Greek Mythology
Zeus
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God of the gods
Hurled thunderbolts at
those who displeased
him.
Famous for having
multiple affairs and
fathering many
other gods.
http://www.lclark.edu/~ndsmith/Zeus.JPG
http://www005.thinkquest.dk/images/zeus.gif
Hera
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Goddess of marriage
and wife of Zeus.
Most stories dealing
with Hera involve her
getting back at Zeus for
his cheating.
http://web.uncg.edu/dcl/de
mo/images/unit3/hera.jpg
http://ias.berkeley.edu/oria
s/visuals/polytheism/hera.j
pg
Hades
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God of the Underworld.
Wore invisible helmet.
Also the god of
metals because
metals came from
the earth.
http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/Images/
hades.jpg
http://www.crystalinks.com/hades.jpg
Athena
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http://blesius.org/gallery/images/1286/athena-profile-with-spear-3.jpg
Goddess of Wisdom
Zeus was once married to
Metis, a daughter of Ocean
who was renowned for her
wisdom. When Metis
became pregnant, Zeus
was warned by Earth that a
son born to Metis would
overthrow him, just as he
had usurped his own
father's throne. So Zeus
swallowed Metis. In time he
was overcome with a
splitting headache from
which he birthed Athena.
Goddess of Athens
http://www.softass
teel.com/myth/stor
y3/4.jpg
http://www.students.sbc.edu/mdavis04/Parthenon-02.jpg
http://www.vrac.iastate.edu/ArchVR/parthenon/snaps/parth_ext_treas.jpg
Ares
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God of war
Though an
immortal deity,
he was bested
by Heracles in
battle and was
almost killed
when stuffed
into a jar by two
giants. When
another hero
wounded him
during the
Trojan War, he
received scant
sympathy from
his father Zeus.
http://web.uncg.edu/dcl/demo/images/unit3/ares.jpg
*Mythweb.com
http://www.theoi.com/image/K9.5Ares.jpg
Demeter
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Goddess of agriculture and fertility.
Demeter as the sister of Zeus and the
mother of Persephone. Persephone
was gathering flowers in a meadow
one day when a huge crack opened
up in the earth and Hades, King of the
Dead, emerged from the Underworld.
He seized Persephone and carried her
off in his chariot, back down to his his
realm below, where she became his
queen. Demeter was heartbroken. She
wandered the length and breadth of
the earth in search of her daughter,
during which time the crops withered
and it became perpetual winter.
At length Hades was persuaded to
surrender Persephone for one half of
every year, the spring and summer
seasons when flowers bloom and the
earth bears fruit once more. The half
year that Persephone spends in the
Underworld as Hades' queen
coincides with the barren season.
http://members.tripod.com/~Pos
eidon64/demeter.jpg
*Mythweb.com
http://www.croneways.c
om/demeter.jpg
Poseidon
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God of the Sea
Poseidon was brother
to Zeus and Hades.
These three gods
divided up creation.
Zeus was ruler of the
sky, Hades had
dominion of the
Underworld and
Poseidon was given all
water, both fresh and
salt.
*Mythweb.com
http://www.linsdomain.com/g
ods&goddesses/pictures/pos
eidon.jpg
http://www.comedi
x.de/lexikon/db/im
g/poseidon.jpg
Hermes
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Messenger of the gods
and guide of dead
souls to the
Underworld.
http://www.chem.harv
ard.edu/herschbach/h
ermes.gif
http://www.unituebingen.de/hermes/i
mg/he2a.jpg
Aphrodite
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Goddess of love and
beauty
Born of Zeus and Deoni
(nymph).
Also Cronus cuts off the
genitals of Uranus and
hurls them into the sea
gives rise to her birth.
http://www.holycross.edu/departments/c
lassics/jhamilton/mythology/aphrodite/C
74.jpg
http://web.uncg.edu/dcl/demo
/images/unit3/aphrodite.jpg
Apollo
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God of Music
When someone died
suddenly, he was said
to have been struck
down by one of Apollo's
arrows. Homer's epic of
the Trojan War begins
with the god causing a
plague by raining
arrows down upon the
Greek camp.
http://www.thegreekforum.com/images/Apollo.jpg
*Mythweb.com
http://www.crystal
inks.com/apolloro
me.jpg
Dionysus
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God of Wine
Dionysus was the son
of Zeus and the mortal
heroine Semele.
Most theatrical
productions were
dedicated to him.
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/larrymyth/i
mages/dionysus/IBDionysus%20Kleophrades.jpg
http://www.crystalinks.co
m/dionysus.gif
Artemis
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Goddess of the hunt
and the moon.
Daughter of Zeus and
Leto, twin of Apollo.
Major goddess
in the city of
Ephesus.
http://www.windows.ucar.ed
u/mythology/images/artemis
_sm.jpg
http://fdrouin.free.fr/photos/uncategorized
/artemis.jpg
http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/Gall
ery/artemis_bw.jpg
Greek Mythology
Do Now: Can you think of examples of
Greek gods and goddesses in other
cultures?
Places We See Greek Mythology
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Ever seen the image of god zapping you with
a thunderbolt?
Multiple companies use Greek names.
Multiple expressions used from Greek
mythology.
The Significance of Greek Mythology
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Many of Western civilization’s symbols,
metaphors, words, and idealized images
come from ancient Greek mythology.
Nike – Goddess of Victory
http://chaussuresnike.edorefsite.com/uploaded_images
/swoosh-796141.jpg
http://www.theoi.com/Gallery/T24.2.html
Atlas
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Doomed to hold the
heavens on his
shoulders.
Atlas travel company
and Atlas Van Lines
Apollo
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God of music
Apollo Theatre
Medusa
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Terrible monster whose
stare would freeze her
enemies.
Medusa Concrete
Company
Trident
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The three-pronged spear of
Poseidon, god of the seas;
Trident Gum is a popular gum.
(Note: 'Tria' is Greek for 'three'
and 'donti' means 'tooth';
hence, Trident translates
literally as 'three-teeth', or
'triple-toothed'. Trident Gum, if
one is to believe the
advertising, helps to clean
your teeth, thus the allusion.)
Argus
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Giant watchmen with
hundred eyes.
Argus Security Corp.
Terms and Expressions from the Greeks
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Aphrodisiac - Arousing or intensifying sexual desire.
Narcissistic - inordinate fascination with oneself;
excessive self-love; vanity.
Titanic - Of or relating to the Titans. Having great
stature or enormous strength.
“Rich as King Midas” – everything he touched turned
to gold. “The Midas touch.”
The Achilles heel or tendon – named after the Greek
hero of the Trojan war who was killed when struck in
the heel, his one weak spot.
The Significance of Greek Mythology
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Often there were multiple, opposite stories
about the gods and goddesses.
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This is possible because there is no sacred text,
no single set of beliefs could be elevated as
supreme.
Therefore people are fairly religiously tolerant,
there are no heretics.
Heretic = anyone that does not conform to the
Religion brought the community together,
faith was a more personal affair.
Reflection
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Why is it important that powerful religious
institutions never developed in Greek
society? How may that affect the way the
Greeks examine their own world?