Clint Yang 411110595

Lucien Wang 411110131

Greek and Roman Mythology

2 March 2023

Dr. John Basourakos

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 Greek and Roman Mythology

Chapter 3: How the World and Mankind Were Created.

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1. Describe the creation of Earth and Heaven. Be detailed.

The Earth was beautiful and the solid ground, yet vaguely a personality. Heaven

was the blue vault on high, but it acted in some ways as a human being would.

Earth in summer and winter, the sky with its shifting stars and the restless sea.

Human beings would take walking and eating.

2. Who were the first creatures on Earth before human beings?

The children of Mother Earth and Father Heaven ( Gaea and Ouranos) were the

first creatures on Earth before human beings; besides, they were all monsters.

3. Describe the conflict that developed between Gaia and Ouranos. How did Cronus get
involved in this conflict and what was the outcome?

Ouranos and Gaea had some common children and had a conflict that Ouranos

didn’t like the things with a hundred hands and fifty heads, even though they were

his sons. But Gaea wanted to keep the children. And then he imprisoned his sons in

the secrecy place within the earth when they were bored immediately. Later, one of

their sons, Titan Cronus, intended to help her because he was bold enough. Titan

Cronus lay in wait for his father and wounded him terribly.

4. How was Cronus’ rule threatened? What did Cronus do to try and keep his throne and
power? How was his plan spoiled?

Cronus thought one of his children was destined some day to dethrone him and he

wanted to avoid fate by swallowing them as soon as they were born because he wanted to

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keep his throne and power. Cronus and his brother Titans had a war against Zeus with his

five brothers and sisters. This war almost destroyed the universe.

5. What steps did Zeus take to become ruler of heaven and earth? How did he prepare
the way for human beings to live on earth?

Zeus released the hundred- handed monsters from their prison and having the

thunder , lightning and earthquake which were the irresistible weapons for them.

Besides, Prometheus who also fought for Zeus was very intelligent and he was one

of the sons of Titan Iapetus. Then Zeus punished his enemies horribly. Zeus

prepared the way for human beings to live on earth by giving the clouds and

darkness, where night and day draw near and greet one another. The house within

never held both night and day, but always one, departing, visits the earth, and the

other in the house awaits the hour for her journeying hence, one with far-seeing

light for those on earth, the other holding in her hands sleep, the brother of Death.

6. In one creation story, Prometheus and Epimetheus created humans. How? What gifts
did Prometheus give to human beings? Why?

Epimetheus gives the best gifts of strength, swiftness, courage, ingenuity, feathers,

wings, shells and much more to animals. Because of this, there is no way for humans

to compete with the talents given to animals. Finally, Prometheus designed humans to

be nobler shape than the animals, like gods, and able to walk. Since humans have no

gifts to match animals. After that, Prometheus went to the heaven and stole the fire of

the sun god to give to humans.

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7. What did Prometheus do that resulted in him being chained to a rock in the Caucasus
and punished and having his liver devoured by an eagle?

Prometheus cut up a great ox and wrapped the good eatable parts in the hide,

disguising them further by piling entrails on top. Then cleverly covered with shiny

grease to decorate it very attractively. Zeus finally chose the greased pile, and when he

opened it, he found that it was just a pile of bones, and he must have been very angry.

As a result, human sacrifices only need to burn bones and fat, and the remaining edible

parts can be kept for themselves. Besides, another reason why Prometheus be punished

is that he does not tell Zeus which wife will have children who will overthrow his

heaven, which is why Prometheus is devoured by an eagle.

8. In the second creation story, the gods created five ages of humans. Identify these
ages, describe the people who lived in each, and tell their fates.

The gods themselves created first a golden race. These lived like gods without

sorrow of heart, far from toil and pain. They were rich also in flocks and beloved of

the gods. When the grave covered them they became pure spirits, beneficent, the

guardians of mankind.

Then, gods created the second race: sliver. They had no intelligence that they could

not keep from injuring each other. Their spirits cannot live on after them.

The next race was of brass. They were terrible, immensely strong, and love war

and violence. In the end, they were completely destroyed by their own hands.

However, the next race is godlike heroes who fought glorious wars and went on

great adventures which men have talked and sung of through all the ages since.

They departed finally to the isles of the blessed, where they lived in perfect bliss

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 forever.

The fifth race is human: the iron race. They live in evil times and their nature too

has much of evil, thus they never have rest from toil and sorrow. As the

generations pass, they grow worse; sons are always inferior to their fathers. At last

when no man is angry more at wrongdoing or feels shame in the presence of the

miserable, Zeus will destroy them.

9. Who was the first woman and why was she created? What harm did she bring to earth?

Pandora was created to avenge human. She will become the bane of men, basically

because of women's nature to do evil. Another story is that Pandora herself is not wicked,

the problem lies in her “curiosity”. The gods presented her with a box full of various

harmful items and forbade her not to open it. Unfortunately, she lifted the lid---and out

flew plagues innumerable, sorrow and mischief for mankind.

10. Another story of creation begins with a flood. Who survived the flood, and what were
they instructed to do after they survived the flood? Why?

Prometheus’ son Deucalion and Pyrrha the daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora.

After the flood, the two of them worshiped the gods, thanked the gods for their escape,

and asked for help to overcome the situation. They heard a voice “Veil your heads and

cast behind you the bones of your mother.” Which means “Earth is the mother of all,” he

told his wife. “Her bones are the stones.” When the stones fell they took human shape.

They were a hard, enduring race, as was to be expected and, indeed, as they had need to

be, to rescue the earth from the desolation left by the flood.