Lesson 21: Greek Mythology
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Notes
Greek Mythology
A “myth” is a traditional story about gods and heroes that societies use to explain their history and the world
around them. For the Ancient Greeks, their gods and goddesses were immortal beings who lived on Mount Olympus (a
tall mountain in northern Greece), controlled the universe, and occasionally came down to Earth to cause trouble for
humans.
The Greeks myths and gods explained natural phenomena. For example, the Greeks explained the seasons
through the story of Demeter, the goddess of fertility. The goddess Demeter had a daughter named Persephone who
brought her much joy. Persephone was married to Hades, the God of the Underworld. She lived half of the year with
Hades and half of the year on Mount Olympus. Demeter caused things on Earth to grow, but only when she was happy
and with Persephone. Therefore, half the year (summer) is bright and plants grow fruitfully, while the other half of the
year (winter, when Persephone and Demeter are apart) is dark and lifeless.
Modern science has disproved the Greek myths – we know why the seasons change without explaining the
depression of the goddess Demeter – but this does not make them less real for the ancient Greeks. Read the following
mythological stories, answer some questions about them, and learn about the major Greek gods and goddesses.
1. What is a myth?
2. List some characteristics of the Greek gods?
3. How did the Greeks use myths and gods in their daily lives?
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Greek Creation Myth
In the beginning, there was Chaos, a shapeless, gaping void encompassing the entire universe. Chaos was ruled by a
goddess named Eurynome, which means "far-ruling" or "wide-wandering." Chaos was surrounded by an unending
stream of water ruled by the god Oceanus.
Eurynome was the Goddess of All Things, and desired to make order out of the Chaos. By coupling with the North Wind,
she gave birth to Eros, god of Love, also known as Protagonus, the "firstborn." Eurynome separated the sky from the sea
by dancing on the waves of Oceanus. In this manner, she created great lands upon which she might wander, populating
it with exotic creatures such as Nymphs, Furies, and Charites, as well as countless beasts and monsters.
Also born out of Chaos were Gaia, called Earth, or Mother Earth, and Uranus, the embodiment of the Sky and the
Heavens, as well as Tartarus, god of the sunless and terrible region beneath the Earth.
Gaia and Uranus married and gave birth to the Titans, a race of formidable giants, which included a particularly wily
giant named Cronus. Cronus overthrew his father and became ruler of the Heavens. He had been warned that one day
his son would overpower him, so he swallowed his first five children by his wife Rhea.
This angered Gaia greatly, so when the youngest son, Zeus, was born, Gaia took a stone, wrapped it in swaddling clothes
and offered it to Cronus to swallow. This satisfied Cronus, and Gaia was able to spirit the baby Zeus away to be raised on
the island Crete.
Zeus grew up to be a powerful god, determined to overthrow his father. He got into immediate conflict with Cronus,
who did not know that this newcomer was his own son. Zeus needed his brothers and sisters help in slaying the tyrant.
Metis, Zeus's first wife, gave Cronus a potion that caused him to throw up his five previous children, who were Hestia,
Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. Together they went to battle against their father. Zeus and his siblings banished
Cronus to Tartarus, the Dark World under the Earth.
Zeus brought order out of chaos and divided control of the universe among his siblings. He made himself Supreme God
over all, creating a great and beautiful place for his favored gods to live, on Mount Olympus. Zeus made himself God of
the Sky and all its phenomena, including the clouds as well as the thunderbolts. To his brother Poseidon, he gave the
rule of the Sea, and his brother Hades was made god of the Underworld. Zeus’s sister Demeter became a goddess of
Fertility, Hera (before she married Zeus and became a jealous wife) was goddess of Marriage and Childbirth, and Hestia
became goddess of the Hearth.
4. How did the world begin according to Greek myth?
5. What is the relationship between Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades?
Theseus and the Minotaur
In the days of King Aegeus, Athens was a prosperous and peaceful Greek city. Recently, Aegeus was joined by his
teenage son, Theseus, who was born in another land and had just discovered his father and the city of Athens. As a
result, Theseus had never seen the strange site that approached at the time of the spring equinox.
During most of the year, Athenians were a very happy people. But at the equinox, all the Athenians became mournful as
a ship with black sail approached Athens. Theseus begged his father to tell him why the Athenians were sad, but Aegeus
said nothing.
Theseus went down to the harbor and asked the captain of the black-sailed ship what was happening. The captain told
him about how the eldest son of King Minos of Crete was accidentally killed in Athens. Minos was very angry. He
attacked Athens and demanded that the Athenians pay a yearly tribute of seven young men and seven young women to
be fed to the Minotaur. The Minotaur was a giant half-man, half-bull creature that lived in the Labyrinth, a large maze
beneath Minos’s palace.
Theseus went back to Aegeus and said, "I will go to Crete as one of the victims and I will slay the Minotaur!" "No my
son," said Aegeus, "you mustn't go. You are my only son, the only heir to the throne." "I must go father. I must prove
that I am a hero," said Theseus.
Aegeus was eventually persuaded to let Theseus volunteer to be one of the fourteen victims. He promised that if he
returned alive, he would change the sail of the ship from black to white so his father would know the good news.
When Theseus and his companions landed at Crete, Minos was there to welcome them. That night Theseus was visited
by Minos's daughter Ariadne. She said to him, "Theseus, I have decided to help you kill the Minotaur if you will take me
back to Athens and make me your queen." Theseus was glad for the help and promised Ariadne. She gave Theseus a ball
of silk thread and told him to tie it to the entrance of the Labyrinth and unwind it as he went. The string would lead him
back to the entrance. She also gave him a dagger to kill the Minotaur.
The next day Theseus and his companions were forced into the Labyrinth. Theseus tied the string onto a rock and told
everyone to follow him. He led them towards the center of the Labyrinth where the Minotaur was and killed it. Everyone
cheered. Theseus was a hero! They followed the thread back to the entrance of the Labyrinth. Theseus, Ariadne, and the
other Athenians had to flee Crete before Minos discovered them. With their fear of being followed, they forgot to
change the sails from black to white. Old Aegeus sat on a cliff watching and waiting for Theseus to come, but when he
saw the black sails he jumped into the sea. That fatal stretch of water was named after him. It still is called the Aegean
Sea.
Adapted from http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/The_Myths/Theseus_Adventures/theseus_adventures.html
6. How did myths play a part in the naming of places in Greece? (Hint: Aegean Sea)
7. As you saw earlier, myths are used as explanations for events. Looking at the myth of the Minotaur, explain
what might have ACTUALLY happened on the island of Crete and to old King Aegeus.
About Poseidon
Poseidon is the brother of Zeus, God of the sea, protector of all waters. After the overthrow of their father Cronus, he
drew lots with Zeus and Hades, another brother, for shares of the world. His prize was to become lord of the sea. He
married Amphitrite, a granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus. His weapon is a trident, which can shake the earth, and
shatter any object. He is second only to Zeus in power amongst the gods. Poseidon often used his powers of
earthquakes, water, and horses to inflict fear and punishment on people as revenge. He has a difficult, quarrelsome
personality. He was greedy. He had a series of disputes with other gods when he tried to take over their cities.
Poseidon was relied upon by sailors for a safe voyage on the sea. He lived on the ocean floor in a palace made of coral
and gems, and drove a chariot pulled by horses. However, Poseidon was a very moody divinity, and his temperament
could sometimes result in violence. When he was in a good mood, Poseidon created new lands in the water and a calm
sea. In contrast, when he was in a bad mood, Poseidon would strike the ground with a trident and cause unruly springs
and earthquakes, ship wrecks, and drownings.
At one point he desired Demeter. To put him off, Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that the world
had ever seen. To impress her, Poseidon created the first horse. In some accounts his first attempts were unsuccessful
and he created a variety of other animals in his quest. By the time the horse was created his passion for Demeter had
cooled.
Another infamous story of Poseidon involves the competition between him and the goddess of war, Athena, for the city
of Athens. To win the people of the city over, Poseidon threw a spear at the ground and produced the Spring at the
Acropolis. However, Athena won as the result of giving the people of Athens the olive tree. In his anger over the
decision, Poseidon flooded the Attic Plain. Eventually, Athena and Poseidon worked together by combining their powers.
Even though Poseidon was the god of horses, Athena built the first chariot. Athena also built the first ship to sail on the
sea over which Poseidon ruled.
Adapted from http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Poseidon/poseidon.html and
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/p/poseidon.html.
8. What are some of the qualities and characteristics of Greek gods?
9. How did Greeks use mythology to explain the creation of animals?
10. How did Greek gods interact with humans? Why do you think they acted this way?
Major Greek Gods
Aphrodite was the most attractive goddess of Mount Olympus. She was the goddess of Love, Beauty and Eternal Youth,
arousing desire to gods and humans as well as birds and beasts. In addition, she was connected with the death/rebirth
of nature and human beings. Nevertheless, Aphrodite was a rather weak, frightful goddess, according to the Iliad.
Aphrodite's symbols were the girdle, which she was using to compel love, the seashell and the mirror. Her sacred animal
was the dove.
Apollo was the Greek god of the Music, also called the Sun God. He invented the lute (a plucked string instrument with a
body shaped like a pear), but most popular he was for his playing the lyre. Apollo excelled in important music contests,
competing against Greek god Hermes and the Satyr Pan as well as other deities. In addition, Apollo owned the precious
gift of prophecy, given to him by his father Zeus in his infancy, and was the patron of the ancient city of Delphi, where
the first oracle in Ancient Greece was located. Apollo and Artemis are twin children of Zeus. His symbols were the lyre,
the tripod, and the laurel tree.
Ares, the Greek god of War, was the son of Zeus and Hera. Just like his mother Hera, Ares had a very difficult character
to deal with and was therefore rather unpopular among the other deities and mankind. For this reason, no Greek city
wanted to have him as its patron. He often had conflicts and fights with Artemis, the goddess of the Hunt and also with
his sister Athena, especially during the Trojan War. His symbols were the spear and the dog.
Artemis, the Virgin Huntress, was associated with the moon, nature, and childbirth. Apollo (the Sun God) and Artemis
are twin children of Zeus. Artemis was born before Apollo and had helped her mother Leto to give birth to her little
brother. Artemis had absolute sovereignty over nature and was said to bring fertility to all places that worshipped her.
Usually accompanied by Nymphs and Oceanids, Artemis loved to hunt with arrows dipped in poison; oddly enough,
Artemis was both a killer of wild animals and their protector. Her symbol was the bow and her sacred animals were the
snake and the deer.
Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, was born fully grown and armed out of Zeus’s head after he swallowed Metis, her
mother. Athena was the goddess who taught mankind various skills such as weaving and sewing to the women and
agriculture and metallurgy to men and was always giving precious advice and stood by on any danger. She was known as
"Athena Nike" (Athena the victorious), as she was believed to have given the Athenians the victory during the Persian
War. Athena's symbols were the distaff and the aegis- a goat-like shield, to which the head of the Gorgon Medusa was
fastened in order to terrify the opponents. Athena's sacred animal was the owl, the symbol of wisdom.
Demeter was a peace-loving deity and the source of all growth and life; she was the goddess who provided all nutrition
on the earth and taught mortals how to cultivate the earth and ease life. Demeter was most appreciated for introducing
wheat to mankind, making man different from animals. She was Zeus’s sister. Her symbols were the ear of wheat and
the grains.
Dionysus was a god known for his lightheartedness and always offered his help to anyone in need. He was the god of
wine and theater. He was therefore very popular among gods and mortals and many festivals were being held every
year in his honor. Dionysus was one of the Olympian gods who actually did not live in Mount Olympus but was
constantly travelling around the world together with Satyrs and Maenads in order to discover the secrets of
winemaking. The sacred animal of Dionysos was the panther.
Hades was the Greek god of the Dead and, according to Plato, [1] he should be considered as one of the Olympian gods.
Hades was the supreme ruler of the Underworld. Almost never did he leave his gloomy kingdom but was residing there
instead, surrounded by darkness and silence. Hades' helper was Charos, the angel of dead. Charos had the duty to
transfer the dead people 's souls with a boat over the River Acheron from the world of the living to the world of the
dead. Furthermore, Hades had a dog with three heads which was named Cerberus. His sacred symbol was the helmet,
which helped him stay invisible.
Hephaestus was a very kind and loveable god, but was the only deity who was physically ugly and lame. When his
mother Hera saw him for the first time, she was so frustrated that she took her son and threw him from Mount Olympus
to the depths of the seas, causing a deformation to his leg. Hephaestus was finally rescued by two Nereids, Thetis and
Eurynome, who raised him for nine years inside a cave, far away and hidden from his cruel mother. Hephaestus had his
working lay beneath the crater of the volcano of Aetna in Italy. There, he was working together closely with the oneeyed Cyclops to create strong thunderbolts for his master Zeus. Hephaestus was also famous for having created the first
woman of the ancient world, Pandora. His symbols were fire, the axe, the pincers and the hammer.
Hera was the Queen of the Gods, she is most often associated with bitterness and jealousy relating to her husband.
Although Hera was one of the fairest goddesses in Mount Olympus, Zeus gave Hera plenty of reason to be suspicious
and jealous; Hera therefore used to stay in high places in order to keep an eye on her husband's doings. There were
times she would also interfere, causing harm to Zeus' mistresses, since Zeus himself was invincible. Hera's symbol was
the pomegranate, a symbol of fertility, and her sacred animal was the peacock.
Hermes was wearing wings on his sandals and therefore was the speediest of all Greek gods. Because of his speed,
Hermes received the role of the messenger and conductor of souls to the Underworld. Hermes was the only Olympian
god who was authorized to visit Heaven, Earth and also the Underworld and enjoyed this way popularity among all the
Greek gods and spirits. It is well known that Ancient Greeks endowed their gods with human weaknesses. Hermes, for
instance, felt an irresistible impulse of stealing ever since his infancy and quickly developed as the god of the cheaters
and the thieves. Hermes was a messenger of all gods, but mostly he was known for performing duties for his father Zeus
with great pleasure. Zeus appreciated Hermes' wits highly and always asked for Hermes' assistance throughout his
decisions, especially when it came to cheating on his wife Hera. He is known for his winged sandals and staff.
Poseidon, the Greek god of the Seas, was considered to be the bad-tempered, moody and greedy god among the
Olympians. Once insulted, he would revenge himself, like he did in the case of Odysseus. Poseidon was the Greek god
responsible for natural and supernatural events, mainly the ones associated to the sea world. He possessed a trident
which was so powerful that it could shake the earth. Poseidon could cause tempests and earthquakes, drown lands,
shatter rocks and had the ability to finally bring back peacefulness. Poseidon possessed two palaces, the one was up in
Mount Olympus and the other was located in the depths of the seas and was bejewelled with gold and precious gems.
Usually Poseidon preferred to stay with his wife Amphitrite beneath the ocean. His symbol was the trident and his
sacred animals were the dolphin and the horse.
Zeus, the King of the Gods and master of the thunderbolt, had his golden throne on the highest summit of Mount
Olympus and was respected and awed by all Gods and mortals. He was the "Lord of Justice", punishing anyone who lied
or broke an oath, but was fair and always striving to keep a balance of all things. Furthermore, Zeus was responsible for
the weather and was shaping it according to his temper. When in high spirits, Zeus was blessing the world with fine
weather; in case of bad mood, however, he would throw rain, winds, lightnings and thunderbolts to cause disaster to
the mortals. But even Zeus' powers had their limits, for, however powerful as he was, he had neither the right nor the
ability to intervene the decisions of the Fates. Zeus was carefree and loved to laugh out loud[1]. He possessed the
perfect knowledge and was just, merciful and prudent. However, he was rather unpredictable, and not known for his
faith to his wife, Hera. The main symbol of Zeus was the thunderbolt. His sacred animal was the eagle.
NAME
Aphrodite
Apollo
Ares
Artemis
Athena
Demeter
Dionysus
Hades
Hephaestus
Hera
Hermes
Poseidon
Zeus
GOD OF:
DEFINING
CHARACTERISTICS
ACQUAINTANCES
OR FAMILY