THE GODS
By: Allie Mahai and Katja Smeltzer
THE LESSER GODS
EROS (CUPID)-GOD OF LOVE
Gives good gifts to humans.
 Often represented as blindfolded.

THE GRACES
Aglaia (Splendor)
 Euphrosyne (Mirth)
 Thalia (Good cheer)

THE MUSES
Clio-History
 Urania-Astronomy
 Melpomene-Tragedy
 Thalia-Comedy
 Terpsichone-Dance
 Calliope-Epic poetry
 Erato-Love poetry
 Polyhymnia-Songs

THE FATES
Give men their good and evil at birth
 Clotho (Spinner)
 Lachesis (Disposer of Lots)
 Atropos (Cut the Thread at Death)

WATER GODS
Triton-Trumpeter of the sea
 Naiads-water nymphs

THE TITANS AND THE 12 OLYMPIANS
TITANS
Ocean(river supposed to encircle Earth)
 Tethys(wife of Ocean)
 Hyperion(the father of the Sun)
 Mnemoyne(memory)
 Themis(Justice)
 Lapetus(Importance becaue of sons)
 Atlas(carried world on shoulders)
 Prometheus(savior of mankind)

ZEUS & HERA

Zeus (Jupiter)







Drew lots for share of
universe
Became God of gods
Lord of sky, rain, and clouds
Can’t be taken down but can
be opposed/deceived
Fate stronger
Falls in love over and over
Personality made by
combining many gods
•
Hera (Juno)







Jealous
Wife + Sister of Zeus
Protector of marriage
Punished women Zeus
fell in love with
Trojan war could have
ended in peace
Cow and Peacock sacred
to her
Favorite city: Argos
POSEIDON & ATHENA
 Poseidon








(Neptune)
God of the sea
Zeus’s brother
Wife: Amphitrite
Gave first horse to man
Control over storm
(winds/waters)
Nickname “Earthshaker”
Carried Trident
Sacred Animals: Horse
and Bull
•
Pallas Athena (Minerva)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Goddess of wisdom, battle,
and civilization
Sprang from Zeus’s head as
an adult in armor/Zeus’s
favorite
Protects
state/home/civilization/
handicrafts/agriculture
Parthenon
Olive
Athens
APOLLO & ARTEMIS

Phoebus Apollo









God of music and
archery
Son of Zeus and Leto
Most Greek of all gods
Master musician/Lyre
Archer-god
Taught men the
healing art
God of light and truth
Tree: Laurel
Animals: Dolphin and
Crow

Artemis(Diana)








Goddess of the hunt
Protector of the
youth
Apollo’s twin sister
Daughter of Zeus &
Leto
Lady of wild things
Huntsman-in-chief
to the gods
Sacred: Cypress,
wild animals
Animal: Deer
APHRODITE & HERMES

Aphrodite (Venus)





Goddess of love and
beauty
Daughter of Zeus and
Dione/sprung from
seafoam
Wife of Hephaestus
Tree: Myrtle
Bird: Dove, sometimes
swan

Hermes (Mercury)







Messenger God
Son of Zeus and Maia
Winged sandals and
hat, wand
Zeus’s messenger
Shrewd and cunning
Master thief
Guide for the dead
HEPHAESTUS & HESTIA

Hephaestus(Vulcan)






God of fire
Son of Zeus and Hera/
Hera alone
Only ugly/lame
immortal
Cast out of heaven
Amorer/Smith of
Immortals
Kindly, Peace-loving
god

Hestia(Vesta)





Virgin goddess, no
distinct personality
Goddess of the Hearth
Zeus’s sister
Cities had a public
Hearth
Newborns walked
around hearth
ARES (MARS)
God of war
 Son of Zeus and Hera
 Murderous and bloodstained
 Coward when wounded
 Men “rush to glorious death”
 Bird: Vulture
 Animal: Dog

HADES & PERSEPHONE

Hades(Pluto)





God of the underworld
& wealth
3rd brother of Zeus
Cap of invisibility
Terrible, but not evil
Stole &Imprisoned
Persephone

Persephone
(Proserpina)
Goddess of the harvest
 Daughter of Demeter
 Stolen and Imprisoned
by Hades

ANALOGY
Neptune- King Neptune in Spongebob
 Triton- Ariel’s dad in The Little Mermaid

THE UNDERWORLD
Ruled by Hades
 Erebus and Tartarus
 Charon ferries souls of the dead over the River
Styx (money)
 Cerebus: 3-headed, dragon-tailed dog who
permits all spirits to enter, but none to return.
 Rhadamanthus, Minos, Aeacus
 Furies punish evildoers
 Sleep and Death also reside there
 Phlegethon (fire), River Styx, Lethe
(forgetfulness)
 Manes-good spirits, Lemures-wicked (Roman)

LESSER GODS/CREATURES OF THE EARTH
Pan: Son of Hermes, Father of Silenus, noisy and
merry (goatherd’s/shepherd’s god)
 Silenus: Son of Pan/Brother of Hermes (fat,
drunk)
 Sileni: Part man, part horse (two legs)
 Satyrs: Goat men
 Dryads: Tree/mountain nymphs
 Centaurs: Half man, half horse, savage (Chiron)
 Sirens: Enchanting voices, led sailors to their
death

HIGHER-LEVEL QUESTIONS
Do you think Zeus/Hera’s general actions are
justified? Who do you think in the right?
 Discuss the similarities and differences between
the gods and heroes/mortals.
 How would you describe Hades? As the “bad guy”
or merely an opponent for Zeus?
