1. What did the Greeks believe about their world? How does this tie to our world? What do you wonder about your world? Why have myths existed in all time frames?

2. The Mysteries of the Universe Do you believe in ghosts? Have you heard of local UFO sightings? Have you ever looked for the Albino Lady of Rochester Cemetery? Do you think there is life on other planets? Have you heard about Roswell? Do you believe in psychics? What do people wonder about today just as much as people did thousands of years ago? Why does mythology remain an appealing subject for many? When is a myth no longer a myth? What are the top 10 mysteries of the universe today?

3. What did the Greeks Believe Thunder and lightning came from an angry god. Monsters invaded kingdoms and had to be slain by heroes. The sun was pulled across the sky by a chariot each day. Hubris was a cultural sin. When you shamed your family name, the stigma lasted for many generations to come. Familial murder was the worst possible crime. The highest honor you could bring to your family was to be sacrificed to the gods. The Greeks were polytheistic, and they had no perfect or all-knowing gods. But just because they couldn’t explain thunder doesn’t mean they were stupid: when looking in at another culture, it’s easy to laugh. But then ask yourself why you’re going to willingly wear a silly-looking square hat on graduation day!

4. How this class works:

5. The Basics of Mythology The purpose of mythology is to explain the unexplainable. Why does it thunder? How does the sun get across the sky? What is that light in the sky? How can someone see the future? Mythology helps us make sense of our world. It often explains “natural phenomena,” or things that happen in nature. It also teaches lessons--be careful what you wish for It explains cultural and religious practices--why did the Greeks sacrifice? It’s entertaining--how many affairs did Zeus have???

6. What is a myth? An anonymous story that is passed, often by mouth, from one generation to the next. A myth can’t be proven true or false. It is usually impossible to find the original source of the myth. A myth isn’t simply an outlandish story; there is a certain logic to part or all of it, and it is believed by many to be factual. When a myth can be proven true or false, it ceases to be a myth. EX: Zeus’ thunderbolts explain thunder and lightning EX: The Albino Lady of Rochester Cemetery appears at night.

7. Understanding the Greeks The time frame we’re looking at is around 300 BC to 100 BC. The Greeks were a civilized, not a barbaric, society. They invented democracy. They had a criminal justice system. They valued education, athletics, and the arts. They were religious by nature. They were a polytheistic culture. Their gods were anthropomorphic. They were an agrarian society. They divided themselves into 4 social classes: the elite or royal class the hero class the peasant class the slave class

8. Basics of Greek Beliefs Greek social classes were rigid: you died in the same class in which you were born. The most important job in Greek society was to be the village historian. FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, THE MYTHS WERE NOT WRITTEN, BUT WERE PASSED ON ORALLY, AND THESE MYTHS WERE COMPREHENSIVE, EXPLAINING IN METICULOUS DETAIL, ALL THAT THE GREEKS NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT RELIGION, HISTORY, AND CULTURE. Women were treated as 2nd-class citizens and did NOT have equal rights or equal say. To honor the gods, the Greeks built temples, held religious festivals and ceremonies, prayed, and sacrificed humans and animals. Their very survival was dependent upon the gods, so worship was of prime importance. As a teen-ager, boys were expected to study, learn a trade, and honor their families. Girls were expected to learn how to be a good homemaker and to honor their families. The highest honor a teen-ager could achieve was to be named one of the 14 Noble Citizens. And finally, Zeus was the god of the gods, God of the Sky, the Supreme Ruler of Ancient Greece. What do you know about him?