Download DIONYSUS (Roman name Bacchus)

The Mexico Middle School and 6th grade social studies teacher Jeff Baum, thank the following
sponsors who have made this “Ancient Greek and Roman Gods/Goddesses Museum” a reality. Due to
their sponsorship of coins, suggestions and advice in creating this museum our students will be able to
obtain valuable hands on experiences from the Ancient World some 2000 years ago.
Greek Gods & Goddesses Family Tree
Roman Gods & Goddesses Family Tree
ZEUS
ZeuV
Roman Name: Jupiter
Zeus was the supreme god of the Olympians. He was the father of the heroes
Perseus and Heracles, the latter of whom once wrestled him to a draw. Zeus was
the youngest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. When he was born, his father
Cronus intended to swallow him as he had all of Zeus's siblings: Poseidon, Hades,
Hestia, Demeter and Hera. But Rhea hid the newborn in a cave on Mount Dicte in
Crete. When he had grown up, Zeus caused Cronus to vomit up his sisters and
brothers, and these gods joined him in fighting for control of the universe from the
Titans and Cronus, their king. Having vanquished his father and the other Titans,
Zeus imprisoned most of them in the underworld of Tartarus. Then he and his
brothers Poseidon and Hades divided up creation. Poseidon received the sea as his
domain, Hades got the Underworld and Zeus took the sky. Zeus also was accorded
supreme authority on earth and on Mount Olympus.
HERA
Hra
Roman Name: Juno
Hera was the goddess of marriage. She was the wife of Zeus and Queen of the
Olympians. Hera hated the great hero Heracles since he was the son of her husband
Zeus and a mortal woman. When he was still an infant, she sent snakes to attack
him in his crib. Later she stirred up the Amazons against him when he was on one of
his quests. On the other hand, Hera aided the hero Jason, who would never have
retrieved the Golden Fleece without her sponsorship. In Greek mythology, Hera
was the reigning female goddess of Olympus because she was Zeus's wife.
POSEIDON
Poseidwn
Roman Name: Neptune
Poseidon was the god of the sea, earthquakes and horses. Although he was officially
one of the supreme gods of Mount Olympus, he spent most of his time in his watery
domain. Poseidon was brother to Zeus and Hades. These three gods divided up
creation. Zeus was ruler of the sky, Hades had dominion of the Underworld and
Poseidon was given all water, both fresh and salt. Poseidon was known to drive his
chariot through the waves in unquestioned dominance. Poseidon had married a seanymph Amphitrite. The Olympians agreed that the earth itself would be ruled
jointly, with Zeus as king. This led to a number of territorial disputes among the
gods.
HADES
`AdhV
Roman Name: Pluto
The god Hades, son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, received the Underworld for his
realm, when his brother gods, Zeus and Poseidon, received dominion of the sky and
sea. The Cyclops gave Hades the helmet of invisibility to help in the gods' battle with
the Titans. Perseus later borrowed this helmet to decapitate Medusa. The name Hades
means "The Invisible." Hades is the enemy of all life, gods, and men. Hades has a
watchdog Cerberus, the key to the Underworld and a two-pronged pick-axe. The most
familiar myth about Hades is the story of the abduction of Persephone by Hades.
HESTIA
`Estia
Roman Name: Vesta
HESTIA was the 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. In myth Hestia was the first born child of Kronos and Rhea who was swallowed
by her father at birth. Zeus later forced the old Titan to disgorge Hestia and her
siblings. 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. When the gods Apollo and
Poseidon sought for her hand in marriage, Hestia refused and asked Zeus to let her
remain single. He agreed and she took her place at his royal hearth.
DEMETER
Dhmhthr
Roman Name: Ceres
Demeter was the goddess of agriculture. She was the sister of Zeus and the mother of
Persephone. Persephone was gathering flowers in a meadow one day when a huge
crack opened up in the earth and Hades, King of the Dead, emerged from the
Underworld. He seized Persephone and carried her off in his chariot, back down to his
realm below, where she became his queen. Demeter was heartbroken. She wandered
the length and breadth of the earth in search of her daughter, during which time the
crops withered and it became perpetual winter. At length Hades was persuaded to
surrender Persephone for one half of every year, the spring and summer seasons when
flowers bloom and the earth bears fruit once more. The half year that Persephone
spends in the Underworld as Hades' queen coincides with the barren season.
PERSEPHONE
Persefonh
Roman Name: Persipina
PERSEPHONE was the goddess queen of the underworld, wife of the god Hades. She was
also the goddess of spring growth, who was worshipped alongside her mother Demeter.
Once upon a time when she was playing in a flowery meadow, Persephone was seized by
Hades and carried off to the underworld as his bride. Her mother Demeter despaired at her
disappearance and searched for her throughout the world. When she learned that Zeus had
conspired in her daughter's abduction she was furious, and refused to let the earth fruit until
Persephone was returned. Zeus consented, but because the girl had tasted of the food of
Hades, she was forced to forever spend a part of the year with her husband in the
underworld. Her annual return to the earth in spring was marked by the flowering of the
meadows and the sudden growth of the new grain. Her return to the underworld in winter,
conversely, saw the dying down of plants and the halting of growth.
ATHENA
Aqhna
Roman Name: Minerva
Athena is the goddess of crafts, domestic arts and also those of war. She was the
patron goddess of Athens. Her symbol was the owl. She had come to be regarded
as a goddess of wisdom. Zeus was once married to Metis, a daughter of Ocean who
was renowned for her wisdom. When Metis became pregnant, Zeus was warned by
Earth that a son born to Metis would overthrow him, just as he had taken his own
father's throne. So Zeus swallowed Metis. In time he was overcome with a splitting
headache and summoned help from the craftsman god Hephaestus. Hephaestus
cleaved Zeus's forehead with an ax, and Athena sprang forth fully armed.
APOLLO
Apollwn
Roman Name: Apollo
Apollo was the god of prophesy, music and healing. Like most of his fellow
Olympians, Apollo did not hesitate to intervene in human affairs. When someone
died suddenly, he was said to have been struck down by one of Apollo's arrows.
Homer's epic of the Trojan War begins with the god causing a plague by raining
arrows down upon the Greek camp. As god of music, Apollo is often depicted
playing the lyre. He did not invent this instrument, however, but was given it by
Hermes in compensation for cattle theft. Some say that Apollo did invent the lute,
although he was best known for his skill on the lyre.
ARTEMIS
ArtemiV
Roman Name: Diana
Artemis was the goddess of the hunt. She helped women in childbirth but also
brought sudden death with her arrows. Artemis and her brother Apollo were the
children of Zeus and Leto. In some versions of their myth, Artemis was born first
and helped her mother to deliver Apollo. Artemis is generally depicted as a young
woman clad in buckskins, carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows. She is often
accompanied by wild creatures such as a stag or she-bear.
HEPHAESTUS
`HfaistoV
Roman Name: Vulcan
Hephaestus was the lame god of fire and crafts. He was a blacksmith. Hephaestus
was the son of Zeus and Hera or, in some accounts, of Hera alone. He limped
because he was born lame, which caused his mother to throw him off Mount
Olympus. Or in other accounts he interceded in a fight between Zeus and Hera, and
Zeus took him by the foot and threw him from Olympus to the earth far below.
Hephaestus also created the first woman, Pandora, at the command of Zeus, in
retaliation for the various tricks by which the Titan Prometheus had benefited mortal
men at the expense of the gods.
APHRODITE
Afrodith
Roman Name: Venus
Aphrodite was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. She was also a protectress
of sailors. The poet Hesiod said that Aphrodite was born from sea-foam. Homer,
on the other hand, said that she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione. The love
goddess was married to the homely craftsman-god Hephaestus. She was unfaithful
to him with Ares, and Homer relates in the Odyssey how Hephaestus had his
revenge.
EROS
ErwV
Roman Name: Cupid
EROS was the mischievous god of love and constant companion of the goddess
Aphrodite. It was Eros who lighted the flame of love in the hearts of the gods and
men, armed either with a bow and arrows or else a flaming torch. He was also the
object of cult. Eros was often portrayed as a child, the disobedient, but the fiercely
loyal, son of Aphrodite.
HERMES
`ErmhV
Roman Name: Mercury
Hermes was the messenger of the gods and guide of dead souls to the Underworld.
A prankster and inventive genius from birth, Hermes aided the heroes Odysseus and
Perseus in their quests. Hermes was the son of Zeus and a mountain nymph.
Hermes was known for his helpfulness to mankind. When Perseus set out to face the
Gorgon Medusa, Hermes aided him in the quest. According to one version of the
myth, he loaned the hero his own magic sandals, which allowed the wearer the
ability to fly. Some say that Hermes loaned Perseus a helmet of invisibility as well.
DIONYSOS
DionusoV
Roman Name: Bacchus
The god of wine. Dionysos was the son of Zeus and the mortal
heroine Semele. Dionysos rescued Ariadne after she had been
abandoned by Theseus. Dionysos also saved his mother from the
Underworld, after Zeus showed her his true nature as storm god and
consumed her in lightning. It was Dionysos who granted Midas the
power to turn whatever he touched into gold, then was kind enough
to take the power back when it proved inconvenient.
ARES
ArhV
Roman Name: Mars
Ares was the god of war. Though an immortal deity, he was beaten by Heracles in
battle and was almost killed when stuffed into a jar by two giants. In appearance,
Ares was handsome and cruel. He is often depicted carrying a bloodstained spear.
His throne on Mount Olympus was said to be covered in human skin. The Roman
god Mars, with whom Ares was identified, was the father of Romulus and Remus,
the mythological founders of Rome. Thus he was more important to the Romans
than his Greek counterpart. He was also more dignified.
HELIOS
`HlioV
Roman Name: Sol
HELIOS was the Titan god of the sun. He was also the guardian of oaths and the
god of gift of sight. Helios was depicted as a handsome, and usually beardless, man
clothed in purple robes and crowned with the shining aureole of the sun. His sunchariot was drawn by four steeds, sometimes winged. Helios was identified with
several gods including fiery Hephaestus and light-bringing Apollo.
SATURN
Roman Name: Saturn
Saturn was a major Roman god of agriculture and harvest. In medieval times he was called the
Roman God of Agriculture, Justice & Strength, in his right hand he would hold a sickle & in his
left hand he would hold a bunch of wheat stalks. Saturn was the father of Ceres, Jupiter, and
Veritas, among others. Saturn had a temple on the Forum Romanum which contained the Royal
Treasury. Saturn is the namesake of Saturday (dies Saturni), the only day of the week to retain its
Roman name in English.
ASKLEPIOS
AsklhpioV
Roman Name: Aesculapius
Asklepios (or Asclepius) was the god of medicine and reputed ancestor of the Asklepiades, the
ancient Greek doctors' guild. He was the son of Apollon and the Trikkaian princess Koronis. His
mother died in labour and was laid out on the pyre to be consumed, but his father rescued the
child, cutting him from her womb. From this he received the name Asklepios "to cut open." The
boy was raised by the kentauros (centaur) Kheiron who instructed him in the art of medicine.
Asklepios grew so skilled in the craft that he was able to restore the dead to life. However,
because this was a crime against the natural order, Zeus destroyed him with a thunderbolt.
Asklepios was depicted as a kindly, bearded man holding a serpent-entwined staff.
Herakles
Hraklῆς
Roman Name: Hercules
Heracles is the son Zeus and Alcmene. His gift was fabulous strength; he strangled two serpents in his
cradle, and killed a lion before manhood. Heracles' main opposition was Hera. She drove him mad, so
he killed his children and brother's. He exiled himself and consulted the oracle of Apollo. The oracle
told him to perform twelve labors. These twelve labors were: Kill the lion of Nemea. Kill the nineheaded Hydra. Two new heads would grow on the Hydra from each fresh wound, and one was
immortal. Heracles burned the eight and put the immortal one under a rock. Capture the Ceryneian
Hind. Kill the wild boar of Erymanthus. Clean the Augean Stables of King Augeas. He
succeeded only by diverting a nearby river to wash the muck away. Kill the carnivorous birds of
Stymphalis. Capture the wild bull of Crete. Capture the man-eating mares of Diomedes. Obtain
the girdle of Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons. Capture the oxen of Geryon. Take the golden
apples from the garden of the Hesperides, which was guarded by the dragon Ladon. Heracles
tricked Atlas into getting he apples by offering to hold the Earth for Atlas. When he returned with the
apples, Heracles asked him to take the Earth for a moment so he could go get a pillow for his aching
shoulders. Atlas did so, and Heracles left with his apples. Bring Cerberus, the three-headed dog of
Hades, to the surface world.
Hygeia
Ugeia
Roman Name: Salus
Hygeia was a daughter of Asclepius and granddaughter of Apollo. She was the goddess of health,
cleanliness and sanitation and afterwards, the moon. She also played an important part in her
father's cult. While her father was more directly associated with healing, she was associated with
the prevention of sickness and the continuation of good health. Her name is the source of the word
"hygiene".
Telesphoros
TelesforoV
Telesphoros was a son of Asclepius. He frequently accompanied his sister,
Hygieia. He was a dwarf whose face was always covered with a cowl. He wore a
Phrygian cap and sometimes held a scroll or tablet in his hands. He symbolized
recovery from illness, as his name means "bringing fulfillment" in Greek. He likely
originated circa 100 AD in Pergamon as part of the large Asclepian cult there.
Securitas
Roman Name: Securitas
Securitas was a Roman goddess who was the personification of security and
stability, especially the security of the Roman Empire. Romans were convinced
that the goddess would guarantee the safe continued existence of the empire.
Securitas is usually depicted leaning on a column or seated.
Pan
Pan
Pan was the god of shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music. He was
depicted as a man with the horns, legs and tail of a goat, and with thick beard, snub nose and
pointed ears. He wandered the hills and mountains of Arkadia playing his pan-pipes and
chasing Nymphs. His unseen presence aroused feelings of panic in men passing through the
remote, lonely places of the wilds.