Greek

Mythology
Introduction to Mythology and
Greek Myths
Lesson 1: Introduction to Mythology

How was
life in
Ancient
Greece?
 Ancient Greece, the Cradle of
Western Civilization

Religion and Sports

Ancient Greece, the Cradle of
Western Civilization

ARTS and
ARCHITECTURE
Ancient Greece, the Cradle
of Western Civilization

WRITINGS
Ancient Greece, the Cradle of Western Civilization

LITERATURE and DRAMA

Ancient Greece, the Cradle
of Western Civilization

MATHEMATICS,
SCIENCE and
MEDICINE
Ancient Greece, the Cradle of Western Civilization

Greek Philosophers
Lesson 1: Introduction to Mythology

DEFINING MYTH
From the Greek
mythos, myth
means story or word.
Characteristics of Myths
1. Considered as true
explanation of the
natural world
2. Characters are often
gods and goddesses.
3. The setting is a
previous proto-world.
Characteristics of Myths
4. The plot may involve an
interplay between worlds.
5. Depicts events that bend
or break natural laws.
6. Cosmogonic explanation
of the universe.
The Story of Pangu (Chinese Creation Myth)
Characteristics of Myths
7. Functional: “Charter for social action” – conveys how to live: assumptions,
values, core meanings of individuals, families, communities.
Characteristics of Myths
8. Evokes the presence of
Mystery, the Unknown
9. Reflective and formative of
basic structures (dualities:
light/dark, good/bad,
being/nothingness, raw/cooked,
etc.) that we must reconcile.
Dualities often mediated by
characters in myths.
Characteristics of Myths
10. Metaphoric, narrative
consideration/explanation of
“ontology” (the study of being).
Myths seek to answer, “Why are we
here?” “Who are we?” “What is our
purpose?” etc. – life’s fundamental
questions.
11. Sometimes: the narrative aspect
of a significant ritual (core narrative
of most important religious practices
of society; fundamentally connected
to a belief system; sometimes the
source of rituals)
What separates
Greek myths from
other civilizations?
1.Greeks developed a
complex series of myths
and legends to help them
explain their history, the
universe, and their
culture.
2.Greek myth depicts a
polytheistic religion-
Greek Pantheon.
3.Greek gods had the
figures of humans.
4. The main gods lived on their mystical home, called Mount Olympus,
and were called the Olympians.
4. Other creatures
In Greek mythology, history was divided into
three basic divisions.
1.Creation of the World and
the Age of Gods (when the
primordial gods shaped the
world)
2.Age of Gods and Men (when
gods interacted with humans)
3.Age of Heroes (when the
gods stopped interfering as
frequently and powerful people
controlled the destiny of
Greece)