Download 8-23_2A_MYTH_INTRO

Greek and Roman Mythology
An introduction to
the Principal Gods and Goddesses
What is a myth?
A traditional story rooted in primitive
folk beliefs of cultures
 Uses the supernatural to interpret
natural events
 Explains the culture’s view of the
universe and the nature of humanity
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The Greek mythology of today was the
religion of yesterday.
For the Greeks…
The gods and goddesses were directly
responsible for the success or failure of
human life, so the Greeks prayed, gave
offerings and built temples to please
them.
 Unlike religions prior to the Greeks and
most religions today, the Greek gods
were anthropomorphic—they looked
and acted like humans.
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In the beginning...
…was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)
 From out of Chaos, Gaea, or Mother
Earth was formed.
 Gaea made Uranus (Father Sky) to
cover her and to be a home for the
gods.
 With Uranus, Gaea created the Titans,
the Elder Gods.
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The Titans (The Elder Gods)
There were many of them, enormous in
size with incredible strength.
 Cronus (Saturn): Ruler of the Titans
 Rhea: Wife of Cronus, mother of the
Olympians
 Oceanus: River that encircled the world
 Mnemosyne: Memory, mother of the
muses
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Then…
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Cronus, with Gaea’s blessing, defeats Uranus
by castrating him and becomes the ruler of
all.
Worried that one of his children will do the
same to him, he swallows them as soon as
they are born.
After Cronus swallows five of his children
(Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Hestia, and
Demeter), Rhea gives birth to Zeus.
Rhea saves her son by tricking Cronus into
The Fall of the Titans
Zeus grows up in hiding and returns to
challenge Cronus.
 He poisons is father in order to rescue his
brothers and sisters.
 After a prolonged battle, Zeus and the
gods eventually overcome the Titans, and
become rulers of the world.
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The Olympians
The gods ruled from a
palace on the summit
of Mt. Olympus, built
for Zeus by the
Cyclopes.
Zeus
Roman Name:
Jupiter
 Supreme god of the
Olympians
 God of the Sky,
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Thunder and Lightning
Symbols: eagle,
lightning bolt
Hera
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Roman Name:
Juno
Zeus’s sister and
wife
Goddess of
Marriage
Punished the
women Zeus fell in
love with
Symbols: peacock,
cow
Poseidon
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Roman Name:
Neptune
God of the Seas
and Waters
“The Earthshaker”
Symbols: trident,
horse
Hades
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Roman Name:
Pluto
God of the
Underworld/ Dead
Kidnapped
Persephone
Symbols: cap of
invisibility, Cerebus
(3-headed dog)
Demeter
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Roman Name:
Ceres
Goddess of the
Harvest &
Agriculture
Symbols: sheaf
of wheat, corn
Hestia
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Roman Name:
Vesta
Goddess of the
Hearth & Home
Powerful
Protector
Symbol: fireplace
Athena
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Roman Name:
Minerva
Goddess of
Wisdom and Just
War
Sprang from
Zeus’s head
Symbols: owl,
olive
Ares
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Roman Name: Mars
God of War
Son of Zeus and
Hera
Bloodthirsty,
merciless &
cowardly
Symbols: dog,
vulture
Hephaestus
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Roman Name:
Vulcan
God of Fire/Forge
Son of Zeus and
Hera
Kind, unlike his
brother Ares
Symbol: anvil
Apollo
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Roman Name:
Apollo
God of Sun, Truth,
Healing, Prophesy &
Music
Most handsome of
the gods
Brother of Artemis
Symbols: sun, laurel
Artemis
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Roman Name:
Diana
Goddess of the
Moon, the Hunt
& Youth
Sister to Apollo
Symbols: deer,
the moon
Hermes
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Roman Name: Mercury
Messenger of the Gods
Protector of shepherds
& thieves
Appears in more myths
than any other
character
Symbol: winged
sandals
Aphrodite
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Roman Name: Venus
Goddess of Love &
Beauty
Sprang from the
ocean foam
Married to Hephaestus
Mother of Eros
(Roman Name: Cupid)
Symbols: shell, dove,
sparrow
Dionysus
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Roman Name:
Bacchus
God of Wine &
Festivity
Patron god of the
Greek stage
Symbols: drinking
cup, leopard, grape
vine
Persephone
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Roman Name:
Proserpina
Goddess of the
Underworld
Daughter of Zeus and
Demeter
Abducted by Hades
Symbols: wreath of
flowers, pomegranate
The Muses
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Nine daughters of
Zeus and
Mnemosyne
Inspired artists of all
kinds
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Goddesses who
presided over the
arts and sciences
“He is happy whom
the muses love.”
Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Polyhymnia
The Fates
Roman Name: Parcae, Moirae
 Three sisters
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– Clotho (“The Spinner”)
– Lachesis (“The disposer of lots”)
– Atropos (“The cutter”)
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They weave, measure, and cut the
thread of life for humans.
The Graces The Furies
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Three Goddesses of
Grace and Beauty
Aglaia (Splendor)
Euphrosyne (Mirth)
Thalia (Good Cheer)
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Three Goddesses of
Vengeance
– Tisiphone (Avenging Murder)
– Alecto (Unceasing)
– Megaera (Grudging)
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They punish evildoers.
The Gorgons
Three snakehaired monsters
 Medusa is most
well-known
 Their look turns
men to stone.
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The Lego
Pantheon
Sources
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Graphics in this presentation were taken from
the following web sites:
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http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.html
http://www.pantheon.org/
http://www.messagenet.com/myths/
http://mythman.com/
http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.html
http://www.paleothea.com/
http://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/myth.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunechaser/103708543/in/photostre
am/