MYTHOLOGY

1. MYTHOLOGY You will create a mini poster today with a picture of the god or goddess of your choice and information about them as well. You can choose from: Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Ares, Athena, Hades, Demeter and Poseidon.

2. ROMAN NAME: VENUS GODDESS OF LOVE AND BEAUTY Aphrodite was so lovely that the Greeks couldn't imagine her being born in the usual way. Instead she sprang from the white beauty of the sea foam. In an odd arrangement, this most beautiful goddess was married to the only ugly Olympian, HEPHAESTUS, the deformed forge god. Some said that ZEUS forced her into the marriage; others, that she chose him herself. Either way, her vows did not stop her from having many affairs. Gods and mortal men found her charms simply irresistible. Whenever on business abroad, Aphrodite was pulled through the sky by a swan-drawn cart. The swan and the dove were both symbols of her grace. In Greece her worship was popular, although the temple priestesses were rumored to be prostitutes. Our word aphrodisiac, a passion-inducing substance, is derived from her name.

3. ARES ROMAN NAME: MARS GOD OF WAR  Ares is the cruelest member of the Olympians, hated by all (even his mother, HERA).  This god is known for his ruthlessness when he has the upper-hand and his cowardice when the tides turn against him.  Even the Greeks disliked this terrible god.  There were no temples to Ares in ancient Greece. APHRODITE, in one of her many infidelities, started an affair with Ares, which was his motivation to fight for the Trojans in the great war.  Martial (having to do with war) and March are coined from his Latin name.

4. ATHENA ROMAN NAME: MINERVA, PALLAS ATHENA GODDESS OF WISDOM AND BATTLE According to one tale, Athena was not actually born, but sprang fully-grown from ZEUS' head. This is symbolic of her distinction as Goddess of Wisdom. Athena's animal was the wisest of birds, the owl. As the leader of the Virgin Goddesses, those who will never marry, Athena refuses to let any man to be her master. When a new city-state was founded, there was a contest between Athena and her uncle POSEIDON over who should be its patron god. The competition was fierce. To win the people over to his side, Poseidon formed the first horse from the crest of a wave. In order to one-up his gift, Athena created the bridle, a tool man could use to subdue Poseidon's creation. Since her gift was the wiser, the city chose Athena as their patron goddess. From this point on the city-state was called Athens.

5. HADES ROMAN NAME: PLUTO, DIS RULER OF THE DEAD, LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD Although he has been presented as one before, Hades is no villain. He is cold and calculating. He keeps to himself, only showing up in myth when he is sought out. Hades is more a recluse than anything else. He has little to do with mortals' lives. Their deaths are a different story. Hades is not Death himself; in other words he is not responsible for deciding when mortals die. A mortal's death is an assembly line: The Fates snip the threads of life, Thanatos (or death) causes the mortal to die, HERMES leads the soul to the banks of the Styx. After the gods defeated their forebearers, the Titans, Hades was presented with a helmet of invisibility and given the Underworld to rule. Hades' Roman name Pluto came from the Greek word for wealth. The god was considered rich because of all the precious metals that are found beneath the earth

6. HERA ROMAN NAME: JUNO GODDESS OF MARRIAGE, QUEEN OF OLYMPUS Hera is usually shown as a crafty schemer and jealous wife. She is the mother of a few of the second generation gods: ARES, HEPHAESTUS, and HEBE.ZEUS and his frequent affairs are enough to keep her busy, punishing his many lovers and cursing his illegitimate children. Even though she cannot protect her own marriage, Hera is labeled as the protector of the institution. Wives with unfaithful husbands could definitely sympathize with her. Hera has a fiery temper and enough venom for her anger to last centuries. Her animal is the cow, and her bird is the peacock. The Romans named June, the season for marriage, after Hera (Juno).

7. ROMAN NAME:  NEPTUNE  BLUE-MANED GOD OF THE SEAS AND OCEANS  Next to his brother ZEUS, Poseidon is the god the Greeks most feared.  As a sea-faring people, they knew the hazards of a stormy sea.  The god was known for his mood swings, violent rage one minute, calm the next--just like the waters he controlled.  In the Trojan War he favored the Greeks because of their love of ship-building, yet legend had it that generations before, he and APOLLO had helped build the walls of Ilium (Troy).  When an earthquake, the Greeks recognized it as the work of Poseidon Earth-shaker.  Poseidon was married to the Daughter of Ocean and commanded the waves with his mighty trident. POSEIDON

8. ROMAN NAME:  JOVE, JUPITER LORD OF THE SKY, RAIN-BRINGER, CLOUD-GATHERER After leading his brother and sister gods in a revolt against their parents, the Titans, Zeus became the unquestioned ruler of the Heavens. His feared weapon is the Thunderbolt, and his palace on Mount Olympus is a place of peace, where all gods are welcome. Zeus is the husband of the goddess HERA, but it's not in his nature to be faithful. Time and time again, he enters into disastrous affairs with other goddesses, nymphs, and mortal women. Zeus is the all-father. Almost all the second generation of gods claim Zeus as their father. Many of the mortal heroes are children of the god as well. Zeus' bird is the eagle. ZEUS

9. ROMAN NAME: CERES GODDESS OF AGRICULTURE The Greeks and Romans felt an extremely strong connection with Demeter. The goddess was responsible for providing them with their sustenance and livelihood. In addition to this, Demeter was one of the few gods who did not reside on Olympus. She lived on earth, where she could be close to those who needed her most. Also unlike the other gods, Demeter's existence was bittersweet. In the fall and winter, she mourned her daughter, PERSEPHONE. Only during the spring and summer was she truly happy. All of these qualities endeared her to her worshipers. Her sacred cult at Eleusis was one of the most popular, and the secrets kept so well that to this day researchers have no clue what their rites consisted of. From Ceres comes our word for grain-based food, cereal. DEMETER

10. Mythology Poster: • Include your god/goddesses Greek and Roman names. • List 5 facts or interesting stories included in the information on the slide. • Draw a representation of your god/goddess. You will not be judged on how well you can draw, but on how much effort you put into your poster.

11. Greek Name: PERSEPHONERoman Name:  PROSERPINE 1. GODDESS OF SPRINGTIME • 2. Persephone was the daughter of ZEUS and his sister DEMETER • 3. Hades stole her • 4. Persephone had to marry Hades • 5. She liked to gather flowers