Read Smarter / Scan reading The Greek Gods

T he Greek Gods

The ancient Greeks believed that on the summit of Mt Olympus in north-eastern Greece lived the twelve greatest gods; the twelve Olympians. Three of the gods; Zeus, Apollo and Pallas Athene, were regarded by the Greeks as the most important of the twelve Olympians.

Mightiest of all was Zeus, the Lord of the Sky, the Rain god and Cloud Gatherer. His weapon was the terrible thunderbolt and his power was greater than that of all the other gods combined. When he wished to speak to men, he spoke through the rustling of the leaves of a particular grove of oak trees, where his priests listened and gave the message. The place where this happened was called the Oracle of Zeus, and the message was known as an oracle.

Next in importance was Apollo, the Sun God who was believed to aid men in their struggle against evil and darkness. Apollo was also the god of poetry, music, healing and prophecy. The oracle of Apollo at Delphi was the most frequently visited of all the oracles. Believing that Apollo, even more than Zeus, sought to help men and advise them wisely, Greeks from far and wide were constantly arriving at Delphi. Whenever a city-state was considering founding a new colony of attaching a neighbour, messengers were sent to the oracle of advice.

Pallas Athene was the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of wisdom and purity. She was also thought of by the Greeks as a warrior goddess, stern and flashing-eyed, clad in shining armour with spear in hand to protect their cities from the barbarians.

Edwards, P. 1992 Seven Keys to Successful Study Acer

Answer as many of these questions as you can in 1 minute. (They are not necessarily in the same order as the text!)

1. What was the name of the Sun God?

2. Which were the three most important Olympians?

3. What kind of trees were at the Oracle of Zeus?

4. Where did the twelve Olympians live?

5. Where was the Oracle of Apollo?

6. Where is Mt Olympus?

7. What did Pallas Athene carry in her hand?