So why do we study mythology?
• The Ancient Greek culture
has been kept alive by the
oral and later written
stories handed down
through thousands of
years.
• Modern plays, novels,
television programs,
movies and even
advertisements refer to
Greek gods, goddesses,
heroes and their stories.
• Adventurous and exciting
stories delight and wonder.
Examples of mythology in
movies, etc.
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“Dante’s Inferno”
Heroes
Thor
Disney’s Hercules
Lord of the Rings
Wrath/Rise of the Titans
Any others
Other types of mythology
• Roman – (similar
to Greek)
• Native American
• Norse – (Thor,
LotR, Loki)
• Japanese
What is Greek Mythology?
The people of ancient Greece
shared stories called myths
about the gods, goddesses,
and heroes in which they
believed.
• Each god or goddess was
worshipped as a deity and
ruled over certain areas of
the Greeks’ lives.
• These exciting stories
explained natural phenomena
that could not be explained
by science in the ancient
world.
The god’s before them
• The father of Zeus,
Hades and Poseidon
was Cronus, who was a
Titan.
• The Titans ruled over
the world before the
gods.
• The Titans were
imprisoned in Tartarus.
ZEUS
Roman name Jupiter
• Zeus was the
supreme god of the
Olympians.
• Had multiple lovers.
Hera
Roman name Juno
• Hera was the
goddess of marriage.
She was the wife of
Zeus and Queen of
the Olympians.
APHRODITE
Roman name Venus
• Aphrodite was the
goddess of love,
beauty and fertility.
She was also a
protectress of
sailors.
ARES
Roman name Mars
• Ares was the god of
war, or more
precisely of warlike
frenzy.
HEPHAESTUS
Roman name Vulcan
• Hephaestus was the
lame god of fire and
crafts or the two
together, hence of
blacksmiths.
ARTEMIS
Roman name Diana
• Artemis was the
goddess of the hunt.
She helped women in
childbirth, but also
brought sudden
death with her
arrows.
DIONYSUS
Roman name Bacchus
• Dionysus was the
god of wine.
HERMES
Roman name Mercury
• Hermes was the
messenger of the
gods and guide of
dead souls to the
Underworld.
POSEIDON
Roman name Neptune
• Poseidon was the
god of the sea,
earthquakes and
horses. Although he
was officially one of
the supreme gods of
Mount Olympus, he
spent most of his
time in his watery
domain.
APOLLO
Roman name Apollo
• Apollo was the god
of prophesy, music
and healing.
ATHENA
Roman name Minerva
• Athena was the
goddess of crafts
and the domestic
arts and also those
of war and wisdom.
She was the patron
goddess of Athens.
Her symbol was the
owl.
DEMETER
Roman name Cerus
• Demeter was the
goddess of
agriculture. She was
the sister of Zeus
and the mother of
Persephone.
HADES
Roman name Pluto
• Hades was the God
of the dead and ruler
of the Underworld,
which was called
Hades after the god.
Hades abducted
Persephone, who
became his queen.
Other stories of mythology
• Icarus and
Daedulus
• King Midas
• Arachne the
Spinner
• Narcissus