Greek and Roman MythologyThe Principal Gods and Goddesses

What is a myth?A traditional story rooted in primitive folk beliefs of culturesUses the supernatural to interpret natural eventsExplains the cultures view of the universe and the nature of humanity

In the beginning...was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)Chaos had two children:Night (darkness)Erebus (death)All was black, empty, silent, endless.Mysteriously, Love was born of darkness and death.

And then...When Love was born, order and beauty began to flourish.Love created Light and Day.Earth was created.She was the solid ground, but also a personality.The Earth bore Heaven to cover her and be a home for the gods.

The First ParentsMother Earth = Gaea (Gaia)Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus)They had three kinds of children:Three monsters with 100 hands and 50 headsThree cyclopesThe titansThese were the first characters that had the appearance of life, although it was unlike any life known to man.

The Titans (The Elder Gods)There were many of them.Enormous size, incredible strengthCronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titansRhea: Wife of CronosOcean: River that encircled the worldIapetus: Father of Prometheus,Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)

The Principal GodsCronos and Rhea were parents ofZeus (Jupiter, Jove)Poseidon (Neptune)Hades (Pluto)Hera (Juno)Hestia (Vesta)Demeter (Ceres)Other Olympians includeAthena (Minerva)Ares (Mars)Hebe (Juventas)Hephaestus (Vulcan)Apollo (Apollo)Artemis (Diana)Hermes (Mercury)Aphrodite (Venus)Dionysus (Bacchus)Persephone

The Olympians

ZeusRoman Name: Jupiter (also Jove)Supreme god of the Olympians.Fathered many characters in mythology

Zeus

HeraRoman Name: JunoZeuss sister and wifeJealous protector of marriagePunished the women Zeus fell in love with

PoseidonRoman Name: NeptuneGod of the Seas and WatersThe Earthshaker

HadesRoman Name: PlutoGod of the Underworld/ DeadKidnapped Persephone

HestiaRoman Name: VestaGoddess of HomePowerful Protector

DemeterRoman Name: CeresGoddess of the HarvestA Goddess of the Earth

AthenaRoman Name: MinervaGoddess of Wisdom and WarSprang from Zeuss head

AresRoman Name: MarsGod of WarSon of Zeus and HeraBloodthirsty and merciless

HephaestusRoman Name: Vulcan (Mulciber)God of Fire/ForgeSon of Zeus and HeraKind, unlike his brother

ApolloRoman Name: ApolloGod of Light/Sun and MusicBrother of Artemis

ArtemisRoman Name: DianaGoddess of the Moon/ HuntSister to Apollo

HermesRoman Name: MercuryMessenger of the GodsAppears in more myths than any other character

AphroditeRoman Name: VenusGoddess of Love and BeautySprang from the ocean foam

DionysusRoman Name: BacchusGod of WinePatron god of the Greek stageA God of the Earth

PersephoneRoman Name: ProserpinaGoddess of the UnderworldDaughter of Zeus and DemeterAbducted by Hades

HebeRoman Name: JuventasGoddess of YouthCupbearer to the GodsRestored youth to the aged

ErosRoman Name: CupidYoung God of LoveSon of Aphrodite and Hephaestus

IrisGoddess of the RainbowMessenger for Zeus and HeraDaughter of the titan Thaumus and the nymph Electra

The MusesNine daughters of Zeus and MnemosyneInspired artists of all kindsGoddesses who presided over the arts and sciencesHe is happy whom the muses love.Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Polyhymnia

The GracesThree Goddesses of Grace and BeautyThey give life its bloom.Aglaia (Splendor)Euphrosyne (Mirth)Thalia (Good Cheer)

The Erinnyes (The Furies)Roman Name: Furiae or Dirae (The Furies)Three Goddesses of VengeanceTisiphoneAlectoMegaeraThey punish evildoers.

The FatesRoman Name: Parcae, MoiraeThree sistersClotho (The Spinner)Lachesis (The disposer of lots)Atropos (The cutter)They weave, measure, and cut the thread of life for humans.

The SatyrsGods of the woods and mountainsShepherd godsGoat men (like Pan)Companions of DionysusThey like to drink, dance, and chase nymphs.

The GorgonsThree snake-haired monstersMedusa is most well-knownTheir look turns men to stone.

The CentaursHalf man, half horseSavage creatures (except Chiron)Followers of Dionysus

http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.htmlhttp://www.pantheon.org/http://www.messagenet.com/myths/http://mythman.com/http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.htmlhttp://www.paleothea.com/http://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/myth.html

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