Greek MythologyBy Steve Gibbs

In the VERY beginning

Chaosfrom which all things stem

GaeaMother Earth

TartarusUnderworld

ErosLove and Passion

Erebus – UnknowablePlace whereDeath dwells

Night

UranusThe Heavens

• Gaea and Uranus, heavens and earth, brother and sister, married.

The Ancient Ones

Chaos

UranusHeavens

GaeaEarth

TitansCyclopesone-eyed

Hecatonchires100-arms

Cronus Rhea Phoebe Oceanus Tethys

• Uranus was ashamed of his deformed children, so he condemned the Cyclops and the Hecatonchires to Tartarus, a dark dungeon below the earth.

• Gaea convinced her son Cronus to castrate his father.

Cronus castrates his father• And tosses his genitals into the

sea (“Ouch!”)• From the blood sprang forth the

furies, goddesses of vengeance against patricide

furies

Cronus castrates his father• From the froth and turbulent

foam, rose Aphrodite, the goddess of love

• (aka Venus on the half shell)

                       

Titans breed Olympians

R h eaW ife an d S is te r

A th en a

Z eu s

A p h rod ite

H era

H ep h aes tu s

H es tia

H erm es

D em eter

A rt im u s

P ose id on

A p o llo

H ad es

C ron u sR u le r o f th e U n ive rse

Cronus, fearing one of his children may rebel against him, decides to eat them.

• He eats Hera, Poseidon, Hestia, Demeter, and Hades

• When Zeus’s turn comes, Rhea wises up.• She hides Zeus in Crete and Zeus is raised by

nymphs and feeds on goats’ milk

Cronus, fearing one of his children may rebel against him, decides to eat them.

• However, Cronus becomes suspicious.• To allay his suspicion, Rhea pretends

to breast feed Zeus.• Her milk spills out into the heavens to

form the

Milky WayMilky Way

Zeus grew up to avenge his brothers and sisters

• With Rhea’s help, Zeus slips Cronus a potion that makes him throw up Hestia, Demeter, Hades, Poseidon, and Hera

• Zeus frees the Cyclops and the Hecatonchires• The Olympians go to war against the Titans in

the famous

CLASH of the TITANS

Zeus and the Olympians win

• Cronus and the other Titans are sent to Tartarus and Zeus divides the world up with his brothers and sisters.

• Poseidon draws a long straw and rules the sea• Hades draws the short straw and rules hell• Demeter becomes goddess of the harvest• Hestia becomes goddess of the hearth• Hera becomes the goddess of marriage and protector of

married women

Zeus and the Olympians win• Cronus and the other Titans are sent to Tartarus and

ZEUS MARRIES HIS SISTER HERA AND RULES THE HEAVENS

•HOWEVER….

Zeus, having been raised by nymphs

• Has a penchant for seducing beautiful women, goddesses and MORTAL women

• He comes to earth many times disguised and pounces on many women, some willing, some not.

Girlfriends of Zeus

Metis, Themis, Europa, Io, Semele, Ganymede, Callisto, Maia, Dione,

This is how ZEUS becomes such an important figure to the ancient Greeks

• Many Greeks liked to believe that they were the illegitimate sons of Zeus.

• Many important and wealthy Greeks were raised to believe Zeus was their daddy.

• The common folk tended to believe these stories and gave reverence and power to the supposed descendents of Zeus

Greek to Roman name changesZeus = Jupiter -- Captain of Gods

Poseidon = Neptune God of the Sea

Hades = Pluto -- God of the Underworld

Hera = Juno -- Goddess of Marriage/Queen of Gods

Athena = Minerva -- Goddess of Education/Science/Virginity

Aphrodite = Venus -- Goddess of Love/Beauty

Hecatonchires