Exam Matching Review Mythic Entity Identifiable Characteristic/Feature Titans Gaia and Uranus gave birth to the Titans, who looked just like humans but were huge They were the first gods and goddesses Uranus banished some of them to the Underworld, which made Gaia upset Gaia encouraged them to rise up against Uranus Cronos Leader of the Titans mutilated his father and overthrew him Cronus and Rhea married and produced the Olympians swallowed his children to keep from being overthrown Rhea Wife of Cronus Rhea gave birth to Zeus wrapped a rock in blankets and pretended it was her son Cronus swallowed the rock, and Zeus grew up hidden Hera Queen of the gods; sister and wife of Zeus Goddess of the family Symbol: pomegranate (symbol of fertility) Hated Hades Brother of Zeus and Supreme ruler of the underworld Symbol: Helmet (helped him stay invincible) Original “he who must not be named” Poseidon Ruler of the sea Zeus’s brother; second most powerful god Responsible for natural & supernatural events (earthquakes) Maker of horses Symbol: Trident Zeus He gave Cronus a drink that made him throw up all the babies he had swallowed Zeus led his siblings in a revolt against Cronus & the other Titans God of the sky, lightning and thunder, leader of the Olympians His symbol was a thunderbolt Ruler of weather; keeper of laws; protector of kings; guardian of morality Married Hera, his sister Fathered many children with various goddesses and mortals Had over 115 girlfriends and wives and over 140 children!! Aphrodite Goddess of love and beauty Mother of Eros (Cupid) Wife of Hephaestus Lover to Ares Symbol: Dove God of sun, music, poetry Twin to Artemis Gift of prophecy (Oracle of Delphi) Symbol: Lyre Killer of the Cyclops To be “struck by Apollo’s arrow” means you died suddenly Ares God of War Other gods disliked him His throne on Mount Olympus was covered in human skin Ares and Aphrodite had a daughter--Harmony Symbol: Spear and dogs Athena Goddess of wisdom & war Approached war in terms of Justice Wore a helmet & breastplate & carried a spear Born from Zeus’s head Symbol: Staff and Owl Dionysus God of fertility & wine; patron of the arts Son of Zeus & Semele; only god with a mortal parent Brought joy & ecstasy or brutal and blinding rage; reflecting the dual nature of wine Symbol: Grapes Hephaestus God of metal working Only physically ugly god Interceded in a fight between Zeus & Hera; thrown to Earth which made him lame Husband to Aphrodite Symbol: Fire, axe, & hammer Persephone Hades loved her and stole her from her mother, Demeter She spends 6 months with mother and 6 months with husband One of the greatest heroes before Heracles Son of the mortal Danae & Zeus Half-brother & great grandfather of Heracles Beheaded the Gorgon Saved from () Heracles Strongest of all mortals; even stronger than many gods Deciding factor in the victory of the Olympians over the giants Only man born of a mortal woman to become a god upon his death Many popular stories were told of his life, the most famous; The Twelve Labours Driven mad by Hera, Heracles killed his wife & children. As redemption, Heracles had to complete twelve labours Heracles freed Prometheus from his chains and his torments (Prometheus was being punished for stealing fire from the gods & giving it to man) Achilles A Greek hero and a main character in the Trojan War His mother wanted to make him immortal and, dipped him in the river Styx at birth His heel was not touched by the waters & was the only part to remain mortal He died from a heel wound; the result of an arrow—possibly poisoned—shot by Paris “Achilles heel” means “an area of weakness, a vulnerable spot” Cerberus Watch dog of the underworld Prevent the dead from leaving Three heads, very scary Fates Daughters of Zeus Three blind sisters who determined people’s lifespan No god could alter their decision

Hydra A nine-headed serpent like snake; cut off one head, two more grow back (The middle head was immortal & breathed fire) Guarded the entrance to the underworld Killed by Heracles as one of his labours Cyclops Gigantic, one-eyed monsters; the most famous was Polyphemus, who was blinded by Odysseus Made Zeus’s thunderbolts Known for their strength & hostility to strangers Led a lawless life, had no social manners nor fear of the gods Workmen of Hephaestus Medusa Originally a golden-haired, fair maiden; a priestess of Athena Wooed by Poseidon; she forgot her vows of celibacy and married She was punished by the goddess in a most terrible manner Her face was transformed into an ugly woman with snakes instead of hair; anyone who looked into her eyes was immediately turned to stone Prometheus The wisest Titan Brought enlightenment to humans Stole fire from the gods & gave it to humankind Acted against the wishes of the Olympian Gods, who wanted to keep the power of fire - enlightenment - for themselves Zeus punished Prometheus by chaining him to a rock with an eagle tearing at his liver Pandora Was given a jar which contained all evils of humanity Curious to see what was inside, she opened it and all evils were released into the world Shocked, she closed it as soon as she could, but only Hope remained trapped inside Muses Nine beautiful, intelligent deities Each Muse was in charge over an intelligence Required to praise them in epic poetry