Mythology Unit
The Gods and Goddesses
Of
Greece
Aphrodite
Goddess of Love & Beauty
Appearance: gorgeous, eternally young woman with a beautiful body
Symbols/Attributes: a.) girdle which has magical powers to make people fall in love
b.) dove
c.) apple
d.) scalloped shell
e.) mirror
Strengths: Strong sexual attractiveness
& dazzling beauty
Weaknesses: Stuck on herself
(but she has a perfect face, so who can blame her?)
Parents: a.) born from sea foam
b.) daughter of Zeus and Dione
Spouse: Hephaestus
Children: Eros
Apollo
God of the Sun
music, poetry, truth, and light
Appearance: a young man with curly blond hair
Symbols/Attributes: a.) the Sun
b.) a lyre
c.) a bow and arrow
d.) the chariot he uses to drive the sun across the sky everyday
Strengths: creative and handsome
Weaknesses: often is charmed by beautiful women
Parents: a.) son of Zeus and Leto b.) twin sister is Artemis
Spouse: Never married but had many affairs
Children: a.) Orpheus- a wonderful singer and demi-god
b.) Asklepios- God of healing
Ares
God of War
Appearance: a bearded, good-looking warrior dressed for battle
Symbols/Attributes: a.) the spear
b.) also associated with dogs and vultures
Strengths: Decisive, determined, fearless
Weaknesses: impulsive, bloodthirsty, wants to fight
regardless of the consequences
Parents: a.) son of Zeus and Hera
b.) his parents don’t like him
Spouse: Never married but had many affairs,
especially with Aphrodite
Children: a.) Diomedes
b.) Cycnus
c.) Oenomaus
Artemis
Goddess of Hunting, Wilderness, & Wild Animals; childbirth,
protector of girls up until the age of marriage
Appearance: eternally young woman, beautiful and vigorous, wearing a short
dress which leave her legs free; sometimes her dress has fruits,
honeycombs and parts of sacrificed animals on it
Symbols/Attributes: a.) her bow
b.) hounds
c.) has a lunar crescent on her brow
Strengths: Physically strong, able to defend herself, defender and guardian of
women in childbirth and of wildlife in general
Weaknesses: Dislikes men, opposes marriage and the loss
of freedom it means for women
Parents: daughter of Zeus and Leto
Spouse: None
Children: None
Athena
The Goddess of Wisdom
war, weaving, and pottery
Appearance: a young woman wearing a helmet and
holding a shield wit the head of Medusa on it and a spear;
Symbols/Attributes: a.) Owls (watchfulness & wisdom)
b.) Shield
c.) Allowed to use Zeus’s
thunderbolt and other weapons
Strengths: Rational, intelligent, a powerful defender in war but also a peacemaker
Weaknesses: Is not emotional or compassionate
Parents: born from the forehead of her father Zeus in full battle armor
Spouse: None
Children: None
Demeter
Goddess of Agriculture
Appearance: nice looking older woman, often with a veil over her face and
carrying wheat or her horn
Symbols/Attributes: a.) Wheat
b.) Horn of Plenty (Cornucopia)
Strengths: controls the fertility of the earth, gives life after death to those who
learn her mysteries
Weaknesses: Has a bad temper if you cross her
Parents: Cronus & Rhea
Spouse: None
Children: Persephone
Dionysus
God of Wine
Vegetation, Pleasure and
Festivity
Appearance: Dark haired, bearded, young man
Symbols/Attributes: a.) Grapes, Wine cups
b.) the staff formed of a pinecone on a stick called a
thyrsus.
Strengths: He is the creator of wine
Weaknesses: Intoxication or drunkenness
Parents: Zeus & Semele; Semele asked to see Zeus in his real form and
when he did so, thunder and lightning consumed Semele’s body.
Zeus saved their child from the ashes of her body.
Spouse: Ariadne, but he left her to marry another
Children: Several children by Ariadne, including Oenopion and Staphylos,
both associated with grapes and winemaking.
Hephaestus
God of Fire
the Forge, Metalwork, Stonemasonry, and
Sculpture
Appearance: dark haired man who has difficulty walking because he has
malformed feet, holding a hammer and tongs, riding a donkey
Symbols/Attributes: Forge and Fire
Strengths: creative, cunning, talented metalworker
Weaknesses: can be crafty and vindictive
Parents: Zeus and Hera
Spouse: Aphrodite
Children: Pandora
Hera: Supreme Goddess
Goddess of Women & Marriage
The starry sky & the heavens
Appearance: young beautiful woman, said to be the most beautiful of all of the
goddesses, even more beautiful than Aphrodite. She wears a crown and holds
a royal, lotus-tipped staff
Symbols/Attributes: The Peacock
Strengths: Determined defender of the
sanctity of marriage and monogamy
Weaknesses: She married Zeus who cheats
on her a lot
Parents: Rhea and Cronus
Spouse: Zeus
Children: With Zeus- Ares and sometimes Hephaestus, Hebe, Eileithyia
By Herself- Typhon
Hermes
God of Travel
Animal husbandry, roads, travel, hospitality, heralds, diplomacy, trade, thievery, language,
writing, persuasion, cunning athletic contests, gymnasiums, astronomy, and astrology.
He was also the personal agent and herald of Zeus.
Appearance: A handsome young man with a winged hat, winged sandals,
and a golden staff twined with serpents.
Symbols/Attributes: His staff, called kerykerion. This is the symbol used
by doctors, though Hermes' connection with healing is faint.
Strengths: Clever, bold, determined, athletic, a powerful magician. Can
charm monsters with his flute or lyre music.
Weaknesses: No major weakness
Parents: Zeus and Maia
Spouse: None
Children: Pan, Hermaphroditus, Abderus
Poseidon
God of the Sea
also, rivers, floods, droughts, earthquakes and horses
After Cronus threw him up, Zeus, Hades, and he drew straws to see who
would rule over the different parts of the Universe. Poseidon got the Sea.
Appearance: bearded, older man, surrounded by seashells and other sea life,
holding a trident
Symbols/Attributes: His three-pronged trident
Strengths: A creative God, designing all the creatures in the sea
Weaknesses: Warlike (not as much as Ares though); moody and unpredictable
Parents: Cronus and Rhea
Spouse: Amphitrite
Children: Has many children due to his numerous
affairs. With his wife he has
a half-fish son, Triton. He fathered
the flying horse Pegasus with
Medusa. He fathered the horse
Arion with Demeter.
Zeus
King of the Gods
Sky, Law, Order, and Fate
Appearance: Older, bearded, physically strong man
Symbols/Attributes: Thunderbolt, Royal Scepter,
Eagle
Strengths: Highly powerful, strong,
charming, persuasive
Weaknesses: Gets in trouble over love affairs,
can be moody
Parents: Cronus and Rhea
Spouse: Hera, but MANY love affairs
Children: MANY, most famously Heracles
Hades
King of the Dead
Lord of the Underworld
God of Wealth
Not an Olympian because he does not
live on Mt. Olympus
Appearance: Dark-bearded, regal, physically fit man
Symbols/Attributes: Scepter and/or Horn of Plenty;
golden chariot, black immortal
horses, helm of darkness
Strengths: Rich with the wealth of the Earth especially
precious metals. Persistent and
determined.
Weaknesses: Impulsive
Parents: Cronus and Rhea; When the 3 sons (Zeus,
Poseidon & Hades) drew lots, Hades got the
Underworld to rule.
Spouse: Persephone
Children: None