Download Information Sheets for the Major Gods and Goddesses from Greek

The Olympians
Information Sheets for the Major
Gods and Goddesses from
Greek Mythology
A set of information sheets about the 14
major gods and goddesses from Greek
Mythology in kid friendly language.
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Contents
Zeus
Poseidon
Hades
Hera
Aphrodite
Demeter
Ares
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Hermes
Hestia
Apollo
Artemis
Hephaestus
Dionysus
Athena
Zeus ~ King of the Gods
Zeus is the son of the Titans, Kronos and
Rhea. After defeating the Titans, Zeus became
the ruler of the sky and the king of the Gods.
When he is angry, Zeus throws lightning bolts.
These lightning bolts are forged by the Cyclops.
Zeus is married to his sister, Hera, but he has had
many affairs and he is the father of Perseus,
Heracles, Minos, Helen, and many more
heroes/heroines from Greek Mythology.
Zeus rules the world from high atop
Mount Olympus, but he visits earth often and he
enjoys getting involved in the lives of humans. He
is an incredibly powerful god and is terrifying when
he is angry. Along with his brothers, Zeus,
Poseidon and Hades, make up the “big three” of
Olympian gods. His symbols include: the eagle,
the shield, the thunderbolt, and the oak tree.
Poseidon ~ God of the Sea
Poseidon is also the son of the
Titans, Kronos and Rhea. He is the
second most powerful god on Olympus
and he rules the seas and oceans. He
spends time on Olympus, too. Poseidon is
known as an unruly god with a hot temper.
He is thought to be the cause of
earthquakes and tidal waves, created
whenever he was angry.
When underwater, Poseidon rides
a chariot that is pulled by seahorses. He
always carries and trident and uses it to
stir up the waves and to cause storms.
He controls all of the sea monsters as
well. According to myth, Poseidon is
responsible for creating horses and giving
them to humans. His symbols include: the
trident, the horse, and the bull.
Hades ~ God of the Underworld
Hades is also the son of the Titans,
Kronos and Rhea. Like his other brothers and
sisters (except for Zeus), he was swallowed by his
father. Zeus saved him and the others and gave
him the Underworld to rule. Hades kidnapped
Persephone (the daughter of Demeter). Zeus
ruled that she would stay for half the year
(autumn and winter) with Hades and half the year
(spring and summer) with her mother, Demeter, on
Earth.
Hades is always gloomy and he can be
very frightening at times. He is also very wealthy,
owning all of the jewels, gold, and silver. Hades
owns the Helmet of Invisibility (his Helm). He
occasionally lends it to humans to use. He is not
thought of as evil, his name means, “the unseen”.
His symbols include: the helmet, metals, and jewels.
Hera ~ Queen of the Gods
Hera is the daughter of the Titans,
Kronos and Rhea, and the wife of Zeus, who
also happens to be her brother. She has
two sons, Ares and Hephaestus, and two
daughters, Eris and Hebe. She is incredibly
beautiful and powerful, but she is also
jealous and vain. Hera was often jealous of
Athena and Aphrodite. She is known as the
protector of women and marriage, even
though she had little time for mortals.
Hera is very upset by Zeus and his
many affairs. She is often plotting revenge
on Zeus or his lady friends. Zeus often
looked to Hera for advice when ruling the
other Olympians. Her symbols include: the
peacock and the cow.
Aphrodite ~ Goddess of Love
Aphrodite was born when Uranus was
defeated by Zeus. A drop of Uranus’ blood fell
into the ocean and caused it to foam, from the
foam emerged Aphrodite. She has no other jobs
on Olympus but to look pretty and to make others
fall in love with her. She has a magic belt that
makes others love her. She is unhappily married
to Hephaestus, the god of the forge. She is
known to have many boyfriends, including Ares
and even some humans.
Aphrodite has a lot of children. She can
be very kind, but she can also be very vicious,
especially when she feels as if someone has
insulted her beauty. Her powers are so great
that wild animals are tames in her presence. Her
symbols include: the dove, the sparrow, the swan,
and the myrtle.
Demeter ~ Goddess of the Harvest
Demeter is the daughter of the Titans,
Kronos and Rhea. She is the goddess of the
harvest and of the Earth. She controls the
growth of all fruits, vegetables and crops. She
carries out her duties with the help of her
daughter, Persephone. When Hades takes her
daughter away for half the year, Demeter is sad
and the vegetation withers. Once Persephone
returns to her mother for the other half of the
year, plants bloom and grow once more.
Demeter is generous and caring. She
teaches humans to farm and she is responsible
for introducing wheat to humans. Her symbols
include: the ear of corn and wheat.
Ares ~ God of War
Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. He has
a twin sister named Eris. He is the god of war and
because he is so quick to anger and so violent, it is
said that his parents did not even like him. He is a
very dangerous god and an unreliable ally. Ares is
involved with all battles and fights. Even though Ares
is powerful, he can be driven off the battlefield by
humans who prefer peace to fighting..
Ares is athletic and handsome and he often
wears full battle armor. He has the ability to change
forms and he killed Adonis while in the form of a
boar. Ares has an ongoing relationship with
Aphrodite even though she is married to another
god, Hephaestus. Ares and Aphrodite have a son
(Eros) and a daughter (Harmonia).. His symbols
include: the vulture, the spear, and the dog.
Hermes ~ God of Travelers
Hermes is the son Zeus and the
Titan, Maia. He is the messenger of the
gods of Olympus. He is graceful, clever
and quick. The winged helmet and winged
sandals helped Hermes to move more
quickly. He is the patron of travelers and
the god of trade and treaties.
Hermes carries a caduceus
wherever he goes which allows him to gain
access to anywhere on Earth, heaven, or
even in the Underworld. He also invented
fire, written music, the alphabet, boxing and
the lyre (a gift to Apollo). His symbols
include: the wand, the caduceus, the winged
sandals, and the winged helmet.
Hestia ~ Goddess of the Hearth
Hestia is the oldest daughter of the
Titans, Kronos and Rhea. She has never
married. Hestia is a sweet, kind and forgiving
goddess and she never leaves her home on
Mount Olympus. She never participates in
any arguments or wars, and for this reason,
all of the other Olympians love and respect
her.
Hestia is the goddess who protects
the home and the family. Every human prays
to her and every fire in every hearth is
Hestia’s fire. Though she has no temples
dedicated to her, since her fire burns in
every temple she is worshipped everywhere.
Her symbols include: the hearth, and fire.
Apollo ~ God of the Sun
Apollo is the son of Zeus and the
Titaness, Leto. He has a twin sister named
Artemis. He is probably the most loved
god on Olympus. He is handsome, charming,
talented, and honest. He delights the other
Olympians with his music and songs. He
teaches people how to cure and care for
sick and ailing people.
Apollo is responsible for the
movement of the sun across the sky. He
pulls the sun with his golden chariot. Apollo
often carries a golden bow and arrows and
he often appears as a shimmering gold
color. He also has the gift of the prophecy,
and he is said to speak through the Oracle
at Delphi. His symbols include: the crow,
the dolphin, the laurel, and the lyre.
Artemis ~ Goddess of the Hunt
Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and
the Titaness, Leto. She is the twin sister of
Apollo. She has never married. She is not only
the goddess of the hunt, but she is also the
moon goddess. Artemis is responsible for the
movement of the moon across the night sky,
which she does with a chariot led by stags.
She is a huntress and she is the protector of
animals and young children.
Artemis carries a silver bow and she
appears silver in color, like the moonlight. She
never missed with her arrows. She has healing
powers just like her twin brother. Her symbols
include: the stag, and the moon, and the
cypress.
Hephaestus ~ God of the Forge
Hephaestus is the son of Titans,
Kronos and Rhea. He is the least good
looking of the Olympians. He was born with
a handicap, a deformed foot. He is a
gentle and good-natured god, but he is
unhappily married to the goddess,
Aphrodite.
Hephaestus makes armor and
weapons for the gods and goddesses. He
also makes jewelry. He is a very hard
worker. His forge is located under an
erupting volcano. The Cyclops assist him in
making weapons, even Zeus’ thunderbolt.
His symbols include: the blacksmith’s
hammer and fire.
Dionysus ~ God of Wine
Dionysus is the son of Zeus and the beautiful
princess, Semele. He is known for his light-heartedness
and always offers to help anyone in need. He is very
popular among both gods and mortals alike, and many
parties and festivals are help in his honor each year.
He is one of the few gods who does not live in Mount
Olympus, wandering the Earth instead with satyrs
looking for the secrets of winemaking.
Dionysus is a good looking young man with
impressive golden hair who often wears a wreath of ivy
on his head. He is married to Ariadne, the
princess of Crete, and he has a number of
famous children. His symbols include: the
flute, wine barrels, and grapes.
Athena ~ Goddess of Wisdom
Athena was born fully grown from the
head of Zeus dressed in full body armor. She is
Zeus’ favorite child. She actually hates war
and wages it only to defend the side of right.
She never loses a battle. After competing with
the god, Poseidon, Athena officially became the
patron god of the city of Athens and they built
the Parthenon in her honor.
Athena teaches humans many different
skills and she also protects heroes. She
invented the ship, plow, trumpet, and bridle. She
knows the secrets of mathematics and taught
cooking, sewing, and weaving to women
everywhere. Her symbols include: the owl, the
shield, and the olive branch.
Thanks for your purchase!
I have had the hardest time finding age appropriate
information about the major gods and goddesses in Greek
mythology. I created these information sheets for my
students to use when learning about these gods/goddesses. I
project one information sheet per day on the ELMO and the
students use the information sheets to fill in their booklets
about gods/goddesses. Here is the link to the booklet:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/My-Booklet-of-Greek-Gods-andGoddesses-Research-Writing-471248
We use these sheets when we read, “The Lightning Thief”, by Rick Riordan. They
could also be used during a unit on Greek Mythology.
Credits: