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Zeus
The Gift of Fire
Zeus and Prometheus
From the very first, humans had trouble with the gods. Most gods thought of humans as toys. But some gods found themselves interested in the human race. Some gods even made friends with the humans. One of those gods was named Prometheus. The first people created by the gods lived happily together. They thought the gods were wonderful. But their children were not as grateful or as content. The children argued among themselves, and sometimes even argued with the gods. Zeus was very disappointed at mankind. He decided he was not going to give mankind a most important tool - fire! Without fire, humans were not going to last very long. Prometheus felt sorry for his human friends. Fire was important for many things - like heat and cooking, and hundreds of others. Prometheus stole a lightning bolt from Zeus and gave it to mankind. That's when man discovered fire. Zeus was furious. He ordered Prometheus chained to a rock as punishment for stealing his lightning bolt, and for going behind his back to help the humans. To make Prometheus even more miserable, Zeus sent storms to beat angry waves against Prometheus, helplessly chained to his rock. Zeus made the sun shine really brightly now and then to burn his skin. Zeus even sent an eagle to nibble at poor Prometheus' body. It was quite a punishment for a god who had only tried to help mankind. But he had defied Zeus, and that was what made Zeus so angry. It was Hercules who finally released the helpless god from his chains. By the time Hercules saved him, nearly a thousand years had passed. That's probably not a lot of time if you happen to be immortal. But humans had changed a great deal over 1000 years. By then, Zeus found humans quite entertaining. Zeus no longer cared if anyone rescued Prometheus or not.
Zeus
The Gift of Fire
**1. What did most gods think of the humans?
- Who decided not to give the humans fire? Why?
- How did the humans eventually get fire?
- What different ways did Zeus punish Prometheus?
- Who finally saved Prometheus? After how many** **years?
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Pandora’s Box
**1. Other than Prometheus, who else was Zeus angry?
- Who made Zeus a daughter and what was she** **made of?
- What did Zeus name his new daughter?
- Who does Epimetheus marry? What did they get as** **a wedding present from Zeus?
- What came out of the box?
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Zeus & the Great Flood
Deucalion & Pyrrha & Prometheus
Pandora's box had caused quite a few problems. Zeus was horrified at what had happened. After the box was opened, Zeus looked down on earth from Mount Olympus. He saw fights and riots and wars and murders. Even though it was Zeus himself who had loaded Pandora's box with all kinds of terrible things, Zeus was determined to punish mankind for the terrible behavior he saw. He decided man had to go. Man was a mistake. Zeus ordered the waters to rise and flood the earth. Everyone drowned except two people. One was King Deucalion, who was considered the most honest man on earth. The other was the king's wife, Pyrrha. Some say the god Prometheus warned King Deucalion that a flood was coming. This was the same Prometheus who had given mankind the gift of fire. Not only did Prometheus have a kind heart, but King Deucalion was Prometheus' son. He knew how much his son loved his mortal wife. Prometheus told his son to build a sturdy boat and stock it well. His son knew that Prometheus could see into the future. (He also knew that his father had trouble explaining what he saw in his visions.) Prometheus told his son that when the waters receded, he must throw the bones of the Great Mother over his shoulder and to have his son's wife do the same. King Deucalion loved his father. He trusted his father. He did not always understand all of his father's instructions, but he certainly could built a sturdy boat. Just as his father predicted, the flood came. King Deucalion and Pyrrha sailed away on their boat for 9 days and 9 nights. When the waters receded, the boat settled down on the tallest peak in Greece, at the very tip top of Mount Parnassus. King Deucalion had listened carefully to his father's directions. They had not made much sense to him, but he had listened. The king mumbled to himself, "The earth is the Great Mother. Since the earth is the Great Mother of humans, her bones must be ...... stones! " King Deucalion picked up some stones and threw them over his shoulder. Magically, the stones became men! Pyrrha did the same. Her stones became women. Many stones later, the human race had started again.
Helios and Phaethon
The Sun Chariot
Some people say it was Apollo who brought up the sun each day. Some people insist it was Helios. Still others believe Helios and Apollo were the same god. That's the thing about myths. It all depends on who is telling the story. As one story goes .... Phaethon was the son of Helios. Both father and son had curly golden hair and sparkling bright eyes. Both bragged about the other all the time. Helios thought his son was the brightest and bravest kid in the world. He named his son Phaethon, because Phaethon meant "brilliant" in the ancient Greek language. Phaethon was equally proud of his Dad. He thought his Dad had the most important job in the world. His Dad's job was to bring out the sun each day. If the sun did not come up, the crops would die and everyone would starve. Each morning, the Hours, his Dad's servants, would harness four white horses to the most splendid golden chariot. It was so splendid that it even had a nickname. The people called it The Sun Chariot. Each morning, without fail, his Dad would leap aboard his golden Sun Chariot and begin his perilous journey across the sky. (It's not easy to haul a burning sun behind a chariot, even a special golden one, without getting burnt yourself.) No matter how tired he was, or how jarred by the jerking of the chariot, his Dad always managed to reach every corner of the earth, to bring light and warmth to all the crops and all the people and everything on earth every single day. In the evening, after his Dad had tucked the sun out of sight, to give the sun time to rekindle, he returned home, weary but content. Each evening, he would gather his beloved son and his equally beloved wife and daughters, and together they would watch the moon appear in the sky. The next morning, without fail, his Dad would leap again aboard his glowing chariot, and fly off to bring out the sun. Phaethon bragged about his father to anyone who would listen, and even sometimes to those who were not listening at all. He bragged about the golden chariot. He bragged about the four wild horses. He bragged that one day his father would let him drive the chariot across the sky. Phaethon bragged so much that after a while his friends no longer believed him. They knew his Dad brought up the sun.
But they did not believe his Dad would turn over such an important job to a mere boy, not even for one day. The job was too important to risk. First, his friends began to tease Phaethon. Then, after a while, his friends began to scatter away as Phaethon approached. They were tired of his incessant bragging. Phaethon begged his father to let him drive. He knew he was ready. He knew he could handle the horses. He knew he could do the job without getting burnt. But mostly, he wanted to prove to his friends that his father trusted him enough to give him the reins. Finally, one evening, exhausted by his son's perpetual pleading, his father said yes. The next morning, Phaethon eagerly climbed aboard the golden chariot. He took the reins tightly in his hands. The horses knew at once that the driver was not the capable Helios. They jerked and reared but Phaethon hung tightly to the reins. Phaethon caught the sun up behind him on his first swing by, and began to drag the sun across the sky. Bursting with pride, he dipped down towards the earth. He wanted his friends to see him. But he flew too close. The hot sun began to dry up oceans and rivers and left deserts in their place. When Phaethon realized his mistake, his eyes widened with panic. He yanked the reins to pull the horses higher in the sky. The horses reared in anger at being jerked so hard. The reins were ripped from Phaeton's hands. The runaway chariot tore across the sky, burning a trail behind it, a trail some call the Milky Way. The horses slowed finally to an amble, and turned towards home, eager for oats. High on Mount Olympus, Zeus was sitting outside on his front porch. He had been enjoying his breakfast. But now, he was watching the sky. Something was definitely wrong. It looked like Helios' horses were headed for home, but it was too early for them to go home. Could Helios have fallen asleep? Zeus hurled a lightning bolt at the chariot as it flew by to wake Helios up. It hit the side of the chariot with incredible force. The chariot tilted. Something or someone dropped out of the chariot, and fell into the Po River. Zeus called for his magical horse, Pegasus. They quickly caught up with the sweating horses, who had slowed nearly to stop. Pegasus took the lead. Zeus grabbed the reins. Together, Zeus, Pegasus, and the four white horses finished dragging the sun around the earth. By the time they had tucked the sun in for the night, Zeus was in a raging temper. Pegasus had been nipped three times, which did not help matters any. Zeus roared towards Ethiopia, where Helios kept his palace.
3. What was Helios’ job each day? Why was it **important?
- Describe the sun chariot and how Helios used it** **each morning.
- What did Phaethon brag about?
- What mistake does Phaethon make when driving** **the golden chariot?
- How did Zeus respond?
- What happened to Phaethon?
- What happened to Helios’ daughters?
- What happened in the end?
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Zeus, Hera, and Little Io
Once upon a time, a long time ago ... Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades were the three sons of Cronos. When Cronos retired, the boys divided the world up between them. Zeus took the sky, Poseidon took the sea, and Hades ruled under the earth, the home of the dead. At first, it was great fun. But things had been just a bit slow lately. Zeus thought about what he could do. He could turn himself into an octopus and visit his brother Poseidon under the sea, but he didn't feel much like a swim. He could visit Hades under the earth, but Hades was such a gloomy fellow. He could hurl thunderbolts, but it wasn't much fun without a target. He could hunt up one of the other gods. But the truth was, all the other gods were terrified of Zeus. He did have a terrible temper, but only when someone lied to him. Since the gods often lied, they mostly avoided Zeus. He could call for his wife, Hera. But the truth was, Zeus was a little frightened of his wife, Hera. He could find a beautiful woman. But he couldn't let Hera catch him. His wife Hera was very, very jealous. Zeus flew down to earth and looked around for something to do. He spotted two men walking along a lane. Zeus cast his voice to make it sound like somebody else was speaking. He was very good at that. "Hey stupid," Zeus cast his voice loudly, hoping to start a fight. One man turned to the other angrily. "What did you say?" And before you could say Zeus, fists were flying. Zeus found that very funny. A glint on the river caught his eye. It was Io, a lovely river nymph. "What a lovely young woman," Zeus said. He promptly fell in love. Hoping to hide himself from the eagle eye of his jealous wife, Zeus covered the world with some really thick clouds. Then he flew down to Io. But Hera was not stupid. The thick coat of clouds made her suspicious immediately. Zeus looked up. "It's Hera!" he gulped. Quickly, Zeus changed Io into a cow. When Hera landed, all she found was an innocent looking Zeus standing next to a little white cow.
Zeus, Hera, and Little Io
1. Who did Zeus divide the world up between? _______________________________________________________ **_______________________________________________________
- Why did Zeus not get along with the other gods?** _______________________________________________________ **_______________________________________________________
- Who is Zeus’ wife and how does he feel about her?** _______________________________________________________ **_______________________________________________________
- How did Zeus start a fight on Earth?** _______________________________________________________ **_______________________________________________________
- Who is Io and why does she get turned it a cow?** _______________________________________________________ **_______________________________________________________
- What got named after Io?** _______________________________________________________ **_______________________________________________________
- What does Hera do with Io? Where does she leave** her? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
Hercules
Roman name: Hercules Hercules was half man and half god. His mother was a mortal. But his father was a king - a very special king, the king of all the gods, the mighty Zeus. But Hercules did not know he was part god until he had grown into a man. Right from the beginning, Hera, Zeus' wife, was very jealous of Hercules. She tried all kinds of ways to kill him, including sending a couple of big snakes into his crib. Hercules crushed those snakes in a flash! Hercules was incredibly strong, even as a baby! Zeus loved his little son. He figured that sooner or later Hera might actually find a way to kill little Hercules. To keep his small son safe from attack, Zeus sent him to live with a mortal family on earth. Hercules grew up loved and noble. But he didn't fit in on earth. He was too big and too strong. One day, his earth father told him he was a god, well, part god anyway. The rest of the story of Hercules is a bunch of little stories that together tell the tale of how Hercules earned his way into the heavens, to take his place with the gods. As the story goes..... Hercules had a cousin named Eurystheus (Eury for short). Eury was the king of a little village in the city-state of Argos. Eury was an evil man. He thought everyone wanted to steal his crown, especially Hercules. One day, when Hera and Eury were chatting about their mutual hatred for Hercules, Hera came up with a plan - a plan to kill Hercules! Hera helped Eury design 12 Labors (missions or tasks) that Hercules had to complete. Supposedly, when Hercules had completed the 12 Labors, he would earn his immortality, or so Hera promised. But really, Hera and Eury were certain that one of their "labors" would surely kill Hercules, probably the very first one. Hercules was no fool. He asked the Oracle at Delphi if this was a smart thing to do. The oracle agreed that it was. Actually, the oracle had said, "If you complete 12 Labors, immorality will be yours." Being an oracle, she never explained what she meant by "immortality" - would he live forever in legend or for real? Hercules never asked. (She would not have told him anyway.) Hercules not only lived, he had great adventures, discovered true friends, and rid the world of some really nasty critters.
The 1st Labor of Hercules
The Nemean Lion
The Nemean Lion had huge teeth, and skin so tough that it could not be pierced by arrows. Everyone in the land of Nemean was scared to death of it. Many hunters had tried to kill the beast, but none had succeeded. The Nemean Lion was also smart. Several hunters had tried to trick it with poisoned meat. The lion never ate the meat. He did, however, eat the hunters. The lion was strong. But Hercules was stronger. Hercules lured the beast into a trap and strangled it. He made a coat out of the lion's fur. He wore the lion's head as a helmet. With the cheers of the grateful people of Nemean ringing in his ears, Hercules headed for home, delighted with his new clothes. When King Eury saw the lion's head approaching, he went screaming into his castle. It took Hercules most of one day to convince King Eury that the lion was dead.
1. Describe the Nemean Lion. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ **_______________________________________________________
- What did Hercules do with the lion?** _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
The 2nd Labor of Hercules
The Lernaean Hydra
His second labor was to get rid of the Lernaean Hydra. The Hydra was a big snake, a big big snake. It had nine heads. One of its heads was immortal - you couldn't kill it. King Eury made it quite clear that he did not want Hercules returning with any part of the serpent. No snake skin boots or hat or gloves. King Eury and Hera both knew that anyone who approached the monster's den in the swamp was killed by the monster's poisonous breath. Hercules did not have a chance! But Hercules lured the monster out of the swamp. With the help of his servant, Iolaus, he clubbed off the monster's nine heads. He burned them. But one head refused to die. It kept coming back to life. So Hercules crushed that head and buried it deep in the ground, and to this day, it was never seen again. The Second Labor
**1. Describe the Hydra.
- How did Hercules take on the Hydra?
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The 4th Labor of Hercules
The Stag of Artemis
His 4th labor was to capture the stag of Artemis. There were many stags in the mountains. But this one was special. The stag of Artemis was known for its incredible beauty, its golden antlers, and its remarkable speed. It was not dangerous. It was just fast. Hercules tried to catch the stag for a very long time without success. He had hoped to catch it without injuring it. But the stag was too fast for him. Finally, Hercules shot the stag with an arrow, being very careful to hit the stag in its leg, so the wound would heal. He tied the stag gently to a tree, and left the stag there, while he looked around for a witness who would agreed to swear to King Eury that the stag had been captured. Hercules intended to let the beautiful animal go free once he could prove he had captured it. It took a while to find anyone who was willing to speak up to King Eury, or to any king for that matter. By the time Hercules returned, dragging his witness with him, he found the goddess Artemis standing next to the empty tree where Hercules had tied the stag. Artemis was furious when she heard that King Eury had sent Hercules after her favorite stag. But she was not furious with Hercules. She offered to be his witness. As she told Hercules, she was going to be speaking soon with King Eury anyway. The Fourth Labor
**1. Describe the stag of Artemis.
- What did Hercules do to the stag?
- Explain who Artemis is and how she helps Hercules.
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The 5th Labor of Hercules
The Stymphalian Birds
His 5th labor was to kill the Stymphalian birds. The Stymphalian birds were just plain nasty. The people in the area spent their days and nights hiding from these scary birds. The Stymphalian birds had pointed beaks and ripping claws and their feathers were made of razor sharp bronze. They were the stuff of nightmares! What the Stymphalian birds loved to do more than anything was to fly high in the sky looking for anyone or anything they could attack. They especially loved to drop their sharp feathers on children and animals. You can see why everyone kept their children inside, and sheltered their animals as best they could. Hercules made a large shield of sturdy bronze, to protect his body from the feathers. He used poisoned arrows to shoot all the Stymphalian birds as they flew by overhead. When the last bird fell, the people hiding inside their huts and homes rushed outside. Hercules made many new friends that day. The Fifth Labor
**1. Describe the Stymphalian birds.
- What did Hercules do to the birds?
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