Eric Braun - Greek Myths

(AR-kuh-tek-chuhr) the design of buildings (SI-tee STAYT) a self-governing town and its surrounding territory (di-MAH-kruh-see) a form of government in which the citizens can choosetheir leaders and make decisions by voting (EP-ik POH-uhm) a long story or poem about heroic adventures and greatbattles (for-TEL) to predict something that will happen in the future (FOR-tuh-fye) to construct walls or buildings to be used for military defenses (i-MOR-tuhl) able to live forever (EYE-suh-layt) the condition of being alone (PRAH-fuh-see) a prediction (TYE-tuhn) a family of giants in Greek mythology born of Uranus and Gaea andruling the earth until overthrown by the Olympian gods (TRY-dent) a long spear with three sharp points at its end

1. Hoena, Blake.The Trojan War: An Interactive Mythological Adventure. You Choose:Ancient Greek Myths. North Mankato, Minn.: Capstone Press, 2017.
2. Nicolaides, Selene.Gods, Heroes, and Monsters: Discover the Wonders of the AncientGreek Myths. Hauppauge, New York: Barrons, 2016.
3. Palmer, Erin.Greek Mythology. Mythology Marvels. Vero Beach, Fla.: Rourke EducationalMedia, 2017.

1. The Greek gods were often jealous, angry, and cruel. Why do you think they actedhis way? Use details from the text in your answer.
2. Choose two gods or goddesses from the text. In what ways are they similar to eachother? In what ways are they different? Use evidence from the text to support youranswer.
3. Invent your own god or goddess. What special powers does he or she have? Whatpart of the world does he or she reign over or protect?

Imagine you lived thousands of years ago, before phones, electricity, or cars. Thearea where you live is made up of mountains, sea, and islands. That makes it difficultto meet people outside your own community. Thats what it was like in ancient Greece. The people of these .

One thing the ancient Greeks shared was religion. Although the city-states wereindependent, many people worshipped the same gods and goddesses. They told the samestories, or myths, about them. They honored the gods in similar ways. Temples wereplentiful and many religious ceremonies were held there.

Most of Greeces power was centered in the city-state of Athens. Around 508 BC,the Greeks formed a new kind of government called . In a democracy, citizensget to choose their leaders. Democracy is one of the ancient Greeks most importantcontributions to the world.

Athens was also a center for art and culture. It was there that the world-famousAcropolis of Athens was built. An acropolis was a mini-city built on ahill. Most city-states had an acropolis where citizens could go if under attack.

The ancient Greeks made many important discoveries in areas such as medicine, philosophy,math, astronomy, and engineering. Scientist Hippocrates is considered the fatherof modern medicine. Plato wrote important works in philosophy that are still studiedtoday. Great thinkers such as Euclid and Pythagoras did important work in math andgeometry.

Literature and theater were also important to the ancient Greeks. Greek playwrightswrote tragedies and comedies, inspiring works that are still performed today. Duringthe mid-700s BC, Homer wrote his The Iliad and The Odyssey. The Iliadtells of the Trojan War. The Odyssey describes the journey home of the Greek heroOdysseus after the Trojan War.

Ancient Greek poet Homer is believed to have lived in the 8th century BC.

Greek buildings and sculptures were simple but beautiful. The Greek styles of are still seen in many buildings constructed in modern times.

Millions of people visit the Parthenon every year.

In all these art forms, the importance of the Greek gods is clear. Gods were honoredin plays, sculptures, and temples. The ancient Greeks believed the gods were alwaysnear. They also believed that the gods influenced what went on in their daily lives.

The ancient Greeks told many stories, or myths, about how the world was created.The best-known story came from the poet Hesiod. According to him, in the beginningthere was only an area of dark silence known as Chaos. Over time, Uranus, Gaea,and Tartarus sprang from Chaos. According to Greek tradition, Uranus representedthe sky, Gaea was the earth, and Tartarus was the Underworld.

Uranus and Gaea were the parents of the first . Uranushated his children and forced them to live in the Underworld. One of the Titans,Cronus, eventually defeated Uranus. After that, Cronus and the Titans ruled theworld. But Uranus told Cronus that someday one of his children would defeat him,and then they would rule the world.

Cronus didnt want any of his children to defeat him. So whenever his wife, Rhea,gave birth to a child, Cronus swallowed it. He swallowed his first five childrenHades,Demeter, Hera, Hestia, and Poseidon. But when Zeus was born, Rhea secretly gaveCronus a stone to swallow instead of the baby. Then she hid Zeus from her husband.

When Zeus was grown, he tricked Cronus into drinking a potion. Drinking it madehim throw up all of the children hed swallowed. The children were alive, full-grown,and unhurt. This started a war between the Titans and Zeus and his siblings. After10 years of fighting, Zeus and his siblings conquered the Titans and sent Cronusto the Underworld. Zeus and his siblings took their place at the top of Mount Olympusand ruled the world from there.

During a war that lasted 10 years, Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades battled Cronus. Here,Poseidon (left) aims his three-pronged at the giant Cronus (center).

Over time, more gods and goddesses were born. They were immortal, and each had specialskills or powers and ruled a certain part of life. Here are some of the main godsand goddesses of ancient Greece: