An Introduction to Greek An Introduction to Greek MythologyMythology

Why Study Greek Mythology?Why Study Greek Mythology?

1.1. To appreciate your own beliefsTo appreciate your own beliefs

2.2. To appreciate how myths affect beliefsTo appreciate how myths affect beliefs

3.3. To understand and appreciate the influence To understand and appreciate the influence of Greek mythology in our world todayof Greek mythology in our world today

4.4. To appreciate how beliefs affect behaviorTo appreciate how beliefs affect behavior

5.5. To appreciate how the use of imagination To appreciate how the use of imagination makes life more interestingmakes life more interesting

Greece – Where Is It?Greece – Where Is It?

Greece is a warm, Greece is a warm, rocky, hilly country rocky, hilly country pushing out from pushing out from southern Europe into southern Europe into the Mediterranean Sea.the Mediterranean Sea.

Thousands of years ago, Thousands of years ago, when myths were when myths were created, life was difficult created, life was difficult there for most people.there for most people.

Kings ruled many Kings ruled many different local regions different local regions and wars were common.and wars were common.

What is a Greek Myth?What is a Greek Myth?

A myth is an ancient anonymous A myth is an ancient anonymous story, usually involving gods and story, usually involving gods and goddesses whom the people believed goddesses whom the people believed lived on Mt. Olympus.lived on Mt. Olympus.

Why myths?Why myths? Myths helped people understand how Myths helped people understand how

natural events and human actions natural events and human actions happened.happened.

For example, in order to explain how For example, in order to explain how the sun traveled across the sky, the sun traveled across the sky, people created a myth about a sun people created a myth about a sun god driving a mighty chariot.god driving a mighty chariot.

Myths also helped people control what Myths also helped people control what happened in the world.happened in the world.

For example, by telling the story of For example, by telling the story of how a god created rain, people how a god created rain, people believed they could encourage the god believed they could encourage the god to make rain fall.to make rain fall.

The Pantheon of GodsThe Pantheon of Gods The twelve most important gods and goddesses The twelve most important gods and goddesses

of ancient Greece, called the Olympians, of ancient Greece, called the Olympians, belonged to the same large , quarrelsome belonged to the same large , quarrelsome family. All the Olympians lived together in an family. All the Olympians lived together in an enormous palace, set well above the usual level enormous palace, set well above the usual level of clouds at the top of Mount Olympus, the of clouds at the top of Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece.highest mountain in Greece.

The Titans were the first gods of the universe. The Titans were the first gods of the universe. Saturn, ruler of the Titans, was the father of Saturn, ruler of the Titans, was the father of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia.Hestia.

When Cronus’s children joined forces against When Cronus’s children joined forces against him, he was forced to give up his throne to him, he was forced to give up his throne to Zeus, who became the ruler of the twelve gods Zeus, who became the ruler of the twelve gods and goddesses, the Olympians.and goddesses, the Olympians.

Zeus (Jupiter)Zeus (Jupiter)

Zeus was the ruler Zeus was the ruler of the gods and of the gods and goddesses, and his goddesses, and his domain was the sky. domain was the sky. One of his emblems One of his emblems was the eagle, and was the eagle, and the other was the the other was the woodpecker.woodpecker.

His Roman name is His Roman name is Jupiter.Jupiter.

Hera (Juno)Hera (Juno) Hera was the queen of Hera was the queen of

the gods, the wife of Zeus the gods, the wife of Zeus and his SISTER!! (The and his SISTER!! (The Greeks had some weird Greeks had some weird ideas about the gods.)ideas about the gods.)

Hera disliked being Hera disliked being Zeus’s wife because he Zeus’s wife because he often married mortal often married mortal women and told her those women and told her those marriages did not count marriages did not count because they would grow because they would grow old and die.old and die.

Hera’s symbols were the Hera’s symbols were the peacock and the cow, and peacock and the cow, and she ruled over marriage.she ruled over marriage.

Poseidon (Neptune)Poseidon (Neptune)

Poseidon , god of the Poseidon , god of the seas and rivers, was the seas and rivers, was the brother of Zeus.brother of Zeus.

His only weapon was His only weapon was the trident (looks like a the trident (looks like a pitchfork) with which he pitchfork) with which he could stir up the sea could stir up the sea and so wreck ships.and so wreck ships.

Poseidon’s emblem was Poseidon’s emblem was the horse, an animal he the horse, an animal he pretended to have pretended to have created.created.

Demeter (Ceres)Demeter (Ceres)

Demeter was the Demeter was the goddess of all useful goddess of all useful fruits, grains, and fruits, grains, and grasses. grasses.

Her Roman name Her Roman name Ceres is the root for Ceres is the root for our word cereal.our word cereal.

Her emblem is the Her emblem is the poppy, a flower which poppy, a flower which grows blood red.grows blood red.

Hephaestus (Vulcan)Hephaestus (Vulcan) Hephaestus was the son of Hephaestus was the son of

Zeus and Hera. Zeus and Hera. He was god of the He was god of the

goldsmiths, jewelers, and goldsmiths, jewelers, and blacksmiths.blacksmiths.

Hephaestus was the only one Hephaestus was the only one of the gods who was of the gods who was handicapped because when handicapped because when he was born, Hera (his he was born, Hera (his mother) thought he was too mother) thought he was too weak to be worthy of her and weak to be worthy of her and threw him over a wall, threw him over a wall, crippling him for life.crippling him for life.

His emblem is the quail, His emblem is the quail, which does a hobbling dance.which does a hobbling dance.

Athena (Minerva)Athena (Minerva) Athena was the goddess of Athena was the goddess of

wisdom, and she knew more wisdom, and she knew more than anyone else about than anyone else about pottery, weaving, and all pottery, weaving, and all useful arts.useful arts.

Athena was also a battle Athena was also a battle goddess, and when she goddess, and when she fought, she always won. fought, she always won.

The story of her birth was The story of her birth was that one day Zeus had a that one day Zeus had a splitting headache, splitting headache, Hephaestus ran up with an Hephaestus ran up with an axe, split open his skull, and axe, split open his skull, and out stepped Athena, fully out stepped Athena, fully grown!grown!

The wise owl was her symbol.The wise owl was her symbol.

Aphrodite (Venus)Aphrodite (Venus)

Aphrodite was goddess of Aphrodite was goddess of love and beauty.love and beauty.

Aphrodite had a magic Aphrodite had a magic girdle, or belt, which she girdle, or belt, which she would wear whenever she would wear whenever she wanted to make anyone wanted to make anyone love her madly.love her madly.

Zeus tried to tame her by Zeus tried to tame her by making Hephaestus her making Hephaestus her husband, but she thought husband, but she thought it disgraceful to be his it disgraceful to be his wife.wife.

Her emblem was the dove.Her emblem was the dove.

Ares (Mars)Ares (Mars) Ares was Hephaestus’s tall, Ares was Hephaestus’s tall,

cruel, handsome, boastful cruel, handsome, boastful brother.brother.

He loved fighting for its own He loved fighting for its own sake.sake.

Ares and Aphrodite were Ares and Aphrodite were always holding hands and always holding hands and giggling in corners, which giggling in corners, which made Hephaestus jealous.made Hephaestus jealous.

He had no manners, no He had no manners, no learning, and the worst of learning, and the worst of taste.taste.

His emblems were the wild His emblems were the wild boar and a blood-stained boar and a blood-stained spear.spear.

Apollo (Apollo)Apollo (Apollo)

Apollo was the god of Apollo was the god of music, poetry, medicine, music, poetry, medicine, archery, and young archery, and young unmarried men. unmarried men.

He was Zeus’s son and He was Zeus’s son and rebelled against his father rebelled against his father once or twice but got well once or twice but got well punished each time.punished each time.

His emblem was the white His emblem was the white mouse, which knew the mouse, which knew the secrets of the earth and secrets of the earth and told them to him.told them to him.

Artemis (Diana)Artemis (Diana)

Artemis was goddess of Artemis was goddess of the hunt, the moon, and the hunt, the moon, and unmarried girls.unmarried girls.

She hated the idea of She hated the idea of marriage, although she marriage, although she took care of mothers took care of mothers when their babies were when their babies were born.born.

Her emblem was the Her emblem was the she-bear, the most she-bear, the most dangerous of all wild dangerous of all wild animals in Greece.animals in Greece.

Hermes (Mercury)Hermes (Mercury)

Hermes was the Hermes was the messenger of the gods.messenger of the gods.

He was also the god of He was also the god of merchants, bankers, merchants, bankers, thieves, fortune-tellers, thieves, fortune-tellers, and heralds.and heralds.

Hermes invented the Hermes invented the alphabet, and one of his alphabet, and one of his emblems was the crane, emblems was the crane, because cranes fly in a because cranes fly in a V. That was the first V. That was the first letter he wrote.letter he wrote.

Hestia (Vesta)Hestia (Vesta)

Hestia was Zeus’s Hestia was Zeus’s oldest sister.oldest sister.

She was goddess of She was goddess of the homethe home

Hestia was the Hestia was the kindest and most kindest and most peaceful of all the peaceful of all the Olympians, hated the Olympians, hated the continual family continual family quarrels, and never quarrels, and never chose any emblem chose any emblem for her own.for her own.

Dionysus (Bacchus)Dionysus (Bacchus)

Dionysus was the Dionysus was the inventor of wine and inventor of wine and Zeus’s son by a mortal Zeus’s son by a mortal woman.woman.

Zeus gave him a seat in Zeus gave him a seat in in the Council of the in the Council of the gods, but he would have gods, but he would have been thirteenth, so been thirteenth, so sweet Hestia gave him sweet Hestia gave him her seat.her seat.

His emblem was the His emblem was the tiger.tiger.