PURPOSE: The ancient Greeks believed that their myths took place, not in some fantastic realm far, far away, but in and around the cities in which they actually lived. To their mind, the gods frequented these cities to seek recognition and honor, enjoy companionship with the most noble of the humans, and relax in their sanctuaries with their devotees. The heroes were early rulers of the cities, and inhabitants often visited the spot where they were buried in the hope of finding aid or protection from their surviving spirit. To fully understand Greek myths, therefore, one must become familiar with the context in which they were thought to have taken place. This page is a gateway to four ancient Greek cities: Mycenae, Delphi, Olympia, and Athens. You are encouraged, with a little direction from these pages, to explore these cities and to learn what they looked like, how they functioned, and what sorts of mythic stories are attached to them.
PROCEDURE: For every test (and the final) you will explore one of the cities. The order is as follows: Test One, Mycenae; Test Two, Delphi; Test Three, Olympia; Test Four, Athens. To begin exploring a city, find it on the map below and click on it. You will be taken to a page that will explain to you the kinds of things you should learn about that city. It will also give you some ideas about how to find the information, but, generally speaking, you are responsible for finding and learning the information any way that you choose. Along the way, you can assess whether you are discovering and learning the correct material by completing the exercises included on the pages themselves. If you have trouble with the exercise, you know that you should continue on that topic until you have a better grasp of it. Enjoy!