the olympians

The OlympiansThe Olympians

The First GenerationThe First Generation

The Children of Kronos & RheaThe Children of Kronos & Rhea

• Zeus (Latin: Jupiter, Jove)

• Poseidon (Latin: Neptune)

• Hades (Latin: Pluto)

• Hera (Latin: Juno)

• Demeter (Latin: Ceres)

• Hestia (Latin: Vesta)

Zeus’ ChildhoodZeus’ Childhood

• Amaltheia– Goat– Nursed Zeus

• Sacrificed => made into aegis

• Aegis produces:– Thunder– Fear

• Often used by Athena

Zeus’ PowerZeus’ Power

• Artistic representations:– Lightning– Scepter– Throne– Eagle

British Museum, Vase E313Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg

Zeus as Supreme RulerZeus as Supreme Ruler

• “Kings come from Zeus.” (Hesiod, Theogony line 97)

• Zeus + Themis (“Divinely Right”)– Eunomia (“Good Law”)– Dike (“Justice”)– Eirene (“Peace”)

• The transgression of order = injustice

Zeus as Supreme BegetterZeus as Supreme Begetter• “Father of gods and men”• Zeus’ wives (according to Hesiod):

1. Metis (“Intelligence”)• Athena

2. Themis• the Seasons (Eunomia,

Dike, and Eirene) & theFates

3. Eurynome• the Graces

4. Demeter• Persephone

5. Mnemosyne• the Muses

6. Leto• Apollo and Artemis

7. Hera• Ares, Hebe (Youth),

Eileithyia (Childbirth)

MetisMetis

• “Intelligence”• Daughter of Okeanos• Destined to bear next the successor to

cosmic power– Zeus swallows Metis: suppression– Metis bears Athena, equal to Zeus in power

(but female)• Cannot now conceive a second child

– Metis is now a part of Zeus

Zeus: Large and in ChargeZeus: Large and in Charge

• Most powerful

• Defeats Kronos (and Typhoeus)

• Most powerful because... he is oldest(?!?!)– His siblings only “existed” after he released

them from Kronos

Tripartite DivisionTripartite Division

“Since we are three brothers born by Rheia to Kronos,Zeus, and I, and the third is Hades, lord of the dead men.All was divided among us three ways, each given his domain.I when the lots were shaken drew the grey sea to live inforever; Hades drew the lots of the mists and the darkness,and Zeus was allotted the wide sky, in the cloud and the bright air.But earth and high Olympos are common to all three.”

(Homer, Iliad 15.187–93, transl. Lattimore)

DodonaDodona

• Oracle of Zeus– Answers from:

• Rustling of oak leaves?• Doves?• Cauldrons and tripods?

• Oak trees and leaves areanother symbol of Zeus Zeus Keraunios

(discovered at Dodona)

Athens, National MuseumX 16546

DodonaDodona

Photo: Kim SheltonPhoto: Kim Shelton

OlympiaOlympia

OlympiaOlympia

OlympiaOlympia

PoseidonPoseidon

• Artistic representations:Artistic representations:– TridentTrident– Sea creaturesSea creatures

• AmphitriteAmphitrite

• Monstrous sonsMonstrous sons• UncontrollableUncontrollable

strengthstrength– HorsesHorses– EarthquakesEarthquakes

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 01.8070

Poseidon’s Horse: the Poseidon’s Horse: the HippocampHippocamp

British Museum, Vase B428British Museum, Vase B428

Temple of Poseidon at Temple of Poseidon at SounionSounion

Temple of Poseidon at Temple of Poseidon at SounionSounion

Temple of Poseidon at Temple of Poseidon at SounionSounion

HadesHades

Artistic depictions:Artistic depictions: ScepterScepter CornucopiaCornucopia RoosterRooster

British Museum, Vase E82

British Museum,Vase E82

HeraHera

• Goddess of marriage

• hieros gamos

“So speaking, the son of Kronos caught his wife in his arms. Thereunderneath them the divine earth broke into young, freshgrass, and into dewy clover, crocus and hyacinthso thick and soft it held the hard ground deep away from them.There they lay down together and drew about them a goldenwonderful cloud, and from it the glimmering dew descended.”

(Homer, Iliad 14.345– 51, transl. Lattimore)

Hera and Zeus’ ChildrenHera and Zeus’ Children

• Ares– God of war

• Hephaistos– Lame smith god– In some accounts, son of Hera alone

• Hebe (Youth)

• Eileithyia– Goddess of childbirth

Heraion at ArgosHeraion at Argos

Heraion at SamosHeraion at Samos

British Museum, Vase E140

DemeterDemeter

Demeter ~ Zeus

Persephone

~Poseidon

Despoina ~ Hades

• Eleusis• Kourotrophos: “Nurturer of children”• Pomegranates = Marriage

PROPERIMPROPER

HestiaHestia

• Goddess of the hearthGoddess of the hearth• Rarely in Greek mythRarely in Greek myth• Very important in RomeVery important in Rome