Greek Myths By Geneva Salo

Athena Daughter of Zeus – She was born fully grown and armor clad from his forehead She was the goddess of reason, war, wisdom, and literature. Athena invented the bridle, the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the yoke, the ship, and the chariot. She was Zeus’s favorite child, and was even allowed to use his weapons, including the thunderbolt. She was often symbolized as an owl. She competed against Poseidon to become the patron deity of Athens. Poseidon created a well, but the water was salt water and therefore not very useful. Athena planted an olive tree, a symbol of peace and prosperity. Her gift was chosen by the first king of Athens, allowing her to become the patron.

Dionysus He was the god of wine and fertility, and later became a patron of the arts. The creator of wine, and spread the art of viticulture. His personality reflected the nature of wine: one side brought joy and divine ecstasy, the other brought brutal and blinding rage. He was the son of Zeus and Semele, and one of the only gods with a mortal parent. After Semele was killed by seeing Zeus’s true form, he saved Dionysus and stitched him inside of his thigh, allowing him to be born a god. Hera, jealous of Zeus’s infidelity, arranged for Titan’s to kill Dionysus. Rhea brought him back to life, and Zeus put him into protection. He was one of the few gods capable of bringing someone dead back from the underworld. Dionysus was very present and involved within his followers.

The Muses The goddesses of inspiration in literature, science, and the arts. They were considered water nymphs as well. They were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemsoyne. Each of the 9 muses protected a different art and had their own symbol . King Pierus of Macedon named his nine daughters after the Muses, believing them to be better than the goddesses themselves. As a result, his daughters, the Pierides, were turned into magpies.

Narcissus He was a hunter, and the son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope. Many fell in love with him, but he treated them with nothing but disdain and contempt. One day while hunting, a nymph named Echo came across Narcissus, and instantly fell for him. She had been cursed by Hera, and could only repeat the last words of what had been said before. She attempted to hug him, but he harshly rejected her. Heartbroken, Echo wandered around the forest for the rest of her life and faded into an echo. Nemesis, the goddess of retribution and revenge decided to punish Narcissus. She led him to a pool, where he saw his reflection and became obsessed with it. He slowly pined away until the nymphs transformed him into a flower.

Scylla and Charybdis A pair of sea monsters who lived on opposite ends of the Strait of Messina, between Italy and Sicily. Scylla was originally a sea nymph who was loved by Poseidon. Amphitrite, Poseidon’s jealous wife, poisoned the waters Scylla bathed in. This turned her into a six-headed beast with three rows of sharp teeth in each head. When ships passed too close to her, she would strike and eat unwary sailors. Charybdis was also a sea nymph, and a daughter of Poseidon. She was turned into a dangerous whirlpool by Zeus, across the strait from Scylla. Any ship sailing the strait was most likely going to be destroyed by one of the monsters.