Roman Mythology

Roman MythologyA Brief Overview of the MajorGods and GoddessesFamily Tree

JupiterGreek Name: Zeus

Parents: Saturn and Ops (Cronos and Rhea)

Symbols: Lightning Bolt (gift from the Cyclops). Eagle (symbol of power). Aegis (shield). Oak Tree.

Domain: God of the Heavens. King of gods and mortals. Weather God.Jupiter - MythsJupiter overthrew his father and went to war with the Titans.We learned about this when we talked about Saturnalia.

Callisto turns her and her child into bears. They become associated with the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

Jupiter - MythsHad three wives (many mistresses) and several children:Titan Metis MinervaThemis Three Seasons, Three FatesJuno Mars and VulcanCeres ProserpinaLeto Apollo and DianaMaia MercuryAffairs with mortal women (children are Heroes, not gods):Leda Helen and PolluxSemele Bacchus (exception to the not Gods rule)Alcmene HerculesJupiter

JunoGreek Name: Hera

Parents: Saturn and Ops (Cronos and Rhea)

Symbols: PeacockCowCalled Cow-Eyed or Big-Eyed

Domain: Queen of gods and mortals. Goddess of marriage and childbirth (ironic!!!).

Juno - MythsJealous of Jupiters many mistresses and their children.

Tries to kill Hercules.

Hates the Trojans and Aeneas.Constant rivalry with Venus.

Curses Echo for lying tricking her to protect Jupiters mistresses.Juno - MythsHad several children with Jupiter:Mars (God of War)Hebe (Goddess of Youth)Eileithyia (Goddess of Childbirth)Vulcan (God of Metal-Working) some myths say she had him on her own.

She liked to punish the women that Zeus had an affair with.Juno

NeptuneGreek Name: Poseidon

Parents: Saturn and Ops (Cronos and Rhea)

Symbols: Trident (3-pronged spear) Horse

Domain: God of the Sea (Earth-Shaker). God of Earthquakes. Hippios (Horse-God). God of storm and calm.

Neptune - MythsCreated the horse and other sea animals.

Contest with Athena for the city of Athens.

King Minos and the minotaur.Sent King Minos and bull Minotaur

Neptune - MythsMarried to Amphitrite Triton (Ariels dad)

Had many affairs with other goddesses and mortal women. Had LOTS of children:VenusCeresVestaAffair with Medusa Pegasus.Father of the Cyclops.ANGRY at Odysseus!!!

Neptune

PlutoGreek Name: Hades

Parents: Saturn and Ops (Cronos and Rhea)

Symbols: Invisibility Helmet. Scepter (ruler of the Underworld). Grain (fertility). Rooster (fertility). Cerberus (three-headed dog).

Domain: God of the Underworld. God of the Dead. God of Wealth.

Pluto - MythsRape of Prosperina takes her to the Underworld to be his Queen.This myth explains why we have different seasons.

Orpheus and Eurydice Eurydice is taken to the Underworld. Orpheus sings for Hades to get his wife back. On their way out of the Underworld, he loses her forever.

Brothers Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto drew lots to see who would rule the Sky/Earth, the Sea, and the Underworld.Pluto

MinervaGreek Name: Athena

Parents: Jupiter and (Metis)

Symbols: Aegis (shield) Owl (called Owl-Eyed). Olive Tree. Nike (winged-victory)

Domain: Patron Goddess of the city of Athens. Goddess of wisdom, crafts, and agriculture, and war. Helper of Heroes. Virgin Goddess (1 of 3).

Minerva - MythsSprung fully-grown and armed from Jupiters head.He swallowed his pregnant wife Metis.One day he got a terrible headache and either Mercury or Vulcan cracked his head open with an axe and Minerva popped out.Because of her birth, Minerva claims to have no mother.

Contest with Neptune for the city of Athens. She won because she brought them an olive tree.

Spinning contest with Arachne.Arachne boasted that she could weave a tapestry better than Athena could.Minerva turned Arachne into a spider.Minerva

ApolloGreek Name: Apollo (easy, huh!)

Parents: Jupiter and Leto (twin brother of Diana)

Symbols: Sun. Lyre. Dolphin and Crow. Laurel Tree. Bow & Arrow.

Domain: God of medicine, music, archery, prophecy. God of light and truth. Romans associated him with the Sun God (Helios).

Apollo - MythsKills the Python.Temple at Delphi many people went there to get prophecies from his priestesses.

Cupid hits him with an arrow to make him fall in love with Daphne. She turns into a Laurel Tree (which then becomes his symbol).

Cassandra he cursed her for not marrying him.Apollo

DianaGreek Name: Artemis

Parents: Jupiter and Leto (twin sister of Apollo)

Symbols: Moon. All animals are sacred to her (especially deer and baby animals). Silver Bow & Arrow.

Domain: Goddess of the hunt, archery, chastity, childbirth. Romans associated her with the Moon Goddess (Selene). Virgin Goddess (2 of 3).

Diana - MythsActeon watches her bathe so she turns him into a stag and his own dogs hunt and kill him.

Niobe she boasts that she has 14 children, while Leto only has 2. Apollo and Artemis killed all her children as punishment.Diana

MercuryGreek Name: Hermes

Parents: Jupiter and Maia

Symbols: Winged Shoes and Hat. Caduceus (Staff with Two Serpents).

Domain: Messenger of the Gods. God of Travellers and Crossroads. God of Thieves. Trickster God. Guides dead souls to Hades.

Mercury - MythsOn his first day, he stole Apollos herd of cattle. Apollo gets angry at him. Zeus demands that Hermes give something to Apollo in repayment.

Lyre he invented the lyre and gave it to Apollo.

Rescued the infant Bacchus.

Took Eurydice from Orpheus and led her to Hades.Mercury

VenusGreek Name: Aphrodite

Parents: Ouranos OR Jupiter and Dione

Symbols: Golden Belt. Dove and Swan. Myrtle Tree.

Domain: Goddess of Love and Beauty. Very Beautiful.

Venus - MythsTwo different myths about her birth:Homers Iliad: daughter of Zeus and Dione.Hesiods Theogeny: Ouranos was castrated and his genitals fell into the sea. She was born from the foam that was created.

Won the golden apple that started the Trojan War.

Venus - MythsMarried to Vulcan (unhappy marriage she was beautiful, he was ugly).

Affair with Trojan Anchises Aeneas.

Affairs with many beautiful men, including Adonis.

Had a longstanding and not-very-secret affair with Mars Cupid, Deimos, Phobus.Vulcan caught them and made fools of them.Venus

MarsGreek Name: Ares

Parents: Jupiter and Juno

Symbols: Armor (helmet, spear, sword, shield). Vulture and Wolf/Dog.

Domain: God of War (brutal). Handsome, but not very bright. Romans also viewed him as an Agricultural God.

Mars - MythsHad a longstanding and not-very-secret affair with Venus Cupid, Deimos, Phobus.Vulcan caught them and made fools of them.

Father of Romulus and Remus.Mars

VulcanGreek Name: Hephaestus

Parents: Juno and (Jupiter)

Symbols: Fire. Hammer.

Domain: God of Fire and Metalworking. Blacksmith. Very Ugly.

Vulcan - MythsThrown out of Heaven by Juno because he was ugly and lame. Jupiter brought him back.

Unhappy marriage with Venus.

Golden Net he knew Venus and Mars were having an affair, so he created an invisible golden net to catch them in the act. All the gods laughed at Venus and Mars.Vulcan

VestaGreek Name: Hestia

Parents: Saturn and Ops (Cronos and Rhea)

Symbols: Hearth (Fireplace).

Domain: Goddess of the Hearth and Home. Virgin Goddess (3 of 3). Very important goddess to the Romans.

Vesta - MythsEach city had a hearth to get fire. Each home had a hearth as well.

Vestal Virgins Priestesses who vowed to remain virgins for 30 years. If they broke their vow, they were buried alive (kind of a big deal).Vesta

CeresGreek Name: Demeter

Parents: Saturn and Ops (Cronos and Rhea)

Symbols: Corn, Wheat, Grain. Crane.

Domain: Goddess of Grain, Harvest, Agriculture.

Ceres - MythsRape of Proserpina She is so sad when Pluto kidnaps her daughter that nothing will grow while she is gone (explains the different seasons).Ceres

ProserpinaGreek Name: Persephone

Parents: Jupiter and Ceres

Symbols: Pomegranate (fertility). Torch. Crown (Queen of the Underworld).

Domain: Goddess of the Underworld / Queen of the Dead.Proserpina - MythsRape of Proserpina: Pluto abducted her to the Underworld. He tricked her into eating a pomegranate so she would be forced to stay there.

Ceres and Pluto made a deal:2/3 of the year she would stay on Earth with her mother (crops grow).1/3 of the year she would stay in the Underworld with Pluto (no crops grow).

This myth explains the different seasons.Proserpina

BacchusGreek Name: Dionysus

Parents: Jupiter and Semele

Symbols: Grapes and Grape Vines. Wine. Fawn Skin. Staff with Ivy Leaves and Pinecones.

Domain: God of Grapes and Wine. God of Intoxication and Revelry. God of the Wilderness of Nature.

Bacchus - MythsCalled Twice-Born His mother Semele was incinerated by a lightning bolt. Zeus took the baby and sewed him into his thigh to be born.

Because Semele was mortal, not everyone considered him to be a god.

Often accompanied by Meanads / Bacchants and Satyrs (1/2 man/goat).Had wild and crazy rituals called orgia.

Bacchus - MythsKidnapped by Pirates They didnt believe that he was a god. He turned them into Dolphins.

Pentheus, Agave and the Women of Thebes Agave and the women were participating in Bacchus rituals. Pentheus was spying on them, so they tore him apart & ate him.

Daughters of Minyas didnt participate in his rituals so he turned them into bats.

Moral of These Stories DONT underestimate Bacchus.Bacchus - MythsKing Midas He discovered Silenus (Bacchus BFF) and returned him to Bacchus.Bacchus rewarded him by giving him the gift of the Golden Touch.

Ariadne Theseus abandoned her on an island. Bacchus fell in love with her and made her immortal.Bacchus

bacchus