Greek and Roman Greek and Roman MythologyMythology
A ReviewA Review
ofof
The Principal Gods and The Principal Gods and GoddessesGoddesses
What is a myth?What is a myth?
A traditional story rooted in A traditional story rooted in primitive folk beliefs of culturesprimitive folk beliefs of cultures
Uses the supernatural to interpret Uses the supernatural to interpret natural eventsnatural events
Explains the culture’s view of the Explains the culture’s view of the universe and the nature of universe and the nature of humanityhumanity
In the beginning...In the beginning...
……was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)was Chaos (shapeless nothingness) Chaos had two children:Chaos had two children:
– Night (darkness)Night (darkness)– Erebus (death)Erebus (death)
““All was black, empty, silent, All was black, empty, silent, endless.”endless.”
Mysteriously, Love was born of Mysteriously, Love was born of darkness and death.darkness and death.
And then...And then...
When Love was born, order and When Love was born, order and beauty began to flourish.beauty began to flourish.
Love created Light and Day.Love created Light and Day. Earth was created.Earth was created.
– She was the solid ground, but also a She was the solid ground, but also a personality.personality.
The Earth bore Heaven to cover The Earth bore Heaven to cover her and be a home for the gods.her and be a home for the gods.
The First ParentsThe First Parents
Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia)Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia) Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus)Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus) They had three kinds of children:They had three kinds of children:
– Three monsters with 100 hands and 50 Three monsters with 100 hands and 50 headsheads
– Three cyclopesThree cyclopes– The titansThe titans
These were the first characters that had the appearance These were the first characters that had the appearance of life, although it was unlike any life known to man.of life, although it was unlike any life known to man.
The Titans (The Elder The Titans (The Elder Gods)Gods)
There were many of them.There were many of them. Enormous size, incredible strengthEnormous size, incredible strength Cronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titansCronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titans Rhea: Wife of CronosRhea: Wife of Cronos Ocean: River that encircled the worldOcean: River that encircled the world Iapetus: Father of Prometheus,Iapetus: Father of Prometheus,
Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)
The Principal GodsThe Principal Gods
Cronos and Rhea Cronos and Rhea were parents ofwere parents of– Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)– Poseidon Poseidon
(Neptune)(Neptune)– Hades (Pluto)Hades (Pluto)– Hera (Juno)Hera (Juno)– Hestia (Vesta)Hestia (Vesta)– Demeter (Ceres)Demeter (Ceres)
Other Olympians Other Olympians includeinclude– Athena (Minerva)Athena (Minerva)– Ares (Mars)Ares (Mars)– Hebe (Juventas)Hebe (Juventas)– Hephaestus (Vulcan)Hephaestus (Vulcan)– Apollo (Apollo)Apollo (Apollo)– Artemis (Diana)Artemis (Diana)– Hermes (Mercury)Hermes (Mercury)– Aphrodite (Venus)Aphrodite (Venus)– Dionysus (Bacchus)Dionysus (Bacchus)– PersephonePersephone
The OlympiansThe Olympians
ZeusZeus
Roman Name: Roman Name: Jupiter (also Jove)Jupiter (also Jove)
Supreme god of Supreme god of the Olympians.the Olympians.
Fathered many Fathered many characters in characters in mythologymythology
ZeusZeus
HeraHera
Roman Name: Roman Name: JunoJuno
Zeus’s sister Zeus’s sister and wifeand wife
Jealous Jealous protector of protector of marriagemarriage
Punished the Punished the women Zeus fell women Zeus fell in love within love with
PoseidonPoseidon
Roman Name: Roman Name: NeptuneNeptune
God of the God of the Seas and Seas and WatersWaters
““The The Earthshaker”Earthshaker”
HadesHades
Roman Roman Name: PlutoName: Pluto
God of the God of the Underworld/ Underworld/ DeadDead
Kidnapped Kidnapped PersephonePersephone
HestiaHestia
Roman Roman Name: VestaName: Vesta
Goddess of Goddess of HomeHome
Powerful Powerful ProtectorProtector
DemeterDemeter
Roman Roman Name: Name: CeresCeres
Goddess of Goddess of the Harvestthe Harvest
A Goddess A Goddess of the Earthof the Earth
AthenaAthena
Roman Roman Name: Name: MinervaMinerva
Goddess of Goddess of Wisdom and Wisdom and WarWar
Sprang from Sprang from Zeus’s headZeus’s head
AresAres
Roman Name: Roman Name: MarsMars
God of WarGod of War Son of Zeus Son of Zeus
and Heraand Hera Bloodthirsty Bloodthirsty
and mercilessand merciless
HephaestuHephaestuss
Roman Name: Roman Name: Vulcan Vulcan (Mulciber)(Mulciber)
God of God of Fire/ForgeFire/Forge
Son of Zeus Son of Zeus and Heraand Hera
Kind, unlike his Kind, unlike his brotherbrother
ApolloApollo
Roman Roman Name: Name: ApolloApollo
God of God of Light/Sun Light/Sun and Musicand Music
Brother of Brother of ArtemisArtemis
ArtemisArtemis
Roman Roman Name: Name: DianaDiana
Goddess of Goddess of the Moon/ the Moon/ HuntHunt
Sister to Sister to ApolloApollo
HermesHermes
Roman Name: Roman Name: MercuryMercury
Messenger of Messenger of the Godsthe Gods
Appears in Appears in more myths more myths than any other than any other charactercharacter
AphroditeAphrodite
Roman Roman Name: VenusName: Venus
Goddess of Goddess of Love and Love and BeautyBeauty
Sprang from Sprang from the ocean the ocean foamfoam
DionysusDionysus
Roman Name: Roman Name: BacchusBacchus
God of WineGod of Wine Patron god of Patron god of
the Greek the Greek stagestage
A God of the A God of the EarthEarth
PersephonPersephonee
Roman Name: Roman Name: ProserpinaProserpina
Goddess of the Goddess of the UnderworldUnderworld
Daughter of Daughter of Zeus and Zeus and DemeterDemeter
Abducted by Abducted by HadesHades
HebeHebe
Roman Name: Roman Name: JuventasJuventas
Goddess of Goddess of YouthYouth
Cupbearer to Cupbearer to the Godsthe Gods
Restored youth Restored youth to the agedto the aged
ErosEros
Roman Name: Roman Name: CupidCupid
Young God of Young God of LoveLove
Son of Son of Aphrodite and Aphrodite and HephaestusHephaestus
IrisIris
Goddess of the Goddess of the RainbowRainbow
Messenger for Messenger for Zeus and HeraZeus and Hera
Daughter of Daughter of the titan the titan Thaumus and Thaumus and the nymph the nymph ElectraElectra
The MusesThe Muses
Nine daughters of Nine daughters of Zeus and Zeus and MnemosyneMnemosyne
Inspired artists of Inspired artists of all kindsall kinds
Goddesses who Goddesses who presided over the presided over the arts and sciencesarts and sciences
““He is happy whom He is happy whom the muses love.”the muses love.”
Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Polyhymnia
The GracesThe Graces
Three Goddesses of Three Goddesses of Grace and BeautyGrace and Beauty
““They give life its They give life its bloom.”bloom.”
Aglaia (Splendor)Aglaia (Splendor) Euphrosyne (Mirth)Euphrosyne (Mirth) Thalia (Good Cheer)Thalia (Good Cheer)
The Erinnyes (The Furies)The Erinnyes (The Furies)
Roman Name: Furiae Roman Name: Furiae or Dirae (The Furies)or Dirae (The Furies)
Three Goddesses of Three Goddesses of VengeanceVengeance– TisiphoneTisiphone– AlectoAlecto– MegaeraMegaera
They punish They punish evildoers.evildoers.
The FatesThe Fates
Roman Name: Parcae, MoiraeRoman Name: Parcae, Moirae Three sistersThree sisters
– Clotho (“The Spinner”)Clotho (“The Spinner”)– Lachesis (“The disposer of lots”)Lachesis (“The disposer of lots”)– Atropos (“The cutter”)Atropos (“The cutter”)
They weave, measure, and cut the They weave, measure, and cut the thread of life for humans.thread of life for humans.
The SatyrsThe Satyrs
Gods of the woods Gods of the woods and mountainsand mountains
““Shepherd gods”Shepherd gods” Goat men (like Pan)Goat men (like Pan) Companions of Companions of
DionysusDionysus They like to drink, They like to drink,
dance, and chase dance, and chase nymphs.nymphs.
The GorgonsThe Gorgons
Three snake-Three snake-haired haired monstersmonsters
Medusa is most Medusa is most well-knownwell-known
Their look turns Their look turns men to stone.men to stone.
The The CentaursCentaurs
Half man, half Half man, half horsehorse
Savage Savage creatures creatures (except (except Chiron)Chiron)
Followers of Followers of DionysusDionysus
SourcesSources
Graphics in this presentation were taken from Graphics in this presentation were taken from the following web sites:the following web sites:– http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.htmlhttp://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.html– http://www.pantheon.org/http://www.pantheon.org/– http://www.messagenet.com/myths/http://www.messagenet.com/myths/– http://mythman.com/http://mythman.com/– http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.htmlhttp://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.html– http://www.paleothea.com/http://www.paleothea.com/– http://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/myth.htmlhttp://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/myth.html
This presentation is for educational purposes This presentation is for educational purposes only; it has not been and should not be sold only; it has not been and should not be sold or used as a vehicle to make money.or used as a vehicle to make money.