Greek%20and%20Roman%20Mythology

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Greek and Roman Mythology

• A Review
• of
• The Principal Gods and Goddesses

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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

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In the beginning...

• was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)
• Chaos had two children
• Night (darkness)
• Erebus (death)

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• All was black, empty,
• silent, endless.

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• When suddenly, mysteriously, Love was born of
  darkness and death.

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• When suddenly, mysteriously, Love was born of
  darkness and death.

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And then...

• When Love was born, order and beauty began to
  flourish.
• Love created Light and Day.

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Earth was created. She was the solid ground, but
also a personality. Her name was Gaia.
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• The Earth bore Heaven to cover her and be a home
  for the gods.
• He was called Uranus

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They Were The First Parents

• They had three kinds of children
• Three monsters with 100 hands and 50 heads
• 
  Hecatonchires

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Three cyclopes
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And 12 Titans- 6 Males and 6 Females
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Some of The Titans (The Elder Gods)

• 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)

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These were the first characters that had the
appearance of life, although it was unlike any
life known to man.
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For some reason Uranus wasnt very fond of his
children.

• Especially the Hecatonchires
  and Cyclopes

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Seriously,

• Who could blame him
• ?

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So he buried them deep inside of the Earth.

• Wait, the Earth is a person. Do you think Gaia
  was happy to have those big monsters shoved back
  inside her?

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She wasnt!

• So she asked her children to help her take care
  of their father, but only one of them agreed to
  help her- Cronos.

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She made him a very special sickle and asked him
to cut off his fathers . . .

• Well something kind of important.

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After that, for some reason, I guess Uranus
didnt want to be with Gaia, and the Sky
separated from the Earth

• Cronos took over and ruled with his wife (and
  sister) Rhea.
• I know, gross right?

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Under Cronos and Rhea, though, the world had
complete peace.

• T here were no wars
• no crime
• no injustice!
• Even the animals lived in peace!

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It was called
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But Chronos had been told that one of his
children would depose him

• So, he ate them!

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Except for Zeus

• His Grandmother (Gaia) helped Rhea to hide Zeus
  and fed Cronos a blanket-wrapped rock instead.

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They hid Zeus in a cave where he was cared for
by a goat until he was old enough to come back
and fix things.

• He came home and made his
• father barf up his brothers
• and sisters.

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The children divided the kingdom between them.

• Zeus (Roman name Jupiter) became the supreme
  ruler of Mount Olympus

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Poseidon (Roman name Neptune) became the god of
the seas
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Hades (Roman name Pluto) is the god of the
Underworld

• With his three-headed dog.

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Demeter (Roman name Ceres) is the goddess of the
earth and fertility.

• She gives us winter every year since her daughter
  was
• Kidnapped by . . .,
• But, I guess that
• is a different story

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Hera

• Who is the
• jealous (very)
• Protector of
• Marriage

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And Hestia (Roman name Vesta)

• Goddess of
• Home

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

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The Olympians
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Athena

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

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Ares

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

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Hephaestus

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

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Apollo

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

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Artemis

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

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Hermes

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

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Aphrodite

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

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Dionysus

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

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Persephone

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

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Hebe

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

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Eros

• Roman Name Cupid
• Young God of Love
• Son of Aphrodite and Hephaestus

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Iris

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

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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
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The Graces

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

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The Erinnyes (The Furies)

• Roman Name Furiae or Dirae (The Furies)
• Three Goddesses of Vengeance
• Tisiphone
• Alecto
• Megaera
• They punish evildoers.

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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.

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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.

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The Gorgons

• Three snake-haired monsters
• Medusa is most well-known
• Their look turns men to stone.

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The Centaurs

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

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Sources

• Graphics in this presentation were taken from the
  following web sites
• 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.ht
  ml
• C Goldens
• This presentation is for educational purposes
  only it has not been and should not be sold or
  used as a vehicle to make money.