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Greek Gods and Goddesses
The Odyssey
English I
Rahman
To Explain the Inexplicable…
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What is “mythology”?
◦ my·thol·o·gy/
◦ Noun: A collection of myths, esp. one belonging
to a particular religious or cultural tradition
◦ A set of stories or beliefs about a particular
person, institution, or situation, esp. when
exaggerated or fictitious
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What is the purpose of the ancient gods and
goddesses?
◦ To explain natural phenomena or disasters, the
origin of the world, and to embody the ideals of a
culture/society
Types of Greek Gods/Goddesses
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Primordial Deities
◦ Ouranos (God of the Heavens, father of Titans)
◦ Gaea (Goddess of Earth, mother of Titans)
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Titans
◦ Kronos (God of Time, the Crooked One, father
of six Olympian Gods/Goddesses)
◦ Rhea (Goddess of Motherhood, Fertility, etc.,
mother of six Olympian Gods/Goddesses)
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Olympians
◦ Twelve thrones, but many lesser deities around
Zeus
The “Father of Gods and
Men” was the ruler of all
the Olympian gods
 He is the god of the sky and
thunder
 His weapon is the
thunderbolt
 He is married to his sister,
Hera
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Poseidon
God of the Sea and the god of horses
 The “Earth Shaker” of ancient Greece
 Brother of Zeus, married to Amphitrite
 His symbol is the trident (three-pronged
spear)
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Ares
God of war
 Son of Zeus and Hera
 He represented brutal force, he enjoyed the
battles and the bloodshed, he didn't really
care about fighting for a good cause - and
he wasn't always the winner
 He was handsome and he had many love
affairs with goddesses or with mortals, the
most well-known being his affair with
Aphrodite
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Apollo
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The god of light, order, arts and muses, reason,
prophecy
The son of Zeus and Leto (a Titan)
The twin brother of Artemis
He is represented as a young and handsome
man, sometimes in a chariot, given to him by his
father, Zeus.
He also gave both twins
bows and arrows
Often called “The Sun God”
Hephaestus
God of the Forge and Fire
 Married to Aphrodite
 He is often seen as a dark haired man who has
difficulty walking due to malformed feet
 Hephaestus is creative, cunning, and an able metal
worker BUT he can be crafty and vindictive.
 His parents are Zeus and Hera
 Hera bore him without the help of a father, Hera
is also said to have thrown him into the sea,
where he was rescued by Thetis and her sisters.
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Hermes
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The God of animal husbandry, roads, travel, hospitality,
heralds, diplomacy, trade, thievery, language, writing,
persuasion, cunning wiles, athletic contests,
gymnasiums, astronomy, and astrology
He was also the personal agent and herald of Zeus, the
king of the gods
Also the “Messenger God” and guide to the
Underworld
Hermes was depicted as either a handsome and
athletic, beardless youth, or as an older
bearded man
His attributes included the herald's wand
or kerykeion (Latin caduceus), winged boots,
and sometimes a winged traveler’s cap and
cloak
Hera
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The Goddess of marriage and monogamy
Hera's said to be a young beautiful woman, and
said to be the most beautiful of all goddesses, even
beating out Aphrodite
Hera's Symbol or Attribute: The peacock
She is married to Zeus
Hera's Children: (with Zeus) Ares and then
Hephaestus, usually said to be by Zeus, but
sometimes by Hera alone
In ancient times Hera was revered as being the
only one the Greek goddesses who accompanied a
woman through every step of her life
The goddess Hera blessed and protected a
woman's marriage, bringing her fertility, protecting
her children, and helping her find financial security
Demeter
She is the goddess of agriculture,
grain, and bread, the prime
sustenance of mankind
 Demeter was depicted as a mature woman,
often crowned and holding sheaves of wheat
and a torch
 Had a daughter with Zeus, named
Persephone
 Hades abducted her daughter and forced
her to marry him, to stay in the Underworld
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Athena
The goddess of wisdom, courage,
inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength,
strategy, female arts, crafts, justice, and
skill
 She is the daughter of Zeus and the Titan
Metis
 She is usually depicted clothed in
armor, carrying a shield with the
gorgon’s head on it and an owl
on her shoulder, signifying wisdom
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Artemis
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Goddess of the Hunt and the Wilderness
She also assisted in childbirth and was protector
of young girls up until they were old enough to
marry
She is depicted as an eternally young woman,
beautiful and vigorous, wearing a short costume which leaves
her legs free
Artemis' Symbol or Attribute: Her bow, which she uses to
hunt, and her hounds. She often wears the lunar crescent on
her brow.
She is physically strong, able to defend herself, defender and
guardian of women in childbirth and of wildlife in general
Artemis dislikes men and opposes the institution of marriage
and the subsequent loss of freedom it entails for women
Parents of Artemis: Zeus and Leto
Has a twin brother, Apollo
Spouse: None, she runs with her maidens in the forests
Aphrodite
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Goddess of love, beauty and fertility
Daughter of Zeus and Dione
Married to Hephaestus, but has an affair with Ares
She is a gorgeous, perfect, eternally young woman
with a beautiful body
Her symbol or attribute is her Girdle, which has
magical powers to compel love
She has potent sexual attractiveness, dazzling beauty,
but she is a bit stuck on herself
Alternate origin story: She was believed to be born
of the foam in the sea which bubbled after Ouranos
was slain and she emerged from the water
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of wine, agriculture,
and fertility of nature, who is also the
patron god of the Greek stage or the arts
 He invented wine and spread the art of
tending grapes
 Dual nature: on the one hand bringing joy
and devine ecstasy, on the other
brutal, unthinking, rage
 Son of Zeus and Semele, a human
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◦ (Zeus’ thigh)
Hestia
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HESTIA was the virgin
goddess of the hearth and the home
As the goddess of the family hearth she also presided over the
cooking of bread and the preparation of the family meal
Hestia was also the goddess of the sacrificial flame and received
a share of every sacrifice to the gods
She is the first child of Rhea and Kronos
As the first to be swallowed she was also the last to be
disgorged, and so was named as both the eldest and youngest of
the six Kronides
Hestia was depicted in Athenian vase painting
as a modestly veiled woman sometimes holding
a flowered branch
In classical sculpture she was also veiled, with
a kettle as her attribute