Greek Mythology
Stories and myths shaped Greek
Culture. They helped to explain their
beliefs in Gods, life and the world.
Greeks felt that all human characteristics came
directly from the gods.
Love, Hate, Jealousy …all traits of the Gods.
• The Gods quarreled and competed against
each other constantly.
• The only difference between a God and a
human was that the Gods and semi gods were
immortal and had immense power.
Mount Olympus
"home" of the 12 Olympian Gods. It formed itself after
the gods defeated the titans in the Titan War, and soon
the palace was inhabited by the gods. It is the setting of
many Greek mythical stories. Olympus was not shaken
by winds nor ever wet with rain, nor did snow fall
upon it, but the air is outspread clear and cloudless,
and over it hovered a radiant whiteness.(Homer, Odyssey)
Zeus
“King” of Gods
God of heaven
and the sky’s.
He is believed to
throw
thunderbolts
down to earth
when he is
unhappy.
Hera- Zeus’ wife
Her chief function was as the
goddess of women and marriage.
Known for her
jealous and
vengeful nature,
most notably
against Zeus's lovers
and offspring, but
also against mortals
who crossed her.
Demeter- sister of Zeus
Goddess of fertility of
the Earth
Poseidon- brother to Zeus.
Ruler of the Sea
He was swallowed by his father right after
he was born, but later he was brought
back by Zeus. Drew lots for who would be
in charge of what. Poseidon- the Sea
Apollo- Zeus’ son (semi god)
Greek god of the
Sun, music and
healing. His
father's favorite
son. At the age
of 4 days,
showing an
incredible talent
for archery,
Apollo killed the
gigantic serpent
named Python
(in some myths
she was a
dragon) who had
been harassing
his mother
Athena- Daughter of Zeus
Part of his skull broke off and formed Athena
Born in full warrior outfit, Athena is
known for her strength, fairness,
and being merciful. She is the
Goddess of Wisdom and Greeks
prayed for her to be with them in
war.
Hades- brother to Zeus
Ruler of the Underworld
Cerberus was the gigantic hound
which guarded the gates of
Hades. He was posted to prevent
ghosts of the dead from leaving
the underworld. He was
described as a three-headed dog
with a serpent's tail, a mane of
snakes, and a lion's claws.
God of the
dead and of
death.
AphroditeGoddess of Beauty, love and fertility
…formed from the foam of the sea.
Her Roman equivalent is the goddess Venus.
Aphrodite's most famous
son was Eros, the god of
love, who helped her
with her work. A talented
archer, his job was to
shoot arrows dipped in
Aphrodite's love potion,
hitting her unwitting
victims, causing them to
fall madly in love with the
next person they saw.
Hestia- is Zeus sister
She is a virgin
goddess. She does
not have a distinct
personality. She
plays no part in
myths.
She is the Goddess
of the Hearth, the
symbol of the
house around
which a newborn
child is carried
before it is
received into the
family.
Ares -son of Zeus
Ares is the
son of Zeus
and Hera.
Both parents
disliked him.
He is the god
of war and he
is considered
murderous
and
bloodstained
but, also a
coward.
Hermes - the son of Zeus
(Semi God)
He is the god of
thieves and
commerce. He is
the guide for the
dead to go to the
underworld. He
invented the lyre,
the pipes, the
musical scale,
astronomy,
weights and
measures, boxing,
and gymnastics.
Artemis- Daughter of Zeus
(Semi God)
She is the
protector of the
young. Like her
twin brother,
Apollo she hunts
with silver arrows.
She is a virgin
goddess, and the
goddess of
chastity. She also
presides over
childbirth.
Hephaestus -son of Zeus & Hera
Born weak and physically lame.
Accounts as how he became lame vary. Some
say that Hera, upset by having an ugly child,
flung him from Mount Olympus into the sea,
breaking his legs. Others that he took Hera's
side in an argument with Zeus and Zeus flung
him off Mount Olympus. He is the god of fire
and the forge. He is the smith and armorer of
the gods.