"Myths And Their Transformations,"
	Hercules: The Internal and External Struggle - Elizabeth Brennan, Edison Elementary
	"Your little son [Heracles] will grow up a broad-chested hero And climb to his place in the star-laden skies: All other beasts and men will be less than he. Twelve labors finished, and stripped of his mortal parts By a pyre on Trachis, he will live in Zeus's court, And marrying there, will win for parent the goddess Who sent the serpents to destroy him as a child." (Theocritus 125) Through the literature, drama, and the surviving art of Ancient Greece, we see that Heracles was the greatest and most popular of the Greek heroes. The Greeks defined a hero as one who had lived an extraordinary life and had been consecrated by death. Heracles was considered a heros theos (hero god) at once both heroic and divine. His importance as one of the great heroes of mankind has survived through the ages in legends, art, and literature. Examining Heracles' life and stories is relevant and interesting to students today because "Hercules" (the Roman name for Heracles) is a popular theme for children's literature, theatre, television programs, and movie productions. The public libraries contain more books about Hercules than any other Greek hero. Jordan's Encyclopedia of the Gods sums up the mainstream tradition: "Heracles is a heroic god of massive stature and prodigious appetite, who performs many feats of strength and courage." Hercules today is often depicted as the quote above describes&emdash;a hero who endures many adventures and performs many remarkable deeds. Although the adventures and the remarkable deeds are a part of every account of Hercules' life, looking at his life from this point of view alone misses the breadth and intricacy of the Heracles' story as told in the more original versions by Greek authors such as Hesiod, Apollodorus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Hercules' story contains superhuman aspects when he successfully vanquishes again and again the external monsters for civilization and the public good, but his story also contains subhuman aspects when he is unsuccessful at dominating his internal monsters (passions) before he commits a heinous deed like slaying his own children. According to Apollodorus, after Hercules threw his children into the fire, he was told by the Oracle of Delphi to put himself in the servitude of his cousin King Eurystheus of Mycenae to atone for his dreadful deed. Eurystheus demanded of him ten labors (Hendricks). Hercules began his famous labors with the act that brought the adolescent Hercules to manhood---killing the Nemean Lion. He first shot the lion with a bow and arrow. When he realized the lion had an impenetrable hide, he chased it with his club. The lion raced into a cave with two entrances. Hercules used his cunning wit and blocked one of the entrances. He met his prey face to face and strangled it to death with his bare hands. His heroic act cleared the city of the monster and furthered civilization, but he himself was affected by the encounter. Hercules made an offering of thanksgiving to Zeus and carried the lion skin to his cousin in Mycenae. As Hercules stood in front of Eurystheus, draped in the lion skin and club in hand, his savage character seemed to threaten the very civic order he had just defended. Eurystheus was terror-stricken by Hercules' power and strength. He ordered Hercules to deliver his future trophies from outside the city walls. Hercules integration and justification would finally be possible only through his apotheosis (Hendricks). For the second labor, Hercules was ordered to kill the Hydra of Lerna. The Hydra was a huge dragon-like creature that lived with its companion, a large crab, in the swamps near Lerna. The Hydra was roaming the countryside and killing cattle. This hideous monster had nine heads, the middle of which was immortal. Bold Hercules ran into its lair and drove it into the open with burning arrows. Hercules grabbed one of the heads and cut it off with his sword. No sooner had he cut one head off, than two more grew in its place. To make the task worse, the Hydra now began to wind itself around one of Hercules' legs and the crab began to bite his foot. Hercules called to his friend and charioteer, Iolaus, to bring the burning firebrands. When Hercules cut a head off, Iolaus cauterized the stump with the firebrand. He did this with all but the immortal head, which Hercules buried under a large rock at the roadside. Hercules then ripped open the Hydra's body and dipped his arrows in its bile. This deadly venom would kill many of Hercules' future enemies and eventually Hercules himself. Hercules immortalized the crab in a constellation and returned to Mycenae in triumph. But Eurystheus refused to count this as one of the ten labors because Hercules had not killed the Hydra without the help of Iolaus (Hesiod). For his third labor, Hercules was to capture alive the Cerynean hind. This golden antlered deer lived on Mount Cerynea in Argolis. Because it was sacred to the goddess Artemis, Hercules chased the deer for one year in order not to harm it but to tire it out. He finally caught the deer in a net as it slept by the River Ladon. Hercules slung the hind over his shoulder. As he was passing through Arcadia, he met Apollo and Artemis. Angry Artemis would have taken the hind from him, but Hercules used his clever wit to blame Eurystheus for its capture. Hercules was allowed to complete the labor and deliver the hind to Mycenae. Immediately, Hercules was informed of his fourth labor. He was to capture alive the Erymanthian boar. It was during this labor that Hercules fought with the Centaurs over wine offered him by the Centaur Pholus. Hercules drove most of the Centaurs to Mount Malea and to Eleusis where Poseidon hid them inside a mountain. The Centaur Nessus fled to the River Evanus where Hercules was to later kill him, but not before Nessus set the circumstances that would bring about Hercules' death. It was during this labor also that Hercules heard that Jason was gathering the bravest men in Greece to sail on the ship Argo to bring back the Golden Fleece. Hercules was compelled to join them. Finally Hercules returned to his labors, trapped the boar on Mount Erymanthus, and brought it back alive to Mycenae. Eurystheus was so frightened by the savage sight that he hid in an oil jar. As the fifth labor, Eurystheus assigned Hercules the humiliating task of cleaning the dung from the Augean stables. King Augeas of Elis owned vast herds of cattle, but he had not cleaned his stables for many years. Hercules agreed to perform the task in one day, but he demanded in payment one tenth of the cattle. Hercules then diverted the Rivers Alpheius and Peneius and flushed the stables with their waters. When Hercules returned to Mycenae, Eurystheus refused to count this as one of the ten labors because Hercules had performed the labor for pay. The sixth labor demanded of Hercules was to kill the man-eating Stymphalian birds. Athena came to Hercules' aid by giving him a pair of rattles made by Hephaestus to frighten the birds out of their nests. Once up in the air, Hercules was able to take aim and shoot the birds with his Hydra-poisoned arrows. As the seventh labor, Hercules was told to capture and bring back the Cretan bull. This horrible creature was the father of the Minotaur. After Hercules had captured the bull and showed it to Eurystheus, he released it in the Peloponnesus where it remained a problem for future heroes to solve. For the eighth labor, Hercules was sent to Thrace to bring back the herd of mares owned by King Diomedes that fed on human flesh. Euripedes' play Alcestis states that on his way to Thrace, Hercules passed through Thessaly and was the guest of Admetus, King of Pherae. Admetus was in mourning for his wife Alcestis because she had agreed to die in his place. Hercules rushed to Alcestis' tomb, fought with Thanatos (Death) who was carrying her to the Underworld, and brought her safely back to Admetus. After this, Hercules pressed on to Thrace, caught the wild mares, and drove them back to Mycenae. As a ninth labor, Hercules was charged to bring back Hippolyte's belt, which Eurystheus' daughter, Admete, had long coveted. Hippolyte was the daughter of Ares and Otrera and the queen of the Amazons. This fierce tribe of women lived on the River Thermadon near the Black Sea. The queen herself met Hercules on his ship and when she realized that all he wanted was her belt, she immediately promised it to him without a fight. But Hera, upset that one of Hercules' labors could be accomplished so easily, posed as one of the Amazons and whispered a rumor that Hercules was kidnapping their queen. When Hercules saw the Amazons pressing down upon him, he thought that the queen had betrayed him. So he killed her, took the belt, and quickly sailed back to Mycenae. The tenth labor demanded by Eurystheus was for Hercules to bring back the cattle of Geryon, the three-bodied king of Erythrea. On his way to Erythrea, Hercules passed through the Straits of Gibraltar. Here he raised two pillars, one on the African side and one on the European side to show future sojourners the extent of his travels. Today the Rock of Gibraltar and the Jebel Musa in Morocco are still referred to as the Pillars of Hercules. Geryon's cattle were guarded by a herdsman, Euytion, and his two-headed hound, Orthus. Hercules subdued Geryon, his herdsman, and the hound then herded the cattle back to Eurystheus. Since he did not count the killing of the Hydra or the cleaning of the Augean stables, Eurystheus ordered Hercules to perform an eleventh labor. This was to bring back the apples of the Hesperides. Hercules did not know the way to the sacred grove in which the apples grew, so he captured the old sea-god Nereus as he slept and would not release him until he revealed the way to the Garden of the Hesperides. Finally Hercules came to the place where Atlas held up the vault of the sky. Hercules persuaded Atlas to pick the apples while he, Hercules, shouldered the burden of the sky. When Atlas returned with the apples, he told Hercules that he would deliver them to Eurystheus. Hercules could see that Atlas did not intend to assume the vault of the sky again, so he cunningly asked Atlas to hold the sky for a moment while he adjusted his lion skin pad. Once the sky was safely on Atlas' shoulders, Hercules picked up the apples and delivered them to Eurystheus. Athena then returned the apples to the sacred grove because these had been a wedding present from mother Earth to Hera. For the final labor, Hercules was ordered to deliver Cerberus, the three-headed watchdog of the gates of the Underworld. This was the most difficult of all of his tasks (Grant). Guided by Hermes and Athena, Hercules entered the Underworld and demanded Cerberus from Hades. Hades agreed to let Hercules take the hound if he could do so without using weapons of any kind. Hercules seized Cerberus by the neck and overpowered the beast. He then took Cerberus to Eurystheus who ordered Hercules to deliver Cerberus back to Hades. The story of Hercules was not created in one instant, but it was sculpted over time from different periods in history. Because of the many versions of the Hercules story in which we see him connected not only with brute force, but also with aristocratic hospitality, philanthropy, wit, and civic duty, it is impossible to summarize the Hercules myth into an all-inclusive story. The mythological scholars today are unable to verify the exact origin of the myth or a consistent character for Hercules. Pierre Grimal in Larousse World Mythology states: "It seems unlikely that he was a 'fallen god' or a historic figure magnified to epic proportions. It seems more probable that he was the result of a vast mythical synthesis in which mingle and blend local legends, sacerdotal traditions from Hera's sanctuary at Argos, and pre-Hellenic elements of every kind---some perhaps from Syria." But regardless of the true origins of Hercules, the myth has remained a living, changing, source of scholarly and creative thought, study, and expression for thousands of years. From kindergarten through high school, children today know and love Hercules. Because of this, the man and the myth are excellent topics for classroom study, work, and discussion at many grade levels. The Hercules story contains numerous contradictions and paradoxes. But it also presents the dilemma of all human beings---the internal and external struggle. Hercules' greatness perhaps is that he successfully vanquished the external beasts and monsters he encountered and in the end, through his death, he also conquered his internal monsters, his passions, and was thus raised to god-like stature. The curriculum unit and classroom activities which follow will have an interdisciplinary approach and focus on integrating Reading, Writing, Social Studies, Drama, and Art in grades one through four. Students will be using several modes of participation: listening, speaking, observing, reading, experiencing, writing, and illustrating. The unit can incorporate activities that lead to an across the curriculum, in-depth study or be broken up into segments to be taught during the day. The unit lends itself to group activities and the development of social skills and group problem solving skills. Because knowledge of the life and people of ancient Greece and the gods and goddesses of Olympus is important background for understanding the story of Hercules, students will begin the unit by learning about life in ancient Greece and the Olympian gods and goddesses. The Curriculum Unit Goals Students will develop a general knowledge of ancient Greece and compare and contrast their lives with the lives of children in ancient times. Students will learn some of the background of the Hercules myth, including specific vocabulary from the myths and the names, stories, and attributes of the twelve great gods and goddesses of Olympus. Students will use the above knowledge to develop writing skills, both factual and creative, as they do journal writing and specific writing projects. Students will develop cognitive skills through listing, classifying, comparing, and contrasting. Students will develop linguistic and dramatic skills as they share their writings orally with their classmates, act out certain aspects of Hercules' life and labors in class plays, and take part in classroom discussions. Students will develop their fine art skills when they illustrate their writings, design a Greek vase on paper and in clay, and complete other related projects. Background Lessons: Life in Ancient Greece Lesson 1: Clothing, Homes, and Transportation Preparation: Teacher reads People and Things in Ancient Greece (see Student Bibliography entry Jupo, Frank). Discussion: Students discuss the homes, clothing, and transportation of people in ancient Greece and compare these to their lives today. Activity: Students write a paragraph to describe the clothing of children in ancient Greece and a paragraph to describe the clothing of children today. Students illustrate their writing. Lesson 2: Jobs and Manufacturing Preparation: Teacher reviews People and Things in Ancient Greece. Discussion: Students discuss the types of work people did and the kinds of products they made and compare these to the kinds of jobs and manufacturing today. Activity: Students choose one product made in ancient Greece, write a paragraph describing the product and its use, then draw a picture of the product. Students repeat the activity with a product made today. Lesson 3: Language Preparation: Students look at the Greek alphabet (see Resource Bibliography entry Jeffries, David). Discussion: Students discuss the fact that the English alphabet is modeled on the alphabet of ancient Greece and that some of our letters look like the letters from the Greek alphabet although some do not sound the same today. They will also discuss the idea that our word "alphabet" is made from the first two letters in Greek, alpha and beta. Activity: Using the Greek alphabet and the corresponding English letters and sounds, students will build Greek words we use today as part of our English vocabulary like cosmos (see above resource, p. 43). Lesson 4: School Preparation: Teacher reads selected parts of Growing up in Ancient Greece (see Student Bibliography entry Stewart, Philippa). Discussion: Students compare and contrast the ancient Greek concept of school, the subjects studied, and who was permitted to attend school. Students compare this with school today. Activity: Students role-play a class at school in ancient Greece. Lesson 5: Music and Dance Preparation: Teacher reads selected parts of Ancient Greece (see Student Bibliography entry Kerr, Daisy). Discussion: Students discuss the important role that music and dance played in the lives of the ancient Greeks. Students listen to traditional Greek folk music Miteritza and Chiotikos (see Resource Bibliography entry Pappas, John and Phyllis Weikart). Students discuss the sound of some of the Greek instruments (the lira and the laouto, Mandolin-type stringed instruments; the gaida, a goat skin bagpipe; and the Zurna, a clarinet-type instrument) and talk about the similarities and the differences in the sound of this music and the music they are familiar with. Activity: Students learn the Greek folk dances, Miteritza and Chiotikos (see above Resource Bibliography entries). Lesson 6: Food Preparation: The most common breakfast in ancient Greece was a hard bread dipped in grape juice or wine. Discussion: Students compare this meal with what they usually eat for breakfast. Teacher could serve hard crusted, unsliced bread and grape juice to demonstrate breakfast in Athens. Activity: Students make Koulora, a ring-shaped yeast bread (see Resource Bibliography entry Jeffries, David for recipe). Background Lessons on the Greek Myths and the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus Lesson 7: Creation Myth Preparation: Teacher reads the Greek creation myth of the early generation of the deities Gaia, Uranus, Chronus, and Rhea from Greek Myths (see Student Bibliography entry d'Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar). Discussion: Students discuss their idea of the creation of the world. Could they think of any natural phenomena like earthquakes and volcanoes that might be compared to the description of the combat between the gods and goddesses and their offspring? Activity: Students work in groups to write a story of how the earth and its creatures came to be. Each group shares their story with the class. Lesson 8: Zeus Preparation: Teacher reads the story of Zeus from Favorite Greek Myths (see Student Bibliography entry Osborne, Mary Pope). Discussion: Although Zeus was the leader of the Gods, he was not the creator of the world. Zeus had a father, mother, and numerous children, some mortal and some immortal. Discuss Zeus' attributes--thunder god, king of the gods. Activity: Students write a journal entry about Zeus and illustrate. Sample prompt: Zeus was the King of the Gods. Lesson 9: The Twelve Great Gods and Goddesses Preparation: Teacher reads the story of the twelve great gods and goddesses (see above Student Bibliography entry). Discussion: Discuss the attributes of each of the gods and goddesses. How are their feelings and actions like ours? How are they different? (This process may require more lessons to cover all twelve deities.) Activity: Play the game Olympian Gods: Four Questions (see Resource Bibliography entry Jeffries, David, p. 12). Lesson 10: Monsters of the Myths Preparation: Throughout the stories of the myths, numerous monsters appear like the Gorgons, the Chimera, Pegasus, the Sirens, the Minotaur, the Sphinx, etc. Discussion: These "monsters" originated in the Greek myths but are often depicted today in books, television, and the cinema. What could these monsters have meant to the ancient Greeks? Were they real? Could they have been metaphors for natural forces or struggles within the hero who dominated them? Activity: Play the Greek Monster Concentration game (see above Resource Bibliography entry p. 15). Myth of Hercules Lessons Lesson 11: The life of Hercules Preparation: Teacher reads The Adventures of Hercules (see Student Bibliography entry Richardson, I. M.) Discussion: Discuss the life of Hercules. What aspects have the children seen on television or in the movies? Activity: Students write a journal entry on one aspect of the life of Hercules. Sample journal prompt: Hercules was very strong. Lesson 12: The Thirteenth Labor Preparation: Teacher reads aloud The Twelve Labors of Hercules (see Student Bibliography entry Riordan, James). Discussion: Discuss the twelve labors. Which do the students think was the hardest labor? Why? Which labor was their favorite? Why? (This process may need to be broken into two or more lessons.) Activity: Students write and illustrate a thirteenth labor that Hercules might have been ordered to accomplish. Lesson 13: Hercules Vase---Design a Vase on Paper Preparation: Teacher shows some of the samples of Greek vases from Art in Ancient Greece (see Resource Bibliography entry Laisne, Claude). Discussion: What colors did the Greeks use to paint scenes on their vases? What types of pictures did the Greeks paint on their vases? If they were artists in ancient Greece, what scene from Hercules' life and labors would they paint on their vases? Activity: Using the model of a Greek vase (see Resource Bibliography entry Jeffries, David), students draw a scene from Hercules' life on their vase and share their illustration with their classmates. Lesson 14: Greek Pottery: Make a Greek Vase in Clay Preparation: Teacher shows some specific examples of Greek pottery from Art in Ancient Greece (see above Resource Bibliography entry). Discussion: Discuss with students their favorite shape of vase and why. Activity: Students mold a Greek vase in water-based clay. After two weeks, vases can be fired in a kiln and glazed or painted with oil-based paint. Lesson 15: Comic Strip Writing and Art Preparation: Teacher reads aloud Greek Myths for Young Children (see Student Bibliography entry Williams, Marcia). The Greek myth stories in this book are told and illustrated in comic strip form. Discussion: Students discuss the life and labors of Hercules from the point of view of a story in a comic book. Activity: Students write and illustrate a comic strip of Hercules' life and labors. Lesson 16: Drama: The Snakes and Baby Hercules Preparation: Teacher read aloud Hercules, The Man, The Myth, The Hero (see Student Bibliography entry Lasky, Kathryn). Discussion: What happened to Hercules and his twin brother Iphicles when they were babies one night? Who sent the snakes? What saved Hercules? Activity: Ask for volunteers to act out the drama of baby Hercules and the snakes. Choose someone to play Hercules, his brother Iphicles, Hercules' mother, Hercules' father, Hera, the two snakes, and the servants. Lesson 17: Hercules' Struggle Within Preparation: Review the story of Hercules (see Student Bibliography Lasky, Kathryn and I. M. Richardson) Discussion: Why did Hercules go mad? What part did Hera play in Hercules' madness? Activity: Students write about Hercules' struggle within himself. Lesson 18: Myths Can Change Preparation: Teacher read aloud Hercules the Gentle Giant (see Student Bibliography entry Schneider, Nina). Discussion: How is this story different from the story of the life of Hercules by Kathryn Lasky and I. M. Richardson? What was left out? What was changed? Why do stories change over time? Activity: Have students sit in a circle. Explain to students that a story will be whispered around the circle. When it is their turn, they will listen to the story which the classmate on their right whispers to them. Then they will whisper the same story to the classmate on their left. When the story has gone around the circle, the teacher will compare the last story to the original story. Lesson 19: The Shining Stars Preparation: Teacher read aloud The Shining Stars (see Student Bibliography entry McLeish, Kenneth) Discussion: Discuss several of the constellations, like Hercules, the Hydra, and Pegasus. What did people do at night before there was television and electricity? Why don't we see lots of stars when we look up at the night sky? Activity: Students pretend they live in ancient Greece and write a story about a constellation they see in the sky. Give each student a piece of black paper, a piece of white paper, and a paper punch for each group of four students. After they have punched several small white circles with the paper punch, students glue them on the black paper to form the constellation they wrote about. Students can outline their constellation with a white crayon before they glue the circles. Lesson 20: The Movie Hercules Preparation: Teacher asks which students have seen the Disney movie Hercules? Discussion: What parts of the movie are different from the story of Hercules in the book The Adventures of Hercules (see Student Bibliography entry Richardson, I. M.) What parts are the same? Activity: With teacher modeling on the overhead projector, students fill out a Venn Diagram: Which aspects of Hercules' story are included only in the book, which aspects of the story are included only in the movie, and which aspects of the story are in both the book and the movie? Annotated Teacher Bibliography Asimov, Isaac. Words from the Myths. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1961. Etymological study of the impact of ancient myths on the modern language. The book especially emphasizes science vocabulary. Bently, Peter. The Dictionary of World Mythology. Singapore: Facts and File Publishing, Inc., 1995. Arranged in alphabetical order, this book contains entries of gods, goddesses, heroes, and mythical creatures. Bonnefoy, Yves. Mythologies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991. Large reference volume with explanations and interpretations of myths from Africa, the ancient Near East, Celts, Norse, Asia, The Americas, Western Civilization, including a large section on Greek and Roman Mythology and an expanded bibliography. Bullfinch, Thomas. The Illustrated Age of Fable. New York: Stewart, Tabori, and Chang, 1998. A retelling of the classic Greek and Roman myths illustrated with many of the most famous examples of European fine art from the fourteen through the nineteenth centuries. This book is a clear illustration of the strong influence of ancient mythology on fine art during this period. Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Bollingen Series XVII, Pantheon Books, 1949. This book traces the concept of a hero through many myths and folk tales and shows how the symbolic language of myths has universal meaning. De Loverdo, Costa. Gods with Bronze Swords; The Historical and Archaeological Foundations of Greek Mythology. New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1970. Recounts the birth, youth, early achievements, twelve labors, and death of Hercules. Uses direct quotes from Hippocrates, Theocritus, Herodotus, Apollodorus, Gellius, Hesiod, and Euripides throughout the narrative. Also uses photographs of ancient Greek art and architecture for illustrations in the text. Euripides. Alcestis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1955. A play in which Hercules brings Alcestis back from the underworld and rescues her from a voluntary death to which she went to save her husband Admetus. Gibson, Michael. Gods, Men and Monsters form the Greek Myths. New York: Peter Brodrick Books, 1977. This book contains the stories of the major Greek Gods, the creation myth, and the stories of the major heroes. The beginning of the book describes the landscape of early Greece and how this landscape influenced the stories of the myths. Although the narrative of the book was written for older children or adults, the illustrations are large, colorful, and very vivid. The illustrations make a good resource for demonstrating the Gods and Goddesses with their attributes. This book also contains an explanation of the symbols of the Greek myths. Godolphin, F. R. B. Great Classical Myths; Modern Library. New York: 1974 This book has the stories arranged by mythological character that makes it a good reference work. Grant, Michael. Gods and Mortals in Classical Mythology. Massachusetts: G. and C. Merriam Company, 1973. This volume is a large reference work with the entries listed in alphabetical order. Excellent for cross-reference research. Graves, Robert. Greek Myths. New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1981. Very thorough and expanded versions of the Greek creation myth, the Olympian gods and heroes, and the life, twelve labors and death of Heracles. The illustrations in this book are photographs of beautiful examples of ancient pottery, sculpture, and architecture. Grimal, Pierre. Larousse World Mythology. New York: G. P. Putnam and Sons, 1965. A survey of world myths and mythological figures. This book contains an extensive discussion of Greek and Roman myths in general and Hercules in particular Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1942. A collection of Greek and Roman myths organized according to topics such as Stories of Adventure, Great Heroes, etc. Included are diagrams of the ancestors of Hercules, the Principal Gods and Goddesses, and the Houses of Thebes, Athens, and Troy. Hendricks, Rhoda. Classical Gods and Heroes: Myths as told by the Ancient Authors. Morrow, 1974. This book has compiled selections from ancient authors and provides quick access to several ancient sources in one volume. Hesiod. Theogony. In Hesiod and Theogonis. Trans. Dorothea Wender. London: Penguin Books, 1973. This book contains a very good description of the creation myth, and the genealogy of the Gods. Jordan. Encyclopedia of Gods. United States: R. R. Donnelly and Sons, 1993. An encyclopedia of world mythology and mythological figures. All places and figures are listed in alphabetical order. Mercatante, Anthony. The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend. Oxford: Facts on File, 1988. Alphabetically ordered reference work of World Mythology including many classical entries. Ovid. Metamorphoses. Trans. Rolfe Humphries. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1983. A compilation of works by Ovid which are stories of many of the Greek and Roman gods, goddesses, and heroes. Phillip, Neil. The Illustrated Book of Myths. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1995. This book contains shortened versions of myths from around the world. It is a good quick reference resource for Greek and world myths, including the twelve labors of Hercules. Richardson, Donald. Great Zeus and All His Children. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1984. A survey of the most famous of Greek myths written in a more ribald style like some of the ancient authors. This book includes some aspects of the stories which are often either omitted or changed in most collections of myths. This book is written in a dramatic, fast-paced, narrative form. Senior, Michael. The Illustrated Who's Who in Mythology. London: Orbis Publishing Limited, 1985. Poetically written, this book is a good quick reference for world mythological references, including Greek mythology. Theocritus. Idylls. Trans. Robert Wells. Middlesex: Penguin, 1989. Tripp, Edward. The Meridian Handbook of Classical Mythology. New York: New American Library, 1970. Contains many entries in alphabetical order of Greek and Roman mythology written in story form. Zimmerman, J. E. Dictionary of Classical Mythology. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1964. An essential companion for research in Classical Mythology. Annotated Student Bibliography d'Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar. Book of Greek Myths. New York: Dell Publishing, 1962. The Greek Myths of gods, goddesses, and heroes rewritten for children. The many illustrations are vivid, colorful, and based on classical examples. Dolch, Edward. Greek Stories for Pleasure Reading. Illinois: Garrard Publishing Company 1955. Greek stories, including the story of Hercules, meant to be read by children as an early reader. The book uses only the first several hundred early reading words. Elgin, Kathleen. The First Book of Mythology. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1955. Recounts the twelve labors of Hercules. Also includes clear illustrations of some of the major constellations like Hercules and the Hydra. Gates, Doris. Mightiest of Mortals, Heracles. New York: The Viking Press, 1975. The story of Hercules from infancy when he killed the snakes sent by Hera to his crib until his death on the funeral pyre. This story includes more aspects of his family life, such as his twin brother Iphicles and his stepfather, Amphitryon's role in his early life. Also included are broader descriptions of the Oracle at Delphi and the beasts Hercules must conquer in the twelve labors. Although the narrative of this book is more for third to sixth graders, the drawings and clear descriptions make this book easily adapted to younger children. Jupo, Frank. People and Things in Early Greece. New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1971. This book gives a picture of everyday life in early Greece as well as some military history. Included is commerce, manufacturing, transportation, clothing, home life, the games, theatre, religion, and some Greek words we still use today, such as academy, fantasy, mathematics, and symbol. Kerr, Daisy. Ancient Greeks. New York: Grolier, Franklin, Watts, 1997. This book is a good introduction to the everyday life of people in ancient Greece. Homes and commerce, music and dance, arts and crafts, science and medicine, and religious festivals. Lasky, Kathryn. Hercules, The Man, The Myth, The Hero. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 1997. Excellent children's source of a more complete story of the life of Hercules. The illustrations are large and go well with the story, although some are quite fierce. This book is a sensitive retelling of the life of Hercules including the slaying of his music teacher, his wife, Megara, and his children. The book hints at the concept that though Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus, may have been inciting his anger and destructiveness, his real battle might be within himself. Low, Alice. Greek Gods and Heroes. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1985. Contains the creation myth and the stories of the major Greek gods, goddesses, and heroes. The book also recounts the stories connected with several of the major constellations. McCaughrean, Geraldine. Greek Myths. Canada: Maxwell Macmillan,1993. This version of the twelve labors of Hercules is witty and childlike. The more original versions of the myth were changed. For example, Hercules' madness came from drinking too much wine and in the end, Hercules died because he was only a man, not a god. McLeish, Kenneth. The Shinning Stars. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1940. Tells the Greek legends connected with the constellations and star signs of the Zodiac. Has a glossary of Greek terms and characters. Osborne, Mary Pope. Favorite Greek Myths. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1955. A retelling of the myths for children, mostly drawn from Ovid. This book is beautifully illustrated and includes a glossary of modern English words with Greek origins. Quennell, Marjorie. Everyday Things in Ancient Greece. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd., 1962. Describes life in ancient Greece. The book is on the elementary school reading level. Richardson, I. M. The Adventures of Hercules. New Jersey: Troll Associated, 1983. Recounts the story of Hercules up to the completion of the twelve labors. Includes the mad acts of killing his wife, Megara, and his children caused by jealous Hera. Hercules asks the Oracle of Delphi how to cleanse himself of his sins. The Oracle instructs him to put himself in the service of King Eurystheus for twelve years and do whatever he asks. The illustrations (watercolors) are beautifully done and fit well with the story. Riordan, James. The Twelve Labors of Hercules. Connecticut: The Millbrook Press, 1997. The story of Hercules from birth to death. Includes most of the major episodes in the hero's life covered by other literature. The illustrations are large, colorful, and imaginative. Sasek, Miroslav. This is Greece. New York: Macmillan, 1966. A tour through the city streets of Athens and the countryside of modern Greece. Includes many of the more and less famous sites such as the Parthenon, the Temple of Poseidon, as well as scenes from everyday life and commerce. Schneider, Nina. Hercules, The Gentle Giant. New York: Hawthorne Books, Inc., 1969. This book is a good example of how an original mythic story can be edited and changed from the original source. This story leaves Zeus and Hera completely out of the story and focuses on one labor---the killing of the Nemean Lion. Hercules is asked by the king to kill the lion in this story because the lion growls and disrupts the children's play on the hillside. Vautier, Ghislain. The Stars. London: Cambridge University Press, 1978. Greek legends of the Zodiac. Pictures of constellations and where to find them in the night sky. Venson, Sally. Stories of the Gods and Heroes. New York: The Dial Press, 1940. A recounting of the twelve labors of Hercules. In this version, Hercules is bound to the service of Eurystheus because Zeus had promised Hera before Hercules was born that the baby born on a certain day would rule over all the descendants of Perseus. Fearing that this honor would fall to Hercules, jealous Hera hastened the birth of Eurystheus, so that he would be born before Hercules, and thus Hercules was bound to perform the twelve labors. White, Ann. The Golden Treasury of Myths and Legends. New York: Golden Press, 1969. Good source of many of the world's classic myths and legends adapted for children, including the life and twelve labors of Hercules. Williams, Marcia. Greek Myths for Young Children. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 1991. The Greek Myths told and illustrated in comic strip form. A different approach than the usual. This book is well illustrated and serves as a good example for the classroom activity of writing a thirteenth labor for Hercules in comic strip form. Annotated Resource Bibliography Adare, Sierra. Greece, The Culture. New York: Crabtree Publishing, 1999. This thematic unit teacher's resource book is an excellent resource for teaching elementary school children K-4 about the culture of Greece--both ancient and modern, including theatre, music and dance, clothing, food, religion, festivals, and the Olympic games. --. Greece, the People. Ibid. An excellent companion for the above book for teaching elementary children K-4 about the people of both ancient and modern Greece. Includes women in society, school, work, city life, island living, and Greek homes. Bartok, Mira. Stencils: Ancient Greece. Los Angeles: Big World Publishing, 1995. This book contains skillfully etched stencils of ancient Greek art, figures, and borders. Good for accompanying children's art projects and for bulletin boards. Disney, Walt. Hercules. Hollywood: Walt Disney Studios, 1997. Full length animated version of the myth of Hercules available for rent in most video stores. Although changed somewhat from more original sources, the story does contain many elements of the original myth. Evans, Marilyn. Greek Myths. Monterey: Evan Moor Corporation, 1988. This resource has a synopsis of several of the more popular myths and art and drama projects to go along with the myths. The book also contains two foldout posters of the Greek myths useful for bulletin boards. Fisher, Leonard. The Olympians. New York: Holiday House, 1984. This book is a good resource for teaching the major gods and goddesses of Olympus and their attributes to elementary children. The illustrations are large and include aspects of each deity's attributes. Henrich, Steve and Jean. Story Starters on Ancient Greece. United States: Henrich Enterprises, 1990. This book is an excellent resource for stimulating, creative, and factual writing on the elementary school level. This teacher's resource book contains many writing prompts as well as art projects to accompany the writing. Honan, Linda. Spend a Day in Ancient Greece. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1998. Gives a picture of everyday life in ancient Greece with decent illustrations. Jeffries, David. Ancient Greece. Westminster, California: Teacher Created Materials, Inc., 1999. This book is an excellent source for activities across the curriculum to accompany the study of the Greek myths including math, science, social studies, art, physical education, and life skill activities. Laisne, Claude. Art of Ancient Greece: Sculpture, Painting, Architecture. Paris: Pierre Terrail, 1995.This book, clearly photographed and presented, is a very good resource for teaching about the art, sculpture, and architecture of ancient Greece. The illustrations are large and excellent for demonstrating the beauty and high level of skill contained in ancient art. Some of the examples are nude, but this is difficult to escape in ancient art. These examples can be edited. Pappas, John. Miteritza. Los Angeles: Festival Records, 1978. A Greek folk dance-game from the Pontos (Black Sea) area. Rearik, John. Greek Myths: Eight Short Plays for the Classroom. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1997. Although written for grades 4-6, several of these plays could easily be adapted to the lower grades. The plays have been given clever names like "Vanity Fair" (the story of Narcissus) and "The Sound of Music Goes Underground" (Orpheus and Eurydice). Weikart, Phyllis. Chiotikos. Michigan: High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, 1985. A Greek folk dance from the Chios area.