Greek and Roman

Mythology
The Principal Gods and
Goddesses

What is a myth?
A traditional story rooted in
primitive folk beliefs of cultures
Uses the supernatural to interpret
natural events
Explains the cultures view of the
universe and the nature of
humanity

In the beginning...
was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)
Chaos had two children:

Night (darkness)
Erebus (death)

All was black, empty, silent, endless.

Mysteriously, Love was born of
darkness and death.

And then...
When Love was born, order and
beauty began to flourish.
Love created Light and Day.
Earth was created.

She was the solid ground, but also a

personality.

The Earth bore Heaven to cover her

and be a home for the gods.

The First Parents

Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia)
Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus)
They had three kinds of children:

Three monsters with 100 hands and 50

heads
Three cyclopes
The titans

These were the first characters that had the appearance of

life, although it was unlike any life known to man.

The Titans (The Elder

Gods)
There were many of them.
Enormous size, incredible strength
Cronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titans
Rhea: Wife of Cronos
Ocean: River that encircled the world
Iapetus: Father of Prometheus,
Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)

The Principal Gods

Cronos and Rhea

were parents of
Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)
Poseidon
(Neptune)
Hades (Pluto)
Hera (Juno)
Hestia (Vesta)
Demeter (Ceres)

Other Olympians
include

Athena (Minerva)
Ares (Mars)
Hebe (Juventas)
Hephaestus (Vulcan)
Apollo (Apollo)
Artemis (Diana)
Hermes (Mercury)
Aphrodite (Venus)
Dionysus (Bacchus)
Persephone

The Olympians

Zeus
Roman Name:
Jupiter (also Jove)
Supreme god of
the Olympians.
Fathered many
characters in
mythology

Zeus

Hera
Roman Name:
Juno
Zeuss sister
and wife
Jealous protector
of marriage
Punished the
women Zeus fell
in love with

Poseidon
Roman Name:
Neptune
God of the
Seas and
Waters
The
Earthshaker

Hades
Roman
Name: Pluto
God of the
Underworld/
Dead
Kidnapped
Persephone

Hestia
Roman
Name: Vesta
Goddess of
Home
Powerful
Protector

Demeter
Roman
Name:
Ceres
Goddess of
the Harvest
A Goddess
of the Earth

Athena
Roman
Name:
Minerva
Goddess of
Wisdom and
War
Sprang from
Zeuss head

Ares
Roman Name:
Mars
God of War
Son of Zeus
and Hera
Bloodthirsty
and merciless

Hephaestu
s
Roman Name:
Vulcan
(Mulciber)
God of
Fire/Forge
Son of Zeus
and Hera
Kind, unlike his
brother

Apollo
Roman
Name:
Apollo
God of
Light/Sun
and Music
Brother of
Artemis

Artemis
Roman
Name:
Diana
Goddess of
the Moon/
Hunt
Sister to
Apollo

Hermes
Roman Name:
Mercury
Messenger of
the Gods
Appears in
more myths
than any other
character

Aphrodite
Roman
Name: Venus
Goddess of
Love and
Beauty
Sprang from
the ocean
foam

Dionysus
Roman Name:
Bacchus
God of Wine
Patron god of
the Greek
stage
A God of the
Earth

Persephon
e

Roman Name:
Proserpina
Goddess of the
Underworld
Daughter of
Zeus and
Demeter
Abducted by
Hades

Hebe
Roman Name:
Juventas
Goddess of
Youth
Cupbearer to
the Gods
Restored youth
to the aged

Eros
Roman Name:
Cupid
Young God of
Love
Son of
Aphrodite and
Hephaestus

Iris
Goddess of the
Rainbow
Messenger for
Zeus and Hera
Daughter of
the titan
Thaumus and
the nymph
Electra

The Muses

Nine daughters of
Zeus and
Mnemosyne
Inspired artists of
all kinds

Goddesses who
presided over the
arts and sciences
He is happy whom
the muses love.

Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Polyhymnia

The Graces
Three Goddesses of
Grace and Beauty
They give life its
bloom.
Aglaia (Splendor)
Euphrosyne (Mirth)
Thalia (Good Cheer)

The Erinnyes (The Furies)

Roman Name: Furiae
or Dirae (The Furies)
Three Goddesses of
Vengeance

Tisiphone
Alecto
Megaera

They punish evildoers.

The Fates
Roman Name: Parcae, Moirae
Three sisters

Clotho (The Spinner)

Lachesis (The disposer of lots)
Atropos (The cutter)

They weave, measure, and cut the

thread of life for humans.

The Satyrs
Gods of the woods
and mountains
Shepherd gods
Goat men (like Pan)
Companions of
Dionysus
They like to drink,
dance, and chase
nymphs.

The Gorgons
Three snakehaired
monsters
Medusa is most
well-known
Their look turns
men to stone.

The
Centaurs
Half man, half
horse
Savage
creatures
(except
Chiron)
Followers of
Dionysus

http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.html
http://www.pantheon.org/
http://www.messagenet.com/myths/
http://mythman.com/
http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.html
http://www.paleothea.com/
http://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/myth.html