Entertainment, values of society, and explanation of nature
GREEK GODS AND GODDESSES
Uranos
•King of Heaven
•Children were the
Titans
•Wife of Gaia (old
Mother Earth)
•Scared of children
•Overthrown by Titans
•Blood dripped into the
sea and made
Aphrodite
Gaia (Mother Earth)
•Married to Uranos
•Mother of the Titans
•Convinced Titans to
overthrow Uranos
Cyclops
•Three cyclopes named:
Thunderer, Lightener,
and Shiner
•Some of the first Titans
•Parents were Uranos
and Gaia
Cronos and Rheia
•Children were Hera,
Hestia, Demeter, Zeus,
Poseidon, and Hades
•Cronos feared children
and swallowed them
whole
•This relief depicts
Rheia giving Cronos the
rock wrapped in a
blanket
•Brother and sister
•Both were Titans
Prometheus
•Son of a Titan
•Brother to Epimetheus
•Name means
Forethought
•Clever
•Made man out of clay
•Stole fire from heaven
and gave to man
•Punished-chained to
rock and an eagle ate
his liver
Epimetheus and Pandora
•Married to each other
•Pandora opened jar of
evil given to
Epimetheus from
Prometheus
•Epimetheus means
afterthought
•Pandora gift from Zeus
Zeus
•Overthrew Cronos
•Took Prometheus’
advice
•Given lightning,
thunderbolt, and thunder
by cyclopes
•Father/King of Heaven
•Most powerful and
strongest
•Twelve wives
•Feared Metis
•Annoyed by Metis and
Hera
•Hung Hera from Heaven
•Threw Hephaistos down
•Head of the Olympian
Household
Poseidon
•God of Sea
•Trident
•Brother to Zeus
Hades
•God of the underworld
•Stole Persephone with
Zeus’ help
•Tricked her into
returning
•Guard dog Cerberos
•Given cap to make him
invisible
Hera
•Wife/sister to Zeus
•Mother to Ares-god of
war, Hebe-goddess of
youth, and Eileithyiagoddess of birth
•Mother of Hephaistos
•Goddess of marriage
•Annoyed Zeus so he
hung her from Heaven
Hestia
•Goddess of the hearth
(hospitality,
domesticity, family)
•Sister to Zeus
•Maiden
•Given high place in
Olympian household by
Zeus
Demeter
•Mother to Persephone
•Goddess of agriculture
•When Persephone is in
Hades, Demeter kills all
vegetation
•Explains the seasons
•Known as “New
Mother Earth”
Athena
•Born from Zeus
headache
•Daughter of Zeus and
Metis
•Goddess of war or
battles, skill, justice,
crafts
•Born with full armor
•Became dressmaker
•Taught man to do
many things
•Manly goddess
Hephaistos
•Son of Hera and Zeus
•Craftsman
•Ugly
•Thrown from Heaven
•Married to Aphrodite
•Split open Zeus’ head
Aphrodite
•Goddess of love and
beauty
•Married to Hephaistos
•Born from the sea
•Name means ocean
foam
Apollo
•God of music and the
bow
•Twin brother of
Artemis
•Changed into a dolphin
to guide a ship
•Son of Leto and Zeus
•Killed the dragon to
save mankind
•Built temple in Crissa
•Born on Delos
•Took over the sun
•More feminine than
Artemis
Artemis
•Twin sister of Apollo
•Goddess of hunting
and archery
•Maiden
•Animals both
protected and hunted
by Artemis
•Took over the moon
•More manly than
Apollo
Pan
•Half man and half goat
•Played the pan flute
•Fell in love with Echo
•Called to her and she
returned it
•Herdsmen loved and
feared him
Hermes
•Messenger of Zeus
•Stole Apollo’s cattle
•Made tortoise harp
•Leads ghosts of men
down to Hades
•Overseer of contests at
Olympos
•Crafty
•Did all of these things
as a baby
•Son of Zeus and Maia
Horai (seasons)
•Law, Justice, Peace
•Controlled orderly life
•Represented values of
society
Nine muses (with Apollo)
•More children of Zeus
•Muses inspired artists
of all kinds
Spinner, Portioner, Never-turn-back
•Controllers of thread of
life
•Daughters of Zeus
•Known as three fates
•Referred to destiny
Bloom, Brightness, Merryheart (three
graces)
•Three other children of
Zeus
•Look at photo
•What do you see?