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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. Where were the murdering women punished?

2. Modern scholarship usually dates The Odyssey to around the ______ century BC.

3. Odysseus' adventures were told in the _________ poem The Odyssey.

4. Erysichthon was punished for cutting down a tree that was sacred to what goddess?

5. When Odysseus blinded the Cyclops, he angered whom?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the Odyssey considered an epic poem? Why was it so important to the Greeks?

2. How is Midas rewarded by Bacchus? Is this what many people would choose? Why or why not?

3. What story explains the creation of spiders? How does this explain the creation of spiders?

4. How did the bad luck of the House of Atreus begin? Why did it continue?

5. How is Odysseus set apart from other heroes? What does this say about the Greeks at this time?

6. Why might Zeus have struck Aesculapius dead?

7. What is the moral message of this family's stories?

8. What are two important lessons taught in the Odyssey?

9. What are the Danaids known for doing? Why might they have done this?

10. What are four ways in which the House of Thebes was like the House of Atreus?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Dionysus and Demeter had two of the most important cults.

Part 1) Describe each of these gods and their roles in Greek mythology. How did they help man explain the ways in which the world works? How did this make these two gods so important?

Part 2) Why did these gods suffer more in their mythology than other gods? What does this reveal about the Greeks and their beliefs about man and the gods? How is this suffering both good and bad?

Part 3) Do the world's major religions today have gods that suffer? If so, explain this suffering. If not, why not? What does this suffering, or lack thereof, reveal about these religious believers?

Essay Topic 2

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 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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