Mr. Roark’s Notes from Greek Action Figures:
Hera
 Lotus tipped staff
 Queen of the gods
 Sacred Animal symbol is a peacock because of the story of Argus
 Roman name is Juno
 http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Fi-Go/Flowers-in-Mythology.html
Demeter
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Hades:
Goddess of the Harvest and Agriculture
Roman name is Ceres (a.k.a.: cereal)
Sacred animal is pigs, cranes?
Controls the seasons
 Lord of the Underworld
 AKA: the rich one
 Wears helm of invisibility
 Roman name is Pluto
 Throne made of ebony
 Staff drives shades in to the underworld.
Medusa
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Cursed by Athena to turn people to stone
Pegasus is born from her blood
Her face is on the Aegis
Perseus slays her
Iris:
 Goddess of rainbows
 Messenger of the gods (Hera)
 Carries caduceus staff
Tantalus:
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Origin for the word “tantalize”: to torment by arousing expectations (like smelling popcorn, but
not getting it)
 Served his son up to Zeus in a casserole
 He is eternally tortured to reach for food and drink and have it recede
Daedalus and Icarus
 Daedalus was the Greek inventor
 He created the labyrinth, saw (stole the idea), and axe
Hestia
 Goddess of the hearth (fireplace) and home
 Gives up her place on Mt. Olympus
 Roman name is Vestia
Perseus
 Decapitated Medusa
 Son of Zeus and Danae
 Rescued Princess Andromeda
 Shield from Athena
 Sandals from Hermes
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Hecate:
 Three headed: dog, horse, lion
 Goddess of ghosts and witchcraft
King Midas:
 Wished for everything he touched to turn to gold (Squishy Touch, Chocolate Touch)
Prometheus:
 Name means forethought
 Protector of man
 Created man
 Gave man fire, stole it from the gods
 Punished by having his liver torn out by an eagle
 Is a Titan who sided with Zeus
Theseus
 Fights the Minotaur in the Labyrinth
 Prince of Athens
 Marries Hippolyta
Achilles
 Dipped in the river Styx
 Golden armor
 Killed by arrow in heal
Mnemsonye
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Gaea
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Mother of nine muses
Daughter of Cronus and Gaia
Creator of words and languages
Goddess of memory
Controls time?
Spring of Mnemsonye is in the Underworld
Mother Earth
 Python is her symbol
 Roman name is Terra
Persephone:
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Queen of Underworld
Goddess of Spring
Pomegranate is her symbol
Spent half her time in underworld
Ariadne
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Apollo
Daughter of Minos
Marries Dionysus
Saves Theseus
Her crown is a constellation: Corona
 God of sun, healing, archery, music
 Golden chariot: represents the sun
 Oracle at Delphi
 Sacred animals: cow
 Sister is Artemis
Minotaur:
 Stepfather is King Minos
 Theseus kills him
 Lives in the Labyrinth
 Minos=King Taur=Bull
Heracles
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Urania
Twelve labors
Wears Nemean lion pelt
Golden Apple of Hesperides
Captures Cerberus
Roman name is Hercules
Strongest son of Zeus
Named after Hera
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Hebe
Muse of astronomy and astrology
Son is Linus
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Goddess of eternal youth
Magical lettuce was fed to Hera
She feeds ambrosia and nectar
Athena
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Selene
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Springs forth from Zeus’ head
Symbols are owl
Gave Athens the olive tree.
Roman name is Minerva
Curses Medusa
Goddess of wisdom, battle tactics
Goddess of the full moon
Rides a moon chariot
Roman name Luna
Selenium is an element
Poseidon
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God of the sea
Symbol is trident (three pronged spear or a gum brand)
Made the horse
Son is Triton (King in Little Mermaid)
God of earthquakes “Know as the Earthshaker”
Ares
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Irene
God of war
Hooks up with Aphrodite
Roman name Mars
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Helios
Goddess of peace
Horae Season gods
Seen as a gatekeeper
Roman name is Pax
 Titan god of the sun
 Drives a chariot
Hephaestus
 God of the forge, blacksmiths and fire
 Made zeus’s thunderbolts, Pandora, chariot of the sun and moon
 Roman name is Vulcan
 Married to Aphrodite
Cassandra
 Fell in love with Apollo
 Contest with Aphrodite for beauty, she came in second
 Cursed by Apollo to be able to see the future, but never have anyone
 Foretold the fall of Troy
 Foretold the death of Agamemnon
Artemis
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Moon Goddess
Twin sister of Apollo
Huntress
Despises men, virgin goddess
Enemies were Aphrodite and Hera
Her color was silver because her brother’s were gold.
Roman name is Diana (like Wonder Woman’s real name, or Princess Diana)
Psyche
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Married to Eros (son of Aphrodite)
Betrays Eros, has to go to the underworld on a quest
Eventually made immortal
Symbol is butterfly
Goddess of the soul
Cronus or Kronus
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Aphrodite
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Father of the Main god (Zeus, etc.)
Killed his father, Oranos, with a sickle
Roman name is Saturn
Ompatholos stone: stone that he swallows instead of Zeus
Body is dismembered by Zeus
Goddess of love and beauty
Roman name is Venus
Married to Hephaestus (he makes her pretty jewelery)
Children: Eros, Phobos, the Graces, etc
Symbols: rose, dove, apple
Birthed from sea foam (the corpse of Oranos)
Love for Adonis and Ares
Nemesis
believe her
 God of revenge (balancer)
 Symbol is an ash tree
Sisyphus
 King of Corinth, betrays Zeus
 Has to roll a boulder up a hill, but is never allowed to accomplish task
 A Sisyphean task is one that is unable to be accomplished.
Boreas
 God of the North Wind
 Aurora (Eos) Borealis (Northern Lights)
 Bad temper
 Name means “devouring one”
Odysseus
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Zeus
King of Ithaca
Greatest Greek general
Created the Trojan Horse
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King of the gods
God of sky and heavens
Weapon is thunderbolt
Turns in to bull, shower of gold, eagle
Aegis shield with Medusa’s head
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Saves his brothers and sister from their father Cronus
Ares
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Thalia
Parents are Zeus and Hera
God of war and violence
Disliked by most
Roman name is Mars
Carries a shield and spear
 Muse of comedies, skits, and poetries
 Carries bugle and shepherd staff
Dionysus
 God of fertility and grape
 Roman name is Bacchus
 Makes people crazy
Perseus
 Demigod: son of Zeus and Danae
 Gifts: shield from Athena, winged sandals of Hermes, sickle from Zeus
 Decapitates Medusa
 Marries Princess Andromeda (name of a galaxy too and a cool sci-fi show)
Heracles
 Roman name is Hercules
 Strongest son of Zeus
Hermes
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Messenger of the gods
God of thieves, travelers, merchants
Roman name: Mercury
Athena
 Roman name is Minerva
 Born from the head of Zeus
 Goddess of Wisdom, warfare, and strength
 Owl is her symbol
 Created the olive tree and won “Athens”
Belleraphon
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Captures Pegasus with golden bridal
Sent to kill the chimera, uses lead spear (example of brain over brawn)
Tries to ascend to Olympus
Zeus sends Gad fly to knock him off Pegasus