Famous Men of Greece · Intro, part 1 · Unit 1: The gods and the first heroes
1. The Gods of Greece (I–II): Jupiter and his brothers and sisters
Goal: Your child can name the king of the gods and tell which part of the world each of his brothers and sisters ruled.
You'll need
- A map or globe (a free online map works well)
- A notebook or paper and colored pencils
- Index cards for a "gods of Greece" card set
What's in the book
Sections I and II of the Introduction: Cronos and the swallowed children, baby Jupiter hidden in a cave, the war with the Titans, and how Jupiter shared out the world: the sky, the sea, the underworld, the grain and the hearth. Ends with the story of Proserpine and the seasons.
The lesson, step by step
Set the scene
Find Greece on a map or globe: a small, rocky country at the south of Europe, with sea on three sides and hundreds of islands.
SayThe people who lived here long ago told wonderful stories about gods and goddesses. This book starts with those stories, because every Greek child knew them. They are myths: stories people believed long ago, not history.
Read the chapter together
Read pages 9–15 aloud, or let your child read and help with the hard names. Stop after the part about Vesta and the sacred fire (the end of section II).
The book gives two names for most gods: the Greek name, and the Roman name "we call" them. It uses the Roman names most of the time.
In the southern part of Europe is a little country called Greece.
Narration
Close the book. Ask your child to tell the story back in their own words, from the beginning. Don't correct as they go; just listen. If they get stuck, use a prompt:
- How did Rhea save baby Jupiter?
- Who helped Jupiter win the war against the Titans?
- What did Jupiter give to Neptune, to Pluto, to Ceres and to Vesta?
- Why do we have spring and winter, in the story of Proserpine?
Talk it over
Ask:
1. Why did Cronos swallow his children?
2. Which god or goddess had the hardest job? Which one had the nicest kingdom?
3. How did the Greeks explain the seasons?
See the answers below for what a good answer includes.
Make god cards
Start a card set. On each card write a god's Roman name, the Greek name, and what they ruled, with a small drawing: Jupiter (sky), Juno (queen, clouds), Neptune (ocean, trident), Pluto (underworld), Ceres (grain and flowers), Vesta (hearth and home fire). You will add more cards next time.
Remember it
SayJupiter took the sky, Neptune the sea, Pluto the underworld.
When she made her yearly visits, the flowers that she loved so dearly bloomed for her, the grass grew green, and it was spring.
Afterwards
Shuffle the cards and play "Who rules this?": you say a place (the sea, the hearth, the land of the dead), your child names the god.
Tip
Cronos swallowing his children can sound scary. Keep it light: it is a very old story, and all the children come back at the end.
Answers to the book's problems
1. His mother told him one of his children would take his kingdom, and he wanted to stop that. 2. Any answer with a reason is fine (Pluto's gloomy kingdom; Ceres with so much to grow). 3. Proserpine lives with Pluto part of the year (winter, when flowers die) and comes back to the land of light for part of the year (spring).
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.