Reading Group Guide
Discussion Questions
How do you think Metis felt when she was eaten and forgotten by Zeus? Have you ever had a similar experience with betrayal?
Page 9: "He had too much of his father in him," the narrator tells us after Zeus has eaten his wife Metis — just as his father, Kronos, ate all of Zeus's siblings. Do you think that eating your family members can be an inherited trait? Can the desire for control and power that lead to the eating of family members be inherited? Why or why not? What sort of traits or characteristics are inherited?
Page 11: When Zeus's head begins to hurt, the other gods decide to remedy it by splitting his skull open—clearly not a solution to recommend to mortal man! What other things can the gods in this story do that humans cannot? Why do you think the Greeks gave their gods these specific powers and capabilities?
Athena is born a teenager. Do you think that was difficult for her to deal with? What do you think it would be like to be born at age sixteen?
Most of the Greek pursuits that Athena learns at Triton's camp—archery, discus-throwing, swordplay—are not the sports you learn in school today. Why do you think that is? Would you rather learn discus-throwing than play volleyball or basketball?
Page 24: When Zeus accidentally causes Athena to kill her friend Pallas, he gives her his cloak to make amends. Do you think that was a good way for Zeus to try to fix things? What might have been a better option?
The Greek gods are like the superheroes of the past. In fact, many modern superhero stories are based on ancient Greeks. Wonder Woman, for example, was said to have come from Ancient Greece. Who does Athena remind you of? Who might play her in a movie?
Page 31: The Gigantes, some of the first children of Mother Earth, draw power from the Earth, similar to the way that trees and plants do. Why don't humans have the ability to draw power in a similar way? What do people get power from instead?
Page 40: "Unfortunately for Medusa, her beauty caught the eye of Poseidon." Can being beautiful ever be a bad thing? Can you think of examples from other myths, from histories, and from your own life of how being beautiful had negative effects?
In Ancient Greece, gods frequently appeared to heroes to give them help. If the Greek gods were around today, who do you think they would be helping?
Page 47: When Perseus goes to see the Graeae, he steals their eye and tells them he will only return it if they give him information. Are stealing and bribery generally good tactics to get what you want? Do you think there are situations in which they would be excusable? If so, is this one of them?
The Greek gods often punish humans who oppose their wishes—for example, giving Medusa snake-hair, and turning Arachne into a spider. Do you think these two punishments were just? How do you think your life would be different if you believed there was a god who might descend at any instant to chastise you?
Page 66: "Our picture of Athena is now complete," say the Fates, standing in front of a tapestry of Athena. How does the visual representation on that page (the tapestry) differ from the "picture of Athena" made up of the words and pictures of Athena's story? Which, in your opinion, is a better representation of Athena? Why?
Athena and Ares share the role of the patron god/goddess of war. Ares is described as the god of battle and warfare, while Athena is known as the goddess of "the beneficial side of war." Does war have a beneficial side, and if so, what do you think it is?
Athena's story is narrated by the three Fates, who measure the spans of human lives. The Fates are the incarnation of the belief that everything that happens is preordained, and that nothing happens through chance or through human agency. How would you look at your life differently if you thought everything that happened in it was fate? How would it be the same?
