Greek Gods and Monsters Seen in The Odyssey

Assumptions  These stories are from a long time ago prior to scientific understanding. People needed to make sense of things.  Oral tradition of storytelling creates the contradictory nature.  These stories take some maturity.

Complexities

The Beginning Oranos  Father of the sky  An original king of gods  Married to Gaia

Oranos and Gaia’s Children Cronos and Rhea

Married Cronos King and a Titan Rhea Goddess of Earth

Cronos Cronos kills his father and dismembers him.

Cronos and Rhea Have six children The first five: Hera, Demeter, Hestia, Poseidon and Hades

Cronos and Rhea’s children Cronos swallows his children for fear of them dethroning him.

Rhea is fed up. She tricks him when she has Zeus.

Zeus and Rhea ban together Give Cronos a mustanrd potion to make him vomit. He vomits up the five children (and the boulder.) Fight Cronos and win. Zeus kills his father and the prophecy comes true.

Zeus Zeus becomes the new king.

Zeus is fairer. Zeus draws lots with his brothers to see who rules what.

Who wins? Zeus He takes the sky God of the sky

Poseidon wins next He takes the sea God of the sea

Hades He takes what is left, the underworld God of the underworld

Children of Cronos Zeus HeraDemeter Hestia Poseidon Hades

Demeter  Goddess of the harvest and the moon  Has a daughter with Zeus named Persephone

Children of Cronos Zeus HeraDemeter Hestia Poseidon Hades

Poseidon  Chooses Amphitrite, a sea nymph, to marry.  She doesn’t want to marry him and goes to hide.

Amphitrite marries Poseidon sends a dolphin to retrieve Amphitrite. The dolphin is successful.

Marriage Poseidon Amphitrite Goddess of the sea

Poseidon’s Children Poseidon PolyphemusCharybdisAeolus

Polyphemus A Cyclops

Polyphemus

Charybdis Sea Monster Ticked off Zeus and he turned her into a monster.

Charybdis A big blob with a mouth.

Aeolus god of the wind

Cronus and Rhea’s Children ZeusHeraDemeter HestiaPoseidon Hades

Hades

Hades falls in love

Hades spies Persephone

Hades kidnaps Persephone The problem: Persephone is Demeter’s daughter

Remember who Demeter is? Zeus HeraDemeter HestiaPoseidon Hades

So what does Demeter do? She combs the Earth looking for her daughter, unaware her brother kidnapped her. She combs the Earth looking for her daughter, unaware her brother kidnapped her. While she is looking, everything dies off. While she is looking, everything dies off. Finally she finds Persephone, but Hades refuses to give her back. Finally she finds Persephone, but Hades refuses to give her back. She implores Zeus to help, but he won’t. She implores Zeus to help, but he won’t.

So what does Demeter do? She gets her revenge by making all things die on Earth. She gets her revenge by making all things die on Earth. What happens to people if all things die? What happens to people if all things die? The people implore Zeus to intervene. The people implore Zeus to intervene. Persephone has eaten some pomegranate seeds. Anyone who eats in the underworld must stay. Persephone has eaten some pomegranate seeds. Anyone who eats in the underworld must stay.

What’s the deal? Zeus makes a deal with Hades: for the number of seeds she eats, that is the number of months she must reside with Hades.

Persephone returns When Persephone is on Earth with her mother all things grow. When she is with her husband, all things die. What does that explain?

Marriage Hades Persephone

Cronos and Rhea’s Children Zeus HeraDemeter Hestia Poseidon Hades

Hestia  Goddess of the hearth  Never married or had children

Cronos and Rhea’s Children Zeus HeraDemeter Hestia Poseidon Hades

Hera  Goddess of women and marriage.  Known to be vengeful

Marriage! Zeus Hera

Zeus and Hera’s Kids Hera ErisAres Hepahestus Zeus

Eris goddess of discord and troublemaking goddess of discord and troublemaking Started the events of the Trojan War Started the events of the Trojan War

Ares god of war and manly courage

Hephaestus Hephaestus was not wanted by Zeus. Hephaestus was not wanted by Zeus. Somehow he got thrown down a mountain. Somehow he got thrown down a mountain. He became disfigured and disabled. He became disfigured and disabled.

Hepahestus Smithgod and god of forging weapons

Aphrodite Born of the blood of Oranos and the foam of the sea goddess of love and beauty

What’s the problem? Aphrodite is so beautiful and was having many affairs. Women hate her.

At the same time… Hera is trapped in a box by her son Hephaestus. Hera is trapped in a box by her son Hephaestus. Zeus implores Hephaestus to let his mother free. Zeus implores Hephaestus to let his mother free.

Zeus makes a deal. For letting Hera out, Hephaestus gets a prize: Aphrodite.

What’s the problem with that? o Aphrodite is repulsed by Hephaestus and wants her old life back. o So, she continues to have affairs, most notably Ares.

Remember who Ares is? Hera Eris Ares Hepahestus Zeus

Hephaestus’s revenge Hephaestus makes a net and catches Aphrodite and Ares together and publically ridicules them.

Eros god of love AresAphrodite

Zeus had a wandering eye… Zeus is known for having many affairs and numerous children. ArtemisApolloAthenaHermes

The Twins Artemis goddess of the chase or hunt Apollo god of sun, music, poetry and archery

Athena (Athene)  goddess of wisdom and battle (strategic warfare)  born of Zeus’s head

Hermes Messenger god Delivers messages between gods and mortals Cunning, known for sometimes making trouble