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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. Aeneas visited the underworld briefly before sailing to a spot near the River __________ on the Italian coast.

2. The teeth turned into ______, who fought until five remained?

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

4. Agamemnon had sacrificed whom to Artemis in order to set sail for Troy?

5. Odysseus and his men faced man eating monsters and strange magic, losing how many ships on their journey?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does the story of Procne, Philomela, and Tereus explain the origins of species?

3. How did the bad luck of the later generations reflect the bad luck of the earlier generations? What does this say about the tie between one generation and another?

4. How are some of the stars explained in this section?

5. How is this bad luck tied to the future of the city of Thebes?

6. How is Aeneas tied to the great Roman Republic?

7. Summarize two stories found in this section. How do they explain the qualities of a hero?

8. How is Aeneas like both Jason and Odysseus?

9. What are the purposes of myths, based on these stories?

10. How did Odysseus' adventures make him a hero?

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

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 3

There are several myths about the royal House of Athens.

Part 1) Summarize these stories. What do these stories say about this house? How are these stories similar to those of the House of Atreus and the House of Thebes? What does this reinforce about the gods and their relationships with humans?

Part 2) How are these myths both good and bad? How is this house different from the Houses of Atreus and Thebes? Might these differences be seen today? How might this still affect Athenians today? Explain.

Part 3) What is another city or country in the world today that believes it is special because of its religious connections? How does this affect how its citizens act towards others? Do you see this religious pride as something that is good or bad? Why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,505 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample