Greek Gods and Greek Gods and GoddessesGoddesses

Mrs. ButlerMrs. Butler

20122012

Characteristics of a MythCharacteristics of a Myth

Stories that are passed down from Stories that are passed down from generation to generationgeneration to generation

May explain natural phenomena May explain natural phenomena EX: seasonal changes, fire, floods, EX: seasonal changes, fire, floods,

sun in the skysun in the sky Involve gods/goddessInvolve gods/goddess MythologyMythology: : a collection of mythsa collection of myths

Greek MythologyGreek Mythology

Used in Ancient Greece to explain Used in Ancient Greece to explain human behavior and things that human behavior and things that happened in the natural world. (1100 happened in the natural world. (1100 b.c.) b.c.)

It was (and is) ReligionIt was (and is) Religion Multiple gods and goddessesMultiple gods and goddesses 12 main gods and goddesses12 main gods and goddesses

With ‘stories’ With ‘stories’ Live on Mt. OlympusLive on Mt. Olympus

AphroditeAphrodite Goddess of love, Goddess of love,

fertility and beautyfertility and beauty Born from the sea Born from the sea

foam in the oceanfoam in the ocean Most beautiful of all Most beautiful of all

the goddessesthe goddesses Daughter of ZeusDaughter of Zeus Married to Married to

Hephaestus but cheats Hephaestus but cheats on him with Areson him with Ares

Symbol: doveSymbol: dove

ApolloApollo God of truth, light God of truth, light

prophesy and musicprophesy and music Son of Zeus and LetoSon of Zeus and Leto Brother of ArtemisBrother of Artemis Portrayed as a young Portrayed as a young

man (beardless)man (beardless) Symbols: lyre Symbols: lyre

(musical instrument), (musical instrument), bow and arrowbow and arrow

AresAres God of war and God of war and

violenceviolence Son of Zeus and HeraSon of Zeus and Hera Handsome and cruelHandsome and cruel Usually wearing Usually wearing

armorarmor Symbol: bloodstained Symbol: bloodstained

spear and armorspear and armor Sat on a throne made Sat on a throne made

of human skinof human skin

ArtemisArtemis Virgin goddess of the Virgin goddess of the

hunt and the moonhunt and the moon Daughter of Zeus and Daughter of Zeus and

Leto – Sister of ApolloLeto – Sister of Apollo She was born first and She was born first and

helped her mother helped her mother deliver Apollodeliver Apollo

Usually depicted Usually depicted wearing buckskins wearing buckskins and carrying a bow and carrying a bow and arrow and arrow

AthenaAthena Goddess of wisdom, Goddess of wisdom,

battle and the citybattle and the city Athens was named Athens was named

for herfor her Born from the head Born from the head

of Zeusof Zeus Usually portrayed as Usually portrayed as

a young woman with a young woman with a shield and helmeta shield and helmet

Helped many heroes, Helped many heroes, including Odysseus including Odysseus in their adventuresin their adventures

Symbols: owl, armorSymbols: owl, armor

DionysusDionysus

God of wine and God of wine and partiesparties

Son of Zeus and Son of Zeus and Semele (mortal Semele (mortal woman)woman)

Out of jealousy, Hera Out of jealousy, Hera kills Semele and kills Semele and Zeus saves DionysusZeus saves Dionysus

Symbol – grapes and Symbol – grapes and winewine

HephaestusHephaestus God of crafts – God of crafts –

Blacksmith GodBlacksmith God The only lame and The only lame and

ugly godugly god Son of Zeus and HeraSon of Zeus and Hera His mother threw him His mother threw him

out of heaven because out of heaven because he was uglyhe was ugly

Married AphroditeMarried Aphrodite Created Pandora’s boxCreated Pandora’s box Symbols: Crab, anvilSymbols: Crab, anvil

ZeusZeus King of the Gods, ruler King of the Gods, ruler

of Earth and Mount of Earth and Mount OlympusOlympus

Married to Hera, but Married to Hera, but constantly cheats on constantly cheats on herher

Son of Cronus and Son of Cronus and RheaRhea

Zeus locked his father Zeus locked his father away under the away under the mountainsmountains

Symbol: Lightning Symbol: Lightning BoltBolt

HermesHermes Messenger of the GodsMessenger of the Gods Son of Zeus and a Son of Zeus and a

nymphnymph Aided Odysseus on his Aided Odysseus on his

journeyjourney Guided souls to the Guided souls to the

UnderworldUnderworld Hermes wore magic Hermes wore magic

sandals and a helmet of sandals and a helmet of darknessdarkness

Symbol: staff made of Symbol: staff made of willow and snakeswillow and snakes

PoseidonPoseidon God of the SeaGod of the Sea Brother of Zeus and Brother of Zeus and

HadesHades Son of Cronus and RheaSon of Cronus and Rhea Battled against Battled against

Odysseus in Odysseus in The The OdysseyOdyssey

Ability to shift shapes, Ability to shift shapes, sometimes changed into sometimes changed into a horsea horse

Symbols: horse and Symbols: horse and tridenttrident

HeraHera

Sister and wife of Sister and wife of ZeusZeus

Daughter of Cronus Daughter of Cronus and Rheaand Rhea

Goddess of marriageGoddess of marriage Beautiful goddessBeautiful goddess Often portrayed as Often portrayed as

petty and unforgivingpetty and unforgiving Symbols: peacock Symbols: peacock

and pomegranateand pomegranate

HadesHades Hades (refers to the god and name of the Hades (refers to the god and name of the

underworld)underworld) God of the UnderworldGod of the Underworld Brother of Zeus and PoseidonBrother of Zeus and Poseidon Parents – Rhea and CronusParents – Rhea and Cronus Symbol – Cerberus (3 headed dog)Symbol – Cerberus (3 headed dog) Abducted Persephone and made her his queenAbducted Persephone and made her his queen

because the girl had tasted of the food of because the girl had tasted of the food of Hades--a handful of pomegranate seeds--she Hades--a handful of pomegranate seeds--she was forced to forever spend a part of the year was forced to forever spend a part of the year with her husband in the underworld. Her with her husband in the underworld. Her annual return to the earth in spring was annual return to the earth in spring was marked by the flowering of the meadows and marked by the flowering of the meadows and the sudden growth of the new grain. Her the sudden growth of the new grain. Her return to the underworld in winter, conversely, return to the underworld in winter, conversely, saw the dying down of plants and the halting of saw the dying down of plants and the halting of growth. growth.

HadesHades

DemeterDemeter goddess of grain, growing, goddess of grain, growing,

nourishes the green earth, nourishes the green earth, brings forth fruit and brings forth fruit and grains from the earthgrains from the earth

Persephone’s mom Persephone’s mom Daughter of Cronus and Daughter of Cronus and

Rhea (Sister to Zeus and Rhea (Sister to Zeus and Hades)Hades)

wearing a wreath of wearing a wreath of braided ears of corn braided ears of corn

Symbol – torch (searcSymbol – torch (search h for Persephone)for Persephone)

HestiaHestia Hestia is the Greek goddess Hestia is the Greek goddess

of the hearth fire, hence of the hearth fire, hence presiding over domestic life. presiding over domestic life.

She is the eldest sister of She is the eldest sister of Zeus and the oldest daughter and the oldest daughter of Rhea and Cronus. of Rhea and Cronus.

tended the sacred fire in the tended the sacred fire in the hall on the Olympus hall on the Olympus

Swore by the head of Zeus to Swore by the head of Zeus to remain a virginremain a virgin

Symbol – donkey and pigSymbol – donkey and pig

The HumansThe Humans

OdysseusOdysseus

Also called Ulysses Also called Ulysses King of IthacaKing of Ithaca Called to war Called to war

against Troy which against Troy which lasted 10 yearslasted 10 years

Brains over brawn; Brains over brawn; very clever and very clever and sneakysneaky

Athena and Athena and Hermes Hermes

http://Troy video

PenelopePenelope

Odysseus’ wifeOdysseus’ wife She waits and She waits and

waits for Odysseus waits for Odysseus to returnto return

Puts off marrying Puts off marrying again but making a again but making a tapestrytapestry

TelemachusTelemachus

Odysseus’ sonOdysseus’ son Born shortly before Born shortly before

Odysseus leaves Odysseus leaves for warfor war

Leaves to try to Leaves to try to find father when find father when he is a teenagerhe is a teenager