Greek Mythology

1. Greek Mythology Stories and myths shaped Greek Culture. They helped to explain their beliefs in Gods, life and the world.

2. 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.

3. 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)

4. Zeus “King” of Gods God of heaven and the sky’s. He is believed to throw thunderbolts down to earth when he is unhappy.

5. 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.

6. Demeter- sister of Zeus Goddess of fertility of the Earth

7. 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

8. 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

9. Athena- Daughter of ZeusPart 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.

10. Hades- brother to ZeusRuler 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.

11. Aphrodite- Goddess 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.

12. Hestia- is Zeus sister Ares -son of Zeus 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 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.

13. Hermes - the son of Zeus Artemis- Daughter of Zeus(Semi God) (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. 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.

14. 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.