Greek Mythology

In the beginning... …was Chaos (shapeless nothingness) Chaos had two children: Night (darkness) Erebus (death) “All was black, empty, silent, endless.” Mysteriously, Love was born of darkness and death.

And Then… When Love was born, order and beauty began to flourish. Love created Light and Day. Earth was created. She was the solid ground, but also a personality (Gaia). The Earth bore Heaven to cover her and be a home for the gods.

The First Parents Mother Earth = Gaia Father Heaven = Uranus They had three kinds of children: Three monsters with 100 hands and 50 heads (Hecatoncheires) Three Cyclopes The Titans These were the first characters that had the appearance of life, although it was unlike any life known to man.

The Titans There were many of them. Enormous size, incredible strength Cronus (Saturn): Ruler of the titans Rhea: Wife of Cronus Ocean: River that encircled the world 12 Titans in all (6 boys and 6 girls)

A Father’s Love Uranus hated his ugly children and threw them away in the underworld. This greatly angered Gaia and she convinced Cronus, one of the Titans to overthrow Uranus.

Cronus succeeds in overthrowing Uranus and becomes the new Lord of the Universe. But Cronus is worried that one of his sons would overthrow him, so he swallowed each child as it was born.

This makes Rhea angry and she hides her youngest child, Zeus. She tricks Cronus by giving him a rock wrapped in a blanket.

A New Leader Zeus was raised in secret and eventually came back to overthrow Cronus. He freed his 11 brothers and sisters from Cronus’ stomach and together they fought the Titans.

The Theogony A long narrative poem written by Hesiod The war lasted 10 years between the Gods and the Titans. Finally, Cronus and the Titans were defeated. The rule of the Universe was divided into 3 kingdoms and the three brothers (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) cast lots to determine who won what.

What Happened to the Titans The Titans that fought against the Gods were subjected to great torture and torment.

Typhon A horrible monster, who with his mate Echidna, are said to give birth to all the monsters of the world. Battles Zeus for supremacy of the universe. Zeus eventually succeeds, but only by dropping a mountain on Typhon

Offspring of Evil The offspring of Echidna and Typhon would include: Cerberus The Hydra The Chimera The Gorgons The Sphinx

The Great Olympians The Cyclopes built a palace on Mt. Olympus for Zeus with 12 thrones. One for each of his brothers and sisters

The Gods and Goddess of Greece

Zeus (Jove/Jupiter) King of the gods Ruler of the sky and weather Upholder of oaths Hospitality Symbol is the thunderbolt

Poseidon (Neptune) Brother of Zeus Ruler of the sea Horses Earthquakes Married to the sea-nymph, Amphitrite As the god of horses, he would often adopt the shape of horse. Symbol is the Trident

Hades (Pluto) Brother of Zeus God of the Underworld/ Dead Kidnapped Persephone His symbol is the helmet that makes him invisible

Hera (Juno) Sister of Zeus Wife of Zeus Queen of the gods Upholder of marriage Her Symbol is the Peacock

Demeter (Ceres) Sister of Zeus Goddess of the earth Corn Crops Mother of Persephone Symbol is a bundle of grain

Hestia (Vesta) Goddess of the Home Goddess of the Hearth A Powerful Protector Doesn’t really have a symbol, but her symbol is the home.

The Next Generation The next generation of Gods/Goddesses are the children of the original Olympians. They were still just as powerful as their fathers and mothers.

Athena (Minerva) Daughter of Zeus Goddess of wisdom and war guardian of Athens, the city named for her defender of heroes, According to legend, Athena sprang fully-grown and fully-armed from the head of her father, Zeus, ruler of the gods on Mount Olympus. Symbol is the Owl

Ares (Mars) Son of Zeus and Hera god of War known for his thirst for battle and blood Symbol: Sword and Spear While Athena was seen as strategic in war, Ares was seen as unpredictable and violent.

Apollo (Apollo) Son of Zeus, twin brother of Artemis god of healing and music god of light and the sun; truth and prophecy god of music Symbol: Golden Chariot and Harp

Artemis (Diana) daughter of Zeus and twin sister of Apollo Virgin goddess of the hunt and moon goddess of childbirth Symbol: Silver bow and arrow

Aphrodite (Venus) Born from sea foam Iliad considers her to be a daughter of Dione Some versions call her a daughter of Zeus Married to Hephaestus, but has affair with Ares Love Beauty Pleasure Her symbol is the dove

Hermes (Mercury) Son of Zeus Messenger of the gods Travelers Theft Commerce Symbol is his Winged Sandals Also responsible for leading the dead to Hades

Hephaestus (Vulcan) God of fire and forge Blacksmith Son of Hera He was born lame, and Zeus rejected him, throwing him off of Olympus to the earth Symbol is the forge Built gold palaces for each of the Gods on Olympus

Dionysus (Bacchus) Son of Zeus (and Persephone?) God of Wine and Liberation Also music, theater, and fertility Symbol is wine

Persephone (Proserpina) Daughter of Demeter Wife of Hades (kidnapped by Hades) Queen of the underworld Spends three months in the underworld (winter) and nine months with her mother (summer)

Eros (Cupid) Son of Aphrodite God of Love Symbol is his arrows he used to make mortals fall in love

Other Gods and Monsters

The Muses Nine daughters of Zeus Inspired artists of all kinds Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Polyhymnia

The Furies They punish evildoers Goddesses of vengeance Appear from blood spilled on the ground

The Fates Three sisters Shared an eye and a tooth They weave, measure, and cut the thread of life for humans.

Charon Would ferry the dead across to the Underworld Would have to pay

Pegasus Flying horse Sprang from the blood of Medusa Zeus’ pet, would help people he favored

The Satyrs Gods of the woods and mountains “Shepherd gods” Goat men (like Pan) Companions of Dionysus They like to drink, dance, and chase nymphs.

Centaurs Half men, half-horse Companions of Dionysus Protector of the woods Very crude and uncivilized

The Gorgans Three snake-haired monsters Medusa is most well-known (and the only mortal one of the three Their look turns men to stone

The Hydra A three headed dragon that guarded a sacred spring. Spewed fire and poison from its many mouths Every time a head is cut off, two more grow in it’s place Killed by Hercules

Scylla and Charybdis A six-headed dragon and a whirlpool monster that guarded a seaway near Greece. “A Rock and a Hard Place”

Cyclops One-eyed monsters Giant creatures Uncivilized

Minotaur Son of King Minos (wife and bull) Half-man, half-bull Built a great maze called the Labyrinth to contain the creature Ate humans Killed by Theseus

Sirens Half-woman, half-bird Would lull sailors to their doom with their seductive songs

Cerberus The three-headed Hell hound Kept the dead from leaving the Underworld Didn’t care who came in Hades’ Hound

The Heroes

Heracles (Hercules) Son of Zeus, hated by Hera Had great physical strength Had to complete a series of tasks called the twelve labors. Greatest of the heroes

Perseus Son of Zeus Loved by the Gods Killed Medusa

Theseus Son of Poseidon Killed the Minotaur

Odysseus (Ulysses) King of Ithaca Fought in Trojan War Built the Trojan Horse Angers gods Has a long journey home Homer’s The Odyssey

Jason and the Argonauts 1st sailors on the ship the Argo Go to find the Golden Fleece Battle dragon and army of dead to get it