The Twelve Olympians

and their Stories

an introduction to Greek Mythology for kids!

by Carlie Rames and Danielle Purpura

Table of Contents

Introduction 4TheTwelveOlympians 5 Zeus 6 Hera 8 Poseidon 10 Demeter 12 Ares 14 Hephaestus 16 Apollo 18 Artemis 20 Dionysus 22 Athena 24 Hermes 26 Aphrodite 28Greece 30FamilyTree 31Glossary 32

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Introduction WhoaretheTwelveOlympiansyouask?WhataretheirstoriesandwhatweretherolestheyplayedinclassicalGreekculture?Wellyou’llfindtheanswerstoallthosequestionshereandmoreinthisbriefexplorationintoGreekmythology.

Tospecify,GreekmythologyisthebodyofmythsandteachingsthatbelongtotheancientGreeks,concerningtheirgodsandheroes,andthenatureandoriginoftheworld.WhenwesayancientGreece,wemeanancient!Thisperiodlastedfromaround800BCEuntilabout600AD.Theirmythologywasapartof the religion inancientGreece.ModernscholarsrefertoandstudythemythsinanattempttounderstandthereligiousandpoliticalelementsofAncientGreeceanditscivilization.Greekmythologyistoldthroughalargecollectionofwrittentexts,andinGreekrepresentationalarts,suchasvase-paintingsandsculpture.Greekmythattemptstoexplaintheoriginsoftheworld,anddetailsthelivesandadventuresofawidevarietyofgods,goddesses,heroes,heroines,andmythologicalcreatures.Theseaccountsinitiallywerespreadinanoral-poetictradition(passedonfromgenerationtogenerationbyparentstellingtheirchildren these stories and poems); but today the Greek myths are known primarilyfromGreekliterature.

TheamountofmythsandstoriesthattheGreekscreatedisincrediblylarge.Eachgodhasstoriesthatnotonlyrelatetoothergods,buttomortals(orregularhumanslikeyouandme)aswell.TheGreekswereverycreativeinthewaythattheychosetoexplaintheworldaroundthem.Imaginenotknowingwhytheseasonschangedorwhytherewerestarsinthesky!TheGreekshadtothinkupsometimesfantasticalideasinordertounderstandtheworldanditshappenings.

The twelve gods and goddesses we will discuss here are called the TwelveOlympians. They are called Twelve Olympians because, you guessed it, there weretwelveofthem,andtheyalllivedintheskyontopofahugemountaincalledMountOlympus.TheGreeksbelievedthatthismountainwassotallthatittouchedthesky.ThesetwelvegodsweretheprincipalcharactersinmanyoftheGreekmythsandtheyallplayedimportantrolesineverydayclassicalGreeklife.

Inthisbook,you’llmeetallthemajorgodsinGreekmythologyandyou’llevenseehowthesestoriesaffectustoday!

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The Twelve

Olympians

Zeus

Hera

Poseidon

Demeter

Ares

Hephaestus

Apollo

Artemes

Dionysus

Athena

Hermes

Aphrodite

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ZeusKing of Gods

His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle,

bull, and oak

Inaddition,ZeusisfrequentlydepictedbyGreekartistsinoneoftwoposes:

standing,stridingforward,withathunderboltraisedinhisrighthand,or

seatedinmajesty.

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Zeus is the «Father ofGodsandmen»whorulestheOlympiansofMountOlympusasafatherrulesa family according toancientGreekreligion.

He is thegodofskyandthunder.ZeusisthechildofCronusandRhea,andis the youngest of hissiblings. He is marriedto Hera, although, he isknown to have fatheredmanychildrenwithotherwomen.

These resulted in manygodlyandheroicoffspring,including Athena,Apollo and Artemis,Hermes, Persephone(by Demeter), Dionysus,and Heracles; by Hera,he is usually said tohave fathered Ares andHephaestus.Foratime,anymph named Echo had

the job of distracting Herafrom his affairs by talkingincessantly,andwhenHeradiscovered the deception,she cursed Echo to repeatthewordsofothers.

The Cyclopes

gave him the thunderbolt

as a gift.

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Her symbols are the peacock,

pomegranate, cuckoo, lion and

crown

Heraisportrayedasmajesticandsolemn,oftenenthroned,andcrowned,sheusuallyisseenwithapomegranateinherhand,emblemofbothfertilityanddeath.Herawasknownforherjealousandvengefulnature,mostnotablyagainstZeus’sloversand

offspring,butalsoagainstmortalswhocrossedher.

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HeraQueen of gods

Goddess of marriage and family

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Hera is thewifeofZeus.Her chief function is asthe goddess of womenandmarriage.

She presides over theright arrangements ofthe marriage and is thearchetype of the unionin the marriage bed, butshe is not notable as amother.

The only child that shehad with Zeus was Ares.HerawasjealousofZeus’givingbirthtoAthena,so,accordingtothemyth,shegavebirthtoHephaestuswithout him. Hera wasthen disgusted withHephaestus’uglinessandthrew him from MountOlympus to the earthbelow.

However, Hephaestusgained revenge againstHera for rejecting him

by making her a magicalthrone which, when shesaton,didnotallowhertoleave.TheothergodsbeggedHephaestus to return toMount Olympus to lether go, but he repeatedlyrefused. The god of wine,Dionysus persuaded himandtookhimbacktoMountOlympus.Hephaestusthenfinally released Hera afterbeinggivenAphroditeashiswife.Herawasmostknownasthematrongoddess,HeraTeleia;butshepresidedoverweddingsaswell.

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His symbols are dolphins and three-pronged fish spears

(tridents)

Poseidonridesachariotthatwaspulledbyhorsesthatcouldrideonthesea.

Helivedinapalaceontheoceanfloor,madeofcoralandgems.Heisusually

depictedasanoldermalewithcurlyhairandbeard.

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Poseidon God of the Sea

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Poseidonwasseenasthecreatorofnewislandsandcalmseas.Whenoffendedorignored,hesupposedlystruck the groundwith his trident andcaused chaotic springs,earthquakes, drowningsand shipwrecks. SailorsoftenprayedtoPoseidonforasafevoyage.

TheCityofAthens

Athena (see page 22)became the patrongoddess of the city ofAthensafteracompetitionwithPoseidon.Atafestivalat theendof theyear intheAtheniancalendar,thepriestsofAthenaandthepriestofPoseidonagreedthateachwouldgive theAthenians one gift andthe Athenians wouldchoose whichever giftthey preferred. Poseidonstruckthegroundwithhis

tridentandaspringsprangup;thewaterwassaltyandnot very useful, whereasAthena offered them anolive tree. The AtheniansacceptedtheolivetreeandalongwithitAthenaastheirpatron, for the olive treebroughtwood,oilandfood.After the fight, infuriatedathisloss,Poseidonsentamonstrousflood,topunishthe Athenians for notchoosing him. The contestof Athena and PoseidonwasisnowdrawnabovetheentrancetotheParthenon,thefirstsightthatallvisitorsseewhentheyvisittheParthenon.

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Her symbols are the poppy, wheat, torch

and pig

Shepresidedovergrainsandthefertilityoftheearth.ThoughDemeterisoftendescribedsimplyasthegoddessofthe

harvest,shepresidedalsooverthesanctityofmarriage,andthecycleof

lifeanddeath.Demeter’semblemisthepoppy,abrightredflowerthatgrows

amongthebarley.Demeterwasusuallyportrayedonachariot,andfrequentlyassociatedwithimagesoftheharvest,includingflowers,fruit,andgrain.Shewasalsosometimespicturedwithher

daughterPersephone.

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Demeter Goddess of the

harvest

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Theseasons

Demeter’s virgin daughterPersephone was abductedto the underworld by Hadesafter Hades fell in love withher upon seeing her beauty.Demeter searched for herwithoutstopping,preoccupiedwithherlossandhergrief.Theseasons halted; living thingsceased their growth, thenbegan to die. Faced with theextinctionofall lifeonearth,Zeus sent his messengerHermes to the underworldto bring Persephone back.Hades agreed to release her,but tricked her into eatingan enchanted pomegranate.Whensheatethepomegranateseeds,shewasboundtohimforone fourth of the year. Thus,Demeterwasallowedtobewithherdaughterforthreefourthsof the year (spring, summer,and fall) during which plantsblossomandbloomandcropsproducefoodbecauseDemeterishappy.However,duringthefouth part of the year whenPersephone is away from herin the underworld (winter),nothing grows because

Demeterissostrickenwithgriefandmissingherdaughter.

Howmanlearnedtoharvestcrops

Demeter’ssearchforherdaughterlead her to an enormous king’scastle. She assumed the formof an old woman, and askedthe king for shelter. He tookher in to help him care for hissons. To reward his kindness,sheplannedtomakeoneofthesons immortal; she secretlyanointedtheboywithambrosiaandlaidhimintheflamesofthehearth, to gradually burn awayhis mortal self. But suddenly,his mother walked in, saw herson in the fire and screamed infright. Demeter abandoned theattempt.Instead,shetaughttheothersonthesecretsofagriculture, and he inturn taught them to anywhowishedtolearnthem.Thus,humanitylearnedhowtoplant,growandharvestgrain.

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His symbols are the spear, the

helmet, the dog, the chariot and the

bear

InGreekliterature,heoftenrepresentsthephysicalorviolentanduntamed

aspectofwar,incontrasttothearmoredAthena,whosefunctionsasagoddess

ofintelligenceincludemilitarystrategyandgeneralship.

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AresGod of war

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TheGreekswereambivalenttoward Ares: although heembodiedthephysicalvalornecessaryforsuccessinwar,he was a dangerous force,«overwhelming,insatiableinbattle,destructive,andman-slaughtering.”Fear(Phobos)and Terror (Deimos) werethe horses that pulled hisbattlechariot.

Ares is the son of Zeusand Hera, but he plays arelatively limited role inGreek mythology, thoughhis numerous love affairsandabundantoffspringareoftenalludedto.WhenAresdoes appear in myths, hetypically faces humiliation.Heiswellknownastheloverof Aphrodite, the goddessof love (see page 26), whowasmarriedtoHephaestus,god of craftsmanship (seepage14).Themostfamousstory related to Ares andAphrodite shows themexposedtoridiculethroughthe wronged husband’s

cleverdevice. In the tale, theSun-godHeliosoncespiedAresand Aphrodite kissing eachother secretly. He reportedthe incident to Hephaestus.Contriving to catch them,Hephaestusfashionedafinely-knitted and nearly invisiblenetwithwhichtosnarethem.At the appropriate time, thisnet was sprung, and trappedAresandAphroditelockedinveryprivateembrace.

But Hephaestus was notsatisfied with his revenge,so he invited the Olympiangods and goddesses toview the unfortunate pairin their shame. Once thecouple were loosed,Ares, embarrassed,returned to hishomeland, Thrace, andAphroditewenttoPaphoswhereshewasborn.

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His symbols are a smith’s hammer,

anvil, and a pair of tongs

Heisoftendepictedhunchingorsittingdownbecauseofhisinjuries

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HephaestusGod of blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans,

sculptors, metals, fire and volcanoes

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As a smithing god,Hephaestus made all theweapons of the gods inOlympus. He served asthe blacksmith of thegods, and was worshippedin the manufacturingand industrial centres ofGreece,particularlyAthens.He designed Hermes’ (seepage 24) winged helmetand sandals, Aphrodite’sfamed girdle, Achilles’armor, Helios’ chariot,andEros’bowandarrows.Prometheus stole thefire that he gave to manfrom Hephaestus’ forge.Hephaestusalsocreatedthegift that the gods gave toman, the woman Pandora and her famous box.Being a skilled blacksmith,Hephaestus created all thethrones in the Palace ofOlympus.

According to differentsources,heiseitherthesonofZeusandHeratogether,or Hera gave birth to him

by herself. In both myths,Hera was then disgustedwith Hephaestus’ uglinessand threw him from MountOlympus to the earth below.However, Hephaestus gainedrevenge against Hera forrejecting him by making heramagicalthronewhich,whenshesaton,didnotallowhertoleave. The other gods beggedHephaestustoreturntoMountOlympustolethergo,butherepeatedly refused. The godof wine, Dionysus persuadedhim and took him back toMountOlympus.Hephaestusthen finally released HeraafterbeinggivenAphroditeashiswife.

H e p h a e s t u sis reported inmythological source aslame. He was depictedwithcrippledfeetandasmisshapen,asaresultofhisfallfromOlympus.

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His symbols are the lyre, the laurel

wreath, the raven, and the bow and

arrow.

Theidealofthekouros(abeardless,athleticyouth),ApolloisthesonofZeus

andLeto,andhasatwinsister,thechastehuntressArtemis.

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ApolloGod of light and

the sun

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AsthepatronofDelphi,Apollowasanoraculargod-thepropheticdeityoftheDelphicOracle.Medicineandhealing are associated with Apollo,yet Apollo was also seen as a godwhocouldbringill-healthanddeadlyplague.Amongstthegod’scustodialcharges, Apollo became associatedwith dominion over colonists, andasthepatrondefenderofherdsandflocks. As the leader of the Musesand director of their choir, Apollofunctioned as the patron god ofmusic and poetry. Hermes createdthelyreforhim,andtheinstrumentbecame a common attribute ofApollo.HymnssungtoApollowerecalledpaeans.When Zeus’ wife Hera discoveredthatLetowaspregnant,shebannedLetofromgivingbirthonland.Letofound the newly created floatingisland of Delos, which was neithermainland nor a real island. Shegave birth there and was acceptedby the people, offering them herpromise that her son would bealways favourable toward the city.Afterwards, Zeus secured Delos tothebottomoftheocean.Thisislandlater became sacred to Apollo. Itis also stated that Hera kidnappedEileithyia,thegoddessofchildbirth,to prevent Leto from going intolabor. The other gods tricked Heraintolettinghergobyofferingheranecklace, nine yards (8 m) long, ofamber. Most believed that Artemiswasbornfirstandthenassistedwith

thebirthofApollo.

Fourdaysafterhisbirth,Apollokilledthe dragon Python, which lived inDelphi.Herasent theserpent tohuntLeto to her death across the world.To protect his mother, Apollo beggedHephaestusforabowandarrows.Afterreceivingthem,ApollocorneredPythoninthesacredcaveatDelphi.

Apollo’sLyre

One night while Hermes was still ababy, his mother, Maia, had wrappedhim in blankets but Hermes escapedwhileshewasasleep.Hermesranaway,and stumbled upon where Apollo wasgrazinghiscattle.ThebabyHermesstoleanumberofhiscowsandtookthemtoacave.Inthecave,hefoundatortoiseandkilledit.Heusedoneofthecow’sinsidesandthetortoiseshellandmadethefirstlyre.

ApollocomplainedtoMaiathathersonhad stolen his cattle, but Hermes hadalreadyreplacedhimselfintheblanketsshe had wrapped him in,so Maia refused to believeApollo’sclaim.Zeusintervenedand,claimingtohaveseentheevents,sidedwithApollo.Hermesthenbegantoplaymusiconthelyrehe had invented. Apollo, a godofmusic,fellinlovewiththeinstrumentandofferedto allow exchangeof the cattle for

the lyre.

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Her symbols are the stag, the cypress

tree and the moon

Sheisprotectorofyounggirls,bringingandrelievingdiseaseinwomen.She

oftenisdepictedasahuntresscarryingabowandarrows.

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ArtemisGoddess of the hunt, wild

animals, wilderness, childbirth, virginity

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Artemis is the daughter of ZeusandLeto,andhasatwinbrother,Apollo. When Zeus’ wife HeradiscoveredthatLetowaspregnantandthatZeuswasthefather,shebanned Leto from giving birthon land. In her wanderings, Letofound the newly created floatingislandofDelos,whichwasneithermainland nor a real island. Shegavebirththereandwasacceptedby the people, offering them herpromise that her son would bealwaysfavourabletowardthecity.Afterwards, Zeus secured Delosto the bottom of the ocean.It isalso stated that Hera kidnappedEileithyia, the goddess ofchildbirth, to prevent Leto fromgoing into labor. The other godstricked Hera into letting her goby offering her a necklace, nineyards(8m)long,ofamber.Mostbelieved that Artemis was bornfirst and then assisted with thebirthofApollo.

Actaeon

Actaeonwasahuntingcompanionofthegoddess.Oneday,hetriedto spy on her bathing naked inher sacred spring. Upon seeingher natural beauty, he attemptsto force himself on her. For this,Athenainherrageturnshimintoa stag and he is devoured by hisownhuntingdogswhonolongerrecognizetheirmaster.

The Aloadae: These twin sons, Otosand Ephialtes, grew enormously ata young age. They were aggressive,greathunters,andcouldnotbekilledunless they killed each other. Thegrowth of the twins never stopped,and they boasted that as soon astheycouldreachheaven,theywouldkidnap Artemis and Hera and takethemaswives.Thegodswereafraidof them, except for Artemis whochangedherselfintoadoeandjumpedout between them. The twins boththrewtheirspearsatthedoeandsomistakenlykilledeachother.

Callisto

CallistowasaprincessandalsowasoneofArtemis’shuntingattendants.AsacompanionofArtemis,shetooka vow of chastity. Zeus appeared toherdisguisedasArtemis,gainedherconfidence, then took advantageofher.Asaresultof thisencountersheconceivedason,Arcas.Enraged,ArtemisandHerachangedher into a bear. Her sonalmost killed the bear, butZeus stopped him just intime.Outofpity,Zeusplacedboth Arcas and Callisto into theheavensasbears,formingtheLittleDipper(UrsaMinor)andtheBigDipper(Ursa Major)constellations.

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His symbols are the bull, serpent, ivy,

and wine

InGreekmythology,heispresentedasasonofZeusandthemortalSemele,

thussemi-divine.DionysuswasthelastgodtobeacceptedintoMt.Olympus.

Hewastheyoungestandtheonlyonetohaveamortalmother.

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DionysusGod of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of

ritual and ecstasy

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SemelewasapriestessofZeus,andheoncewatchedherslaughterabullathisaltarandafterwardsswaminarivertocleanseherselfoftheblood.ZeusfellinlovewithSemeleandrepeatedlyvisitedhersecretly.Zeus’ wife, Hera, discovered his affairwhen Semele later became pregnant.Appearing as an old, ugly woman,HerabefriendedSemele,whotoldherthather loverwasactuallyZeus.Heraplanted seeds of doubt in Semele’smind. Curious, Semele asked Zeus togrant her a favor. Zeus promised ontheRiver Styx tograntheranythingshe wanted. She demanded that Zeusrevealhimself inallhisgloryasproofof his godhood. Though Zeus beggedher not to, she persisted and he wasforcedbyhisoathtocomply.Mortals,however,cannotlookuponZeusinhistrueGodform,andsheperisheduponseeing him. Zeus rescued Dionysus,andgavetheinfanttoHermes.OneversionofthestoryisthatHermestooktheboytoKingAthamasandhiswifeIno,Dionysus’aunt.Hermesbadethecoupleraisetheboyasagirl,tohidehimfromHera’swrath.His festivals were the driving forcebehind the development of Greektheatre. When Dionysus grew up, hediscoveredthecultureofthevineandthemodeofextractingitspreciousjuice;butHerastruckhimwithmadness,anddrove him to wander through variousparts of the earth. Rhea was able tocure him and he set out on a journeythrough Asia teaching the people thecultivationofthevine.Themostfamouspartofhiswanderingsishisexpeditionto India. Returning in triumph he

decided to teach all that he had learnedtotheGreeks,butwasopposedbysomewhodreadedits introductiononaccountofthedisordersandmadnessthatalcoholleadto.

KingMidas:

Once, Dionysus’ old school master andfosterfatherwentmissingandwasfoundby some peasants who carried him totheir king. King Midas recognized him,and treated him hospitably, hosting himfortendaysandnights.Ontheeleventhday,hebroughtSilenusbacktoDionysus.DionysusofferedMidaswhateverrewardhewanted.

Midasaskedthatwhateverhemighttouchshould be changed into gold. Dionysusconsented,thoughwassorrythathehadnotmadeabetterchoice.Midasexcitedlytouched and turned to gold an oak twigand a stone. As soon as he got home,though, he found that his bread, meat,andwineallturnedtogoldassoonashetouchedit.Worstofall,whenhebrushedhisdaughter’shandwithhisown,shewasturnedtogoldaswell.Upset,Midasstroveto rid himself of his power ( t h eMidas Touch); he hated thegifthehadcoveted.Heprayedto Dionysus who heard andconsented;hetoldMidastowashintheriverPactolus.Hedidso,andwhenhetouchedthewatersthepowerpassed into them, and the riversands changed into gold. ThismythexplainedwhythesandsofthePactoluswererichingold.

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Her symbols are the owl, the olive

tree, the snake, the helmet and the

spear

Sheisacompanionofheroesandisthegoddessofheroicendeavour.SheisthevirginpatronsaintofAthens.TheAtheniansfoundedtheParthenonontheAcropolisofhernamesakecity,Athens(AthenaParthenos),inher

honor.

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AthenaGoddess of wisdom,

courage, civilization, law and justice,

strategy and the arts

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Athena was the favorite daughterof Zeus, born fully armed from hisforehead. Zeus lay with Metis, thegoddessofcraftythoughtandwisdom,but he feared the consequences. ItwasprophesiedthatMetiswouldbearchildrenmorepowerfulthanthefather,evenZeus.Inordertostopthesedireconsequences, after lying with Metis,Zeus ‘put her away inside his ownbelly’.However,hewastoolate:Metishadalreadyconceived.EventuallyZeusexperienced an enormous headache,seekingHephaestusforhelp.HestruckZeus’sheadwithadouble-headedaxe.AthenathenleapedfromZeus’shead,fullygrown,armedandarmouredwithashout.

Athenaneverhadaconsortorloverandis thus known as Athena Parthenos,‘Virgin Athena’. It is not merely anobservation of her chastity, but arecognition of her role as enforcer ofrulesofsexualmodesty.TheAthenianshighly valued the goddess based onthispurenessofvirginityas itupheldthe morals of female behavior in thepatriarchalGreeksociety.

AthenabecamethepatrongoddessofthecityofAthensafteracompetitionwithPoseidon.Atafestivalattheendoftheyear,thepriestsofAthenaandthepriestofPoseidonagreedthateachwouldgivetheAtheniansonegiftandtheAthenianswouldchoosewhichevergifttheypreferred.Poseidonstrucktheground with his trident and a springsprangup;thewaterwassaltyandnotvery useful, whereas Athena offeredthem an olive tree. The AtheniansacceptedtheolivetreeandalongwithitAthenaastheirpatron,fortheolive

treebroughtwood,oilandfood.Afterthefight,infuriatedathisloss,Poseidonsentamonstrousflood,topunishtheAtheniansfor not choosing him. The contest ofAthenaandPoseidonwasdrawnabovetheentrancetotheParthenon,thefirstsightthatallvisitorsseewhentheyvisit.

ThefableofArachne/theOriginofWeaving

Arachne was the daughter of a famousdyer and a weaving student of Athena.Shebecamesoconceitedofherskillasaweaverthatshebeganclaimingthatherswas greater than that of Athena herself.AthenagaveArachneachancetoredeemherself by assuming the form of an oldwomanandwarningArachnenottooffendthe deities. Arachne scoffed and wishedforaweavingcontest,soshecouldproveherskill.

AthenawovethesceneofhervictoryoverPoseidonthathadinspiredherpatronageof Athens. Arachne’s tapestry featuredtwenty-oneepisodesoftheinfidelityofthedeities, including Zeus being unfaithfulwithseveralwomen.AthenaadmittedthatArachne’s work was flawless,butwasoutragedatArachne’soffensive choice of subject.Finally,losinghertemper,AthenadestroyedArachne’stapestryandloom,striking itwithhershuttle.Athena then struck Arachne with herstaff, which changed her into aspider.Thefablesuggeststhatthe origin of weavinglay in imitation ofspiders.

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His symbols are the rooster and

the tortoise, purse or pouch, winged

sandals and winged cap

Hismainsymbolwastheherald’sstaff,caduceuswhichconsistedoftwosnakes

wrappedaroundawingedstaff

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HermesGod of

transitions and boundaries

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He was quick and cunning,and moved freely betweenthe worlds of the mortaland divine, as emissaryand messenger of the gods,intercessorbetweenmortalsandthedivine,andconductorofsoulsintotheafterlife.Hewasprotectorandpatronoftravelers,herdsmen,thieves,oratorsandwit,literatureandpoets, athletics and sports,inventionandtrade.Insomemyths he is a trickster, andoutwits other gods for hisownsatisfactionorthesakeofhumankind.Accordingtolegend,HermeswasborninacaveonMountCyllene in Arcadia. Zeushad impregnated Maia, amountain nymph, at thedeadofnightwhileallothergods slept. When dawnbroke, amazingly, Hermeswas born. Maia wrappedhim in swaddling bands,thenrestingherself,fellfastasleep.Hermesranaway,andstumbleduponwhereApollowas grazing his cattle. ThebabyHermesstoleanumber

of his cows and took them toacave. Inthecave,hefoundatortoise and killed it. He usedone of the cow’s insides andthetortoiseshellandmadethefirstlyre.ApollocomplainedtoMaiathathersonhadstolenhiscattle,butHermeshadalreadyreplacedhimselfintheblanketsshehadwrappedhimin,soMaiarefusedtobelieveApollo’sclaim.Zeus intervened and, claimingto have seen the events, sidedwithApollo.Hermesthenbegantoplaymusiconthelyrehehadinvented.Apollo,agodofmusic,fellinlovewiththeinstrumentand offered to allow exchangeofthecattleforthelyre.Hence,Apollothenbecameamasterofthelyre.His name comingfrom herma, a squareor rectangular pillar ineither stone or bronze,withtheheadofHermes,which adorned thetop of the pillar.

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Her symbols are the dolphin, the rose, the scallop shell;

the myrtle tree, the dove, the sparrow, the girdle and the

swan

Sheisoftendepictednude.

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AphroditeGoddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation

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Aphrodite is usuallysaid to have been bornnear her chief center ofworship,Paphos,ontheislandofCyprus.Shewasbornoutofseafoamasitwashed upon the shore.Because of her beauty,other gods feared thattheir rivalry over herwouldinterruptthepeaceamong them and leadto war, so Zeus marriedher to Hephaestus,who,becauseofhisuglinessanddeformity, was not seenasathreat.Hephaestusisoverjoyed to be marriedtothegoddessofbeauty,and forges her beautifuljewelry, including thecestus,agirdlethatmakesherevenmoreirresistibleto men. But Aphroditedid not love Hephaestusand had many lovers -both gods, such as Ares,andmen.

Aphrodite is consistentlyportrayed, in every imageand story, as having hadno childhood, and insteadbeing born as a nubile,infinitely desirable adult.Inmanyofthelatermyths,she is portrayed as vain,ill-tempered and easilyoffended. Although sheis married - she is one ofthe few gods in the GreekPantheon who is - she isfrequentlyunfaithfultoherhusband.Aphrodite’s husband isone of the most even-temperedoftheGods,butintheOdysseysheis she is portrayedas preferring Ares,the volatile god ofwar because she isattracted to hisv i o l e n t

nature.

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estiaisthegoddessofthehomeandarchitecture.Zeus

andHera’sotherchildrenw

ereEileithyia(thegoddessofchildbirth),Enyo(thegoddessofw

ar),Eris(thegoddessofchaos),andHebe(thegoddessofyouth).

32

GlossaryAchilles:

A Greek hero of the Trojan War and the central character and greatestwarrior ofHomer’sIliad.Achilleswassaidtobeademigod;hismotherwasanymph,andhisfatherwasaking.

Acropolis:

Asettlement,especiallyacitadel,builtuponanareaofelevatedground—frequentlyahillwithprecipitoussides,chosenforpurposesofdefense.

ambrosia:

ThefoodanddrinkoftheGreekgods,oftendepictedasconferringagelessimmortality(seeimmortalinGlossary)uponwhomeverconsumedit.

caduceus:

AstaffcarriedbyHermes.Itisashortstaffentwinedbytwoserpents,sometimessurmountedbywings.Thecaduceusisoftenmistakenlyusedasasymbolofmedicineandmedicalpractice(especiallyinNorthAmerica),duetohistoricalconfusionwiththetraditionalmedicalsymbol,therodofAsclepius.TheRodofAsclepiushasonlya single snake and no wings, so it is similar in form to the caduceus. The Rod ofAsclepiusiswieldedbytheGreekgodAsclepius,thegodofhealingandmedicine.

Cyclopes:

Aprimordialraceofgiants,eachwithasingleeyeinthemiddleofhisforehead.

Delphi:

DelphiisbothanarchaeologicalsiteandamoderntowninGreece.DelphiwasthesiteoftheDelphicoracle,themostimportantoracleintheclassicalGreekworld,andbecameamajorsitefortheworshipofthegodApollo.

Eros:

Thegodoflove.

Hades:

TheancientGreekgodoftheunderworld.BrotherofZeusandPoseidon.

Helios:

Thepersonificationofthesun.

33

immortal:

someonewhocanliveforever(oppositeofmortal,orsomeonewhoisliableorsubjecttodeath)

lame:

1.Unabletowalkproperlybecauseofaproblemwithone’sfeetorlegs.

2.Movingwithpainordifficultyonaccountofinjury,defectortemporaryobstructionofafunction:alameleg,armormuscle.

Leto:

The mother of Apollo and Artemis, which Leto conceived after her hidden beautyaccidentallycaughttheeyesofZeus.

Muses:

Thegoddessesoftheinspirationofscienceandthearts,especiallyliterature,dance,and music. They were considered the source of the knowledge, and are the ninedaughtersofZeusandMnemosyne(thepersonificationofmemory).

Maia:

AmountainnymphandmotherofHermeswithZeus.

The Odyssey:

TheOdysseyisoneoftwomajorancientGreekepicpoemswrittenbyHomer.Itis,inpart,asequeltothefirstmajorancientGreekepicpoemTheIliad,theotherworkbyHomer.ThepoemisfundamentaltothemodernWestern literature,andisthesecondoldestexampleofWesternliterature,theIliadbeingtheoldest.Itisbelievedtohavebeencomposedneartheendofthe8thcenturyBC,somewhereinIonia,theGreekcoastalregionofAnatolia.

Pandora and Pandora’s box:

Pandora was the first woman on Earth. Zeus ordered Hephaestus to create her,usingwaterandearth.Thegodsendowedherwithmanygifts:Athenaclothedher,Aphroditegaveherbeauty,andHermesgaveherspeech.

Pandorawasgivenabeautifulcontainer–withinstructionsnottoopenitunderanycircumstance.Impelledbyhercuriosity(giventoherbythegods),Pandoraopenedit,andallevilcontainedthereinescapedandspreadovertheearth.Shehastenedtoclosethecontainer,butthewholecontentshadescaped,exceptforonethingthatlayatthebottom–theSpiritofHopenamedElpis.Pandora,deeplysaddenedbywhatshehaddone,fearedshewouldhavetofaceZeus’wrath,sinceshehadfailedherduty;however,ZeusdidnotpunishPandora,becauseheknewthiswouldhappen.Today,thephrase«toopenPandora’sbox»meanstoperformanactionthatmayseemsmallorinnocuous,butthatturnsouttohavesevereandfar-reachingconsequences.

3�

Paphos:

AcoastalcityinthesouthwestofCyprusandthecapitalofPaphosDistrict.

Parthenon:

AtempleontheAthenianAcropolis,dedicatedtothemaidengoddessAthena,whomthepeopleofAthensconsideredtheirpatrondeity. Itsconstructionbegan in447BCEwhentheAthenianEmpirewasattheheightofitspower.Itwascompletedin438BCE,althoughdecorationofthebuildingcontinueduntil432BCE.ItisthemostimportantsurvivingbuildingofClassicalGreece.

Prometheus:

Aheroandatricksterfigurewhoiscreditedwiththecreationofmanfromclay.Heismostwell-knownforstealingthegiftfirefromthegods(namelyHephaestus)andgivingtomankind,anactthatenabledprogressandcivilization.Heisknownforhisintelligence,andasachampionofhumanity.

Rhea:

ThemotheroftheOlympiangodsandgoddesses,butnotasanOlympiangoddessinherownright.MarriedtoCronus.

The River Styx:

A river in Greek mythology that formed the boundary between Earth and theUnderworld. The gods were bound by the river and swore oaths on it that wereunbreakable.

Semele:

AmortalpriestessofZeusandthemotherofDionysuswithZeus.

3�

IndexA

Achilles 17

Acropolis 24, 32, 34

Aloadae 21

anvil 16

Aphrodite 3, 5, 9, 15, 17, 28, 29, 31, 33

Apollo 3, 5, 7, 18, 19, 21, 27, 30, 31, 32, 33

Arachne 25

Arcadia 27

Arcas 21

Ares 3, 5, 7, 9, 14, 15, 29, 31

Artemis 3, 7, 18, 19, 20, 21, 31, 33

artisans 16

Athena 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 21, 24, 25, 31, 33, 34

Athenian 11, 34

Athens 11, 17, 24, 25, 34

B

bear 14, 21, 25

blacksmiths 16

boundaries 26

bow and arrow 18

bull 6, 22, 23

C

caduceus 26, 32

Callisto 21

chariot 10, 12, 14, 15, 17

childbirth 19, 20, 21, 31

civilization 4, 24, 30, 34

courage 24

craftsmen 16

Cronus 7, 34

crown 8

cuckoo 8

cypress tree 20

Cyprus 29, 34

D

Delos 19, 21

Delphi 19, 32

Demeter 3, 5, 7, 12, 13, 31

Dionysus 3, 5, 7, 9, 17, 22, 23, 31, 34

dog 14

dolphins 10

dove 28

E

eagle 6

Echo 7

ecstasy 22

Eileithyia 19, 21, 31

Enyo 31

Ephialtes 21

Eris 31

Eros 17

F

family 7, 8, 31

Fear (Phobos) 15

fire 13, 16, 17, 34

3�

G

girdle 17, 28, 29

grape harvest 22

Greek 1, 4, 6, 7, 14, 15, 22, 23, 25, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34

Greek mythology 4, 15, 22, 30, 34

H

Hades 13, 32

harvest 12, 13, 22

Hebe 31

Helios 17

helmet 14, 17, 24

Hephaestus 3, 5, 7, 9, 15, 16, 17, 19, 25, 29, 31, 33, 34

Hera 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 31

Heracles 7

Hermes 3, 5, 7, 13, 17, 19, 23, 26, 27, 31, 32, 33

Hestia 31

hunt 19, 20

I

immortal 13, 32, 33

Ino 23

ivy 22

J

justice 24

K

King Athamas 23

King Midas 23

L

laurel wreath 18

law 24

Leto 18, 19, 21, 33

light 18

lion 8

Lyre 19

lyre 18, 19, 27

M

Maia 19, 27, 33

marriage 8, 9, 12

metals 16

Metis 25

moon 20

Mount Cyllene 27

Mount Olympus 4, 7, 9, 17

Mt. Olympus 22

Muses 19, 33

myrtle tree 28

O

oak 6

Odyssey 29, 33

olive tree 11, 24, 25

Olympians 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 31

Otos 21

owl 24

P

Pactolus 23

pair of tongs 16

Pandora 17, 33

Paphos 15, 29, 34

Parthenon 11, 24, 25, 34

peacock 8

3�

Persephone 7, 12, 13

pomegranate 8, 13

poppy 12

Poseidon 3, 5, 10, 11, 25, 30, 31, 32

pouch 26

Prometheus 17, 34

purse 26

Python 19

R

raven 18

Rhea 7, 23, 34

ritual 22

River Styx 23, 34

rooster 26

rose 28

S

scallop shell 28

sculptors 16

Sea 10

Semele 22, 23, 34

serpent 19, 22

smith’s hammer 16

snake 24, 32

sparrow 28

spear 14, 24

stag 20, 21

strategy 14, 24

sun 18, 32

swan 28

T

Terror (Deimos) 15

the arts 24, 33

The Cyclopes 7

Thrace 15

three-pronged fish spears (tridents) 10

thunderbolt 6

torch 12

tortoise 19, 26, 27

transitions 26

V

virginity 20, 25

volcanoes 16

W

war 14, 15, 29, 31

Weaving 25

wheat 12

wild animals 20

wilderness 20

wine 9, 17, 22, 23

winemaking 22

winged cap 26

winged sandals 26

wisdom 24, 25

Z

Zeus 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34