Greek Gods and Religion

Science and Religion in Schools Project - Unit 3b

Who were the Greek gods?

• A pantheon of gods and goddesses living on Mount Olympus

• Zeus, the supreme god, was god of the sky• Poseidon was god of the sea and• Hades was god of the underworld

The other Olympians were Aphrodite (Love), Apollo (Prophecy), Ares (War), Artemis (The Hunt), Athena (Arts and Crafts), Demeter (Agriculture), Dionysus (Wine), Hephaestus (Fire), Hera (Marriage), and Hermes (Messenger of the Gods),

There were also lesser gods like Eros, heroes like Achilles and mythical beings like the Muses, Centaurs and Satyrs.

Family Tree

Uranus [Heaven] Gaia [Earth]

Hestia

Hades

Poseidon

Zeus DemeterHera

Iapetus

AtlasEpimetheus

Prometheus

DioneMaia

Zeus

Aphrodite

Zeus

Hermes

Persephone

Ares Hebe Hephaestus

Athena

Chronus Rhea Coeus Phoebe Oceanus Tethys

Apollo Artemis

LetoZeus

The Olympians are in yellow

What were they like?

The gods lived in a central stronghold on Mount Olympus ruled over by Zeus rather like a kingdom. Each god had a function or job. They fought battles,and granted favours to mortals but could also bring disaster.

How did the gods interactwith the world?

Each of the gods was connected withparticular aspects of life. For example, the goddess Athene was connected with childbirth, the production of olives and the crafts. In Athens, where ceramics was a major industry, she was regarded as caring for all the workers in the city and the community as a whole. So the gods offered protection and guidance.

Greek beliefs about creation

Although Zeus is the main god he was not a ‘creator’ god and there are no real myths of creation from ancient Greece. Instead the more naturalistic explanations of creation by Greek philosophers were commonly accepted. Man was believed to have been made from clay by the minor craftsman god Prometheus.

Greek beliefs about the universe

The gods (immortal) and humans (mortal) lived in different realms. There was, however, a land of perfect happiness at the ends of the earth where favoured mortals lived for ever. It was called Elysium. But there was also the underworld, the world of the dead, ruled over by Hades.

Greek myths

Homer’s epic poem ‘the Iliad’ tells the story of Achilles and the Trojan war while his ‘Odyssey’ is about Odysseus. These Greek heroes win glory by adventure and war. They show us what potential there is for the human mind and spirit to explore far beyond the limitations of ordinary, everyday experience.

Greek Gods and Religion

Science and Religion in Schools Project - Unit 3b