D'aulaires' Greek Mythology (Lessons 1-3)

Match the following

• underworld

• 
• quarrels

• 
• altar

• 
• gleaming

• 
• hearth

• 

Based on our class discussions, what is a possible explanation for why the ancient Greeks created gods of so many different things? In other words, why was there a god of the sea, earthquakes, and storms (Poseidon) and a god of the dead and the underworld (Hades)?

• The ancient Greeks used myths as a way of understanding the natural world and by assigning gods to different natural phenomenons, the ancient Greeks sought to have some control over things like the seas, the seasons, and death.

• The ancient Greeks created myths, gods, and goddesses because they knew their myths to be the truth. Many ancient Greeks had actually come into contact with some of the gods and the personalities and desires of the gods became clear to them.

Although the ancient Greek gods were incredibly powerful, they had no desire to descend down to earth. They would much rather remain high atop Olympus and influence the mortal world from above. (a)  

• True
• False

According to the ancient Greek myths, who or what was the beginning of all life?

• Gaea (Mother Earth)

• Uranus (lord of the universe)

• Cronus (the second lord of the univers)

• Rhea (the Titaness-wife of Cronus)

After the Titans, Gaea gave birth to the three cyclopes and then three more sons, each of them with fifty heads and a hundred strong arms. Both Gaea and Uranus loved all their children and gave them the tallest mountains to serve them as thrones. (a)  

• True
• False

Mother Earth loved all her children and could not forgive Uranus for his cruelty to them. So, she fashioned a sickle, one for each of her children and together they all defeated their father and shared his power. (a)  

• True
• False

Because he feared that one day one of his children would be strong enough to oppose him, Cronus, lord of the universe, ...

• devoured each of his newborn children.

• banished each of his newborn children to the island of Crete.

• used his immense powers to transform each of his newborn children into mortal humans.

• cut off the heads of each of his newborn children with the very sickle he used to defeat Uranus.

Cronus was successful in his attempts to remain in complete power by swallowing all of his children, all except whom?

• Zeus

• Hades

• Poseidon

• Ares

Zeus escaped the clutches of Cronus, thanks to the cleverness of his mother, Rhea. Safely hidden on the island of Crete, Zeus was tended by gentle nymphs and was nursed by the fairy goat Amaltheia, from the horns of which flowed the food and drink of the gods, known to the ancient Greeks as ...

• ambrosia and nectar.

• tacos and Mr. Pibb.

• comida y bebida.

• Taki's and sweet tea.

Metis, Zeus's first wife, and the goddess of prudence, convinced him that in order to defeat Cronus, he needed ...

• an army of mortals to fight by his side.

• to recruit the help of his grandfather, Uranus.

• to have strong allies, who just happen to also be gods.

• to trick Cronus into swallowing another stone, only this stone needed to be ten times as big as the first one.