The Greek and Roman Gods

The Origins of the GodsThe top 12 of OlympusHow the Earth and Mankind were Created

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 LoveFirst CreaturesOuranos (Heaven) and Gaia (Earth) parent the first creatures1. Three monsters with 100 hands, 50 heads2. Three Cyclopes (one-eyed giants)3. Titans (as powerful as brothers, but not purely destructive)Gaia = geo (prefix meaning earth)Titanic = enormous, strong, powerfulDaddy IssuesOuranos was a terrible fatherHating his 100-handed sons, he locked them in the earthGaia begged her son Cronus to helpCronus overthrew Ouranos and wounded himFrom his blood, Giants & Furies are bornCronus is lord of the universe for untold agesHe never actually frees his brothers (you know, the reason he was supposed to fight dad in the first place)

War: Gods v TitansAnd More Daddy IssuesCronus & sister-queen Rhea have 6 childrenHades, Demeter, Hera, Poseidon, Hestia, ZeusProphecy: one of Cronuss children will overthrow himCronus swallows all his babies wholeRhea is not pleasedSecretly sends 6th baby (Zeus) to CreteGives hubby a rock wrapped in a blanket, which he swallowsZeus grows up, makes dad throw up his siblings, and war is onTaking SidesTitans, obviously, side with Cronus and fight Zeus and his siblingsWar almost wrecks the universeTitans lose for 2 reasonsZeus frees the 100-handed monsters, who naturally fight on his sideTitan Prometheus fights for ZeusCrime and PunishmentZeus punishes the Titans in a big wayMost are bound in chains under the earthAtlas is forced to carry the earth on his back/shouldersSome power struggles continue for ZeusZeus later punishes Prometheus for giving humans fire and the power to defy himArrival of HumanityAfter all of the power struggles are settled, the earth is made ready for mankindAccounts vary from here, however:Man existed without woman for a period of timeWomen were seen as a punishment Pandora was considered a beautiful disaster who was either evil or too curious, but detrimental either way

The TitansCronus (Saturn): most powerful, father of ZeusOcean: river encircling the earthHyperion: father of sun, moon, and dawnMnemosyne: memoryThemis: justiceAtlas: punished by having to hold up the worldEpimetheus: afterthought, gives away all good qualities to animals before manPrometheus: forethought; gives man power/fire, punished by ZeusThe Creation of Man2 Titans who sided with Zeus are responsible for creating manEpimetheusName means afterthoughtScatterbrainedGave best gifts to animals before making man, leaving man with nothingPrometheusName means forethoughtThought of a way to give man superiorityFashioned man into a nobler shape: uprightLit a torch from the sun and gave man fire to protect himThe Fall of ManOnly men exist at firstZeus becomes angry with Prometheus and with manPrometheus helps man trick Zeus2 sacks from a slaughtered ox: one has bones, covered with juicy fat, the other has the edible meat, covered with entrailsZeus chooses the pretty fat to be sacrificed to him and later learns he got the raw end of that dealMans punishment is womanZeus creates PandoraGods gift her with every lovely quality (Pandora = gift of allZeus gives Pandora to Epimetheus as wife (he accepts, in spite of Prometheuss warning not to accept gifts from Zeus)Pandora is also given a box, with a warning never to open itOf course, she opens it, and plagues, sorrow, & mischief fly outOnly hope is left in the boxPrometheuss punishment is more gruesomeChained to a mountaintopEach day, an eagle tears out his liverThe liver always grows back overnight, so the process can repeat itself.Did you know? The liver is the only organ that regenerates itself.Zeus (Jupiter)Lord of the sky, rain god, cloud gathererGrand but flawedDeceivableHas a serious weakness for femalesFate is stronger than he isBreastplate: AegisWeapon: thunderboltBird: eagleOracle: Dodona (priests interpret his will through the rustling of oak leaves)Hera (Juno)Wife and sister of ZeusProtector of marriageONLY in the tale of the Golden Fleece, she protects and inspires heroesVenerated in every homeDaughter Ilithyia helps women in childbirthJealous, spiteful, vindictiveConstantly tortures her husbands loversAnimals: cow, peacockCity: ArgosPoseidon (Neptune)Ruler of the seaSecond only to ZeusWife is Amphitrite, a Nereid, granddaughter of OceanUndersea palace is splendid, but he hangs out on Olympus most of the timeStorm and calm are under his controlDrives golden car over watersGave man the first horseCalled Earth-shakerCarries a tridentHades (Pluto)Ruler of the underworld and the deadHe is NOT death: Death is ThanatosGod of wealth & precious metals under the earthHas a helmet that makes the wearer invisibleNot popular on OlympusUnpitying, inexorable, but justWife is Persephone, daughter of his sister DemeterPallas Athena (Minerva)Daughter of Zeus alone: sprang from his head in full armorZeuss favorite child: trusted to carry his Aegis and thunderboltGoddess of the cityProtector of civilized life, handicrafts, agricultureInventor of bridleGave man the olive treeIn the Iliad ONLY, she is a fierce battle goddessThe leader of the 3 virgin goddessesIn Greek poetry she embodies 3 virtuesWisdomReasonpurityCity: AthensBird: OwlTree: olivePhoebus ApolloSon of Zeus and LetoThe most Greek of all the godsBeautifulMaster musicianArcher godTeaches men the art of healingGod of Light God of Truth: never speaks falselyHis oracle at Delphi is the most important oracleIts center is the stone Cronus swallowed instead of ZeusAssociated with the sunHe is NOT the sun god: the sun god is HeliosDual natureSometimes beneficent, a peace-maker, communicator of divine willSometimes cruel and pitilessTree: laurelAnimals: many, but especially the dolphin and crowArtemis (Diana)Apollos twin, daughter of Zeus and LetoOne of the 3 virgin goddessesLady of the wild things, huntsman for the godsProtects the youngCarries silver arrowsDual natureProtects young, helps women with swift, painless deathFierce and vindictiveAssociated with the moonShe is NOT the mood goddess: the moon goddess is SeleneTree: cypressAnimals: all wild animals, but especially the deerAphrodite (Venus)Goddess of love and beautyLaughter-lovingBeguiling: steals the wits of the wiseLaughs at those she conquersParentage is questionableIn the Iliad: daughter of Zeus and DioneIn later poems: sprang from the foam of the sea, landed on CyprusDual natureBeautiful, brings light, joy, lovelinessTreacherous and maliciousWife of Hephaestus, the only ugly godTree: myrtleBirds: dove, sparrow, swan (drives a chariot pulled by swans)*****aphrodisiac = something that arouses desire venereal = pertaining to sexual desireHermes (Mercury)Son of Zeus and Maia (daughter of Atlas)Zeuss messengerGraceful and swiftWings on sandals, hat, & wand (the Caduceus)Most cunning of gods: master thiefThe day he was born, he stole Apollos herdsWon Apollos forgiveness by giving him his invention: the lyreGod of commerce and the marketGuide of the deadAppears 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 Hermess child with Aphrodite)Ares (Mars)Son of Zeus & Hera: they cant stand himGod of warHateful and ruthlessHomer calls him murderous and bloodstainedInnately a coward, runs away when woundedAttendantsEris: goddess of discordStrife: Eriss sisterEnyo: war goddess, who hangs with Terror, Trembling, and PanicRomans liked Mars better than Greeks did AresFigures very little in mythLover of AphroditeNo cities where he is worshippedBird: vultureAnimal: dogHephaestus (Vulcan or Mulciber)Questionable parentageSometimes son of Zeus and HeraSometimes just Heras son (like Athena is just his)God of fireThe only ugly god, and has a limp to bootSome myths say Hera saw he was ugly & threw him off OlympusOthers say he defended Hera against Zeus, so Zeus threw himWorkman of the immortalsMakes their dwellings, armor, furnishings, weaponsHas handmaidens he made out of goldHis workshop can be found under this or that volcanoWifeIliad: one of the three GracesOdyssey: AphroditeKindly, peace-loving, popular with mortalsPatron of handicrafts, as is Athena*****volcano Hestia (Vesta)Sister of ZeusOne of the 3 virgin goddessesGoddess of the hearth and homeMortal meals begin & end w/ offering to herEach city had a public hearth in her honorNewborns must be carried around hearth to be received into the familyIn Rome, her priestesses are virgins, called VestalsNo distinct personality, plays no part in myths*****vestal = virginalLesser Gods of OlympusEros (Cupid)God of love, his home is in mens heartsRepresented blindfoldedSaid to be Aphrodites sonDual natureCannot do or allow wrong; force cant come near himIn later myths, mischievous or even evilAttendantsAnteros: avenges slighted loveHimeros: longingHymen: god of wedding feast*****erotic = arousing desire cupidity = greed

Hebe and IrisHebeIrisGoddess of youthDaughter of Zeus and HeraCupbearer to the godsMarries HerculesGoddess of the rainbowMessenger of the godsThe GracesDaughters of Zeus and Eurynome (daughter of Ocean)Not separate personalities, except in one myth, in which Aglaia marries HephaestusTriple incarnation of grace and beautyAglaia: splendorEuphrosyne: mirthThalia: good cheerDance to music of Apollos lyreNo party is complete without themThe MusesDaughters of Zeus & MnemosyneTake away mens unhappy thoughtsCompanions of ApolloCan make lies sound trueInspirers of menThere are 9Clio: historyUrania: astronomyMelpomene: tragedyThalia: comedyTerpsichore: danceCalliope: epic poetryErato: love poetryPolyhymnia: songs to godsEuterpe: lyric poetry*****hymn = song to godZeuss Cabinet on OlympusThemis: divine justiceDike: human justiceNemesis: righteous angerAidos: reverence (the shame that keeps men in line*****nemesis = an opponent or rival that cannot be overcome; an agent or act of retributionGods of the WatersPoseidonOceanPontus: deep seaNereus: son of Pontus; old man of the sea, has 50 daughters called NereidsTriton: trumpeter of the sea (uses conch shell)Proteus: shapeshifter, sees the futureNaiads: water nymphs (freshwater)Nereids: water nymphs (saltwater)Mythological LocalesThe UnderworldRulers: Hades and PersephoneLocationBeneath secret places of earth (Iliad)Over edge of world, across ocean (Odyssey)Various entrances in caverns & deep lakes (later poetry)Rivers separating underworld from earthAcheron: woePhlegethon: fireCocytus: lamentationLethe: forgetfulnessStyx: the unbreakable oathDivisions of the UnderworldTartarusPrison of sons of earthDeepest regionWrongdoers are punished hereErebus: where the dead pass & are judged when they dieElysian Fields: place of blessedness, where the good goImportant FiguresCerberus: 3-headed dog guards entrance (you can come in, but you cant leave)Judges: Minos, Aeacus, RhadamanthusErinyes (Furies)Greeks believed they pursued sinners on earthRomans placed them in underworld, punishing dead sinnersSleep and Death: brothers, send dreams from underworld through 2 gatesHorn: true dreamsIvory: false dreamsDemeter and DionysusTwo Great Gods of EarthDemeter (Ceres)Goddess of the harvestMother of PersephoneLost her daughterPersephone wandered too far, enticed by a flowerHades dragged her through a chasm to the underworldDemeter left Olympus to search for PersephoneNeglected the earth, harvests sufferedZeus is alerted by suffering humanity, sends Hermes for PersephonePersephone ate pomegranate seeds in the underworld: if you eat anything down there, you cant leaveCompromisePersephone must live with Hades in underworld for 4 months per yearWhen Persephone is gone, Demeter mourns, fields are barren = winterOn Persephones return, life returns = springPersephone is the goddess of the spring*****cerealDionysus (Bacchus)Son of Zeus and SemeleHera, jealous, tricks Semele: make Zeus promise (by the Styx) to show himself in all his glorySemele is killed by the burning light of his gloryZeus snatches the child, near birth, to store in his thighGod of the vine: born of fire, nursed by rainwanders the earth, teaching the culture of the vineWorshipped everywhere but his countryPirate kidnappingHeld for ransom, one helmsman recognizes his godhood, but no one listensRopes break, wind fills sails without moving the ship, wine streams across the deck, vine covers sail, ivy twists around mastPirates jump overboard, but turn to dolphins, only helmsman avoids this fateFollowers are Maenads, or BacchantesWomen frenzied with wine rush across fields & woods in ecstasy, tear wild creatures & devourDionysus feeds them and helps them sleep it offTheir beauty is counteracted by their bloody feastsSome refuse to believeLycurgus, king of Thrace, is struck blind by ZeusPentheus, king of Thebes & Dionysuss cousin, is ripped to pieces by Maenads that include his own motherDual natureBeneficent and kindCruel, driving men to terrible deeds*****bacchanal = an occasion of drunken revelryLesser Gods of EarthPanSon of HermesGod of goat herders, home is in wild placesFrolics with nymphsSounds heard at night are credited to him: panicSilenusWorships DionysusAlways drunk, rides an ass because he cant stand upCastor and PolluxTwins, one is mortal, the other is immortalCouldnt bear to be parted by death, so Pollux shares his immortality w/ CastorSatyrs: half man, half goatCentaurs: half man, half horseOreads: mountain nymphsDryads: tree nymphsLesser Gods of Earth (cont.)Aeolus: god of the winds, father of the 4 windsBoreas (Aquilo): northZephyr (Favonius): westNotus (Auster): southEurus: eastGorgons3 earth-dwellersMonsters: dragon-like, snakes for hair, look turns a man to stoneGraiae3 gray sisters to the GorgonsShare one eyeSirensTheir song lures sailors to death, but is irresistibleNo one knows what they look likeFates3 females, stronger than the gods, who give men their inherent good or evil at birthClotho: spins thread of lifeLachesis: assigns destinyAtropos: carries shears to cut the thread of life*****zephyr = gentle breeze

The DelugeMen are so wicked, Zeus sends a flood to destroy themOnly Mt. Parnassus is not quite covered.9 days, 9 nights of rain2 people are savedDeucalion (Prometheuss son) & Pyrrha (Epimetheuss daughter)Prometheus advises them to hide in a wooden chestThey are faithful to Zeus and allowed to liveRepopulating the earthA voice tells Deucalion to throw the bones of his mother behind himEarth is mother, stones are her bonesThe stones take human shape.