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MYTHS IN OUR MODERN WORLD
How many things in your life allude to Greek and Roman mythology?
Write the letter of the mythological character or event next to its reference in the following story. Some of them will be used more than once. There are 16 references total in the story.
- Aphrodite (Venus) is the goddess of love, beauty, unity, and peace. The gentle dove is her symbol.
- Ares (Mars) is the god of war. Armor, the spear, the dog, and birds of prey are his symbols.
- Demeter (Ceres) is the goddess of agriculture.
- Athena sprang full grown from Zeus’s skull. She was a wise goddess who gave man many inventions. Her symbols are the owl and the olive tree. Athens was her city.
- When this great Greek warrior was a boy, his mother, hoping to make him immortal, dipped him in the River Styx, but she held him by his heel so, unfortunately, that part of him remained vulnerable to injury.
- This Greek warrior was capable of destroying all who came his way. Today, a powerful cleanser bears his name.
- Cronos was the father of Zeus. We know him as Father Time, the old man with the scythe. In Greek his name means time.
- The goddess Athena taught the young woman Arachne to weave. Arachne became so skillful that she challenged Athena to a weaving contest and so angered the goddess that she changed Arachne into a spider.
- Hermes (Mercury) moved swiftly because he had winged sandals and a winged cap.
- Nike, the goddess of victory, rewarded winners of athletic contests. A famous statue of Nike, found on the island of Samothrace, is called the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
- The god of the woods and fields, a lover of entertainment and a satyr, Pan’s name means all or every. When Zeus was winning against the Titans, Pan shouted with joy. Later he said that it was the fear inspired by his shout that caused them to run.
- Poseidon (Neptune) is god of the sea. He is said to have a great palace at the bottom of the ocean and carry a three-pronged trident.
The Story…
Let’s say that when you got up this morning, you took a shower and noticed that your mother bought a new type of shampoocalled Ocean Blue with a trident on the label. As your mom yelled up the stairs, you washed your face with Dove soap before going down to breakfast.
You were in a hurry so all you had time for was a quick bowl of corn cereal, but it was already too late. You missed the bus. Your mom had to give you a ride in the Mercury.
In your first class, you took out your Venus brand pencil to do your algebra. English came next. You were expected to write a paragraph listing last week’s events in chronological order. In Science, your teacher explained the characteristics of arachnids. In Social Studies, your class, divided into hawks and doves, had a lively debate about our country’s military policies.
After school, you put on your Nike running shoes for track and boasted to your best friend that you might as well have wings on your feet. You intended to run that fast. Later, however, your coach told you that your time was off, probably because your Achilles tendon was still sore from last week’s injury. There was no need to panic he told you – it would probably just take a few more days to get back to normal.
Back home, you checked the list your mom left you and saw that she wanted you to clean the bathroom tub with Ajax. Gross, but at least it wouldn’t take that long. Later, with chores and homework finished, you knew you would able to kick back and play video games on the living room Panasonic flat screen. Maybe your mom would even let you eat some Wise potato chips while you played. Earlier you had seen the big blue bag with the owl printed on the front in the pantry.