Thisbe communicated through this crack when it was risky to see one
another.

One particularly magnificent day, they arrived at their usual meeting place. The
beauty of the day made them lament their situation all the more. They cried as
they watched two hummingbirds fly over the wall together. Suddenly they came
to the decision that they would not be stopped from being together any longer.
They decided to meet that night outside the city gates under a mulberry tree
filled white fruit. This particular tree grew near a stream next to the local
cemetery.

Thisbe, hidden by a veil, arrived at the appointed spot first and waited patiently
for Pyramus to come. All of a sudden, a lioness fresh from a kill, her jaws
covered in blood, slunk out of the brush to satisfy her thirst at the stream.
Thisbe, frightened by this disturbance, ran to a nearby cave. In her haste, she
dropped her veil and the lioness grabbed it and shredded it with her bloody
jaws.

Meanwhile, Pyramus had arrived at the meeting place. As he approached the

tree he could not help but notice the large paw prints of the lioness. His heart
beat faster. As he approached the stream, his fears were confirmed upon seeing
Thisbe’s veil torn and bloodstained.

Unable to find Thisbe and fearing that she was dead, Pyramus was unable to
contain his sorrow. He drew his sword and plunged it deeply into his side. As
he removed the sword from his side, blood sprayed the white fruit on the tree,
turning it a dark purple color. Meanwhile, Thisbe, recovered from her fright,
came back to the meeting place by the stream.

There she saw Pyramus’ body lying in a crumpled heap on the ground. Racked
with uncontrollable agony, she took his sword and threw her body onto it. With
her dying breath, she pleaded with the gods that their bodies be buried in a
single tomb and that the tree in the special meeting place would always bear
fruit in the color of a dark and mournful color in memory of their unrequited
love. To this day, the berries of the mulberry tree always turn dark purple in
color when they are ripe.

Orpheus and Eurydice

Orpheus is known as the most talented music player of the ancient times. It is
said that god Apollo was his father, from whom took his extreme talent in
music, and the Muse Calliope was his mother. He was living in Thrace, on the
northeastern part of Greece. Orpheus had a divinely gifted voice that could
charm everyone who heard it. When he was presented first the lyre as a boy, he
had it mastered in no time at all. The myth says that no god or mortal could
resist his music and even the rocks and trees would move themselves to be near
him.

According to some ancient texts, Orpheus is accredited to have taught

agriculture, writing and medicine to the mankind. He is also attributed with
having been an astrologer, a seer and founder of many mystic rites. The strange
and ecstatic music of Orpheus would intrigue the mind of people to things over
natural and had the power to broaden the mind to new unusual theories.

However, apart from a musical talent, Orpheus also had an adventurous

character. He was believed to have taken part in the Argonautic expedition,
which is the voyage of Jason and his fellow Argonauts to get to Colchis and
steal the Golden Fleece. In fact, Orpheus played a vital role during the
expedition because, playing his music, he put to sleep the "sleepless dragon"
that was guarding the Golden Fleece and thus Jason managed to get the Fleece.
Moreover, the music of Orpheus saved the Argonauts from the Sirens, the
strange female-like creatures who were seducing men with their nice voice and
then they were killing them.

Orpheus used to spend much of his early years in the idyllic pursuits of music
and poetry. His skill had far surpassed the fame and respect of his music.
Humans and beasts alike would be enchanted by it and often even the most
inanimate of objects would yearn to be near him. Well into his youth he had
mastered the lyre and his melodious voice garnered him audiences from near
and afar. It was at one such gathering of humans and beasts that his eyes fell on
a wood nymph. The girl was called Eurydice, she was beautiful and shy. She
had been drawn to Orpheus enamored by his voice and such was the spell of
beauty in music and appearance that neither could cast their eyes off each other.
Something inexplicable tugged the hearts of the two young people and soon
they feltl dearly in love, unable to spend a single moment apart. After a while,
they decided to get married.

Their wedding day dawned bright and clear. Hymenaios, the god of marriage,
blessed their marriage and then a great feast followed. The surroundings were
filled with laughter and gaiety. Soon the shadows grew large, signaling an end
to the revelry that had lasted much of the day and the wedding guests all took
leave of the newly-weds, who were still sitting hand-in-hand and starry eyed.
They soon both realized that it was time they were on their way and departed
for home.

However, things would soon change and grief would ensue happiness. There
was one man who was despising Orpheus and desired Eurydice for his own.
Aristaeus, a shepherd, had plotted a plan to conquer the beautiful nymph. And
there he was, waiting in the bushes for the young couple to pass by. Seeing that
the lovers were approaching, he intended to jump on them and kill Orpheus. As
the shepherd made his move, Orpheus grabbed Eurydice by the hand and started
running pell-mell through the forest.

The chase was long and Aristaeus showed no signs of giving up or slowing
down. On and on they ran and suddenly, Orpheus felt Eurydice stumble and
fall, her hand slipping from his grasp. Unable to comprehend what had just
happened, he rushed to her side but stopped short in dismay, for his eyes
perceived the deathly pallor that suffused her cheeks. Looking around, he saw
no trace of the shepherd for Aristaeus had witnessed the event and had left. Few
steps away, Eurydice had stepped on a nest of snakes and had been bitten by a
deadly viper. Knowing that there was no chance of survival, Aristaeus had
abandoned his try, cursing his luck and Orpheus.

After the death of his beloved wife, Orpheus was no more the same carefree
person he used to be. His life without Eurydice seemed endless and could do
nothing more than grief for her. This is when he had a great but yet crazy idea:
he decided to go to Underworld and try to get his wife back. Apollo, his father,
would talk to Hades, the god of the Underworld, to accept him and hear his
plea.
Armed with his weapons, the lyre and voice, Orpheus approached Hades and
demanded entry into the underworld. None challenged him. Standing in front of
the rulers of the dead, Orpheus said why he was there, in a voice both
mellifluous and disquieting. He played his lyre and sang out to King Hades and
Queen Persephone that Eurydice was returned to him. Not even the most stone-
hearted of people or Gods could have neglected the hurt in his voice.

Hades openly wept, Persephone's heart melted and even Cerberus, the gigantic
three-headed hound guarding the entry to the underworld, covered his many
ears with his paws and howled in despair. The voice of Orpheus was so moving
that Hades promised to this desperate man that Eurydice would follow him to
the Upper World, the world of the living. However, he warned Orpheus that for
no reason must he look back while his wife was still in the dark, for that would
undo everything he hoped for. He should wait for Eurydice to get into the light
before he looked at her.

With great faith in his heart and joy in his song, Orpheus began his journey out
of the underworld, joyful that he would once again be reunited with his love. As
Orpheus was reaching the exit of the Underworld, he could hear the footfalls of
his wife approaching him. He wanted to turn around and hug her immediately
but managed to control his feelings. As his was approaching the exit, his heart
was beating faster and faster. The moment he stepped on the world of the
living, he turned his head to hug his wife. Unfortunately, he got only a glimpse
of Eurydice before she was once again drawn back into the underworld.
When Orpheus turned his head, Eurydice was still in the dark, she hadn't seen
the sun and, as Hades had warned Orpheus, his sweet wife was drowned back to
the dark world of the dead. Waves of anguish and despair swept over him and
shuddering with grief he approached the Underworld again but this time, he was
denied entry, the gates were standing shut and god Hermes, sent by Zeus,
wouldn't let him in.

From then on, the heart-broken musician was wandering disoriented, day after
day, night after night, in total despair. He could find no consolation in anything.
His misfortune tormented him, forcing him to abstain from contact with any
other woman and slowly but surely he found himself shunning their company
completely. His songs were no more joyful but extremely sad. His only comfort
was to lay on a huge rock and feel the caress of the breeze, his only vision were
the open skies.
And so it was that a group of irate women, furious for his scorn towards them,
chanced upon him. Orpheus was so desperate that he did not even try to repulse
their advances. The women killed him, cut his body into pieces and threw them
and his lyre into a river. It is said that his head and his lyre floated downriver to
the island of Lesvos. There the Muses found them and gave Orpheus a proper
burial ceremony. People believed that his grave emanated music, plaintive yet
beautiful. His soul descended down to Hades where he was finally reunited with
his beloved Eurydice.
 Alcyone and Ceyx

The lovely Alcyone was the daughter of Aeolus, the Greek god of the wind, and
her mother was either Enarete or Aegiale. She was the devoted wife of Ceyx,
King of Trachis, in central Greece. Ceyx ruled his kingdom with justice and in
peace. Alcyone and Ceyx were admired by gods and mortals alike for their
great physical beauty, as well as the profound love they had for each other.

They were so happy in their marriage that they used to often playfully call one
another Zeus and Hera. This infuriated the chief of the gods who regarded it an
audacity. Zeus waited for the proper time to punish the arrogant couple who
dared to make themselves comparable to gods.
Ceyx was still in mourning over his brother's death and deeply troubled over
some ominous signs that had observed. So, he decided to consult the oracle of
Apollo at Carlos in Ionia (Western Anatolia). Alcyone, however, tried to
dissuade her husband from his decision to travel through the dangerous seas to
consult the oracle.

She reminded him of the danger from the fury of the winds which even her
father, the god of the winds, often found difficult to control: she put pressure
over her husband to take her along with him. But Ceyx wouldn't put his beloved
wife through unnecessary danger. Alcyone watched with a bad feeling as the
ship carrying her husband was getting away from the harbour.

Zeus, the chief god, decided this was an opportune time to punish the couple for
their sacrilege. He launched a thunderbolt that raised a furious hurricane
engulfing the ship which began to sink.
Ceyx realized that the end had come for him and, before he got drowned, he
prayed to the gods to allow his body be washed ashore so as to enable his
beloved Alcyone to perform the funeral rites. As Ceyx gasped his last breath,
his father Esophorous, the morning star, watched helplessly, shrouding his face
with clouds, unable to leave the heavens and rescue his son.

The lovely Alcyone waited for her husband for a long time, praying continually
to the gods, especially Hera, queen of the gods, for the safe return of Ceyx.
Hera felt profound sorrow for the tragic fate of Ceyx. She sent her messenger
Iris, goddess of the rainbow, to look for Hypnos, the god of Sleep and comforter
of the afflicted, to whom was assigned the mission of gently informing Alcyone
about the death of her husband. Hypnos, in his turn, entrusted the mission to his
son Morpheus, an expert in forming apparitions.

Morpheus created a life-like specter of Ceyx which revealed to Alcyone the

tragic circumstances concerning the shipwreck and death of her husband. In
profound grief, Alcyone ran to the seashore beating her breasts and tearing her
garments. She suddenly beheld the body of a man that had been washed ashore.
Coming closer, she realized it was the body of her beloved Ceyx. After
performing the last rites and unable to continue living without her husband,
Alcyone threw herself into the sea and got drowned, determined to join her
husband in the land of the dead.

The gods on Olympus were profoundly affected by the tragic fate of Alcyone
and Ceyx, as well as their wonderful love for one other which not even the
frosty hands of death could extinguish. In order to atone for his rash action that
was responsible for this tragedy, Zeus transformed the couple into the Halcyon
birds (kingfisher).

The phrase halcyon days owes its origin to this beautiful myth of Alcyone and
Ceyx. According to the legend, for tow weeks every January, Aeolus, father of
Alcyone, calms down the winds and the waves so that Alcyone, in the form of a
kingfisher bird, can safely make her nest on the beach and lay her eggs. Hence,
the term "halcyon days" comes to signify a period of great peace and calm.

Daphne

The myth says that once Apollo, the god of light and poetry, found Eros, who is
nowadays known as Cupid, dealing with his bows and arrows. Eros was using
bows to struck people into love. Apollo had just won Python, a horrible earth-
dragon that was living in the area of Delphi, and had got so arrogant from his
victory that he abruptly told Eros to leave war-like weapons to mighty gods like
him and stick to his own pastimes, devaluing his duty to inflate love and
passion to others.

This infuriated the headstrong Eros who decided to take his revenge on the
audacious Apollo. Eros climbed on a rock of Mt Parnassus and unleashed two
arrows: one sharp and gold-tipped and another blunt and lead-tipped. The sharp,
gold-tipped arrow pierced the heart of Apollo inflaming his love for Daphne, a
beautiful nymph, daughter of the river god Peneus, while the blunt, lead-tipped
arrow struck the nymph creating an intense aversion for love in the her heart.

She was constantly rejecting the love of the glorious Apollo, despite his
repeated pleadings and cajoleries. She similarly detested all the other men who
were trying to get her. It is said that Leucippus, a handsome man, had been so
desperate to win Daphne that he disguised himself into a girl and mixed her
company. However, the nymphs understood his trickery and killed him.

In the meanwhile, Apollo was persistently pursuing Daphne. The poor girl, in
order to escape from him and to protect his virginity, pleaded for help from her
father, Peneus (or from Mother Earth, according to another version), who drew
back to Daphne's prayers and transformed the nymph into a nice short plant
with excellent smell.

This plant was the laurel, which is called "daphne" is Greek, after the nymph's
name. Apollo was heart-broken at the loss of Daphne and to remember her
forever, he made the laurel the symbol of tribute to poets. The laurel became
therefore the symbol of the god. Note that Pythia, the priestess in the oracle of
Delphi, was chewing leaves of laurel to communicate with Apollo and give her
prophesies to people.

Pygmalion and Galatea

Pygmalion was a sculptor par excellence, a man who gave to every one of his
ivory a life-like appearance. His deep devotion to his art spared him no time to
admire the beauty of women. His sculptures were the only beauty he knew. For
reasons known only to him, Pygmalion despised and shunned women, finding
solace only in his craft. In fact, he was so condemning to women that he had
vowed never to marry.
Falling in love with his own creation

One fine day, Pygmalion carved the statue of a woman of unparalleled beauty.
She looked so gentle and divine that he could not take his eyes off the statue.
Enchanted with his own creation, he felt waves of joy and desire sweeping over
his body and in a moment of inspiration he named the figurine, Galatea,
meaning "she who is white like milk". He draped over her the finest of cloths
and bedecked her with the most dazzling of ornaments, adorned her hair with
the prettiest of flowers, gave to her the choicest of gifts and kissed her as a sign
of adoration. Pygmalion was obsessed and madly in love with his creation. The
spell the lifeless woman cast on him was too much to resist and he desired her
for his wife. Countless were the nights and days he spent staring upon his
creation.

In the meanwhile, the celebration of goddess Aphrodite was fast approaching

and preparations were well under way. On the day of the festival, while making
offerings to goddess Aphrodite, Pygmalion prayed with all his heart and soul,
beseeching the goddess that she turns his ivory figurine into a real woman.
Touched by his deep veneration, Aphrodite went to the workshop of Pygmalion
to see this famous statue by herself. When he looked upon the statue of Galatea,
she got amazed by its beauty and liveliness. Looking better at it, Aphrodite
found that Galatea looked like her in beauty and perfection, so, satisfied, she
granted Pygmalion his wish.

Upon returning home the master-sculptor went straight to Galatea, full of hope.
At first, he noticed a flush on the cheeks of the ivory figurine but slowly it
dawned upon him that Aphrodite had heard his pleas. Unable to restrain
himself, he held Galatea in his arms and kept her strongly. What had been cold
ivory turned soft and warm and Pygmalion stood back in amazement as his
beloved figurine came into life, smiling at him and speaking words of
admiration for her creator.
Their love blossomed over the days and before long, wedding vows were
exchanged between the two lovers with Aphrodite blessing them with happiness
and prosperity. The happy couple had a son, Paphos, who later founded the city
of Paphos in Cyprus. Some say that Pygmalion and Galatea also had a daughter,
Metharme. The bottom line is that the couple lived happily ever after.
The story of Pygmalion and Galatea was made famous by Ovid in his famous
work, Metamorphoses. However, the name Galatea was ascribed to the figurine
only in the 18th century and gained prominence through Jean-Jacque
Rousseau's opera, Pygmalion (1762). Another famous work that is based on this
myth is the play "Educating Rita", written by Willy Russel in 1980. The story of
the two lovers has been portrayed by many famous painters. Furthermore, we
can't but observe the similarity between the story of Galatea and the fable of
Pinocchio, the wood-carved boy who was brought to life by a fairy-lady
because of a man's wish to have children.

Baucis and Philemon

In a hilly land, called Phrygia, there is a steep-sided valley. Most of the valley is
filled with a dark lake. Beside the lake grow two trees, an oak and a linden,
their branches entwined. Hanging from every bough and branch there are
ribbons. Long ago, great Zeus, whose temple is the sky, and Hermes, the
messenger of the gods, heard whispers from the House of Rumour that there
was a town at the bottom of a steepsided valley in the hilly land of Phrygia
where the sacred laws of hospitality were flouted, where strangers were not
welcomed. They decided to see if these stories were true.

They changed their shapes as the gods can, so that to all the world they looked
like a pair of travellers. They flashed down from the sky into the town on the
night of a terrible storm. From house to house they ran in the rain begging for
food, begging for shelter. Every request was greeted with kicks and curses and
insults. A hundred homes they visited. At last, tired, foot-sore, hungry, wet
through they trudged up the side of the valley leaving the town behind.

As they did so, they saw they were approaching a little hut. Standing in front of
it was an old woman. This was Baucis. She and her husband Philemon had met
in this place, had married in this place, had grown grey and white together.
Children had never come. They were very poor but they had accepted their
plight and so they had made light of it. They were devoted to one another. The
only thing in the world they had that they valued was a goose, who guarded
their home.

Now Baucis saw these bedraggled strangers approaching and she hobbled over
eagerly. 'You! Mighty Zeus, whose temple is the sky, has decreed anyone who
approaches our home in need of food, in need of shelter, ought to be welcomed.
What we have, we'll share with you. Come inside now, come inside.' Zeus and
Hermes, disguised as men, had to stoop to enter the hut. They were welcomed
warmly by the old man Philemon.

He shook them each by the hand; he gave them each a stool to sit on. They sat.
The old woman, she blew into the ashes at the bottom of the grate so that the
grey glowed red again. The old man put on his cloak. He hobbled out into the
storm to pick some vegetable from his garden. The old woman cut a hunk from
their lump of long-cherished pork. She threw it into the pot.

The old man threw in the vegetables. They poured on water, sprinkled on herbs,
threw in garlic, and then they talked about whatever they could, in the hope
they could keep their guests' minds off the long delay before it was time to eat.
The old man gave them a beech wood bowl, full of warm water, to wash off the
dust and grime of their journey. The old woman dragged a table from the
shadows into the centre of the room so that they could sit around it when the
time came to eat.

One leg was far too short: the table wobbled very badly. But she kept a shard of
tile, just for this purpose, and she slid it under the short leg. She rubbed the
surface of the table with stalks of fresh mint so that it smelled fragrant. They sat
around it. She gave them things to nibble while they waited: olives, wild
cherries that had been steeped in wine, lumps of cheese, radishes, eggs that had
been roasted in the embers. One jug full of wine was all they had.

She poured it out carefully between the four of them. They sipped it, making it
last as long as they could. Then came the stew, and, after the stew, they had
nuts and grapes and figs and dates and a slice of sweet honeycomb. All through
the meal there was talk, there was laughter, and, outside, the rain came down in
black sheets. The woman Baucis looked at the wine jug. She was sure it had
been empty and yet it was full. She poured it out between the four of them and
still it was filled to the brim. She turned to her husband and whispered, 'These
are gods, two of the great Olympian gods, here in our home.

What kind of meal was this to give to two of the great Olympian gods? We
have no choice. Husband, go outside and kill the goose! We will pluck it and
roast it in their honour.' The husband stood. He smiled at the strangers and
shuffled out of the cottage. Inside the old woman raised her voice, hoping she
could drown out the squawking and the honking of the dying goose. But the old
man was old. Age had made him slow, and the goose could tell something was
wrong.

He chased the Baucis and Philemon 2 goose back and forth, then back and
forth. Inside the cottage, by now the old woman was shouting. In burst the
goose. It took shelter behind the strangers. The two travellers stood. ‘There is
no need for you to kill this creature whom you love so much. We are gods but
already you've given us far more than we could have hoped for. Old man, old
woman, follow us now.' Puffing and grunting, Baucis and Philemon followed
the travellers to the top of the valley. When they reached the ridge, they turned
and they sank to their knees in awe. For the town at the bottom of the valley had
gone. Where it had been, there was a dark lake.

They turned towards the travellers. They shielded their eyes, for no strangers
standing there now: Zeus and Hermes, awful in their bright glory. 'We have
punished this town. Only you were spared. We were touched by the warmth of
your welcome. We will give you both a wish. Speak now! Anything will be
granted you. Speak now!' The old woman spoke first: 'Mighty Zeus, transform
our hut into a golden temple, that we might worship there for however many
years of life we have left.' Zeus bowed his head. 'Another wish!' It was the old
man who spoke then, but it could have been his wife – they were of one mind.
'Will you make us die together? Will you make us die in the same moment, so
that I will not have to stand beside her grave, so that she will not have to bury
me?' Both of their wishes were granted them.

For many more years, they were priestess and priest of a golden temple. Then
one morning, early, the old man was digging his garden before the heat of the
sun was too fierce. His wife called to him. He saw her standing outside the
temple staring at her feet, and, when he looked, her toes had taken root and
brown bark was spreading up her legs. He hobbled towards her. He put his arms
around her waist; she put her arms around his back. As they embraced, they
could feel buds emerging from the tips of their fingers.

He could feel leaves growing from the bald crown of his head. As the bark
spread across their faces, they looked into one another's eyes for the last time
and said, 'Goodbye, dear one.' The lake can still be found even now. The temple
is long gone; but beside the lake still grow two trees, an oak and a linden, their
branches entwined as though they are embracing. And hanging from every
bough and branch there are ribbons, offerings, gifts left by lovers.

Endymion
When the plains below were parched and brown and dusty with the heat of
summer, on Mount Latmus all was so still and cool, so fresh and green, that one
seemed to be in another world. The mountain was most beautiful of all at night,
when the moon drove her chariot overhead, and flooded every tree and all the
grassy slopes with her pale light.

Endymion was a young shepherd who led his flocks high up on the sides of this
mountain and let them browse on the rich pasturage along the margins of its
snow-fed streams. He loved the pure mountain air, and the stillness of the
higher slopes, which was broken only by the tinkle of his sheep-bells, or the
song of birds. There he dreamed his days away, while his sheep and goats were
feeding; or, at night, he leaned his head on a log or a mossy stone and slept with
the flock.

Selene, the moon-goddess, loved to visit Mount Latmus; in fact, the mountain
belonged, in some sense, to her. It was her influence that made everything there
so quiet and beautiful. One night, when she had stolen down from her place in
the sky for a walk through one of the flowery meadows of Mount Latmus, she
found Endymion there asleep.

The shepherd looked as beautiful as any flower on the mountain, or as the

swans which were floating in the lake nearby, with their heads tucked under
their wings. If it had not been for his regular breathing, Selene would have
believed that she stood looking at a marble statue. There, at a little distance, lay
his sheep. and goats, unguarded, and liable to be attacked by wild beasts. Oh,
Endymion was a very careless shepherd! That was the effect of the air on
Mount Latmus.

Selene knew that it was the wonderful air of her mountain which had made the
shepherd heedless, as well as beautiful, therefore she stayed by his flock all
night and watched it herself.

She came the next night and the next, and for many nights, to gaze at the
sleeper, and to watch the unguarded flock. One morning, when she returned to
the sky, she looked so pale from her watching that Jupiter asked her where she
had been, and she described the beautiful shepherd she had found on her
mountain, and confessed that she had been guarding his sheep.

Then she begged of Jupiter that since Endymion was so very, very beautiful he
might always look as she had seen him in his sleep, instead of growing old as
other mortals must. Jupiter answered, "Even the gods cannot give to mortals
everlasting youth and beauty without giving them also everlasting sleep; but
Endymion shall sleep forever and be forever young."

So there, in a cave, on Mount Latmus, Endymion sleeps on to this day; and his
wonderful beauty has not faded in the smallest degree, but is a joy still to all
who can climb those lofty heights

Alpheus and Arethusa

Arethusa was a beautiful nymph and companion to the moon goddess, Artemis.
When Arethusa unknowingly bathed in a river of the river god, Alpheus, she
had also inadvertently seduced him as he was overcome by Arethusa’s beauty.

Arethusa, wanting nothing of his advances, fled. Some accounts of the legend
claim she was chased across all across the seas, while others say she was forced
to regularly change her appearance to fool Alpheus, who was determined to
claim his prize.
Relentlessly pursued, her only option was to seek the aid of Artemis. Arethusa
was transformed into a stream and fled into the earth, but even here, she could
not escape the river god. Making her way to the sea, Arethusa found herself
consumed by Alpheus as his water mingled with hers, enveloping her within his
lustful grasp forever.

Arethusa fell to a strange darkness. It seemed only a moment. Then a brilliant

light materialized into a riot of cerulean blues and moss greens. She stood,
surrounded by forest, at the brink of a shallow river. It burbled and sang and
beckoned. The sun was setting but the day was still hot. Shafts of light filtered
through the old grove of cedars.

She wore a strange tunic, cut very high on her legs. A bow and quiver of arrows
lay beside her in the grasses that lined the banks. She strode forward, her step
confident despite her confusion. She dipped her toes in the water. The river was
cool, inviting. She glanced around, but no one lingered in this forgotten forest.

Just a short swim, she thought, to wash the heat from my skin. Her lack of
modesty surprised her, but she didn’t give it another thought. She shed her tunic
and boots, unbound her hair, and dove headlong into a pool at the base of a
waterfall.

The very instant she crested the surface she felt a movement beneath her and
around her. Like a separate current a powerful presence encircled her and, like a
whirlpool, it dragged her down under the surface, into the shallower depths
where her feet touched the algae-covered stones.
She blinked, and when the sting of the water against her eyes cleared, she saw a
face. The soft edges of jaw and nose and lip swelled and billowed in the
currents like a translucent sketch, a colorless portrait.
He did not speak with a voice but his thoughts touched her mind, blending
seamlessly with the babble of the river. You disturb my waters, little nymph. But
I am not displeased. I am the God Alpheus. Come into the depths with me and I
will show you all that I command.
When she felt the God’s desire surrounding her, filling the pool with a heavy
force, she grew afraid. She remembered the warning of the Moon Goddess:
chastity above all. She did not hesitate, but scrambled naked from the water.

Before her eyes, Alpheus’s limbs and body hardened, and the River God
became a living, breathing man.
“Stay,” he cajoled.

Arethusa did not answer but ran on, over moss and stone, grass and stick.
“Come back!” he shouted. “Come back.”
He chased her deep into the forest, and she hid where she could behind trees
and thickets. The day slipped into pale dusk, and the Moon Goddess rose in the
east.

Alpheus chased her down to the sea. She ran down the abandoned beach, her
bruised feet aching and her lungs burning with the fire of her breath. The
moment she had given up thought of escape, the moment Alpheus touched the
ends of her hair, Arethusa called out to the Goddess.
“Save me, Artemis. Have mercy.”

Artemis flashed bright, her rays reaching down to embrace her like a mother. A
strange sensation coursed through Arethusa’s veins. As she ran, her body
became fluid and transparent. Unbidden tears streamed from her eyes. Her
limbs turned to liquid pools and, on her tongue, she tasted strange, cool water.
All at once, she collapsed into a deep river of herself, bleeding into the beach
sands into the interminable darkness beneath.
But Alpheus was cunning. He shifted into his river form and dove after her,
slipping with insidious silence behind her.
She felt Artemis’s anger rumbling through the earth. Her light grew strong, her
heat burning into the ground. Then Arethusa felt herself fall.
Dive deep, my Arethusa. I will make a way for you, she felt rather than heard the
Goddess say.

Grateful, Arethusa plunged down and slipped her way under the seas, coming
back up through a spring near the Rio de Antigos. There, the Moon Goddess
gathered up Arethusa’s scattered drops and transformed her into a bubbling
fountain.

Arethusa thought she was safe at last, but the earth trembled and quaked
beneath her and a terrible roar shuddered through the ground. Alpheus cleaved
up through the soil, bursting skyward with the sheer force of his anger. She saw
again Alpheus’s translucent face, twisted in rage. Then he plunged down into
her waters, imprisoning her with his own.
You’ll never escape me again.

he Trojan War was a war between the Greeks (Achaeans) and the city of Troy.
This all happened after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband, the king of
Sparta Menelaus. The Trojan War is one of the most important events to have
occurred in Greek mythology and has been told in many works of Greek
literature, the most notable being Homers Illiad.
The Illiad goes through the period of four days and two nights in the tenth year
of the decade-long siege of Troy; the Odyssey tells the story of the trip home for
Odysseus. Other parts of the war are told in several other epic poems.
In this article, we’re going to go over a Trojan War summary so that you
understand the story of the most famous Greek war in mythology.
Trojan War Background
The beginning of the Trojan war began with a prophecy regarding the order of
the Olympians and a divine love contest. Namely, many years before the war’s
beginning, both Poseidon and Zeus had fallen in love with a sea-nymph with
the name Thetis. Both wanted Thetis to be his bride; however, they both backed
off after they were told of the consequences that awaited them if they made
such an action.
This consequence was that if the sea-nymph were to lay with Zeus or his
brothers, that a son would be born who would be stronger than his father and
possess a weapon that would be much more powerful than the trident or the
thunderbolt. To avoid this from happening, Zeus made it so that Thetis would
have to marry King Peleus.
After Thetis’ marriage was figured out, Zeus held a big feast to celebrate
Peleus’ and Thetis’ marriage, where all of the gods were invited – except for the
goddess of strife, Eris. The goddess was annoyed at the fact that she was turned
away that before she left the gathering, she flung her gift amongst the crowd of
guests; this gift was called the Apple of Discord, which was a golden apple with
the words, “for the fairest” inscribed on it.
Not too long after the apple was thrown, Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera began to
fight about who should have the apple. Zeus was unable to decide by himself,
so he sent the goddesses to Paris, the prince of Troy, to decide.
Paris was unable to make a decision, so the goddesses started to bribe him.
First, Hera offered to grant him political power and a throne if he were to
choose her; then, Athena offered him wisdom and skills in battle; finally,
Aphrodite promised Paris the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of
Sparta. Without batting an eyelash, Paris chooses Aphrodite.
However, Helen was already married to Menelaus, the king of Sparta. So, Paris,
under the disguise of a diplomatic mission, went to Sparta to abduct Helen from
her home so he could bring her back to Troy with him. Before Helen could look
up to see Paris, she was shot with an arrow by Cupid, or Eros, and fell in love
with Paris the moment she saw him.
There are other theories that Zeus started the Trojan War to kill off some of the
population – especially of demigods. This is because Zeus had many
relationships that resulted in the birth of many demigods, and he felt that the
earth was overpopulated, and he wanted to depopulate it as much as possible.
So, it’s said that he started the war to do this.

The Trojan War

The Trojan War can be said to have started shortly after the abduction of Helen.
This is because Helen’s husband, Menelaus, got his brother, Agamemnon, to
lead a voyage to find her and get her back. Agamemnon was able to get other
Greek heroes, such as Odysseus, Ajax, Nestor, and Achilles, to join him on this
adventure.

The Trojan War, which was punctuated by battles and skirmishes, lasted for ten
years. It finally ended when the Greeks retreated from camp and left behind a
large wooden horse outside the gates of Troy. Inside Troy, there were many
debates on if they should bring the wooden horse in, including unheeded
warnings by Cassandra, Priam’s daughter – ultimately, the horse was brought
into the city.

The wooden horse was a plan made by Odysseus to end the war. The wooden
horse was designed to be hollow in the middle so that soldiers could hide inside
and then was wheeled in front of the city of Troy. After the Trojan Horse was
left at the gates, the Greeks sailed away from Troy to the island of Tenedos,
leaving behind one double agent named Sinon. He was able to convince the
Trojans that the Greeks had retreated from the war and that the horse was a
parting gift that would ultimately give the Trojans a fortune.

However, once nighttime fell, the horse opened up and out came the Greek
soldiers. From the inside of the city, the Greeks were able to destroy the city of
Troy and win the war.

The Aftermath of the Trojan War

The surviving Greek heroes learned the hard way that gods never forget and
hardly forgive because even though they were victorious in the war, most of
 them were punished for their transgressions. In fact, only a handful of Greek
soldiers made it back home, and that’s with several adventures and exploits
along the way. Even fewer were welcomed back to their homes because they
were killed by their loved ones or they were exiled into oblivion – there were
some cases where both incidents happened.

Final Thoughts
The Trojan War was a huge and important war in Greek mythology. It was
important because it’s the earliest recorded myth that we have that was written
down, and it set the stage for the Odyssey and the Illiad.
Hopefully, from this summary of the Trojan War, you were able to learn
enough about the war that you are able to understand why it happened and how
it ended. This summary might not be the entire war, but it’s enough to help you
get started on your journey of learning about Greek mythology.
Application Direction: Write the answers in your notebook

Conclusion “When I say that you are gods and goddesses, I mean that your possibility and
potentiality are infinite.” –Rajneesh

My dear students, you are gods and goddesses.

-Professor Tajaran

Final Exam
Direction: Write everything on your examination booklet.

Criteria
Story line – 70
Grammar – 30
Total – 100

Create your own myth

Hopefully myths inspire you, too, because you are about to create your own myth! As you know,
myths were often used to explain natural phenomena. Your challenge is to create your own myth to
explain some natural phenomenon or land formation. It could be anything from the origin of
hurricanes to how the Grand Canyon or a mountain range was created. You will tell this myth in a
story format.

Here are the guidelines:

1. Your story must involve at least two Olympian gods or goddesses. It may contain other gods
or goddesses as well.

2. Your story must explain some natural phenomenon (such as a weather event) or some
geological feature (a mountain range, a large valley, a sea, an ocean, a polar ice cap, etc.).

3. Your story should be at least 350 words.

4. Your story must have a clear beginning, middle and end.

5. Your story should clearly show that you know something about Greek mythology. You will
do this by including details about the Olympian gods and goddesses that show you know their
powers, symbols and personalities.
 References

https://www.mensaforkids.org/teach/lesson-plans/an-introduction-to-greek-mythology/

https://www.kibin.com/essay-examples

https://cmes.arizona.edu/sites/cmes.arizona.edu/files

https://www.greeka.com/greece-myths/orpheus-eurydice/

https://www.greeka.com/greece-myths/alcyone-ceyx

https://www.greeka.com/greece-myths/apollo-daphne/

https://www.greeka.com/greece-myths/pygmalion-galatea/

http://classictales.educ.cam.ac.uk/stories

http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/myth-stories/endymion.htm

https://www.cherilasota.com/explore-artemis-rising/alpheus-and-arethusa/

https://www.theoi.com/articles/short-trojan-war-summary/