Download The Odyssey by Homer

 An organized collection of
stories (i.e., "myths") by which
we explain our beliefs and our
history.
 Myths usually confront major
issues such as the origin of
humanity and its traditions, and
the way in which the natural and
human worlds function on a
profound, universal level.
 Other myths seem merely to
narrate the deities' daily activities - their love affairs and pleasures,
their jealousies and rages, their
ambitions and schemes, and their
quarrels and battles.
 We commonly use the word "myth"
interchangeably with the following terms:
 1.Legends. Do not have religious or
supernatural content. Legends emphasize
the story more than the significance of
the story. An example of a legend is the
tale of Atlantis.
 2.Folklore. Generally known to be
fictitious; often told only within a limited
geographical area . Examples include the
stories of Paul Bunyan and Rip Van
Winkle from early American history.
 3.Fables. Acknowledged to be fictional -
- certainly when the characters include
talking animals. A fable's emphasis is on a
"moral."
 The Olympians were the twelve
(and as many as fourteen) most
important ruling gods and
goddesses who lived high above the
clouds on majestic Mount
Olympus, partying and plotting
lurid intrigues.
 Children of Cronus and Rhea:





Zeus, King of the Olympians
Hades, ruler of the Underworld
Poseidon, ruler of the Seas
Hera, sister and wife to Zeus
Demeter and Hestia
 Zeus is the supreme god and ruler of
Olympus.
To the ancient Greeks, he became the
undisputed master of the universe; he caused
rain, drought, good weather and bad weather.
 Nobody dared challenge his fearsome
thunderbolts.

 Zeus was the sixth child born to Cronus and
Rhea.
Cronus was warned by an oracle that one of
his own children would overthrow him, just
like he overthrew his father, Uranus.
 To prevent this from happening he swallowed
his first five children as each was born to Rhea.

 The three brothers then
drew lots to determine who
gets what.
 Zeus drew the heavens and
became supreme ruler.
 Poseidon became the god
of the sea and Hades the
ruler of the Underworld.
The earth remained
common ground.
 Athena is Zeus’ daughter and his favorite child. Her
mother is believed to be Metis.
 An Oracle of Gaea (Mother Earth) then prophesied that
Metis' first child would be a girl, but her second child
would be a boy that would overthrow Zeus as had
happened to his father (Cronus) and his grandfather
(Uranus).
 Zeus swallowed Metis to prevent a possible overthrow.
 This was the end of Metis but, possibly the beginning of
Zeus's wisdom, for many claim that Zeus really had no brains
until he swallowed his wife.
 Zeus developed the “mother” of all
headaches.
 The smiths god, Hephaestus, to take an
axe and split open Zeus's skull.
 Out of the skull sprang Athena, full
grown and in a full set of armor.
 The very ancient Greeks believed that
men were solely responsible for
conception of a child, and the woman’s
only role was to carry it until it was
born, that's why Metis is not given any
credit for Athena birth.
 Athena was perhaps the most recognizable
of the gods.
 She was always depicted with her
unmistakable helmet and the ever-present
spear.
 Because she was Zeus’ favorite she was
allowed to use his weapons and armor,
including the awful aegis (a shield) and
even his thunderbolts.
 Her shield was also very distinctive: after
Perseus defeated the gorgon Medusa,
Athena affixed its head to her shield.
 Poseidon is the ruler of the sea,
a powerful god in Greek
mythology who is often called
the "Earth-shaker."
 Poseidon was very powerful,
second only to Zeus himself.
 Equal to Zeus in dignity,
though not in power, he was
reputed to be a surly and
quarrelsome figure.
 Poseidon wasn't a very faithful husband
and engaged in numerous affairs with
goddesses, nymphs, and even mortals.
 Understandably jealous, Amphitrite
punished many of her husband's
lovers, just like Hera did to her
husband Zeus' women.
 She was particularly upset with
Poseidon's infatuation with the
gorgeous Scylla and was determined to
punish her.
 Amphitrite threw magical herbs into
Scylla's bathing pool, and when the
woman took her bath, at once she
transformed into a barking monster
with six heads and twelve feet.
 Hades is Zeus' brother and ruler of the
Underworld and the dead.
 Because of his dark and morbid
personality he was not especially liked by
neither the gods nor the mortals.
 His character is described as "fierce and
inexorable", and by far of all the gods he
was most hated by mortals.
 He was not an evil god.
 Hades ruled the Underworld and
therefore most often associated with
death, but he was not Death itself
 The actual embodiment of Death was
another god, Thanatos.
 Hades strictly forbade his subjects
to leave his domain and would
become quite enraged when
anyone tried to leave, or if someone
tried to steal his prey from him.
 Very few people ever visited the
Underworld and were permitted to
leave
 Heracles, Achilles, Odysseus,
Aeneas, and Theseus are among
those heroes who descended to
Hades while they were still living.
 Persephone did not marry Hades willingly,
but was abducted by him one day.
 When even Zeus could not get her back,
eventually a deal was made:
 Persephone would spend half the year with
her mother, the goddess of the harvest.
 The Greeks believed that while Persephone
was with Hades, her mother missed her so
much that she withdrew her gifts from the
world and winter came. In the spring,
when Persephone rejoined her mother,
Demeter would make things grow again.
 The fastest of the gods, and he was a
messenger to Zeus and all the other gods.
 He was the Divine Herald
 The guide who would lead the souls of the
dead down to the Underworld.
 His distinguishing qualities were cunning, ingenuity,
knowledge and creativity.
 His realm included Gymnastics
 Greek artists represented Hermes as a handsome youth with
beautiful limbs developed by athletic exercises and gymnastic
excellence.
 A sea nymph
 also known as Atlantis
 Confined to the island of Ogygia for
supporting her father and the Titans
during the War of the Titans.
 She imprisons Odysseus on her island
in order to make him her immortal
husband
 After seven years Athena asks Zeus to
spare Odysseus of his torment on the
island
 The goddesses or spirits who
inspire the creation of literature
and the arts.
Muse
Domain
Calliope
Epic Poetry
Clio
History
Erato
Lyric Poetry
Euterpe
Music
Melpomene
Tragedy
Polyhymnia
Choral
Poetry
Terpsichore
Dance
Thalia
Comedy
Urania
Astronomy
 Three dangerous bird-
women, portrayed as
seductresses.
 Sailors who sailed near
were compelled by the
Sirens' enchanting music
and voices to shipwreck
on the rocky coast.
 A minor goddess of magic (or
sometimes a nymph, witch,
enchantress or sorceress)
living on the island of Aeaea.