Ancient GreeceAncient Greece

Greek MythologyGreek Mythology

What is a myth?What is a myth?

A traditional story rooted in A traditional story rooted in primitive folk beliefs and stories of primitive folk beliefs and stories of cultures.cultures.

Uses the supernatural to interpret Uses the supernatural to interpret natural eventsnatural events

Explains the culture’s view of the Explains the culture’s view of the universe and the nature of universe and the nature of humanityhumanity

In the beginning...In the beginning...

……was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)was Chaos (shapeless nothingness) Chaos had two children:Chaos had two children:

– Night (darkness)Night (darkness)– Erebus (death)Erebus (death)

““All was black, empty, silent, All was black, empty, silent, endless.”endless.”

Mysteriously, Love was born of Mysteriously, Love was born of darkness and death.darkness and death.

And then...And then...

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

Love created Light and Day.Love created Light and Day. Earth was created.Earth was created.

– She was the solid ground, but also a She was the solid ground, but also a personality.personality.

The Earth bore Heaven to cover The Earth bore Heaven to cover her and be a home for the gods.her and be a home for the gods.

The First ParentsThe First Parents

Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia)Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia) Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus)Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus) They had three kinds of children:They had three kinds of children:

– Three monsters with 100 hands and Three monsters with 100 hands and 50 heads50 heads

– Three cyclopesThree cyclopes– The titansThe titans

The Titans (The Elder The Titans (The Elder Gods)Gods)

There were many of them.There were many of them. Enormous size, incredible strengthEnormous size, incredible strength Cronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titansCronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titans Rhea: Wife of CronosRhea: Wife of Cronos Oceanus: River that encircled the worldOceanus: River that encircled the world Iapetus: Son of OceanusIapetus: Son of Oceanus

Father of Prometheus, Father of Prometheus,Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)

The Principal GodsThe Principal Gods

Cronos and Rhea Cronos and Rhea were parents ofwere parents of– Zeus*Zeus*– Poseidon*Poseidon*– HadesHades– Hera*Hera*– Hestia *Hestia *– Demeter*Demeter*

Other Olympians Other Olympians includeinclude– Athena*Athena*– Ares* Ares* – Hebe Hebe – Hephaestus *Hephaestus *– Apollo *Apollo *– Artemis *Artemis *– Hermes *Hermes *– Aphrodite *Aphrodite *– DionysusDionysus

* Indicates original Twelve Olympians

The OlympiansThe Olympians

The OlympiansThe Olympians

Mt. OlympusMt. Olympus

Mt. OlympusMt. Olympus

Children of Chronus and Children of Chronus and RheaRhea

ZeusZeus

ZeusZeus

ZeusZeus

Roman Name: Jupiter Roman Name: Jupiter (also Jove)(also Jove)

Supreme god of the Supreme god of the Olympians.Olympians.

Weapon: ThunderboltWeapon: Thunderbolt NOT omniscient NOT omniscient Fathered many Fathered many

characters in characters in mythologymythology

ZeusZeus

Zeus’s StatueZeus’s Statue

HeraHera

HeraHera

HeraHera

Roman Name: JunoRoman Name: Juno Zeus’s sister and Zeus’s sister and

wifewife Jealous protector of Jealous protector of

marriagemarriage Punished the women Punished the women

Zeus fell in love withZeus fell in love with

PoseidonPoseidon

PoseidonPoseidon

PoseidonPoseidon

Roman Name: Roman Name: NeptuneNeptune

God of the Seas God of the Seas and Watersand Waters

Weapon: tridentWeapon: trident ““The Earthshaker”The Earthshaker” Gave horses to Gave horses to

menmen

HadesHades

HadesHades

HadesHades

HadesHades

Roman Name: PlutoRoman Name: Pluto Ruler of the Ruler of the

Underworld/ DeadUnderworld/ Dead Kidnapped Kidnapped

PersephonePersephone Not evil (but should Not evil (but should

be feared), not be feared), not death himselfdeath himself

HadesHades

DemeterDemeter

DemeterDemeter

Roman Name: CeresRoman Name: Ceres Goddess of the Goddess of the

HarvestHarvest Lives on the EarthLives on the Earth Her mood affects Her mood affects

the seasonsthe seasons Mother of Mother of

PersephonePersephone

HestiaHestia

HestiaHestia

Roman Roman Name: VestaName: Vesta

Goddess of Goddess of HomeHome

Powerful Powerful ProtectorProtector

Zeus’ Children by HeraZeus’ Children by Hera

AresAres

AresAres

AresAres

Roman Name: Roman Name: MarsMars

God of WarGod of War Bloodthirsty and Bloodthirsty and

mercilessmerciless Had NO temples Had NO temples

in Greecein Greece

HebeHebe

HebeHebe

Roman Name: Roman Name: JuventasJuventas

Goddess of Goddess of YouthYouth

Cupbearer to Cupbearer to the Godsthe Gods

Later married Later married HeraclesHeracles

HephaestiusHephaestius

HephaestiusHephaestius

HephaestuHephaestuss

Roman Name: Roman Name: Vulcan Vulcan

God of Fire/ForgeGod of Fire/Forge Kind, unlike his Kind, unlike his

brotherbrother Only ugly godOnly ugly god Husband of Husband of

AphroditeAphrodite

AthenaAthena

AthenaAthena

AthenaAthena

Roman Name: Roman Name: MinervaMinerva

Goddess of Goddess of Wisdom and Wisdom and Battle MaidenBattle Maiden

Sprang directly Sprang directly from Zeus’s from Zeus’s head (no mom)head (no mom)

ZEUS’ CHILDREN BY LETOZEUS’ CHILDREN BY LETO(Daughter of the Titans, Coeus (Daughter of the Titans, Coeus

and Phoebe)and Phoebe)

ApolloApollo

ApolloApollo

ApolloApollo

Roman Name: Roman Name: ApolloApollo

God of Light/Sun God of Light/Sun and Musicand Music

Master musician Master musician and poetand poet

Twin Brother of Twin Brother of ArtemisArtemis

ArtemisArtemis

ArtemisArtemis

Roman Name: Roman Name: DianaDiana

Goddess of the Goddess of the Moon/ HuntMoon/ Hunt

Virgin goddessVirgin goddess Twin Sister to Twin Sister to

ApolloApollo

Other ChildrenOther Children

HermesHermes

HermesHermes

HermesHermes

Roman Name: Roman Name: MercuryMercury

Messenger of the Messenger of the GodsGods

Appears in more Appears in more myths than any myths than any other characterother character

Son of Zeus and MaiaSon of Zeus and Maia

PersephonPersephonee

Roman Name: Roman Name: ProserpinaProserpina

Goddess of the Goddess of the UnderworldUnderworld

Daughter of Daughter of Zeus and Zeus and DemeterDemeter

Abducted by Abducted by HadesHades

AphroditeAphrodite

AphroditeAphrodite

Roman Name: Roman Name: VenusVenus

Goddess of Love Goddess of Love and Beautyand Beauty

Sprang from the Sprang from the ocean foamocean foam

Or born of Zeus Or born of Zeus and Dione (says and Dione (says Homer)Homer)

DionysusDionysus

DionysusDionysus

DionysusDionysus

Roman Name: Roman Name: BacchusBacchus

God of WineGod of Wine Patron god of Patron god of

the Greek the Greek stagestage

A God of the A God of the EarthEarth

The OlympiansThe Olympians

ErosEros

Roman Name: Roman Name: CupidCupid

Young God of Young God of LoveLove

Son of Son of Aphrodite and Aphrodite and HephaestusHephaestus

IrisIris

Goddess of the Goddess of the RainbowRainbow

Messenger for Messenger for Zeus and HeraZeus and Hera

Daughter of Daughter of the titan the titan Thaumus and Thaumus and the nymph the nymph ElectraElectra

The MusesThe Muses

Nine daughters of Nine daughters of Zeus and Zeus and MnemosyneMnemosyne

Inspired artists of Inspired artists of all kindsall kinds

Goddesses who Goddesses who presided over the presided over the arts and sciencesarts and sciences

““He is happy whom He is happy whom the muses love.”the muses love.”

Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Polyhymnia

The MusesThe Muses

The GracesThe Graces

Three Goddesses of Three Goddesses of Grace and BeautyGrace and Beauty

““They give life its They give life its bloom.”bloom.”

Aglaia (Splendor)Aglaia (Splendor) Euphrosyne (Mirth)Euphrosyne (Mirth) Thalia (Good Cheer)Thalia (Good Cheer)

The Erinnyes (The Furies)The Erinnyes (The Furies)

Roman Name: Furiae Roman Name: Furiae or Dirae (The Furies)or Dirae (The Furies)

Three Goddesses of Three Goddesses of VengeanceVengeance– TisiphoneTisiphone– AlectoAlecto– MegaeraMegaera

They punish They punish evildoers.evildoers.

The FatesThe Fates

Roman Name: Parcae, MoiraeRoman Name: Parcae, Moirae Three sistersThree sisters

– Clotho (“The Spinner”)Clotho (“The Spinner”)– Lachesis (“The disposer of lots”)Lachesis (“The disposer of lots”)– Atropos (“The cutter”)Atropos (“The cutter”)

They weave, measure, and cut the They weave, measure, and cut the thread of life for humans.thread of life for humans.

The FatesThe Fates

The SatyrsThe Satyrs

Gods of the woods Gods of the woods and mountainsand mountains

““Shepherd gods”Shepherd gods” Goat men (like Pan)Goat men (like Pan) Companions of Companions of

DionysusDionysus They like to drink, They like to drink,

dance, and chase dance, and chase nymphs.nymphs.

The GorgonsThe Gorgons

Three snake-Three snake-haired haired monstersmonsters

Medusa is most Medusa is most well-knownwell-known

Their look turns Their look turns men to stone.men to stone.

The The CentaursCentaurs

Half man, half Half man, half horsehorse

Savage Savage creatures creatures (except (except Chiron)Chiron)

Followers of Followers of DionysusDionysus

The TitansThe Titans

CronusCronus

RheaRhea

AtlasAtlas

SourcesSources

Graphics in this presentation were taken Graphics in this presentation were taken from the following web sites:from the following web sites:– http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.htmlhttp://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.html– http://www.pantheon.org/http://www.pantheon.org/– http://www.messagenet.com/myths/http://www.messagenet.com/myths/– http://mythman.com/http://mythman.com/– http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.htmlhttp://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.html– http://www.paleothea.com/http://www.paleothea.com/– http://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/http://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/

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