Greek Mythology
BY Enmanuel medrano
Introduction page
This power-point may contain some nudity so please clarify first with the teacher
if you have any problems with any indecent exposure if not good because ancient
Greeks did most of their art about the naked body because it was not a big deal to
them. For those who don’t know these stories were told so that people could
justify there actions saying “If the gods can do it so can I” . Mythology is not a
religion but just a way people passed there time thank-you and enjoy the slide.
Ancient Gods - The Family Tree
Titans or early gods
The Titans, also known as the elder gods, ruled the earth
before the Olympians overthrew them. The ruler of the
Titans was Cronus who was dethroned by his son Zeus.
Most of the Titans fought with Cronus against Zeus and
were punished by being banished to Tartarus. During their
rule the Titans were associated with the various planets.
Gaea (Ge):
Gaea (gae- ya) is the Earth goddess. She mated with her son Uranus to produce the
remaining Titans. She is also known for helping Cronus for dethroning Uranus after he
kept putting the children she gave birth to back to the womb.
Uranus (Ouranos):
Uranus is the sky god and first ruler. He
is the son of Gaea, who created him
without help. He then became the
husband of Gaea and together they
had many offspring, including twelve of
the Titans. His rule ended when when
Cronus, encouraged by Gaea,
castrated him. He either died from the
wound or withdrew from earth.
Cronus (Kronus,Saturn):
Cronus was the ruling Titan who came to power by
castrating his Father Uranus. His wife was Rhea. There
offspring were the first of the Olympians. To insure his
safety Cronus ate each of the children as they were born.
This worked until Rhea, unhappy at the loss of her children,
tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock, instead of Zeus.
When he grew up Zeus would revolt against Cronus and
the other Titans, defeat them, and banished them to
Tartarus in the underworld. Cronus managed to escape to
Italy, where he ruled as Saturn. The period of his rule was
said to be a golden age on earth, honored by the Saturnalia
feast
Rhea:
Rhea was the wife of Cronus. Cronus made it a practice
to swallow their children. To avoid this, Rhea tricked
Cronus into swallowing a rock, saving her son Zeus
Oceanus:
Oceanus is the unending stream of
water encircling the world. Together
with his wife Tethys produced the
rivers and the three thousand ocean
nymphs.
Hyperion:
Hyperion is the Titan of light, an
early sun god. He is the son of
Gaea and Uranus. He married his
sister Theia. Their children Helios
(the sun), Selene (the moon), and
Eos (the dawn).
Mnemosyne:
Mnemosyne was the Titan of
memory and the mother of Muses.
Themis:
Themis was the Titan of justice and
order. She was the mother of the
Fates and the Seasons
Iapetus
 Iapetus was the father of Prometheus,
Epimetheus, Menoetius, and Atlas by
Clymene
Coeus
 Coeus is the Titan of Intelligence. Father of
Leto.
Phoebe
 Phoebe is the Titan of the Moon. Mother of
Leto.
Prometheus
 Prometheus was the wisest Titan. His name means "forethought" and
he was able to foretell the future. He was the son of Iapetus. When
Zeus revolted against Cronus Prometheus deserted the other Titans
and fought on Zeus side. By some accounts he and his brother
Epimetheus were delegated by Zeus to create man. In all accounts,
Prometheus is known as the protector and benefactor of man. He gave
mankind a number of gifts including fire. He also tricked Zeus into
allowing man to keep the best part of the animals sacrificed to the gods
and to give the gods the worst parts. For this Zeus punished
Prometheus by having him chained to a rock with an eagle tearing at
his liver. He was to be left there for all eternity or until he agreed to
disclose to Zeus which of Zeus children would try to replace him. He
was eventually rescued by Heracles without giving in to Zeus.
Epimetheus
 Epimetheus was a stupid Titan, whose
name means "afterthought". He was the son
of Iapetus. In some accounts he is
delegated, along with his brother
Prometheus by Zeus to create mankind. He
also accepted the gift of Pandora from Zeus,
which lead to the introduction of evil into the
world.
Atlas
 Atlas was the son of Iapetus. Unlike his
brothers Prometheus and Epimetheus, Atlas
fought with the other Titans supporting
Cronus against Zeus. Due to Cronus's
advance age Atlas lead the Titan's in battle.
As a result he was singled out by Zeus for a
special punishment and made to hold up the
world on his back
Metis
 Metis was the Titaness of the forth day and the planet
Mercury. She presided over all wisdom and knowledge.
She was seduced by Zeus and became pregnant with
Athena. Zeus became concerned over prophecies that her
second child would replace Zeus. To avoid this Zeus ate
her. It is said that she is the source for Zeus wisdom and
that she still advises Zeus from his belly. It may seem odd
for Metis to have been pregnant with Athena but, never
mentioned as her mother. This is because the classic
Greeks believed that children were generated solely from
the fathers sperm. The women was thought to be nothing
more than a vessel for the fetus to grow in. Since Metis
was killed well before Athena's birth her role doesn't count.
Dione
 Dione is, according to Homer in the Iliad, the
mother of Aphrodite.
Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)
 Zeus overthrew his Father
Cronus. He then drew lots with
his brothers Poseidon and
Hades. Zeus won the draw and
became the supreme ruler of the
gods. He is lord of the sky, the
rain god. His weapon is a
thunderbolt which he hurls at
those who displease him. He is
married to Hera but, is famous
for his many affairs. He is also
known to punish those that lie or
break oaths.
Poseidon (Neptune)

Poseidon is the brother of Zeus. 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 was widely worshiped by
seamen. He married Amphitrite, a
granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus. 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. So to
impress her Poseidon created the first horse.
In some accounts his first attempts were
unsuccessful and created a variety of other
animals in his quest. By the time the horse
was created his passion for Demeter had
cooled. 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. 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.
Hades (Pluto)

Hades is the brother of Zeus. After the
overthrow of their Father Cronus he
drew lots with Zeus and Poseidon,
another brother, for shares of the world.
He had the worst draw and was made
lord of the underworld, ruling over the
dead. He is a greedy god who is greatly
concerned with increasing his subjects.
Those whose calling increase the
number of dead are seen favorably. The
Erinyes are welcomed guests. He is
exceedingly disinclined to allow any of
his subjects leave. He is also the god of
wealth, due to the precious metals
mined from the earth. He has a helmet
that makes him invisible. He rarely
leaves the underworld. He is unpitying
and terrible, but not capricious. His wife
is Persephone whom Hades abducted.
He is the King of the dead but, death
itself is another god, Thanatos.
Hestia (Vesta)
 Hestia is Zeus sister. She
is a virgin goddess. She
does not have a distinct
personality. She plays no
part in myths. She is the
Goddess of the Hearth, the
symbol of the house
around which a new born
child is carried before it is
received into the family.
Each city had a public
hearth sacred to Hestia,
where the fire was never
allowed to go out
Hera (Juno)

Hera is Zeus wife and sister. She was raised by the Titans Ocean
and Tethys. She is the protector of marriage and takes special
care of married women. Hera's marriage was founded in strife
with Zeus and continued in strife. Zeus courted her
unsuccessfully. He then turned to trickery, changing himself into
disheveled cuckoo. Hera feeling sorry for the bird held it to her
breast to warm it. Zues then resumed his normal form and taking
advantage of the surprise he gained, raped her. She then married
him to cover her shame. Once when Zeus was being particularly
overbearing to the other gods, Hera convinced them to join in a
revolt. Her part in the revolt was to drug Zeus, and in this she was
successful. The gods then bound the sleeping Zeus to a couch
taking care to tie many knots. This done they began to quarrel
over the next step. Briareus overheard the arguments. Still full of
gratitude to Zeus, Briareus slipped in and was able to quickly
untie the many knots. Zeus sprang from the couch and grabbed
up his thunderbolt. The gods fell to their knees begging and
pleading for mercy. He seized Hera and hung her from the sky
with gold chains. She wept in pain all night but, none of the others
dared to interfere. Her weeping kept Zeus up and the next
morning he agreed to release her if she would swear never to
rebel again. She had little choice but, to agree. While she never
again rebelled, she often intrigued against Zeus's plans and she
was often able to outwit him. Most stories concerning Hera have
to do with her jealous revenge for Zeus's infidelities. Her sacred
animals are the cow and the peacock. Her favorite city is Argos.
Ares (Mars)
 Ares is the son of Zeus
and Hera. He was disliked
by both parents. He is the
god of war. He is
considered murderous and
bloodstained but, also a
coward. When caught in
an act of adultery with
Aphrodite her husband
Hephaestus is able to
publicly ridicule him. His
bird is the vulture. His
animal is the dog.
Pallas Athena (Minerva)

Athena is the daughter of Zeus. She
sprang full grown in armor from his
forehead, thus has no mother. She is
fierce and brave in battle but, only fights
to protect the state and home from
outside enemies. She is the goddess of
the city, handicrafts, and agriculture.
She invented the bridle, which permitted
man to tame horses, the trumpet, the
flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the
yoke, the ship, and the chariot. She is
the embodiment of wisdom, reason, and
purity. She was Zeus's favorite child and
was allowed to use his weapons
including his thunderbolt. Her favorite
city is Athens. Her tree is the olive. The
owl is her bird. She is a virgin goddess
Phoebus Apollo (Apollo)

Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto.
His twin sister is Artemis . He is the
god of music, playing a golden lyre.
The Archer, far shooting with a
silver bow. The god of healing who
taught man medicine. The god of
light. The god of truth, who can not
speak a lie. One of Apollo's more
important daily tasks is to harness
his chariot with four horses an drive
the Sun across the sky. He is
famous for his oracle at Delphi.
People traveled to it from all over
the Greek world to divine the future.
His tree was the laurel. The crow
his bird. The dolphin his animal.
Aphrodite (Venus)

Aphrodite is the goddess of love,
desire and beauty. In addition to her
natural gifts she has a magical
girdle that compels anyone she
wishes to desire her. There are two
accounts of her birth. One says she
is the daughter of Zeus and Dione.
The other goes back to when
Cronus castrated Uranus and
tossed his severed genitals into the
sea. Aphrodite then arose from the
sea foam on a giant scallop and
walked to shore in Cyprus. She is
the wife of Hephaestus. The myrtle
is her tree. The dove, the swan, and
the sparrow her birds
Hermes (Mercury)
 Hermes is the son of Zeus and
Maia. He is Zeus messenger.
He is the fastest of the gods. He
wears winged sandals, a winged
hat, and carries a magic wand.
He is the god of thieves and god
of commerce. He is the guide for
the dead to go to the
underworld. He invented the
lyre, the pipes, the musical
scale, astronomy , weights and
measures, boxing, gymnastics,
and the care of olive trees.
Artemis (Diana)

Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and
Leto. Her twin brother is Apollo .
She is the lady of the wild things.
She is the huntsman of the gods.
She is the protector of the young.
Like Apollo she hunts with silver
arrows. She became associated
with the moon. She is a virgin
goddess, and the goddess of
chastity. She also presides over
childbirth, which may seem odd for
a virgin, but goes back to causing
Leto no pain when she was born.
She became associated with
Hecate and Selene. The cypress is
her tree. All wild animals are scared
to her, especially the deer
Hephaestus (Vulcan)

Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and
Hera. Sometimes it is said that Hera
alone produced him and that he has no
father. He is the only god to be
physically ugly. He is also lame.
Accounts as to how he became lame
vary. Some say that Hera, upset by
having an ugly child, flung him from
Mount Olympus into the sea, breaking gods
his legs. Others that he took Hera's side
in an argument with Zeus and Zeus
flung him off Mount Olympus. He is the
god of fire and the forge. He is the smith
and armorer of the gods. He uses a
volcano as his forge. He is the patron
god of both smiths and weavers. He is
kind and peace loving. His wife is
Aphrodite. Sometimes his wife is
identified as Aglaia.
Dionysus (Bachus)

Dionysus is the god of the vine. He invented wine and
spread the art of tending grapes. He has a dual nature. On
the one hand bringing joy and divine ecstasy. On the other
brutal, unthinking, rage. Thus reflecting both sides of wines
nature. If he chooses Dionysus can drive a man mad. No
normal fetters can hold him or his followers. Dionysus is the
son of Zeus and Semele. He is the only god to have a
mortal parent. Zeus came to Semele in the night, invisible,
felt only as a divine presence. Semele was pleased to be a
lover of a god, even though she did not know which one.
Word soon got around and Hera quickly assumed who was
responsible. Hera went to Semele in disguise and
convinced her she should see her lover as he really was.
When Zeus next came to her she made him promise to
grant her one wish. She went so far as to make him swear
on the River Styx that he would grant her request. Zeus was
madly in love and agreed. She then asked him to show her
his true form. Zeus, was unhappy, and knew what would
happen but, having sworn he had no choice. He appeared
in his true form and Semele was instantly burnt to a crisp by
the sight of his glory. Zeus did manage to rescue Dionysus
and stitched him into his thigh to hold him until he was ready
to be born. His birth from Zeus alone conferred immortality
upon him. Dionysus problems with Hera were not yet over.
She was still jealous and arranged for the Titans to kill him.
The Titans ripped him into to pieces. However, Rhea
brought him back to life. After this Zeus arranged for his
protection and turned him over the mountain nymphs to be
raised.
Dionysus-Continued

Dionysus wandered the world actively encouraging his cult. He
was accompanied by the Maenads, wild women, flush with wine,
shoulders draped with a fawn skin, carrying rods tipped with pine
cones. While other gods had temples the followers of Dionysus
worshipped him in the woods. Here they might go into mad states
where they would rip apart and eat raw any animal they came
upon. Dionysus is also one of the very few that was able to bring
a dead person out of the underworld. Even though he had never
seen Semele he was concerned for her. Eventually he journeyed
into the underworld to find her. He faced down Thanatos and
brought her back to Mount Olympus. Dionysus became one of
the most important gods in everyday life. He became associated
with several key concepts. One was rebirth after death. Here his
dismemberment by the Titans and return to life is symbolically
echoed in tending vines, where the vines must be pruned back
sharply, and then become dormant in winter for them to bear fruit.
The other is the idea that under the influence of wine, one could
feel possessed by a greater power. Unlike the other gods
Dionysus was not only outside his believers but, also within them.
At these times a man might be greater then himself and do works
he otherwise could not. The festival for Dionysus is in the spring
when the leaves begin to reappear on the vine. It became one of
the most important events of the year. It's focus became the
theater. Most of the great Greek plays were initially written to be
performed at the feast of Dionysus. All who took part writers,
actors, spectators were regarded as scared servants of Dionysus
during the festival.
Demi-gods
Heracles
 Heracles is the son of the god
Zeus and Alcmene. His gift was
fabulous strength; he strangled
two serpents in his cradle, and
killed a lion before manhood.
Heracles' main antagonist was
Hera. She eventually drove him
mad, during which time he killed
his own children and his
brother's. He was so grieved
upon recovery that he exiled
himself and consulted the oracle
of Apollo. The oracle told him to
perform twelve labors.
Asclepius

A god of healing. His symbol is a snake. His parents
were Apollo and Coronis. His birth was accompanied by
scandal. While carrying him Coronis slept with Ischys.
This was considered an insult. The act was reported to
Apollo by a crow. Apollo turned all crows, until then
white, to black to mark that they were untrustworthy.
Apollo then felt compelled to slay Coronis with his
arrows. He rescued Asclepius from her funeral pyre.
Asclepius was raised by Chiron. Chiron taught him
healing which he went on to perfect. Athena gave him
two vials of Gorgon's blood. Blood from the right side
of the Gorgon revived life. Blood from the left killed.
Asclepius started using the blood to raise dead mortals.
For this overstepping of bounds Zeus killed him with a
thunderbolt. Apollo could not take revenge on Zeus
himself. So he killed the Cyclopes that forged the
thunderbolt.
Demeter

Demeter is the goddess of corn, grain, and the harvest.
She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. It is Demeter
that makes the crops grow each year. The first loaf of
bread from the harvest is sacrificed to her. Demeter is
intimately associated with the seasons. Her daughter
Persephone was abducted by Hades to be his wife in the
underworld. In her anger at her daughter's loss Demeter
laid a curse on the world that caused plants to wither and
die, the land became desolate. Zeus became alarmed and
sought Persephone's return. However, because she had
eaten while in the underworld Hades had a claim on her.
Therefore, it was decreed that Persephone would spend
four months each year in the underworld. During these
months Demeter grieves her daughters absence, and
withdraws her gifts from the world, creating winter. Her
return brought the spring. Demeter is also known for
founding the Eleusinian Mysteries. These were huge
festivals held every five years. They were important
events for many centuries. Yet, little is known of them as
those attending were sworn to secrecy. The central tenant
seems to have been that just as grain returns every spring
after its harvest and wintery death, so too the human soul
could be reborn after the death of the body. She gave up
her place as on of the 12 Olympians and gave it to
Dionysus instead.
Persephone
 Persephone is the
daughter of Zeus and
Demeter. After her
abduction by Hades
she became his wife
and Queen of the
underworld.
Eros (Cupid)
 Eros is the son of Aphrodite.
Eros is the god of love. In
particular erotic, romantic, love.
He is often represented
blindfolded because, love is
often blind. His "weapon" is
darts or arrows. In either case
the tips have been magically
treated to produce either
uncontrollable love or
insurmountable disinterested in
the first person seen be Eros's
victim after wounding.
Hebe
 Hebe is the daughter
of Zeus and Hera. She
is the goddess of
youth. She, along with
Ganymede are the
cupbearers to the
gods. Hebe is
Heracles wife.
Eris
 Eris is the daughter of Zeus and
Hera. She is the goddess of
discord. In addition to her main
activity of sowing discord, she
frequently accompanies her
brother Ares to battles. On these
occasions she rides his chariot
and brings her son Strife. Eris is
unpopular and frequently
snubbed as a guest by the other
gods and mankind. This was not
always a safe thing to do. The
most dramatic example being
the Trojan War, which was an
indirect result of not inviting Eris
to a wedding.
Thanatos
 Thanatos was the
Greek god of death.
He may be thought of
as a personification of
death. He plays little
role in the myths. He
became rather
overshadowed by
Hades the lord of the
underworld.

Pan
Pan is the son of Hermes. He is the god of goatherds and shepherds. He is
mostly human in appearance but, with goat horns and goat feet. He is an
excellent musician and plays the pipes. He is merry and playful frequently
seen dancing with woodland nymphs. He is at home in any wild place but, is
favorite is Arcady, where he was born. He is always in pursuit of one of the
nymphs but, always rejected because he is ugly. His name is the basis for
the word "panic". There are two differing explanations for this. The first is
that he was present when Zeus defeated the Titans and claimed that it has
his yelling that caused the Titans to flee. However, this seems at odds with
his being Hermes son. The second is that he created the noises in the
woods at night the scared travelers.
Nemesis
 Nemesis means
righteous anger, due
enactment, or divine
vengeance. This god
helped to avenge
those who were
wronged.
The Graces
 They are the
daughters of Zeus and
Eurynome. There are
three Graces: Aglaia
(Splendor),
Euphrosyne (Mirth),
and Thalia (Good
Cheer). The are known
for singing and
dancing for the gods.
The Muses
 They are the daughters of Zeus and
Mnemosyne. They are known for the music of
their song, which brings joy to any who hear
it. There are nine Muses, each with her own
specialty: Clio (History), Urania (Astronomy),
Melpomene (Tragedy), Thalia (Comedy),
Terpsichore (Dance), Calliope (Epic Poetry),
Erato (Love Poetry), Polyhymnia (Songs to
the Gods), Euterpe (Lyric Poetry).
The Erinyes
 Also known as the Furies, punish crime. They
pursue wrong doers relentlessly, until death, often
driving them to suicide. They are particularly
concerned with matricide. There are three Erinye Tisiphone, Megaera, and Alecto. The Erinyes came
from the blood of Uranus when he was castrated.
The Fates

The Fates have the subtle but,
awesome power of deciding a mans
destiny. The assign a man to good or
evil. There most obvious choice is
choosing how long a man lives. There
are three Fates. Clotho, the spinner,
who spins the thread of life. Lachesis,
the measurer, who chooses the lot in
life one will have and measures off
how long it is to be. Atropos, she who
can not be turn, who at death with her
shears cuts the tread of life. The Fates
are old and predate the gods. It is not
entirely clear how far their power
extends. It is possible that they
determine the fate of the gods as well.
In any case, not even the most
powerful is willing to trifle with them.
Cupid and Psyche
 Once upon a time there lived a maiden so beautiful
that she was thought to be lovelier than even Venus,
Goddess of Love. Venus, out of jealousy, commanded
that her son, Cupid, ensure that no man would ever
love her. Cupid went to Psyche, but accidently stuck
himself with the tip of one of his arrows, and fell in love
with her. He followed his mother's orders, making it so
that no man would look upon her with love, and then
he left.
 Her family, surprised to find that their daughter was no
longer sought by any suitor when before men had
travelled some distance to court her, consulted the
oracle of Apollo. The Oracle said that the daughter
had angered the Gods in some way, and must be
sacrificed to a monster to appease them. In sorrow,
they took their daughter to the top of a nearby
mountain and left her there, to await her fate.
 Soon Zephyr, the God of the winds, came along and
carried her along to a beautiful palace. A voice
addressed her, though she saw no one, and it
instructed her to enjoy the house and grounds around
her. At night, when she retired to bed, she was joined
in her bed by a lover, who said he was her husband
but that she must never look upon him. He was gentle,
but he was gone by morning.
 For some time Psyche lived like this, though she often
requested to see her husband's face. He would cover
her in a gentle blanket and refuse to let her see.
Finally, one night Psyche kept an oil lamp nearby, and
when she knew her husband to be asleep she lit the
lamp. Lying in her bed was the God Cupid, and what
she had taken as a soft blanket was his wings. In her
shock, she spilled a drop of hot oil and it dropped onto
his shoulder.
 Cupid awoke, and was angry with Psyche for
breaking his command to not look upon him. He
fled, and abandoned her. She chased after him,
but as she could not fly she was soon left
behind.
 Unable to find her husband again, Psyche went
to Venus, his mother, and begged her for help.
Venus, who was still angry at the mortal,
refused to help unless Psyche agreed to
perform labours to show her devotion. Psyche
agreed and was set about a number of tasks.
 She was asked to sort out a storehouse full of
grains by their type. Despairing, she asked for
aide, and an army of ants came to help her,
sorting the grains out. She was next directed to
gather a handful of wool from some wild and
dangerous sheep. Again, she asked for aide,
and the briars by the riverside told her to wait,
and after the sheep had drunk, she could
gather the wool from their briars that they had
pulled out. Venus was not happy to find that the
girl had performed her tasks so well. For a final
task,s he gave Pysche a box, and told her to go
to see Proserpine, wife of Hades, God of the
underworld, and ask for a little of her beauty.
 Pyshce travelled to the underworld and met the
Queen of the dead, who gave her a box,
commanding her not to open it. Psyche
travelled out of hell again, but onher way, felt
that she had worked so hard for so long that
she deserved some reward. She thought to
open the box and take a little of the beauty out
for her own use. However, when she opened
the box she found instead that what lay inside
was a deathly sleep, and she collapsed on the
ground.
 By this time Cupid had recovered from his
wound, and was sorry he had left Pysche in
such a manner. He sought out to find her, and
discovered her laying as if dead. He went to
her, brushed away the sleep from her body, and
embraced her again.
 While Psyche brought the box to Venus as
requested, Cupid went to the Gods and pleaded
for their help. After hearing his tale, the Gods
agreed to make Psyche one of their own. She
was given a cup of ambrosia to drink, to make
her an immortal, and butterfly wings so that she
might fly alongside her husband.
The End
The Story of Persephone
 Persephone was the daughter of Demeter,
goddess of the earth and harvest. Demeter was
responsible for the growth of plants and crops,
and Persephone helped her. Pluto, god of the
Underworld, wanted to marry Persephone and
asked Zeus's permission to do so. Zeus
avoided answering Pluto's request, however,
knowing that Demeter would never agree. (After
all, who would want their daughter to live in the
Underworld?) One day, Pluto found
Persephone alone, kidnapped her, and took her
down to Hades. As they entered Hades, they
passed by Cerberus -- the three-headed dog
who guards the gates of the Underworld to
keep the dead from leaving
 When Demeter discovered that her daughter
was missing, she stopped taking care of the
crops and began to search for Persephone. The
crops withered and died. Eventually, Demeter
discovered that Persephone was Pluto's
prisoner in Hades. She pleaded with Zeus to
make Pluto release her daughter. The gods
also wanted Zeus to persuade Pluto to let
Persephone go, because the humans would
starve without any crops.
 Zeus ordered Pluto to free Persephone, as long
as she hadn't eaten any food in Hades. Just
before he set her free, Pluto tempted
Persephone to eat a few pomegranate seeds
from his garden. Because Persephone had
eaten from Pluto's garden, she had to spend
part of the year in the Underworld and part on
earth with her mother.
 So, every year when Persephone is in the
Underworld, Demeter is sad and lets the plants
die. When Persephone returns to earth, her
mother is happy and tends the plants so they
bloom and flourish
The End
Hera’s Rebellion
 Hera is Zeus wife and sister. She was raised by the Titans Ocean and
Tethys. She is the protector of marrage and takes special care of married
women. Hera's marriage was founded in strife with Zeus and continued in
strife. Zeus courted her unsuccesfully. He then turned to trickery, changing
himself into disheveled cuckoo. Hera feeling sorry for the bird held it to her
breast to warm it. Zues then resumed his normal form and taking advantage
of the suprise he gained, raped her. She then married him to cover her
shame.
 Once when Zeus was being partcularly overbearing to the other gods, Hera
convinced them to join in a revolt. Her part in the revolt was to drug Zeus,
and in this she was successful. The gods then bound the sleeping Zeus to a
couch taking care to tie many knots. This done they began to quarrel over
the next step. Briareus overheard the arguements. Still full of gratitude to
Zeus, Briareus slipped in and was able to quickly untie the many knots. Zeus
sprang from the couch and grapped up his thuderbolt. The gods fell to their
knees begging and pleading for mercy. He seized Hera and hung her from
the sky with gold chains. She wept in pain all night but, none of the others
dared to interfere. Her weeping kept Zeus up and the next morning he
agreed to release her if she would swear never to rebel again. She had little
choice but, to agree. While she never again rebeled, she often intrigued
against Zeus's plans and she was often able to outwit him.
The End
Arachne
 Arachne was a young woman from Lydia, sometimes
said to be a princess, who offended Athena, and
suffered the consequences. Her story helped serve as
a warning to all to take care to not offend the gods.
Arachne was gifted in the art of weaving. Not only
were her finished products beautiful to look at, but the
very act of her weaving was a sight to behold. Nymphs
were said to abandon their frolicking to come observe
Arachne practice her magic. So remarkable were her
works that observers often commented that she must
have been trained by the very patron goddess of
weaving, Athena herself. Arachne scoffed at this. She
was disgusted at being placed in an inferior place to
the goddess and proclaimed that Athena herself could
not do better than her.
 Athena was quite perturbed at Arachne's bold claim, but she
decided to give the young woman a chance to redeem herself.
She came to Arachne disguised as an old woman and warned
her to be careful not to offend the gods, lest she incur their
wrath. But Arachne told the old woman to save her breath. She
welcomed a contest with Athena, and, if she lost, would suffer
whatever punishment the goddess deemed necessary.
 The goddess accepted the challenge and revealed her true
form. The nymphs who had come to watch Arachne's weaving
shrunk back in fear, but Arachne stood her shaky ground. She
had made a claim, and she was sticking to it. So the contest
began, the mortal at her loom, the goddess at hers. Athena
began to weave the scene of her contest with Poseidon for the
city of Athens. A beautiful scene developed from the threads,
showing Poseidon and the salt water spring, and Athena with
an olive tree, gifts to the people who would name Athena as
their patron, and their city after her. The bystanders marveled at
the goddess' work.
 Arachne, for her part, created a tapestry showcasing
scenes of Zeus' various infidelities: Leda with the
Swan, Europa with the bull, Danaë and the golden rain
shower. So exquisite was the mortal's work that the
bull seemed lifelike, swimming across the tapestry
with a real girl on his shoulders. Even Athena herself
was forced to admit that Arachne's work was flawless.
(Whether or not Arachne was actually better than
Athena is still a mystery.)
 Angered at Arachne's challenge, as well as the
presumptuousness of her choice of subjects, Athena
tore the tapestry to pieces and destroyed the loom.
Then she touched Arachne's forehead, making sure
that she felt full guilt for her actions. Arachne was
ashamed, but the guilt was far too deep for her poor,
mortal mind. Depressed, she hanged herself.
 Athena took pity on Arachne. She most likely
did not expect that Arachne would commit
suicide. She brought her back to life, but not as
a human. By sprinkling her with the juices of
aconite, Athena transformed the woman into a
spider, her and her descendants to forever
hang from threads and to be great weavers.
The End
Pipes of Pan
 When Pan was born and the nurse saw the
face and the beard of the newborn child, she
was afraid and fled. For this reason it has been
said that irrational terrors (panic) come from
Pan.
 Pan has a goat's feet and two horns, and wears
a lynx-pelt. He is the god of woods and
pastures, and also the mountain peaks and
rocky crests are his domain. He wanders along
the hills, slaying wild beasts. But in the
evenings he plays sweet and low on his pipes
of reed, with singing NYMPHS or CHARITES
holding him company. Otherwise, when he is in
the company of the Mother of the Gods, Pan
loves noise and high-pitched songs.
 Pan fell in love with the Arcadian nymph Syrinx (an
imitator of Artemis both in manners and in
appearance), who had until then eluded the pursuit of
both SATYRS and gods. Sirynx desdained Pan, and
spurning his love and prayers, refused to take him as
a sweetheart, who was neither man nor goat. The god
then pursued her, but she came to the stream of the
river Ladon in western Arcadia, and no longer being
able to escape, she asked to the nymphs of the river
to change her form. And the nymphs, listening to her
prayers, turned her into marsh reeds. So when Pan
wished to hold her, there was nothing left of her except
the reeds and the sound which the air produced in
them. On hearing it, however, Pan was charmed, and
thinking of the nymph, said to himself in triumph:
 "This converse, at least, shall I have with you."
 And joining reeds of different sizes, he invented
the musical instrument that was named syrinx
after her, or sometimes Pan flute, after the god
himself. Pan is also remembered for having
competed with that flute against Apollo's lyre,
but the syrinx was judged by Tmolus to be
inferior to Apollo's lyre. On the occasion,
everyone agreed with the judgement except
King Midas, who called it unjust. And it is for
this reason that Midas acquired, by the will of
Apollo, the ears of an ass, which he tried in vain
to conceal under a turban.
The End
Ares and Aphrodites
 Hephaestus, the smith and craftsman of the
gods, was married to Aphrodite, the goddess of
love and beauty.
 It was not a happy marriage, because they had
no children and Aphrodite was an unfaithful
wife, having children with gods and mortals.
(Hephaestus was also unfaithful, too.)
 Among her many infidelities, Aphrodite had a
long love affair with Ares the god of war and
strife.
 Apollo, the sun god see most things during the
day, as he drove his sun chariot across the sky.
It was one of those days that Apollo witnessed
Aphrodite taking her lover in her bed, while
Hephaestus was absent. Helios easily noticed
Ares so Apollo went and informed Hephaestus
of his wife had cuckolded him.
 Hephaestus decided to take revenge on the
lovers. The crippled craftsman created an
invisible net, which he set over the beautiful
bed. Informing his wife that he was going to the
island of Lemnos for a while, Aphrodite saw this
as an opportunity to spend time with Ares
during her husband's absence.
 Once Hephaestus left their home, Ares sneaked
into the house with the goddess. In the midst of
their lovemaking, the net fell upon them,
trapping them in net they couldn't break free.
 Hephaestus immediately walked back to his
bedchamber with a host of other gods to
witness the disgraced pair. Only the male
Olympians appeared, while the goddesses
stayed in Olympus, preferring not to witness
such indecency. The smith god blamed both of
his parents for his marriage to Aphrodite.
Hephaestus announced that he would not
release them until they return the gifts he had
given to Zeus and Hera.
 The two younger Olympians, Apollo and
Hermes were amused at the humiliation of the
war god and love goddess. They compared
Hephaestus to the tortoise that defeated the
hare (Ares) in a race. Hephaestus has certainly
outwitted Ares. Hermes admitted that he
wouldn't mind being in Ares' place, if he could
bed with the love goddess, regardless of the
consequences.
 When Poseidon saw Aphrodite's beauty, he
was filled with lust for the goddess. So
Poseidon's motive for urging Hephaestus to
release his wife was really motivated by selfinterest, not to appease the cuckolded
husband. Aphrodite repaid Poseidon by
sleeping with him, so she became the mother of
Eryx, an Argonaut who sailed with Jason.
 Poseidon wasn't the only god who desired her
Hermes also gaining her favour, and became
mother of Hermaphroditus. Aphrodite didn't
forget to punish the informer, the sun god
Apollo.
 Apollo had loved a nymph, named Clytie. Aphrodite
made him instead fall in love with another girl,
named Leucothoe, daughter of Orchamus king of
Persia.
Clytie became jealous of her rival, so she spread a
rumour so that Orchamus thought his daughter was
a harlot. Orchamus buried Leucothoe alive Apollo
vainly tried to save her.
Apollo abandoned Clytie, who was madly in love with
Apollo, lay on the ground, watching his chariot drive
through the sky, for nine days, until she wasted
away and died.
Leucothoe was transformed into sweet-smelling shrub,
while Clytie was turned into heliotrope, where the
head of flower always faced the sun during the
course of the day.
The End
Pygmalion
 'An altar, to Zeus used to stand in front of the gates if
any stranger, ignorant of their wickedness, had seen it,
stained with blood, they would have thought that
calves or sheep, from Amathus, were sacrificed there:
it was their guests they killed!
Aphrodite was preparing to abandon her cities, and the
Cyprian fields, outraged by their abominable rites, but
'How,' she said, 'have my cities, or this dear place,
sinned? What is their crime? Instead, let this impious
race pay the penalty of death or exile, or some
punishment between execution and banishment, and
what might that be but the penalty of being
transformed?' While she is deciding how to alter them,
she turns her eyes towards their horns, and this
suggests that she might leave them those, and she
changed them into wild bullocks.
 'Nevertheless, the immoral Propoetides dared to deny
that Venus was the goddess. For this, because of her
divine anger, they are said to have been the first to
prostitute their bodies and their reputations in public,
and, losing all sense of shame, they lost the power to
blush, as the blood hardened in their cheeks, and only
a small change turned them into hard flints.
 'Pygmalion had seen them, spending their lives in
wickedness, and, offended by the failings that nature
gave the female heart, he lived as a bachelor, without
a wife or partner for his bed. But, with wonderful skill,
he carved a figure, brilliantly, out of snow-white ivory,
no mortal woman, and fell in love with his own
creation. The features are those of a real girl, who,
you might think, lived, and wished to move, if modesty
did not forbid it. Indeed, art hides his art. He marvels:
and passion, for this bodily image, consumes his
heart.
 'Often, he runs his hands over the work, tempted as to
whether it is flesh or ivory, not admitting it to be ivory.
he kisses it and thinks his kisses are returned; and
speaks to it; and holds it, and imagines that his fingers
press into the limbs, and is afraid lest bruises appear
from the pressure. Now he addresses it with
compliments, now brings it gifts that please girls,
shells and polished pebbles, little birds, and manycoloured flowers, lilies and tinted beads, and the
Heliades's amber tears, that drip from the trees. He
dresses the body, also, in clothing; places rings on the
fingers; places a long necklace round its neck; pearls
hang from the ears, and cinctures round the breasts.
All are fitting: but it appears no less lovely, naked. He
arranges the statue on a bed on which cloths dyed
with Tyrian murex are spread, and calls it his
bedfellow, and rests its neck against soft down, as if it
could feel.
 The day of Venus's festival came, celebrated
throughout Cyprus, and heifers, their curved
horns gilded, fell, to the blow on their snowy
neck. The incense was smoking, when
Pygmalion, having made his offering, stood by
the altar, and said, shyly: "If you can grant all
things, you gods, I wish as a bride to have..."
and not daring to say "the girl of ivory" he said
"one like my ivory girl."
 'Golden Aphrodites, for she herself was present at the
festival, knew what the prayer meant, and as a sign of
the gods' fondness for him, the flame flared three
times, and shook its crown in the air. When he
returned, he sought out the image of his girl, and
leaning over the couch, kissed her. She felt warm: he
pressed his lips to her again, and also touched her
breast with his hand. The ivory yielded to his touch,
and lost its hardness, altering under his fingers, as the
bees' wax of Hymettus softens in the sun, and is
moulded, under the thumb, into many forms, made
usable by use. The lover is stupefied, and joyful, but
uncertain, and afraid he is wrong, reaffirms the
fulfilment of his wishes, with his hand, again, and
again.
 'It was flesh! The pulse throbbed under his
thumb. Then the hero, of Paphos, was indeed
overfull of words with which to thank Venus,
and still pressed his mouth against a mouth that
was not merely a likeness. The girl felt the
kisses he gave, blushed, and, raising her
bashful eyes to the light, saw both her lover and
the sky. The goddess attended the marriage
that she had brought about, and when the
moon's horns had nine times met at the full, the
woman bore a son, Paphos, from whom the
island takes its name.'
The End
Orpheus and Eurydice
 Orpheus was the greatest mortal musician in
Greek myths. Orpheus was the son of the Muse
Calliope. His father was either the god Apollo or
Oeagrus, the king of Thrace.
 Even though he may have the son of the
Thracian king, Apollo, who was the greatest
musician of the gods, taught him how to play
the lyre. Like Apollo, Orpheus' favourite
instrument was the lyre. Calliope and her
sisters taught her son the song. His music and
voice were so enchanting that wild animal
would become tame and the trees and rocks
would follow him.
 Orpheus fell in love with a nymph, named Eurydice.
Their marriage was short, when a minor pastoral god
named Aristaeüs , lustfully pursued after the nymph. A
snake bit Eurydice's ankle when she stepped on the
snake. Eurydice died from the venom. Orpheus
mourned over the loss of his wife. The hero was
determined to win back his wife from Hades. With his
lyre he descended down towards the Underworld. His
music made all the spirits to come and listen. Even
those condemned to eternal punishment (like
Sisyphus and Tantalus) forgot their torments. Orpheus
crossed the Styx without paying Charon for toll on the
ferry. The three-headed hound Cerberus allowed
Orpheus to pass through the gates without challenge.
His song even moved Hades, the lord of the dead,
who listened to the music with his wife Persephone.
 When Hades heard why Orpheus had come to the world of the
dead, the sombre god agreed that Orpheus could have his wife
back, on the condition that Orpheus should not look back until
they reached the earth surface. Orpheus was both joyful and
anxious if his wife was following him to his surface. His anxiety
made him look back too soon, when he reached the surface.
Eurydice was just inside of the cavern entrance, when he
turned back to look at his wife. Eurydice was instantly returned
to Underworld.
 Orpheus was barred from entering the Underworld for the
second time, while he was still alive. Orpheus had no choice
but to return home. In Thrace, Orpheus would sit on a rock in
the meadow, playing mournful tunes over the loss of his wife.
The maenads, the women followers of the wine god Dionysus,
wanted the musician to play music of revelry. Orpheus
continued to play of music of sorrow. The angry women
violently tore him to pieces with their bare hands.
 the Muses mourned over the death of Orpheus
so they gathered the pieces of his body and
buried in Piera, Macedonia. The constellation of
the Kneeler or Engonasin (the constellation is
now called Hercules) had probably represented
Orpheus kneeling, while the Thracian women
attacked him. Most likely the Muses placed his
lyre in the sky as the constellation Lyra.
The End
Hermaphroditus
 Hermaphroditus was the son of Hermes and
Aphrodite. Hermaphroditus grew to be the most
beautiful youth in the world at that time. The
nymphs had brought up Hermaphroditus at
Mount Ida in Lycia. One day, he left his home,
arrived at the spring near Halicarnassus, in
Caria. The spring was named after a nymph,
named Salmacis. This nymph fell madly in love
with Hermaphroditus, but failed to seduce him.
However, when he was bathing in her spring,
Salmacis leaped upon the frightened youth, and
clung to him, with arms and legs around his
handsome body. Salmacis kissed the boy, who
tried to fight her off.
 Then, Salmacis prayed to the gods, so that they
may never be separated from one another. The
gods answered her prayed, by merging and
fusing their bodies together.
 To Hermaphroditus' horror, his body now has
woman's breasts and a female genital, as well
as his own male genital. Hermaphroditus was
upset at this transformation when he emerged
from the spring. He prayed to his father and his
mother that any man or boy who bathes in this
pool would suffer the same fate and
transformation as he did: becoming half man,
half woman.
 This is where the name of hermaphrodite
comes from, where a person has the genitals of
two sexes. This is very rare condition for human
beings and is commonly found on plants and
invertebrate animals (such as worms or snails).
The End
 I hope you enjoyed the
power-point and hope
it was slightly
entertaining and thankyou.