Jupiter and his Mighty Folk had not always dwelt amid the clouds on the mountaintop. In times long past, a wonderful family called Titans had lived there and had ruled over all the world. There were twelve of them-six brothers and six sisters-and they said that their father was the Sky and their mother the Earth. They had the form and looks of men and women, but they were much larger and far more beautiful.
The name of the youngest of these Titans was Saturn; and yet he was so very old that men often called him Father Time. He was the king of the Titans, and so, of course, was the king of all the earth besides.
Men were never so happy as they were during Saturn's reign. It was the true Golden Age then. The springtime lasted all the year. The woods and meadows were always full of blossoms, and the music of singing birds was heard every day and every hour. It was summer and autumn, too, at the same time. Apples and figs and oranges always hung ripe from the trees; and there were purple grapes on the vines, and melons and berries of every kind, which the people had but to pick and eat.
Of course nobody had to do any kind of work in that happy time. There was no such thing as sickness or sorrow or old age. Men and women lived for hundreds and hundreds of years and never became gray or wrinkled or lame, but were always handsome and young. They had no need of houses, for there were no cold days nor storms nor anything to make them afraid.
Nobody was poor, for everybody had the same precious things-the sunlight, the pure air, the wholesome water of the springs, the grass for a carpet, the blue sky for a roof, the fruits and flowers of the woods and meadows. So, of course, no one was richer than another, and there was no money, nor any locks or bolts; for everybody was everybody's friend, and no man wanted to get more of anything than his neighbors had. 'Minerva & Saturn Protect Art & Science' by Joachim von Sandrart When these happy people had lived long enough they fell asleep, and their bodies were seen no more. They flitted away through the air, and over the mountains, and across the sea, to a flowery land in the distant west. And some men say that, even to this day, they are wandering happily hither and thither about the earth, causing babies to smile in their cradles, easing the burdens of the toilworn and sick, and blessing mankind everywhere.
What a pity it is that this Golden Age should have come to an end! But it was Jupiter and his brothers who brought about the sad change.
It is hard to believe it, but men say that Jupiter was the son of the old Titan king, Saturn, and that he was hardly a year old when he began to plot how he might wage war against his father. As soon as he was grown up, he persuaded his brothers, Neptune and Pluto, and his sisters, Juno, Ceres, and Vesta, to join him; and they vowed that they would drive the Titans from the earth.
Then followed a long and terrible war. But Jupiter had many mighty helpers. A company of one-eyed monsters called Cyclopes were kept busy all the time, forging thunderbolts in the fire of burning mountains. Three other monsters, each with a hundred hands, were called in to throw rocks and trees against the stronghold of the Titans; and Jupiter himself hurled his sharp lightning darts so thick and fast that the woods were set on fire and the water in the rivers boiled with the heat.
Of course, good, quiet old Saturn and his brothers and sisters could not hold out always against such foes as these. At the end of ten years they had to give up and beg for peace. They were bound in chains of the hardest rock and thrown into a prison in the Lower Worlds; and the Cyclopes and the hundred-handed monsters were sent there to be their jailers and to keep guard over them forever.
Then men began to grow dissatisfied with their lot. Some wanted to be rich and own all the good things in the world. Some wanted to be kings and rule over the others. Some who were strong wanted to make slaves of those who were weak. Some broke down the fruit trees in the woods, lest others should eat of the fruit. Some, for mere sport, hunted the timid animals which had always been their friends. Some even killed these poor creatures and ate their flesh for food.
At last, instead of everybody being everybody's friend, everybody was everybody's foe.
So, in all the world, instead of peace, there was war; instead of plenty, there was starvation; instead of innocence, there was crime; and instead of happiness, there was misery.
And that was the way in which Jupiter made himself so mighty; and that was the way in which the Golden Age came to an end.
A glorious Golden Age persists during the reign of Kronos/Saturn and the Titans. Humans on Earth are happy. No one grows sick or hungry, fights, or commits crimes. When done with life, people float away to a flowery western land. The peaceful Golden Age ends when Saturn's own children, the one-eyed Cyclopes, and the hundred-handed monsters overthrow the Titans and Zeus/Jupiter becomes the new ruler. Zeus/Jupiter imprisons the Titans in the Lower Worlds and appoints the Cyclopes and hundred-handed monsters as jailers. People grow dissatisfied, destroying their lands, killing the animals for food, and waging war against one another.
Vocabulary
Golden Age: A period of happiness, peace, prosperity, and/or great progress. Titan(s): 1) The twelve children of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth) who ruled during the Golden Age. 2) A moon of Saturn. Kronos/Saturn: The god of fertility and agriculture. Associated with death and old age and called Father Time. Hera/Juno: The queen of the gods who sits at the side of Jupiter. Demeter/Ceres: Goddess of agriculture, grain, and fertility. Hestia/Vesta: Goddess of hearth, home, and family. Cyclopes: A one-eyed giant from Greek and Roman mythology. Foe: An enemy.
Enrichment
Activity 1: Recite the Book Information
Recite the name of the author, the title of the book, and the title of the chapter.
Activity 2: Narrate the Story
Narrate the events aloud in your own words.
Activity 3: Study the Story Picture(s)
Study the story picture(s) and verbally describe the relation to the story.
Activity 4: Map the Story
Find Greece on the map of Europe.
Activity 5: Playact Kronos/Saturn
Pretend you are Kronos/Saturn.
Watch over the people on the Earth during the Golden Age. Everyone is happy and peaceful.
React to Zeus/Jupiter overthrowing you. Watch out for that hundred-handed monster!
Enact being imprisoned in the Lower Worlds.
Now watch the people of the Earth. Everyone is angry and fighting.
Activity 6: Listen to Kronos/Saturn's Composition
Gustav Holst's suite, 'The Planets,' contains seven movements that capture the spirit of the seven planets in our solar system, their associated mythological gods, and their astrological signs.
Listen to 'Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age' by Gustav Holst.
Reflect on how this particular musical piece reflects the nature of Kronos/Saturn the god.
Activity 7: Complete Written Narration
Click the crayon above, and complete page 187 of 'Fourth Grade Prose: Written Narration, Dictation, and Review Questions.'
Activity 8: Complete Copywork and Dictation
Click the crayon above, and complete pages 187-188 of 'Fourth Grade Prose: Written Narration, Dictation, and Review Questions.'
Activity 9: Match the Greek and Roman Names
Click the crayon above, and complete page 188 of 'Fourth Grade Prose: Written Narration, Dictation, and Review Questions.'
Activity 10: Color the Mythological Character and the Celestial Body
Click the crayon above, and complete page 189 of 'Fourth Grade Prose: Written Narration, Dictation, and Review Questions.'
Activity 11: Answer Written Review Questions
Click the crayon above, and complete page 190 of 'Fourth Grade Prose: Written Narration, Dictation, and Review Questions.'
Review
Question 1
Who are the Titans?
1 / 9
Answer 1
The Titans are the gods who ruled during the Golden Age.
1 / 9
Question 2
Describe Kronos/Saturn.
2 / 9
Answer 2
Youngest of the Titans, but still very old, people often call Kronos/Saturn 'Father Time.'
2 / 9
Question 3
What is the Golden Age?
3 / 9
Answer 3
Humans on Earth are happy. No one grows sick or hungry, fights, or commits crimes.
3 / 9
Question 4
What is life like for the Gods and humans under Kronos/Saturn and the Titans?
4 / 9
Answer 4
Life is peaceful and happy.
4 / 9
Question 5
Who leads the overthrow of Saturn and the Titans?
5 / 9
Answer 5
Saturn's son, Zeus/Jupiter, leads the overthrow of Saturn and the Titans.
5 / 9
Question 6
Who helps Zeus/Jupiter overthrow the Titans?
6 / 9
Answer 6
The Cyclopes, the hundred-handed monsters, and Zeus/Jupiter's brothers and sisters help Zeus/Saturn overthrow the Titans.
6 / 9
Question 7
Who wins in the war between the Titans and Zeus/Jupiter?
7 / 9
Answer 7
Zeus/Jupiter and his allies defeat the Titans.
7 / 9
Question 8
What does Zeus/Jupiter do with the Titans after his victory?
8 / 9
Answer 8
Zeus/Jupiter imprisons the Titans in the Lower Worlds and appoint the Cyclopes and hundred-handed monsters as jailers.
8 / 9
Question 9
What happens on Earth when Zeus/Jupiter becomes ruler of the gods?
9 / 9
Answer 9
People grow dissatisfied, destroy their lands, kill the animals for food, and wage war against one another.
Who are the Titans?
The Titans are the gods who ruled during the Golden Age.
Describe Kronos/Saturn.
Youngest of the Titans, but still very old, people often call Kronos/Saturn 'Father Time.'
What is the Golden Age?
Humans on Earth are happy. No one grows sick or hungry, fights, or commits crimes.
What is life like for the Gods and humans under Kronos/Saturn and the Titans?
Life is peaceful and happy.
Who leads the overthrow of Saturn and the Titans?
Saturn's son, Zeus/Jupiter, leads the overthrow of Saturn and the Titans.
Who helps Zeus/Jupiter overthrow the Titans?
The Cyclopes, the hundred-handed monsters, and Zeus/Jupiter's brothers and sisters help Zeus/Saturn overthrow the Titans.
Who wins in the war between the Titans and Zeus/Jupiter?
Zeus/Jupiter and his allies defeat the Titans.
What does Zeus/Jupiter do with the Titans after his victory?
Zeus/Jupiter imprisons the Titans in the Lower Worlds and appoint the Cyclopes and hundred-handed monsters as jailers.
What happens on Earth when Zeus/Jupiter becomes ruler of the gods?
People grow dissatisfied, destroy their lands, kill the animals for food, and wage war against one another.
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