Introduction to the Twelve Olympians in Greek and Roman Mythology
Explore the major gods from Greek and Roman mythology - Zeus (Jupiter/Jove), Poseidon (Neptune), and Hades (Pluto). Learn about their roles, stories, and unique attributes as powerful figures in ancient lore.
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THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS Introduction to Mythology Act 1.19
Recall the definition of myth: a story from the past involving gods or heroes. Myths often explain beliefs, customs, or mysterious natural phenomena or identify acceptable or unacceptable behavior.
You may already be familiar with some of the Greek and Roman gods. Complete the chart on p. 50 of SpringBoard as you read through the information on the following slides. Fill in the responsibilities or roles in the middle column. Then, instead of filling in the third column with names from other cultures, tell at least one bit of information not already noted on the chart, which you learned from the slides.
ZEUS / JUPITER OR JOVE Zeus is the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. Zeus overthrew his Father Cronus. He then drew lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades. Zeus won the draw and became the supreme ruler of the gods. He is lord of the sky, and the rain god. His weapon is a thunderbolt which he hurls at those who displease him. He is married to Hera, but he is famous for his many crushes on other goddesses and mortals. He is also known to punish those that lie or break oaths. He is the rain god, and the cloud gatherer, who wields the terrible thunderbolt. His breastplate is the aegis, his bird the eagle, his tree the oak. He is represented as the god of justice and mercy, the protector of the weak, and the punisher of the wicked. Greek Mythology Zeus fanpop.com
POSEIDON / NEPTUNE As god of the sea and protector of all waters, Poseidon is the brother of Zeus. After the overthrow of their Father Cronus, he drew lots with Zeus and Hades, another brother, for shares of the world. His prize was to become lord of the sea. He was widely worshiped by seamen. He married Amphitrite, a granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus. At one point he desired Demeter. To put him off, Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that the world had ever seen. So to impress her, Poseidon created the first horse. In some accounts, his first attempts were unsuccessful and created a variety of other animals in his quest. By the time the horse was created, his passion for Demeter had cooled. His weapon is a trident, which can shake the earth and shatter any object. He is second only to Zeus in power amongst the gods. He has a difficult, quarrelsome personality. He is also greedy. He had a series of disputes with other gods when he tried to take over their cities. http://www.diannelaramee.ca/
HADES / PLUTO Hades is the brother of Zeus. After the overthrow of their Father Cronus, he drew lots with Zeus and Poseidon, another brother, for shares of the world. He had the worst draw and was made lord of the underworld, ruling over the dead. He is a greedy god who is greatly concerned with increasing his subjects. Those whose calling increase the number of dead are seen favorably. Once in his realm, he is exceedingly disinclined to allow any of his subjects leave. He is also the god of wealth, due to the precious metals mined from the earth. He has a helmet that makes him invisible. He rarely leaves the underworld. He is unpitying and terrible, but not capricious. His wife is Persephone, whom Hades abducted. He is the King of the dead, but death itself is another god, Thanatos. http://mahoneyfblock.blogspot.com/2009/02/language-appreciation-death.html
HERA / JUNO Hera is Zeus s wife and sister. She was raised by the Titans Ocean and Tethys. Shea is the supreme goddess, goddess of marriage and childbirth, and she takes special care of married women. Hera's marriage was founded in strife with Zeus and continued in strife. Zeus courted her unsuccessfully. He then turned to trickery, changing himself into disheveled cuckoo. Hera, feeling sorry for the bird, held it to her breast to warm it. Zeus then resumed his normal form and taking advantage of the surprise he gained convinced her to become his wife. Once when Zeus was being particularly overbearing to the other gods, Hera convinced them to join in a revolt. Her part in the revolt was to drug Zeus, and in this she was successful. The gods then bound the sleeping Zeus to a couch taking care to tie many knots. This done, they began to quarrel over the next step. Briareus overheard the arguments. Crossstitchworld.com Still full of gratitude to Zeus, Briareus slipped in and was able to quickly untie the many knots. Zeus sprang from the couch and grabbed up his thunderbolt. The gods fell to their knees begging and pleading for mercy. He seized Hera and hung her from the sky with gold chains. She wept in pain all night, but none of the others dared to interfere. Her weeping kept Zeus up, and the next morning he agreed to release her if she would swear never to rebel again. She had little choice but to agree. While she never again rebelled, she often intrigued against Zeus's plans, and she was often able to outwit him. Her sacred animals are the cow and the peacock, while her favorite city is Argos.
HESTIA / VESTA Hestia is Zeus s sister. She is a virgin goddess. She does not have a distinct personality. She plays no part in myths. She is the goddess of the hearth, the symbol of the house around which a new born child is carried before it is received into the family. Each city had a public hearth sacred to Hestia, where the fire was never allowed to go out. Of all the Olympians, she is the mildest, most upright and most charitable. Paleothea.com
ARES / MARS Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. He was disliked by both parents. He is the god of war, and he is considered murderous and bloodthirsty yet also a coward. His bird is the vulture, and his animal is the dog. Dcwikia.com
ATHENA / MINERVA Athena is the Greek goddess of reason, intelligent activity, arts and, literature. Athena is the daughter of Zeus. She sprang full grown in armor from his forehead, thus she has no mother. She is fierce and brave in battle, but only in wars to defend the state and home from outside enemies. She is the goddess of the city, handicrafts, and agriculture. She invented the bridle, which permitted man to tame horses. She also invented the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the yoke, the ship, and the chariot. She is the embodiment of wisdom, reason, and purity. She was Zeus's favorite child and was allowed to use his weapons including his thunderbolt. Her favorite city is Athens. Her tree is the olive, and the owl is her bird. Goodreads.com
APOLLO / APOLLO Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister is Artemis. He is the god of music, playing a golden lyre; the Archer, far shooting with a silver bow; and the god of healing who taught man medicine. He is also the god of light, as well as the god of truth, who cannot speak a lie. One of Apollo's more important daily tasks is to harness his chariot with four horses and drive the Sun across the sky. He is famous for his oracle at Delphi. People travelled to it from all over the Greek world to devine the future. His tree is the laurel, the crow is his bird, the dolphin is his animal.
HERMES / MERCURY Hermes is the cleverest of the Olympian gods, and messenger to all the other gods. The son of Zeus and Maia, he is also Zeus s messenger. The fastest of the gods, he wears winged sandals, a winged hat, and carries a magic wand. He is also the god of thieves and god of commerce. Further, he guides the dead to the underworld. Finally, he invented the lyre, the pipes, the musical scale, astronomy, weights and measures, boxing, gymnastics, and the care of olive trees. Camphalfblood.wikia.com
DEMETER / CERES DEMETER was the great Olympian goddess of agriculture, grain, and bread, the prime sustenance of mankind. She also presided over the foremost of the Mystery Cults which promised its initiates the path to a blessed afterlife. Demeter was depicted as a mature woman, often crowned and holding bundles of wheat and a torch.
ARTEMIS / DIANA She is goddess of chastity, virginity, the hunt, the moon, and the natural environment. Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister to Apollo. Not only is she the lady of the wild things, she is the huntsman of the gods. Like Apollo she hunts with silver arrows and is associated with the moon. She is the protector of the young and presides over childbirth. The cypress is her tree. Finally, all wild animals are sacred to her, especially the deer. paisleytheadventurer.blogspot.com
HEPHAESTUS Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera. Sometimes it is said that Hera alone produced him, and that he has no father. He is the only god to be physically ugly. He is also lame. Accounts as to how he became lame vary. Some say that Hera, upset by having an ugly child, flung him from Mount Olympus into the sea, breaking his legs. Others say he took Hera's side in an argument with Zeus, and Zeus flung him off Mount Olympus. He is the god of fire and the forge. He is the smith and armorer of the gods. He uses a volcano as his forge. He is also the patron god of both smiths and weavers. Finally, he is kind and peace-loving, and his is wife is Aphrodite Smtexas.com
Aphrodite / Venus Greeks call her Aphrodite, Romans call her Venus, but everybody calls her drop dead gorgeous. One of the most worshipped of Greek deities, Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty, and procreation. She provides Olympus with more scandal and trouble than it could ever want. She is often vain, selfish, vengeful, and untrustworthy. Still, though, both god and mortal can t get enough of Aphrodite's unearthly beauty . There's no one quite like her.
Select one of the gods or goddesses from your chart and conduct further research at home if needed. You will create a Missing or a Wanted poster for him or her. Your poster should include all the relevant information identified on p. 51 of your SpringBoard; include anything else you think would be appropriate.
WANTED You will create a Missing or a Wanted poster for him or her. You poster should include all the relevant information identified on p. 51 of your SpringBoard; include anything else you think would be appropriate. Be prepared to present this poster to the class tomorrow. Name Also know as Last know location Physical Description Visual Picture Significant actions / crimes Why are they presumed dangerous Known Associates Additional Information / distinguishing features Due Tomorrow See Example of a real WANTED poster
WANTED For stealing Apollo s cattle, the murder of Argos, transforming Batos into stone, and accessory to the murder of Medusa. HERMES A.K.A. Mercury Description: Handsome youth bearing a herald s staff, wearing winged sandals and a winged helmet. Age: Approx., 3000 years old PRESUMEDDANGEROUS: Has magical power and cunning to use it treacherously! KnowAssociates: Zeus, Ares, Odysseus, Perseus Location: Last seen flying over downtown Arcadia Reward: $50, 000 Drachmae
