Introduction

St. Alban's Middle School Students! You have got to be the luckiest kids ever! Why? Because YOU are about to go on a Roman/Greek Mythology internet-powered scavenger hunt! Is that cool or what????

There's a lot to learn about our ancient ancestors--what major and minor events they experienced, what their traditions and customs were, how they lived their daily lives--way more than we have time to cover in this one class. However, my absolute favorite thing to study about an ancient culture is its mythology, ESPECIALLY that of the Romans and Greeks. The reason these two mythologies are usually grouped together is that they were very similar due to the Romans adopting all kinds of customs and ideas from the Greeks when the Roman Empire had Greece under its rule. Often, the only real difference between Greek and Roman gods were their names, with both sets of deities sharing many of the same attributes and powers.

You're about to use the Web to discover lots more about Roman/Greek Mythology than you may have ever known possible! Now pay attention because here are your instructions:

1. Below are five sets of questions, each set to be answered by browsing and searching through the Internet links listed even further down the page. IMPORTANT NOTE: The links are listed in the same order as each set of questions. So when you finish one question group, it is time for you to go on to the next link for the next question group. Got that?

2. First, you need to Select, Copy, and Paste all of the questions into a blank Word document. Go ahead and copy the five Internet links below them as well. That way you won't need to keep going back to this page to find the next link. Save the document in my U-drive file, naming your file by typing in your first and last names (Example: Karen Cantu).

3. Click on the first link in the list. When that website opens, toggle back to your Word document to read the first question. Then go back to the website and use its browsing, searching, and other devices to find the answer. When you find the answer, go back to your document with the questions and type the answer in complete sentences underneath that question. Leave a space between question and answer, please, to make them easier to read.
Some answers will require only a simple sentence, such as, 'Mount Olympus is located at...,' but others may need more than one sentence. Remember to save every few minutes to avoid losing information.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not just copy and paste information. I want to see answers written in your own words. (Besides, I'm sure all of you can use some practice writing sentences. Remember, by the way, that sentences have both a subject and a verb.) Since I have already read the answers given on the websites, I'll know the difference between your words and theirs so don't even try it. I want this to be fun for you, but I also want you to learn a few things. Copying and pasting information will not enhance learning.

4. Continue on through the list of links and sets of questions until you are finished. I do not expect you to get this done in a day or two and I do not want you to do it at home. I will arrange for us to use the computer lab for the next few class periods, but we will take as many class periods as necessary for you to complete this correctly and completely. In other words, do your best!

5. When you have finished all question sets, answer the 'Big Question' at the end of this page. Then save and print your completed document and turn it in. Because of the amount of time and work, you will earn a quiz grade for this hunt.

Good luck!

Questions

1. Except for Saturday, our days of the week are named after what group of gods?
   
   From what Roman god’s name do we get the word Saturday?
   
   Who was the only living man to fight Cerberus?
   
   Where was Vulcan’s smithy located?
   
   What did Mercury do when he was only a few days old?
   
   What was Minerva’s Greek name?
   
   What month was named after the Queen of the Gods?
   
   Which god or goddess was associated with the moon?
   
   What’s the Roman number for 452?
   
   How about for 2003?
   
   
2. Who were the Titans? (Give their names)
   
   What kind of god was Cronus possibly believed to be in very ancient times?
   
   What was the special object associated with Aphrodite?
   
   What happened to the mythical island of Atlantis?
   
   What mythical monster had the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion, and the head, forelegs, and wings of an eagle?
   
   What were the names of Titan Prometheus’s brothers?
   
   Of the minor gods, who was the goddess of the rainbow?
   
   What animal was the heroine Atlanta turned into by Aphrodite?
   
   Who were the parents of the Gorgons?
   
   Which of the three Gorgons were immortal?
   
   
3. Who were the Olympians? (Give their names and what they were gods/goddesses over)
   
   Who posed as a model for the creation of Pandora?
   
   What quality did Hera give to Pandora?
   
   What was the Roman name for Persephone?
   
   Who revealed to Demeter what happened to her daughter Persephone?
   
   Describe what Orpheus could do with his music?
   
   How did Orpheus go into Hades without having to be dead?
   
   What does Prometheus’s name mean?
   
   What did Prometheus use to create humans?
   
   What cruel and unusual punishment did Zeus put on Prometheus for making him look bad?
   
   Where was the home of the Furies?
   
   Why was Oedipus tortured by the Erinnyes?
   
   What was the Greek name for the Furies?
   
   What historical event brought about the end of Zeus’s reign in Olympus?
   
   Where did the Olympians go when they were forced to leave Mt. Olympus?
   
   Give the Greek forms of the names Medusa, Hermes, and Prometheus.
   
   
4. What is the Greek name for Neptune?
   
   What is the Roman name for Ares?
   
   What is the Roman name for Eros?
   
   What is the Greek name for Mercury?
   
   What is the Roman name for Hephaestus?
   
   What is the Roman name for Hercules?
   
   Describe a faun.
   
   What is a hero?
   
   What atrocious crime did the hero Hercules commit?
   
   What were centaurs and who did they usually follow?
   
   
5. Mythology continues to be important in our daily lives. What petroleum company has as their logo the winged horse Pegasus?
   
   What did Eliade state to be the definition of myth?
   
   What Greek word does the word “myth” come from?
   
   Robert O’Connell says what about myths?
   
   Briefly explain the differences between myths and legends.
   
   How are folktales usually transmitted?
   
   What was Hercules first labor to perform for Eurystheus?
   
   Juno changed Callisto into what animal out of jealousy?
   
   Who was Chiron and how was he associated with Jason of the Golden Fleece myth?
   
   Who or what guarded the Golden Fleece?
   
   

The Internet Resources

• Roman Gods and Other Information
• Gods, Heroes, and Myth
• Mythman--Greek Mythology Today
• Encyclopedia Mythica
• Ancient Classical History--K-12 Mythology

The Big Question

From what you've learned so far about Roman/Greek mythology, what do you like best?