Greek

Mythology
Presented by:
Pamela R. Galve
BSE – ENG B2-2AM
Background of Greek mythology

• Fully developed by about 700

B.C.
• Homer and Hesiod are
generally considered the
earliest Greek poets whose
work has survived
Myths seek to explain all those unexplainable or
unknowable aspects of life

Where do we go after we die?

How was the world created?
Why can we see our reflection in water?
Why are there four separate seasons?
Why do we fall in love?
How is lightning created?
Why do our voices sometime echo?
How was fire created, and why do we have it?
 Ancient Greek Beliefs and Characteristics

• Death is inevitable and final, so the goal was to become a legend through great deeds.

• The Greeks were tough, restless, ambitious, hard-living, and imaginative.

• Honor was extremely important, and the Greeks were very vengeful if wronged.

• The gods mirrored human feelings and physical form.

• Their flaws were pride, cruelty, stubbornness, impulsiveness, lust for power, and a desire to
be like the gods.
The Creation Myth
• First there was Chaos (vast and
unorganized space from which all other
things originated).

• Chaos gave birth to Gaea (the earth),

and Night, which gave birth to Day.

• Gaea and Uranus (the sky) gave birth to

Cronus and the other titans, the Cyclopes
(one-eyed giants), and the
Hekatonkheires/Hecatoncheires (the
hundred-handed ones - with 50 heads and
100 arms apiece)
The Foundation of Greek Mythology
 In general, Greek gods were divided into three categories:
 Heaven
 Earth
 Sea

 The Titans ruled before the Gods of Olympus.

 The Titans were the children of Uranus

(Heaven) and Gaea (Earth) and the parents of
the Gods of Olympus.
 The Titans were the children of Uranus
(Heaven) and Gaea (Earth) and the parents of
the Gods of Olympus.
• Cronus mutilated his father and overthrew him.
• Cronus and Rhea married and produced the Olympians: Hestia, Demeter,
Hera, Hades, and Poseidon.
• Cronus swallowed them to keep from being overthrown. When Zeus was born, Rhea
gave her husband a rock to swallow. Zeus overthrew his father Cronus and forced him
to disgorge the other Olympians.
 The Olympians
 A group of 12 gods who ruled after the
overthrow of the Titans

 All the Olympians are related in some way,

named after their dwelling place, Mount Olympus

 The Olympian Gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades,

Hestia, Hera, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite,
Hermes, Artemis, and Hephaestus
 Zeus
Roman Name: Jupiter
Realm: God of the Sky, Thunder,
Lightning, Hospitality, Honor, Kingship
and Order
Symbols: Thunderbolt, Aegis, Set of
Scales, Oak Tree, Royal Scepter
Sacred Animal: Eagle, Wolf, Woodpecker
• Zeus punished men by giving them
women.
• His servants were named Force
and Violence.
• Zeus was the supreme cultural
embodiment of Greek religious
beliefs.
 Zeus
Zeus was the last child of Kronos and Rhea but the first of
the gods and known as the most powerful Olympian god.
Often referred to as the “father of the gods and mean”.
He was known as a “womanizer” (he married his own
sister, had affair with his other sister, and to every she-being
that captures his attention).
• He may fell in love easily and had many affairs with various women,
however he would severely punish anybody who attempted to escort/fall in
love with his wife Hera – like the giant Porphyrion who took a lightning bolt
from the enraged god for lusting after his wife.

The name Zeus means “bright” or “sky”. His weapon of

choice was the thunderbolt, made for him by the Cyclops.
Zeus became the ruler of heaven and earth after a revolt
against his father, Kronos. In his position as king of the gods,
Zeus had to play mediator when the other immortals were
mad at each other.
 Poseidon
Roman Name: Neptune
Realm: sea, earthquakes, storms,
and horses
Symbols: trident, fish, dolphin,
horse and bull
Sacred Animal: Horse
• His name is Greek for “husband”.
• He was worshipped as a fertility
god.
• His primary means of
transportation was a chariot pulled
by horses.
• He created the horse out of sea-
foam and gave it to mankind.
 Poseidon
He was a son of Kronos and Rhea, and Zeus’ brother. Poseidon
was allotted his dominion after the fall of the Titans – the seas.
He was the 2nd most powerful god and is considered as one of the
most bad-tempered, moody and greedy Olympian god. He wielded the
trident or three-pronged spear, and this image of him is reflected in art.
Whenever Poseidon truck his trident to the ground, earthquake occurs.
This earned him the nickname “Earth-shaker.”
Poseidon was most notably the god of the sea and the protector of
all waters, sailors relied upon him for safe passage.
He possessed a palace made of gems and corals, located at the
ocean floor. But he was at Mt. Olympus more often that his palace.
He was similar to Zeus when it comes to women.
• He was the husband of Amphitrite, a Nereid. Their union produced Triton, a half-human,
half-fish.
• He and Medusa conceived the flying horse, Pegasus.
• Once, Demeter refused his advances by turning herself into a mare. Poseidon then
transformed into a stallion and pursued her. Their relation produced a horse, Arion.
• He was also the biological father of Orion, Polyphemus, etc.
 Hades
Roman Name: Pluto
Realm: god of riches, the dead and
the king of the underworld.
Symbols: Cerberus, drinking horn,
scepter, Cypress, Narcissus, key
Sacred Plant: narcissus & cypress
• Hades rarely left the underworld.
His presence was not welcomed by
men, the livings, and even the
gods.
• His dominion was separated from
the land of the living by the
following rivers: Styx, Lethe,
Acheron, Phlegethon, and
Cocytus.
 Hades
He was the oldest son of Kronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus
and Poseidon. In his kingdom, Hades sat ona throne made of
ebony and carried a scepter.
Hades is the King of the Dead, but he is not death itself. He
was also called Plouton/Pluto, the god of wealth or “the rich one”
because he possessed the precious metals of the earth.
Evil? No. Unpitying? Yes.
• He was depicted as stern and unyielding, unmoved by prayer and
sacrifice. He had a cap or helmet that made its wearer invisible. It is
known as the “helm of darkness”.

His wife was Persephone, Demeter’s only daughter, whom

he kidnapped and made his queen.
According to Iliad, Hades’ dominion lies between secret
places of earth. According to the Odyssey, one must cross ocean
to get there.
 Hera
Roman Name: Juno
Realm: goddess of marriage, birth,
women and the Heavens
Symbols: diadem, scepter,
Pomegranate, lily
Sacred Animal: peacock and cow
• Eileithyia/Ilithyia, a daughter of
Hera’s, assisted women in childbirth.
• Hera was the gracious protector of
the heroes in the quest of the golden
fleece.
• The Trojan War would have ended
in piece, but Hera had a vested
interest in its outcome and
influenced Zeus to either switch
sides or remain neutral.
 Hera
Hera was queen of the Olympian gods and the jealous
wife/sister of Zeus. She was the protector of women,
presiding over marriages and births.
In images and statues, she is portrayed as being
majestic and solemn, crowned with the polos – a high
cylindrical crown worn by many of the Great Goddesses.
She was known for punishing offending husbands.
Hera had no concept of justice when angry or jealous, even
the great Zeus feared his wife.
• Hera punished one of Zeus’s love interest Io, by putting her in the charge of
Argus, a 100-eyed giant, who kept a vigilant want over her so that Zeus could
not come to her aid. When Hermes put the giant to sleep, she turned him into
a peacock, an animal with eyes on its tail feathers.
• She turned Calisto into a bear because Zeus fell in love with her.
• She arranged the death of Semele, another mortal conquest of Zeus’s,
although she did not directly cause it.
• She never forgave Hercules for being Zeus’ son, so she raised a storm at sea
in order to drive Hercules out of his course to kill him.
 Demeter
Roman Name: Ceres
Realm: goddess of agriculture,
fertility, sacred law, and the
harvest
Symbols: cornucopia, wheat, torch
and bread
Sacred Animal: snake and pig
• The torch is often depicted in connection of
Demeter because of her persistent search
for Persephone.
• Men called Demeter the “Good
Goddesses” despite the desolation she had
brought about as result of her grief.
• Only women attended the Thesmophoria, a
fertility festival held in honor of Demeter.
This great festival occurred only every five
years.
Demeter
Demeter was one of the daughters of Kronos and Rhea,
whom Zeus seduced with. Although she was most often referred
to as the goddess of the harvest, she was also the goddess of
sacred law and the cycle of life and death.
She was the loving mother of Persephone, the goddess of
spring, whom Demeter endlessly searched for when she was
abducted by Hades. The earth became barren through her
neglect; thus, the winter season and its manifestations were a
reflection of Demeter’s emotional state during her daughter’s
absence.
• Still angry over the abduction of Persephone, Demeter subjected
the world to famine. Zeus sent the gods to Demeter one by one to
try and bring her out of her despondency. Demeter and Persephone
were ultimately reunited at Zeus’s decree.

The fields of grain and the threshing-floor were under her

protection. They were temples at which she could occupy at any
moment.
 Hestia
Roman Name: Vesta
Realm: goddess of hearth, home,
architecture, domestic life, family
and the state
Symbol: the hearth and its fire
• She was described as a kind,
forgiving, and discreet goddess with a
passive, non-confrontational nature.
• Her name literally means “hearth”,
appropriately, her priorities were family
and community.
• Every city had a public hearth that was
sacred to Hestia; the fire kindled there
and was never allowed to go out.
 Hestia
Hestia was the eldest as well as the youngest sibling of
Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, and Demeter, this is due to the
reason that she was the first child to be swallowed up by Kronos
and the last child to be yielded.
As the goddess of the hearth she personified the fire burning
in the hearth of every home in Greece. Every meal began and
ended with an offering to Hestia.
• She was the first to receive the first offering at every
sacrifice in the household, dedicating the richest portion of
food to her.
She was one of only three virgin goddesses, next to Athena
and Artemis. Although both Poseidon and Apollo wanted to marry
her, she made an oath to Zeus that she would remain forever
pure and undefiled, never entering into a union with a man.
Hestia had no children, however, children were accepted into
the family by being presented at Hestia’s hearth.
 Aphrodite
Roman Name: Venus
Realm: goddess of fertility,
sexuality, love and beauty
Symbol: dove, swan, shell, mirror
Sacred Animal: dove and swan
• Prostitutes considered the
goddess of love their patron
• Aphrodite used a swan-drawn car
to glide easily through the air.
• She was the winner of the contest
for a gold apple marked with “For
the Fairest”.
• Children: Eros (Cupid) and
Harmonia
Aphrodite
According to Hesiod’s Theogony, Aphrodite was born
from the foam in the waters of Paphos, on the island of
Cyprus. She arose from the sea when Titan Kronos slew
his father Uranus and threw his genitals into the sea.
However, according to Homer in Iliad, she may instead be
the daughter of Zeus and Dione.
Many Gods believed that her beauty was such that their
rivalry over her would spark a war of the gods. Because of
this Zeus married Aphrodite to Hephaestus – he wasn’t
seen a threat because of his ugliness and deformity. Still,
Aphrodite had many lovers, both gods and men.
 Ares
Roman Name: Mars
Realm: god of war and bloodbath
Symbol: dogs of war, and weapons
Sacred Animal: vulture
• Ares came from Thrace, home of a
fierce people in the Northeast of
Greece.
• The Amazons, warrior women, were
his daughters. Their mother was a
peace-loving nymph named
Harmony.
• Mars is known as a “father to the
Roman people”. Because of this, he
was a less aggressive physical form,
revealing a more calm and
understanding demeanor.
 Ares
He was the son of Zeus and Hera, both of whom hated him (according
to Homer).
Ares was most notably referred to as the god of war; he represented
the unpleasant aspects of battle.
He was handsome and very cruel. Ares is also known for being
Aphrodite’s lover. Though he plays a limited role in literature, when he
does appear in myths it is typically facing humiliation.
• One famous of story of Ares and Aphrodite exposes them to ridicule by the gods when
her husband Hephaestus trapped them both naked in a bed using a clever device he
made.

Ares was most often characterized as a coward in spite of his

connection to war; he responded to even the slightest injury with outrage.
Ares had many offspring, which is characteristics of nearly all of the
notable Greek gods. He conceived more mortal children than divine
children.
In art, he was often depicted as a warrior carrying a blood-stained
spear.
 Hephaestus
Roman Name: Vulcan
Realm: god of fire, metalworking,
stone masonry, forges and the art
of sculpture
Symbol: hammer, anvil, tongs, and
quail
Sacred Animal: Quail
• He has his own palace on
Olympus where he made many
clever inventions and automatons
of metal to work for him.
• It was believed that Hephaestus
taught men the arts alongside with
Athena.
Hephaestus
Hephaestus was the only ugly god among perfectly beautiful
immortals. He was born deformed and was cast out of heaven by
one or both of his parents when they noticed that he was imperfect.
Zeus made him marry Aphrodite to prevent a war of the gods
fighting for her hand because of his ugly appearance.
He was the workman of the immortals: he made their dwellings,
furnishings, and weapons. His forge or workshop was located under
a volcano, and the work he did within it caused frequent eruptions.
• He manufactured the aegis (shield) that Athena is known for carrying.
• The arrows of Eros were fashioned by him.
• The gold basket that Europa uses when she is gathering flowers.
• He crafted the armor Achilles wore in the Trojan War.
• He made an extraordinary necklace which Aphrodite gave to Harmonia
wherein every pieces of jewelry brought disaster to later generations

Hephaestus was a patron of the arts. He was a kind and

peace-loving god. In art, he is usually depicted as bending over an
anvil or walking with the assistance of a crane.
 Phoebus Apollo
Roman Name: Apollo
Realm: god of music, poetry, art,
oracles, archery, plague, medicine,
sun, light and knowledge
Symbols: lyre, laurel wreath,
python, raven, bow and arrows
Sacred Animals: wolf, dolphin,
swan
• His forename, Phoebus, means
“bright” or “pure”.
• Apollo accidentally killed his
dearest companion, Hyacinthus, in
a discus throwing contest.
• He had many love affairs.
 Apollo
A god of many things. Apollo was the son of Zeus and
Leto. He was born on the island of Delos. He and his twin
sister Artemis, also an Olympian, shared an aptitude for
archery.
Apollo, a masterful magician, was known for delighting
Olympus with tunes played on his golden lyre that
resembles a small harp, which was made by Hermes.
He taught men the art of medicine, so he is often
referred to as “the healer”. However, Apollo could also bring
ill-health and deadly plague. Because of his truthfulness
and integrity, he was granted the gift of prophecy and
oracles.
He was a god who is radiant with grace and beauty. He
is the ideal, kouros, which means he has a beardless,
athletic and youthful appearance.
 Artemis
Roman Name: Diana
Realm: goddess of the hunt,
forests and hills, the moon, archery
Symbols: bow, arrows, stags,
hunting dog and moon
Sacred Animals: deer and bear
• She is one of the three virgin
deities, however, it was her only
hunting companion, Orion, that
won her heart.
• She guarded her virginity carefully.
Actaeon and Orion tried to
dishonor or rape her, but anyone
who threatened her purity met with
a violent end.
 Artemis
Artemis was daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin sister
of Apollo. She was not just the goddess of the hunt, she
was also known as the goddess of childbirth and virginity.
She was primarily a virgin huntress and an important
goddess in the life of women, especially when it came to
marriage and young creatures. Artemis bring and relieve
disease in women. Artemis acted out in anger whenever
her wishes were disobeyed.
• When one of her nymphs was seduced by Zeus, Artemis transformed her into
a bear and then killed her,
• She punished Agamemnon, when he killed a stag in her sacred grove.

In literature and art she was depicted as a huntress

carrying a bow and arrow. She spent most of her time
roaming the forests with her nymphs, hunding and
protecting animals.
 Athena
Roman Name: Minerva
Realm: goddess of wisdom, courage,
inspiration, civilization, law and justice,
tactic warfare, mathematics, strength,
strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.
Symbol: armor, owl, olive tree, aegis
Sacred animal: owl
• She was Zeus’s favorite child. He trusted
her to wield the aegis and his thunderbolt.
• Athena was a patron of the arts and crafts,
especially when it comes to spinning and
weaving.
• Athena invented the flute, but she never
played it.
• A sacred image or statue of Athena, the
Athena Parthenos or the Palladium,
protected the Trojans as long as they had it
during the Trojan War.
 Athena
Athena was born from Zeus after he experienced an
enormous headache and she sprang fully grown and in armor
from his forehead.
She is the female counterpart of his brother, Ares. In Greek
mythology she is not considered as the goddess of war but a
goddess of battle strategy because of her wisdom.
In Roman mythology, she is downplayed as the goddess of
craft for the Romans have their respected goddess of war –
Bellona.
On the other hand, she is one of the three virgins; the other
two were Hestia and Artemis.
Athena served as a guardian of Athens, where the
Parthenon served as her temple.
According to some sources, Athena was praised for her
compassion and generosity. She is referred to in poetry as “gray-
eyed”.
 Dionysus
Roman Name: Bacchus
Realm: god of grape harvest,
winemaking and wine, of ritual
madness, religious ecstasy and
thetre
Symbols: thyrsus, grapevine,
leopard skin, panther, cheetah
Sacred Animals: cheetah
• Many festivals were held in honor to
Dionysus, performances of tragedy
and comedy were a part of festivals
thrown in his honor.
• Though Dionysus was mostly a kind
and generous deity, he could be cruel
when necessary.
Dionysus
He was a son of Zeus and the Theban princess,
Semele. He was born of fire and nursed by rain. His birth
corresponds to the development of grapes: heat ripens the
fruit and water keeps it alive.
Upon reaching adulthood, he wandered the Earth,
teaching men the culture of the vine. As wine was a major
part of ancient Greek culture, Dionysus became an
important and popular figure in mythology.
He was the last god to enter Olympus.
He married Ariadne, when Theseus left her and she
has nothing and no one. Upon her death, Dionysus placed
the crown he had given her among the stars.
Descriptions of Dionysus depict him as a mature male,
bearded and robed holding a fennel staff tipped with a pine-
cone.
 Hermes
Roman Name: Mercury
Realm: god of trade, thieves,
sports, athletes, border crossings
Symbols: talaria, caduceus,
tortoise, lyre, and rooster
Sacred Animal: Tortoise
• According to some sources, Hermes
was associated with fertility and
good fortune.
• He is most often presented as a
graceful youth, wearing a winged hat
and winged sandals.
• Hermoea was the name given to the
riotous festivals thrown in his honor.
 Hermes
He was the son of Zeus and Maya, born in a cave on a
mountain in Arcadia; he was conceived and born within the
course of one day.
As the god of boundaries and transitions, Hermes was
known to be quick and cunning and had the ability to freely
move between mortal and divine worlds. In his role as
herald, it also fell to him to conduct souls to Hades.
He was the patron of thieves. He is also the patron and
protector of travelers, herdsmen, orators and wit, literature
and poets, athletic and sports, invention and trade.
Hermes was considered a “trickster” due to his cunning
and clever personality.
He primarily served as the herald or messenger of the
gods.