Greek Mythology Reading Passages
Greek Mythology Reading Passages
Greek Mythology Reading Passages
mythology
Close Reading Passages
10 total
passages
My
Greek
mythology
Reading Passages
Name: ______________________
All About Zeus Name: _____________________
Close Reading Passage
Zeus was the ruler of the gods in Greek mythology. The Greeks
considered Zeus as a father figure and a protector, especially of
guests and strangers. Zeus was a sky and weather god, especially
associated with rain, thunder and lightning. People thought of Zeus
living on top of a mountain, and when he got mad he threw lightning
bolts out of the sky at people.
The Greek gods Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades were the three sons of
the Titans Cronus and his wife Rhea. The three brothers rebelled
against Cronus in the War with the Titans and divided up the dominions
of the Titans. After the war, Zeus became the ruler of the sky and
heavens, Hades became the ruler of the underworld, and Poseidon was
given all of the fresh and salt water. It was agreed that the Earth
would be ruled by all three gods, with Zeus as the king of the
Olympians.
In Greek Mythology the principle Greek gods were referred to
as the Twelve Olympians and lived on the summit of Mount Olympus.
Mount Olympus was protected by a special layer of clouds. Zeus sat on
his great throne in the clouds and ruled over the Olympians with his
wife, Hera, who was Queen of the gods.
Zeus’ primary role was to watch over the activities of the other
gods to ensure they did not exceed their powers. When Zeus got
angry he hurled his thunderbolt at people who deserved it. He was
incredibly powerful and was exceedingly terrifying when he was angry.
Zeus was also wise, fair, and generous with his praise.
Zeus
All About Zeus Name: _____________________
Comprehension Questions
1.Cite evidence from the text to explain Zeus’s role in
Greek mythology.
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Zeus and Hera had two children, both boys, Ares and
Hephaestus. Zeus also had many children with other women,
like Hermes, Apollo, and Hercules. Hera did not like that. Hera
was known for her jealous and vengeful nature against
Zeus's lovers and his children. Some, like Hercules, she even
tried to kill.
Hera
All About Hera Name: _____________________
Comprehension Questions
1.Cite evidence from the text to explain Hera’s role in
Greek mythology.
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Hephaestus
All About Hephaestus Name: _____________________
Comprehension Questions
1.Cite evidence from the text to explain Hephaestus’s
role in Greek mythology.
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Nearly every town in ancient Greece had a god that looked after
the townspeople. Athena became the patron goddess of Athens. She
was awarded Athens during the reign of Cecrops, the first king of
Athens, as the prize of a contest with Poseidon, who also aspired to
have it.
The city of Athens was named after Athena. The people of Athens
built the Parthenon to house a huge statue of her for them to
worship. The Parthenon is located on the hill of the Acropolis at
Athens. It was built in the 5th century BC. Over the centuries, the
Parthenon has been greatly damaged, and its sculpture of Athena has
been removed.
All About Athena Name: _____________________
Athena
All About Athena Name: _____________________
Comprehension Questions
1.Cite evidence from the text to explain Athena’s role in
Greek mythology.
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Aphrodite
All About Aphrodite Name: _____________________
Comprehension Questions
1.Cite evidence from the text to explain Aphrodite’s role
in Greek mythology.
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Poseidon created the first horse, from a rock, with one blow.
Soon after creating the horse, he traveled to Olympus in his golden
horse-drawn chariot. He is often depicted as riding his horse-drawn
chariot and carrying a three-pronged spear called a trident.
Ancient Greeks who lived near the sea were terrified of Poseidon.
They tried very hard to keep him happy. They built him temples to
honor him and brought him gifts everyday. Sometimes the gifts made
him happy, and the water was calm and sparkling. Sometimes the gifts
did not make him happy, and a terrible storm would break over the
land. As moody and wild as Poseidon was, he always calmed when he
came home to his beautiful palace under the sea.
All About Poseidon Name: _____________________
Poseidon
All About Poseidon Name: _____________________
Comprehension Questions
1.Cite evidence from the text to explain Poseidon’s role
in Greek mythology.
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Hermes
All About Hermes Name: _____________________
Comprehension Questions
1.Cite evidence from the text to explain Hermes’s role in
Greek mythology.
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Achilles
All About Achilles Name: _____________________
Comprehension Questions
1.Cite evidence from the text to explain Achilles’s role in
Greek mythology.
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Midas
All About King Midas Name: _____________________
Comprehension Questions
1.Cite evidence from the text to explain King Midas’s role
in Greek mythology.
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Hercules wanted to get rid of his guilt. He went to get advice from
the Oracle of Delphi. The Oracle told Hercules that he must serve King
Eurystheus for 10 years and do any task the king asked of him. If he did
this, he would be forgiven and wouldn't feel guilty any more. The tasks
the king gave him are called the Twelve Labors of Hercules. The king did
not like Hercules and wanted him to fail. Each time he made the tasks
more and more difficult. The final task even involved traveling to the
Underworld and bringing back the fierce three-headed guardian
Cerberus
Some time after completing the 12 labors, Hercules married the
princess Deianira. The centaur Nessus tried to hurt Deianira, and
Hercules shot him with a poisoned arrow. The dying centaur told Deianira
to smear some of his blood on Hercules' robe if she ever needed to win
back his love.
After Hercules fell in love with another princess,
Iole, Deianira followed Nessus' advice. The centaur's
blood had been poisoned by Hercules' arrow. When
Hercules put on the robe, it burned him terribly. His
body was consumed by flames, and he was taken to
Mount Olympus, home of the gods. There, he became
a god.
All About Hercules Name: _____________________
Hercules
All About Hercules Name: _____________________
Comprehension Questions
1.Cite evidence from the text to explain Hercules’s role
in Greek mythology.
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