Greek Mythology

1
Greek Mythology

• The Olympians

2
Who were the Olympians?
3
Who were the Olympians?

• A group of gods that ruled after the overthrow of
  Cronus and the Titans.
• They are named for their residence, Mount
  Olympus.
• They are the main gods of Greek mythology. There
  are other, minor, deities. However, the focus is
  on the Olympians.

4
Which gods were the Olympians?

• Different sources name different gods and
  goddesses as Olympians.
• For example, some say Hades is not an Olympian
  because he does not reside on Mount Olympus.
• We will consider the following gods and goddesses
  as Olympians

5
The Olympians

• Aphrodite
• Apollo
• Ares
• Artemis
• Athena
• Demeter
• Dionysus
• Hades

• Hephaestus
• Hera
• Hermes
• Hestia
• Persephone
• Poseidon
• Zeus

6
Aphrodite

• The goddess of love, beauty, and fertility
• There are two conflicting myths concerning her
  heritage
• One claims she was borne of sea foam
• The other claims she is the daughter of Zeus and
  Dione
• The wife of Hephaestus

7
Apollo

• The god of prophecy, music, and healing
• Twin brother of Artemis
• Taught man medicine
• Drives the sun across the sky in his chariot
• Famous for his oracle at Delphi

8
Ares

• The god of war
• Disliked by his parents, Zeus and Hera
• Ares is depicted as handsome and cruel
• Considered murderous and bloodstained, but also a
  coward

9
Artemis

• Virgin goddess of the hunt
• Twin sister of Apollo
• Huntsman of the gods, protector of children
• Goddess of chastity
• Presides over childbirth

10
Athena

• The goddess of crafts and the domestic arts and
  those of war
• Sprang full grown from Zeuss head, armed for
  battle
• Zeuss favorite child allowed to use his weapons
  (even thunderbolts)
• Did not get along very well with Poseidon

11
Demeter

• Goddess of agriculture
• Responsible for the changing of the seasons
• Often depicted carrying a sheaf of grain

12
Dionysus

• The god of wine and merriment
• Son of Zeus and the mortal woman Semele
• Granted Midas the golden touch, but was nice
  enough to take it from him when it became
  inconvenient

13
Hades

• Lord of the Underworld
• Rules over the dead
• Greedy and greatly concerned with increasing his
  subjects
• God of wealth
• Abducted and subsequently married Persephone
• His helmet makes him invisible

14
Hephaestus

• It is said that Hera alone produced Hephaestus
  and that he has no father
• The only god to be physically ugly
• God of fire, crafts, and blacksmiths
• Kind and peace-loving
• Husband of Aphrodite
• Said to be lame

15
Hera

• Wife and sister of Zeus queen of the gods
• Goddess of marriage
• An extremely jealous wife, very cruel to her
  husbands mistresses
• Hated Heracles, son of her husband and a mortal
  woman made his life extremely difficult

16
Hermes

• Messenger of the gods
• God of thieves and of commerce
• The guide for the dead to go to the Underworld
• Prankster and inventive genius

17
Hestia

• Goddess of the hearth
• A virgin goddess
• Each city had a public hearth sacred to her,
  where the fire was never allowed to go out
• Not much is known about her she does not have
  any part in the myths

18
Persephone

• Goddess of the Underworld
• Abducted by Hades and eventually married to him
• Spends half of the year in the Underworld, which
  accounts for the winter (Demeter, her mother,
  weeps for the time she is away) and the spring
  (when she is back on Earth)

19
Poseidon

• God of the sea, earthquakes, and horses
• Has a difficult, quarrelsome personality
• Second in power and strength only to Zeus
• Created the horse in an attempt to woo Demeter,
  which was unsuccessful

20
Zeus

• King of the gods
• As a storm god, lord of the sky and rain
• Married to Hera, but had many adulterous affairs
• Said to punish liars and those who broke their
  word

21
FIN