It’s All Greek to Me!

1. It’s All Greek to Me! Introduction to Greek Mythology

2. Greek Gods • Greek religion was POLYTHEISTIC. • The Greeks created their gods IN THEIR OWN IMAGES. • Greek mythology is largely made up of stories about gods and goddesses, but it CANNOT be read as a Greek Bible.

3. The Greeks believed . . . • The UNIVERSE created the gods. • Before there were gods, Heaven and Earth had been formed. They were the first parents. • The TITANS were their children, and the gods were their grandchildren.

4. TITANS or THE ELDER GODS • Enormous size and incredible strength • CRONUS—ruled over the Titans until his son Zeus dethroned him; Cronus then fled to Italy and brought in the Golden Age, a time of perfect peace and happiness.

5. Other Titans • OCEAN: River that was supposed to encircle the earth • TETHYS: Ocean’s wife • HYPERIOD: Father of the sun, the moon, and the dawn • MNEMOSYNE: Memory • THEMIS: Justice • IAPETUS: Father of Atlas (who bore the world on his soldiers) and Prometheus (who was the savior of mankind) • These gods were NOT banished when Zeus came to power.

6. MT. OLYMPUS • Home to the Twelve Olympians—the children of the Titans • First held to be GREECE’S highest mountaintop • Or maybe a mysterious region far above the mountains of the earth • Entrance was a great gate of clouds kept closed by the Seasons • Inside, the gods lived, slept, feasted on AMBROSIA and NECTAR, and listened to Apollo’s lyre • No wind, no rain, no snow

7. Zeus Poseidon Hades Hestia Hera Ares Athena Apollo Aphrodite Hermes Artemis Demeter (Hephaestus) TWELVE OLYMPIANS(How many did you get?)

8. ZEUS (Jupiter) • Supreme ruler • Wielded the thunderbolt • Not omnipotent nor omniscient • Falls in love with one woman after another (goddesses & mortals) • Will do anything to hide his infidelity from his wife

9. HERA (Juno) • Goddess of marriage and the family • Zeus’ wife and sister • Protector of marriage and heroes • Punishes the many women Zeus falls in love with

10. POSEIDON (Neptune) • God of the seas • Zeus’ brother and second in eminence • Splendid palace beneath the sea • Gave the first horse to man • Controlled storm and calm • “Earth-shaker” • Carries a trident

11. HESTIA (Vesta) • Goddess of the Hearth • Zeus’ sister • Virgin-goddess • Protector of newborn children

12. HADES (Pluto) • Ruler of the Underworld and the Dead • Zeus’ brother and third in eminence • God of Wealth (precious metals hidden in the earth) • Rarely left his dark realm • His wife is Persephone—carried her away from earth and made her Queen of the Underworld

13. HERMES (Mercury) • Zeus’ messenger—Messenger between gods and mortals • Son of Zeus and Maia (daughter of Atlas) • Graceful and swift • Winged sandals • Master thief

14. Great Gods of Earth • Demeter (Ceres): • Goddess of fertility; Goddess of Grain and Agriculture; Harvest; This god is a woman because women tended to the crops while men were hunting and fishing

15. ATHENA (Minerva) • Goddess of Wisdom • Daughter of Zeus alone—sprang from Zeus’ head • Battle-goddess; fierce and ruthless • Goddess of the City • Zeus’ favorite child

16. APHRODITE (Venus) • Goddess of Love and Beauty • Child of Zeus and Dione • Sprung up from the sea foam • Beautiful and golden • Soft and weak • Wife of Hephaestus

17. ARES (Mars) • God of War • Son of Zeus and Hera • Hateful • Lover of Aphrodite • SYMBOL: vulture

18. ARTEMIS (Diana) • Goddess of the hunt • Daughter of Zeus and Leto • Apollo’s twin • Maiden goddess of Olympus • Lady of Wild Things; Goddess of the Moon • SYMBOLS: moon, deer

19. APOLLO (PHOEBUS) • God of Healing • God of Light • God of Truth • Son of Zeus and Leto • Master musician, plays on his golden lyre • Archer-god • Wears a laurel on his head • Carries the sun across the sky in his golden chariot

20. HEPHAESTUS (Vulcan, Mulciber) • God of Fire and Craftsmen (blacksmith) • Son of Hera and Zeus • Ugly, has a limp • Kind, peace-loving • Popular on earth and in heaven

21. Lesser Gods of Olympus EROS (Cupid): God of Love; Aphrodite’s companion and son; naughty boy, archer-god PAN: Earth god of woods and fields, half man and half goat; Hermes’ son

22. NYMPHS: beautiful young goddesses of nature • Dryade: Nymph of the woods • FATES: Three goddesses who control mortal destiny • Clotho (spinner of thread of life), Lachesis (disposer of lots), Atropos (cut thread of death) • MUSES: Nine goddesses of the arts; Daughter’s of Zeus and Mnemosyne • Clio (history) Urania (astronomy), Melpomene (tragedy), Thalia (comedy), Terpsichore (dance), Calliope (epic poems), Erato (love poems), Polyhymnia (songs to Gods), Euterpe (lyrical poems) • NEREIDS: Daughters of Poseidon • GRACES: daughters of Zeus who represented beauty

23. IRIS: Goddess of the rainbow; messenger • Queen PERSEPHONE: Daughter of Demeter’ was abducted by Hades and made queen of the Underworld • AEOLUS: King of the Winds • North Boreas (Aquilo) • West Zephyr (Favonius) • South Notus (Auster) • East Eurus • SIRENS: Lured sailors to their death with singing

24. CLASSICAL ALLUSIONS, or references to aspects of Greek mythology, can be spotted in almost any piece of reputable literature.