History of ancient Greece. Culture of ancient Greece

The Giffen paradox (Giffen effect) is that a decrease in price by separate groups goods entails a decrease in demand for them. True statement the opposite is also true: an increase in price by specific groups goods leads to an increase in demand for them.

The Giffen effect is directly related to consumer reactions to political or economic situation and covers essential goods. Different attitude buyers to goods made it possible to conditionally divide things into two categories: ordinary goods and Giffen goods.

A Giffen good is a product for which consumer demand (other things being equal) increases as the price increases. Most goods become less popular among buyers after their prices increase. For Giffen goods, everything is exactly the opposite: when higher figure Based on the price tag, people begin to buy the product more actively. This is the essence of the paradoxical Giffen effect. TO specific examples Giffen's products include pasta, bread, and rice. The effect, which lasts for a short time, is noted when the cost of gasoline increases.

Giffen Product Parameters

low value goods;

are a large part of the buyer's budget;

there is no similar substitute product;

people purchasing the product mostly have low or average .

Main Law supply and demand is that an increase in the cost of a product, other things being equal, leads to a decrease in demand for it. The opposite is also true. But still, the Giffen effect does not apply to exceptions to the set of laws of economics. The Giffen effect does not contradict the main law of supply and demand, since for it to act in a negative direction, external conditions must change. The Giffen effect is observed everywhere during periods of prevailing unfavorable economic conditions. Buyers are actively purchasing basic goods, fearing that their prices will rise in the future, while reducing expenses on goods with a higher price. For example, people buy more potatoes or bread and significantly less fish, fruit, and cheese. In other words, there is an effect of replacing some products with others (usually these are goods included in the consumer basket).

The Giffen effect: how did it manifest itself before?

This phenomenon was noticed and described for the first time in the century before last. Robert Giffen noted the paradox during the Irish famine of 1845-46, when the country's residents began to actively buy potatoes after their cost increased. Analyzing British coal workers, Giffen noted that with each increase in the price of bread, the workers' ability to pay did not decrease, but increased.

The very concept of the Giffen effect remained in the minds of marketers and economists thanks to Alfred Marshall: in 1895, he connected the name of R. Giffen with an economic phenomenon that repeats itself constantly.

If prices for something increase, while all other parameters remain unchanged, then demand will be for less and less of this product.

But there is also a description of a situation where a decrease in price leads to a decrease in demand, and an increase in price leads to an increase in demand for a product.

Thus, practically the only exception to this is Giffen paradox, named after the English economist Robert Giffen (1837-1910). This economist pointed out that during the Irish famine, mid-19th century c) the volume of demand for potatoes, the price of which has increased, has increased significantly. Giffen linked this to the fact that in the budget of poor families, expenses for potatoes occupied a significant share. An increase in prices for this product led to the fact that the real incomes of these strata fell, and they were forced to reduce purchases of other goods, increasing the consumption of potatoes in order to survive and not die of hunger. Because of this, the demand curve for potatoes had an “ascending” shape.

There are also "imaginary" exceptions to law of demand, when an inexperienced market researcher confuses ongoing changes in demand with changes in the quantity of demand. An example is the direct relationship between price and demand volumes that formally appears on the market:

• with so-called inflationary (or deflationary) consumer expectations;
• when price is a sign of quality for the consumer;
• when price serves as a measure of the prestige of a product.

For all these cases, the demand curve shifts to the right as prices rise, and therefore common law demand remains important.

The Giffen effect is rarely observed in industrial applications. developed countries, and the products on which it appears are called Giffen goods.

Giffen product- an inferior good that occupies a significant place in the consumption structure (it accounts for a large share of the budget of all consumer expenditures). The income effect in the case of a Giffen good outweighs the substitution effect, and therefore when the price drops for such a product demand on him decreases(additional cash for the purchase of other goods that already have best characteristics), and when the price increases, it increases.

It should be noted that some economists question the existence of a Giffen good. For example, J. Stigler believes that the Giffen effect went down in history with light hand A. Marshall, who attributed the description of this effect to R. Giffen. According to J. Stigler, there is good reason to believe that R. Giffen himself did not observe this phenomenon. But nevertheless, the Giffen effect is still described in any Western economics textbook.

Giffen effect (Giffen effect, Giffen's paradox) - price reduction by individual species goods leads to a decrease in demand for them. The opposite is also true: an increase in the price of certain types of goods leads to an increase in demand for them.

Giffen effect refers to the reaction of buyers to an economic or political situation and applies to essential goods. The different behavior of buyers in relation to goods made it possible to formulate the division of goods into two groups: ordinary goods and “Giffen goods”.

Giffen product- a good, the consumption of which (other things being equal) increases with an increase in price. For most goods, when the price increases, consumption decreases. For Giffen goods, the opposite is true - when the price of a product rises, people begin to buy more of this product. This is the paradoxical Giffen effect. Typical examples Giffen goods can be considered: rice, pasta, bread; a short-term effect is observed when gasoline prices increase.

Characteristics of Giffen goods:

• goods of low value;
• occupy a significant place in the consumer budget;
• there is no equivalent substitute product;
• consumers of the product are, to a large extent, people with low and middle incomes.

Basic Law of Supply/Demand proclaimed the postulate: “an increase in the price of a product, other things being equal, leads to a decrease in demand for it and vice versa.” However, the Giffen phenomenon is not an exception to the totality of all economic laws. The Giffen effect does not contradict the basic law of supply/demand, since for it to occur, external conditions must change for the worse. The Giffen effect is observed in unfavorable economic conditions, when people buy goods, fearing their further rise in price, but at the same time reducing spending on more expensive products in favor of cheaper ones. For example, they buy more bread and pasta, with a decrease in purchases of meat and fruit. In other words, there is an effect of replacing some goods with others (usually with goods from the consumer basket).

The Giffen effect in history. This phenomenon was first noted and described in the 19th century. Robert Giffen discovered a paradox during the Irish famine of 1845-1849, when the population responded by increasing demand to rising potato prices. While analyzing the consumer budgets of British coal workers, R. Giffen also discovered that with each increase in the price of a relatively cheap, but permanent required product food - bread, the effective demand for it did not decrease, but increased.

Concept " Giffen effect"was entrenched in the minds of economists and marketers thanks to Alfred Marshall, who in 1895 associated the name of R. Giffen with this recurring economic phenomenon.

Giffen goods (Giffen goods)- an item of sale/purchase, the demand for which may increase as their price rises, which is possible in cases where these items occupy too large a share in the consumer budget, which is too small. As a result, the income effect outweighs the substitution effect. For example, an increase in the price of potatoes, which makes up the main share of the budget, will lead to the fact that the family will not be able to afford anything else and will completely switch to consuming potatoes, despite the fact that its price has increased.

Lesson 30. Religion of the ancient Greeks.
Subject: history.

Date: 01/23/2012.

Teacher: Khamatgaleev E. R.

• 
  New concepts:pantheon.

Task 1 – homework questions:

1. 
   What is the main content of the poem "Odyssey"?
2. 
   How many years did it take for Odysseus to return home?
3. 
   Odysseus was the king of which island?
4. 
   List what difficulties Odysseus and his comrades had to face upon returning home?
5. 
   Why were the gods angry with Odysseus?

Task 2 – reading by heart.
Listen to students who want to read excerpts from the work.
Plan for learning new material
Greek pantheon of gods.
Studying the issue of the plan.
Working with the textbook: find the drawing “Gods and Goddesses of Greece” in the textbook, look at it carefully.

Working with the class. While explaining new material, students fill out a table, which by the end of the lesson should look like this:

Teacher's opening speech. In the north of the land inhabited by the Hellenes is the country of Thessaly. On the border with Macedonia, among the mountains surrounding the Thessalian plain on all sides, Mount Olympus rises - the highest of all the mountains of Hellas. Its slopes are covered with dense forests. Oaks and chestnuts, evergreen shrubs, grow there. It is difficult to climb this mountain, its rocky slopes are steep, and there is eternal snow on the top.

IN clear days snow A Olympus burns in the sun, but the top of the mountain is always shrouded in thick clouds. Up there are the golden palaces of the immortal gods. It is impossible for a mortal to penetrate them. In the kingdom of the gods it is always summer and it is light in the palaces. A bright blue light pours from the sky. Immortal gods feast in their halls. The place dedicated to all the gods is called pantheon.

Zeus, the king of gods and men, sits on a high golden throne. Next to him is his wife Hera, the queen of the gods and protector of the family hearth. Here are the children of Zeus - the twins Apollo and Artemis, Athena, Hermes, Ares and Hephaestus. Each of the gods controls the affairs and destinies of people.

Vocabulary work.

The Pantheon is a place dedicated to all the gods.

Student 1. But the strongest of them is Zeus, the son of the god Cronus. Cronus was born from Uranus the sky and Gaia the Earth. By deception and cunning Cronus overthrew Uranus. Fearing that the children would deprive him of power, Cronus ordered his wife Rhea to bring him newly born babies - he swallowed them. The last son“Zeus,” she regretted. Rhea brought the swaddled stone to Kron, and he swallowed it. She hid Zeus on the island of Crete, in one of mountain caves. The bees fed him with honey, and the goat with milk. If Zeus cried, the young men guarding the cave began a war dance and, with weapons striking the shields, drowned out the child’s cry so that Cronus would not find out about his existence. They say that in Crete even now young men dance war dances in honor of Zeus.

When Zeus grew up, he forced his father to vomit out the swallowed children, and he himself was shackled and thrown into a dark abyss in Tartarus, where a ray of sun never penetrates. After the victory, Zeus, in a chariot drawn by four horses, headed to Olympus along with other gods. He shared dominion over the sea with his brothers, who helped him defeat Kron. Hades gained power over the kingdom of the dead, Poseidon became the ruler of the sea. Zeus has ruled since then heaven and earth.

Student 2. Zeus is the strongest of all gods. Storms and thunderstorms, winds and rains, lightning and thunder - all this happens by the will of Zeus, he is the cloudmaker and the thunderer. Woe to those who violate the order established by Zeus on Earth! The mighty god will wave right hand and strike the oathbreaker with fiery lightning. Therefore, those who swear always call Zeus as a witness. “I swear by Zeus!” - they say among the Hellenes.

Zeus protects home order. For the Hellenes, in two of each house there is an altar to the great god. He is the patron saint of strangers, each of them can find protection at the altar of Zeus. In many places sacred tree oak is revered. It is under the sacred oak tree, in the grove of Dodona, that Zeus loves to rest. Zeus can convey his will to people by sending sacred bird- eagle. If the Greeks see an eagle, they believe that they will have good luck.

Student 3. In the city of Miletus they honor more gods than other gods ruler of the seas Poseidon. For the Milesians, maritime trade is the basis of life. And the fate of the navigator is in the hands of Poseidon. The formidable god of the seas strikes with his trident, and a terrible storm rises on the sea, huge foaming waves rise up like light shells, they throw ships, overwhelm them or forcefully smash them against the coastal rocks. But Poseidon put aside his trident - the waves subside, the endless expanse of the sea is calm, and the sailors can continue their journey. And Poseidon on a chariot drawn by golden-maned horses, descends to the bottom of the sea into a magnificent palace, where he lives with his wife Amphitrite. The inhabitants of the depths - sea monsters - are obedient to the god of the seas and his wife. With blows of his trident, he shakes the earth, moves mountains, creates bottomless abysses, and reverses the flow of rivers. Woe to him who offends the lord of the seas!

Question: Which Greek experienced the wrath of Poseidon and why?

Student 4. The darkest of gods - Hades - reigns deep underground, in kingdom of the dead. The entrance to his kingdom is where the sun sets; a deep chasm leads to the kingdom of Hades from the surface of the earth. There is no return from there. In the kingdom of the dead the rivers Styx and Acheron roll their waves. The gloomy ferryman Charon transports the souls of the dead across the gloomy waters of Acheron. The three-headed dog Cerberus guards the entrance to the kingdom of Hades.

Only a few powerful heroes were allowed by the gods to visit the kingdom of the dead and return to earth. Odysseus visited there and saw the shadows of heroes Trojan War. Achilles told Odysseus that it was better to be a living day laborer on earth than a king in the kingdom of Hades. Hercules also visited there. He brought the hellish dog Cerberus from the kingdom of the dead; this was one of the twelve labors of the hero.

Question: Think about what connection there is between the pyramids in Egypt and the kingdom of the dead, where Hades rules?

Student 5. The souls of men underground kingdom Hades commands the souls of women - his wife Persephone, daughter goddess of fertility Demeter. Hades kidnapped her when she, as a young girl, was helplessly picking flowers in a field. Persephone cried bitterly and fought back, but the gloomy Hades sped away on a chariot drawn by black horses. Demeter heard her daughter’s pitiful cry. For nine days the goddess wandered the earth, with torches in her hands she looked for her daughter and on dark nights. On the tenth day, Demeter turned to the all-seeing sun god Helios and learned from him that her daughter, by the will of Zeus, was in the kingdom of the dead.

Demeter's grief was boundless. She left the gods and, so that no one could recognize her, took on the image of an old woman. Shedding bitter tears, she wandered across the earth. But as soon as Demeter left Olympus, vineyards and olive trees began to dry up on the earth, plants and animals died from drought. Famine began among mortals, people stopped making sacrifices to the gods. Fearing the death of all living things, Zeus sent Iris, the messenger of the gods, to Demeter. The messenger of the gods persuaded Demeter for a long time. But Demeter announced that she would not return to Olympus until she saw Persephone. Then Zeus sent Hermes to Hades, who announced to him the will of the great Zeus: Hades must release Persephone to her mother. With great joy, Persephone rushed to the chariot and rushed to the ground. But before leaving, Hades gave her a pomegranate seed to eat - a symbol of marriage - and thus forever connected her with the kingdom of the dead.

By decision of Zeus, Persephone spends two thirds of the year - spring and summer - with her mother on earth. At this time, trees and flowers bloom, and fields produce grain. And for a third of the year, Persephone descends underground to the gloomy Hades, and the earth freezes, the vegetation dries up, in order to bloom magnificently when Persephone returns to the earth again.

Student 6. Zeus has many children, feasting with him in the bright halls of Olympus. The most beautiful of them - god of sunlight, patron of the arts, golden-haired Apollo, favorite of Zeus. The arrows of his bow strike enemies without a miss. He struck with them a terrible monster - the dragon Python, who lived in the Delphic Gorge. And since then, the sanctuary of Apollo has been located in Delphi.

Honor golden-haired god and on Delos, where he was born. Everyone falls silent when Apollo appears with his companions - the muses. There are nine of them, and each of them is the patroness of science or art. The gods listen with delight to the choir of muses and the playing of Apollo on the strings.

The beautiful god plays wonderfully, but he does not tolerate ridicule or remarks. Apollo cruelly punished the Phrygian god of the fields, the satyr Marsyas, because he dared to compete with him in music. The victory was awarded to Apollo, and Apollo hanged Marcia, flaying him.

Student 7. People are afraid of meeting Apollo's sister, the forever young beauty Artemis - goddess of nature and patroness of hunting. With a quiver on her back and a bow in her hands, light and fast, she pursues game through the mountains and forests. Her favorite companions and friends are nymphs - goddesses of fields and forests. Hunters dedicate the first killed animals, the heads and tusks of wild boars, to Artemis. Woe to the mortal who approaches the young goddess! Her arrows strike as accurately as the arrows of the divine Apollo. Apollo and Artemis brutally dealt with mortal woman Niobe, who insulted their mother Latona. Niobe had seven sons and seven daughters. Having become proud, Niobe refused to make sacrifices to Latona, who gave birth to only two children. Hearing the mother's complaints, Apollo and Artemis killed all of Niobe's children with small arrows. The unfortunate mother was petrified from grief; she turned into a rock from which a spring gushes. Niobe always cries for her children.

Student 8. There is no goddess on Olympus more beautiful than Aphrodite. From the snow-white foam of sea waters a beautiful goddess was born, near the island of Cythera. Poets call her “born from foam.” First of all, the inhabitants of the islands of Cythera and Cyprus, where the beautiful goddess grew up, began to honor Aphrodite. The gods of Olympus gladly accepted her into their palaces. Wherever the goddess steps, flowers smell everywhere. Wild animals They follow her like tame creatures. Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty. She is kind and gentle to everyone, except those who love only themselves. Thus, she punished the cold and proud handsome young man Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection in the water. Narcissus did not eat or drink, admiring himself. Exhausted by hunger and anguish, he died, but his body was not found. In the place where Narcissus died, a beautiful white flower grew.

Student 9. Terrible to both people and gods, bloodthirsty Ares is the god of war. Thrace, where warlike tribes live, is considered the birthplace of Ares. In honor of Ares, warriors going into battle emit a wild war cry. With a sword in his hand, in full armor, Ares rushes on a chariot across the battlefield. Ares is terrible during battle. He strikes even those to whom he promised help. The great Zeus does not like Ares. Ares was defeated more than once by the beloved daughter of Zeus, the formidable and warlike Athena. Fully armed, wearing a helmet and carrying a sharp spear, Athena emerged from the head of Zeus. Olympus trembled when the goddess descended to earth. The formidable goddess helped the heroes of Hellas. She returned Odysseus to his homeland. Athena is revered as the patroness of city life. She is the goddess of order and reason, the patroness of crafts. The goddess gave her beloved city, Athens, a sacred olive tree. She taught the Hellenes various crafts and was herself skilled in various men's and women's work. She helped the Argonauts build a ship, and the Hellenes who fought at Troy - a wooden horse. The goddess Athena is especially skilled in weaving.

Like all gods, Athena cannot stand the competition of mortals. She turned the girl Arachne, who dared to compete with her in the art of weaving a bedspread, into an ugly spider. Arachne's work was not inferior in beauty to the goddess's veil, but the girl was severely punished for her insolence.

Student 10. Athena is not the only one skilled in crafts. The god Hephaestus is also famous for his craft. Little Hephaestus, frail and ugly, was thrown from Olympus by an angry Hera. But the goddess Thetis hid him at the bottom of the sea. There he learned to forge “twisted rings, clasps, hairpieces, necklaces.” At the request of Thetis, Hephaestus forged wonderful weapons for her son, the glorious hero Achilles.

Hephaestus is the god of fire and blacksmithing.

Hephaestus also made a golden chair for Hera. The chair was very beautiful, but as soon as the goddess sat down in it, indestructible bonds wrapped around her, and she could no longer rise. Only Hephaestus could free Hera, but it was not easy to persuade him to do so. Then a cup of wine was offered to the god of fire and blacksmiths. Hephaestus forgot his grievances, freed Hera and remained among the gods. He built a golden palace for the gods on Olympus.

Student 11. Skilled and Hermes is the swift messenger of the gods, the patron of roads and travelers. In Hellas, at all crossroads there are stone pillars with the head of Hermes at the top - herms. He escorts the souls of the dead to the underworld of Hades, takes care of the herds and lost sheep. Hermes also patronizes trade affairs, sending wealth. He taught people the alphabet and the art of counting, and invented weight measures for them. Hermes is cunning, dexterous and resourceful. He is a skilled thief. As a child, he stole a herd of cows from Apollo. The cheerful prankster Hermes loves to joke with the gods - he once stole a scepter from Zeus, a trident from Poseidon, a sword from Ares, and a bow and golden arrows from Apollo. Hermes is revered by travelers, merchants and even thieves.

Final words from the teacher. These are Greek gods. They are beautiful and powerful. Centuries have passed. The slopes of Mount Olympus were deserted, the dense forests disappeared. Nobody now believes that gods live on the top of Olympus. People no longer pray to the Olympian gods, just as they do not pray to the gods of the ancient Egyptians. All that remains of the belief in the Olympian gods are legends, or myths, as we call them. By studying the myths of the ancient Greeks, scientists proved that in the images of gods people worshiped powerful forces and formidable natural phenomena that they could not correctly explain.

By studying the mythology of the ancient Greeks, you can learn a lot of useful things. Without knowledge ancient greek mythology you cannot study art, because for many centuries wonderful artists and sculptors, writers and poets of all countries used ancient myths in painting, sculpture, music, and literature.

The Olympian gods spend their time in feasts and entertainment. They can be capricious, cruel, insidious and vindictive. Sometimes they quarrel among themselves. They interfere in people's affairs, participate in their wars, and punish those who dare to violate their will. The Greeks explained rain and drought, sea storms, changing seasons, crop failures, and diseases by the actions of the gods.

The main activities of the Greeks had their own patron gods: Deme true, DionAnd sa, Hephaestus and others. The Greeks made sacrifices to the gods, built temples in their honor, and created legends about them.

The myth of Demeter and her daughter Persephone. Young beauty PersephO on I was picking flowers in the meadow. Suddenly the earth opened up, and the god Hades, the gloomy ruler of the underground “kingdom of the dead,” appeared before her.

O beautiful Persephone! Do not resist the will of Zeus. The king of the gods gave you to me as my wife.

Hades grabbed the frightened maiden, put her on a golden chariot and rode off on fast horses to his underground domain. The shadows of the dead wander there, the rays of the sun do not penetrate there. The entrance to the kingdom of Hades guards Ce rber – a monstrous ferocious dog with three heads and a snake tail.

Persephone's mother, the goddess of agriculture Demeter, plunged into sadness. She is angry with Zeus for giving Persephone to Hades. From Demeter’s melancholy, the ears of arable land dry up, the leaves fly off the trees, the flowers wither, and the grass turns yellow. Hunger threatens all living things.

Zeus became alarmed and sent a messenger of the gods to Hades Herme sa. Wearing golden winged sandals and holding a magic wand in his hand, Hermes appeared in the palace of Hades.

O lord of the dead! Release Persephone to her mother. She will live two thirds of the year on earth and only one third in your terrifying kingdom.

In an instant, Hermes delivered Persephone to her mother. She hugged her beloved daughter Demeter. Because of her joy, flowers bloomed, arable lands and vineyards turned green.

The myth of Prometheus. Once upon a time people lived in dark caves, did not know fire, did not know how to breed livestock and grow useful plants. The terrible Zeus decided to destroy them all. No one dared to resist Zeus, but the grandson of the Earth goddess Prome tey dared: he saved the unfortunate from death. Prometheus taught people to build houses of stone, plow fields on oxen, harness horses to carts, sew strong sails and sail the seas. Thanks to Prometheus, people mastered writing and counting.

Contrary to the prohibition of Zeus, Prometheus stole fire from the forge of his friend the god Hephaestus and brought it to people. Then Zeus ordered Hephaestus to chain the disobedient man to a wild cliff. Cursing his craft as a blacksmith, and feeling compassion for his friend, Hephaestus fulfilled the will of Zeus. Great were the torments of Prometheus: every day an eagle flew to the cliff and pecked at his liver, and during the night it grew back.

Prometheus was saved by his ability to predict the future. At that time, Zeus conceived a new marriage, this time with the sea goddess FetAnd doy. Prometheus revealed to him a fatal secret: Thetis is destined to give birth to a son who will become stronger than his father. Zeus was afraid of losing power and abandoned thoughts of marriage. The torment of Prometheus also ended. By the will of Zeus, his son Hercules shot the eagle, broke the shackles and freed the sufferer. And Thetis married a mortal man and gave birth to the future hero of the Trojan War - Achilles.
The myth of Dionysus and the sea robbers. On deserted shore a young man came out of the sea unprecedented beauty. It was the god Dionysus. He once taught people how to grow grapes and make wine.

A sail was visible in the distance. It was a ship of sea robbers.

Hey, helmsman,” ordered the pirate leader. - Head to the shore! There's a young man. Grab him, tie him up and bring him here!

The order was carried out. But a miracle! The ropes fell from the prisoner's hands.

“Madmen! – the helmsman shouted, “you have captured God!” “Shut up,” the leader interrupted him. “We will sell the young man and be his slave.”

Suddenly, a grape vine entwined the mast, and streams of wine began to gurgle throughout the ship. Instantly Dionysus changed his appearance and appeared in the form of a roaring lion. Out of horror, the pirates jumped into the sea and turned into dolphins.

Only the helmsman was spared by Dionysus.
Myths about Hercules. Here are some of the labors of Hercules, the son of Zeus and a mortal woman.

A lion of monstrous size attacked livestock and people. Hercules went to the mountains in search of a lion. Finally he saw terrible beast with a shaggy mane. Hercules shot three arrows at him from his bow, one after another. But the arrows bounced off the hard skin without harming the predator! The lion roared menacingly and rushed at the brave hero. The club of Hercules flashed like lightning. Stunned by the blow, the lion fell to the ground. Hercules strangled the beast.

Tsar A vgyy promised to give a tenth of his herds to Hercules if he could clear the dirt from the farmyard in just a day: the animals there stood up to their necks in slurry. Hercules, having filled up the beds of two rivers with stones, changed their course. Water flows rushed into the barnyard and carried away all the manure.

The king of the city of Mycenae instructed Hercules to bring three golden apples from magic garden on the edge of the world. On the way, Hercules had to fight an evil strongman Ante eat - son of the earth goddess Ge And. As soon as Hercules threw Antaeus to the ground, his mother gave him new strength. Then Hercules lifted Antaeus into the air and strangled him. A giant stood at the edge of the world AtlA nt and held the vault of heaven on his shoulders. “I will bring apples for you, son of Zeus,” he promised, “and you hold up the sky for me!” A heavy load fell on Hercules’ shoulders, sweat covered his body... Atlas finally returned. He suggested that he himself would take the apples to Mycenae. Pretending to agree, Hercules only wished to make himself a pillow of grass to put on his shoulders. The giant stood in his place, and Hercules took the apples and said: “Farewell, Atlas, only you can hold the firmament!”

1. 
   What natural phenomena are reflected in religious beliefs Greeks? What are people's occupations?
2. 
   Why did the Greeks especially reverence Zeus and Poseidon, but in the religion of the Egyptians there was no god of thunder and lightning, nor a god of the sea?
3. 
   What attracts us to the heroes of the myths about Hercules and Prometheus?
4. 
   Which people, unlike the ancient Greeks, believed in only one God, who created the whole world?