THE ODYSSEY

Gods and Monsters

What is mythology?

The body of traditional tales concerning the gods, heroes, and rituals of the ancient Greeks. Critical Greeks, such as Plato in the 5th-4th century BCE, recognized the considerable element of fiction in the myths, although in general the Greeks viewed them as true accounts. Greek mythology is rich with the tales of monsters, heroes, wars, and the various Greek Gods, their worship and beliefs.

Mythology in ancient Greece Mythology was at the heart of everyday life

in Ancient Greece. Greeks regarded mythology as a part of their history. They used myth to explain natural phenomena, cultural variations, traditional enmities and friendships. It was a source of pride to be able to trace one's leaders' descent from a mythological hero or a god. Few ever doubted that there was truth behind the account of the Trojan War in the Iliad and Odyssey.

About the gods…

Gods are assigned human form. They are immortal and are worshiped for their supernatural powers. The Greeks placed statues of their Gods at appropriate positions around them for blessings and future favors. They invoked Gods during every memorable occasion. The twelve Gods of Olympus constitute an important element in the Greek mythology.

More about the gods…

The ancient Greeks worshipped many Gods as personifications of the forces of the universe. Each God possessed and implemented his individual sense of justice; their anger was harsh and they were often vengeful toward mortals and toward each other.

Every Greek God was associated with specific aspects of life and was worshipped or called upon for certain abilities or interests.

About worship

The ancient Greeks considered sacrifice as the appropriate method to worship God. Public worships were held to obtain public blessings, rain, good harvest, military victories, etc. Private sacrifices were offered for fulfillment of personal goals, wishes and victories. Blood sacrifices of animals such as oxen, sheep, horses, swine, dogs, birds, fish, fowl etc were common in the temple of Gods. The Greek temples were part slaughterhouse and part barbecue. During sacrifices, the people offered the blood, bones and hides of the slaughter animal to the God, the remaining portions were used up as food for themselves.

The 12 Olympian gods

Olympus was the residence of the divine family, the twelve most important ruling gods and goddesses of ancient Greece, who therefore were called the Olympians.

APHRODITEAPOLLOARESARTEMISATHENADEMETER

HEPHAESTUSHERAHERMESHESTIAPOSEIDONZEUS

Life on Mt. Olympus

The entrance to Olympus was a great gate of clouds, kept by the Seasons. Within were the gods’ dwellings where they lived and slept and held court. In its great halls they feasted on ambrosia and nectar and were entertained by Apollo’s lyre, the Graces and the Muses.

Minor gods and deities did not live on Olympus, but were summoned there when required.

What are nymphs?

In Greek mythology, nymphs are spirits of nature. They are minor female deities and the protectors of springs, mountains, and rivers. Nymphs are represented as young, pretty girls. Each subtype presides over a certain aspect of nature.

Who are the Muses?The Greek goddesses who presided over the arts and sciences. They were believed to inspire all artists, especially poets, philosophers, and musicians.

Who are the Fates?

The Fates were the goddesses who controlled the destiny of everyone from the time they were born to the time they died. They were: Clotho, the spinner, who spun the thread of a person's life, Lachesis, the apportioner, who decided how much time was to be allowed each person, and Atropos, the inevitable, who cut the thread when you were supposed to die.

Zeus

King of the gods on Mt. Olympus

God of thunder and weather Represented by the eagle After overthrowing the Titans

(previous rulers of Mt. Olympus) he shared the world with his elder brothers, Poseidon and Hades, by drawing lots: Zeus got the sky and air, Poseidon the waters, and Hades the world of the dead (the underworld).

Son of Cronus (a Titan)

Athena Goddess of wisdom Favorite daughter of Zeus patroness of weaving,

crafts and the more disciplined side of war.

She is attended by an owl, and is often accompanied by the goddess of victory, Nike.

She is often shown helmeted and with a shield

Sometimes called Pallas Athena (Athena of the City)

Aphrodite

Goddess of love and beauty

Hermes

God of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures, of invention, of commerce in general, and of the cunning of thieves and liars.

Known for being the messenger of the gods, delivering messages to mortals.

Son of Zeus

Poseidon

God of the sea Father of

Polyphemus, the Cyclops

Brother of Zeus Known as “earth

shaker” for causing earthquakes

Aeolus

Keeper of the winds Homer refers to him

as a mortal, but others consider him a minor god

Calypso

Beautiful nymph, daughter of the Titan Atlas

Rules and lives alone on the island of Ogygia

Circe

Nymph on the island of Aeaea

Daughter of Helios, god of the sun

Transformed her enemies, or those who offended her, into animals through the use of magical potions.

She was renowned for her knowledge of drugs and herbs.

The Sirens Birdlike nymphs with beautiful voices that lure

men to their island to kill them Represent temptation and seduction

Tiresias

Blind prophet in the underworld

Polyphemus

Giant Cyclops Lives on an island

with other Cyclopes; they are known for being rather dumb and rude.

Son of Poseidon Man eater

Charybdis

A whirlpool that sucks down ships

Originally a nymph daughter of Poseidon

Next to Scylla

Scylla Sea monster, with six

long necks equipped with grisly heads, each of which contained three rows of sharp teeth

body consisted of twelve canine legs and a cat's tail.

Man eater Traveling between Scylla

and Charybdis became known as being “between a rock and a hard place”

Antiphates

King of the Laestrygonians, a clan of giant cannibals

The Laestrygonians inhabit their own island.