The Gods and The Gods and GoddessesGoddesses

Greek and Roman MythologyGreek and Roman Mythology

Sophomore English

What is Greek Mythology?• The people of ancient Greeceshared stories called mythsabout the gods, goddesses,and heroes

• Each god or goddess wasworshipped as a deity andruled over certain areas ofthe Greeks’ lives.

• These exciting storiesexplained natural phenomenathat could not be explainedby science in the ancientworld.

First Gods

Uranus – the sky

falls in love with

Mother Earth – Gaea

Their children represent the

forces of nature.

The Titans

Represent the forces of natureRepresent the forces of natureearthquakes, storms, tornadoesearthquakes, storms, tornadoes

Titan Rulers

• Cronos marries Rhea

• 11stst children – ugly and misshapen children – ugly and misshapen• Cronos sends to TartarusCronos sends to Tartarus

22ndnd children children– HestiaHestia– HadesHades– PoseidonPoseidon– HeraHera– DemeterDemeter– ZeusZeus

Prophecy – Cronos will be overthrown by one of his children, just as he overthrew his father.

•Cronos swallows each of his children as they are born.•Because they are immortal, they exist within him.

•Sixth child, ZeusRhea - tires of losing her children -gives Cronos a stone to swallow-gives Cronos a stone to swallow -hides Zeus on earth.-hides Zeus on earth. -when grown, Zeus challenges Cronos for the throne-when grown, Zeus challenges Cronos for the throne

Olympic gods

• Zeus frees the hundred-handed ones and the cyclops from Tartarus

• They force Cronos to disgorge Zeus’s brothers and sisters

• The six brothers and sisters form the basis of the Olympic Gods

Zeus – ruler of the sky

Ruler of the Olympic Gods

Married to Hera, his sister

Symbol – lightning bolt

Poseidon – ruler of the sea

2nd to Zeus

Palace beneath the sea

Married to Amphitrite - daughter of old sea god, Neros

Chariot pulled by white horses

Called the Earthshaker

Symbol - trident

Hera – goddess of marriage, queen of the gods

Married to Zeus, her brother

Jealous disposition

Symbol - peacock

Athena – goddess of intellect

Strategy in war Patron of cities Arts and crafts Sprang fully grown

from Zeus’s head “gray eyed goddess” Symbols– spear,

helmet, owl

Athena’s Birth

Zeus suffered from pounding headachesHephaestus struck his head openAthena emerged fully armed

Athena and Arachne

Arachne was famous in town for being a very skillful weaver and spinnerArachne was very vain and couldn’t stop boasting about her talentAthena challenged Arachne to a weaving challenge; Arachne disrespected the gods during thisAthena turned Arachne into a spider for her lack of respect / vanity.

Apollo – god of the sun

• LightLight• HealingHealing• Music - Music - lyrelyre

• Truth - Truth - Oracle at DelphiOracle at Delphi

• Athletic – Athletic – patron of the Olympic patron of the Olympic gamesgames

• Most beautiful of the godsMost beautiful of the gods• Symbol -Symbol - – – chariot with white horses, chariot with white horses,

pulled the sun across the skypulled the sun across the sky - archer, golden arrows- archer, golden arrows

•Echo was a wood nymph who loved a youth by the name of Narcissus.• Narcissus was a beautiful creature loved by many, but Narcissus loved no one. • Myth warns against self-love and self-absorption.

Narcissus and Echo

• Daedalus and Icarus were an Athenian craftsman and his son. • They were exiled in Crete after Daedalus murdered his apprentice whose skill was greater than his master's. • When the father and son were imprisoned by the king of Crete, the inventor made wings from feathers and wax so that he and his son could escape by flying away. • Despite his father's warnings, Icarus flew too close the sun. • The wax in his wings melted and he perished while his father flew to safety

DAEDALUS AND ICARUS

ATLAS

• The name "Psyche" means "Soul" and her union with Eros (aka Cupid) tells the story of how Love and Soul came to be together. • Eros = Modern Day Cupid• Eros & Psyche will never be separated

EROS AND PSYCHE

Themis was the Titan goddess of divine law and order--the traditional rules of conduct first established by the gods She is typically used to represent lady justice in modern courts (depicted as blindfolded and impartial.

•Titan god of forethought •Was entrusted with the task of molding mankind out of clay•Stole fire from heaven and delivered it to mankind •Was arrested and bound to a stake on Mount Kaukasos where an eagle was set to feed upon his ever-regenerating liver

The Muses were brought to life to make the world more joyful Apollo was the main teacher of the Muses

1.Calliope (Epic Poetry) 2.Clio (History)

3.Erato (Love Poetry) 4.Euterpe (Music)

5.Melpomene (Tragedy) 6.Polyhymnia (Hymns) 7.Terpsichore (Dance)

8.Thaleia (Comedy) 9.Urania (Astronomy)

Three sea nymphs who lured sailors to their death with a bewitching songThey were formerly handmaidens of the goddess Persephone. When the girl was secretly abducted by Hades, Demeter gave them the bodies of birds, and sent to assist in the search.

Artemis – goddess of the hunt

• Protector of wild Protector of wild thingsthings

• Moon goddessMoon goddess• Despised the weakness Despised the weakness

of loveof love• Twin to ApolloTwin to Apollo• Symbol – Symbol – archer, silver archer, silver

arrows, short tunicarrows, short tunic

Aphrodite – goddess of love and beauty

Born from the foam of the Born from the foam of the seasea

Ruled the hearts of menRuled the hearts of men

Mistress of feminine Mistress of feminine charmcharm

Son – Eros (Cupid)Son – Eros (Cupid)

IrresistibleIrresistible

Hermes – messenger of the gods

• Master thief• Shrewd, cunning• Patron of gamblers• Patron of commerce

and trade• Conducts souls to the

underworld• Symbols – winged

cap, sandals, caduceus

Hephaestus – god of smiths and fire

Son of Hera

Ugly and lame

Kindly and peaceful

Married to Aphrodite

Made weapons and jewelry for the gods

Ares – god of war

• Handsome, but vainHandsome, but vain• Disliked by other Disliked by other

gods- gods- except for except for AphroditeAphrodite

• Liked bloodshed and Liked bloodshed and crueltycruelty

• Twins sons Twins sons – Romulus – Romulus and Remus raised by and Remus raised by wolves, founders of Romewolves, founders of Rome

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