an introduction to characters from greek mythology --tvhs myth/sci fi, mrs. solt— out of chaos
TRANSCRIPT
An Introduction to Characters from Greek Mythology
--TVHS Myth/Sci Fi, Mrs. Solt—
OUT OF CHAOS
• Chaos=Emptiness
• Out of chaos the first three immortals emerge
• Gaea
• Tartarus
• Eros
THE WORLD BEGINS WITH CHAOS
• Gaea (or Gaia)=Mother Earth, the great mother of all.
• Pronounced JEE-uh
• Gave birth to the sky, mountain, and sea gods
GAEA
• Tartarus=Underworld
• Pronounced TAHR-tur-ruhs
• Considered both a god and a place
• Opposite the dome of heaven. It would take nine days to fall from earth to Tartarus.
TARTARUS
• Eros=Love
• Pronounced AIR-ohs
• Chaos and Eros created the universe
• The Roman version is the god Cupid
EROS
RECAP
THE CHILDREN OF GAEA
• Gaea’s immaculate births create• Uranus• Ourea• Pontus
• Uranus=Father Sky
• Pronounced yoo-RAY-nuhs
• After marriage to Gaea becomes ruler of the sky
• This represents a shift from matriarchal to patriarchal rule
URANUS
• Ourea=Mountains (plural)
• The ten Ourea include Olympus
• Mountains were occasionally depicted in classical art as bearded old men rising up from between their craggy peaks.
• Each mountain had its own nymph
OUREA
• Pontus=Sea
• With Gaia, he became father of Nereus (the Old Man in the Sea), Thaumas (danger of the sea), Phorcys, Ceto, Furybia.
• With Thalassa (a sea goddess) he became father of Telchines and all the life of the sea.
PONTUS
GAEA MARRIES URANUS
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• Gaea and Uranus bore
• Hundred-Handed (or Hundred-Headed) Giants
• Cyclopes
• Thirteen Titans
• The Hundred-Handed Giants were three figures of great strength.
• Some references report they had one-hundred hands and fifty heads.
THE HUNDRED-HANDED GIANTS
• Singular (Cyclops) pronounced SY-klahps
• Plural (Cyclopes) rhymes with sy-KLAH-peez
• Three were born to Gaea and Uranus
• Brontes, Steropes and Arges
• The Cyclopes were craftsmen and later built palaces for the Gods on Mount Olympus
CYCLOPES
• These are the first of what we commonly refer to as the Greek gods.
• The first generation who ruled “the Golden Age” of Greece consisted of twelve main Titans (a thirteenth is also sometimes referenced)
• From this first group, Cronus and Rhea are important members.
• The second generation of Titans was also important
TITANS
• Oceanus (o-SEE-uhn-us): God of the Sea.
• Thetis (THEE-tis): Sister and wife of Oceanus.
• Hyperion (hy-PEER-ee-uhn): God of the Sun.
• Theia (THEE-uh): Sister and wife of Hyperion.
• Themis (THEE-mis): An earth goddess.
• Rhea (REE-uh): An earth goddess.
• Mnemosyne (nee-MOS-uh-nee): Goddess of Memory.
• Iapetus (eye-AP-puh-tus): No notable responsibilities.
• Coeus (Koy-os): No notable responsibilities.
• Phoebe (FEE-bee): No notable responsibilities.
• Crius (KREE-uhs): No notable responsibilities.
• Cronus (KROH'-nuhs) : The brightest, strongest, and cleverest of all.
THE TITANS
• Uranus was afraid of the Giants and Cyclopes.
• He bound them up immediately after they were born and threw them deep into Gaea’s womb (buried in the earth)
• Some accounts say they each fell for nine days and nine nights, landing in Tartarus on the tenth day
• This event creates a silent chasm between Gaea and Uranus
URANUS AND HIS CHILDREN
• Gaea bided her time until she could take revenge for the disappearance of her beloved children.
• She made a sickle and asked the Titans for their help in her plan.
• Cronus was the only willing volunteer.
GAEA’S REVENGE
• Cronus used the sickle to ambush his father and castrate him, throwing the cut parts into the sea.
• The sea surrounded the parts with foam.
• The blood flowed back into the Earth (Gaea)
• Cronus became God of the sky in place of his father
THE ATTACK OF CRONUS
• Aphrodite=goddess of beauty and sexual desire
• Pronounced af-roh-DY-tee
• Born out of the foam
APHRODITE
• The three Furies:• Snakes for hair
• Dogs’ heads
• Black bodies
• Bats’ wings
• Bloodshot eyes
• Tormented those who committed patricide, matricide, or who broke oaths, driving the sinners to insanity
FROM THE BLOOD OF URANUS . . .
• The Giants
• Snake tails
FROM THE BLOOD OF URANUS . . .
• Cronus ignored his promise to free his brothers
• This angered Gaea
• She waited for the opportunity for revenge
• Her prophecy: the sons of Cronus would one day overpower him, as he had done his father
GAEA’S PROPHECY
RECAP
RECAP
CRONUS MARRIES RHEA
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• Hestia
• Demeter
• Hera
• Hades
• Poseidon
• Zeus
Known as the Olympians (because they eventually went to live on Mount Olympus)
CRONUS AND RHEA BORE
• Cronus feared the prophecy
• He thought he could cheat the Fates
• After the birth of each child he swallowed him/her
CHEATING THE FATES?
• With the advice of Gaea, Rhea birthed and raised Zeus in secret in a cave in Crete
THE SECRET LIFE OF ZEUS
• After the birth of Zeus, Rhea held out her new “baby” for Cronus.
• He immediately swallowed it, thinking he had swallowed his new baby.
• In fact, he had swallowed a rock.
TRICKING CRONUS
• Zeus poisoned his father
• Cronus threw up the children he swallowed
• The children took revenge on Cronus
• 10 year war between Cronus and Titans vs. Zeus and his siblings
PROPHECY BECOMES REALITY
• Gaea told Zeus of her lost children.
• Zeus and his brothers rescued Gaea’s children in Tartarus, and they joined the fight.
• In exchange for their freedom, the Cyclopes gave
• Zeus the gift of thunder and lightning (symbolized in the thunderbolt)
• Poseidon a trident, and
• Hades the helmet of invisibility
UP FROM TARTARUS
• Hera (HIR-uh): Goddess of marriage
• Poseidon (puh-SY-duhn): God of the sea
• Hades (HAY-deez): God of the underworld
• Hestia (HES-tee-uh): Goddess of the hearth
• Demeter (dih-MEE-tur): Goddess of crops and the harvest
CHILDREN WHO EMERGED FROM CRONUS
• The two sides fought heavily, but couldn’t kill each other (they were al immortal)
• Earth and sea were in a great upheaval
• The mountains quaked
• Even Tartarus felt the impact
• War ends from destruction caused when Zeus threw his thunderbolt and the Titans were captured and taken to Tartarus
THIS IS WAR!
• The Hundred-Handed Giants are sent to be guards of Tartarus
• Atlas (son of the Titan Iapetus) fought against the Olympians during the war.
• His brothers Prometheus (proh-MEE-thee-us) and Epimetheus (ep-ee-MEE-thee-us) instead made an alliance with the Olympians during the war.
• Instead of being sent to Tartarus, Zeus made Atlas stand on the edge of Gaia and hold up Uranus on his shoulders to prevent the two from coming together again.
• NOT holding up the earth but the celestial spheres
• The three male gods (Olympians) drew lots for kingdoms
• Zeus=Sky
• Poseidon=Sea
• Hades=Underworld
• Before his marriage to Hera (Olympian), Zeus was married to:
• Metis (MEE-tis)—daughter of Oceanus and Thetis (Titans)
• Themis (Titan)
• and Mnemosyne (Titan)
• Also had interest in Demeter (Olympian), who didn’t go for him.
• Before his marriage to Hera, he was also involved with Leto—daughter of Coeus and Phoebe(Titans).
His numerous affairs after his marriage with Hera:
• Europa
• Io
• Semele
• Ganymede
• Callisto
• Maia
• Metis
• Dione
• Danae
ZEUS=LADIES’ MAN
ZEUS MARRIES HERA
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• WITH DEMETER: Persephone (pur-SEF-uh-nee): queen of the Underworld
• WITH DIONE: Aphrodite (af-roh-DY-tee): goddess of love
• WITH HERA:
• Hephaestus (huh-FES-tuhs): metal smith
• Ares (AIR-eez): god of war
• Eileithyia (ehl-IH-thee-uh): goddess of childbirth and labor pains
• Hebe (HEE-bee): goddess of youth
• WITH LETO:
• Apollo (a-POL-lo}: god of prophecy, medicine, archery
• Artemis (AHR-tuh-mis): goddess of hunt
• WITH MAIA: Hermes (HUR-meez): Zeus’s messenger
• WITH METIS: Athena (a-THEE-na}: goddess of arts, crafts, and defensive war
• WITH MNEMOSYNE: the Muses
• WITH THEMIS: Horai (Seasons) and Moirai (Fates)
CHILDREN OF ZEUS: GODDESSES
• Zeus was also the father of the first mortals
• First generation: Race of Gold
• Description: Peaceful and just
• Relationship with the gods: good
• Aging: Didn’t show age
• Weather: Had eternal spring
• Death: Died peacefully and their spirits roamed the mists and taught other mortals to be just
CHILDREN OF ZEUS: MORTALS
• Second generation: Race of Silver
• Description: Didn’t do as well. Selfish with lots of injustice and war
• Relationship with the gods: No effort to appease or respect the gods. They made Zeus angry.
• Aging: Big “babies” (not literally) living with their mothers for 100 years, though their bodies aged, their spirits remained young.
• Life: More difficult. Had to build houses because of he weather. Had to toil in the fields as food as scarce.
• Weather: had four seasons
• Death: Spirits entered Underworld when they died
CHILDREN OF ZEUS: MORTALS
• Third generation: Race of Bronze
• Description: A cruel race
• Relationship with the gods: Loved Ares above all gods
• Aging: Died young because of their violent natures and obsession with war
• Death: Spirits entered Underworld when they died and left no trace behind
CHILDREN OF ZEUS: MORTALS
• Fourth generation: Race of Heroes
• Description: More virtuous and noble than recent generations. Some died in war against Troy (and other wars)
• Relationship with the gods: Cared for by Zeus
• Death: Zeus placed war survivors along the shores of Oceanus forever where grief couldn’t touch them and a harvest of fruit comes three times a year.
CHILDREN OF ZEUS: MORTALS
• Fifth generation: Race of Iron
• Description: Greedy, unjust, fraudulent. Always busy trying to acquire new wealth.
• Tore into the earth to mine its riches. Traveled to other lands to conquer and gain wealth.
• These activities resulted in wars.
• This was Hesiod’s own generation, to whom he wrote the poetry of the gods to warn them to turn back to the gods to avoid destruction.
CHILDREN OF ZEUS: MORTALS
Images:
• http://www.maicar.com/GML/Chaos.html
• http://www.gods-heros-myth.com/godpages/gaea.html
• http://pstevensfhs.wikispaces.com/Tartarus#
• http://www.illusionsgallery.com/Eros.html
• http://lucastamos.webs.com/lesson1.htm
• http://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/rustic-gods.html
• http://www.theoi.com/Protogenos/Pontos.html
• http://daegames.blogspot.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Redon.cyclops.jpg
• http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/arts/report/041010_titans/clash-titans-film-crash-and-burn/
• http://www.google.com/imgres
• http://mythologeek.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/the-dingo-didnt-eat-my-baby-you-did-greek-origin-myth/
• http://www.showiphonewallpapers.com/iphonewallpaperslist_12174.htm
• http://www.polyvore.com/aphrodite_born_from_ocean_foam/set?id=50908148
• http://paleothea.com/Goddesses.html
• http://www.theoi.com/Gigante/Gigantes.html
• http://trumpetministries.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/prophecy.jpg
• http://greeklegends.wikia.com/wiki/Titan
SOURCES
Images Continued:
• http://www.olympic-grill.com/olympus.php
• http://tellison.edublogs.org/
• http://www.zeusfather.com/zeus-father-cronus-and-his-6-son-avoiding-fate-doesnt-have-a-happy-ending/
• http://www.we-love-crete.com/zeus-cave.html
• http://greekmythologywiki.wikispaces.com/Cronus
• http://blogs.hcpro.com/icd-10/2012/09/whats-in-that-cup/
• http://thunderbolt-guides.blogspot.com/2011/06/zeus-lightning-bolt.html
• http://www.giantbomb.com/trident/93-1414
• http://www.onrpg.com/MMO/Realm-of-the-Titans/review/Realm-of-the-Titans---Rough-Edged-and-Wild
• http://mythological-legends.blogspot.com/2010/05/titanomachy.html
• http://www.thehillishome.com/2011/01/first-bite-the-atlas-room/
• http://secretaryofinnovation.com/2011/02/03/super-bowl-xlv-which-half-of-you-are-going-to-eat-your-hats/
• http://www.coolchaser.com/graphics/tag/hera
• http://poximyfovoc.comule.com/battle-of-mount-olympus.php
Pronunciations: http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/pronunciations.html
Reference: Rosenberg, Donna. World Mythology. Chicago: 1986.
SOURCES