Greek and Roman Greek and Roman MythologyMythology

A ReviewA Reviewofof

The Principal Gods and The Principal Gods and GoddessesGoddesses

What is a myth?What is a myth? A traditional story rooted in A traditional story rooted in

primitive folk beliefs of culturesprimitive folk beliefs of cultures Uses the supernatural to interpret Uses the supernatural to interpret

natural eventsnatural events Explains the culture’s view of the Explains the culture’s view of the

universe and the nature of universe and the nature of humanityhumanity

In the beginning...In the beginning... ……was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)was Chaos (shapeless nothingness) Chaos had two children:Chaos had two children:

– Night (darkness)Night (darkness)– Erebus (death)Erebus (death)

““All was black, empty, silent, All was black, empty, silent, endless.”endless.”

Mysteriously, Love was born of Mysteriously, Love was born of darkness and death.darkness and death.

And then...And then... When Love was born, order and When Love was born, order and

beauty began to flourish.beauty began to flourish. Love created Light and Day.Love created Light and Day. Earth was created.Earth was created.

– She was the solid ground, but also a She was the solid ground, but also a personality.personality.

The Earth bore Heaven to cover her The Earth bore Heaven to cover her and be a home for the gods.and be a home for the gods.

The First ParentsThe First Parents Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia)Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia) Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus)Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus) They had three kinds of children:They had three kinds of children:

– Three monsters with 100 hands and 50 Three monsters with 100 hands and 50 headsheads

– Three cyclopesThree cyclopes– The titansThe titans

These were the first characters that had the appearance of These were the first characters that had the appearance of life, although it was unlike any life known to man.life, although it was unlike any life known to man.

Gaea and UranusGaea and Uranus

The Titans (The Elder The Titans (The Elder Gods)Gods)

There were many of them.There were many of them. Enormous size, incredible strengthEnormous size, incredible strength Cronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titansCronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titans Rhea: Wife of CronosRhea: Wife of Cronos Ocean: River that encircled the worldOcean: River that encircled the world Iapetus: Father of Prometheus,Iapetus: Father of Prometheus,

Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)

The Principal GodsThe Principal Gods Cronos and Rhea Cronos and Rhea

were parents ofwere parents of– Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)– Poseidon Poseidon

(Neptune)(Neptune)– Hades (Pluto)Hades (Pluto)– Hera (Juno)Hera (Juno)– Hestia (Vesta)Hestia (Vesta)– Demeter (Ceres)Demeter (Ceres)

Other Olympians Other Olympians includeinclude– Athena (Minerva)Athena (Minerva)– Ares (Mars)Ares (Mars)– Hebe (Juventas)Hebe (Juventas)– Hephaestus (Vulcan)Hephaestus (Vulcan)– Apollo (Apollo)Apollo (Apollo)– Artemis (Diana)Artemis (Diana)– Hermes (Mercury)Hermes (Mercury)– Aphrodite (Venus)Aphrodite (Venus)– Dionysus (Bacchus)Dionysus (Bacchus)– PersephonePersephone

Clash of the TitansClash of the Titans

And the winner is…And the winner is…ProtagonistProtagonist AntagonistAntagonist

The OlympiansThe Olympians

ZeusZeus Roman Name: Roman Name:

Jupiter (also Jove)Jupiter (also Jove) Supreme god of Supreme god of

the Olympians.the Olympians. Fathered many Fathered many

characters in characters in mythologymythology

ZeusZeus

HeraHera Roman Name: Roman Name:

JunoJuno Zeus’s sister and Zeus’s sister and

wifewife Jealous protector Jealous protector

of marriageof marriage Punished the Punished the

women Zeus fell women Zeus fell in love within love with

PoseidonPoseidon Roman Name: Roman Name:

NeptuneNeptune God of the God of the

Seas and Seas and WatersWaters

““The The Earthshaker”Earthshaker”

HadesHades Roman Roman

Name: PlutoName: Pluto God of the God of the

Underworld/ Underworld/ DeadDead

Kidnapped Kidnapped PersephonePersephone

HestiaHestia Roman Roman

Name: VestaName: Vesta Goddess of Goddess of

HomeHome Powerful Powerful

ProtectorProtector

DemeterDemeter Roman Roman

Name: Name: CeresCeres

Goddess of Goddess of the Harvestthe Harvest

A Goddess A Goddess of the Earthof the Earth

AthenaAthena Roman Roman

Name: Name: MinervaMinerva

Goddess of Goddess of Wisdom and Wisdom and WarWar

Sprang from Sprang from Zeus’s headZeus’s head

AresAres Roman Name: Roman Name:

MarsMars God of WarGod of War Son of Zeus Son of Zeus

and Heraand Hera Bloodthirsty Bloodthirsty

and mercilessand merciless

HephaestuHephaestuss

Roman Name: Roman Name: Vulcan Vulcan (Mulciber)(Mulciber)

God of God of Fire/ForgeFire/Forge

Son of Zeus Son of Zeus and Heraand Hera

Kind, unlike his Kind, unlike his brotherbrother

ApolloApollo Roman Roman

Name: Name: ApolloApollo

God of God of Light/Sun Light/Sun and Musicand Music

Brother of Brother of ArtemisArtemis

ArtemisArtemis Roman Roman

Name: Name: DianaDiana

Goddess of Goddess of the Moon/ the Moon/ HuntHunt

Sister to Sister to ApolloApollo

HermesHermes Roman Name: Roman Name:

MercuryMercury Messenger of Messenger of

the Godsthe Gods Appears in Appears in

more myths more myths than any other than any other charactercharacter

AphroditeAphrodite Roman Roman

Name: VenusName: Venus Goddess of Goddess of

Love and Love and BeautyBeauty

Sprang from Sprang from the ocean the ocean foamfoam

DionysusDionysus Roman Name: Roman Name:

BacchusBacchus God of Wine God of Wine

and Festivitiesand Festivities Patron god of Patron god of

the Greek stagethe Greek stage A God of the A God of the

EarthEarth

PersephonPersephonee

Roman Name: Roman Name: ProserpinaProserpina

Goddess of the Goddess of the UnderworldUnderworld

Daughter of Daughter of Zeus and Zeus and DemeterDemeter

Abducted by Abducted by HadesHades

HebeHebe Roman Name: Roman Name:

JuventasJuventas Goddess of Goddess of

YouthYouth Cupbearer to Cupbearer to

the Godsthe Gods Restored youth Restored youth

to the agedto the aged

ErosEros Roman Name: Roman Name:

CupidCupid Young God of Young God of

LoveLove Son of Son of

Aphrodite and Aphrodite and HephaestusHephaestus

IrisIris Goddess of the Goddess of the

RainbowRainbow Messenger for Messenger for

Zeus and HeraZeus and Hera Daughter of the Daughter of the

titan Thaumus titan Thaumus and the nymph and the nymph ElectraElectra

The MusesThe Muses Nine daughters of Nine daughters of

Zeus and Zeus and MnemosyneMnemosyne

Inspired artists of Inspired artists of all kindsall kinds

Goddesses who Goddesses who presided over the presided over the arts and sciencesarts and sciences

““He is happy whom He is happy whom the muses love.”the muses love.”

Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Polyhymnia

The GracesThe Graces Three Goddesses of Three Goddesses of

Grace and BeautyGrace and Beauty ““They give life its They give life its

bloom.”bloom.” Aglaia (Splendor)Aglaia (Splendor) Euphrosyne (Mirth)Euphrosyne (Mirth) Thalia (Good Cheer)Thalia (Good Cheer)

The Erinnyes (The Furies)The Erinnyes (The Furies) Roman Name: Furiae Roman Name: Furiae

or Dirae (The Furies)or Dirae (The Furies) Three Goddesses of Three Goddesses of

VengeanceVengeance– TisiphoneTisiphone– AlectoAlecto– MegaeraMegaera

They punish They punish evildoers.evildoers.

The FatesThe Fates Roman Name: Parcae, MoiraeRoman Name: Parcae, Moirae Three sistersThree sisters

– Clotho (“The Spinner”)Clotho (“The Spinner”)– Lachesis (“The disposer of lots”)Lachesis (“The disposer of lots”)– Atropos (“The cutter”)Atropos (“The cutter”)

They weave, measure, and cut the They weave, measure, and cut the thread of life for humans.thread of life for humans.

The SatyrsThe Satyrs Gods of the woods and Gods of the woods and

mountainsmountains ““Shepherd gods”Shepherd gods” Goat men (like Pan)Goat men (like Pan) Companions of Companions of

DionysusDionysus They like to drink, They like to drink,

dance, and chase dance, and chase nymphs.nymphs.

The GorgonsThe Gorgons Three snake-Three snake-

haired haired monstersmonsters

Medusa is most Medusa is most well-knownwell-known

Their look turns Their look turns men to stone.men to stone.

The The CentaursCentaurs Half man, half Half man, half

horsehorse Savage Savage

creatures creatures (except (except Chiron)Chiron)

Followers of Followers of DionysusDionysus

SourcesSources Graphics in this presentation were taken Graphics in this presentation were taken

from the following web sites:from the following web sites:– http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.htmlhttp://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.html– http://www.pantheon.org/http://www.pantheon.org/– http://www.messagenet.com/myths/http://www.messagenet.com/myths/– http://mythman.com/http://mythman.com/– http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.htmlhttp://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.html– http://www.paleothea.com/http://www.paleothea.com/– http://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/http://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/

myth.htmlmyth.html