The Odyssey by Homer

The Odysseyby Homer Greek Mythology Gods & Goddesses

What is Mythology? • An organized collection of stories (i.e., "myths") by which we explain our beliefs and our history. • Beneath the story-lines, myths usually confront major issues such as the origin of humanity and its traditions, and the way in which the natural and human worlds function on a profound, universal level. • Other myths seem merely to narrate the deities' daily activities -- their love affairs and pleasures, their jealousies and rages, their ambitions and schemes, and their quarrels and battles.

Myths, Legends, Folktales & Fables • We commonly use the word "myth" interchangeably with the following terms: • 1.Legends. Do not have religious or supernatural content. Legends emphasize the story more than the significance of the story. An example of a legend is the tale of Atlantis. • 2.Folklore. Generally known to be fictitious; often told only within a limited geographical area . Examples include the stories of Paul Bunyan and Rip Van Winkle from early American history. • 3.Fables. Acknowledged to be fictional -- certainly when the characters include talking animals. A fable's emphasis is on a "moral."

Mythology serves many purposes • 1.Myths grant continuity and stability to a culture. They foster a shared set of perspectives, values, history. Through these tales, we are connected to one another, to our ancestors, to the natural world surrounding us, and to society; and, in the myths which have universal (i.e., archetypal) themes, we are connected to other cultures. • 2.Myths present guidelines for living. When myths tell about the activities and attitudes of deities, the moral tone implies society's expectations for our own behaviors and standards. • 3.Myths justify a culture's activities. Myths establish a culture's customs, rituals, religious tenets, laws, social structures, power hierarchies, territorial claims, arts and crafts, holidays and other recurring events, and technical tips for hunting, warfare, and other endeavors.

Purposes cont. • 4.Myths give meaning to life. We transcend our common life into a world in which deities interact with humans, and we can believe that our daily actions are part of the deities' grand schemes. When we read that a particular deity experienced something which we are now enduring -- perhaps a struggle against "evil forces" -- we can feel that our own struggle might have a similar cosmic or archetypal significance, though on a smaller scale. • 5.Myths explain the unexplainable. They reveal our fate after death, and the reasons for crises or miracles, and other puzzles. Myths also satisfy our need to understand the natural world (especially important before the advent of modern science). • 6.Myths offer role models. In particular, children pattern themselves after heroes; comic books and Saturday-morning cartoons depict many archetypal characters, such as Superman and Wonder Woman. Adults, too, can find role models, in the stories of deities' strength, persistence, and courage.

The Gods & Goddesses of Mount Olympus • The Olympians were the twelve (and as many as fourteen) most important ruling gods and goddesses who lived high above the clouds on majestic Mount Olympus, partying and plotting lurid intrigues. • Among these children of Cronus and Rhea, was Zeus, King of the Olympians, who ruled the Heavens. His brother Hades presided over the Underworld, and the other brother, Poseidon, had dominion over the Seas. Hera, sister and wife to Zeus, along with Demeter and Hestia, were the rest of the original six siblings. • The offspring of Zeus made up the bulk of the Olympians. These consisted of the goddess of Wisdom, Athena, who had sprung full-grown from his forehead; Apollo, god of Prophecy and Healing, and his twin sister Artemis, goddess of the Hunt; Hermes, the clever and mischievous Messenger god; and eventually Dionysus, the ever-popular god of Wine.

Zeus • Zeus is the supreme god and ruler of Olympus. To the ancient Greeks, he became the undisputed master of the universe, and as the source of all heavenly manifestations, he caused rain, drought, good weather and bad weather. He commanded tempests and created storms, and nobody dared challenge his fearsome thunderbolts. • Zeus was the sixth child born to Cronus and Rhea. Cronus, ruler of the Titans and the supreme god at the time, was warned by an oracle that one of his own children would overthrow him, just like he overthrew his father, Uranus. To prevent this from happening he swallowed his first five children as each was born to Rhea.

Zeus overthrows Cronus • This, of course, infuriated Rhea and when Zeus was born she tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock wrapped in blankets. Cronus foolishly swallowed the stone and thought himself safe. Then Rhea sent the baby to Gaea (Mother Earth) who secretly took Zeus to be raised on the island of Crete, away from his unsuspecting father. • Zeus tricked his way into becoming the cup-bearer to his father Cronus and with his mother Rhea and the Titaness Metis's help he slipped his father a drink which made him disgorge the swallowed siblings of Zeus. The children of Cronus attacked their father, and it was a furious battle, but at last Hades, wearing his helmet of invisibility, snuck up behind Cronus, Poseidon rendered him immobile with his trident, and Zeus struck him dead with his thunderbolt.

Zeus ~ King of the Gods • The three brothers then drew lots to determine who gets what. • Zeus drew the heavens and became supreme ruler. • Poseidon became the god of the sea and Hades the ruler of the Underworld. The earth remained common ground.

Hera • Hera was the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. • The Seasons were her nurses, which is a way of saying that Hera was a goddess of the calendar year. • Following the Olympians' overthrow of their father Cronus, she became Zeus’ wife. But she didn't do so willingly, and in fact she rejected his advances when he courted her. • Zeus finally resorted to trickery in order to win her over, and transformed himself into a sad-looking cuckoo, soaked from a sudden thunderstorm. Hera did not see through his disguise, took pity on this poor creature and held it in her bosom to warm it. Resuming his true shape, Zeus then used the opportunity to ravish her and in shame she agreed to marry him. • The wedding feast was a huge and momentous bash and all the gods brought wonderful gifts for the new couple. In particular, Gaea (Mother Earth) gave Hera a tree with golden apples, which she placed in her orchard on Mount Atlas.

Hera ~ Queen of the Gods • To them were born the gods Ares, Hephaestus , Hebe, and Eilithyia. • Hephaestus is said to be her son alone, created when she got angry at Zeus for giving birth alone to Athena from his head. In disgust at the sickly and ugly child she had birthed, Hera flung Hephaestus from Olympus. • When Hephaestus grew up and was convinced to return to Mount Olympus and to regain his rightful place among the gods, he crafted a mechanical chair with arms that folded and imprisoned the sitter. Thus trapping his mother, he made her swear an unbreakable oath by the River Styx that indeed she alone gave birth to him, and that he had no father.

Hera rebels against Zeus • Her personality was not as attractive, for she was frequently petty, cruel and vindictive, and in myths is most often shown administering some sort of revenge on one of Zeus’ lovers or his illegitimate children. Her mythological role is usually that of jealous wife and shrew. • When Zeus was young, he drove his wife so mad with his antics that she convinced the other gods to join in a revolt against her husband. Her part was to drug Zeus until he was unconscious, and she did so successfully. The scheming gods then took away the King of the Olympians' fearsome thunderbolts and bound the sleeping Zeus with rawhide thongs to a couch, taking care to tie 100 strong knots so that he could not move. • They had not, however, planned what to do next and began to quarrel over who would take Zeus’ place. Their leader awoke and threatened his wife and the other mutineers with certain death unless they immediately released him, but they had placed his thunderbolts out of reach and just laughed at him.

Zeus defeats Hera • The hundred-handed Briareus, whom Zeus had freed from the prison of Tartarus, overheard the arguments and snuck into the palace. Still full of gratitude to Zeus, Briareus was more than happy to come to his master's aid and, using every hand at once, was able to quickly untie the many knots. Before the quarrelsome gods knew what was happening, Zeus sprang from the couch and grabbed his thunderbolts. As the gods fell to their knees begging and pleading for mercy, he seized Hera and hung her from the sky with gold chains. • To further punish her, Zeus tied heavy anvils on her feet to weigh her down. In excruciating pain she moaned and groaned all night but none of the others dared to help her. For four days and nights she was suspended from the sky, but her loud weeping kept Zeus from falling asleep and finally he agreed to release her if she would swear to never again rebel against him. She had little choice but to agree. • Hera was the goddess of marriage and protector of married women.

Athena ~ Goddess of Wisdom • Athena is Zeus’ daughter and his favorite child. In popular myth, and in accounts related by her own priests, she is said to have no mother, because she sprang full grown and in full armor from her fathers head. • Athena’s mother was Metis; Zeus came to lust after her, and wasted no time in pursuing her in his direct way. Metis wanted nothing to do with Zeus and tried to escape as best she could, going so far as to change her form many times, turning into various creatures such as hawks, fish, and serpents. But Zeus was both determined and equally proficient at changing form. Refusing to be denied he continued his pursuit until she relented. • An Oracle of Gaea (Mother Earth) then prophesied that Metis' first child would be a girl, but her second child would be a boy that would overthrow Zeus as had happened to his father (Cronus) and his grandfather (Uranus). Zeus took this warning to heart. When he next saw Metis he flattered her and put her at her ease, then with Metis off guard Zeus suddenly opened his mouth and swallowed her. This was the end of Metis but, possibly the beginning of Zeus's wisdom, for many claim that Zeus really had no brains until he swallowed his wife.

Zeus has a headache • After a time Zeus developed the mother of all headaches. He howled so loudly it could be heard throughout the earth. • The other gods came to see what the problem was. Hermes realized what needed to be done and directed the smiths god, Hephaestus, to take an axe and split open Zeus's skull. • Out of the skull sprang Athena, full grown and in a full set of armor. • The very ancient Greeks believed that men were solely responsible for conception of a child, and the woman’s only role was to carry it until it was born, that's why Metis is not given any credit for Athena birth.

Athena ~ Zeus’s favorite child • Athena was perhaps the most recognizable of the gods. • She was always depicted with her unmistakable helmet and the ever-present spear. • Because she was Zeus’ favorite she was allowed to use his weapons and armor, including the awful aegis (a shield) and even his thunderbolts. • Her shield was also very distinctive: after Perseus defeated the gorgon Medusa, Athena affixed its head to her shield.

Poseidon ~ Ruler of the Sea • Poseidon is the ruler of the sea, a powerful god in Greek mythology who is often called the "Earth-shaker." • Son of Cronus and Rhea – brother to Zeus and Hera. • Poseidon was very powerful, second only to Zeus himself. Equal to Zeus in dignity, though not in power, he was reputed to be a surly and quarrelsome figure.

Poseidon ~ Ruler of the Sea • Poseidon at once got busy constructing a magnificent palace beneath the sea. • Splendid white chariot horses with brazen hooves and golden manes lived in the palace's spacious stables and an awesome golden chariot was always ready to transport the sea god about. • At the approach of Poseidon's chariot, storms and foul weather would cease, and sea monsters would rise from the depths, playfully frisking around it like friendly dolphins.

Poseidon marries Amphitrite • The union of Poseidon and Amphitrite produced three children: Triton, Rhode and Benthesicyme. But, like his brother Zeus, Poseidon wasn't a very faithful husband and engaged in numerous affairs with goddesses, nymphs, and even mortals. • Understandably jealous, Amphitrite punished many of her husband's lovers, just like Hera did to her husband Zeus' women. • She was particularly upset with Poseidon's infatuation with Scylla, gorgeous daughter of Phorcys, and was determined to punish her. Amphitrite threw magical herbs into Scylla's bathing pool, and when the woman took her bath, at once she transformed into a barking monster with six heads and twelve feet.

Hades ~ God of the Underworld • Hades is Zeus' brother and ruler of the Underworld and the dead. He was also called Pluto - God of Wealth - because the precious metals buried deep in the earth were in his kingdom. Another reason that the people called him Pluto is because they did not like to pronounce the dreaded name of Hades. • Because of his dark and morbid personality he was not especially liked by neither the gods nor the mortals. • His character is described as "fierce and inexorable", and by far of all the gods he was most hated by mortals. • He was not however an evil god, for although he was stern, cruel and unpitying, still he was just. Hades ruled the Underworld and therefore most often associated with death and was feared by men, but he was not Death itself - The actual embodiment of Death was another god, Thanatos.

The Land of the Dead • Hades ruled the dead, assisted by demons over whom he had complete authority. He strictly forbade his subjects to leave his domain and would become quite enraged when anyone tried to leave, or if someone tried to steal his prey from him. Very few people ever visited the Underworld and were permitted to leave - In Homer's Iliad, we are told that Heracles (Hercules) was forbidden by Hades to enter his kingdom, but the great Greek hero wounded Hades with an arrow and attained victory. • Besides Heracles, few other living persons ventured to the Underworld: Achilles, Odysseus, Aeneas, and Theseus are among those heroes who descended to Hades while they were still living. None of them was especially pleased with what they witnessed in the realm of the dead.

Hades marries Persephone • The wife of Hades, and queen of the Underworld, was Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter . Persephone did not marry Hades willingly, but was abducted by him one day while picking flowers with her friends. Even Zeus was powerless to get her out of the Underworld when her mother Demeter asked him to act on her behalf. • Eventually a deal was made, with the messenger god Hermes acting as the mediator - Persephone would spend half the year with her mother, the goddess of the harvest. The Greeks believed that while Persephone was with Hades, her mother missed her so much that she withdrew her gifts from the world and winter came. In the spring, when Persephone rejoined her mother, Demeter would make things grow again. • According to some, Persephone eventually became as cruel as her husband.

Aphrodite • The irresistible Aphrodite was the ancient Greek goddess of Beauty and Love, Fertility and Desire. • There are two accounts of her birth. In the Iliad, Homer said that she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione. But later myths and poems say that the goddess of Love had risen from the sea foam on a seashell after Cronus tossed Uranus’ severed genitals there. Her name was thus explained as "foam-risen" coming from the Greek word 'Aphros', which means 'foam'. • Both in modern and ancient times, the picture that poets, writers and artists liked to paint of her was of beauty and happiness; the winds flee before her and the storm clouds; sweet flowers embroider the earth; the waves of the sea laugh; she moves in radiant light. Without her there is no joy nor loveliness anywhere.

Aphrodite marries Hephaestus • Although the later poems talked about her beauty and sweetness, they usually showed her other side as well, for she was treacherous and malicious, often exerting a destructive and deadly power over men. Through this control she gained quite an influence, both on earth and in heaven. It was said that when she spoke, even Zeus listened...after all, the King of the Olympians was notorious for succumbing to Love's temptations. • The lame god of the forge and metalworking, Hephaestus, was her husband, although he was the only god to be physically ugly. It was an arranged marriage - Some say that when Aphrodite first arrived on Mount Olympus, Zeus was struck by her beauty and radiance and he was certain that the other gods would fight for her affections. So he awarded Aphrodite to the most dependable and steady deity, Hephaestus. • Her husband did his best to please his gorgeous bride, continuously creating and designing new golden jewelry and furniture to please her. In addition to her irresistible looks Aphrodite had a magical golden girdle, made by Hephaestus, that when worn compelled anyone she wished to desire her.

Aphrodite and Ares • Up on Mount Olympus, Aphrodite sat on a silver throne, inlaid with beryls and aquamarines, with a back shaped like a scallop shell, soft swan's down covering the seat, and a golden mat for her feet that was embroidered with golden bees, apples and sparrows. Once a year she would visit Paphos, on the island of Cyprus, to swim in the sea for good luck and to rejuvenate herself. • Opposite Aphrodite sat the god of war, Ares, and the two had an ongoing notorious love affair that scandalized all of Olympus. Ares and Aphrodite were always holding hands and giggling in the corners of the palace, which made her husband Hephaestus very jealous. He even fashioned an invisible net and captured the two lovebirds one time, but when he assembled the Olympians to render judgment, they wanted nothing to do with punishing them. Zeus even told Hephaestus that he was stupid to make such a golden girdle for his wife, and that he shouldn't be surprised that men could not resist her.

Ares • Ares was the God of War - the son of Zeus and Hera, both of whom, Homer says, detested him. He is hateful throughout the Iliad although it is a poem of war; rarely do soldiers in the Iliad "rejoice in the delight of Ares’ battle," but far oftener they were happy to "escape the fury of the ruthless god." Homer calls him murderous, bloodstained, the incarnate curse of mortals and, strangely, also a coward; who bellows with pain and runs away when wounded. • Ares had an impressive escort when on the battlefield, his sister Eris (Discord), her son Strife, Phobos (Alarm), Metus (Fear), Demios (Dread), Pallor (Terror) as well as the Goddess of War, Enyo (Bellona in Latin). These attendants, or sometimes said to be his children, sympathized with his quarrelsome tastes and were delighted to follow his lead into battle; as they moved the voice of groaning arose behind them and the earth streamed with blood. • Ares loved the battle and found delight in the toils and dangers of war. No gentle deeds of kindness were ever expected from him; no loving prayers were ever addressed to him; and the people had no affection for him, but rather shuddered with terror at the mention of his name.

Athena beats Ares…2x • Athena, a far more skilled fighter than Ares, has twice beaten him in battle; and once the gigantic sons of Aloeus conquered and kept him imprisoned for thirteen months until, half-dead, he was released by Hermes. Another time Heracles (Hercules) sent him running in fear back to the safety of Olympus. • But Ares rarely appears in mythology, and he has no distinct personality like most other important gods, he was little more than a symbol of war. Ares was generally represented in a brilliant suit of armor, a plumed helmet on his proud young head, a poised spear in one muscular hand and a finely wrought shield on the other. There were no Greek cities where he was worshipped. His bird was the vulture and his animal was the dog.

Hephaestus • Hephaestus was the God of Fire and the Forge, the smith, craftsman and weapon maker of the gods. He was the son of Zeus and Hera. • Of all the gods, Hephaestus was the only one to be physically ugly, and he was also lame (cannot walk). But of all the gods, it was the deformed Hephaestus who created the greatest works of beauty. • There are two slightly different accounts of how he became lame. One version is that Hera was so upset at having an ugly child that she flung him off Mount Olympus and into the sea, breaking his legs in the process. • The other version is that Hephaestus tried to, and almost did, free his mother when Zeus punished her by hanging her on a golden chain between heaven and earth; and Zeus, in anger in at his son’s interference, hurled him off Olympus himself.

Apollo • Apollo and his twin sister Artemis were the children of Zeus and the TitanessLeto. Apollo is one of the most important deities of both the Greek and Roman religion, immortalized throughout the centuries by countless poets, writers and artists. • Prophecy, Archery and Music were his domains. He is a beautiful figure in Greek poetry, the master musician who, along with his "choir", the Nine Muses, delights the gods of Olympus with his golden lyre at their royal banquets. • He is the Archer-god, master of the silver bow and can rain down death with his deadly arrows. But he is also the god of Light - In all the Olympian gods, like in mortal men, there is a continuous struggle between good and evil, their light and dark sides, whatever the proportion of one to the other might be; it must be noted that in Apollo there was almost no darkness at all, his primitive and cruel side was shown only briefly and in very few myths. • He is also the god of Truth - legend has it that no false word ever fell from his lips, and he foretold the future with the same unerring accuracy as that of his arrows.

Artemis • Artemis and her twin brother Apollo were the children of Zeus and Leto. They were born on the island of Delos because Hera, jealous of her husband's love for the woman, had refused Leto to give birth on either terra firma or on an island out at sea. The only place safe enough to give birth was Delos because Delos was a floating island. • Some versions of the twins' birth state that Artemis was born one day before Apollo. Then the next day, Artemis helped Leto to cross to the island of Delos, and aided Leto with the delivery of Apollo. • Like her brother, she has the power to send plagues or sudden death among mortals, and also to heal those who please her. Artemis loves to hunt and she is the lady of the forest and all the wild things, as well as the Huntsman-in-chief to the gods, an unusual position for a woman. She protects little children and all baby animals. • Like Apollo she hunts with a silver bow and silver arrows, made for her by the Cyclopes. They had been told by Zeus to do whatever she commanded of them, and Artemis had instructed these great smiths to create a splendid silver bow and a quiver full of arrows. • She also had her dark side, showing her as fierce and vengeful warrior. For example, although she is the protector of the young, she kept the Greek Fleet from sailing to Troy, until Iphigenia, a royal maiden, daughter of the Commander in Chief Agamemnon was sacrificed to her. All because the Greek soldiers killed one of the creatures, a hare, together with her young. On the other hand, when women died a quick and painless death, they were said to have been slain by Artemis’ silver arrows.

Hermes • Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia, daughter of the Titan Atlas. He is the fastest of the gods, and his position was as messenger to Zeus and all the other gods. • He was also the Divine Herald, the solemn guide who knew the road to hell and would lead the souls of the dead down to the Underworld, after Thanatos (Death) did his job. • Hermes is also the Greek god of Commerce and the Market, and thus the patron of traders, merchants and thieves. His distinguishing qualities were cunning, ingenuity, knowledge and creativity. • His realm included Gymnastics; he was the patron of all gymnastic games in Greece, and gymnasia were under his protection. The Greek artists derived their ideal of the god from the gymnasium and thus they represented Hermes as a handsome youth with beautiful limbs harmoniously developed by athletic exercises and gymnastic excellence.

Demeter • Demeter was the goddess of Corn and the harvest. She was the first to gather the corn, prepare and preserve it, and to instruct mankind how to sow it. • She is usually portrayed as serious and dignified, dressed plainly in a long robe. The beloved goddess of the harvest brought to humans the cultivation of grain (wheat and barley) which, according to one legend, allowed them to stand upright. • She was the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea and thus Zeus’ sister. Along with Dionysus (god of Wine) Demeter was one of the two most important gods in the everyday lives of people. While many other gods did little to help mortal people unless it suited their needs, these two were truly mankind’s best friends. What also made them very different from other gods, was that they were the only two to have known and felt suffering and true grief, while the other gods for the most part lived happy and blissful lives, feasting on nectar and ambrosia up on lofty Mount Olympus.

Hestia • Goddess of family and peace. • Hestia is the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea and the sister of Zeus. This firstborn of the Olympians is the goddess of fire, particularly the hearth, the symbol of the house around which a newborn child is carried before it's received into the family. The center of Greek life was the domestic hearth, which was also used as a sacrificial altar. Hestia, as the goddess of the hearth, represented personal security and happiness, and the sacred duty of hospitality. • She is one of the three virgin goddesses, although both Apollo and Poseidon wooed her as rival suitors following the dethronement of Cronus by Zeus. Hestia at that time swore by Zeus's head to remain a virgin forever and Zeus rewarded her efforts to keep peace among the two gods by awarding her the first offering of every public sacrifice. • Her temples were circular and served by virgin priestesses who dedicated their lives to her. Each city also had a public hearth sacred to Hestia, where the fire was never allowed to go out.

The Odyssey by Homer