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Greek and Roman Mythology
A Review
of
The Principal Gods and Goddesses
What is a myth?
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
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In the beginning...
…was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)
 Chaos had two children:
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– Night (darkness)
– Erebus (death)
“All was black, empty, silent, endless.”
 Mysteriously, Love was born of
darkness and death.
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And then...
When Love was born, order and beauty
began to flourish.
 Love created Light and Day.
 Earth was created.
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– 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
Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia)
 Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus)
 They had three kinds of children:
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– 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)
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)
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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
(Jupiter or
Jove)
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Supreme god of the
Olympians.
Fathered many
characters in
mythology
Fond of beautiful
women
Symbol: Lightning
bold
Zeus
Hera
(Juno)
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Zeus’s sister and
wife
Queen of the
gods
Jealous protector
of marriage
Punished the
women Zeus fell
in love with
Symbol: Peacock
Poseidon
(Neptune)
God of the Seas
and Waters
 Zeus’ brother
 “The
Earthshaker”
 Symbol: Trident

Hades
(Pluto)
God of the
Underworld/
Dead
 Kidnapped
Persephone
 Symbol:
Scepter

Demeter
(Ceres)
Goddess of
Grain and
Agriculture
 A Goddess of
the Earth
 Symbol:
Wheat
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Athena
(Minerva)
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Goddess of
Wisdom and
War
Protector of
Athens
Sprang from
Zeus’s head
Symbol: owl
Ares (Mars)
God of War
 Son of Zeus and
Hera
 Bloodthirsty and
merciless
 Symbol: spear
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Hephaestus
(Vulcan)
God of
Fire/Metals
 Son of Zeus
and Hera
 Kind, unlike his
brother
 Symbol: Axe
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Apollo
(Apollo)
God of
Light/Sun and
Music
 Brother of
Artemis
 Symbol: Lyre
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Artemis
(Diana)
Goddess of
the Moon/
Hunt
 Twin sister to
Apollo
 Symbol: Bow;
Deer
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Hermes
(Mercury)
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Messenger of the
Gods
Also god of
science and
invention
Appears in more
myths than any
other character
Symbol:
Caduceus
Aphrodite
(Venus)
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Goddess of Love
and Beauty
Cupid/Eros is her
son
Sprang from the
ocean foam
Symbol: Myrtle
tree; Dove
Dionysus
(Bacchus)
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God of Wine
Patron god of the
Greek stage
A God of the Earth
Half god, half
human (demigod)
Symbol: Grape
Vine
Hestia
(Vesta)
Goddess of
Hearth and
Home
 Zeus’ sister
 Symbol:
Fireplace
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Persephone
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Roman Name:
Proserpina
Goddess of the
Underworld
Daughter of Zeus
and Demeter
Abducted by
Hades
Eros
Roman Name:
Cupid
 Young God of
Love
 Son of
Aphrodite and
Hephaestus
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Iris
Goddess of the
Rainbow
 Messenger for
Zeus and Hera
 Daughter of the
titan Thaumus
and the nymph
Electra
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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 Fates
Control destiny of every mortal
 Even gods could not interfere
 Three sisters
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– 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
Gods of the woods
and mountains
 “Shepherd gods”
 Goat men (like Pan)
 Companions of
Dionysus
 They like to drink,
dance, and chase
nymphs.
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The Gorgons
Three snakehaired monsters
 Medusa is most
well-known
 Their look turns
men to stone.
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The Centaurs
Half man, half
horse
 Savage
creatures
(except Chiron)
 Followers of
Dionysus
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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 money.