Discussion Questions on Edith Hamilton’s Mythology Directions: Answer each question in complete sentences on a separate sheet of paper. Chapter 1: The Gods Due Date: 1. Who were the first parents of lifelike creatures? Who were their children and grandchildren? 2. Who were the Titans? Briefly describe them, and tell who first ruled them. 3. What is Olympus and who lives there? 4. Who were the twelve great Olympians? 5. Who were Eros, Hebe, and Iris? 6. Identify the graces and the muses. For what were they famous? Who were their parents? 7. Name the two supreme deities of earth and their spheres of influence. 8. What were satyrs, centaurs, and gorgons? 9. Who were the Sirens and the Fates? What powers did they have? Chapter 2: The Two Great Gods of Earth Due Date: 1. Why was Demeter, the divinity of grain, thought of as a goddess and not a god? 2. Who was Persephone? How did her incident explain the seasons to the early Greeks? 3. With what city was Dionysus associated? Why? What was unique about Dionysus and his parentage? 4. What was Dionysus’ connection with Greek drama? 5. How did resurrection come to be associated with Dionysus? Chapter 3: How the World and Mankind were Created Due Date: 1. Describe the creation of Earth and Heaven. 2. Who were the first creatures on Earth before humans? 3. What steps did Zeus take to become ruler of heaven and earth? How did he prepare the way for humans to live on earth? 4. Describe the world as the Greeks saw it. 5. In one creation story, Prometheus and Epimetheus created humans. How? What gifts did Prometheus give to humans? Why? 6. In the second creation story, the gods created five ages of humans. Name these ages, describe the people who lived in each, and tell their fate. 7. Who was the first woman and why was she created? What harm did she bring to earth? 8. Another story of creation begins with a flood. Who survived the flood, and what were they directed to do? Why? Chapter 4: The Earliest Heroes Due Date: 1. How did Io suffer? Why? What makes Io a heroine? 2. How did Zeus capture Europa and where did he take her? Describe Europa’s fate. 3. What places are named for Io and Europa? 4. Who were Narcissus and Echo? How did each figure in the other’s life? What were their fates? 5. Compare and contrast the deaths and transformations of Hyacinth and Adonis. Chapter 5: Cupid and Psyche Due Date: 1. Who was Psyche, and what was unique about her? In what way did she anger Venus, and what did Venus plan as revenge? 2. How did Venus’ plan backfire? 3. Describe how Psyche’s marriage was arranged. Whom did she marry, and what was her marriage like? 4. By what fault did Psyche lose her husband? 5. How was Psyche reunited with her husband, and how was Venus finally pacified? Chapter 6: Eight Brief Tales of Lovers Due Date: 1. How does the story of Pyramus and Thisbe explain the deep red color of mulberries? 2. How did Orpheus lose his bride, Eurydice? What did he do to try to get her back? What lesson is to be learned form Orpheus’ ordeal? 3. Who were Ceyx and Alcyone? What tragedy befell Ceyx? What was Alcyone’s virtue, and how was it rewarded? 4. Who was Pygmalion? What was Pygmalion’s virtue and how was it rewarded? 5. In what way were Bacuis and Philemon different from their neighbors? How did Jupiter reward them and why? 6. Who was Endymion? What was his outstanding trait? What happened to him because of this trait? 7. According to mythology, how did the laurel tree come into being? What did Apollo say he would do with the laurel leaves? Why? 8. Who were Alpheus and Arethusa? Why was Arethusa changed into a spring? What was Alpheus’ fate? Chapter 13: The Trojan War 1. Who was Paris, and what situation led to the judgement of Paris? 2. What prophesy had been given to Paris’ father about his son? Why was Paris working as a shepherd instead of living as a prince? 3. How did the goddesses ask Paris to choose among them? What choice did he make? 4. How did the judgement of Paris spark events that would lead to the Trojan War? 5. Why were the princes of Greece bound to help Menelaus get Helen back from Troy? Why were they eager to help? 6. How did Odysseus plan to avoid going to Troy and how did his plan work out? 7. Why did Achilles’ mother plan to keep him from going to Troy? How did her plan work out? 8. Why was Iphigenia killed? What effects did her death have? 9. Identify Protesilaus and Laodamia, and briefly tell their story. 10. Identify Hecuba, Hector, and Andromache. 11. What did Hector and Achilles represent to their armies? What did these two men know about their fates as they went into battle? 12. What part did Chyrseis play in the war? 13. Why did Agamemnon and Achilles quarrel? What did Achilles do as a result of the quarrel? 14. What led to Achilles to reenter the battle? 15. How did Athena trick Hector so that Achilles defeated him? 16. How did Achilles dishonor Hector after Hector’s death? 17. Which side did Zeus favor in the Trojan War? Describe how he influence the war, up to Hector’s death. What were his motivations? 18. Which side did Hera favor in the Trojan War? Describe the ways she influenced the war, up to Hector’s death. What were her motivations? Chapter 14: The Fall of Troy 1. Who came to the aid of the Trojans? How did this affect the war? 2. Who killed Achilles and how? 3. How did Ajax die? 4. How did Paris die? 5. What was the Palladium? Why did the Greeks want it? How did they manage to capture it? 6. What plan did Odysseus devise to conquer Troy once and for all? 7. Who said, “I fear the Greeks even when they bear gifts”? What happened to that person? 8. Describe the fall of Troy. What happened to the remaining Trojans? 9. What became of Prince Aenaeas of Troy and his family? 10. What became of Helen of Troy? Answers to Discussion Questions on Edith Hamilton’s Mythology Chapter 1: The Gods 1. parents: Heaven and Earth, children: Titans, grandchildren: gods (pg 24, 1st ¶) 2. The Titans were also known as the elder gods. There were enormous creatures of immense strength. Cronus was their first ruler. (pg 24, 2nd¶). 3.Olympus is the home of the gods, and thus they became known as the Olympians. It is an actual mountain in Greece; however, the Greeks believed that the Olympus where the gods lived was somewhere above the earth, in the clouds. (pg 25, 2nd¶). 4. See page one of the handout and your book beginning on page 27. 5. Eros (Cupid) was the god of love, Hebe was the goddess of youth who was married to Hercules, Iris was goddess of the rainbow and another messenger god. (pg 36 - 37) 6. The graces were 3 sisters who were famous for their charm and beauty; they were the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome. The Muses were 9 sisters who were famous for their music which caused people to forget their troubles; they were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, Memory. (pg 37) 7. Demeter was the goddess of the corn, and Dionysus was god of the wine/vine. (pg 41, 1st¶). 8. Satyrs were goat men, centaurs were half human and half horse, the gorgons were dragon-like creatures who could turn people to stone. (pg 43 - 44) 9. Who were the Sirens and the Fates? What powers did they have? The Sirens had mysterious voices who lured sailors in to their deaths. The Fates had the power of life, death and destiny; when it was time for someone to die, the Fates were the ones who cut the cord that represented that person’s life. (pg 44) ROMAN GODS pg 44 (bottom¶) - 45 (top¶). “It was a simple matter to adopt the Greek gods because the Romans did not have definitely personified gods of their own. They were a people of deep religious feeling, but they had little imagination. They could never have created the Olympians, each a distinct , vivid personality.” Chapter 2: The Two Great Gods of Earth pg 48 (1st ¶): “For the most part the immortal gods were of little use to human beings, and often they were quite the reverse of useful.” (2nd¶): “There were two, however, who were altogether different, who were indeed mankind’s best friends: Demeter and Dionysus.” 1. (pg 48 2nd¶): “It was natural that the divine power which brought forth the grain should be thought of as a goddess, not a god. When the business of men was hunting and fighting, the care of the fields belonged to the women...” 2. (pg 51) Demeter had an only daughter, Persephone, the maiden of the spring. (2nd¶): The lord of the dark underworld (Hades) carried her off when she strayed too far from her companions....Zeus intervened...but (pg 45, bottom ¶) Demeter must lose Persephone for four months every year (winter). 3. (top of pg 56): Dionysus was associated with Thebes because that is where he was born and because his mother was a Thebian princess. His parentage was unique because he is the only god whose parents were not both gods themselves.