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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. The abduction of Helen began a _____ year war between Greece and Troy, with many heroes on both sides.

2. ________________ was the goddess of marriage and women.

3. Theseus was the son of ____________, king of Athens, but he was brought up in a city in southern Greece.

4. Pyramus and Thisbe agreed to meet by _________.

5. Phaёthon was the son of the Sun-god ____________.

Short Essay Questions

1. Who won the Trojan War? How did they win? What do their successful tactics say about them?

2. Describe one of the Greek creation stories. How does this story compare to your own idea regarding the creation of the world?

3. Choose another one of the love stories. How does this story show the kindness the gods are capable of feeling?

4. Choose two of the Greek gods or goddesses. Describe the personalities and roles of these gods or goddesses.

5. What led to the Trojan War? Was this war necessary? Why or why not?

6. Describe Demeter and Dionysus. How were Demeter and Dionysus unique?

7. How were Homeric heroes different from earlier Greek heroes? What does this say about the Greeks at the time?

8. Overall, what were the initial roles of the Greek and Roman gods? How might this have been beneficial for mankind?

9. What ended when Atalanta was married? What does this reinforce in Greek culture?

10. How did Hercules purify himself? Do you see this as being necessary? Why or why not?

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

Tragedy was often a part of Greek mythology.

Part 1) Describe four myths that one would consider tragic. What led to tragedy in each of these myths? How does the tragedy found in each myth compare to the tragedy found in the others?

Part 2) What is the purpose of this tragedy? What does it reveal about the Greeks? What lessons can still be learned from this tragedy today? Do tragedies such as this exist in contemporary literature? Why or why not?

Part 3) Do you believe that tragic tales are necessary for a culture? Why or why not? Is there a focus on tragedy in American literature? Why or why not? What does this say about Americans and their view of tragedy and loss?

Essay Topic 3

Jason was the hero who set out to retrieve the Golden Fleece.

Part 1) Why did he set out to do this? What challenges did he face along the way? What led to these challenges? How did these challenges affect Jason? How did this adventure make him a hero in the eyes of the Greeks?

Part 2) How did Jason and his adventures compare to those of other heroes discussed in this book? Why did similarities exist? How do these similarities help one to determine the requirements of a Greek hero? Why did differences exist between Jason and other heroes? What does this also reveal about all Greek heroes?

Part 3) How do Jason and other Greek heroes compare to heroes, both real and fictional, in our own culture today? Do you see Jason and others as heroes? Why or why not? What is your definition of a hero? What is required to make someone a hero?

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