Reading 01

The lives of the Ancient Greeks revolved around
eris, a concept by which they defined the universe.
They believed that the world existed in a
condition of opposites. If there was good, then
there was evil, if there was love, then there was
hatred; joy, then sorrow; war then peace; and so
on. The Greeks believed that good eris occured
when one held a balanced outlook on life and
coped with problems as they arose. It was a kind
of ease of living that came from trying to bring
together the great opposing forces in nature. Bad
eris was evident in the violent conditions that
ruled men’s lives. Although these things were
found in nature and sometimes could not be
controlled, it was believed that bad eris occurred
when one ignored a problem, letting it grow
larger until it destroyed not only that person,
but his family as well. The Ancient Greeks saw
eris as a goddess: Eris, the Goddess of Discord,
better known as Trouble.
One myth that expresses this concept of
bad eris deals with the marriage of King Peleus
and the river goddess Thetis. Zeus, the supreme
ruler, learns that Thetis would bear a child strong
enough to destroy its father. Not wanting to
father his own ruin, Zeus convinces Thetis to
marry a human, a mortal whose child could
never challenge the gods. He promises her,
among other things, the greatest wedding in all of
Heaven and Earth and allows the couple to invite
whomever they please. This is one of the first
mixed marriages of Greek Mythology and the
lesson learned from it still applies today. They do
invite everyone . . . except Eris, the Goddess of
Discord. In other words, instead of facing the
problems brought on by a mixed marriage, they
turn their backs on them. They refused to deal
directly with their problems and the result is
tragic. In her fury, Eris arrives, ruins the wedding,
causes a jealous feud between the three major
goddesses over a golden apple, and sets in place
the conditions that lead to the Trojan War. The
war would take place 20 years in the future, but
it would result in the death of the only child of
the bride and groom,Achilles. Eris would destroy
the parents’ hopes for their future, leaving the
couple with no legitimate heirs to the throne.
Hence, when we are told, “If you don’t
invite trouble, trouble comes,” it means that if we
don’t deal with our problems, our problems will
deal with us . . .with a vengeance! It is easy to see
why the Greeks considered many of their myths
learning myths, for this one teaches us the best
way to defeat that which can destroy us.

1. According to the passage, the ancient
Greeks believed that the concept of eris
defined the universe
a. as a hostile, violent place.
b. as a condition of opposites.
c. as a series of problems.
d. as a mixture of gods and man.

2. Most specifically, bad eris is defined in
the passage as
a. the violent conditions of life.
b. the problems man encounters.
c. the evil goddess who has a golden apple.
d. the murderer of generations.

3. It can be inferred that Zeus married Thetis
off because
a. he needed to buy the loyalty of a great king of mankind.
b. he feared the gods would create bad eris by competing over her.
c. he feared the Trojan War would be fought over her.
d. he feared having an affair with her and, subsequently, a child by her.

4. It can also be inferred that Zeus did not fear a
child sired by King Peleus because
a. he knew that the child could not climb Mt. Olympus.
b. he knew that the child would be killed in the Trojan War.
c. he knew that no matter how strong a mortal child was, he couldn’t overthrow an immortal god.
d. he knew that Thetis would always love him above everyone else.

5. According to the passage, Achilles
a. defeated Zeus during the Trojan War.
b. dies during the Trojan War.
c. was born 20 years after the war because of the disruption Eris caused at the wedding.
d. was the illegitimate son of Peleus.

5. Which of the following statements is the message offered in the myth?
a. Do not consider a mixed marriage.
b. Do not anger the gods.
c. Do not ignore the problems that arise in life.
d. Do not take myths seriously.