MYTHOLOGY TEST

How many trials did Hercules have to complete to make up for the murder of his wife and three sons?

12

What is Yggdrasil?

The ash tree that holds up the universe

What is the maxim of the Norse Gods?

The mind knows only, What lies near the heart Evil is greater than good, death = triumph

What did Greeks believe about the Universe?

The universe created gods Started as Chaos (dark abyss), then earth created (not known how), earth creates heaven, heaven and earth create titans Universe revolves around them

Name a few personified emotions or ideas.

Themis (divine justice), Dike (human justice), Nemesis (righteous anger), Adios (reverence)

Describe events of Trojan War

9 years with no clear winner, advantage keeps switching sides; Achilles kills Hector, Achilles dies, Ajax kills himself after he goes crazy, Greeks go into Troy to steal Palladium (picture of Athena), then realize they need to get people on inside, build Trojan horse, gate inside and kill everybody but the women

Which god was thrown out of Olympus for being ugly?

Hephaestus

Which goddess helps the Argonauts?

Hera

What happened to Echo?

Hera noticed how chatty she was and cursed her to only ever repeat what others said

Which gods sided with Greece?

Hera, Athena Poseidon

Who is the most famous Greek hero?

Hercules

How many Graces were there?

3

Who are the Danaids?

49 sisters forced to carry leaking jars in the underworld for killing their husbands

How many Nereids (daughter of Nereus) were there?

50

How many muses were there?

9

List some important people involved in Trojan War.

Paris, Helen, Menelaus, Achilles, Patroclus, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Hector, Philoctetes, Aeneas

Europa was carried away by

A beautiful bull (Zeus)

What was the cornucopia?

A horn from a goat used to feed baby Zeus, Amalthea

Greece's best warrior, fated to die after Hector

Achilles

Who are the Myrmidons?

Achilles followers, created from ants when plague killed most of Aegina people

Which of the flower myths is about a man who is loved by two goddesses?

Adonis

Only Trojan leader to escape, later founds Rome

Aeneas

What is the most famous Roman poem?

Aeneid

King of Winds

Aeolus

One of leaders of Greeks, makes Achilles mad, sacrifices daughter to go to war

Agamemnon

Which god is the most upset at Odysseus?

Poseidon

Who is nicknamed "Earthshaker"?

Poseidon

Who were the Amazon's?

All women warriors

Which gods sided with Troy?

Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, Artemis

Why could Oedipus not avoid his misfortune?

Apollo's Oracle predicted it, and he is the god of Truth, everything he says will happen, will happen; also didn't know who his father was

What is the name of the ship that Jason captained?

Argo

Home of the Norse gods.

Asgard

Who are the three maiden goddesses?

Athena, Artemis, and Hestia

Who is Zeus' favorite child? Why?

Athena, he trusted her to carry his aegis and thunderbolts

Athena's city? Athena's animal? Athena's tree?

Athens, owl, olive

Titán that holds the world on shoulders

Atlas

3 dragonlike creatures with wings and snake hair (Medusa is one), turn men to stone

Gorgons

3 women that share 1 eye

Graiae

What does Aurora turn Tithonus into?

Grasshopper

What does Psyche do after Cupid leaves her for being unfaithful?

Becomes a servant of Venus (Aphrodite), has to perform impossible tasks (helped by other creatures ants, reeds, eagle)

Who is Homer?

Greek writer of Iliad and Odyssey, wrote Homeric poems to honor various gods

What happened to Balder?

Had dream about danger, Frigga (mom) make everything swear not to hurt Balder; Loki discovers that mistletoe no swear, makes Hoder (Balder blind brother) throw mistletoe at him, kills balder

What is Sisyphus' punishment?

Has to roll heavy rock up hill, never succeeds

Name the four winds.

Boreas (North), Zephyr (west), Notus (south), Eurus (East)

How are Arethusa and Daphne alike?

Both were young, beautiful huntresses, who did not want lovers; both turned into part of nature but did not exactly escape their pursuers

Perseus's mom is hidden away in a ......

Bronze house

What did Aesculapius do to anger the gods? What happened to him?

Brought Hypolytus (Theseus son) back from the dead; killed by thunderbolt

Who founded Thebes?

Cadmus, Europa's brother

What do the gods not forgive?

Cannibalism, dishonoring the dead, grudges

Horse bodies, man heads; beastly except for Chiron

Centaurs

3 headed dog that guards the underworld

Cerberus

Only witches in Greek mythology

Circe and Medea

How was Scylla created?

Circe was jealous that Glaucus (half fish, half man sea god) loved her, so she poisoned Scylla's bath water and turned her into a monster

Who killed Agamemnon?

Clytemnestra, his wife

Hera animals?

Cow and peacock

Who was the most important Titan?

Cronos

Name several of the love stories in Greek mythology.

Cupid and Psyche, Pyramus and Thisbe, Oedipus and Eurydice, Ceyx and Alcyone, Pygmalion and Galatea, Philemon and Baucis

In which love story does one of the lovers show faithlessness?

Cupid and Psyche, when Psyche doesn't trust him and looks at him with light

What was Pandora's downfall?

Curiosity

Artemis's tree? Her animal?

Cypress, deer

What two gods known as the Supreme deities of Earth?

Demeter and Dionysus

Only god to have a mortal perent

Dionysus

What are some overall themes/motifs in Greek mythology?

Don't anger the gods, you can't escape destiny, always be hospitable (never know what stranger could be god), don't be too ambitious (Otis and Ephialtes, Bellerophon), even good have hardships Love, honor, revenge

How did Cronus try to prevent his children from killing him?

Eating them right after they were born

2 books about Norse mythology.

Elder Edda and Younger Edda

Demeter's festival is called.....

Eleusinian Mysteries, all those who took part swear vow of secrecy

Why is Sigurd killed?

He goes back to get Brynhild disguised as Gunnar, when she find out, she angry and want him killed so she tells Gunnar that he slept with her and he must be killed; Gunnar's brother kills him in his sleep

3 creatures that punish sins and evildoers, later become Benevolent Goddesses

Erinyes/furies

Describe the cause of the Trojan War.

Eris (Discord) throw gold apple into Peleus and Thetis wedding; Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera want it; they ask Zeus to pick between them, he send them to Paris (Trojan prince living with nymph), Paris choose Aphrodite bc she going to give him Helen (fairest woman); Menelaus married to Helen, get all of Greece to fight to get her back

Another name for Cupid.

Eros

Theseus' idea of justice

Everything that was done to the innocent was done to the guilty

3 women who decide what a mortal's Destiny is and when they die, thread of life

Fates/Moirae

Why does Theseus's father kill himself?

He sees the black sail (Theseus forgot to change it to white) and thinks Theseus is dead

What did Aesculapius want to learn?

Healing

Troy's best fighter, fated to die before Achilles

Hector

Fairest woman, princess of Troy who war is fought over, married to Menelaus

Helen

Who is the actual sun god (not Apollo)?

Helios

Why did Phaethon's father have to let him die?

Helios swore an oath on the river Styx in the underworld which means that the promise has to be kept

Describe Hephaestus

God of Fire and Forge, master craftsman, makes Zeus thunderbolts; ugly and lame, married to Aphrodite; important to city life

Describe Ares

God of War, son of Zeus and Hera, hated by both, coward who runs when wounded; little more than symbol of war

Describe Aphrodite

Goddess of Love and Beauty, came from sea foam, wife of Hephaestus

Describe Hestia

Goddess of hearth and home, no personality or part in myths, one of virgin goddesses, offerings made to her before and end of meal

Describe Hera

Goddess of marriage, care for married women; Zeus's wife and sister, punishes Zeus's lovers, holds grudges for a long time; Trojan War dragged on because of her

Explain the story of the five ages of man.

Gods created man based on metals, starting from the best and working their way down; golden race mortal but had no sorrow or pain, silver race had little intelligence and couldn't help hurting each other, brass race terrible warriors that killed each other, race of godlike heroes, when died went to isle of blessed, iron race is us, evil nature that fest worse through geneations

What was relationship between gods and humans?

Gods should be feared but could also be laughed at

Which god wore winged sandals?

Hermes

Who is the most cunning of the gods?

Hermes

Who sends Golden Fleece to save Phrixus?

Hermes

The only light in darkness is..... (Norse)

Heroism

Describe the story of the Cranes of Ibycus.

Ibycus, a poet, was attacked by robbers; he call on cranes to avenge him, they fly over open theater and the robbers shout out, they are captured and killed

Describe the story of Icarus.

Icarus and his father were put in Labyrinth by Minos for helping Theseus and other Athenians escape, father (Daedalus) makes wings for them, warns Icarus not to fly to close to sun or glue melt; icarus fly too high, wings melt, and he fall into sea, drown

Who are Eleysian Fields reserved for? Where are they?

In underworld, place beautiful place where heroes, poets, and priests (good dead) go when they die

Who was the famous daughter who was sacrificed to win the Trojan war?

Iphigenia

The first hero in Europe who went on a great journey was.......

Jason

What did Oedipus ultimately do?

Killed his father and married his mother

What did many Greeks do when they thought they had done something wrong or lost someone they loved?

Killed themselves

What does Medea do after Jason betrays her?

Kills their two sons and leaves in chariot pulled by dragons

Apollo's tree? Animals?

Laurel, dolphin and crow

Describe the story of Atalanta

Left on Mountain as baby because she was girl, raised by she bear and then hunters; she was first person so wound Calydonian boar, Meleager give her the skin (angers his uncles so he kills them and is then killed by his mother); married man who beats her in a foot race (Melanion throw good apples to get her to slow down); they later turned into lions for insulting gods

River of forgetfulness, all souls drink before going up to earth

Lethe

Hades had a helmet that did what?

Made wearer invisible

Who does Perseus kill?

Medusa

Helen's husband, gets all of Greece to fight with him to get her back

Menelaus

Name and describe the two divisions of the underworld.

Tartarus - deeper of the two, prison of sons of earth Erebus - dead pas as soon as they die, more pleasant of two

Explain the story of why Athena got Athens?

Poseidon gave Athens a salt water well, and Athena gave them an olive tree; people voted on which god to pick, all men vote Poseidon, all women vote Athena; there are more women than men, Athena wins; Poseidon is angry, floods Athens, men take away women right to vote

Aphrodite tree? Animals?

Myrtle tree, dove, sparrow, or swan

Water nymphs

Naiads

Name a few flower myths.

Narcissus, Hyacinthus, Adonis, also Clytie

Who is the savior of mankind and what did he do to advance civilization?

Prometheus, gave men ability to walk on 2 legs and fire, also tricked Zeus into letting them keep the best parts of an animal and sacrifice the worst

Why was Cassandra punished and by who?

Punished by Apollo for refusing his love

Sculptor who hated women but fell in love with statue

Pygmalion

Which love story is most similar to Romeo and Juliet?

Pyramus and Thisbe

Who is Hypermnestra?

The Danaid that did not kill her husband

One thing that neither gods nor mortals can escape?

Norse - Ragnarok/death Greece - oath on river Styx

Biggest difference between Greek and Norse gods?

Norse gods know they will eventually be defeated while Greek gods know they can never be defeated

Romans did not have personified gods (took them from Greece). They had.....

Numina, meaning Powers or Wills, only useful gods

Zeus' tree? His animal?

Oak, eagle

River that surrounds the earth, titan

Ocean

One of Greek leaders, comes up with Trojan horse

Odysseus

List some things that Hercules did that were NOT heroic.

Often let his anger hurt innocent people/things - killed music teacher, kill servant boy, goes crazy and kills his wife Megaera and 3 sons, got drunk while Ademetus mourn for wife, kills good friend for an insult from the friend's father

Who refuses to mourn for balder?

One giantess

Greatest mortal musician, went to underworld to retrieve his wife, fails

Orpheus

Prince of Troy who chooses Aphrodite to get apple, steals Helen, is a coward

Paris

Fights as Achilles, is killed by Hector his death is reason Achilles comes back to fight

Patroclus

Was left on island because of snake bite, take to Trojan war by a Odysseus because he has the Bow of Hercules; kills Paris

Philoctetes

What more important to Greeks than priests?

Poets

Who pretended to be Zeus and was struck with a thunderbolt?

Salmoneus

Half man, half goat, very ugly

Satyr

What does Odin do even though he is very powerful?

Seeks knowledge and wisdom

How does the Argo get past the Clashing rocks?

Sent a dove before they went in

What happens to Arachne?

She competes with Minerva in weaving, two are equal, so Minerva beats Arachne, Arachne is humiliated, hangs herself, Minerva pity her and turn her into a spider

What is the compromise between Hades and Persephone?

She dislikes him for taking her; Hades will get four months with her and Demeter will get the other eight months.

Why did Philomela lose her tongue?

She was going to tell her sister Procne that Tereus (Procne's husband) pretended that Procne was dead to marry Philomela

Who is Pandora?

She was the first woman, created to punish man for upsetting Zeus by tricking him to accept worst parts of animal as sacrifice

How does Zeus come to Danae (Perseus mom)?

Shower of gold

Why was the house of Atreus cursed?

Tantalus killed his only son Pelops and boiled him; served him to the gods

Who was the most famous Norse hero?

Sigurd

Sing sailors to their death

Sirens

What does Bellerophon do to get Pegasus?

Sleeps in Athena's temple, she give him gold bridle

What threatens the Yggdrasil?

Snakes chewing on the roots

Why are monsters present in Greek mythology?

So heroes have evil to fight, extremes of human behavior

What does Psyche mean?

Soul

How does Odysseus get his men out of the Cyclops' cave?

Stabs Polyphemus in the eye with a wood stake, hides his men under sheep

Penelope (Ody wife) want suitors to do what to win her hand?

String Odysseus's bow and shoot it through 12 rings

Greek Queen Clytemnestra and Norse Queen Signy are alike because.......

They both kill their husbands for revenge

Why did Prometheus help Io and encourage her?

They both suffering, he pities her; He tell her that her suffering and wandering will be worthwhile in the end and people will remember her name

Why Greeks create gods as human beings?

They saw that humans were beautiful, didn't need to creat any fantastical god; also makes heaven feel more like home, more familiar, invisible must be understood by the visible

What is the moral of the story of Midas?

Think about things before you do them (don't be stupid) Always pick the most powerful god in a contest

What are the names of Odin's ravens?

Thought and Memory

Who originally ruled the universe in Greek mythology?

Titans

Why does Aeneas go to the underworld?

To visit his father, Anchises, for advice abt founding Rome

Why is Bellerophon killed

Tried to fly up to Olympus on Pegasus

Hall of heroes

Valhalla

Who is Brynhild?

Valkyrie that disobeyed Odin and was put to sleep surrounded by ring of fire

Why is Theseus the great Athenian hero?

Very intelligent and strong (unlike Hercules), started voting system in Athens, protector of defenseless

Greatest Roman writer

Virgil

Ares' animals?

Vulture, dog, wild boar

What was the Sphinx's riddle?

What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening? Answer: man

What does "alas" mean?

Woe for Linus, a son of Apollo who was abandoned and then torn apart by dogs

How was relationship to gods different between men and women?

Women favored women gods, male gods saw women as objects and men sometimes considered equal while women never considered equal

Describe Poseidon

Zeus brother, drew for rule of the sea, 2nd most powerful god; gave first horse to man; has palace underwater but is usually on Olympus

Describe Hades

Zeus brother, drew for rule of the underworld, God of Wealth bc of metals in earth, unwelcome outside of underworld; kidnap Persephone, gets her for a portion of the year; King of Dead, but not Death itself

Describe Zeus and Hera's relationship.

Zeus is the king of the gods, ruler of everything, but he is afraid of Hera's wrath and tries to hide his many affairs from her. She has little personality besides being jealous and wanting revenge. It seems like they do not really love each other most of the time, and he finds Hera to be more of an annoyance than anything.

Hades, Callisto, Orion, and Pleiades are all similar because......

Zeus turned them into stars

List the 12 important gods of Olympus.

Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Hephaestus, Ares, Hermes, Hestia

Describe Zeus

thunder and sky god, ruler of gods; drew for rule with two brothers Poseidon and Hades; falls in love with many women, angers his jealous wife Hera

Describe Artemis

daughter of Zeus and Leto, Apollo twin sister, Goddess of the hunt, Phoebe, Selene, Luna; she is also a moon goddess, wild animals sacred to her (deer)

Describe Pallas Athena

daughter of only Zeus (spring from his head full grown), Zeus favorite child, battle goddess, protect cities, agriculture, invented bridle so man could tame horses; one of 3 virgin goddesses; Parthenon

Why did Greeks create Mythology?

entertainment, moral instruction, explain natural occurrences, and to reveal our deepest hopes and fears as a society/culture, search for beauty

What was in Pandora's box?

harmful things: plagues, sorrow mischief, but also Hope

Describe Phoebus Apollo

son of Zeus and Leto, born on Delos, master musician, God of Light and Truth, Delphi Oracle very important in myths, sun god but not god of the sun, most Greek of all the gods

Describe Hermes

son of Zeus and Maia, messenger for gods, God of Commerce and Market, protector of traders; most cunning of gods, stole Apollo's herds before he one day old, made lyre from tortoise shell