The Greek Gods and Goddesses

1. The Greek Gods and Goddesses By-Gwendolyn, Bree, and Ryan

2. Zeus • king of the gods • most powerful Olympian • controls air and sky. • Animals= eagle and bull • Tree=great oak tree • symbol/ weapon of choice =lightning bolts. • wife is Hera • often falls in love with mortal women.

3. Poseidon • held power over all the ocean, sea, earthquakes and tsunamis • created horses out of sea foam which is his symbolic animal • weapon= three pronged trident • He and Athena are sworn enemies due to Poseidon bringing a once beautiful Medusa to Athena’s temple where she caught them and turned Medusa into a hideous Gorgon with her two sisters. • Athena and Poseidon both invented the chariot-Poseidon the horses and Athena the wooden cart

4. Hades • the supreme ruler of the dead. • Symbol=helm of darkness • Weapon=spear • One of his most famous ill-known moments was when he captured Persephone, Demeter’s daughter. Persephone was wandering away from her mother when the ground opened up and Hades stole her into his palace. Hades tricked her into eating a seed from a tree in his garden and was stuck in the Underworld for when you eat any food from the palace you were trapped there forever. When Demeter found out there was nearly war between the gods until they decided that Persephone would spend half the year with Hades and half with her mother.

5. Apollo • god of prophecy, music, healing, plagues, and the sun • Symbol=Bow and Arrows • tree=Laurel tree • Animals=hawk, raven or crow, swan, fawn, snake, mouse, and grasshopper • twin is Artemis • One of his tributes to the Greeks is the wreath of laurel leaves given to winners.

6. Ares • god of war • Weapon=spear and shield • in love with Aphrodite but he has never married. Animal=dog and a vulture • symbol=spear and helmet • Ares was Sparta’s patron god

7. Hephaestus • god of the forges and metal working • When he was born Hera threw him off Olympus in disgust and he has been crippled ever since. • Symbol/weapon is an anvil • He crafts weapons, automatons, and jewelry • Wife=Aphrodite

8. Hermes • lord of the thieves, messenger of the gods, and guide of the dead. • seldom brought up in myths and legends. • He was (according to myths) just one day old when he stole fifty of Apollo’s cows and had them walk out the pasture backwards and into his cave so it looked like the cows had magically appeared in his cave and just walked out to Apollo’s fields but they weren’t there. When Apollo told people Hermes had done it the other gods thought he had gone mad ”a baby can’t steal cows” said they thought he was lying but Zeus made Hermes confess. Then when Apollo was about to blow little Hermes into ashes Hermes produced a magical Lyre and gave it to Apollo. Then Apollo quieted his anger and forgave Hermes.

9. Hera • Queen of the Gods, and Goddess of Marriage • Jealous wife • Married to Zeus • sacred animal =peacock • Weapon=small dagger • Once Zeus went down to Earth in disguise to hang out with a nymph he was deeply in love named Io unknowing that Hera had followed him. When Hera saw who he was meeting Hera quickly turned Io into a white cow and brought her up to Mt. Olympus where she put Argus to guard the poor cow. Zeus moments later came storming into the throne room where Hera was sitting and demanded to know where she was. When Zeus found where Io was he set Hermes on getting Argus away to fall into an enchanted slumber so Hermes played his pipes and told such a long boring story that Argus fell into an enchanted slumber, one that he would never wake up from. Then Zeus cut Io free and sent her back to Earth where Hera sent a gadfly to sting her.

10. Artemis • Eternal Maiden, Goddess of the Hunt, and Moon Goddess • best hunter of all the Olympians • Swore never to marry\ • Hunts with a group of mortals • Twin=Apollo • rarely forgets and she almost never forgives • An example is when she saw a young male hunter while she was bathing and he spotted her. Then Artemis turned him into a stag and his own hunting dogs killed him and then died of grief realizing what they had done.

11. Athena • a genius and perfect battle strategist. She governs over battle, civilization, wisdom, strength, strategy, crafts, and justice. • symbols =owl, spear, and helmet • Weapons=spear and helmet • The gods Poseidon have a rivalry over Athens, a Greek city state. Poseidon and Athena both wanted the city-state to be their own so they decided that they would each give Athens a gift and Athens would choose which was better. • Poseidon struck a rock with his trident and salty seawater sprang up • Athena planted an olive tree. • Since the Athenians couldn’t use the salty spring but they could use Athena’s olive tree for food, oil, and wood. • The Athenians finally chose Athena.

12. Aphrodite • goddess of beauty • vain goddess • thought very highly of herself • Symbols=golden apple, scallop shell, mirror, and a white dove • Weapon=magic girdle that made any man who sees her to fall in love at once. • It was said she was born from the sea itself. • She was married to Hephaestus but she was truly in love with Ares. • When Hephaestus saw Aphrodite and Ares together in the middle of a field he resolved to build an inescapable golden net to capture them in. Then he would invite all of the gods to come laugh at them. When Aphrodite and Ares met on one of Greece’s many beaches Hephaestus threw the golden net over them. Indeed he did call over all the Greek gods to come and laugh and Aphrodite felt very embarrassed.

13. Hestia • goddess of the Hearth • very low-key • Virgin goddess • did not appear in myths • Each city-state had a hearth in the center of town for her and they always kept it lit.