THE GODSBy Melissa Cana

Nikki Ortiz

Zeus (Jupiter) He is the lord of the sky, the rain god, the cloud gatherer, and king of the

gods His breastplate was the aegis and he wields the thunderbolt His bird is the eagle and his tree is the oak His oracle was Dodona in the land if the oak trees His will would be revealed by the rustling of oak leaves which priests

interpreted Hera is his sister and his wife His brothers are Posiden and Hades Had an endless amount of love affairs Allusion: Zeus is the name of the unbeatable world champion robot in the

movie real steel

Poseidon (Neptune) He gave men the first horse and the weather was under his command He is often called the “Earth shaker” seen always with a three-prong spear, called a trident which he could

shake or scatter the waters easily His wife is Amphitrite

Allusion: There is a scuba equipment manufacturer called Poseidon, Incorporated

Hades (Pluto) Not only was he the ruler of the underworld, he is often called the God of

Wealth, the god over the precious metals hidden under earth His wife is Persephone He is usually unwelcomed when visiting Olympus He was terrible and relentless, but not evil

Allusion: death, danger, and darkness; e.g., "In the forest at night, the soldiers felt as if they were journeying through Hades."

Hera (Juno) Zeus’s wife and sister Brought up by titans ocean & Tethys Protector of marriage, married women were her particular care Often seen punishing the many women Zeus fell in love with, having no

mercy for the innocent and the tricked For her hatred of the Trojan who thought another goddess was more

beautiful than her, troy fell in ruins Her rage followed the women and their children Her daughter is ilithyia who helps women in child birth Cow and peacocks are sacred to her Argos is her favorite city Allusion: there is a movie called Juno about a pregnant teenage girl

Athena (Minerva) Daughter of Zeus alone Full grown she sprang from Zeus's head in full armor She is said to be a fierce and ruthless battle goddess, elsewhere she is

warlike only to defend the state home from outside enemies Athens's was her special city She created the tree that invented olives The owl is her special bird Allusion: Minerva Oil company is an international food trading company

Aphrodite (Venus)

The goddess of love and beauty The daughter of Zeus and Dione but in later poems is is said she raised

from the foam of the sea Aphros is foam in Greek The myrtle was her tree The dove is her bird, sometimes the sparrow and the swan is too She is the wife of Hephaestus Allusion: Venus is the brand of razors

Apollo

Son of Zeus and Leto Called the most Greek of all the gods Lord of the silver bow, archer god, healer god, and he’s

the one that taught men how to heal He is also the god of light and god of truth, he can’t tell a

lie He is the link between gods and men, informing men on

the will of the gods Like many other gods, there are two interpretations of

him. One divine, poetic and graceful. The other vengeful, cruel and pitiless

The laurel was his tree The dolphin and crow were sacred to him Allusion: in New York City there is a famous music hall called

Apollo theater

Artemis (Diana) She is Apollo’s twin sister She was the Huntsman-in-chief to the gods. Also, she was very

meticulous in preserving the innocence of the young, “The protector of the dewy youth”

Occasionally, she is fierce and revengeful. When women die of a fast and painful death, it was believed that they were shot by her arrows

She had 3 distinct divinities in many stories, “the god in 3 forms.” The phases of the moon reflect the god that represents it. During new moon, it is called Artemis, always new, ready, and reborn. As the moon waxes, it becomes full and pregnant like the goddess Selene. Lastly, when the moon wanes, it is filled back with darkness, associated with the goddess Hecate.

Allusion: Artemis was the name of the doomed U.S.-Soviet lunar Lander in Superman II.

Hermes (mercury)

He started his job when he was a day old. Only after a few days of his birth, he became a master thief and stole Apollo’s herds. To win back the god’s favor, Hermes presented a new lyre

He was the god of Commerce and Market, protector of traders It is also his responsibility to carry the souls to the underworld

Allusion: There is an insurance company called Mercury

Ares (mars) He was frequently named as murderous, lethal, and bloodstained against

the mortals; but unbelievably a coward who runs away when wounded In one story, warriors would rejoice under his name when they are about

to die in the battlefield, so that they could escape him Allusion: On a television show called Valentine, he was the villain of the

series

Hephaestus (Vulcan & Mulciber)

He is the god of fire Aphrodite is his wife Said to be the son of Hera, sometimes Hera alone He is the only ugly Olympian He is also lame He is highly honored as the workman of the immortals Makes their houses, furnishings and weapons His forge is often said to be located under volcanoes, causing them to

explode when he’s working Allusion: There is a manufacturing company called Vulcan Industries

international that makes steal products

Hestia (Vesta) Goddess of hearth, a symbol of family and home. Every meal began and

ended by offering something to her Each city had a hearth in a specific location. In Rome, it is carried by six

priestess called vestals Allusion: The Olympic torch originally honored the goddess Hestia.

3 critical thinkingquestions

1. What trait/personality did Hermes have that won Apollo’s favor?

2. Was it always right for Hera to punish Zeus’s lovers?

3. Why do you think Athena, Hestia and Artemis would want to be maiden (virgin) goddess’s?