Download about Greek religion

Greek Gods and Religion
Science and Religion in Schools Project - Unit 3b
Who were the Greek gods?
• A pantheon of gods and goddesses living
on Mount Olympus
• Zeus, the supreme god, was god of the sky
• Poseidon was god of the sea and
• Hades was god of the underworld
The other Olympians were Aphrodite (Love), Apollo (Prophecy),
Ares (War), Artemis (The Hunt), Athena (Arts and Crafts), Demeter
(Agriculture), Dionysus (Wine), Hephaestus (Fire), Hera (Marriage),
and Hermes (Messenger of the Gods),
There were also lesser gods like Eros, heroes like Achilles and
mythical beings like the Muses, Centaurs and Satyrs.
Family Tree
Chronus
The Olympians are in yellow
Uranus [Heaven]
Gaia [Earth]
Rhea
Phoebe
Coeus
Zeus
Oceanus
Leto
Tethys
Iapetus
Hades
Hestia
Poseidon
Hera
Apollo
Zeus
Artemis
Atlas
Demeter
Prometheus
Epimetheus
Athena
Persephone
Zeus
Maia
Dione
Ares Hebe
Hephaestus
Zeus
Hermes
Aphrodite
What were they like?
The gods lived in a central
stronghold on Mount Olympus
ruled over by Zeus rather like
a kingdom. Each god had a
function or job. They fought
battles,and granted favours to
mortals but could also bring
disaster.
How did the gods interact
with the world?
Each of the gods was connected with
particular aspects of life. For example,
the goddess Athene was connected
with childbirth, the production of olives
and the crafts. In Athens, where ceramics was a major
industry, she was regarded as caring for all the workers
in the city and the community as a whole. So the gods
offered protection and guidance.
Greek beliefs about creation
Although Zeus is the main god he was not a
‘creator’ god and there are no real myths of
creation from ancient Greece. Instead the
more naturalistic explanations of creation by
Greek philosophers were commonly
accepted. Man was believed to have been
made from clay by the minor craftsman god
Prometheus.
Greek beliefs about the universe
The gods (immortal) and humans (mortal)
lived in different realms. There was,
however, a land of perfect happiness at
the ends of the earth where favoured
mortals lived for ever. It was called
Elysium. But there was also the
underworld, the world of the dead, ruled
over by Hades.
Greek myths
Homer’s epic poem ‘the Iliad’ tells the story
of Achilles and the Trojan war while his
‘Odyssey’ is about Odysseus. These
Greek heroes win glory by adventure
and war. They show us what potential
there is for the human mind and spirit to
explore far beyond the limitations of
ordinary, everyday experience.
Greek Gods and Religion
Science and Religion in Schools Project - Unit 3b