Greek Gods and Their Shameful Deeds Multiple Choice Quiz | Humanities

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Greek mythology developed an almost exclusively anthropomorphic Pantheon which is immoral and consecrates capital human flaws like cunning, vanity, greed, injustice, adultery, incest, fratricide, patricide and generally murder. The best example, which embodies most of these "qualities" is Zeus, the all-mighty ruler of Olympus. You would expect him to be morally above the others, being the supreme god, but in fact he uses his powers just for his personal pleasure or to impress the others. He plots different schemes in order to seduce innocent virgins which usually have a tragic end. Who did Zeus seduce by taking the appearance of Artemis or, as some say, Apollo (her name meant 'most beautiful' in ancient Hellenic)?

Answer: Callisto

Callisto was a nymph devoted to serving the goddess Artemis and sworn to remain a maid. When Artemis learned about the humiliating episode of her companion she turned her into a bear. The other three characters listed were also tricked or charmed by Zeus and later had to face the jealousy of his wife, Hera. Zeus seduced Europa by taking the form of a bull, he turned Io into a white heifer to avoid the anger of Hera and he burned Semele when she asked him to reveal himself in his true glory.

There are countless such stories of tricked young girls in Greek mythology and this is because the ancient Greek kings tried to draw up remarkable genealogical tables to justify that they are proud descendants of the mighty god.

2. Although Poseidon, god of the seas, is far more restrained than his brother Zeus (his only conquest is Amphitrites) he still inherits most of the family tares: he is violent, combustible, vindictive; he produces catastrophes, shipwrecks, sea-storms and even earthquakes. His wrath is entirely felt by a mythical Greek hero, who after he had brought an end to the Trojan War, desperately tried to get back to his beloved wife. Who was this hard tried hero?

Answer: Odysseus

Poseidon's hatred against Odysseus is partly justified because the hero blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus, Poseidon's son (who, to be honest, deserved his fate). Enraged, Poseidon tried by all means possible to dispose of the disrespectful human. He directed the hero's ships towards Aeaea, the land of the sorceress Circe, he ignored the sacrifice Odysseus made for him from the Underworld and later shipwrecked him on his way to the island of Scheria. Eventually, the human outwitted the god as he maneged to return to his home in Ithaca.

The god of the seas may have also been so furious because Troy was his creation and Odysseus was the one to ruin it.

3. The elder brother of Zeus and Poseidon was Hades and after the three of them defeated the Titans, he was rewarded with the Underworld. This dark and terrifying realm of shadows held the souls of the dead and was guarded by the three-headed dog Cerberus. The ones who rose against the will of the gods in their lifetime were sent by Hades to the most foul place of them all where they would be damned to eternal agony. What was this frightful place?

Answer: Tartarus

The road to the Underworld was hard and full of dangers. The souls of the dead were carried by the messenger god Hermes through dark caves and fetid swamps up to the river Styx. After the ferryman Charon crossed them to the other side they were brought in front of Hades and his three judges: Minos, Rhadamanthys and Aeacus. Those fortunate enough would leave for the Elysian Fields, a land of happiness and delight,while the others would walk forever as shadows or worse, would be locked away in the dark Tartarus, the place of no return.

4. Hera was the sister of Zeus, but also his divine wife. Being the protector of marriage and conjugal home she couldn't leave her husband's love affairs go unpunished. Since she wouldn't dare to rise against him, she vented all her fury on the defenseless girls and nymphs tricked by Zeus. Like Poseidon was so eager to see Ulysses killed, Hera did everything within her power to dispose of another great hero, Heracles, who was born after Zeus cheated her with Alcmena. How did Heracles eventually find his death (of course because of Hera's plots)?

Answer: he was burnt alive by a poisoned garment

Hera's marriage with Zeus was anything but tranquil. Whenever she found out about yet a new outing of Zeus, her jealousy burst into revengeful plans. Learning that Heracles, Zeus' son with Alcmene was meant to become a great ruler Hera saw the perfect opportunity to get even with her husband. So she twisted things up such that Heracles would become nothing more than a slave.

As a child, Heracles was twice in peril: he was saved by Hermes after his mother was forced to abandon him and later, he strangled the two snakes sent by Hera to kill him.

But his misfortunes were just beginning. In a moment of madness (Hera's work again), Heracles murdered his family. In order to expiate his awful sin, he had to perform twelve superhuman deeds for king Eurystheus.

After countless other deeds, Herakles finally falls in one of Hera's traps as he puts on a garment imbued in Nessus' poisonous blood. Hera was at last pleased. The name of this hero is strange as it derives from his arch-enemy - 'Hera'.

The ending 'kleos' , meaning glory, suggests the consequence of the persecution from the goddess.

5. Even Athena, the wisest among the gods has a stain on her record. Otherwise a protector of the humans, Athena loses her temper with Arachne, who challenged the goddess into a weaving contest. Though Athena's skills are remarkable they are still no match for Arachne's talent. The vain goddess considers this intolerable and destroys Aracnhe's work, turning her into a spider. What did Arachne represent on her canvas to surpass Athena's images of the twelve Olympian gods?

Answer: the satirized metamorphoses of the gods

The myth of Athena and Arachne hides a dual symbol: the pride of the authentic creator facing the envy of the inferior artisan as well as the human belief in divine superiority (as Athena imposes her power).
Like most of the Greek mythological names, the name of Arachne found a use in our times as it refers to the zoological class Arachnia - the spiders.

6. It seems contests involving humans were very popular among Greek gods. While Athena "proved" she was the best weaver, it was imperative for Apollo to play the most elevating music, being the patron of this art. But his ambitions were once again shaken by a mortal, the Phrygian Marsyas. It was said that once, the divine tunes of this young legendary personage, disarmed a whole army marching towards his native lands. However, the radiant god wasn't below. What instruments did Apollo and respectively Marsyas use in their 'duel'?

Answer: lyre and aulos

The arrogant Marsyas accepted Apollo's challenge. He proposed that they should be judged by humans, nymphs and satyrs but the god didn't agree and called in for the nine muses. He was the one to begin. His lyre sounded magical and the muses began to cheer him, but they all became dumb when Marsyas stared playing his flute-like instrument.

There was no doubt that Marsyas had won the contest but Apollo asked for a new round. The na�ve Marsyas accepted again (he would have probably had the same tragic fate if he didn't).

This time the god combined the sound of the lyre with his divine voice, as for Marsyas, he outdone himself in his gentle song. However some of the muses changed their opinions: four of them voted for the god and four kept their original vote.

It all came to Calliope, who was secretly in love with Apollo, to make the final decision. Obviously the god was declared the winner. Ungrateful for the second change Marsyas gave to him, Apollo tied Marsias to a pine and flayed him alive. That was the will of the 'God of Light'.

7. It is told that there once was a handsome, tall hunter who scoured the forests of Hellada. Acteon was his name and no one could match him when it came to hunting. One day he reached the woods which were goddess Artemis' favorite hunting grounds. Acteon suddenly felt very weak and told his companions to move further without him, as he needed a rest. He was now alone in the forest, just his trusty hounds following him. He saw a small rivulet and after quenching his thirst he felt the urge to follow the shining stream. He went further and further into the woods and then the most charming picture appeared before his eyes: Artemis bathing naked. As Acteon was staring, marveling at her beauty, the ashamed goddess threw at him two handfuls of water. What had Acteon been metamorphosed into, after being touched by the magic water?

Answer: a stag

Like her twin brother Apollo, Artemis was generally depicted a bloodthirsty and cruel goddess. Her vindictive acts turned against anyone who displeased her. Acteon's only guilt was the fact that he was a better hunter than she was. He didn't get accidentally into her forest as she had the whole thing planned. Of course Acteon didn't happily lived ever after as a stag, because his own hounds picked up his trail and eventually grounded him.

8. Followed by a noisy procession of bacchantes and satyrs, the merry Dionysus traveled from land to land in his chariot pulled by tigers, panthers, lions and other wild beasts. The markings of his passing were always conspicuous because he held large feasts, where everybody would get drunk with wine. In one of his wanderings he arrived to his native city of Thebes which was now ruled by a young king called Pentheus. Out of moral principles, Pentheus forbids the new cult of vinification brought by Dionysus. Moreover he even manages to capture the god and puts him in chains. As expected, Dionysus breaks free after producing an earthquake and then prepares a cruel death for the king. How did Pentheus die?

Answer: he was murdered by the delirious women in his city

Although in the beginning Dionysus was worshiped as the god of wine, his creed became more and more complex and profound. The drinking had a double significance: on one hand the vulgar drinking of wine and on the other, the mystical or initiating act of drinking (leading to the state of trance). Dionysos also possessed the grace of prophecy, therefore he was also worshiped as an oracular god.

As Dionysos became more and more popular the ancient Greeks organized the dionysiac celebrations in honor of the god.

These feasts were the birth place of the Greek tragic theatre. Through his acts and his initiating rites Dionysos seems to be, structurally speaking, closer to humans than to gods, though he never encroached upon his status as an Olympian.

9. The gods played many cruel tricks on mankind, but one of them seems to exceed the others. After Prometheus stole the secret of Fire and brought it to mortals, Zeus hatched a perfidious plan to torment their existence again. So he ordered Hephaistos to create a box in which the gods poured all the vices and flaws. When the box was opened by the ignorant mortals all the evil was spread and would forever haunt the world. What lay at the very bottom of the box, after all the evil had been released?

Answer: Hope

The charming legend of the creation on mankind is present in Greek myth, too. In the beginning the earth was populated only by men, who were made by Prometheus. Then, Zeus intervened and ordered Hephaistos to create Pandora, the first woman. The goddesses endowed her with all of their qualities and Zeus gave her the proverbial box of human flaws. Pandora was sent to become the wife of Prometheus but the provident titan refused this precious yet dangerous 'gift' from the gods. Nevertheless she got married with his brother, Epimetheus and when they've opened the box, the world changed forever.

10. One of the most representative episodes in all the Greek mythology is the quarrel between the three goddesses for the golden apple. It all began when Eris, the dull goddess of discord, decided to play a hoax on the happy Olympian gods. So she took the biggest, roundest and shiniest apple she could find in the Hesperides' Garden and wrote on it in golden letters : 'meant for the most beautiful' . Hera, Athena and Aphrodite felt for the trick as all three of them claimed the apple. But they needed a judge. Since no man is advised to interfere between three angry women (and the gods knew that ), the responsibility felt on the mortal Paris. His decision would bring another nuisance to the already troubled mortals: the Trojan War. Which of the goddesses received the apple?

Answer: Aphrodite

Paris refused the gift of Power offered by Hera. He refused the gift of Wisdom offered by Athena. But he chose the gift of Love from Aphrodite (she was the most beautiful after all). Helped by the goddess, he stole Helen from Menelaus, king of Sparta, and brought her to Troy.

The rest is well-know. The epic poem of the Trojan War is perhaps the greatest legend ever to be told. The Greek gods are the impersonations of human vices and flaws but in fact their character is not so different from our human nature.

The world of the gods pays a close resemblance to that of the mortals and they are inseparable. The gods don't have absolute power and the relationships between them remind us more of a quarrelsome clan than an impresive Pantheon. The almost anectodical myths about the gods and the originality of the legends are the qualities that make Greek mythology so fascinating and exciting.

Source: Author Mr5

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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Greek Gods and Their Shameful Deeds Quiz

Greek gods turn out to be a bunch of revengeful characters who never miss an opportunity to torment the puny humans.

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