1. Greek Values and Their Gods and Goddesses
9th Grade Literature

2. Values of the Ancient Greeks
Courtesy and respect for all classes of people
Courage, trust and discipline
Community and law
Home and family
Obedience to the divine world

3. Myths
Myths are stories that use fantasy to express ideas about life that cannot be expressed easily in realistic terms.
Myths are basically religious because they are concerned with the relationship between human beings and the unknown or spiritual realm.

4. The Oral Tradition
In Homer’s time there were no movies or television and probably not any written history.
In order to pass on tales of recent events or the stories of great heroes, gods, and goddesses, men would travel from community to community singing of such events.

5. The Oral Tradition (cont.)
These “singers of tales” were known as Rhapsodes.
Rhapsodes were the historians and entertainers as well as the myth-makers of their time.
These singers had to be very talented and work very hard to memorize all of the stories they told.

6. Greek God and Goddesses
The Olympians: Like any normal religion, the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece were who the Greek civilians worshiped and praised daily.

7. In the Beginning…
there was Chaos. He was considered the father of the world, much like Christians believe God is the father. He had 3 children and they are the gods that helped to birth the life that is on Earth. Those gods, Gaea, Nyx, and Erebus, gave birth to the sky, the sea, and the mountains. From there, the Earth began to grow.

8. Gaia: Goddess of Earth and Nyx: Goddess of Night

9. Erebus: God of darkness and shadow

10. The Next Gods…
…were called the Titans. They were gigantic and fearful, but not really all that bad. Just moody! The king of the Titans was called Cronus. He killed his father Uranus and maimed his mother Gaea in order to get control of the Earth. He also started eating his own children (the Olympian gods) to keep them from overthrowing him the way he did his own father and mother.

11. Cronus eating his children & the Titans

12. But…
Cronus was overthrown by the leader of the next generation of gods, the Olympian gods. Zeus was Cronus’s son, and he is the one who overthrew him. Zeus became the supreme ruler. His brother, Poseidon, became ruler of the ocean. His other brother, Hades, became the ruler of the underworld, which is like Hell, Heaven, and Purgatory all in one. Those three gods were the next to be in charge of the Earth. They, and others, were the main gods that were worshiped by the Greeks.

13. Zeus: Supreme ruler of the Olympians
Married to Hera, who is also his sister
Olympian children are Athena, Apollo
God of the sky
Weapon is the lightning bolt
Rules on Mount Olympus, where the Olympian gods live

15. Poseidon God of sea, horses, and earthquakes Brother of Zeus
Weapon is the trident

17. Hades God of the underworld Brother to Zeus and Poseidon
Wife is Persephone, Demeter’s daughter
Scepter or horn of plenty is his symbol
Cerberus is his pet who helps guard the underworld

18. Hades Persephone

19. Hera Wife of Zeus, also his sister….gross!!!
Protector of marriage and family...irony? why yes it is!
Symbol is the peacock
Ares and Hephaestus are her children with Zeus

21. Aphrodite Goddess of love and beauty
Said to have been born on the foam of the ocean
Married to Hephaestus, who is lame and considered ugly
Son is Eros, also known as cupid
Daughter of Zeus and Dione

23. Athena
Daughter of Zeus (Zeus got a bad headache and his head split and out popped Athena)
Goddess of war and wisdom
Symbol is the owl
Has no husband or children
Loved helping the mortal heroes in Greek epics, like Odysseus and Perseus

25. Apollo God of sun, light, medicine, and music Father is Zeus
Has a twin sister, Artemis
The sun, bow, and chariot are some symbols associated with Apollo

27. Artemis Goddess of the hunt, forest, and all things wilderness
Twin sister of Apollo
Her bow and her hounds are her symbols
She hates men and opposes the institution of marriage….very independent woman!

29. Ares God of War Symbol is the spear
Only legitimate son of Hera and Zeus
Had numerous affairs, including one with Aphrodite (who’s married to Hephaestus)

31. Hermes God of travels and is also called the “Messenger god”
Has a winged hat, winged shoes, and a snake encircled staff
Also the son of Zeus, a product of one of Zeus’s many affairs

33. Hestia Calm goddess of home and hearth
Symbol is the hearth with an eternal flame
Sister to Zeus, Hades, Hera and Poseidon
Never married even though Poseidon tried to court her (yep, her own brother)

35. Hephaestus Lame god of fire and forge Makes all the gods’ weapons
Married to Aphrodite
Kind of an alcoholic
Parents are rumored to be Zeus and Hera, but they don’t like to claim him because he is unattractive; sometimes portrayed as deformed

37. All 12 together on Mount Olympus

38. Because gods like to “play”…
Many of the Olympian gods had numerous affairs with mortals, other lesser gods, sometimes other creatures. As a result, in Greek Mythology there are numerous monsters and creatures, many of whom pop up in Homer’s The Odyssey.

39. Centaurs: half man, half horse

40. Cerberus: 3 headed dog who guards the underworld

41. Cyclops: Giant w/ one eye; children of Poseidon

42. Fates: 3 women who determine life and death

43. Medusa: Once beautiful but cursed with extreme ugliness
Medusa: Once beautiful but cursed with extreme ugliness. To look at her turns you to stone.

44. Minotaur: Half man, half bull

45. Pegasus: Winged Horse sired by Poseidon

46. Sirens: half bird, half women; their singing lures sailors to their deaths