Transcript Greek and Roman Mythology

Greek and Roman Mythology
A Review
of
The Principal Gods and Goddesses
What is a myth?
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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
In the beginning...
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…was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)
Chaos had two children:
– Night (darkness)
– Erebus (death)
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“All was black, empty, silent, endless.”
Mysteriously, Love was born of
darkness and death.
And then...
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When Love was born, order and beauty
began to flourish.
Love created Light and Day.
Earth was created.
– She was the solid ground, but also a
personality.
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The Earth bore Heaven to cover her
and be a home for the gods.
The First Parents
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Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia)
Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus)
They had three kinds of children:
– Three monsters with 100 hands and 50
heads
– Three cyclopes
– The titans
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These were the first characters that had the appearance of life,
although it was unlike any life known to man.
The Titans (The Elder Gods)
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There were many of them.
Enormous size, incredible strength
Cronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titans
Rhea: Wife of Cronos
Ocean: River that encircled the world
Iapetus: Father of Prometheus,
Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)
The Principal Gods
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Cronos and Rhea
were parents of
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Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)
Poseidon (Neptune)
Hades (Pluto)
Hera (Juno)
Hestia (Vesta)
Demeter (Ceres)
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Other Olympians include
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Athena (Minerva)
Ares (Mars)
Hebe (Juventas)
Hephaestus (Vulcan)
Apollo (Apollo)
Artemis (Diana)
Hermes (Mercury)
Aphrodite (Venus)
Dionysus (Bacchus)
Persephone
The Olympians
Zeus
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Roman Name:
Jupiter (also Jove)
Supreme god of
the Olympians.
Fathered many
characters in
mythology
Zeus
Hera
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Roman Name:
Juno
Zeus’s sister
and wife
Jealous
protector of
marriage
Punished the
women Zeus fell
in love with
Poseidon
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Roman Name:
Neptune
God of the Seas
and Waters
“The
Earthshaker”
Hades
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Roman
Name: Pluto
God of the
Underworld/
Dead
Kidnapped
Persephone
Hestia
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Roman Name:
Vesta
Goddess of
Home
Powerful
Protector
Demeter
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Roman
Name: Ceres
Goddess of
the Harvest
A Goddess of
the Earth
Zeus’ sister
Persephone’s
mother
Athena
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Roman Name:
Minerva
Goddess of
Wisdom and
War
Sprang from
Zeus’s head
Ares
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Roman Name:
Mars
God of War
Son of Zeus and
Hera
Bloodthirsty and
merciless
Hephaestus
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Roman Name:
Vulcan (Mulciber)
God of Fire/Forge
Blacksmith
Son of Zeus and
Hera
Kind, unlike his
brother
Apollo
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Roman
Name: Apollo
God of
Light/Sun
and Music
Brother of
Artemis
Artemis
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Roman Name:
Diana
Goddess of the
Moon/ Hunt
Sister to Apollo
Helped women
in childbirth
Hermes
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Roman Name:
Mercury
Messenger of the
Gods
Appears in more
myths than any
other character
guides souls to
underworld
Aphrodite
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Roman Name:
Venus
Goddess of Love
and Beauty
Sprang from the
ocean foam
Protectress of
sailors
Dionysus
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Roman Name:
Bacchus
God of Wine
Patron god of
the Greek stage
A God of the
Earth
Persephone
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Roman Name:
Proserpina
Goddess of the
Underworld
Daughter of
Zeus and
Demeter
Abducted by
Hades
Hebe
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Roman Name:
Juventas
Goddess of
Youth
Cupbearer to
the Gods
Restored youth
to the aged
Eros
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Roman Name:
Cupid
Young God of
Love
Son of
Aphrodite and
Hephaestus
Iris
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Goddess of the
Rainbow
Messenger for
Zeus and Hera
Daughter of the
titan Thaumus
and the nymph
Electra
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 Graces
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Three Goddesses
of Grace and
Beauty
“They give life its
bloom.”
Aglaia (Splendor)
Euphrosyne (Mirth)
Thalia (Good
Cheer)
The Erinnyes (The Furies)
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Roman Name: Furiae
or Dirae (The Furies)
Three Goddesses of
Vengeance
– Tisiphone
– Alecto
– Megaera
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They punish
evildoers.
The Fates
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Roman Name: Parcae, Moirae
Three sisters
– 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 Satyrs
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Gods of the woods
and mountains
“Shepherd gods”
Goat men (like Pan)
Companions of
Dionysus
They like to drink,
dance, and chase
nymphs.
The Gorgons
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Three snakehaired monsters
Medusa is most
well-known
Their look turns
men to stone.
The Centaurs
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Half man, half
horse
Savage
creatures
(except Chiron)
Followers of
Dionysus
Sources
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Graphics in this presentation were taken from
the following web sites:
– 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
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This presentation is for educational purposes
only; it has not been and should not be sold
or used as a vehicle to make money.