Greek Mythology:
Gods & Goddesses
Standards
ELAGSE6W7 – Conduct short research projects to answer a
question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry
when appropriate.
ELAGSE6W8 – Gather relevant information from multiple print
and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and
quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while
avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information
through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant
content.
ELAGSE6W2 – Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information
through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant
content.
I CAN…statements!!
I can conduct research on a specific
topic and present the information.
ELAGSE6W7
I can introduce a topic of my text.
ELAGSE6W2
I can develop the topic with relevant
facts, definitions, concrete details,
and quotations. ELAGSE6W8
What are myths?
• The ancient Greeks told stories about
their gods. These stories are called
myths (short for mythology, or stories
about gods.) Stories about the ancient
Greek gods are still told today.
• Each storyteller told the stories in
their own way, but whatever power and
personality a god had was consistent
from story to story.
For example, Zeus was the king of
all the gods, and only Zeus could
throw lightning bolts.
The magical world of the ancient
Greek gods was a world full of
bickering and fights and wars and
compromise and fear and fun and
punishment and love. Many myths
were based on the fact that gods,
like mortal men, could be punished
or rewarded for their actions.
Mythology
Ancient cultures used mythology belief
systems much the same way that people
use modern religion.
1. to explain the world
2. to instruct or guide
proper behavior
3. to give a sense of
community
hyperlink
Origins of Mythology
Ancient mythology belongs to the oral
tradition (folklore, legends, etc.)
1. stories passed orally appealed to the
non-literate
2. these stories were a form of
entertainment
3. the stories enabled the
passing of history and
culture from one group
to the next
Greek Mythology
1. The Greeks were the earliest people to give
their gods human forms
H
y
2. The Greeks also
p
gave the gods
e
r
human qualities
l
and emotions
i
n
3. Greeks were able to
k
determine proper
behavior based on what
would “anger the gods”
or “please the gods.”
Greek Myth Categories
The Greek myths fall into the following
categories:
a. Explanatory
(Pyramus and Thisbe)
b. Instructional
(Daedalus and Icarus)
c. Entertainment
Remember the Titans?
• Gaea: Earth Goddess; made the rest of the
Titans by mating with her son, Uranus.
• Uranus: Sky god; first ruler. Dethroned by
Cronus.
• Cronus: Fathered the first of the Olympians.
Swallowed his children except for Zeus.
• Prometheus: “Forethought” ;
Protector of man; inventor of fire.
• Atlas: Punished by having
to hold the world on his back.
Who Were the
Olympians?
• The offspring of the Titans
• Overthrew the Titans in a war to control the
universe.
• Led by Zeus, the god of the other gods.
• Zeus and his brothers split territory (Zeusearth/sky, Poseidon- the seas, Hades- the
underworld)
The Twelve Olympians
• Aphrodite: goddess of love and beauty. Her
symbols were the dove, and myrtle, a type of
evergreen shrub. Her Latin name was Venus.
• Apollo: god of the sun and of music. His
symbols were the lyre, the chariot, and the
laurel tree. His Latin name was Apollo.
• Ares: god of war. His symbols were armor,
dogs, and vultures. His Latin name was Mars.
• Artemis: goddess of the hunt and of the
moon. Her symbols were hunting, weapons,
stags, and the crescent moon. Her Latin name
was Diana.
• Athena: goddess of wisdom and war. Her
symbols were the owl, the olive tree, and two
types of armor—the breastplate and the
aegis, a shield. Her Latin name was Minerva.
• Demeter: goddess of agriculture. Her
symbols were sheaves of wheat, and the
poppy. Her Latin name was Ceres.
• Dionysus: god of wine and revelry. His
symbols were grapes and other crops.
His Latin name was Bacchus.
• Hephaestus: god of fire and of the
forge. His symbols were the anvil and
the hammer. His Latin name was Vulcan.
• Hera: queen of the gods. Her symbols
were the peacock and the pomegranate.
Her Latin name was Juno.
• Hermes: messenger of the gods. His symbols
were the caduceus, and a winged cap and
sandals. His Latin name was Mercury.
• Poseidon: god of the sea. His symbols were
the trident, a three pronged spear, and
dolphins. His Latin name was Neptune.
• Zeus: king of the gods. His symbols were the
thunderbolt, the eagle, and the oak tree. His
Latin name was Jupiter.
Family Tree
Other Gods and Goddesses
Eris - Goddess of Discord.
Eros - God of Love.
Helios - Personification of the Sun.
Heracles - Greatest hero of the Greek myths.
Iris - Personification of the Rainbow, also the
messenger of Olympus along with Hermes.
Morpheus - God of Dreams.
Muses - Nine ladies of science and arts.
Nemesis - Greek goddess of retribution.
Nike - Goddess of victory.
Can you label the Gods and Goddesses
on Mount Olympus?