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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. Pygmalion fell in love with the statue of a woman that he had created. Venus took pity on his aching heart and turned the statue into a real, living woman. Pygmalion married her and named her ____________.

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

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

4. The myths conveyed developing religious ideas concerning ____________.

5. _________ was the king of the gods and ruler of Olympus.

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. How did Hercules purify himself? Do you see this as being 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 were the Greek gods worshiped? How does this reason compare to the reasons one might worship a god today?

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

9. What lesson can be learned about the power of the gods from these stories? Is this lesson still relevant today? Why or why not?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

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

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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