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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Endymion was a shepherd who was loved by the Moon goddess __________.

2. Theseus was honored by the Athenians as a protector of _____________ and a great king of their city.

3. Why was Venus jealous of Psyche?

4. When Alcyone's husband Ceyx was killed in ______________, the pitying gods sent her a dream to tell her the truth about what had happened to him.

5. On Perseus' return, he flew over _____________ where the maiden Andromeda was being sacrificed to a sea-monster to appease the anger of the sea-god and his nymphs.

Short Essay Questions

1. Choose another one of the love stories. How does this story show the kindness the gods are capable of feeling?

2. How did Zeus become the king of the gods?

3. What do all of these stories reveal about the gods?

4. Why did Greek mythology come to exist? What was its purpose?

5. How did Medea help Jason? Why did she help him? Should she have helped him? Why or why not?

6. Describe one of the Greek creation stories. How does this story compare to your own idea regarding the creation of the world?

7. Choose two of the Greek gods or goddesses. Describe the personalities and roles of these gods or goddesses.

8. What ended when Atalanta was married? What does this reinforce in Greek culture?

9. Describe Greek heroes. What was the most common flaw? Is this a common flaw in humanity? Why or why not?

10. Why were women seen as lesser beings? How does Greek mythology support this belief regarding women?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Norse mythology is studied in the last section of this book.

Part 1) Describe Norse mythology. Who are the main gods? What are the basic beliefs regarding the gods, life on earth, and the afterlife? What does Norse mythology reveal about those who believe in it?

Part 2) Why does the author choose to analyze Norse mythology after studying Greek mythology for the rest of the book? How similar is Norse mythology to Greek mythology? How are these two mythologies different? How can these mythologies be used to compare these two different cultures?

Part 3) How do these mythologies compare to other ancient religious beliefs? Why do similarities exist? What does this say about mankind and his understanding of the universe of which he is a part?

Essay Topic 2

There are several myths about the royal House of Athens.

Part 1) Summarize these stories. What do these stories say about this house? How are these stories similar to those of the House of Atreus and the House of Thebes? What does this reinforce about the gods and their relationships with humans?

Part 2) How are these myths both good and bad? How is this house different from the Houses of Atreus and Thebes? Might these differences be seen today? How might this still affect Athenians today? Explain.

Part 3) What is another city or country in the world today that believes it is special because of its religious connections? How does this affect how its citizens act towards others? Do you see this religious pride as something that is good or bad? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Several heroes faced long, arduous adventures.

Part 1) Describe two heroes who faced long, arduous adventures in the myths. What were their adventures? What led to these adventures? How did they deal with the challenges they had to face? What does this reveal about them? How did this make them heroes?

Part 2) How were these men changed by their adventures? How did these adventures change others who were involved in these adventures or were a part of the hero's life?

Part 3) What adventures and challenges have you faced in your life? How did you deal with these challenges and difficulties? What did these adventures and challenges reveal about you? In general, what do challenges reveal about humans?

(see the answer keys)

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