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

2. Theseus was the son of ____________, king of Athens, but he was brought up in a city in southern Greece.

3. The Greeks created their gods in whose image?

4. ____________ was the goddess of love, who was said to have been born from the foam of the sea.

5. Why did Hercules kill his wife and children?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Describe the appearance and behavior of the Greek gods. What does this reflect, regarding the attitude towards mankind?

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

5. What led to the Trojan War? Was this war necessary? Why or why not?

6. Choose another love story from this section. How does this story show control or the lack of control?

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

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

9. How did Hercules purify himself? Do you see this as being necessary? Why or why not?

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

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

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?

Essay Topic 3

The Trojan War lasted for many years.

Part 1) What was the cause of the Trojan War? What took place during the Trojan War? How were the Greeks and the Trojans affected by this war? How did the requirements of a hero also change because of this war?

Part 2) What ended the Trojan War? How were both the Greeks and Trojans affected by this event? What does this event say about the Greeks? What does it also say about the Trojans?

Part 3) Describe a war that has taken place since the United States has been a country. Why did it begin? What took place during this war? How long did it last? Why? How did it end? How did this war affect those involved? How are the effects of this war still seen today?

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