An Introduction to The Odyssey

MythologyGreek Gods and

Goddesses

What is a “myth”?Myths are traditional stories rooted in

primitive folk beliefs of cultures.Myths use the supernatural to interpret

natural events.Myths explain the culture’s view of the

universe and the nature of humanity.What we call “Greek mythology” was the

basis for the religious beliefs in ancient Greece.

Mythology

There was Chaos, shapeless nothingness.From Chaos was born two children:

Night (darkness)Erebus (death)

Mysteriously, born from Night and Erebus was born Love.

When Love was born, order and beauty began to flourish.

Love created Light and Day.Earth was created, and Earth bore Heaven to be

her shelter, and a home for the gods.

In the beginning…

Mother Earth was referred to as Gaea.Father Heaven was referred to as Ouran0s.Gaea and Ouranos gave birth to three kinds

of children:Three Hecatonchires (monsters that had 100

hands and 50 heads)Three Cyclopes (plural of cyclops, a giant with

one eye).The Titans

Mother Earth and Father Heaven

The titans were the first characters to have the appearance of life and of men.

They were enormous in size and possessed incredible strength.

The notable titans are:Chronos (Saturn) – the ruler of the titansRhea – the wife of ChronosOcean – the river that encircled the worldIapetus – the father of Prometheus,

Epimetheus, and Atlas (all also titans)

The Titans

The Gods and GoddessesChronos and Rhea gave

birth to six children:ZeusPoseidonHadesHeraHestiaDemeter

These children, as well as their children, became the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology, the Olympians.

Mount OlympusMount Olympus was

the home of most of the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology.

One major exception was Hades, who was the ruler of the Underworld.

Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)The god of the sky

and weather, especially of rain and lightning.

Zeus is the king of the gods.

As such, he is also the god of civilization and maintains order between cosmic and human affairs.

Hera (Juno)Zeus’ sister and wife,

and the queen of Olympus.

She is the goddess and protector of weddings and marriage.

Though not overly important in literature, she is a revered goddess.

Hera is also very jealous as Zeus had many affairs with mortals.

Poseidon (Neptune)Poseidon is the brother

of Zeus, and embodies the elemental forces of nature.

He is the god of water, earthquakes, and horses.

Poseidon is a crucial figure in The Iliad and The Odyssey, as he punishes Odysseus for his misdeeds, and is the father of the cyclopes.

Demeter (Ceres)Demeter is the sister

of Zeus.She is the goddess of

agriculture, as well as a goddess of fertility.

Hestia (Vesta)Hestia is the sister of

Zeus.She is the youngest

daughter of Chronos.She is the goddess of

the hearth (home).She was also

worshipped as the virgin goddess by cults of women known as the Vestal Virgins in Rome.

Hades (Pluto)Brother of ZeusHades is an

Olympian, but he does not live on Mount Olympus.

Hades is the ruler of the Underworld.

He is also the god of fertility and wealth.

Aphrodite (Venus)Aphrodite was born of

the sea when Ouranos was castrated by Chronos.

Occasionally she is depicted as the daughter of Zeus.

Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty, and desire.

She is married to the god Hephaestus.

Ares (Mars)Ares is the son of

Zeus and Hera.He is the god of war.In some myths, Ares

is depicted as the husband of Aphrodite, though many myths say that she is married to Hephaestus.

Hephaestus (Vulcan)Hephaestus is the son

of Zeus and Hera, and brother to Ares.

He is the blacksmith of the gods, and the patron of mens’ handicrafts.

Hephaestus is also worshipped as the god of volcanoes and fire.

Hephaestus is the husband of Aphrodite.

Phoebus ApolloApollo is the son of Zeus

and Leto, the daughter of a titan.

He has a twin sister, Artemis.

Apollo is the god of prophecy, healing, and the arts.

Apollo was not originally the god of the sun, but has been frequently given this title.

Artemis (Diana)Artemis is the daughter

of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo.

She is the goddess of wild animals, hunting, and archery.

She is also the goddess of virginity.

Artemis is often mistaken as the moon goddess, though she is not.

Athena (Minerva)Athena was born from

the head of Zeus after he swallowed her mother, Metis, a titan.

Athena is the goddess of civilization, war, and wisdom.

Athena is particularly important in Homer’s poem, and she supports the Greek cause.

Dionysus (Bacchus)Dionysus was born

from the thigh of Zeus after he was tricked into killing Dionysus’s mother with a thunderbolt.

Dionysus is the god of the harvest, especially grapevine and ivy.

He is also the god of wine, poetry, and madness.

Hermes (Mercury)Hermes is the son of

Zeus and Maia, the daughter of Atlas.

Hermes is a trickster and a thief.

He was the messenger of the gods, even able to travel to the Underworld.

He was the god of commerce, and a patron of travelers, heralds, and thieves.

In Greek mythology, the gods and goddesses frequently interfere with the lives and actions of mortals.

In The Iliad, Aphrodite becomes the patron of the Trojans, often influencing the battle in their favor.

Likewise, Athena becomes the patron of the Greeks, using her influence to assist them, especially Odysseus.

Poseidon also intervened with the war, commanding a sea serpent to eat the Trojan seer Laocoön, who warned the Trojans not to accept the gifts of the Greeks.

Because the Greeks were unthankful for Poseidon’s assistance, he was quick to punish their disrespect following the war: many never made it home.

Why are the gods and goddesses important?

Mythology and The Odyssey

The most important gods and goddesses in The Odyssey are:Athena, who is the protector of the Greeks and

especially of OdysseusPoseidon, who aided the Greeks but punishes

Odysseus for his arrogance and lack of respectHermes, who appears from time to time in The

Odyssey, typically to aide OdysseusAeolus, a lesser god of the winds, who aides Odysseus

in spite of PoseidonOther gods and goddesses are mentioned, but don’t

play a significant role, such as Zeus and Aphrodite.

Gods and Goddesses in The Odyssey

The Sirens and the HarpiesThe Sirens (above)

were bird-like from the waist-down, but human-like from the waist-up. They sang and lured sailors to their deaths.

The Harpies, like the Sirens, had features of women and birds, but they could fly.

CyclopesThe cyclopes in The

Odyssey are not the same as the original three cyclopes.

In The Odyssey, there are many cyclopes who are the children of Poseidon.

They are still large, one-eyed giants.

The Lotus-EatersThe Lotus-Eaters were

people living in northern Africa who consumed the lotus flower.

The lotus flower was believed to have been narcotic and caused people to become apathetic and lethargic.

Once a person consumed a lotus flower, they never wished to leave.

LaestrygoniansA tribe of giants and

cannibals who destroyed passing ships by hurling boulders at them.

CirceCirce is a minor

goddess of witchcraft, and is sometimes described as the most beautiful of all immortals.

She used her magic to transform her enemies into animals.

CalypsoA nymph, often

depicted as the daughter of Atlas.

Calypso detained Odysseus for a long time, distracting him from going home and completing his journey.

ScyllaScylla was once a

beautiful nymph, but out of jealousy, Amphitrite transformed her into a hideous monster with six heads, twelve tentacles for legs, a cat’s tail, and six dogs’ heads about her waist.

CharybdisCharybdis was once also

a beautiful nymph who was transformed into a large sea monster whose face is one giant mouth and whose arms and legs are flippers.

Each day, Charybdis swallows a large amount of water and then spits it out again, creating devastating whirlpools.

TiresiasTiresias was a blind

prophet from the city of Thebes who was famous for his clairvoyance.

Tiresias was blinded by Athena, and cursed by many of the gods.

In The Odyssey, Odysseus must find the dead Tiresias to seek his prophetic advice.