It’s All Greek to Me

Classical Allusions

Pantheon of Greek Gods & Goddesses

Gaia & Uranus

• Lays with Uranus to create the 12 TITANS: 1st rulers of the Universe

• Had other 6 children: 3 100-handed giants & 3 cyclops• Uranus refused to give up his power to the next

generation, so he pushed the Titans back into Gaia’s womb

Gaia (Gaea) = Mother Earth

Uranus = her son & ruler of sky/heaven

Cronos & Rhea

• Son and daughter of Gaia & Uranus

• Cronos kills Uranus by emasculating him

• Cronos is the same kind of tyrant his father was

• Cronos eats the children Rhea bears him

• After the birth of Zeus,Rhea tricks Cronos by giving him a rock to eat instead of the baby.

• She sends Zeus to be raised on Crete.

Other Titans: Prometheus

• Put in charge of creating all creatures to populate Earth

– He’s wise; name means “forethought”– Brother Epimetheus is scatterbrained;

name means “afterthought”

• Creates humans out of mud

• Gives man fire• Punishment – he’s bound

and carnivorous bird eats his liver out each day (regrows at night)– Heracles rescues him

Other Titans: Epimetheus & Pandora

• Epi’s job is to give creatures gifts (birds=wings; turtles=shells); he runs out of gifts before man

• Married to Pandora– Prometheus warns gullible Epi not

to accept gifts (including Pandora) from Zeus whom he doesn’t trust

– She’s a human; gods all gave her gifts including a box – her greatest gift is CURIOUSITY

– She’s too curious and opens the box allowing all evils out to plague and torment men

– Only hope remained in the box

Other Titans: Atlas

• Because Atlas is Cronos’ brother and a threat to the throne, Zeus sentences Atlas to hold up the world

Mount Olympus: Home of the Gods

Great Zeus!• Romans called him Jupiter• Greatest of all Olympians • Grandma Gaia helps him

gain power over father by giving Cronos potion to throw up all his children. Cronos’ 5 other children emerged fully grown.

• During his fight with Cronos, Zeus cuts off Cronos’ genitals just as Cronos did to Uranus (thus fulfilling the prophecy)

Zeus married his sister Hera

•They have a ROCKY relationship•Their children are a son Ares & a daughter Hebe•She gives birth to Hephaestus by herself •She’s goddess of marriage (ironic!)•Roman name Juno

Zeus’ Conquests

• Not faithful to Hera– Danae (as golden

shower) = baby Perseus

– Alcmena (as her hubby) = baby Heracles

DanaeAlcmene

Zeus’ Conquests cont’d•Leda (as swan) = 2 babies from eggs: Helen of Troy & Pollux [he’s also the twin of Castor – different daddies)•Europa (as a bull) = King Minos of Crete

Zeus’ Conquests cont’d

– Callisto (as another Olympian) = baby Arcas; Hera’s jealous, so Zeus turns her into a bear. The bear is killed by the gods so Zeus transforms her into the Constellation: Ursa Major; her son becomes Ursa Minor

Zeus’ Sister: Demeter

• Goddess of agriculture & nature / the harvest

• Doesn’t live on Mount Olympus

• Roman name: Ceres (the root word for cereal)

• Mother of Persephone

Zeus’ Sister: Hestia

- Goddess of the hearth (home fire) • Can’t leave the home

so she doesn’t figure in any stories

– Virgin– Roman name: Vesta; her

priestesses were called Vestal Virgins

Zeus’ Brother: Poseidon

•God of the Sea, horses and earthquakes;

•Romans called him Neptune

Zeus’ Brother: Hades

• God of the Underworld• Romans called him Pluto• Married to Persephone (Roman = Proserpine)

Demeter’s daughter

Hades and Persephone• He kidnapped her. After

Demeter refuses to work for a year, Zeus intervenes and makes Hades return Persephone to her mother.

• Before Persephone leaves, Hades gives her a pomegranate (a special food to the dead); She eats 4-6 seeds. Because of that she was doomed to return to Hades.

• He mother mourns during Persephone’s absence which causes winter.

Hades: Ya Don’t Wanna Go There

Hades: Ya Don’t Wanna Go There

Cereberus

Charon the Ferryman on the River Styx

Entrance to Hades

Gods: The Next Generation

• Hephaestus– Son of Hera– Ugly, lame– Married to Aphrodite– Makes armor and

weapons (esp. Zeus’ thunderbolts)

• Worked under a volcano

– Peaceful, kind– Roman name: Vulcan

Gods: The Next Generation• Ares

– God of War – esp. destructive forces

• As opposed to Athena, a war goddess who used war for defense

– Son of Zeus & Hera• Who don’t like him

much

– Unpleasant– Has relationship with

Aphrodite• Perhaps because both

represent wild impulses

– Roman name: Mars

Gods: The Next Generation• Hermes• Son of Zeus & Maia (Atlas’

daughter)

– God of • Commerce & Trade,• Athletes,• Thieves• Children• Shepherds & travelers• Fertility & prosperity

– Go-between for Zeus• For negotiations

– Esp. the female kind

– Carried the snake entwined staff (now doctors’ symbol)

– Roman name: Mercury

Gods: The Next Generation

• Dionysis– God of wine & vegetation

(parties . . .)– Son of Zeus & Semele– Roman name: Bacchus– Festivals in his honor became

the beginning of drama– Had a “posse”

• Maenads = female worshippers• Satyrs = (aka fauns) ½ man, ½

goat• As well as other animals

Gods: The Next Generation• Son of Zeus & Leto

(another of his conquests)

• Has a twin sister, Artemis

• Drives his chariot through the sky bringing the sun

• God over music, archery, healing (medicine), light and truth (hence his oracle at Delphi)

• Sometimes called Phoebus Apollo (Phoebus means radiant)

Apollo

Gods: The Next Generation

• Sons of Poseidon (Proteus is older)

• Mermen

Proteus & Triton

Goddesses: The Next Generation

Aphrodite

•Springs fully formed from the sea from Uranus’ seed after Cronos cut off his genitals

•Roman name: Venus

•Sexy femme fatale, she stands for all the good and bad aspects of women

•Had an affair with Ares while married to Hephaestus (seems to love Ares)

•This produced 3 sons: Eros (love); Deimus (fear); Phobus (panic)

•Popular goddess: Goddess of sex & reproduction, love

Sidebar:Eros vs Cupid

• The Greeks saw Eros as an malevolent, dangerous young man– He loved making mischief and playing tricks by making them fall

in love suddenly, esp. with inappropriate people

• The Romans saw Cupid as a cute pudgy baby

Goddesses: The Next Generation• Athena

– Sprung from Zeus’ head (he had a headache)

fully formed– Goddess of War (see

Ares)

– Roman name: Minerva

– Virgin– Known for her

wisdom & intelligence

– Powerful, impressive & too scary to be lusted after

Goddesses: The Next Generation

• Artemis– Apollo’s twin– Goddess of the

Hunt, loved woods and wild animals, the moon

– Roman name: Diana

– Virgin