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, Mt. Olympus, sky,
and Earth
• Fathered many characters in
mythology: Dionysus, Apollo,
Artemis, Athena, Persephone,
Ares, Hermes, Aphrodite (in
some myths), Hercules,
Perseus, and many more.
Zeus, cont.
Zeus is married to his sister, Hera. Their
marriage is horrible—Zeus cheats on her with
practically every female: goddess and human
alike.
In fact, with a nod to symbolism, Zeus and
Hera's only child is Ares: War: Their union
could only have created something as
despicable and unlovable as war.
Zeus, cont.
Zeus is powerful, but even he can't outsmart fate.
Get the message for us lowly mortals?
Some famous stories where Zeus plays a staring role:
Birth of Athena: from out of the top of his head.
Father of Persephone: He approves of Hades' actions
Bauchis and Philemon: rewards selfless hospitality
Pushes the Judgement of the beauty contest on Paris
Io, Europa, Danae, Semele, Alcmene, Leda, sister
Demeter (among others) were all victims of Zeus' love
Zeus, cont.
• Zeus's weapon was the
thunderbolt
• He valued the idea of Xenia, or
hospitality for those in need
• He, ironically, punished oath
breakers
• His bird was the eagle (which
he used to punish poor
Prometheus)
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”
• His weapon is the trident
• Fathered the cyclops
Polyphemus
• Thought of as a selfish god
by the Greeks
• Punished Odysseus'
arrogance for 10 years
Hades
• Roman Name: Pluto
• God of the Underworld/ Dead
• Not welcomed in Olympus
• Kidnapped and married his niece,
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Persephone
Thought of as wealthy god because
of the precious metals and gems in
the center of the earth and because
he takes the precious resource of our
loved ones away from us (Plutocracy
comes from his name)
• Roman Name: Vesta
• Virgin Goddess of
Home and Hearth: all
things warm and
wonderful about
family life
• She's one of the most
important dieties in
everyday Greek life
• No exciting stories
about her weird antics
• Powerful Protector
Hestia
• Roman Name: Ceres
• Goddess of the Harvest
• A Goddess of the Earth
• Mother of Persephone
• When daughter is taken
away to underworld she
suffers so much that she
neglects her duties and no
crops will grow on earth:
Autumn and Winter
• When she comes back up
in Spring: all is right again.
Demeter
• Roman Name: Minerva
Athena • Virgin Goddess of
Wisdom and War
• Sprang from Zeus’s
head because he had
swallowed her mother
for fear that she would
give birth to a son who
would overthrow him.
• Her symbol is her aegis
• She loves all things
Athens and Odysseus
• Roman Name: Mars
• God of War
• Only son of Zeus and
Hera
• Bloodthirsty and
merciless
• Nobody except
Aphrodite can stand him
(interpret symbolism
here)
• Only companions are
terror and fear—go
figure!
Ares
• Roman Name: Vulcan
(Mulciber)
• God of Fire/Forge
• Son of Hera alone
• Only lame god, read
symbolism here: Woman's
attempt at creation without a
man: lame. Get it?
• Kind, unlike his half-brother
• Ironically, marries Aphrodite in
some myths
• Creator of Achille's famous
armor
Hephaestus
• Roman Name: Apollo
• God of Light/Sun and Music (lyre is
his instrument)
• The Light thing is big, read
symbolism, light, vision,
knowledge, understanding,
enlightenment. He was the boss of
the oracles at Delphi and
elsewhere.
• Brother of Artemis (Twins)
• “Blessed” Cassandra (Paris' sister)
with the “vision,” but when she
wouldn't “play ball,” he added the
curse that she wouldn't be
Apollo
• Roman Name: Diana
• Virgin Goddess of the Moon/
Hunt
• Sister to Apollo (Twins)
• Patron Goddess for women
who were pursued by men
Artemis
they didn't desire—she
usually helped them turn into
trees or lakes or something
• Held up the Greeks on their
way to Troy over some
bunnies
Hermes
• Roman Name: Mercury
• Messenger of the Gods (especially
Zeus—news he doesn't want to
deliver himself)
• Appears in more myths than any
other character
• Famous for his winged sandals, hat,
and wand
• Helps Odysseus w/Circe, Jason
w/Medusa, etc.
• Also likes to make messes—analogy-the “Jack” of “Jack and Karen” from
Will and Grace.
Aphrodite
• Roman Name: Venus
• Goddess of Passionate Love and Beauty
• Sprang from the ocean foam, in some myths
• Magic Girdle that makes her irresistable
• Won the Judgment of Paris: Golden Apple for the
fairest
• Trouble, jealousy, revenge, excitement, (read
symbolism) follow her wherever she goes. She
is the “Karen” of the “Jack and Karen” of Will
and Grace.
Dionysus
• Roman Name:
Bacchus
• God of Wine
• Patron god of
the Greek stage
• A God of the
Earth
Persephone
• Roman Name:
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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
• Nine daughters of
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Zeus and Mnemosyne
Inspired artists of all
kinds
• Goddesses who
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presided over the
arts and sciences
“He is happy whom
the muses love.”
Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe,
Terpsichore, Polyhymnia
The Graces
• Three Goddesses of
Grace and Beauty
• “They give life its
bloom.”
• Aglaia (Splendor)
• Euphrosyne (Mirth)
• Thalia (Good Cheer)
The Erinnyes (The Furies)
• Roman Name: Furiae
or Dirae (The Furies)
• Three Goddesses of
Vengeance
– Tisiphone (Avenger)
– Alecto (Unresting)
– Megaera (Jealous)
• They punish evildoers.
The Fates
• Roman Name: Parcae
• 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 snake-
haired 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
Sources
• 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