1. Greek Creation Myth The Rise of Zeus

2. Uranus (The Sky) Gaia (The Earth) Cronos Rhea HadesPoseidonZEUS Dawn of Time Titans Olympians The Family Tree

3. Cronos After overthrowing his father, Cronos receives a prophecy he will be overthrown by his son To avoid this, Cronos devours his children as they are born

4. Rhea After Cronos swallows their first five children, his wife Rhea hides their next child—Zeus— and gives Cronos a stone swaddled in a blanket. Zeus survives unknown to Cronos.

5. Zeus Overthrows Cronos When Zeus is grown, he comes back and poisons Cronos, causing him to vomit up his siblings Zeus overthrows Cronos with their help and becomes most powerful god

6. Sound Familiar? Prophecy: A child will overthrow his father/god/king He plots to kill the child Child miraculously survives Comes back to take power

7. Moses and Pharaoh Jesus and Herod Luke Skywalker and Vader Harry Potter and Voldemort Etc., etc.

8. Greek Creation Clip Clash of the Gods—Zeus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQQe -jRihNI&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQQe -jRihNI&feature=related – 3:55 to 8:20, 13:30 and on

9. Also Watch For Realistic Human Nature Mythology explains what science can’t A connection between man and nature Unavoidable Fate

10. Man’s Connection to Nature “Through [Mythology], we can retrace the path from civilized man who lives so far from nature, to man who lived in close companionship with nature; and the real interest of the myths is that they lead us back to a time when the world was young and people had a connection with the earth, with trees and seas and flowers and hills, unlike anything we ourselves can feel.” —Edith Hamilton

11. Nature Personified “Angry” Sea → Poseidon’s Rage Winter → Demeter’s Sorrow Earth and Sky → Uranus and Gaia

12. Man and Nature Co-mingle All things are alive and imbued with feeling – Pyramus and Thisbe → mulberry tree – Baucis & Philemon → two trees from one trunk – Pirates in “Dionysus” → Dolphins – Orpheus → Nightingales

13. Two Great Gods of Earth NourishmentSufferingHome on Earth DemeterGrainLoses Daughter Persephone Eleusis DionysusWineLoses mother Semele and wife Ariadne Nysa

14. Christ-Like? Dionysus Teaches man how to make wine Pentheus puts him on trial as son of god (Zeus) Torn apart by Titans but rose again Jesus First miracle: Water to wine at wedding Pontius Pilate puts him on trial as son of God Crucified by the Romans but rises on 3 rd day

15. Heaven a “Pleasantly Familiar Place” “Human gods naturally made heaven a pleasantly familiar place… That is the miracle of Greek mythology—a humanized world, men freed from the paralyzing fear of an omnipotent Unknown… A familiar local habitation gave reality to all the mythical beings.” —Edith Hamilton

16. Gods are Human in their Flaws Zeus → womanizer Hera → jealous, spiteful Hephaestus → ugly Ares → unlikeable Dionysus → cruel, drunken side Etc., etc.

17. “Familiar Habitations” Crete: Theseus kills Minotaur, Zeus hides Europa Thebes: Dionysus kills Pentheus, Hercules born Argos: Danae births Perseus

18. Fate Unavoidable Prophecies always come true in Mythology, despite the odds – Cronos overthrown by son Zeus – King Acrisius killed by grandson Perseus – Theseus will draw his father Aegeus’s sword

19. Perseus PART I: King Acrisius traps daughter Danae, but she still bears son Perseus to Zeus. PART II: Polydectes wants Perseus out of the way to marry Danae, and challenges him to kill Medusa hoping he gets himself killed. PART III: Perseus kills Medusa with help of gods and comes back in time to stop the wedding. He fulfills prophecy by killing Acrisius, who is there as a guest.

20. Argos Sephiros Gray Sisters Nymphs of West Medusa’s Lair Doppa Sephiros Perseus’ Travels

21. Compare/Contrast Myth King Acrisius is Danae’s father Perseus kills Medusa to have wedding present for Polydectes Perseus turns Atlas to stone END: Saves Danae from marrying Polydectes Movie King Acrisius is Danae’s husband Perseus kills Medusa so he can kill the Kraken Perseus turns Kraken to stone BEGINNING: Danae dies on the sea

22. What Do Changes Say? Birthright no longer a favored idea – Perseus not proud to be Zeus’ son Fate no longer a popular idea – Perseus does not die as predicted; Fate of killing his grandfather completely removed Now we want one-dimensional characters – Hades thrown into story as a villain; Kraken goes from minor to major part

23. Zeus Sky, Thunder, Olympus Son of Cronos; Hades and Poseidon his brothers; Hera his wife/sister Cheats on wife Hera MarriageWife/sister of Zeus Jealous; spends time punishing Zeus’ children and mistresses Poseidon SeaBrother of Zeus and Hades Deals with Rejection from Demeter, city of Athens, and drawing lots God of what? Relation to other gods Brief Description

24. Hades Underworld, wealth Brother to Zeus and Poseidon; marries Persephone Violent, hates change, unpopular; but deals fairly with the dead Athene City, Civilization, intellectual activities, Weaving Daughter of Zeus and Metis; sprung from Zeus’ head Battle Goddess; turns Arachne to Spider Apollo Truth, Light, Sun, music, poetry, math, medicine Father → Zeus Mother → Leto Twin → Artemis Kills Python at Delphi and claims oracle for his own God of what? Relation to other gods Brief Description

25. ArtemisHunt, Moon, Wild Things Father → Zeus Mother → Leto Twin → Apollo Huntress, chaste, demanding, has violent side AphroditeLove, Beauty, Desire Married to Hephaestus; Born out of sea from remains of Uranus Toys with men HermesCommerce, Travelers, Thieves Father → Zeus Mother → Maia Half-brother to Apollo Zeus’ messenger; steals Apollo’s cattle; invents the lyre God of what? Relation to other gods Brief Description

26. Ares WarSon of Zeus and Hera Unlikeable; appears little in myths Hephaestus Fire; smiths and tradesmen Son of Zeus and Hera; marries Aphrodite Only Ugly God; Hera cruel to him Hestia Hearth, Home, Family Sister of ZeusAppears little; gives up place to Dionysus God of what? Relation to other gods Brief Description

27. Arion Narcissus