Web, myth narration & graphics created & maintained by Nick PontikisCopyright © 1995 - 2002 Thanasi's Olympus Greek Restaurant

The Myth Man persona © 1988 Nick PontikisCopyright © 1999 greekmyth.comCopyright © 1999 mythman.com

Family Tree of the Major Gods

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Cronus and Rhea• Titans who ruled

before the Olympians

• Children Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Hera

• Fought their own children for control of world the world

• Children won*

Zeus(Jupiter)Ruler of gods and

mortals

Ladies Man

Married Hera

Lived on Mt. Olympus

God of skies and storm (thunderbolt)

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• goddess of marriage, motherhood

• wife and sister of Zeus• extremely jealous • very beautiful (cow eyed beauty)• symbols include: cow,

peacock, pomegranate• highly regarded and

worshipped but not portrayed well in Mythology

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Hera (Juno)

Poseidon(Neptune)•god of the sea and

rivers

•controlled earthquakes

•gave humans the gift of the horse

•Zeus only god more powerful

•symbol-trident

•lived beneath the ocean

•often went to Mt. Olympus to party with the gods.

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•god of the Underworld

•rarely left his home

•did not cause death.

•prevented the dead from leaving Hades

•not well liked by mortals or gods

•abducted Persephone forced her into marriage

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Hades(Pluto)

Hestia

•goddess of fire and the hearth

•associated with peace, home and family

•never took part in disputes of mortals or gods

•one of three virgin goddesses

•most revered and worshipped but not present in mythology

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Demeter(Ceres)

•goddess of agriculture/harvest

•mother of Persephone

•usually kind to humans

•revered by humankind

•one of the few gods to know grief and suffering

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Artemis(Diana)

•virgin goddess of the hunt

•ironically also goddess of childbirth

•temple at Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the world

•Twin brother Apollo

•symbol silver bow and arrow, associated with the new moon

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Apollo(Phoebus)

•son of Zeus and Leto

•god of music, prophecy, hunting & medicine

•symbol of youthful beauty

•his job was to drive the sun across the sky each day

•Colossus at Rhodes statue of Apollo (one of the 7 wonders of the world)

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Ares(Mars)

•god of war, blood thirsty

•son of Zeus and Hera

•sister Eris (discord) went around the world stirring up trouble and he followed her.

•his children, Phobos, Metus, Demios, Pallor and nephew, Strife then followed him and the cries of human could be heard wherever they traveled.

•not well liked by other gods or humans.

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Dionysus(Bacchus)

•god of the vine

•gave the gift of grapes and winemaking to humans

•he brought both joy & ecstasy and thoughtlessness & rage

•well liked by mortals

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Athena(Minerva)

Statue of Athena in Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Courtesy Linda Van Eckle

•virgin goddess

•goddess of wisdom, the domestic arts (weaving) and war

•unlike Ares she tried to avoid war

•very merciful,but don’t cross her

•never lost in battle

•Zeus’ favorite, she often used his weapons

•gave many gifts to mortals

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Hermes(Mercury)

•messenger of the gods

•guided souls to the underworld

•son of Zeus and a mountain nymph

•invented the lyre when only 1 day old

•symbols include a wide-brimmed hat, winged shoes and the caduceus

•also known as the god of commerce to the Greeks

•was know for his cunning, ingenuity, knowledge and creativity **

Aphrodite(Venus)

•goddess of love, beauty, fertility and desire

•two versions of her birth

•portrayed as beautiful

•Zeus arranged her marriage to Hephasaetus

•scandalous affair with Ares

•could also be treacherous

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Hephaestus(Vulcan)

• god of blacksmithing and other trades

• weapon maker of the gods

• son of Hera has no father

• only physically ugly god

• his creations the most beautiful

• Zeus arranged marriage to Aphrodite

• only god who did physical work

• kind, peace loving, popular with gods and humans **

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For more information on the Olympians consult the following websites:

http://greekmyth.com/

http://www.mythweb.com/gods/index.html

http://www.messagenet.com/myths/immortals.html