3. The _____________ were fifty women who killed their husbands on the wedding night, with the exception of Hypermnestra, who woke her husband and helped him escape.

4. The House of Thebes was in many ways as unlucky as the House of Atreus, but their troubles seemed ________.

5. Cadmus married _____________, the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares.

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. How is Aeneas like both Jason and Odysseus?

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mythology has been an important part of human cultures around the world.

Part 1) Support this statement with information from this text, as well as information you have learned from other sources. Why is mythology so important to humans? What does it provide mankind?

Part 2) Why have certain mythologies, such as Greek mythology, been so important for other cultures besides their own? How has Greek mythology and Greek culture influenced other areas of the world? How are the cultures of others seen in the way people live in the United States, and even in the way our country operates?

Part 3) Does modern mythology exist? If so, what is it? If not, why not? What information and beliefs from today will be passed on to future generations? How might our beliefs and ideas influence those living in the future? Use the text to support your response.

Essay Topic 2

There are several love stories that are a part of Greek mythology.

Part 1) Summarize two of these love stories. What is the purpose of each of these love stories? What do these stories say about love? How does this reflect the ancient Greek's view of love?

Part 2) How are love stories an important part of other cultures? How is love a universal part of life? How does it differ from one culture to the next? Why is it such an important part of the spectrum of human emotion?

Part 3) To you, what does it mean to love? How important is love to one's quality of life? Explain. How have you witnessed love in your own life? How has this affected you? How might it influence your behavior towards others?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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