THE ODYSSEY
Gods and Monsters
What is mythology?
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The body of traditional tales concerning the gods,
heroes, and rituals of the ancient Greeks. Critical
Greeks, such as Plato in the 5th-4th century BCE,
recognized the considerable element of fiction in
the myths, although in general the Greeks viewed
them as true accounts. Greek mythology is rich with
the tales of monsters, heroes, wars, and the various
Greek Gods, their worship and beliefs.
Mythology in ancient Greece
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Mythology was at the heart of everyday life in
Ancient Greece. Greeks regarded mythology as a
part of their history. They used myth to explain
natural phenomena, cultural variations, traditional
enmities and friendships. It was a source of pride to
be able to trace one's leaders' descent from a
mythological hero or a god. Few ever doubted that
there was truth behind the account of the Trojan
War in the Iliad and Odyssey.
About the gods…
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Gods are assigned human form. They are immortal and are
worshiped for their supernatural powers. The Greeks placed
statues of their Gods at appropriate positions around them
for blessings and future favors. They invoked Gods during
every memorable occasion. The twelve Gods of Olympus
constitute an important element in the Greek mythology.
The ancient Greeks worshipped many Gods as
personifications of the forces of the universe. Each God
possessed and implemented his individual sense of justice;
their anger was harsh and they were often vengeful toward
mortals and toward each other.
Every Greek God was associated with specific aspects of
life and was worshipped or called upon for certain abilities
or interests.
About worship
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The ancient Greeks considered sacrifice as the
appropriate method to worship God. Public worships
were held to obtain public blessings, rain, good harvest,
military victories, etc. Private sacrifices were offered for
fulfillment of personal goals, wishes and victories. Blood
sacrifices of animals such as oxen, sheep, horses, swine,
dogs, birds, fish, fowl etc were common in the temple of
Gods. The Greek temples were part slaughterhouse
and part barbecue. During sacrifices, the people
offered the blood, bones and hides of the slaughter
animal to the God, the remaining portions were used up
as food for themselves.
The 12 Olympian gods
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Olympus was the residence of the divine family, the twelve most important ruling
gods and goddesses of ancient Greece, who therefore were called the Olympians.
APHRODITE
APOLLO
ARES
ARTEMIS
ATHENA
DEMETER
HEPHAESTUS
HERA
HERMES
HESTIA
POSEIDON
ZEUS
Life on Mt. Olympus
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The entrance to Olympus was a great gate of
clouds, kept by the Seasons. Within were the gods’
dwellings where they lived and slept and held court.
In its great halls they feasted on ambrosia and
nectar and were entertained by Apollo’s lyre, the
Graces and the Muses.
Minor gods and deities did not live on Olympus, but
were summoned there when required.
What are nymphs?
In Greek mythology, nymphs are spirits of
nature. They are minor female deities and the
protectors of springs, mountains, and rivers.
Nymphs are represented as young, pretty girls.
Each subtype presides over a certain aspect of
nature.
Who are the Muses?
The Greek goddesses who presided over the
arts and sciences. They were believed to inspire all
artists, especially poets, philosophers, and musicians.
Who are the Fates?
The Fates were the
goddesses who controlled the
destiny of everyone from the
time they were born to the time
they died. They were: Clotho, the
spinner, who spun the thread of
a person's life, Lachesis, the
apportioner, who decided how
much time was to be allowed
each person, and Atropos, the
inevitable, who cut the thread
when you were supposed to die.
Zeus
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King of the gods on Mt. Olympus
God of thunder and weather
Represented by the eagle
After overthrowing the Titans
(previous rulers of Mt. Olympus)
he shared the world with his
elder brothers, Poseidon and
Hades, by drawing lots: Zeus got
the sky and air, Poseidon the
waters, and Hades the world of
the dead (the underworld).
Son of Cronus (a Titan)
Athena
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Goddess of wisdom
Favorite daughter of Zeus
patroness of weaving, crafts
and the more disciplined side
of war.
She is attended by an owl,
and is often accompanied by
the goddess of victory, Nike.
She is often shown helmeted
and with a shield
Sometimes called Pallas
Athena (Athena of the City)
Aphrodite
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Goddess of love and
beauty
Hermes
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God of boundaries and of the
travelers who cross them, of
shepherds and cowherds, of
orators and wit, of literature and
poets, of athletics, of weights and
measures, of invention, of
commerce in general, and of the
cunning of thieves and liars.
Known for being the messenger of
the gods, delivering messages to
mortals.
Son of Zeus
Poseidon
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God of the sea
Father of Polyphemus,
the Cyclops
Brother of Zeus
Known as “earth
shaker” for causing
earthquakes
Aeolus
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Keeper of the winds
Homer refers to him as
a mortal, but others
consider him a minor
god
Calypso
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Beautiful nymph,
daughter of the Titan
Atlas
Rules and lives alone on
the island of Ogygia
Circe
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Nymph on the island of
Aeaea
Daughter of Helios,
god of the sun
Transformed her
enemies, or those who
offended her, into
animals through the use
of magical potions.
She was renowned for
her knowledge of
drugs and herbs.
The Sirens
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Birdlike nymphs with beautiful voices that lure men to their island to kill
them
Represent temptation and seduction
Tiresias
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Blind prophet in the
underworld
Polyphemus
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Giant Cyclops
Son of Poseidon
Man eater
Charybdis
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A whirlpool that
sucks down ships
Originally a
nymph daughter
of Poseidon
Next to Scylla
Scylla
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grotesque sea monster, with
six long necks equipped
with grisly heads, each of
which contained three rows
of sharp teeth
body consisted of twelve
canine legs and a cat's tail.
Man eater
Between Scylla and
Charybdis became the
saying “between a rock and
a hard place”
Antiphates
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King of the
Laestrygonians, a
clan of giant
cannibals