Advice for teachers -
Classical Studies

Unit 1 – Area of Study 1: Gods, heroes and monsters

Outcome 1

Analyse the nature of myths in ancient Greece and/or ancient Rome.

Examples of learning activities

• Using sections of Hesiod’s Theogony, Ovid’s Metamorphoses or other accessible summaries such as those found in Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, explore creation myths involving the creation of the world and the birth of the gods and goddesses in ancient Greek and/or Roman society. Use this information to create a family tree depicting the generation of gods.
• 
  Investigate how myths were communicated by creating a presentation using vase images to introduce the roles, attributes and relationships of the main Olympic gods and goddesses. Using different images, identify the gods and annotate these images for identifying features. Useful websites include The British Museum, other museums or Theoi.com.

• Define the term ‘myth’ and investigate and list the characteristics of myths. Use examples such as the Demeter and Persephone myth of the seasons and cycle of life or the foundation of Rome.

• Read the creation myth from Hesiod's Theogony and the creation myth from Genesis chapter 1. Use a table or Venn diagram to compare the similarities and differences, illuminating fundamental beliefs and traditions in those societies.
• Define ‘oral tradition’ and investigate bards such as Homer to examine how myths were transmitted and recorded.
• Use images of the gods or heroes from Greek and/or Roman vases or sculptures to explore ways in which myths were transmitted in ancient societies.
• Define the terms ‘hero’ and ‘quest’ and apply these concepts to the study of heroic quests; for example, those of Heracles, Perseus or Aeneas.
• Create a mind map to illustrate the key characteristics of a hero and their quests.
• In groups, explore aspects of heroic quests by researching the 12 Labours of Heracles or the encounters that Odysseus had with monsters. Describe the monsters encountered and explain the aspects of quests highlighted through these examples in a presentation to the class.
• Annotate a heroic quest, such as the myth of Perseus, Heracles or Aeneas, identifying the features of heroic quests.
• Study family myth cycles such as the house of Atreus or the Theban family of Oedipus. Annotate a genealogical diagram to note the relationships with the gods, actions completed, guilt transmitted through generations and outcomes to learn about the characteristics, function and ideas in myths.
• Read selected sections of Homer’s Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneid. Complete a close study of extracts to identify important heroic attributes. Explore the attributes and features of the heroes Achilles and Aeneas, identifying the similarities and differences. For example, Achilles epitomised greatness in war whereas Aeneas was known for his devotion to his family and the gods. Examine why these heroes acted the way they did and note the changes in values in the societies they came from.
• Conduct a classroom debate to explore and argue why Achilles or Aeneas was the epitome of a hero to their respective societies.

 

Detailed example

Develop a presentation and activity to introduce the
Olympic gods and goddesses

Using vase images located on websites such as The British Museum or Theoi.com, create a presentation to introduce the titles, roles, attributes and relationships of the main Olympic gods and goddesses.

Each slide should contain the following information:

• name of the god and titles
• symbols or items the god is depicted with
• role in ancient Greek mythology
• relationships to other gods (main ones)
• how they are depicted on vases and sculpture.

Create a handout to accompany the presentation:

1. Use different images of the same gods and goddesses appearing in the presentation, so that students can apply and test their newfound knowledge.
2. For each image have students identify the god/s depicted and annotate these images for identifying features listed above.
3. To test students’ knowledge further, include some images depicting scenes from famous myths, such as the judgement of Paris, duel of Hector and Ajax, birth of Athena, creation of Pandora, killing of Medusa.
4. In groups, students research the myths depicted and share their findings with the class.
   

This activity could be extended to include images of Greek heroes such as Heracles, Perseus, Theseus, Achilles, Odysseus and Ajax. Students annotate the images to identify the characters, scene depicted, and aspects of the heroic acts shown.

This activity may be adapted by selecting a range of material culture such as portraits, mosaics and/or sculpture.