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GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Myth I
The Greek World
Geography
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Greece is made of a mainland
surrounded by the Aegean sea and
thousands of islands
Much of Greece is mountainous
Also has many dense forests
The sea, mountains, and woods
often play a part in Greek myths
Geography, cont.
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Greece was
divided into
several different
regions
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Attica and the
Peloponnesus are
two
Greek cities acted
as small countries
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Each had its own
government, rules,
and beliefs
Important Places
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Mount Olympus
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Delphi
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Major city in many Greek myths
Sparta
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Site of the Olympic games
Thebes
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Biggest and most powerful city in Ancient Greece
Olympia
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Considered “center of the world”
Famous oracle of Apollo lived there
Athens
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Greece’s highest mountain
Believed to be home of the gods
Powerful military state
Troy
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The site of the Trojan War
Timeline
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The Minoan Period: 3000-1100BC
The Mycenaean Period: 1600-1100BC
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Greek Dark Age: 1100-730BC
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Hesiod: c.700
Classical Period: 500-300BC
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First Olympic Games: 776
Homer: c.750
Archaic Period: 730-500BC
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Probable time of Trojan War
Peloponnesian War: 431-404BC
Rule of Alexander the Great: 336-323
Hellenistic Period: 300-200BC
Greece becomes part of Roman Empire: 146BC
Religion
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Greeks were very
religious in that they
performed many
ceremonies, sacrifices,
and festivals for the
gods
However, Greek religion
did not have sacred
writings or a set dogma,
so freedom of thought
was encouraged
Other more fanatic
sects/cults existed as
well for those who
wanted more personal
commitment to a
certain god
The Olympian Gods
Overview
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The gods we think of as the Greek
pantheon descended from the
Titans who descended from older,
natural forces (like Mother Earth)
These gods live on Mount Olympus,
eating ambrosia and drinking
nectar, while they rule over the
Earth and mankind
Zeus
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Ruler of the gods
Considered protector of
family and state, source of
justice, upholder of oaths
Bulls and oak trees were
sacred to Zeus
His symbols are the
thunderbolt and the eagle
Known for his many affairs
with both mortals and
goddesses
One example: Zeus and Europa
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Europa was a young princess of
Phoenicia who caught Zeus’s eye
As she was playing in a field with her
friends, Zeus appeared as a beautiful
bull
The girls petted the bull and Europa
climbed on its back; immediately Zeus
ran off with her to the island of Crete
There Zeus revealed his identity, and
Europa eventually bore him three sons
Hera
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Wife and sister of
Zeus
Goddess of marriage
and childbirth
She hated Zeus’s
affairs and often
punished his
mistresses and their
children
Her symbol is the
peacock
Poseidon
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God of the sea, rivers,
fountains, horses,
earthquakes and
volcanoes
Married to Amphitrite,
but had many affairs
Known for his
dangerous temper
His symbol is the trident
One example: Poseidon and Scylla
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Scylla was one of Poseidon’s
mistresses; Amphitrite punished her
by pouring a poisonous potion into
Scylla’s bath
Scylla was turned into a monster with
12 feet and six heads whose lower
body was a pack of barking dogs
The gods confined her to a cave by
the sea where she ate sailors off of
passing ships
Demeter
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Goddess of grain and
the harvest
Her symbols were a
crown of corn and
lighted torch or
cornucopia
She and Zeus had a
daughter named
Persephone
Hades
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God of the underworld
and wealth
Married to his niece,
Persephone
His symbol is his helmet
of darkness/invisibility
He was associated with
the 3 Furies and the
goddess of witchcraft,
Hecate
Hestia
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Goddess of the hearth
and home
She plays almost no role
in the myths because she
refused to take part in
any of the gods
arguments and wars
She also swore to remain
a virgin
It is said that she gave
up her throne on Mount
Olympus to make way for
Dionysus
Aphrodite
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Goddess of love and
beauty
Married to Hephaestus,
but had many affairs,
especially with Ares
She owned a magic
girdle/belt that made
her irresistible to any
man
Her symbols are doves,
swans, and sparrows
One example: Aphrodite and Eos
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Aphrodite caught Ares with another
mistress: Eos, the goddess of dawn
Aphrodite cursed Eos, saying she would
only desire mortal men, not gods
Eos fell in love with Tithonus, a prince
of Troy
Eos granted him the gift of eternal life,
but forgot to give him eternal youth
He became so miserable that they
begged Zeus to kill him, but Zeus could
only turn him into a grasshopper
Athena
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Goddess of wisdom and crafts
Zeus’s favorite child
Patron goddess of Athens
Sworn virgin
Known as an expert weaver
Protector of heroes
Invented the first ship and
taught men how to sail
Her symbols are the owl, a
helmet, and a spear
The Birth of Athena
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Zeus’s first wife, the Titaness Metis,
became pregnant
Zeus was afraid that the child would be
more powerful than he, so he swallowed
Metis while she was still pregnant
However, Zeus soon developed a
horrible headache
One of the other gods cut Zeus’s head
open with an axe, and out popped
Athena, fully grown and armed
Artemis
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Goddess of the hunt,
wild animals, the moon,
childbirth, and women
She lived in the wild
forest
Sworn virgin
Associated with human
sacrifice longer than any
other Greek god
Her symbols are the
bow and arrow
Apollo
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God of light, music,
poetry, prophecy, and
healing
Twin brother of Artemis
Epitomized the Greek
ideal
Had many unhappy
affairs
His temple was at Delphi
His symbols are the lyre,
bow, and laurel
The Birth of Artemis and Apollo
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Zeus had an affair with the Titaness Leto
When Hera found out, she sent the giant
snake Python to torture the pregnant
Leto
Zeus turned Leto into a bird to save her,
but Hera then cursed her, saying she
could never land on the ground
Finally, she was able to land on the
island of Delos, where she gave birth to
Artemis
Artemis then helped Leto deliver her twin
brother Apollo
Hephaestus
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God of forges and
metalwork
Ugly and crippled
Married to Aphrodite
Made beautiful items
for the gods, including
Zeus’s thunderbolts
and Olympus’s magic
furniture
His symbols are tongs
and an anvil
Hephaestus’ Birth #1
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Hera was jealous that Zeus was able to
produce Athena from his own head, so
she decided to have a child without any
help
However, when Hephaestus was born,
he was so ugly that Hera threw him off
Mount Olympus
He crashed into the earth and was
forever crippled
Hephaestus’ Birth #2
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Hephaestus was the son of Zeus and
Hera and was born normal and
healthy
However, during one of his parents’
fights, Hephaestus took Hera’s side,
which angered Zeus
Zeus threw Hephaestus off Mount
Olympus, and he fell for nine days
He eventually crashed on the island of
Lemnos, becoming crippled
Ares
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God of War
Son of Hera and Zeus
Not popular with the
Greeks
He loved the carnage and
destruction of war, and
would often change sides
Not shown to be very
brave or heroic
His symbols were a
helmet and spear
Hermes
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God of shepherds,
travelers, and thieves
Divine messenger
Conductor of dead souls
to the underworld
Son of Zeus and Maia
Invented the lyre
Known as a trickster, but
also helped the gods
His symbols are his
winged sandals, hat, and
staff
Dionysus
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God of wine and
drunkeness
His symbols are
grape vines and ivy
He was married to
Ariadne, a mortal
that he brought back
to life
Known to be kind
and generous
Dionysus’ Birth
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Zeus had an affair with a mortal named
Semele, a princess of Thebes
When Hera learned Semele was
pregnant, she disguised herself as an
old woman and persuaded Semele to
ask Zeus for proof that he really was a
god
First, Semele made Zeus promise to
give her anything she wanted, and then
she asked to see his true self
Dionysus’ Birth con’t
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Zeus could not break his promise, even
though he knew his full glory would kill
her
Semele burst into flames and burned to
death, but Zeus was able to save the
unborn baby
He sewed the baby into his thigh until
it was ready to be born a few months
later
Pan
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God of shepherds and
flocks, mountain wilds,
hunting, and rustic music
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Also a fertility god
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Later associated with Satan
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Used to help defeat the Titans
He is a faun or satyr—
having the hindquarters,
legs, and horns of a goat
Some say he is the son of
Zeus, Hermes, or Dionysus;
others say he is older than
all those gods
Able to inspire terror (panic)
in people
Created the panpipe