Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. List the names of any Greek gods or goddesses that you know--or, if you know them by their Roman names, list those. What kinds of ideas come to mind when you think of the Ancient Greek gods, goddesses, and religion?

Teaching Suggestion and Helpful Links: As students share their knowledge and ideas about ancient Greek religion, clarify for them the Greek names and identities of the gods and goddesses who will be important in Black Ships Before Troy: Athene, Eris, Hera, Aphrodite, and Zeus. Offer students some insight into the importance of religion in Ancient Greece and how religion influenced ideas about The Roles of Mortal Women and Female Goddesses, The Importance of Honor, and Hubris: The Fatal Flaw.

• The Theoi Project’s introduction to the twelve Olympian gods.
• A National Geographic video that explains the central role that religion played in Ancient Greek life.

2. People who lived in Ancient Greece had very specific ideas about what makes a person a hero. Can you guess one or two differences between the way the Ancient Greeks thought of heroes and the way we think of heroes today?