Greek Mythology

1
Greek Mythology

• Lecture 1
• A brief preview of what we will learn this
  semester!

2
What is Myth?

• Derived from the Greek word mythos meaning
  word, speech, tale, or story.
• May be written or spoken, but could also be
  conveyed through painting, sculpture, music,
  dance, or theatre
• Stories that have been handed down through many
  generations
• Myth is a term for stories primarily concerned
  with the gods and humankinds relations with
  them.
• Myth is intertwined with religion.

3
The Olympian Gods
4
Zeus (Jupiter)

• Epithets- aegis-bearing, high thundering, cloud
  gathering,
• Epithets- A term used to characterize a person or
  thing

• King of the gods, god of the sky, weather, and
  justice
• Attributes- Lightning bolt, aegis, oak, eagle
• Son of Cronos and Rhea

5
Poseidon (Neptune)
Hades (Pluto)

• Division of Cosmos Underworld
• Epithets- Unseen one, Zeus, Chthonius ,
  Polyxenos, Necron Soter
• Dis/Pluto, Ploutos- wealth
• God of death and the dead
• Took Persephone as wife
• Passive rather than evil

• Division of Cosmos Sea
• Epithets- earth shaker, Savior of sailors, Bull
  of the sea
• God of water, earthquakes, and horses
• Associated with the Trident
• Son of Cronos and Rhea
• Married to Amphitrite Rough, stern, and
  ferociously violent

6
Hera(Juno)
Demeter (Ceres)

• Queen of the gods, wife of Zeus
• Goddess of women, marriage, and childbirth
• Epithets- ox-eyed, white-armed
• Peacock
• Daughter of Cronos and Rhea

• De meter mother earth
• Deo, Ceres Cereal
• Goddess of Agriculture, harvest, fertility of the
  earth
• Attributes torch, sheaf of wheat, poppy,
  cornucopia
• Daughter of Cronos and Rhea
• Mother of Persephone

7
Athena(Minerva)

• Epithets- Nike, Ergane, Hippias, gray-eyed,
  bright-eyed
• Goddess of war
• Powers and skills- Wisdom, severe moral
  earnestness, weaving
• Virginity untamed power
• Daughter of Zeus and Metis

• Goddess of love, beauty, sex, and procreation
• Power over all living creatures, including the
  gods
• Associated with swans, sparrows, doves, and
  dolphins
• Judgment of Paris
• Mother of Eros (Cupid)

Aphrodite (Venus)
8
Apollo

• God of prophesy, the arts, archery, young people,
  healing, and plague
• Epithets- far-darter, Phoebus
• Attributes- wreath and branch of laurel, bow and
  quiver, raven, and lyre

Artemis (Diana)

• Bringer of sudden death
• Goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and wild
  animals
• Virgin, goddess of young people (esp. women) and
  childbirth

Twins of Leto and Zeus
9
Hermes(Mercury)

• Epithets- Logios, psychopompos
• God of travelers, boundaries, luck, shepherds and
  cowherds
• Known as and Inventor and trickster
• Associated with winged sandals, caduceus
• Led souls traveling to the underworld
• Messenger of the gods
• Son of Zeus and Maia

• Epithets- Giver of many joys
• God of vegetation, the vine, wine, revelry, and
  ecstatic release
• Innate wildness of humanity
• Associated with Thyrsus, leopard, drinking cup
  and fruit vine
• Son of Zeus and Semele
• Known as the foreigner. Was not an original
  Olympian, replaced Hestia

Dionysus (Bacchus)
10
Ares(Mars)
Hephaestus (Vulcan)

• Epithet- The lame one
• Divine artisan, god of fire
• Created items of importance
• Thrown of Mt Olympus
• Husband of Aphrodite
• Son of Zeus and Hera

• God of war and battle
• Brutal, strong, divine swashbuckler
• Hotheaded
• Affair with Aphrodite
• Son of Zeus and Hera