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A brief look into the world of
Mythology
What is a myth?
• A myth may be broadly defined as a
narrative (a story), that through many
retellings, has become an accepted
tradition in a society
Why do we still study mythology?
1) myths tell us about our relationships with
each other
2) myths tell us about our relations with the
natural world
3) myths tell us about our relationship with
the cosmos, god or gods.
Why were myths created?
• Myths were created so that people long
ago could make sense of the world around
them. Because science was not as
advanced as it is today, stories were
created to explain the unexplainable.
• For example, Why does the sun rise?
• Greeks thought that the god Apollo chased
the sun up into the sky each morning.
The 12 main gods and goddesses
• First let’s practice
saying the Olympian
Gods and Goddess’
names.
Zeus (zoos)
Posiedon (Puh-sigh-done)
Hades (Hay-deez)
Hestia (Hes-tee-uh)
Hera (Hair-uh)
Ares (Air-eeze)
Athena (Uh-thee-nuh)
Apollo (Uh-paul-low)
Aphrodite (Af-roh-dye-tee)
Hermes (Her-meez)
Artemis (Are-tuh-miss)
Hephaestus (Huh-fys-tuhs)
Zeus– God of Gods
• Zeus is the God of gods
and men, the greatest
and most powerful of all
Olympians. Other
names for Zeus are the
Lord of the Sky, the
Rain God, and the
Cloud Gatherer. Zeus'
bird is the eagle, and
his tree, the oak.
Zeus—A Strange Birth
• Cronus, Zeus’ father, used to
swallow his children at birth for
fear that they would overthrow
him. When Zeus was born, Rhea
(his mother) gave Cronus a stone
wrapped in swaddling to swallow
instead of the new born infant.
Zeus was secretly sent to be
raised by nymphs. Later he came
back to overthrow his father,
making Zeus the supreme God of
the Olympians. The world was
devided between Zeus (who took
the sky) Poseidon (who took the
sea), and Hades (who took the
underworld).
Zeus’ Family
• Zeus was married to his
sister, Hera. He came to
her disguised as a little
cuckoo bird and hid in
her clothes during a
rainstorm.
• Zeus had many affairs,
which resulted in a
numerous amount of
offspring.
• Zeus himself couldn't
name all his children!
To the left
you will
see a ruin
from the
temple of
Zeus.
Poseidon– Ruler of the Sea
•
Poseidon is the ruler of the sea.
•
Poseidon is credited with
having created the horse, in
order to impress a goddess
named Demeter. She asked him
to create the most beautiful
animal in the world. Some
accounts of his first attempts
were unsuccessful and he
created a variety of animals. By
the time the horse was created,
his passion for Demeter had
cooled.
•
His signature weapon is the
trident, and he was commonly
called "Earth-shaker."
Poseidon– God of the Sea
• It is said that Poseidon rode a golden chariot pulled by
white horses. At his approach, storms ceased and sea
creatures frolicked about the chariot. He had a beautiful
palace under the sea, but was more often found on
Olympus. The trident he carried was capable of creating
terrible storms and shaking the earth.
Possibly because of the association between violent
storms and the sea, Poseidon was often depicted in
mythology as an angry, turbulent god. There are several
myths in which the sea god reveals his terrible temper.
Hades—God of the Underworld
• Hades is the brother of Zeus and
Poseidon. Hades had the worst draw
when the world was divided up after
the overthrow of his father Cronus.
He became God of the underworld,
and ruled over the dead. He was a
greedy god, who is greatly
concerned with increasing the
amount of subjects in the
underworld.
• He is also the god of wealth, due to
precious metals mined from the
earth. He has a helmet that makes
him invisible and he rarely leaves the
underworld. He is an unpitying and
terrible God.
Hestia—Goddess of Hearth
(hearth: area around a fireplace, symbolic of “home”)
Hestia is Zeus’ sister. She is a virgin
Goddess. She does not have a distinct
personality and plays no part in myths.
She is the Goddess of the Hearth, the
symbol of the house around which a
new born child is carried before it is
received into the family. Each city had
a public hearth sacred to Hestia, where
the fire was never allowed to go out.
Time for a break…
• Can you figure out this ancient riddle? A man
named Oedipus solved it in a myth!
• Riddle Of the Sphinx:
– Dating back over 2.500 years ago is this riddle.
"What is it that walks on four feet in the
morning, two at noon, and three at night?
– Those who could not answer this riddle were
to die.
Greek mythology names one man, Oedipus, who solved the riddle by
answering: "Man, who crawls on four limbs as a baby, who walks
upright on two as an adult, and who walks with the aid of a stick in old
age."
Hera– Goddess of Marriage
• Hera is the protector of marriage and the
goddess married women turned to for help.
• Hera was often said to be the most beautiful of
all the Olympians.
Argos was Hera's favorite city.
• Animals sacred to Hera are the cow and the
peacock.
Hera was married (despite being his
sister) to the very powerful Zeus.
Hera is renowned in mythology for
being an insanely jealous wife. Most
of the stories about Hera are about
her jealousy of Zeus' many affairs
and illegitimate children.
• Ares was the much
disliked God of War. His
name probably came
from the Greek word for
"revenge" or from the
Greek battle cry.
• Symbol or Attribute:
The spear. He is also
associated with vultures
and dogs.
• Strengths: Decisive,
determined, fearless.
• Weaknesses: Impulsive,
bloodthirsty, raring for a
fight regardless of the
consequences.
Ares—God of War
Ares’ throne was covered in human skin!
Athena—Goddess of Wisdom
• Athena is the daughter of Zeus.
She sprang full grown wearing
armor from his forehead; thus, she
has no mother.
• She is fierce and brave in battle.
• She is the goddess of the city,
handicrafts, and agriculture.
• She is the embodiment of wisdom,
reason, and purity.
• She was Zeus' favorite child and
was allowed to use his weapons,
including his thunderbolt.
• Her favorite city is Athens. Her tree
is the olive. The owl is her bird.
She is a virgin goddess.
Time for a break.
• Can you figure this out?
Can you figure out what was
written on this ancient vase?
Let’s
zoom
in…
Here is
the
word…
Answer: Boter
The Greek word Boter identifies this old
man as a herdesman. It is he who
emerges from the forest carrying
Melanippe's twin infants wrapped in an
animal skin and tells the story of finding
the twins guarded by a bull and suckled by
the cow.
Historians have decoded words in this
fashion to learn more about mythology.
Apollo
• Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister is
Artemis.
• He is known as the Archer, the god of music, healing,
light, and truth.
One of Apollo's more important daily
tasks is to harness his chariot with
four horses and drive the Sun across
the sky.
He is famous for his oracle at Delphi.
People traveled to it from all over the
Greek world to hear the future.
His tree was the laurel, his bird the
crow, and his animal the dolphin.
Aphrodite– Goddess of Love
• Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire and beauty. In
addition to her natural gifts she has a magical girdle that
compels anyone she wishes to desire her.
There are two
accounts of her birth.
One says she is the
daughter of Zeus
and Dione.
Another story says
that Aphrodite arose
from the sea foam
on a giant scallop
and walked to shore.
Hermes– Messenger
• Hermes is the son of Zeus and
Maia.
• He is Zeus’ messenger. He is the
fastest of the gods. He wears
winged sandals, a winged hat, and
carries a magic wand.
• He is the god of thieves and god of
commerce.
• He is the guide for the dead to go
to the underworld. .
Artemis– Goddess of Chastity
• Artemis’ twin brother is
Apollo. She is the lady of the
wild things. She is the
huntsman of the gods. She
is the protector of the young.
• Like Apollo she hunts with
silver arrows. She became
associated with the moon.
• She is a virgin goddess, and
the goddess of chastity. She
also presides over childbirth.
• All wild animals are sacred
to her, especially the deer.
Hephaestus
• Hephaestus is the son of Zeus
and Hera. Sometimes it is said
that Hera alone produced him
and that he has no father.
• He is the god of fire. He is kind
and peace loving.
•He is the only god to be physically ugly. He is also lame.
-Some say that Hera, upset by having an
ugly child, flung him from Mount Olympus into the
sea, breaking his legs.
-Others say that he took Hera's side in an
argument with Zeus, and Zeus flung him off
Mount Olympus.