Answers to Your Questions About Ancient Greece

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For students of Greek Myth, History, and Homer

Many visitors to my Ancient Greece Odyssey: A Traveller's Journal website surf in through Google, looking for answers to search queries like "What are the Roman names for Greek gods?" and "map of Odysseus' wanderings."

I hope you'll find that site fun and informative to read, but sometimes you just need the answer, right now. So I've checked your Google searches for the most commonly-asked questions about ancient Greece, and answered them below.

Don't see your question here? Please submit it to help me improve this page!

(Photos, drawings, and text on this page © 2005-2008 E. Brundige.)

You Asked For It! 


Click the links to jump to my answers on this page!

 

Timeline of Ancient Greece 

Greek History at a Glance

Parthenon SE cornerHere's my Timeline of Ancient Greece.

I packed a lot of info there, but if you need more, here's some other good web pages on classical Greek history:

Greek Gods, Goddesses, and Famous People 

Chart of Greek names and Latin equivalents

Stars (*) mark the twelve gods of Olympus, the Olympian gods. Hover cursor over links for a quick rundown of each god, or click links for in-depth entries on The Theoi Project.

  • Latin/Roman Name
  • Jupiter, Jove
  • Juno
  • Neptune
  • Minerva
  • Ceres
  • Venus
  • Mercury
  • Apollo
  • Diana
  • Mars
  • Vulcan
  • Bacchus
  • Vesta
  • Pluto
  • Proserpina
  • Cupid
  • Aesculapius
  • Victoria
  • Uranus
  • Tellus
  • Saturn
  • Ops
  • Sol
  • Luna
  • Hercules
  • Ulysses
  • Circe
  • Oedipus
  • Pericles
  • Aeschylus

Don't see the name you need? Check these charts on Encyclopedia Mythica, Thinkquest or here.

† There was no Mythology Police in Greece, and some writers and localities had a slightly different list. Hades never gets to be on Mt. Olympus because he's god of the underworld, but in some myths Hestia is one of the twelve, then yields her seat to Dionysos.

Useful Maps of Ancient Greece 

Famous Places in Greek History and Mythology

Map of my trip to GreeceAt right is an interactive Google Map I've marked with archaeological sites I visited on my trip; you can click the markers for more information. Below, I've pointed you so some excellent maps from other websites devoted to ancient Greece.

We know a lot about the geography of ancient Greece because of writing: coins, art and inscriptions identify places whose names have changed in the last 2500 years (in many cases, they haven't changed a bit). But a lot of places in mythology can't be pinpointed with certainty, either because they're made up and never existed, or they disappeared long ago.
Timeless Myths Website's Ancient Greece Map
Click names on the map to get short blurbs about what myths are connected to those places.
Greeklandscapes.com Ancient Greece Map
Clean, easy-to-read, somewhat simplified map of Greece and the eastern Mediterranean, including Ionia. Lots and lots of sites marked.
AncientGreece.org's Greece Maps
Great maps of ancient Greece, with a main large map plus some maps for particular historical periods and a few floorplans of important buildings like the Parthenon.
History Link 101's Collection of Maps
A lot of historical maps designed for students. Several different time periods, especially Hellenistic.

Great Books on Ancient Geece 

For Students and Lovers of Greek Mythology, Art and Culture



It's hard to pick just five! But here's some of my top recommendations.

The Genealogy of Greek Mythology: An Illustrated Family Tree of Greek Myth from the First Gods to the Founders of R

Incredibly useful chart: all the gods and mythological names are here, well-organized; there's also inset boxes summarizing most major myths like the Labors of Hercules, the voyage of the Argo, and more.

Amazon Price: $16.50 (as of 07/10/2009) Buy Now

Usually ships in 24 hours

Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources, Vol. 1

Great resource for the graduate student or scholar: two-volume set on Greek myths with details on what parts of the myths come from which sources. Great present for college students studying Greek or classics.

Amazon Price: $22.50 (as of 07/10/2009) Buy Now

Usually ships in 24 hours

Art and Myth in Ancient Greece: A Handbook (World of Art)

An unusual and very readable book discussing classical art not by style or historical phase, but by subject matter!

Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 07/10/2009) Buy Now

Usually ships in 24 hours

Art and Experience in Classical Greece

Archaeology, art, and history of classical Greece. One of my old reliable textbooks as an undergraduate in classical studies.

Amazon Price: $26.99 (as of 07/10/2009) Buy Now

Usually ships in 24 hours

The Art and Culture of Early Greece, 1100-480 B.C.

Same thing, but for the preclassical (and especially the Mycenaean/Bronze Age) period.

Amazon Price: $24.45 (as of 07/10/2009) Buy Now

Usually ships in 24 hours

The Wanderings of Odysseus 

Maps of Place Names in Homer's Odyssey

Where did Odysseus go? Where did Circe live? Where was the island of the Cyclops? We don't know for sure, but readers of Homer have been arguing about it for thousands of years!
Interactive Map of Odysseus' Wanderings
Fun presentation from the UPenn Classics Department.
Map of Odysseus' Journey
Not as good a map, but it has pictures of famous characters in the Odyssey.
Wikipedia: Geography of the Odyssey
Wikipedia entries can be written, edited and changed by anybody, but right now -- Feb 2008 -- this article looks very helpful and informative.

Pictures of Greek Gods and Goddesses 

You may use these for non-commercial purposes if you 1) credit me by name and 2) provide a link or back to the photo's Flickr page.

Students, if you're writing a paper, you may use this URL since it's less messy-looking: <http://www.squidoo.com/odyssey> "Ancient Greece Odyssey: A Traveller's Journal."


 

The Artemesian Zeus by greekgeek

The Artemesian Zeus

Temple Statue of Poseidon by greekgeek

Temple Statue of Pos...

Archaic Athena, Old Temple of Athena by greekgeek

Archaic Athena, Old...

The Mourning Athena Relief by greekgeek

The Mourning Athena...

Large Head of Athena by greekgeek

Large Head of Athena

Large Head of Athena by greekgeek

Large Head of Athena

Acropolis Athena by greekgeek

Acropolis Athena

Parthenon SE corner 2 by greekgeek

Parthenon SE corner...

Triptolemos Relief from Eleusis by greekgeek

Triptolemos Relief f...

Demeter, Persephone and Triptolemos by greekgeek

Demeter, Persephone...

Triptolemos in Chariot by greekgeek

Triptolemos in Chari...

Hades and Persephone Sculpture from Eleusis by greekgeek

Hades and Persephone...

Peplos Kore from the Athenian Acropolis by greekgeek

Peplos Kore from the...

Archaic Kore: Acropolis 670 by greekgeek

Archaic Kore: Acropo...

Apollo Cup, Delphi by greekgeek

Apollo Cup, Delphi

The Goddess Artemis, Delos Museum by greekgeek

The Goddess Artemis,...

Gold and ivory Apollo(?) by greekgeek

Gold and ivory Apoll...

Gold and Ivory Artemis(?) by greekgeek

Gold and Ivory Artem...

Siphnian Treasury N. Frieze, Gods vs. Giants by greekgeek

Siphnian Treasury N....

Siphnian Treasury E. Pediment and Frieze by greekgeek

Siphnian Treasury E....

Olympians vs. Giants, Siphnian Treasury by greekgeek

Olympians vs. Giants...

Apollo & Artemis vs. Giants by greekgeek

Apollo & Artemis...

Apollo vs. Herakles by greekgeek

Apollo vs. Herakles

Dionysos, God of Wine by greekgeek

Dionysos, God of Win...

Late-Period Aphrodite by greekgeek

Late-Period Aphrodit...

Roman Aphrodite close-up by greekgeek

Roman Aphrodite clos...

Asklepios, God of Healing by greekgeek

Asklepios, God of He...

Aphrodite, Eros, and Pan, aka the "Slipper Slapper" by greekgeek

Aphrodite, Eros, and...

The Goddess Cybele by greekgeek

The Goddess Cybele

Weathered Herm on Delos Island by greekgeek

Weathered Herm on De...

The Marathon Boy, Athens by greekgeek

The Marathon Boy, At...

Athena and Hermes, Hellenistic Mosaic by greekgeek

Athena and Hermes, H...

Akroterion (roof statue) from Temple of Asklepios, Epidauros by greekgeek

Akroterion (roof sta...

Herakles and the Hydra, Athens National Museum by greekgeek

Herakles and the Hyd...

Polyphemos Vase: The Gorgons by greekgeek

Polyphemos Vase: The...

Polyphemos Vase: Odysseus and His Men by greekgeek

Polyphemos Vase: Ody...

Gold Griffin, Delphi by greekgeek

Gold Griffin, Delphi

Naxian Sphinx by greekgeek

Naxian Sphinx

Siren Funerary Statue by greekgeek

Siren Funerary Statu...

It's All Greek to Me! Gift Shop 

Great Gifts with an Ancient Greece TwistOkay, commercial break: I need to keep food in the cat's dish. If any of my pictures caught your eye, you can purchase some of my best Greek art photos printed on blank cards, t-shirts, sweatshirts, notebooks, coffee mugs, and other gifts. I get $2-3 commission, and Cafepress (the Amazon of printing services) takes care of printing, secure payment, shipping and handling, and returns. Here's a few samples. To see more, click my store's logo.

Apollo Yellow T-Shirt

Apollo, oracle of Delphi, on a sunny gold T-shirt. You might like the locker magnets, too.

Price: 16.99Buy Now

Athena Art Tote Bag

My line drawing based on the "Mourning Athena" relief. Available on many items.

Price: 14.99Buy Now

"It's All Greek to Me!" Dark T-Shirt

Circular design with a cool-looking Greek athlete and "It's All Greek to Me!" around the border.

Price: 20.99Buy Now

Goddess Athena Greeting Cards (6)

This design looks great on a sweatshirt too -- I wear mine all the time.

Price: 16.99Buy Now

Artemision Zeus Light T-Shirt

Also available on mugs and other goodies. Let 'em know who's king of the gods.

Price: 16.99Buy Now

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Family Trees of Greek Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes 

Mythological Genealogy



Whew! I'd love to design my own well-researched mythological family trees for this website, but I've got a lot on the To Do List. So for the moment, I'm going to give you links to others I've found.

Like so much in ancient mythology, there are a lot of variant myths about who's related to whom and how, so these aren't set in stone.
Timeless Myth's Family Trees of the Greek Pantheon
Easy-to-read chart. Also has a chart of the Orphic cult's version of Greek mythology, which differs from the mainstream version.
Theoi Project: Family Trees of the Greek Gods and Goddesses
Wow. These charts are complex but thorough. They give separate charts for family trees according to Homer, Hesiod, and a detailed chart of the gods' family trees combining many classical sources.
 
Timeless Myths' Family Trees of Greek Houses
Greek mythology is so huge, trying to put all the figures from Greek myth on one chart is a nightmare. So this website has different tables for different "houses" -- like Hogwarts houses, except houses in Greek mythology are based on family ties. That means that if you're looking up somebody, you have to know what house he's in. Here's a few important mythological figures by house:
  • Agammemnon, Menelaus: House of Atreus (Sparta)
  • Jason: House of Aeolids, Thessaly
  • Perseus: House of Argolis
  • Oedipus: House of Thebes
Clicking on purple links in a family tree hops to another related family tree; click on yellow names to see the entry on that person/god. You can also look up an individual person here and find out which family tree he/she belongs to.

Submit Your Questions about Ancient Greece! 

Help me make my list the "top ten"!

Submit your questions below about ancient Greek religion, myth, gods and goddesses, history, or anything to do with classical Greece. Click up-arrows next to the questions you most want answered!

I'm busy with a lot of other work, but I'll check here from time to time and answer the question with the most votes.

Who was allowed to vote in Athens? (democracy)

0 points

How Do I Know All This Stuff? 

Who Is Ellen Brundige - Greekgeek?

When you find information on the internet, always ask yourself, "Who wrote this and how do I know what she's posted is accurate?" After all, ANYONE can post anything-- and that includes Wikipedia articles, by the way! I'm sure I've made a few mistakes, but here's my academic background:
  • Bachelor's degree in classical languages (Greek and Latin), Bryn Mawr, cum laude
  • Masters in classics, Tufts University; worked for the Perseus Project
  • Masters in mythological studies, Pacifica Graduate Institute; PhD candidate getting ready to start dissertation
  • Taught at university level: First year Latin, Greek and Roman roots of English
  • Teacher's assistant: Greeky mythology, western art history (including art of Greece, Rome, Egypt)
  • Bard/amateur storyteller in the Society for Creative Anachronism
So that's me, and that's all for now! I hope you've found this page useful. Now, to thank me, please observe the following simple rule:

"Don't be a greedy
Charybdis! Always give credit when you use someone's words or pictures."

Go Back to the Start of Ancient Greece Odyssey 

Click the link to begin a magical journey!

Ancient Greek Art from the British Museum


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Drop a note and tell me what you think! But please keep it friendly and spam-free.

Greekgeek wrote...

in reply to school kid Argh, it's far too late to help you with schoolwork -- I'm sorry, I've been doing my own lately, writing a dissertation! But just in case anyone else asks: I don't know THAT much about ancient sports, except that in Greece they were often done as part of religious festivals, and they rotated between 4 different cities, one each year. Olympus was the most important, so that's why the Olympics were/are every 4 years! There were foot races, discus throwing, wrestling, boxing, chariot races... that's what I remember off the top of my head. Athletes got honored with statues and inscriptions, and sometimes left offerings in temples thanking the gods for their victories, so that's how we know about them. Also people talked about sports then as now, so you read about great charioteers and racers in classical Greek literature, in comic plays, etc.

Here's a link that may help: The Ancient Olympics

ReplyPosted February 28, 2009

Kitsune64 wrote...

Fantastic lens, with a lot of great information. I especially like the maps. Nice job!

ReplyPosted October 04, 2008

Lensmaster

school kid wrote

do you know much about the aincent sports and how we today know of them?

Reply Posted June 15, 2008

isabella wrote...

5 * for this lens,too. We are waiting for this lens at the Greece headquarters!

ReplyPosted May 07, 2008

Greekgeek wrote...

jane: hearthfire is the central fire kept inside the home before electricity. Most meals were cooked over it, and it provided warmth and light. A fireplace is one kind of hearth fire, and even though it's just a luxury nowadays, think how families gather around it on cold, dark days, even hang stockings on it at Christmas. A hearth is an old symbol of "home sweet home," plus it's what people used to cook before stoves were invented, so it makes people think of a good home-cooked meal.

ReplyPosted March 09, 2008

 
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