The Greek / Roman Gods & Goddesses

The Olympians

Author Unknown

The most important gods

• http://www.history.com/topics/greek-mythology/videos#greek-gods

Zeus / Jupiter

• King of the gods• God of air• Uses Thunderbolts as

his weapon• Womanizer – married

his own sister• Son of Cronos and

Rhea• Most powerful Jupiter is so named

because it is so big – it is the “King of Planets”

Music is Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity”

Poseidon / Neptune

• God of the sea and earthquakes

• Made horses• Trident is weapon• Amphitrite is his wife• Zeus’ brother• Son of Cronos and

Rhea• 2nd most powerful

Neptune is so named because the blue looks like water

Music is Gustav Holst’s “Neptune, the Mystic”

Hades / Pluto / Dis

• God of the Underworld and Wealth

• King of the dead but he is not Death

• Zeus’ brother• Son of Cronos and Rhea• Has a helmet that makes the

wearer invisible• Persephone (Spring) is his

wife• NOT EVIL! (but he is

unpitying)• 3rd most powerful

Hera / Juno

• Queen of the gods• Protector of marriage• Wife/sister of Zeus• The peacock is her

symbol (because of the eye-look)

• Cows are sacred to her (ox-eyed Hera)

• JealousNo planet, but there is an asteroid named after her plus a city in Alaska

Phoebus Apollo

• God of truth, light, archery, and healing

• Sun god in some myths (Helios is the sun god in other myths)

• Son of Zeus and Leto• Wolves, dolphins, and

crows are sacred to him

• Has the Oracle of Delphi

Apollo asteroids are near-earth asteroids

Artemis / Diana

• Apollo’s Twin sister• Goddess of the hunt,

wild things, and crossways

• She is the moon goddess sometimes

• Virgin goddess• As Diana, she is also

a goddess of light• Stags are sacred

The Artemis navigation satellite

Aphrodite / Venus

• Goddess of beauty and love

• Mother of Eros/Cupid

• Wife of Hephaestus/Vulcan but lover of Ares/Mars and other guys

•Born from the foam in the sea caused by the attack of Cronos/ Saturn on Ouranus/Uranus

Venus is so named because it is a beautiful planet and can be easily seen with just the eye

Gustav Holst’s “Venus, Bringer of Peace”

Ares / Mars

• God of War• Son of Zeus and Hera,

but both hate him• The Romans glorify

him, but the Greeks make him out to be a coward

• He has three children with Aphrodite: Phobos (panic) and Deimos (fear) are twins

Mars and its moons, Phobos and Deimos

Gustav Holst’s “Mars, Bringer of War”

Pallas Athena / Minerva

• Goddess of wisdom and defensive war

• Daughter of Zeus and Metis (titan) – she popped out of his head after he swallowed the pregnant Metis

• She carries a shield with Medusa’s head on it

Minerva was a tiny robot designed by the Japanese to land on an asteroid, but got lost in space.

Hephaestus / Vulcan

• God of fire and the forge• Son of Zeus and Hera• Ugly • Lame because he was thrown off Mt. Olympus for interfering with a

fight between Hera and Zeus• Husband to Aphrodite• Only god that regularly l

lives on earth and not onOlympus

Hermes / Mercury

• Messenger god and the god of thieves

• Greek Trickster figure

• Very fast• Son of Zeus and

Maia• Loves Aphrodite• Greeks believed he

guided souls to Hades

Mercury revolves around the sun so fast, it was named for the messenger god. One year is faster than one day on Mercury

The Hermes Asteroid

Hestia / Vesta

• Zeus’ sister – Oldest of the original gods

• Goddess of the hearth and home

• Gave up her spot on Mt. Olympus for Dionysus

• Worshipped daily• A virgin priestesses served

her for 30 year time periods• Does pretty much nothing in

mythologyAsteroid Vesta

Eros / Cupid

• God of love• Son of Ares and

Aphrodite• Often portrayed as a

child, but not always. • He has wings • Uses a bow and arrow –

arrows cause one to fall in love

• Momma’s boy

Eros is a near earth asteroid

Demeter / Ceres

• Daughter of Cronos and Rhea

• Goddess of vegetation• Had powers of growth

and resurrection• Her daughter is

Persephone

The asteroid Ceres was the first asteroid ever discovered and is one of the largest (about the size of Texas). It almost became a designated as a planet

Dionysus / Bacchus

• Son of Zeus and Semele

• God of wine and happiness

• In some areas of Greece, his worship was outlawed (too dirty)

The Bacchus asteroid