Greek and Roman Mythology
A Review
of
The Principal Gods and Goddesses
What is a myth?
A traditional story rooted in primitive
folk beliefs of cultures
 Uses the supernatural to interpret
natural events
 Explains the culture’s view of the
universe and the nature of humanity

In the beginning...
…was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)
 Chaos had two children:

– Night (darkness)
– Erebus (death)
“All was black, empty, silent, endless.”
 Mysteriously, Love was born of
darkness and death.

And then...
When Love was born, order and beauty
began to flourish.
 Love created Light and Day.
 Earth was created.

– She was the solid ground, but also a
personality.

The Earth bore Heaven to cover her
and be a home for the gods.
The First Parents
Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia)
 Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus)
 They had three kinds of children:

– Three monsters with 100 hands and 50
heads
– Three cyclopes
– The titans

These were the first characters that had the appearance of life,
although it was unlike any life known to man.
The Titans (The Elder Gods)
There were many of them.
 Enormous size, incredible strength
 Cronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titans
 Rhea: Wife of Cronos
 Ocean: River that encircled the world
 Iapetus: Father of Prometheus,
Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)

The Principal Gods

Cronos and Rhea
were parents of
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Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)
Poseidon (Neptune)
Hades (Pluto)
Hera (Juno)
Hestia (Vesta)
Demeter (Ceres)

Other Olympians
include
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Athena (Minerva)
Ares (Mars)
Hebe (Juventas)
Hephaestus (Vulcan)
Apollo (Apollo)
Artemis (Diana)
Hermes (Mercury)
Aphrodite (Venus)
Dionysus (Bacchus)
Persephone
The Olympians
Zeus
Roman Name:
Jupiter (also Jove)
 Supreme god of the
Olympians.
 Fathered many
characters in
mythology

Zeus
Hera
Roman Name:
Juno
 Zeus’s sister
and wife
 Jealous
protector of
marriage
 Punished the
women Zeus fell
in love with

Poseidon
Roman Name:
Neptune
 God of the Seas
and Waters
 “The
Earthshaker”

Hades
Roman Name:
Pluto
 God of the
Underworld/
Dead
 Kidnapped
Persephone

Hestia
Roman Name:
Vesta
 Goddess of
Home
 Powerful
Protector

Demeter
Roman
Name: Ceres
 Goddess of
the Harvest
 A Goddess of
the Earth

Athena
Roman Name:
Minerva
 Goddess of
Wisdom and
War
 Sprang from
Zeus’s head

Ares
Roman Name:
Mars
 God of War
 Son of Zeus and
Hera
 Bloodthirsty and
merciless

Hephaestus
Roman Name:
Vulcan
(Mulciber)
 God of
Fire/Forge
 Son of Zeus
and Hera
 Kind, unlike his
brother

Apollo
Roman
Name: Apollo
 God of
Light/Sun and
Music
 Brother of
Artemis

Artemis
Roman
Name: Diana
 Goddess of
the Moon/
Hunt
 Sister to
Apollo

Hermes
Roman Name:
Mercury
 Messenger of
the Gods
 Appears in
more myths
than any other
character

Aphrodite
Roman Name:
Venus
 Goddess of
Love and
Beauty
 Sprang from
the ocean
foam

Dionysus
Roman Name:
Bacchus
 God of Wine
 Patron god of
the Greek stage
 A God of the
Earth

Persephone
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Roman Name:
Proserpina
Goddess of the
Underworld
Daughter of Zeus
and Demeter
Abducted by
Hades
Hebe
Roman Name:
Juventas
 Goddess of
Youth
 Cupbearer to the
Gods
 Restored youth
to the aged

Eros
Roman Name:
Cupid
 Young God of
Love
 Son of
Aphrodite and
Hephaestus

Iris
Goddess of the
Rainbow
 Messenger for
Zeus and Hera
 Daughter of the
titan Thaumus
and the nymph
Electra

The Muses

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Nine daughters of
Zeus and
Mnemosyne
Inspired artists of all
kinds
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Goddesses who
presided over the
arts and sciences
“He is happy whom
the muses love.”
Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Polyhymnia
The Erinnyes (The Furies)
Roman Name: Furiae
or Dirae (The Furies)
 Three Goddesses of
Vengeance

– Tisiphone
– Alecto
– Megaera

They punish
evildoers.
The Fates
Roman Name: Parcae, Moirae
 Three sisters

– Clotho (“The Spinner”)
– Lachesis (“The disposer of lots”)
– Atropos (“The cutter”)

They weave, measure, and cut the
thread of life for humans.
The Satyrs
Gods of the woods
and mountains
 “Shepherd gods”
 Goat men (like Pan)
 Companions of
Dionysus
 They like to drink,
dance, and chase
nymphs.

The Gorgons
Three snakehaired monsters
 Medusa is most
well-known
 Their look turns
men to stone.

The Centaurs
Half man, half
horse
 Savage
creatures
(except Chiron)
 Followers of
Dionysus
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Sources
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Graphics in this presentation were taken from
the following web sites:
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http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.html
http://www.pantheon.org/
http://www.messagenet.com/myths/
http://mythman.com/
http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.html
http://www.paleothea.com/
http://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/myth.html
This presentation is for educational purposes
only; it has not been and should not be sold
or used as a vehicle to make money.