Transcript Greek Gods and Goddesses

Greek/ Roman Gods
and Goddesses
The Pantheon: The 12
(Most Important) Roman
Gods
Polytheism
Is the belief in many Gods, instead of one
centralized figure
 Polytheistic culture has many rituals,
myths, and customs associated with
religious practices
 Gods are often perceived as human in
nature, though possessing gifts, talents,
and strengths beyond that of a human
being
 In the Odyssey and the Greek culture in
general, Gods frequently intervene in the
world of humanity.

The Pantheon
A
“pantheon” or a “group of all gods”
is the collection of major Gods and
Goddesses
 Members of the Greco-Roman
Pantheon of Gods will show up
frequently throughout the Odyssey,
and are often represented in modern
Western culture
 We’ll begin with the King of Roman
Gods…
Jupiter (Zeus)
King of all Gods
 Power of the Thunderbolt
 Married to Juno (Hera),
although Jupiter struggles
with “fidelity” issues
 Odysseus and other Greeks pray to him
above all others
 Brother of Neptune and Pluto, father of
Vulcan, Apollo, Diana, Mars, Venus (kind
of), and Mercury

Juno (Hera)
 Queen
of the Gods
 Goddess of Marriage
 Proud and jealous, she is
always trying to catch Jupiter
doing something inappropriate
 Favors Odysseus and the other
Greeks in the Trojan War for reasons
to be explained later
Aphrodite (Venus)
 Goddess
of Love
 Arose, fully formed, from the
clamshell as depicted in the
Botticelli’s painting “Birth of Venus”
 Most beautiful
woman in the world
 Married to Vulcan
but has an affair
with Mars (Ares)
Mars (Ares)
 God
of War
 Son of Jove and Juno
 Though not married, has
an ongoing affair with
Venus, until her husband catches
them
 Favors neither side in any war but
incites men on to battle for the sake
of violence
Minerva (Athena)
Goddess of Wisdom
 Favorite daughter of Jove
 Also the Protector, to whom
soldiers pray to when
defending in battle
 Holds the Aegis, personal
shield of Jove
 Animal is the owl (which
explains its “wisdom”)
 Unmarried, also Goddess of
arts and crafts

Neptune (Poseidon)
God of the Sea
 Weapon = Trident (3-prong
spear)
 Beloved of the Greeks, a
faring people
 Plays a part in the Odyssey
causing Odysseus’ ships to
off course
 Note: NOT the father of the
“Little Mermaid” (though that
character is based on Poseidon)

seaveer
Pluto (Hades)
 God
of the Underworld
 Married to Persephone
 Had a 3-headed guard dog
named “Cerberus”
 Was bitter toward the other
gods because he was stuck
in the gloomy Underworld
Apollo (Apollo)
 God
of the Sun
 God of Archery, Music, Medicine
performing arts
 Had a future-telling prophet called
the Oracle at Delphi
 Twin brother of Diana (Artemis)
 Although worshipped by the
Greeks, he was the patron
god of Troy
Diana (Artemis)
 Goddess
of the Moon
 Also an archer and Goddess
and of the Hunt
 Twin sister of Apollo
 Never married
 Favored the Stag
Vulcan (Hephaestus)
 God
of Fire, Blacksmithing
 Married to Venus in an
arranged marriage
 Was deformed at birth, and
was lame in the leg
 Made weapons, armor for
the gods
 “Volcanoes” named after
him, representing his Forge
Mercury (Hermes)
Messenger God, God of Commerce
 Had winged sandals, winged cap
and staff with wings and 2 serpents, the
“caduceus,” now known as the
sign of medicine
 Also the God of Thieves
 Is depicted in the Odyssey as
delivering messages and gifts
from the Gods to men
 Statue above Grand Central
terminal

Bacchus (Dionysus)
 God
of Wine, Celebration
 Frequently depicted with Pan,
a mischievous goat-man,
centaurs, nymphs, and other
creatures of the woods
 A popular Greek god but
viewed as dangerous by
Romans
The End
 Though
they were MANY other Greek
gods, these were the 12 major ones
depicted in Greek art and mythology