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Greek and Roman
Mythology
A Review
of
The Principal Gods and Goddesses
What is a myth?
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A traditional story rooted in primitive
folk beliefs of cultures
Uses the supernatural to interpret
natural events
Explains the culture’s view of the
universe and the nature of humanity
In the beginning...
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…was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)
Chaos had two children:
– Night (darkness)
– Erebus (death)
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“All was black, empty, silent, endless.”
Mysteriously, Love was born of
darkness and death.
And then...
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When Love was born, order and
beauty began to flourish.
Love created Light and Day.
Earth was created.
– She was the solid ground, but also a
personality.
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The Earth bore Heaven to cover her
and be a home for the gods.
The First Parents
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Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia)
Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus)
They had three kinds of children:
– Three monsters with 100 hands and 50
heads
– Three cyclopes
– The titans
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These were the first characters that had the appearance of
life, although it was unlike any life known to man.
The Titans (The Elder
Gods)
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There were many of them.
Enormous size, incredible strength
Cronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titans
Rhea: Wife of Cronos
Ocean: River that encircled the world
Iapetus: Father of Prometheus,
Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)
The Principal Gods
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Cronos and Rhea
were parents of
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Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)
Poseidon (Neptune)
Hades (Pluto)
Hera (Juno)
Hestia (Vesta)
Demeter (Ceres)
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Other Olympians
include
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Athena (Minerva)
Ares (Mars)
Hebe (Juventas)
Hephaestus (Vulcan)
Apollo (Apollo)
Artemis (Diana)
Hermes (Mercury)
Aphrodite (Venus)
Dionysus (Bacchus)
Persephone
The Olympians
Zeus
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Roman Name: Jupiter
(also Jove)
Symbol: Lightning Bolt
Supreme god of the
Olympians.
Fathered many
characters in
mythology
Zeus
Hera
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Roman Name:
Juno
Zeus’s sister and
wife
Animal: Peacock
Jealous protector
of marriage
Punished the
women Zeus fell
in love with
Poseidon
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Roman Name:
Neptune
Symbol: Trident
God of the Seas
and Waters
“The
Earthshaker”
Fathered horses
Hades
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Roman Name:
Pluto
God of the
Underworld/ Dead
Controlled
Cerberus- the
three headed dog
that guarded the
underworld
Kidnapped
Persephone
Demeter
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Roman
Name: Ceres
Goddess of
the Harvest
Symbol: fruit
and grain
A Goddess of
the Earth
Athena
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Roman Name:
Minerva
Animal: owl
Goddess of
Wisdom and
War
Sprang from
Zeus’s head
Ares
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Roman Name:
Mars
God of War
Symbols: Spear
and Helmet
Animal: dog
Son of Zeus and
Hera
Bloodthirsty and
merciless
Hephaestus
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Roman Name:
Vulcan
(Mulciber)
God of
Fire/Forge
Son of Zeus
and Hera
Kind, unlike
his brother
Apollo
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Roman
Name: Apollo
God of
Light/Sun
and Music
Brother of
Artemis
Artemis
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Roman
Name: Diana
Goddess of
the Moon/
Hunt
Sister to
Apollo
Hermes
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Roman Name:
Mercury
Messenger of
the Gods
Appears in
more myths
than any
other
character
Aphrodite
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Roman Name:
Venus
Goddess of
Love and
Beauty
Sprang from
the ocean foam
Symbol:
seashells
Dionysus
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Roman Name: Bacchus
God of Wine
Symbol: glass of wine or
grapes hanging from vine
Patron god of the Greek
stage
A God of the Earth
Created dolphins
Persephone
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Roman Name: Proserpina
Goddess of the Underworld
/ wife of Hades
Daughter of Zeus and
Demeter
Abducted by Hades
Controlled the seasons:
– 6 months in Hades (fall and
winter)
– 6 months on earth (spring
and summer)
Eros
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Roman Name:
Cupid
Symbol: bow and
arrow
Young God of
Love
Son of Aphrodite
and Hephaestus
Iris
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Goddess of the
Rainbow
Symbol: Rainbow
Messenger for
Zeus and Hera
Daughter of the
titan Thaumus
and the nymph
Electra
Atlas
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In Greek mythology,
Atlas was a Titan who
fought against Zeus.
After the Titans lost a
war against Zeus, Atlas
was condemned by Zeus
to stand forever holding
up the heavens.
Gaea
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Roman Name is Gaia
Goddess of the Earth.
“Mother Nature”
The Muses
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Nine daughters of
Zeus and
Mnemosyne
Inspired artists of
all kinds
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Goddesses who
presided over the
arts and sciences
“He is happy
whom the muses
love.”
Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Polyhymnia
The Graces
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Three Goddesses
of Grace and
Beauty
“They give life its
bloom.”
Aglaia (Splendor)
Euphrosyne (Mirth)
Thalia (Good
Cheer)
The Erinnyes (The
Furies)
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Roman Name: Furiae or
Dirae (The Furies)
Three Goddesses of
Vengeance
– Tisiphone
– Alecto
– Megaera
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They punish evildoers.
The Fates
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Roman Name: Parcae, Moirae
Three sisters
– Clotho (“The Spinner”)
– Lachesis (“The disposer of lots”)
– Atropos (“The cutter”)
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They weave, measure, and cut the
thread of life for humans.
The Satyrs
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Gods of the woods
and mountains
“Shepherd gods”
Goat men (like Pan)
Companions of
Dionysus
They like to drink,
dance, and chase
nymphs.
The Gorgons
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Three snake-haired
monsters
Medusa is most
well-known
 Their look
turns men to
stone.
The
Centaurs
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Half man, half
horse
Savage
creatures
(except Chiron)
Followers of
Dionysus
The Minotaur
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Head of bull
Body of man
Sources
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Graphics in this presentation were taken
from the following web sites:
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http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.html
http://www.pantheon.org/
http://www.messagenet.com/myths/
http://mythman.com/
http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.html
http://www.paleothea.com/
http://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/myth.html
This presentation is for educational
purposes only; it has not been and should
not be sold or used as a vehicle to make