Greek Mythology - BHS Academic Team
Greek Mythology
Major Gods:
Kronos- Titan - Zeus’ Father; husband of Rhea, slain by Zeus
Gaia- Titan - The Earth Goddess, wife of Oranos, mother of all living things; tellurium named after her
Oranos (Uranus) - Titan of the Sky, husband of Gaia, original lord of Creation, castrated and deposed by Kronos, his son (Atlas holds him on his shoulders so he doesn’t touch the Earth)
Rhea – Titan – wife of Kronos, birthed the six main Olympian gods and goddesses, including Zeus.
Zeus (Jupiter) – Ruler of the Gods, god of the sky; known for his lightning bolt, as well as numerous liaisons with mortal women, including Io and Leta. Husband and brother of Hera.
Poseidon (Neptune) – God of the sea and earthquakes, also patron god of horses. Known for trident and chariots. Famous offspring : Polyphemus, Bellerophon, and Theseus
Hades (Pluto) – God of the Underworld, husband of Persephone. Also patron god of funeral rites, mining, and riches. Known for the pomegranate.
Hera (Juno) – Queen of the Gods; goddess of marriage, known for extreme jealousy and revenge, especially upon Zeus’ mortal lovers. Wife and sister of Zeus, mother of Hephaestus
Aphrodite (Venus) – Goddess of beauty and love; known for the dove, apple, scallop shell, and mirror. Unwilling wife of Hephaestus; had affairs with Ares. Born of sea foam.
Athena (Minerva) – Goddess of wisdom and defensive war; also patron of weaving and pottery. Known for the aegis and spear, the owl, and the olive tree. A virgin goddess.
Hermes (Mercury) – The Messenger God; patron god of roads, travelers, husbandry, and trade; known for winged boots, cap of invisibility, cattle, and the shepherd’s pipe.
Ares (Mars) – God of war, battle-lust and manly courage; known for spear, armor, and the snake.
Hephaestus (Vulcan) – God of the forge and fire; known for hammer and tongs and the donkey. Husband of Aphrodite and forged Zeus’ lightning bolts.
Hestia – Goddess of the hearth; patron goddess of the home, sacrificial flame, and family meal. Tended the fire in the Hall of Olympus. A virgin goddess.
Apollo – God of music, healing, prophecy, and oracles. Known for the laurel wreath, raven, and lyre. Son of Leto and Zeus; twin of Artemis. Slew the serpent python at the Oracle of Delphi.
Artemis – Goddess of the hunt and wilderness; known for (with Apollo) bringing disease and plague, as well as the bow-and quiver. A virgin goddess; turned Acteon into a stag for viewing her bathing.
Dionysus (Bacchus) – God of wine and revelry; known for the thyrsos ( a pine-cone tipped staff), the leopard, and the fruit vine. Rituals often orgiastic and wild in nature.
Minor Gods/Titans:
Demeter (Ceres) – Goddess of seasons and the harvest; Mother of Persephone. Reason for summer and winter being the abduction of Persephone.
Persephone – Daughter of Demeter; Wife of Hades. Ate pomegranate and must remain in the Underworld six months of every year.
Pan – God of shepherds and flocks; appears as a satyr. Known for chasing nymphs and playing pan-pipes.
Helios – Titan god of the Sun; pulled his chariot over Earth each day, the wheels were the Sun.
Prometheus – Titan god of forethought and crafty counsel; crafted man and stole fire for them. Bound to a rock where a vulture would eat his liver each day as punishment.
Selene – Titan goddess of the Moon
Eros – God of love and eroticism; Son of Aphrodite; lover of Psyche.
Nike – Goddess of victory
The Muses- Goddesses of music, song, and dance – 9
1. Kalliope : Epic poetry
2. Kleio : History
3. Ourania : Astronomy
4. Thaleia : Comedy
5. Melpomene : Tragedy
6. Polyhymnia : Religious hymns
7. Erato : Erotic poetry
8. Euterpe : Lyric poetry
9. Terpsikhore : Choral song and dance
Heroes:
Achilles- Hero of Troy; invulnerable except for heel. He kills Hector, but is killed by Paris.
Patroklos: Cousin of Achilles; dresses as Achilles in order to fight in Trojan War, mistakenly killed by Hector.
Agamemnon- Brother of Menelaus; king of Mycenae, assemples one thousand ships for his brother to retrieve Helen. Killed by his wife Clymenestra upon his return.
Menelaus- Brother of Agamemnon; king of Sparta. Paris stole his wife Helen to Troy, begins the Trojan War.
Hector- Hero of the Trojans; killed by Achilles nearing the end of the Trojan War.
Priam- King of Troy
Paris- Prince of Troy, stole Helen from Menelaus; chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful of the three goddesses; Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite and in turn she granted him the most beautiful woman in the world.
Hercules- Hero committed by Hera to completing the Twelve Labors after killing his wife and children in a fit of rage. Trials included killing the Nemean Lion, the Hydra, the Stymphalion Birds, retrieving Cerberus, the Golden Apples of the Hesperides, the Belt of Hippolyta, and mucking the Stables of Augeas.
Odysseus-Hero of the Trojan War; invented the idea of the Trojan Horse, responsible for the victory of the siege of Troy. Incurred Poseidon’s wrath after blinding Polyphemus, leading to a twenty year voyage home in The Odyssey, by Homer.
Orpheus- Famous lyre-player and singer; journeyed to the Underworld to retrieve his wife from Hades.
Jason- Retrieved the Golden Fleece with the Argonauts; married Medea, a witch who eventually killed their children in jealousy.
Theseus- Son of Poseidon; Sent to Crete and killed the Minotaur in the labyrinth.
Perseus- Son of Danae and Zeus; killed Medusa.
Bellerophon-Son of Poseidon; tamed Pegasus and killed the Chimera.
Atalanta- famous huntress; slew the Calydonian Boar.
Hippolyta- Queen of the Amazonians; gave Hercules her belt for one of his labors.
Narcissus- Man who fell in love with his reflection; leads to the term Narcissism.
Pygmalion- Man who created a statue of Aphrodite and fell in love with it; Aphrodite gave it life as a reward for his faithfulness, giving him a wife.
Tantalus- Killed and served his son for dinner to the Gods of Olympus. Sentenced to an eternity in Tartarus suffering in eternal thirst and hunger.
Chiron- A famous centaur who taught many heroes, including Hercules. Sentenced to immortality, but at the cost of constant agony.
Mythical Creatures
Centaur- Creatures with the lower body of a horse and the upper torso of a man; often lusty revelers
Satyr- Creatures with the lower body of a goat and the upper body of a man; tend to chase women and play pipes
Manticore- Creature with the body of a lion, face of a man, and a spiked tail
Griffin- Creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle
Sphinx- Creature with the body of a cat and head of a man; very clever and enjoy riddles, such as in Oedipus Rex.
Chimera- Creature with the body and head of a lion, a second goat’s head, and a serpentine tail; killed by Bellerophon. The word chimerical stems from this creature.
Calydonian Boar- A giant boar sent by Artemis that ravaged Calydonia until Atalanta killed it.
Nemean Lion- A giant lion that ravaged Nemea until Hercules killed it for his first Labor.
Hydra- A serpentine, multi-headed creature that lived in the swamps of Lerna; killed by Hercules for his second Labor
Cerberus- Guard to the Underworld; a giant dog with three heads. Hercules had to retrieve it for another Labor.
Argus- Creature with 100 eyes, set as a guard by Hera to watch over Io the cow/woman. Killed by Hermes.
Pegasus- Wild winged horse that was tamed by several heroes, including Hercules and Bellerophon.
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