1. Greek Mythology

2. Greek Mythology: Creation
Chaos – first thing to ever exist
Gaea – Goddess, symbolized Earth
Eros – God of Love
These 3 came together and created the world and the Gods

3. Greek World view
(Libya)

4. Creation Chaos bore Erebus (deep dark shadows) and Nyx (night)
Gaea bore Uranus (sky) and Oceanus (water)
Uranus was to protect Gaea – married and had 12 children – the Titans

5. Creation
Cronus – son of Uranus and Gaea killed Uranus because he was cruel
Marries his sister Rhea and had 6 children
Fearing his children will grow too powerful, Cronus eats 5 of the children as they’re born.
Rhea tricks him into eating a rock instead of their 6th child, Zeus, whom she sends off to be raised by Nymphs

6. Creation
Zeus is accepted back by his father; gives Cronus a drink that causes him to release his siblings.
Zeus and the others battle Cronus and the Titans for control of Olympus.
Gods win and banish all to Tartarus except Atlas. He had to carry the universe on his shoulders for the rest of time

8. Greek View
Contemporary View

9. The Olympians Zeus – king of Mt. Olympus and king of the gods
Hades – God of the underworld
Poseidon – God of the sea
Hera – Zeus’s wife (and sister); queen of the gods, guardian of marriage

10. The Olympians
Athena – born fully formed from a headache of Zeus; goddess of Wisdom and War
Apollo – God of Sun/light, poetry, music, medicine
Artemis – Apollo’s twin sister; Goddess of hunting
Ares – God of war

11. The Olympians
Hephaestus – born lame and crippled when thrown from Olympus by his mother, Hera. Married Aphrodite and was the gods’ blacksmith
Aphrodite – Goddess of love and beauty
Hermes – God of science and invention
Hestia – Zeus’s sister, goddess and protector of the home

12. The Olympians
Demeter – Goddess of crops and harvest, her sadness brings on fall and winter, happiness brings spring and summer (Kind of like Mr. Catalano )
Dionysus – the “party animal” – Zeus’s son by another woman; taught people how to have a good time and make wine. Hestia gave up her throne so he could live on Olympus. God of wine and vegetation

13. Mythological Creatures
Centaurs – half man half horse
Cerberus – 3 headed dog; guarded gate to Underworld
Cyclopes – one-eyed monster; giant in size
Giants – great strength; not always depicted as “giant” in size

14. Mythological Creatures
Medusa – once a fair-haired, attractive, celibate priestess of Athena; fell in love with and married Poseidon, cursed by Athena for the offense
Pegasus – white, flying horse
Sirens – beautifully dangerous creature who lured sailors to their deaths