Greek Mythology: Legends of Gods and Heroes!

#72 Week 15

Author

Sigrun Sørumgård
April 10, 2025

How well do you know the epic tales of Mount Olympus and the underworld?

  1. Who was the god of the sea in Greek mythology?

  2. Which Greek hero killed the Minotaur?

  3. What was the name of the young man who flew too close to the sun with wings of wax?

  4. Who was the god of the underworld?

  5. Which hero killed the nine-headed Hydra at Lerna in Argolis?

  6. Who was the greatest hero of the war against Troy, and the main character in Homer's Iliad, which depicts this war?

  7. Which god ruled over war and bravery?

  8. There were several rivers in the underworld, but what was the name of the river that the souls had to cross?

  9. Artemis was a Greek goddess, daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin sister of Apollo. But what was she goddess of?

  10. What happened to those who looked at Medusa?

The Wonder Wall

  • Atlas was the leader of the Titans in their war against the Olympian gods to determine who would control the heavens. When the Olympians prevailed, Zeus punished Atlas for leading the Titans in this war. For his punishment, Zeus made Atlas responsible for holding up the heavens and the earth, and he must hold them on his shoulders. Atlas was strong enough for the task, but it was difficult and tiring for the Titan. Today, an atlas is a collection of maps of a region or the earth used for travel. This Titan in ancient Greek mythology is now the same word used to describe a collection of maps.

  • Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and civilization. She was born from the head of Zeus after he swallowed his pregnant wife, Metis. She was born fully grown dressed in full armor ready for war.

  • Hestia was a virgin goddess who vowed to serve Mount Olympus. She did not seek marriage and asked Zeus to give her eternal virginity. Zeus granted her eternal virginity for her service of Mount Olympus. Because Hestia was the goddess of hearth and home, Zeus ordered that every offering of food was to be sacrificed in the name of Hestia for her dedication and service. It was said that Hestia never let the fire in the home go out. The Olympic torch is symbolic of the importance of the fire of Hestia. The Olympic torch is lit and travels from city to city, lighting each torch it comes in contact with throughout the relay until the final Olympic flame is lit.

Yesterday´s Questions & Answers

  1. What was the name of the German military operation for the invasion of Norway?

    Weserübung was the code name for the German attack on Norway during World War II.

  2. Who was the Norwegian king on April 9, 1940?

    King Haakon VII

  3. What was the name of the German cruiser that was sunk in the Oslofjord by Oscarsborg Fortress?

    Blücher

  4. What was the name of the Norwegian prime minister when the war broke out?

    Johan Nygaardsvold

  5. What other country was invaded by the Germans on the same day they invaded Norway?

    Denmark

  6. Why was Narvik a strategic and important target for both the Germans and the Allies?

    Narvik was strategically important for Germany and the Allies because of the shipment of iron ore from the northern Swedish mines, since the Bothnian Bay freezes over in the winter. For Germany, iron ore was especially important for the war industry, so it became important for the Allies to prevent this transport to Germany, at the same time iron ore was also important for the British war industry.

  7. How many days did it take for Norway to officially capitulate to Germany?

    62 days (June 10, 1940)

  8. Which Norwegian defence commander led Oscarsborg Fortress during the attack?

    Colonel Birger Eriksen

  9. The first clash between Norwegian and German forces occurred at the far end of the Oslofjord. The patrol boat "Pol III" was sunk by the German torpedo boat "Albatross". The captain of "Pol III" was the first Norwegian to fall, what was his name?

    Leif Welding-Olsen

  10. The gold transport was a secret operation to save the Norwegian gold reserves and was launched on the morning of April 9. How many tons of gold reserves were taken out of Norges Bank?

    About 49 tons.