View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. King Laius heard a prophecy that his own son would kill him, so the baby was sent away to be left to die on a hillside. What did the servant do with the baby?

2. The society Aeneas founded would one day flourish into ___________.

3. Orithyia's two sons were heroes who accompanied ____________ on his voyage.

4. What do these myths show?

5. Callisto was loved by Zeus and hated by Hera. Hera turned her into a _________ and arranged for her son to kill it.

Short Essay Questions

1. Who are two members of this family who did not deserve the bad luck they received? Why?

2. Why might Zeus have struck Aesculapius dead?

3. Why were there many plays written about this family?

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

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

6. Of these two families, which deserved their bad luck the least? Why?

7. How is Aeneas like both Jason and Odysseus?

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

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

10. What are the purpose of many of these stories?

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

King Midas was rewarded by Bacchus.

Part 1) Describe the story of King Midas. Why was he rewarded? How did this reward affect him? What does this reveal about King Midas? What can be learned from this story?

Part 2) How does Midas' story compare to other myths? What theme or themes can be found in this story? How is each theme also popular in other Greek myths? How might each theme also be important to the ancient Greeks? Are these themes important today? Why or why not?

Part 3) What is a tale or myth that is told today in the U.S.? Describe this tale. What are the themes found in this tale? What is the moral of this tale? How does this tale compare to Greek mythology? What does this tale reveal about modern Americans?

Essay Topic 3

By the 5th century BC, the Greeks were beginning to doubt the truth of the myths.

Part 1)Describe the Greeks myths up to this point. How might the Greeks have been affected by these myths? Why might the Greeks have begun to doubt the validity of the myths? What does this reveal about the Greeks of the 5th century BC?

Part 2) How did this doubt affect Greek mythology and the Greek gods? Who played a large role in spreading this doubt? Why did they want to spread doubt?

Part 3) How have modern religions be affected by feelings of doubt? How do modern religions deal with feelings of doubt among its believers, as well as outsiders? Would you consider these world religions to be myths, similar to Greek mythology? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,256 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample