Search Ducksters Greek Mythology for more information! Gods and Goddesses Heroes and Demigods Monsters and Creatures The Titans Greek Heroes Centaurs The Titans were the first or elder gods. There were A Greek hero was a brave and strong man that was The Centaurs were half-man half-horse creatures. twelve of them including the parents of Zeus, favored by the gods. He performed brave exploits Their upper half was human, while their lower half Cronus and Rhea. They ruled during what was and adventures. Sometimes the hero, even though had four legs like a horse. In general, centaurs called the golden age. They were overthrown by mortal, was somehow related to the gods. were loud and vulgar. However, one centaur their children, led by Zeus. named Chiron was intelligent and skilled in training. He trained many of the Greek heroes including • Hercules - A son of Zeus and the greatest Achilles and Jason of the Argonauts. The Olympians hero in Greek Mythology, Hercules had Cerberus The twelve Olympian gods were the major many labors he had to perform. He was The Cerberus was a giant three-headed dog that gods of the Greeks and lived on Mount very strong and fought many monsters in guarded the gates of the Underworld. Cerberus Olympus. They included: his adventures. was the offspring of the feared monster Typhon. • Achilles - The greatest hero of the Trojan Hercules had to capture Cerberus as one of his war, Achilles was invulnerable except for • Zeus - Leader of the Olympians and Twelve Labors. his heel. He is the central character in god of the sky and lightning. His Charybdis Homer's Iliad. symbol is the lighting bolt. He is Charybdis was a sea monster that took the shape married to Hera, his sister. • Odysseus - The hero of Homer's epic of a giant whirlpool. Any ships that came near poem, the Odyssey, Odysseus was brave • Hera - Queen of the gods and married Charybdis were pulled down to the bottom of the and strong, but mostly got by on his wits to Zeus. She is the goddess of sea. Ships that passed through the Strait of and intelligence. marriage and family. Her symbols are Messina had to either pass by Charybdis or face the peacock, pomegranate, lion, and the seas monster Scylla. cow. Interesting Facts about Hercules Chimera The chimera was a giant monster that was a • Poseidon - God of the ocean, combination of many animals including a goat, lion, • Hercules was originally only supposed to earthquakes, and horses. His symbol is and snake. It was an offspring of Typhon. The do ten labors, but the king said that the the trident. He is Zeus' and Hades Chimera was feared throughout Greek mythology Augean stables and the slaying of the brother. as it could breathe fire. hydra didn't count. This was because his • Dionysus - Lord of wine and Cyclopes nephew Iolaus helped him kill the hydra The Cyclopes were one-eyed giants. They were celebrations. Patron god of the theatre and he took payment for cleaning out the famous for making Zeus his thunderbolts and and art. His main symbol is the stables. Poseidon his trident. Odysseus also came into grapevine. He is the son of Zeus and • Walt Disney made a feature film contact with a Cyclops while on his adventures in the youngest Olympian. called Hercules in 1997. the Odyssey. • Apollo - Greek god of archery, music, • The story of the Hercules and the Furies light, and prophecy. His symbols Hesperides is part of the popular book The The furies were flying creatures with sharp fangs include the sun, the bow and arrow, Titan's Curse from the series Percy and claws who hunted down murderers. There and the lyre. His twin sister is Artemis. Jackson and the Olympians by Rick were three main furies who were sisters: Alecto, • Artemis - Goddess of the hunt, Riordan. Tisiphone, and Magaera. The "Furies" is actually a archery, and animals. Her symbols • Hercules wore the pelt of the Lion of Roman name. The Greeks called them the Erinyes. include the moon, the bow and arrow, Nemea as a cloak. It was impervious to Griffins weapons and made him even more and the deer. Her twin brother is The griffin was a combination of a lion and an powerful. Apollo. eagle. It had the body of a lion and the head, wings, and talons of an eagle. Griffins lived in northern Greece and guarded a huge treasure. • Hermes - God of commerce and • He joined the Argonauts on their search for Harpies thieves. Hermes is also the messenger the Golden Fleece. He also helped the The harpies were flying creatures with the faces of of the gods. His symbols include gods in fighting the Giants. women. The harpies are famous for stealing the winged sandals and the caduceus food of Phineus every time he tried to eat. Jason (which is a staff with two snakes Interesting Facts About Achilles and the Argonauts were going to kill the harpies when the goddess Iris intervened and promised wrapped around it). His son Pan is the that the harpies would not bother Phineus any god of nature. • One story tells how Thetis disguised longer. • Athena - Greek goddess of wisdom, Achilles as a girl in the court of king of Hydra defense, and war. Her symbols are the Skyros in order to keep him from war. The hydra was a fearsome monster from Greek owl and the olive branch. She is the Another Greek hero, Odysseus traveled to Mythology. It was a giant snake with nine heads. patron god of Athens. Skyros and tricked Achilles into giving The problem was that if you cut one head off, more • Ares - God of war. His symbols are the himself away. heads would quickly grow back. Hercules slew the spear and shield. He is the son of Zeus • The Achilles tendon that connects the heel hydra as one of his Twelve Labors. to the calf is named after the hero Achilles. and Hera. Medusa • The Greek god Apollo was angry with Medusa was a type of Greek monster called a • Aphrodite - Goddess of love and Achilles because Achilles killed Apollo's Gorgon. She had a woman's face, but had snakes beauty. Her symbols include the dove, son. for hair. Anyone who looked into Medusa's eyes swan, and rose. She is married to • He fought and killed Penthesilea, the would be turned to stone. She was once a beautiful Hephaestus. Queen of the Amazons. woman, but was turned into a Gorgon as • Hephaestus - God of fire. Blacksmith • After Achilles' death, the heroes Odysseus punishment by the goddess Athena. and craftsman for the gods. His and Ajax competed for Achilles' armor. Minotaur symbols include fire, the hammer, the Odysseus won and gave the armor to The Minotaur had the head of bull and the body of anvil, and the donkey. He is married to Achilles' son. a man. The Minotaur came from the island of Crete. Aphrodite. He lived underground in a maze called the • Demeter - Goddess of agriculture and …………………………………………….. Labyrinth. Each year seven boys and seven girls the seasons. Her symbols include were locked into the Labyrinth to be eaten by the Monsters and Creatures Minotaur. wheat and the pig. Pegasus • Hades - God of the Underworld. He Pegasus was a beautiful white horse that could fly. was a god of the Olympians stature, Sirens Pegasus was the horse of Zeus and the offspring of but lived in the Underworld rather than The Sirens were sea nymphs who lured sailors to the ugly monster Medusa. Pegasus helped the hero on Mount Olympus. crash on the rocks of their islands with their songs. Bellerophon to kill the chimera. Once a sailor heard the song, he could not resist. Satyrs Odysseus encountered the Sirens in his adventures …………………………………………………. Satyrs were half-goat half-man. They were peaceful on the Odyssey. He had his men put wax in their creatures who loved to have a good time. They also ears so they could not hear the song, then he tied liked to pull pranks on the gods. The Satyrs were Monsters and Creatures himself to the ship. This way Odysseus could hear associated with the god of wine, Dionysus. The their song and not be captured. satyr Silenus was perhaps the most famous satyr. Typhon: The scariest, most powerful of all the Sphinx He was the son of the god Pan. monsters. He was called the "Father of all The Sphinx had the body of a lion, the head of a Scylla monsters"; even the gods were scared of Typhon. woman, and the wings of an eagle. The Sphinx Scylla was a terrible sea monster with 12 long Only Zeus could defeat Typhon. He had the terrorized the city of Thebes, killing all those who tentacle legs and 6 dog-like heads. She guarded monster imprisoned underneath Mount Etna. could not solve its riddle. Finally, a young man one side of the Strait of Messina while her named Oedipus solved the Sphinxes riddle and the counterpart Charibdis guarded the other side. city was saved.