Download Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses

Greek and Roman
Gods and Goddesses
Creation
 Chaos
– Whirling mass from which the universe is
created
 First Rulers
– Giants, Cyclops, Titans
Cronus
 Titan God
 Married sister Rhea
 Warned – one child destined to usurp
power
 Prevention – swallowed each child after
birth
– 5 children : Demeter, Hades, Hera, Poseidon,
Hestia
 Sixth child – Rhea tricked Cronus
– Zeus raised by divine goat
Zeus
 King of the Gods
 Titanomochy:
– Battle against Cronus
– Zeus and siblings
 Defeated Cronus with a
thunderbolt
 Home on Mount Olympus
 Father of the Gods
 Promiscuous (100 kids)
Hera
 Goddess of Marriage
and Family
 Jealous wife of Zeus
 Preoccupied with
Zeus’ infidelity
Hestia
 Goddess of the Hearth
– Protectress of the home
 Eldest of the children of
Cronus and Rhea
 Least significant of the
Olympians
 First “stay at home”
woman
 Symbol of Rome
– 6 vestal virgins protected
temple in Rome
Hades
 God of the Underworld
 Not one of the 12
Olympian Gods
 Ruled world with Zeus
and Poseidon
 Name means “invisible” or
“unseen”
 Referred to as Pluton
“the rich one”
 Not evil or hellish –
kingdom that administers
justice
Demeter
 Goddess of Fertility
 Taught humans
agriculture
 Central Greek myth
– Persephone
– Details the changing
of the seasons
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Poseidon
 God of the Sea
 “Shaker of Earth”
 Depicted with a
Trident and driving a
chariot
 Most widely
worshipped Greek
God
Second Generation Deities
 Dionysus
– God of wine and passion
– Male life-force
(God of fertility)
 Artemis
– Goddess of the hunt
– Virgin Goddess
 Ares
– God of war (destructive
sense)
– Thrived on bloodshed
– Not popular with Greeks,
but thrived under Romans
(militaristic)
Second Generation Deities
 Hermes
– Messenger of the Gods
– Patron of travelers
– Escorts the dead in the
journey to Hades
 Apollo
– God of light and music,
poetry, art
– Leader of the 9 muses
(provide inspiration for
writers, artists, musicians)
 Muses (9)
– Bring inspiration to artists,
writers, musicians, etc.
Second Generation Deities
 Hephaestus
– God of smith and fire
– Dwarfish and disfigured
– Husband of Aphrodite
 Aphrodite
– Goddess of beauty and
love
– Wife of Hephaestus
 Eros
– Son of Hephaestus and
Aphrodite
– God of Carnal Desire
Second Generation Deities
 Athena
–
–
–
–
–
Goddess of war and wisdom
Patron of Athens
Patron of arts and crafts
Born from Zeus’s head
Represents everything
Greek culture idealizes
(wisdom, intelligence,
reason – over unbridled
love/passion)
– Parthenon “Temple to the
Virgin”
Parthenon
Monsters/Creatures
 Cyclops
– Giant one-eyed monsters
– Born to Gaea and Uranus
– Three (Represent)
– thunder – Brontes
lightning – Steropes
lightning bolt - Arges
 Giants
– Came from Uranus’ blood
– Imprisoned after defeat
by Gods
 Pegasus
– Winged horse
Monsters/Creatures
 Cerberus
– 3 headed dog
– Snake tail & heads
coming from back
– Guards the gate of
the Underworld
 Sirens (sisters)
– Lure sailors to their
deaths
– Song is irresistible
Creatures
 Gorgons
– Female monsters with
snakes as hair
– Ugly
 If man looks at one he
turns face to stone
– immortal
 Medusa
– Mortal
– Seduced by Poseidon
– Turned into a gorgon
after offending
Athena
Heroes
 Hercules
– Father Zeus; Mother
Alcmene (mortal)
– Strong child
– 12 Labors of Herakles
 Punishment for
wrongdoings by Apollo
 Jason
– Defeated uncle to
regain kingdom of
Thessaly after 20
year misrule
– Golden Fleece