Transcript File - Stallsworth`s Weebly

The Greek and Roman Gods
The Origins of the Gods
The top 12 of Olympus
Hamilton’s Introduction to Mythology
Before the Greeks, mankind was afraid of the
unknown and used sacrifice as a way to appease
angry spirits or predators.
 The “Greek miracle”: the Greeks eventually evolve
past the idea of human sacrifice to a more
enlightened people; gods were used to explain the
unknown
 Myth was used not only as entertainment but also
early science.

Hamilton’s Introduction to Mythology.
Unlike previous deities, Greek Gods were
made in man’s image to show how
humans became the center of the
universe.
 Because they looked like humans, gods
showed the perfection of the human form
and emphasized the ideal of beauty,
strength, wisdom, etc.
 This also gave the gods flaws, making
them more relatable.

How do the following pictures support
what Edith Hamilton says in the second
paragraph on page 5?
Egyptian Gods Ra
Greek Gods Artemis
Creation of the World
 From
nothing, there came Chaos
 Night and Erebus were born of
Chaos
 Love was born of Erebus
 Light and Day were born of Love
The Birth of the First Creatures
Ouranos (Heaven) and Gaia (Earth)
parent the first creatures
1. Three monsters with 100 hands, 50
heads
2. Three Cyclopes (one-eyed giants)
3. Titans (as powerful as brothers, but
not purely destructive
*****Gaia = geo (prefix meaning earth)
titanic = enormous, strong, powerful
The Titans
Cronus (Saturn): most powerful, father
of Zeus
 Ocean: river encircling the earth
 Hyperion: father of sun, moon, and
dawn
 Mnemosyne: memory
 Themis: justice
 Atlas
 Prometheus
Brothers, who together
 Epimetheus
caused the fall of man

*****mnemonic = intended to assist the
memory
Daddy Issues
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Ouranos was a terrible father: hating
his 100-handed sons, he locked them
in the earth
Gaia begged her son Cronus to help
Cronus overthrew Ouranos and
wounded him
From his blood, Giants & Furies are born

Cronus is lord of the universe for
untold ages
He never actually frees his brothers (you
know, the reason he was supposed to fight
dad in the first place)
War: Gods v Titans
And More Daddy Issues

Cronus & sister-queen Rhea have 6
children
Hades, Demeter, Hera, Poseidon, Hestia, Zeus
Prophecy: one of Cronus’s children will
overthrow him
 Cronus swallows all his babies whole
 Rhea is not pleased

Secretly sends 6th baby (Zeus)
to Crete
Gives hubby a rock wrapped
in a blanket, which he swallows
Zeus grows up, makes
dad throw up his siblings, and war is on
Taking Sides
Titans, obviously, side with Cronus
and fight Zeus and his siblings
 War almost wrecks the universe
 Titans lose for 2 reasons

Zeus frees the 100-handed
monsters, who naturally
fight on his side
Titan Prometheus
fights for Zeus
Crime and Punishment

Zeus punishes the Titans in a big
way
Most are bound in chains under the earth
Atlas is forced to carry the earth on his
back/shoulders
*****atlas: a book of maps
Zeus (Jupiter)
Lord of the sky, rain god, cloud gatherer
 Grand but flawed

◦ Deceivable
◦ Has a serious weakness for females
◦ Fate is stronger than he is
Breastplate: Aegis
 Weapon: thunderbolt
 Bird: eagle
 Oracle: Dodona
(priests interpret his
will through the rustling
of oak leaves)

Hera (Juno)
Wife and sister of Zeus
 Protector of marriage
 ONLY in the tale of the Golden Fleece,
she protects and inspires heroes
 Venerated in every home

◦ Daughter Ilithyia helps women in
childbirth

Jealous, spiteful, vindictive
◦ Constantly tortures her husband’s lovers
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Animals: cow, peacock
City: Argos
Poseidon (Neptune)
Ruler of the sea
Second only to Zeus
Wife is Amphitrite, a Nereid, granddaughter of
Ocean
 Undersea palace is splendid,
but he hangs out on Olympus
most of the time
 Storm and calm are
under his control
 Drives golden car
over waters
 Gave man the first horse
 Called Earth-shaker
 Carries a trident
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Hades (Pluto)

Ruler of the underworld and
the dead
◦ He is NOT death: Death is Thanatos
God of wealth & precious metals
under the earth
 Has a helmet that makes
the wearer invisible
 Not popular on Olympus
 Unpitying, inexorable, but just
 Wife is Persephone, daughter
of his sister Demeter

Pallas Athena (Minerva)
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Daughter of Zeus alone: sprang from his head in full armor
Zeus’s favorite child: trusted to carry his Aegis and
thunderbolt
Goddess of the city
◦ Protector of civilized life, handicrafts, agriculture
◦ Inventor of bridle
◦ Gave man the olive tree
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In the Iliad ONLY, she is a fierce battle
goddess
The leader of the 3 virgin goddesses
In Greek poetry she embodies 3 virtues
◦ Wisdom
◦ Reason
◦ purity

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City: Athens
Bird: Owl
Tree: olive
Phoebus Apollo
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Son of Zeus and Leto
The most Greek of all the gods
Beautiful
Master musician
Archer god
Teaches men the art of healing
God of Light
God of Truth: never speaks falsely
His oracle at Delphi is the most important
oracle
◦ Its center is the stone Cronus swallowed instead of Zeus

Associated with the sun
◦ He is NOT the sun god: the sun god is Helios

Dual nature
◦ Sometimes beneficent, a peace-maker, communicator of divine will
◦ Sometimes cruel and pitiless
Tree: laurel
 Animals: many, but especially the dolphin and crow

Artemis (Diana)
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Apollo’s twin, daughter of Zeus
and Leto
One of the 3 virgin goddesses
Lady of the wild things, huntsman
for the gods
Protects the young
Carries silver arrows
Dual nature
◦ Protects young, helps women with
swift, painless death
◦ Fierce and vindictive

Associated with the moon
◦ She is NOT the mood goddess:
the moon goddess is Selene
Tree: cypress
 Animals: all wild animals, but
especially the deer

Aphrodite (Venus)
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Goddess of love and beauty
Laughter-loving
Beguiling: steals the wits of the wise
Laughs at those she conquers
Parentage is questionable

Dual nature
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Wife of Hephaestus, the only ugly god
Tree: myrtle
Birds: dove, sparrow, swan (drives a
chariot pulled by swans)
◦ In the Iliad: daughter of Zeus and Dione
◦ In later poems: sprang from the foam of
the sea, landed on Cyprus
◦ Beautiful, brings light, joy, loveliness
◦ Treacherous and malicious
*****aphrodisiac = something that arouses desire
venereal = pertaining to sexual desire
Hermes (Mercury)
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Son of Zeus and Maia (daughter of Atlas)
Zeus’s messenger
◦ Graceful and swift
◦ Wings on sandals, hat, & wand (the Caduceus)

Most cunning of gods: master thief
◦ The day he was born, he stole Apollo’s herds
◦ Won Apollo’s forgiveness by giving him his invention: the lyre
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God of commerce and the market
Guide of the dead
Appears more often in myths than any other god
*****mercurial = quick-witted, lively, changeable
hermaphrodite = has reproductive organs of both sexes
(comes from a myth about Hermes’s child with Aphrodite)
Ares (Mars)
Son of Zeus & Hera: they can’t stand him
 God of war

◦ Hateful and ruthless
◦ Homer calls him murderous and bloodstained
◦ Innately a coward, runs away when wounded
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Attendants
◦ Eris: goddess of discord
◦ Strife: Eris’s sister
◦ Enyo: war goddess, who hangs with Terror,
Trembling, and Panic
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Romans liked Mars better than Greeks did Ares
Figures very little in myth
Lover of Aphrodite
No cities where he is worshipped
Bird: vulture
Animal: dog
*****martial: warlike (i.e. martial law or martial arts)
Hephaestus
(Vulcan or Mulciber)

Questionable parentage
◦ Sometimes son of Zeus and Hera
◦ Sometimes just Hera’s son (like Athena is just his)
God of fire
 The only ugly god, and has a limp to boot

◦ Some myths say Hera saw he was ugly & threw
◦ him off Olympus
◦ Others say he defended Hera against Zeus, so
◦ Zeus threw him

Workman of the immortals
◦ Makes their dwellings, armor, furnishings, weapons
◦ Has handmaidens he made out of gold
◦ His workshop can be found under this or that volcano

Wife
◦ Iliad: one of the three Graces
◦ Odyssey: Aphrodite
Kindly, peace-loving, popular with mortals
 Patron of handicrafts, as is Athena
*****volcano
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Hestia (Vesta)
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Sister of Zeus
One of the 3 virgin goddesses
Goddess of the hearth and home
◦ Mortal meals begin & end w/ offering
to her
◦ Each city had a public hearth in her
honor
◦ Newborns must be carried around
hearth to be received into the family
In Rome, her priestesses are
virgins, called Vestals
 No distinct personality, plays
no part in myths
*****vestal = virginal
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Lesser Gods of Olympus
Eros (Cupid)
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God of love, his home is in men’s hearts
Represented blindfolded
Said to be Aphrodite’s son
Dual nature
◦ Cannot do or allow wrong; force can’t come near him
◦ In later myths, mischievous or even evil

Attendants
◦ Anteros: avenges slighted love
◦ Himeros: longing
◦ Hymen: god of wedding feast
*****erotic = arousing desire
cupidity = greed
Hebe
Goddess of youth
 Daughter of Zeus and
Hera
 Cupbearer to the gods
 Marries Hercules
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Iris
Goddess of the rainbow
 Messenger of the gods

Hebe and Iris
The Graces
Daughters of Zeus and Eurynome (daughter
of Ocean)
 Not separate personalities, except in one
myth, in which Aglaia marries Hephaestus
 Triple incarnation of grace and beauty

◦ Aglaia: splendor
◦ Euphrosyne: mirth
◦ Thalia: good cheer
Dance to music of
Apollo’s lyre
 No party is complete
without them
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The Muses
 Clio: history
Daughters of Zeus &
Mnemosyne
Take away men’s
unhappy thoughts
Companions of
Apollo
Can make lies sound
true
Inspirers of men
There are 9
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Urania: astronomy
Melpomene:
tragedy
Thalia: comedy
Terpsichore: dance
Calliope: epic poetry
Erato: love poetry
Polyhymnia: songs
to gods
Euterpe: lyric poetry
*****hymn = song to
god
Zeus’s Cabinet on olympus
Themis: divine justice
 Dike: human justice
 Nemesis: righteous anger
 Aidos: reverence (the shame that
keeps men in line
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*****nemesis = an opponent or rival
that
cannot be overcome; an
agent or
act of retribution
Gods of the Waters
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Poseidon
Ocean
Pontus: deep sea
Nereus: son of Pontus;
old man of the sea, has 50 daughters
called Nereids
Triton: trumpeter of the sea (uses conch
shell)
Proteus: shapeshifter, sees the future
Naiads: water nymphs (freshwater)
Nereids: water nymphs (saltwater)
Two Great
Gods of Earth
Demeter and Dionysus
Demeter (Ceres)

Goddess of the harvest

Mother of Persephone
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Lost her daughter
◦ Persephone wandered too far, enticed by a flower
◦ Hades dragged her through a chasm to the underworld

Demeter left Olympus to search for Persephone
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Neglected the earth, harvests suffered
◦ Zeus is alerted by suffering humanity, sends Hermes for Persephone
◦ Persephone ate pomegranate seeds in the underworld: if you eat
anything down there, you can’t leave

Compromise
◦ Persephone must live with Hades in underworld for 4 months per year
◦ When Persephone is gone, Demeter mourns, fields are barren = winter
◦ On Persephone’s return, life returns = spring
◦ Persephone is the goddess of the spring
*****cereal
Dionysus (Bacchus)
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Son of Zeus and Semele
◦ Hera, jealous, tricks Semele: make Zeus promise (by the
Styx) to show himself in all his glory
◦ Semele is killed by the burning light of his glory
◦ Zeus snatches the child, near birth, to store in his thigh
God of the vine: born of fire, nursed by rain
◦ He is a new god, arriving much later than all the other
gods, established by Zeus, his father, as a god to be
worshipped
◦ wanders the earth, teaching the culture of the vine
◦ Worshipped everywhere but his country
◦ He is the god of resurrection, dying, like the vine, each year,
to be resurrected later
Dionysus (Cont’D)

Followers are Maenads, or Bacchantes
◦ Women frenzied with wine rush across fields & woods in ecstasy, tear wild
creatures & devour
◦ Dionysus feeds them and helps them sleep it off
◦ Their beauty is counteracted by their bloody feasts
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Some refuse to believe
◦ Lycurgus, king of Thrace, is struck blind by Zeus
◦ Pentheus, king of Thebes & Dionysus’s cousin, is ripped to pieces by
Maenads that include his own mother
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Dual nature
◦ Beneficent and kind
◦ Cruel, driving men to terrible deeds
*****bacchanal = an occasion of drunken revelry
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Pan
Lesser Gods of Earth
◦ Son of Hermes
◦ God of goat herders, home is in wild places
◦ Frolics with nymphs
◦ Sounds heard at night are credited to him: panic
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Silenus
◦ Worships Dionysus
◦ Always drunk, rides an ass because he can’t stand up
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Castor and Pollux
◦ Twins, one is mortal, the other is immortal
◦ Couldn’t bear to be parted by death, so Pollux shares his immortality
w/ Castor
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Satyrs: half man, half goat
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Centaurs: half man, half horse
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Oreads: mountain nymphs
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Dryads: tree nymphs
Lesser Gods of Earth (cont.)
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Aeolus: god of the winds, father of the 4 winds
◦ Boreas (Aquilo): north
◦ Zephyr (Favonius): west
◦ Notus (Auster): south
◦ Eurus: east
Gorgons
◦ 3 earth-dwellers
◦ Monsters: dragon-like, snakes for hair, look turns a man to stone
Graiae
◦ 3 gray sisters to the Gorgons
◦ Share one eye
Sirens
◦ Their song lures sailors to death, but is irresistible
◦ No one knows what they look like
Fates
◦ 3 females, stronger than the gods, who give men their inherent good or evil
at birth
◦ Clotho: spins thread of life
◦ Lachesis: assigns destiny
◦ Atropos: carries shears to cut the thread of life
*****zephyr = gentle breeze
The Creation of Man

2 Titans who sided with Zeus are
responsible for creating man
◦ Epimetheus
 Name means “afterthought”
 Scatterbrained
 Gave best gifts to animals before making man,
leaving man with nothing
◦ Prometheus
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Name means “forethought”
Thought of a way to give man superiority
Fashioned man into a nobler shape: upright
Lit a torch from the sun and gave man fire to
protect him
The Fall of Man
Only men exist at first
 Zeus becomes angry with Prometheus and with man
◦ Prometheus helps man trick Zeus
◦ 2 sacks from a slaughtered ox: one has bones,
covered with juicy fat, the other has the edible meat,
covered with entrails
◦ Zeus chooses the pretty fat to be sacrificed to him
and later learns he got the raw end of that deal
 Man’s punishment is woman
◦ Zeus creates Pandora
◦ Gods gift her with every lovely quality (Pandora =
“gift of all”
◦ Zeus gives Pandora to Epimetheus as wife (he accepts,
in spite of Prometheus’s warning not to accept gifts
from Zeus)

the Fall oF man (Cont’D)
◦ Pandora is also given a box, with a warning never to
open it
◦ Of course, she opens it, and plagues, sorrow, &
mischief fly out
◦ Only hope is left in the box
 Prometheus’s punishment is more gruesome
◦ Chained to a mountaintop
◦ Each day, an eagle tears out his liver
◦ The liver always grows back overnight, so the process
can repeat itself.
Did you know? The liver is the only organ that
regenerates itself.
The Deluge
Men are so wicked, Zeus sends a flood to destroy
them
 Only Mt. Parnassus is not quite covered.
 9 days, 9 nights of rain
 2 people are saved

◦ Deucalion (Prometheus’s son) & Pyrrha (Epimetheus’s
daughter)
◦ Prometheus advises them to hide in a wooden chest
◦ They are faithful to Zeus and allowed to live

Repopulating the earth
◦ A voice tells Deucalion to throw the bones of his
mother behind him
◦ Earth is mother, stones are her bones
◦ The stones take human shape.
Mythological Locales
The Underworld
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Rulers: Hades and Persephone
Location
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Rivers separating underworld from earth
◦ Beneath secret places of earth (Iliad)
◦ Over edge of world, across ocean (Odyssey)
◦ Various entrances in caverns & deep lakes (later
poetry)
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Acheron: woe
Phlegethon: fire
Cocytus: lamentation
Lethe: forgetfulness
Styx: the unbreakable
oath
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Divisions of the Underworld
◦ Tartarus
 Prison of sons of earth
 Deepest region
 Wrongdoers are punished here
◦ Erebus: where the dead pass &
are judged when they die
◦ Elysian Fields: place of blessedness,
where the good go

Important Figures
◦ Cerberus: 3-headed dog guards entrance (you can come in,
but you can’t leave)
◦ Judges: Minos, Aeacus, Rhadamanthus
◦ Erinyes (Furies)
 Greeks believed they pursued sinners on earth
 Romans placed them in underworld, punishing dead sinners
◦ Sleep and Death: brothers, send dreams from underworld
through 2 gates
 Horn: true dreams
 Ivory: false dreams
Some Suffering Sinners in the
Underworld
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Ixion: insulted Hera, so was bound to a spinning, flaming wheel for eternity
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Sisyphus: betrayed a secret of Zeus, so now he spends eternity pushing a
boulder up a hill, only to have it roll down before he can get to the very top
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The Danaids: 49 sisters who murdered their grooms and now have to fill
barrels that are full of holes (spoiler: it always drains out)
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Tantalus: he’s the worst! He served his own children to gods for dinner. His
punishment? He stands waist-deep in a pool of clear, fresh water, under a tree
full of juicy ripe fruit. He is super thirsty and super hungry, but when he
reaches for fruit, the branches pull back, and when he tries to drink, the water
recedes. So he’s surrounded by food and water and can have none.
*****tantalize: to dangle the bait, always just out of reach!