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Lesser Gods of Olympus
Minor Deities
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Eros/Cupid
• Later accounts of Eros say that he is the son of Aphrodite
• He is the God of Love
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Hebe
• Goddess of eternal youth
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The Muses
• 9 in total; daughters of Zeus• Clio – history; Urania – astronomy; Melpomene –
tragedy; Thalia – comedy; Terpsichore – dance; Calliope – epic poetry; Erato – love poetry; Polyhymnia – songs to the gods; Euterpe – lyric poetry
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Iris
• Goddess of the rainbow
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The 3 Graces
• Algaia – Splendor; Euphrosyne – mirth; Thalia – good cheer
• Daughters of Zeus • Bestow happiness upon the gods and man
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Poseidon/Neptune
• God of the sea and underground rivers
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Ocean
• He was a Titan and lord of the River Ocean – a river that encircled the earth
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Tethys
• Ocean’s wife; a Titan
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Pontus
• Deep Sea god
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Oceanids
• Sea nymphs of the river Ocean • Nymphs are any of the minor divinities of
nature represented as beautiful maidens dwelling in the mountains, forests, trees, and waters.
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Nereids
• Sea nymphs
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Amphitrite
• Poseidon’s wife
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Triton
• The trumpeter of the sea
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Proteus
• Poseidon’s son• Power to foretell the future and to change his
shape
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Naiads
• Water nymphs – fresh water (springs, lakes, fountains)
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Hades/Pluto
• God of the Underworld and wealth
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Persephone
• Wife of Hades• Abducted by Hades• Daughter of Demeter/Ceres
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Charon
• The ferryman of the Underworld• Dead souls paid him with coins to ferry them
across the Styx River
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The Erinyes/The Furies
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Pan – god of nature
• Son of Hermes
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Silenus
• Pan’s son or brother • Jolly and fun
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Castor and Pollux
• Brothers who protected sailors; were great in battle
• Castor – tamed horses• Pollux – skilled boxer
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Satyrs
• Goat-men of the forests – looked like Pan
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Nymphs on Land
• Oreads – mountain nymphs• Dryads (Hamadryads) – tree nymphs
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The Winds
• Aeolus – King of the Winds• Boreas – North Wind• Zephyr – West Wind• Notus – South Wind • Eurus – East Wind
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Centaurs
• Aggressive and savage• Half-man and half-horse
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The 3 Gorgons
• Female creatures – turn men to stone with a glance
• The most fearsome was Medusa
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The Sirens
• Female sea creatures – lured sailors to their death with their enchanting songs
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The Graiae
• Sisters to the Gorgons • Shared one eye
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The 3 Fates
• Very powerful – controlled all human life• Clotho – spinner; Lachesis – Destiny; Atropos –
thread-cutter