4. When a Trojan prince called Paris was asked to judge a beauty contest between three goddesses, who bribed him with the offer of the most beautiful woman in the world?

5. Why did Hercules kill his wife and children?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How were early royal Greek families able to claim lineage with the gods? How might they have benefited from this?

3. Should Greek mythology be understood as a bible of sorts? Why or why not?

4. Why were the Greek gods worshiped? How does this reason compare to the reasons one might worship a god today?

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

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

7. Who won the Trojan War? How did they win? What do their successful tactics say about them?

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

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

10. How were Homeric heroes different from earlier Greek heroes? What does this say about the Greeks at the time?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mythology has been an important part of human cultures around the world.

Part 1) Support this statement with information from this text, as well as information you have learned from other sources. Why is mythology so important to humans? What does it provide mankind?

Part 2) Why have certain mythologies, such as Greek mythology, been so important for other cultures besides their own? How has Greek mythology and Greek culture influenced other areas of the world? How are the cultures of others seen in the way people live in the United States, and even in the way our country operates?

Part 3) Does modern mythology exist? If so, what is it? If not, why not? What information and beliefs from today will be passed on to future generations? How might our beliefs and ideas influence those living in the future? Use the text to support your response.

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

Greek mythology serves several purposes.

Part 1) What are the various purposes of Greek mythology? Give an example of a myth that fits each of these purposes and explain how it serves this purpose. How do the reasons for the existence of Greek mythology compare to the reasons for other folk tales and myths from other parts of the world?

Part 2) Give an example of an American folk tale. How is this similar to Greek mythology? What is the purpose of this tale? What does it reveal about Americans? Is this tale still relevant for Americans today? Why or why not?

Part 3) Are myths and folk tales as important today as they were in the past? Why or why not? What does this reveal about many cultures around the world today, including their belief systems and understanding of the world?

(see the answer keys)

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