The Gods

The Twelve Major Olympians(Hestia), (Hades), Demeter, Poseidon, Hera, Zeus, Ares, Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Hephaestus, Hermes, Dionysus

Offspring of Rhea & Cronus

1. Hestia (Vesta)

Attributes: Virgin Goddess, important to the religious family hearth which was an alter for religious rituals within a dwelling

Not much in terms of the mythological background

2. Hades (Pluto)

God of the underworld, where is stays Well respected and firm Not necessarily evil Attributes: He was mature in appearance

3. Poseidon (Neptune)

God of the ocean Brother of Zeus and Hades Took Persephone as his wife to the underworld Worshiped by fishermen and people of the sea Attributes: Mature and bearded, the Trident, love of horses

4. Demeter (Ceres)

Attributes: Matron (mature) Goddess of fertility Generally associated with the growth from the ground Mother of Persephone

o She mourns the absence of her daughter, hence the seasons

5. Hera (Juno)

Goddess of Childbirth, Women, and Marriage Characteristics: Majestic, nagging, shrewish, vindictive Wife of Zeus

o She often punishes those who are taken advantage of by Zeus

6. Zeus (Jupiter/Jove)

Attributes: Eagle and lightning Human foibles Upholder of Justice

o Sometimes he forgets his moral obligations

“But for those who occupy themselves with violence and wickedness and brutal deeds, Kronos’ son, wide-seeing Zeus, marks out retribution. Often a whole community together suffers in consequence of a bad man who does wrong and contrives evil. From heaven Kronos’ son brings disaster upon them, famine and with it plague, and the people waste away. The womenfolk do not give birth, and households decline, by Olympian Zeus’ design. At other times again he either destroys those men’s broad army or city wall, or punishes their ships at sea.” -- Hesiod (Works and Days)

Supreme in Power Limited in Power

o Often he becomes vulnerable when he is promiscuouso Aphrodite has power over him as he is a mano As we see in the Iliad, he may not be as powerful as Fate

Zeus had to give up his favorite son (Sarpedon) in the fight for Troy

"And Zeus, son of Cronus, bowed his craggy dark brows and the deathless locks came pouring down from the thunderhead of the great immortal king and giant shock waves spread through all Olympus."-- Homer (Book I, Iliad)

Offspring of Zeus and …a) Hera (first unnatural born)

i. Ares (Mars)

God of War To the Greeks, he is not a sought after God The Greek preferred Athena much more The Romans adored him He also had an affair with Aphrodite

"Do not sit beside me and complain you two-faced rogue. Of all the gods who dwell on Olympus, you are the most hateful to me, for strife and wars and battles are always dear to you." -- Homer (Book V, Iliad)

ii. Hephaestus (Vulcan)

Often associated closely with Herao Hera sometimes calls upon him when she is in trouble

Born without Hera Attributes: He is the God of Craft, Smithing, and (destructive) Fire

o He created golden robots in the form of females Features: Portrayed often with tools, and riding a mule He is a disabled man and unpleasant in appearance Hephaestus was often adored by the Greeks because of this He created the chains to bind Prometheus to the rocks Greeks appreciated craftsmen, but did not want to be them Married to Aphrodite, the beautiful Goddess of Love

o Hephaestus created an invisible net to capture Aphrodite when she was in bed with another God

iii. Hebe

She was the embodiment of youthful beauty Her duty was to be the table servant of the Olympians When Hercules became immortal he took her as his wife

iv. Hebe Cf. Ganymede

There was a beautiful Trojan prince who Zeus fell in love with Zeus took him to be his cup bearer and he became a deity The King was made aware about his son In return, Zeus gave the King a gift of horses

Typical Lifecycle of a Greek male: Teenagers (Passive): homosexuals need an older partner Twenties (Active): Bearded Men pursue teenagers Thirties (Neutral): Marry women

v. Eileithyia Goddess of Child rearing and Birth (often like Hera) She will attend significant births

b) Leto {Titaness}: Apollo (Apollo) & Artimes (Diana) as twins

c) Metis: Athena (Minerva)

d) Dione {Titaness}: Aphrodite (Venus) – Alternatively from the genitals of Cronos

e) Maia {Nymph of a particular mountain}: Hermes (Mercury)

f) Semele {Princess}: (She is the only case were she brings about an immortal) Dionysus/Bacchus (Libre)

The Nature of the GodsI. Anthropomorphic

II. Idealized in many ways by their effect on earth and cultureIII. Immortal

Iliad: mainly functioned as a foil for mankind “You are all going to die, so it is how you will live that matters”

IV. Polytheistica. Developmental stories as seen with the multiple versions of Mythsb. Hierarchical in the domain structure

i. The Olympiansii. Devine Heroes

iii. Chthonic Godsiv. Minor Gods

V. Fatalistic -- a philosophical doctrine stressing the subjugation of all events or actions to fate.

Herodotus (early historian)The story of Solon & Croesus

The latter of whom showed Solon his great riches and armies. Being a wiseman, Solon explained that Telus was the happiest man, rather than Croesus, when aspked upon.

The point of this sory is that it is unwise to become overly powerful, in fear of making the gods envirous.