Greek Mythology Study Guide
*Be familiar with the following characters & terms.
Character
Test: ________________________
Myth
Importance
A traditional story created to explain the origins of values, the physical
world, fate, nature and create role models.
Gaia
Came from Chaos, Mother Earth, creator of the Titans
Uranus
Gaia’s mate, father of the sky and Heavens, together created the Titans
Kronos
The ruling Titan, overthrew Uranus, swallowed his children to preserve
his power, created the Olympians
Rhea
Wife of Kronos, created the Olympians, convinced her children to
overthrow their father Kronos
Zeus
supreme ruler, god of the sky, lightening & thunder, symbol was a
thunderbolt
Hera
Married to Zeus, queen of the gods, ruler of marriage, associated with
the peacock
Poseidon
god of the sea, earthquakes, horses, symbol was the trident
Hades
god of the Underworld and ruler of the dead, symbol was a pitchfork
Demeter
goddess of growing things, harvest, farming, grain, & mother to
Persephone
Hestia
goddess of the hearth and order in relationships
Athena
goddess wisdom, justice, war & peace, most loved goddess, associated
with the story of Arachne
Artemis
twin sister of Apollo, goddess of woods, moon, hunting, wild animals,
and childbirth
Apollo
twin brother of Artemis, god of the sun, the arts, & medicine
Dionysus
born of Zeus & a mortal mother, god of revelry & the grapevine, very
popular god
Ares
god of war, was cruel, not one of Zeus’s favorite children
Hephaestus
god of fire, volcanoes, & the forge, disfigured at birth due to dislike by
parents, was the most unattractive god
Aphrodite
goddess of love, desire, & beauty
Hermes
god of mischief, known as the messenger god, flew around on winged
sandals.
The Fates
also called the Moirai, 3 sisters who were in charge of determining the
events & length of a person’s life.
Persephone
daughter of Demeter was kidnapped by Hades and taken to the
Underworld, responsible for the changing of the seasons.
The Underworld
Hades’ home, where dead people go to determine their afterlife
Oracle
priest or priestess who were believed to speak for the gods and
goddesses
Mt. Olympus
home of the Olympian gods and goddesses
Arachne
was challenged by Athena in a spinning contest, lost, was turned into a
spider
Prometheus
The wisest Titan, created man & gave them fire
Heracles
Son of Zeus, the strongest man in the universe
Atlas
An old Titan, fought against Zeus, carried the weight of the world on his
back
Medusa
A female gorgon, hideous monster with snakes in her hair, people turned
to stone if they looked in her eyes
Achilles
Greatest Greek warrior of the Trojan war, killed Hector
Agamemnon
King of Argos, leader of the Greek forces at Troy
Priam
King of Troy
Pandora
first mortal woman created by the gods with a great curiosity,
responsible for unveiling misery, corruption, & disease on the world
Daedalus
A great inventor and problem solver, created the labyrinth to contain the
Minotaur
Icarus
Son of Daedalus, flew too close to the sun and died because he didn’t
listen to his father
Minotaur
A monster was half man and half bull
Paris
Son of King Priam of Troy, responsible for killing Achilles, captured
Helen from her husband, King Menelaus during the beginning of the
Trojan War
The face that launched a thousand ships, beautiful wife of Menelaus, was
captured (willingly) by Paris
Helen
Menelaus
King of Sparta, married to Helen
Eros
Goddess of discord, responsible for getting Hephaestus to create the
golden apple
The Trojan War
Mythological war that lasted ten years between the Trojans (Troy) and
the Greeks (Greece). The war ended with the Greeks tricking the
Trojans with their giant wooden horse.
**Using your individual mythology packets we have completed together over the last few weeks (I told
you to hold on to them!), become familiar with the summary of each story. This should not be an issue, as
we have spent much time in class reviewing and going through each myth.
The test will be comprised of multiple choice, matching, true and false, and short answer questions.