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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. Pegasus was used to help kill the fearsome monster called the Chimaera, which had the body and head of a fire-breathing _______, a goat's head in the middle of its back, and a snake for a tail.

2. According to the Greeks, in the beginning there was only __________.

3. What happened when Venus gave Psyche a series of impossible tasks?

4. ________________ was the hero who rode the famous winged horse Pegasus, whom Athena helped him to catch.

5. Homeric hymns, written from the end of the ______________ century BC to the fifth or even fourth century BC, were written to honor various gods.

Short Essay Questions

1. What are two ancient sources that can be used to study Greek mythology? How is each of these sources useful?

2. How was Theseus honored by the Athenians? Why was he honored in this way?

3. Choose one of the love stories in this section. Summarize this story. How does it reflect someone's jealousy?

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

5. Overall, what were the initial roles of the Greek and Roman gods? How might this have been beneficial for mankind?

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

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

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

9. What is the lesson that is to be learned in the story of Phaeton? How is this an important lesson?

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

There are two families discussed in this book who suffer greatly.

Part 1) Who are these two families? How did they become so unlucky? Were they deserving of this bad luck? Why or why not? Could this luck have been avoided? If so, how? If not, why not? Could anyone in these families have stopped the passing along of bad luck? If so, how? If not, why not?

Part 2) What do these stories say about those who act poorly and offend the gods? What do these stories also say about the gods themselves? In our own culture, do we believe that bad luck can be passed down through a family? Why or why not?

Part 3) Do you believe in luck? Why or why not? How did you come to have this belief? How does this belief influence your daily decisions and actions? Might your belief regarding luck ever change? If so, how? If not, why not?

Essay Topic 2

Murder frequently takes place in Greek mythology.

Part 1) Describe two stories in which a murder or murders take place. Why do these murders take place? How do these murders affect the other characters in the story? How might the murders affect those who hear this story?

Part 2) Is murder a popular theme of American folk tales? Why or why not? What does this reveal about the Greeks? What does this reveal about Americans? How does this theme of murder add to the drama and tragedy of Greek mythology?

Part 3) What do you believe is the most popular of themes in American tales? Use at least two stories to support this belief. Why is this a popular theme? What does this reveal about Americans?

Essay Topic 3

The author states that Greek mythology should not be seen as a Bible of religious belief.

Part 1) What is meant by this statement? How should Greek mythology be viewed? Why should it not be understood as a Bible of religious belief? How might this affect one's belief in the Greek gods? How does this affect the power of these gods?

Part 2) How did this give freedom to various Greek writers and thinkers throughout history? How did these writers and thinkers influence Greek mythology? Why did they influence it in this way?

Part 3) Would a religion such as what is known as Greek mythology flourish today? Why or why not? What is necessary for a religion to be successful today? How does this reflect mankind today? What does it also reveal about the ancient Greeks?

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