1

The Gods and Goddesses The Gods and Goddesses

of Greek Mythologyof Greek Mythology

Where did Greek Mythology begin?Where did Greek Mythology begin?

GREECE

2

Long, long ago in ancient Greece, people told Long, long ago in ancient Greece, people told

stories that explained the mysteries of life…stories that explained the mysteries of life…

A map of the Mediterranean ca750 BCE, when the Homeric texts were first written down. http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/achilles/maps/maps.html

So what is Greek Mythology?So what is Greek Mythology?

►►Mythology is a collection of myths, or Mythology is a collection of myths, or anonymous, traditional stories that explain anonymous, traditional stories that explain our beliefs and customs, the wonders of our beliefs and customs, the wonders of nature and our own historynature and our own history

►►Myths usually deal with major issues such Myths usually deal with major issues such as the origin of humanity and the mysteries as the origin of humanity and the mysteries of life of life

►►Remember that Remember that everyevery culture has its own myths, i.e. culture has its own myths, i.e. American Indians, Mayans, Buddhists, Hindus, Africans, American Indians, Mayans, Buddhists, Hindus, Africans, etc…etc…

3

The Greek mythology of today was The Greek mythology of today was

the religion of yesterdaythe religion of yesterday

►►Long ago, the Greeks and Romans believed Long ago, the Greeks and Romans believed in the stories we now call myths.in the stories we now call myths.

►►The gods and goddesses ruled the Greek The gods and goddesses ruled the Greek world and were believed to be directly world and were believed to be directly responsible for the success or failure of responsible for the success or failure of human life.human life.

►►So the Greeks worshipped their gods and So the Greeks worshipped their gods and regularly prayed, gave offerings and built regularly prayed, gave offerings and built temples to please the gods.temples to please the gods.

Three Important Words that Three Important Words that

Describe the GreeksDescribe the Greeks

►►AnthropomorphismAnthropomorphism : means to give : means to give

human form or qualities to beings or things human form or qualities to beings or things

not human, especially to godsnot human, especially to gods

►►PolytheismPolytheism : means the belief in many : means the belief in many

gods gods

►►Oral Tradition Oral Tradition : to pass down from : to pass down from

generation to generation by word of mouthgeneration to generation by word of mouth

4

The Unique GreeksThe Unique Greeks

►► The Greeks were The Greeks were

distinctly different from distinctly different from

all previous civilizations all previous civilizations

because they were the because they were the

first to create gods in first to create gods in

their own imagetheir own imageThe Egyptian Sphinx was certainly not a very human-like god

The Immortal Gods were also easier The Immortal Gods were also easier

to relate to than previous godsto relate to than previous gods

►►Unlike religious gods today, the Greek gods Unlike religious gods today, the Greek gods looked and acted humanlooked and acted human

►►They married, loved and quarreled; they They married, loved and quarreled; they had love affairs (and children) with both had love affairs (and children) with both gods and mortals; they also loved games, gods and mortals; they also loved games, challenges and trickerychallenges and trickery

►►But the gods were immortal and would But the gods were immortal and would never die because never die because ichorichor, not blood, ran in , not blood, ran in their veinstheir veins

5

Mount OlympusMount Olympus

►► The gods and The gods and goddesses lived at the goddesses lived at the top of Mt. Olympus in top of Mt. Olympus in Greece behind a gate Greece behind a gate of clouds.of clouds.

►► There they ate only There they ate only ambrosia and drank ambrosia and drank only nectar.only nectar.

►► They also kept an eye They also kept an eye on the mortals down on the mortals down on earth, which they on earth, which they could visit at any time.could visit at any time.

To understand the most famous To understand the most famous

Greek gods, it’s important to know Greek gods, it’s important to know

where they came from… Their story where they came from… Their story

begins at the beginning of time.begins at the beginning of time.

►►At first there was only darkness, or Chaos.At first there was only darkness, or Chaos.

6

Then Gaea, the Earth, grew out of ChaosThen Gaea, the Earth, grew out of Chaos

►►Gaea gave birth to Uranus, the sky.Gaea gave birth to Uranus, the sky.

►►When rain fell on Gaea, plants, animals and When rain fell on Gaea, plants, animals and rivers were created.rivers were created.

►►Gaea became Mother Earth, mother of all Gaea became Mother Earth, mother of all living things and mother of the first gods.living things and mother of the first gods.

7

The TitansThe Titans►►Gaea and Uranus gave birth to 12 Titans, all Gaea and Uranus gave birth to 12 Titans, all

powerful giants powerful giants –– 6 boys and 6 girls.6 boys and 6 girls.

Atlas is the son of one of the Titans

Gaea gave birth to more children…Gaea gave birth to more children…

►►Three huge oneThree huge one--eyed giants called eyed giants called

CyclopesCyclopes

►►And three And three HecatoncheiresHecatoncheires –– each of these each of these

monsters had 50 heads and 100 arms.monsters had 50 heads and 100 arms.

8

Uranus hated these ugly children and Uranus hated these ugly children and

threw them away into the Underworldthrew them away into the Underworld

►►This greatly This greatly angered Gaea angered Gaea and she and she convinced convinced CronusCronus, one of , one of the Titans, to the Titans, to overthrow overthrow Uranus.Uranus.

CronusCronus succeeded in overthrowing Uranus succeeded in overthrowing Uranus

and became the new Lord of the Universe.and became the new Lord of the Universe.

►►But But CronusCronus worried that one of his sons worried that one of his sons would overthrow him just as he had would overthrow him just as he had overthrown his own father… so he overthrown his own father… so he swallowed each child as it was born.swallowed each child as it was born.

9

This made This made CronusCronus’ wife, Rhea, very ’ wife, Rhea, very

angry.angry.

►►Finally, she hid the youngest child, Zeus, Finally, she hid the youngest child, Zeus,

and tricked and tricked CronusCronus with a rock wrapped in a with a rock wrapped in a

blanket.blanket.

When Zeus grew up…When Zeus grew up…

►►he overthrew he overthrew CronusCronus and freed his brothers and freed his brothers and sisters, and sisters, HestiaHestia, Demeter, , Demeter, HeraHera, Hades , Hades and Poseidon. and Poseidon.

►►Then together they fought the Titans.Then together they fought the Titans.

10

The war between the old gods and the new gods The war between the old gods and the new gods

lasted 10 years lasted 10 years –– but finally but finally CronusCronus and the Titans and the Titans

were defeated.were defeated.

►►When Mother Earth was finally peaceful, the rule When Mother Earth was finally peaceful, the rule

of the Universe was divided between the 3 of the Universe was divided between the 3

brothers:brothers:

Zeus became the became the

King of Gods & God King of Gods & God

of Heaven and Earthof Heaven and Earth

Poseidon

became God of became God of

the Seathe Sea Hades became became

God of the God of the

UnderworldUnderworld

The Great OlympiansThe Great Olympians

►► The Cyclopes built a palace on Mt. Olympus for The Cyclopes built a palace on Mt. Olympus for

Zeus with 12 thrones: one for each of Zeus’ Zeus with 12 thrones: one for each of Zeus’

brothers, sisters, his children and Aphrodite, the brothers, sisters, his children and Aphrodite, the

Goddess of Love.Goddess of Love.

►► The 12 great Olympians ruled from the top of Mt. The 12 great Olympians ruled from the top of Mt.

Olympus forever after.Olympus forever after.

►► Next week you will begin research for a report of Next week you will begin research for a report of

information about a Greek god or goddess of your information about a Greek god or goddess of your

choice in order to learn more about them.choice in order to learn more about them.