Greek and Roman Mythology

Background

The Olympians

The Earthbound Gods and Goddesses

Definitions

• Mythology – the telling of stories that usually explain natural events, describe tales of heroes or gods, or impart a moral or lesson

• Pantheon – the officially recognized gods of a particular culture

Greek and Roman Mythology

• Greek mythology (and Roman mythology which is a derivative of Greek mythology) is the most widely known of the ancient groups of tales.

Main Gods and Goddesses

• The main gods and goddesses of Greek and Roman mythology were said to live on top of Mount Olympus in the area of Greece.

• The twelve gods and goddesses are referred to as “the Twelve Olympians.”

Zeus

• Roman name: Jupiter• Chief of the Olympians• god of. . .

-. . .the sky

-. . .justice, law and order

-. . .strangers and travelers

Hera

• Roman name: Juno• Wife of Zeus• Terribly jealous• goddess of. . .

-. . .motherhood

-. . .wives

Poseidon

• Roman name: Neptune• Zeus’s brother• Cranky and ill tempered• god of. . .

-. . .the sea

-. . .earthquakes

-. . .represents bulls and horses

Hades

• Roman name: Pluto• god of. . .

-. . .the underworld• He is not death. He does not kill anyone.

He simply watches over the dead.

Athena

• Roman name: Minerva• Zeus’s daughter (but not Hera’s)• goddess of. . .

-. . .wisdom

-. . .intelligent warfare

Apollo

• Roman name: Phoebus Apollo• Twin brother of Artemis• god of. . . -. . .light -. . .prophecy -. . .music -. . .medicine -. . .archery

Artemis

• Roman name: Diana• Twin sister of Apollo• goddess of. . .

-. . .the hunt

-. . .chastity

Hephaestus

• Roman name: Vulcan• Hera’s crippled son• Married to Aphrodite• Blacksmith of the gods

Aphrodite

• Roman name: Venus• Married to Hephaestus• goddess of. . .

-. . .love

-. . .desire

Ares

• Roman name: Mars• Son of Zeus and Hera• god of. . .

-. . .mindless war

Hermes

• Roman name: Mercury• Tricky and sneaky• Messenger of the gods • god of. . .

-. . .thieves and deceivers

Eros

• Roman name: Cupid• Son of Aphrodite• Helps people fall in love with each other

Four Earthbound Gods

• The Greeks and Romans also had four other gods not counted among the Olympians.

• These 4 gods were heavily associated with the earth, planting, and the seasons.

Demeter

• Roman name: Ceres• Sister of Zeus• Mother of Persephone• goddess of. . .

-. . .earth (soil)

-. . .grain

Persephone

• Roman name: Proserpine• Daughter of Zeus and Demeter• Becomes the queen of the underworld• goddess of. . .

-. . .Spring

Dionysus

• Roman name: Bacchus• Son of Zeus• god of. . .

-. . .vines

-. . .wine

-. . .fertility

Pan

• Roman name: Pan• Associated with Dionysus• Has goat ears and legs• god of. . .

-. . .shepherds and flocks

Assignment

• The following links will take you to handouts that accompany this presentation. . .

-. . . Worksheet #1

-. . . Worksheet #2• Please copy the pages into your mail

program and fill in the blanks with the correct letter.