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Zeus
Ζεύς
• Zeus is the king of the gods, ruler
of Mt. Olympus, and the god of the
sky and thunder.
• He is married to Hera, but known
for siring many children outside the
marriage.
• Symbols are lightening or thunderbolts (made by Cyclopes uncles),
the eagle, and the scepter, or rod.
Hades
Ἅιδης
• Hades and his two brothers
defeated the Titans, each
claiming rule over one universe;
– Poseidon became ruler of the seas,
– Zeus, ruler of the skies, and
– Hades, ruler of the Underworld.
• Cerberus, the three headed dog,
was the guard of Hades, and
could be charmed by music.
Poseidon
Ποσειδῶν
• Poseidon was god of the
seas, horses, and
earthquakes.
• He was thought to be
the father of Theseus.
• He was also the father of
Triton, the famed
merman and messenger
of the deep.
Hera
Ήρα
• Hera was the wife of Zeus,
and his older sister.
• She was known as the
goddess of women and
marriage.
• She was also known for her
vengeful and jealous
nature against Zeus’ lovers
and illegitimate children.
Athena
Ἀθηνᾶ
• Athena, daughter of
Zeus, was the goddess of
wisdom, cunning, and
the more disciplined side
of war, and often seen
with an owl.
• She was the patron
goddess of Athens.
• She is generally
associated with such
heroes as Jason,
Odysseus and Perseus.
Apollo
Ἀπόλλων
• Apollo was the twin brother
of Artemis, and son of Zeus.
• He was god of light and the
sun; truth and prophecy;
medicine and healing;
music, poetry, the arts;
and more.
• He was also the patron
of the oracle at Delphi.
Artemis
Ἄρτεμις
• Artemis, daughter of Zeus,
twin sister of Apollo, was
known as the Goddess of
forests, hills and the hunt.
• She was also very
protective of her chastity,
and after a man saw her
bathing, she turned him
into a stag and set her
hounds on him.
Artemis in Xena
Ares
Άρης
• Ares is the son of Zeus
and Hera.
• He is the god of
bloodlust and
slaughter, though some
identify him as the god
of war.
Hephaestus
• Hephaestus, or Vulcan, was born lame and
was further crippled when he was thrown
from Olympus by his enraged mother, Hera.
He was the only Olympian with a disability.
• He was unhappily married
to Aphrodite and worked
as a blacksmith in the gods’
forge.
Aphrodite
Ἀφροδίτη
• Aphrodite, whose Roman name is Venus, is
known as the goddess of beauty and love.
• She was the daughter of Dione, and possibly of
Zeus.
• In a famous painting, The Birth of Venus by
Botocelli, her birth is
depicted as she rises
up out of the foam of
the sea.
Hermes
Ἑρμῆς
• Hermes was the
messenger of the gods,
known for his winged
shoes and helmet, which
allowed him to fly.
• He was also the god of
borders and travelers,
among other things.
Dionysus
Διόνυσος
• Dionysus is the son of Zeus,
and the god of wine,
pleasure, agriculture
(especially grapes), and
theatre.
• The festival of Dionysus was a
well-known giant party
featuring plays by Sophocles
and other famous
playwrights.
Nike
Νίκη
• Nike was the daughter of
a Titan, and goddess of
victory, speed, strength,
and triumph.
• She is often seen with
wings, and is known as
the charioteer during the
Olympian war with the
Titans.
Persephone
Περσεφόνη
• Embodiment of springtime (the Earth’s fertility)
and Queen of the Underworld.
• Persephone’s mother was Demeter, goddess of
grain, who loved her daughter so much, she hid
Persephone from all potential suitors.
• Persephone was picking flowers in a field when
Hades popped up from a hole in the earth and
abducted her, taking her to Hades (pun
intended) to be his wife.
• Demeter was furious, and scoured the earth
looking for her, causing a long winter during
which nothing would grow.
Persephone
Περσεφόνη
• Seeing the devastation wrought upon the
earth, Zeus ordered Hades to return
Persephone.
• Hades did so, but gave Persephone 4
pomegranate seeds to eat, forcing her to return to
Hades for one season each year.
• Demeter was happy during the season that her daughter
was with her, and the earth flourished (summer).
• She became sad as the time approached for her daughter
to leave her (autumn).
• The earth turned frosty when Persephone left for Hades
(winter).
• Demeter’s mood began to thaw when Persephone
returned (spring).
Muses
αἱ μοῦσαι
• The muses, daughters of Zeus and Mnenosyne, goddess
of memory, were a sisterhood of 9 water nymphs, led by
Apollo, who embodied the arts and inspired creativity.
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Calliope-Epic poetry
Clio-History
Melpomene-Tragedy
Erato-Love poetry and song
Euterpe-Music and lyric poetry
Polyhymnia-Sacred song and rhetoric
Terpsichore-Choral song and dance
Thalia-Comedy and satiric poetry
Urania-Astronomy
Fates (moirae)
Μοῖραι
The Fates are three personifications of
destiny--they controlled the metaphorical thread of life
of every mortal from birth to death. (Even the Gods
were subject to their whims.)
Graces (γράκης)
The three graces from
youngest to oldest are
Aglaea ("Splendor"),
Euphrosyne ("Mirth"),
and Thalia ("Good
Cheer"). In Roman
mythology they were
known as the Gratiae,
the "Graces."
Hercules
Ἡρακλῆς
• Son of Zeus and a mortal woman.
• Hera, Zeus’s wife was very jealous of Hercules, and
sent 2 snakes to kill him as infant. Hercules strangled
the snakes.
• Hercules is the symbol of strength and a source of
adventure.
• In Thebes, he marries King Creon’s
daughter, Megara.
• Hera induced Hercules to madness,
during which he slaughtered his children.
The Twelve Labors of Hercules
Ἡρακλῆς
• As punishment for his crime, Hercules was set to 12 tasks
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Kill the Nemean Lion
Destroy the Lernaean Hydra
Capture the Ceryneian Hind
Capture the Erymanthian Boar
Clean the Augean Stables.
Kill the Stymphalian Birds
Capture the Cretan Bull
Round up the Mares of Diomedes
Steal the Girdle of Hippolyte
Herd the Cattle of Geryon
Fetch the Apples of Hesperides
Capture Cerberus
Medusa
Μέδουσα
• One of the three Gorgon sisters
“Near them their sisters three, the Gorgons, winged
With snakes for hair— hated of mortal man—”
--Aeschylus
• Once beautiful, after being wronged by Poseidon, Medusa’s
hair turned to snakes and her face became so twisted with
anger that it turned any man who looked upon her to stone.
• Perseus, sent to kill Medusa, was aided by the winged shoes
of Hermes, Hades’ cap of invisibility, Athena’s mirrored shield,
and a special strong curved sword.
• Perseus killed Medusa looking at her through the
shield (think Harry Potter and basilisk).
• From her severed head sprung Pegasus and Chrysaor.
Achilles
Ἀχιλλεύς
• Son of Thetis (a water goddess) and Peleus, the king of the
Myrmidons.
• When Achilles was born Thetis tried to make him immortal
by dipping him in the river Styx, but he was left vulnerable
at the heel where she held him.
• He was a great hero in the Trojan war.
• He first refused to fight, then took to the battlefield to kill
Hector, who had killed Achilles’
friend.
• Achilles was killed by Paris, Hector’s
brother, by an arrow to the heel.
Achilles, as played by Brad Pitt in the movie Troy.