Greek and Roman Greek and Roman MythologyMythology

A ReviewA Review

ofof

The Principal Gods and The Principal Gods and GoddessesGoddesses

What is a myth?What is a myth?

A traditional story rooted in A traditional story rooted in primitive folk beliefs of culturesprimitive folk beliefs of cultures

Uses the supernatural to interpret Uses the supernatural to interpret natural eventsnatural events

Explains the culture’s view of the Explains the culture’s view of the universe and the nature of universe and the nature of humanityhumanity

In the beginning...

• …was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)

• Chaos had two children:– Night (darkness)

– Erebus (death)

All was black, empty,• silent, endless.”

When suddenly, mysteriously, Love was When suddenly, mysteriously, Love was born of darkness and death.born of darkness and death.

When suddenly, mysteriously, Love was When suddenly, mysteriously, Love was born of darkness and death.born of darkness and death.

And then...

When Love was born, order and beauty began to flourish.

Love created Light and Day.

Earth was created.She was the solid ground, but also a personality.

Her name was Gaia.

The Earth bore Heaven to cover her and be a home for the gods.

He was called UranusHe was called Uranus

They Were The First ParentsThey Were The First Parents

They had three kinds of children:They had three kinds of children:– Three Three monstersmonsters with 100 hands and 50 heads with 100 hands and 50 heads

– HecatonchiresHecatonchires

Three cyclopes Three cyclopes

And 12 Titans- 6 Males and 6 And 12 Titans- 6 Males and 6 FemalesFemales

Some of The Titans Some of The Titans (The Elder Gods)(The Elder Gods)

Cronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titansCronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titans Rhea: Wife of CronosRhea: Wife of Cronos Ocean: River that encircled the worldOcean: River that encircled the world Iapetus: Father of Prometheus,Iapetus: Father of Prometheus,

Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)

These were the first characters that had These were the first characters that had the appearance of life, although it was the appearance of life, although it was

unlike any life known to man.unlike any life known to man.

For some reason Uranus wasn’t very For some reason Uranus wasn’t very fond of his children.fond of his children.

Especially the Especially the Hecatonchires Hecatonchires andand CyclopesCyclopes

Seriously,Seriously,

Who could blame himWho could blame him

??

So he buried them deep inside of the So he buried them deep inside of the Earth.Earth.

Wait, the Earth is a person. Do you think Wait, the Earth is a person. Do you think Gaia was happy to have those big monsters Gaia was happy to have those big monsters shoved back inside her?shoved back inside her?

She wasn’t!She wasn’t! So she asked her children to help her take So she asked her children to help her take

care of their father, but only one of them care of their father, but only one of them agreed to help her- Cronos.agreed to help her- Cronos.

She made him a very special She made him a very special sickle and asked him to cut off sickle and asked him to cut off his father’s . . . his father’s . . .

Well something kind of Well something kind of important.important.

After that, for some reason, I After that, for some reason, I guess Uranus didn’t want to guess Uranus didn’t want to be with Gaia, and the Sky be with Gaia, and the Sky separated from the Earthseparated from the Earth

Cronos took over and ruled with his wife Cronos took over and ruled with his wife (and sister) Rhea.(and sister) Rhea.

I know, gross right?I know, gross right?

Under Cronos and Rhea, though, the Under Cronos and Rhea, though, the world had complete peace.world had complete peace.

T here were no warsT here were no wars

no crimeno crime

no injustice!no injustice!

Even the animals lived in peace!Even the animals lived in peace!

It was calledIt was called

But Chronos had been told But Chronos had been told that one of his children that one of his children

would depose him:would depose him:So, he ate them!So, he ate them!

Except for ZeusExcept for Zeus

His Grandmother (Gaia) helped Rhea His Grandmother (Gaia) helped Rhea to hide Zeus and fed Cronos a to hide Zeus and fed Cronos a blanket-wrapped rock instead.blanket-wrapped rock instead.

They hid Zeus in a cave They hid Zeus in a cave where he was cared for by a where he was cared for by a

goat until he was old goat until he was old enough to come back and enough to come back and

fix things.fix things. He came home and made his He came home and made his father barf up his brothers father barf up his brothers and sisters.and sisters.

The children divided the The children divided the kingdom between them.kingdom between them.

Zeus (Roman name Jupiter) became Zeus (Roman name Jupiter) became the supreme ruler of Mount Olympusthe supreme ruler of Mount Olympus

Poseidon (Roman name Poseidon (Roman name Neptune) became the god of Neptune) became the god of the seasthe seas

Hades (Roman name Pluto) Hades (Roman name Pluto) is the god of the Underworldis the god of the Underworld

• With his three-headed dog.With his three-headed dog.

Demeter (Roman name Ceres) is the goddess of the earth and fertility.

She gives us winter every year since her daughter was

Kidnapped by . . .,But, I guess that is a different story

Hera

Who is the jealous (very) Protector ofMarriage

And Hestia (Roman name Vesta)

Goddess of Home

Other Olympians includeOther Olympians include– Athena (Minerva)Athena (Minerva)– Ares (Mars)Ares (Mars)– Hebe (Juventas)Hebe (Juventas)– Hephaestus (Vulcan)Hephaestus (Vulcan)– Apollo (Apollo)Apollo (Apollo)– Artemis (Diana)Artemis (Diana)– Hermes (Mercury)Hermes (Mercury)– Aphrodite (Venus)Aphrodite (Venus)– Dionysus (Bacchus)Dionysus (Bacchus)– PersephonePersephone

The OlympiansThe Olympians

AthenaAthena

Roman Roman Name: Name: MinervaMinerva

Goddess of Goddess of Wisdom and Wisdom and WarWar

Sprang from Sprang from Zeus’s headZeus’s head

AresAres

Roman Name: Roman Name: MarsMars

God of WarGod of War Son of Zeus Son of Zeus

and Heraand Hera Bloodthirsty Bloodthirsty

and mercilessand merciless

HephaestuHephaestuss

Roman Name: Roman Name: Vulcan Vulcan (Mulciber)(Mulciber)

God of God of Fire/ForgeFire/Forge

Son of Zeus Son of Zeus and Heraand Hera

Kind, unlike his Kind, unlike his brotherbrother

ApolloApollo

Roman Roman Name: Name: ApolloApollo

God of God of Light/Sun Light/Sun and Musicand Music

Brother of Brother of ArtemisArtemis

ArtemisArtemis

Roman Roman Name: Name: DianaDiana

Goddess of Goddess of the Moon/ the Moon/ HuntHunt

Sister to Sister to ApolloApollo

HermesHermes

Roman Name: Roman Name: MercuryMercury

Messenger of Messenger of the Godsthe Gods

Appears in Appears in more myths more myths than any other than any other charactercharacter

AphroditeAphrodite

Roman Roman Name: VenusName: Venus

Goddess of Goddess of Love and Love and BeautyBeauty

Sprang from Sprang from the ocean the ocean foamfoam

DionysusDionysus

Roman Name: Roman Name: BacchusBacchus

God of WineGod of Wine Patron god of Patron god of

the Greek the Greek stagestage

A God of the A God of the EarthEarth

PersephonPersephonee

Roman Name: Roman Name: ProserpinaProserpina

Goddess of the Goddess of the UnderworldUnderworld

Daughter of Daughter of Zeus and Zeus and DemeterDemeter

Abducted by Abducted by HadesHades

HebeHebe

Roman Name: Roman Name: JuventasJuventas

Goddess of Goddess of YouthYouth

Cupbearer to Cupbearer to the Godsthe Gods

Restored youth Restored youth to the agedto the aged

ErosEros

Roman Name: Roman Name: CupidCupid

Young God of Young God of LoveLove

Son of Son of Aphrodite and Aphrodite and HephaestusHephaestus

IrisIris

Goddess of the Goddess of the RainbowRainbow

Messenger for Messenger for Zeus and HeraZeus and Hera

Daughter of Daughter of the titan the titan Thaumus and Thaumus and the nymph the nymph ElectraElectra

The MusesThe Muses

Nine daughters of Nine daughters of Zeus and Zeus and MnemosyneMnemosyne

Inspired artists of Inspired artists of all kindsall kinds

Goddesses who Goddesses who presided over the presided over the arts and sciencesarts and sciences

““He is happy whom He is happy whom the muses love.”the muses love.”

Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Polyhymnia

The GracesThe Graces

Three Goddesses of Three Goddesses of Grace and BeautyGrace and Beauty

““They give life its They give life its bloom.”bloom.”

Aglaia (Splendor)Aglaia (Splendor) Euphrosyne (Mirth)Euphrosyne (Mirth) Thalia (Good Cheer)Thalia (Good Cheer)

The Erinnyes (The Furies)The Erinnyes (The Furies)

Roman Name: Furiae Roman Name: Furiae or Dirae (The Furies)or Dirae (The Furies)

Three Goddesses of Three Goddesses of VengeanceVengeance– TisiphoneTisiphone– AlectoAlecto– MegaeraMegaera

They punish They punish evildoers.evildoers.

The FatesThe Fates

Roman Name: Parcae, MoiraeRoman Name: Parcae, Moirae Three sistersThree sisters

– Clotho (“The Spinner”)Clotho (“The Spinner”)– Lachesis (“The disposer of lots”)Lachesis (“The disposer of lots”)– Atropos (“The cutter”)Atropos (“The cutter”)

They weave, measure, and cut the They weave, measure, and cut the thread of life for humans.thread of life for humans.

The SatyrsThe Satyrs

Gods of the woods Gods of the woods and mountainsand mountains

““Shepherd gods”Shepherd gods” Goat men (like Pan)Goat men (like Pan) Companions of Companions of

DionysusDionysus They like to drink, They like to drink,

dance, and chase dance, and chase nymphs.nymphs.

The GorgonsThe Gorgons

Three snake-Three snake-haired haired monstersmonsters

Medusa is most Medusa is most well-knownwell-known

Their look turns Their look turns men to stone.men to stone.

The The CentaursCentaurs

Half man, half Half man, half horsehorse

Savage Savage creatures creatures (except (except Chiron)Chiron)

Followers of Followers of DionysusDionysus

SourcesSources Graphics in this presentation were taken Graphics in this presentation were taken

from the following web sites:from the following web sites:– http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.htmlhttp://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.html– http://www.pantheon.org/http://www.pantheon.org/– http://www.messagenet.com/myths/http://www.messagenet.com/myths/– http://mythman.com/http://mythman.com/– http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.htmlhttp://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.html– http://www.paleothea.com/http://www.paleothea.com/– http://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/myth.htmlhttp://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/myth.html– C Golden’sC Golden’s

This presentation is for educational This presentation is for educational purposes only; it has not been and should purposes only; it has not been and should not be sold or used as a vehicle to make not be sold or used as a vehicle to make money.money.