... Zeus was Phidias" gold and ivory colossus at Olympia. Later legends present Zeus in an exalted light. His many affairs with mortals are sometimes explained as the wish of the early Greeks to trace their lineage to him (Zeus). Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto. He is primarily a god of prophecy. He sometimes gave the gift of prophecy to ... respect today, but a supernatural weapon to be feared. We may still fear the power of lightning, but in the ancient world it controlled lives and defined whole cultures. By the Middle Ages, people began to overcome their fear of lightning, or at leas...

• Word Count: 1438
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... lived during the Renaissance period in 16th century England. Although this was a time of change, the Elizabethans still had fixed moral values. "The Chain of Being," a concept inherited from the Middle Ages, can be described as a hierarchy of society, with the monarch at the top and the lowliest peasants at the bottom. Below people were animals, plants and rocks. During the Elizabethan ... was an exceedingly ambitious man, even in relation to what is considered to be ambitious by people in today's society. In the prologue, The Chorus sums up Faustus" background and early life, emphasizi...

• Word Count: 1267
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School