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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. Another story tells that Zeus was angry with early men and sent what to destroy them?

2. What happened when King Minos locked this inventor up in his own labyrinth?

3. To what did Atalanta challenge all her suitors?

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

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. Why was Perseus famous? Does this make him a hero? Why or why not?

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

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

According to the Greeks, in the beginning their was only chaos.

Part 1) Describe the main stories of creation and the birth of man, according to Greek mythology. How do these stories compare to each other? What might be the reasons for differences between these stories?

Part 2) How do these stories compare to the creation stories found in world religions today? What might be the reason for any similarities? Are you surprised by these similarities? Why or why not?

Part 3) What are your beliefs regarding the creation of the universe and the birth of man? From where do your beliefs come? How has your culture influenced your beliefs regarding creation? How important is one's culture to one's beliefs? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Tragedy was often a part of Greek mythology.

Part 1) Describe four myths that one would consider tragic. What led to tragedy in each of these myths? How does the tragedy found in each myth compare to the tragedy found in the others?

Part 2) What is the purpose of this tragedy? What does it reveal about the Greeks? What lessons can still be learned from this tragedy today? Do tragedies such as this exist in contemporary literature? Why or why not?

Part 3) Do you believe that tragic tales are necessary for a culture? Why or why not? Is there a focus on tragedy in American literature? Why or why not? What does this say about Americans and their view of tragedy and loss?

(see the answer keys)

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