Download A Family Tree of the Greek Gods

Why were Myths Created?
 Early Greeks did not understand everyday events that
happened in nature so they attributed them to divine
spirits
 Myths (stories) were created over the years about
unseen beings that seemed to rule the natural word
Ancient Greek Worldview- 5th century BCE
The Myths are Recorded
 Myths were passed down orally from generation to
generation until the Greeks began writing
 Homer, the blind Greek poet from the 9th century BCE,
was the first person to actually describe the physical
characteristics and personalities of the gods and
goddesses
 Hesiod, Greek poet from the 8th century BCE,
presented a family tree of the gods and goddesses
CHAOS
Uranus
Rhea
Gaea
Cronus (one of 12 Titans)
Demeter
Hera
Zeus
Apollo Artemis
Cyclops
Hestia
Poseidon Hades
Ares Athena
Hephaestus
Zeus
Cronus as king
 Uranus, Cronus’ father, had said that he would be
overthrown by one of his own children, just as Cronus
had banished Uranus
 To prevent this, Cronus swallowed all of his children,
except for the sixth child, Zeus
 Rhea, Cronus’ wife, could not bear the thought of her
husband swallowing another child so she tricked
Cronus into swallowing a stone, which he thought was
Zeus and had Baby Zeus taken to the island of Crete to
be raised by nymphs & a magical goat
Mount Ida in Crete today
Painting of Magical Goat
Zeus Assumes Power
 When Zeus was grown, he returned to the gods’ palace
at Mount Olympus and became a royal cup-bearer
 He served Cronus a poisonous drink that made him
vomit the other 5 children (now full grown) that he
had swallowed
•Hestia
•Demeter
•Hera
•Poseidon
•Hades
Zeus Assumes Power (continued)…
 The brothers (Zeus, Poseidon, Hades) drive their father
away
 They also free the Cyclops (their uncles/aunts) from the
Underworld, where they had been banished by their father
(Uranus) because of their monster-like qualities
 The Cyclops were grateful so they gave the brothers gifts



Lightningbolt for Zeus
Forked Trident for Poseidon
Magical Helmet for Hades
The Kingdom is Divided
 Poseidon- god of the sea
 Hades- god of the Underworld
 Zeus- supreme god, commands the heavens, and head
of all the gods & goddesses
 Demeter- goddess of the harvest
 Hestia- goddess of the hearth
 Hera- goddess of women & childbirth
Mount Olympus
Zeus & his siblings lived in a palace on Mount Olympus.
Mount Olympus is the tallest mountain in Greece, with an
elevation of 9,577 feet
Zeus’ Most Important Children
 Apollo- god of music, health, prophecy
 Artemis- goddess of the hunt
 Ares- god of war
 Hephaestus- god of metalworking
 Athena- goddess of wisdom
 Heracles- not a god because his mother was a mortal
(regular human); better known by his Roman name,
Hercules
 Aphrodite- (goddess of love) came from the sea
The Olympians Mirror Greek
Royalty
 Ancient Greeks imagined that the family of Olympic
gods resembled those of their leaders
1.
2.
3.
4.
Thought of Zeus as a powerful monarch
(king), just like early Greek gov’t
Zeus had many wives, just like powerful
leaders could have many women
Most Olympic gods & goddesses were
thought to be handsome or beautiful
Gods ate nectar & drank ambrosia
Gods Play an Active Role in
Human Events
 Greeks believed that the gods would help humans who
pleased them or caused them pain and suffering to
those who angered them
 Greeks were always trying to please the gods
1.
Offered prayers & sacrifices to them before
they did something important
2.
animal sacrifices to gods
Local Traditions
 Each city had its own patron gods & local gods besides
the Olympian gods
 Each town had a hearth to honor Hestia
 Annual festivals held to honor the gods
1.
Olympic Games
2.
Greek theater
Religion as a Civic Activity
 Few priests
 Greek temples
1.
2.
considered the home of a god
rectangular, stone structures
 Lack of moral code in ancient Greek religion
1.
2.
gods & goddesses sometimes acted in an
immoral way
Greeks cared about the sin of Hubris
(excessive pride or arrogance)
Greek Concept of Death
 Greeks believed that after death a person’s body went
to the Underworld
 Peoples’ souls could end up in 1 of 3 places



Tartatus- gloomy place for wicked people
Asphodel Fields- most people ended up in this grey, boring
region
Elysian Fields- really good people ended up here, where they’d
live in sunlight forever
Compatibility of Religion &
Science
 Most ancient Greeks did not question religion when
they learned about science
 It wasn’t until later in Greek civilization that lots of
people began to question the existence of the
Olympians