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...In the beginning...

……was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)was Chaos (shapeless nothingness) Chaos had two children:Chaos had two children:

– Night (darkness)Night (darkness)– Erebus (death)Erebus (death)

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

Mysteriously, Love was born of Mysteriously, Love was born of darkness and death.darkness and death.

And then...And then...

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

Love created Light and Day.Love created Light and Day. Earth was created.Earth was created.

– She was the solid ground, but also a She was the solid ground, but also a personality.personality.

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

The First ParentsThe First Parents

Mother Earth = GaiaMother Earth = Gaia Father Heaven = UranusFather Heaven = Uranus They had three kinds of children:They had three kinds of children:

– Three monsters with 100 hands and Three monsters with 100 hands and 50 heads50 heads

– Three CyclopesThree Cyclopes– The titansThe titans

These were the first characters that had the appearance These were the first characters that had the appearance of life, although it was unlike any life known to man.of life, although it was unlike any life known to man.

The Titans (The Elder The Titans (The Elder Gods)Gods)

There were many of them.There were many of them. Enormous size, incredible strengthEnormous size, incredible strength 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 Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)titans)

The Principal GodsThe Principal Gods

Cronos and Rhea Cronos and Rhea were parents ofwere parents of– Jupiter (Zeus, Jove)Jupiter (Zeus, Jove)– Neptune Neptune

(Poseidon)(Poseidon)– Pluto (Hades)Pluto (Hades)– Juno (Hera)Juno (Hera)– Vesta (Hestia)Vesta (Hestia)– Ceres (Demeter)Ceres (Demeter)

Other Olympians Other Olympians includeinclude– Minerva (Athena)Minerva (Athena)– Mars (Ares)Mars (Ares)– Vulcan (Hephaestus)Vulcan (Hephaestus)– Apollo (Apollo)Apollo (Apollo)– Diana (Artemis)Diana (Artemis)– Mercury (Hermes)Mercury (Hermes)– Venus (Aphrodite)Venus (Aphrodite)– Bacchus (Dionysus)Bacchus (Dionysus)– Proserpina Proserpina

(Persephone)(Persephone)

The OlympiansThe Olympians

ZeusZeus

Roman Name: Roman Name: Jupiter (also Jove)Jupiter (also Jove)

Supreme god of Supreme god of the Olympians.the Olympians.

Fathered many Fathered many characters in characters in mythologymythology

ZeusZeus

HeraHera

Roman Name: Roman Name: JunoJuno

Zeus’s sister Zeus’s sister and wifeand wife

Jealous Jealous protector of protector of marriagemarriage

Punished the Punished the women Zeus fell women Zeus fell in love within love with

PoseidonPoseidon

Roman Name: Roman Name: NeptuneNeptune

God of the God of the Seas and Seas and WatersWaters

““The The Earthshaker”Earthshaker”

HadesHades

Roman Roman Name: PlutoName: Pluto

God of the God of the Underworld/ Underworld/ DeadDead

Kidnapped Kidnapped PersephonePersephone

HestiaHestia

Roman Roman Name: VestaName: Vesta

Goddess of Goddess of HomeHome

Powerful Powerful ProtectorProtector

DemeterDemeter

Roman Roman Name: Name: CeresCeres

Goddess of Goddess of the Harvestthe Harvest

A Goddess A Goddess of the Earthof the Earth

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:Graphics:– 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/http://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/

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