The Olympian Gods Use the information in this lesson to begin to fill in the gods and god- desses chart at the end of this lesson; you will also need to do your own research to complete it. First, we have to explore exactly what we mean by “Olympian gods.” Mount Olympus is a real mountain in the north of Greece. Gradually, it became associated less and less with an actual mountain and more with an imaginary place high above the earth. According to the ancient Greeks, the gate to Olympus was made of clouds and it was guarded by four goddesses, the Seasons. Each god had his or her own dwelling place, but Olympus was home base. There were up to 14 gods considered Olympian gods. Seven of them were Zeus and his siblings, and seven others were children of Zeus. Sometimes only 12 will be listed. The Greeks and Romans shared mythology, so you will find two names for most gods. Zeus Hades Poseidon Next, we have Poseidon, or Nep- tune, as the Romans called him. Hades, or Pluto, was the god of He was Zeus’s brother, and he Zeus was the king of the hill. He the underworld and of the dead. was the god of the sea and also was dominating, powerful and He was called the same names by earthquakes. He often is shown had a soft spot for pretty women. the Romans, but they also some- with a three-pronged spear called He could be terrifying when angry. times called him Dis or Dis Pater. a trident that was made for him His symbols were the thunder- He was Zeus’s brother and married by his nephew, Hephaestus, and/ bolts, or lightning bolts made for Persephone after kidnapping her or a fish. him by the Cyclopes (his uncles); against her will. He was gloomy the eagle; and the scepter, or rod. and frightening. Please copy this information onto your chart. Hera Athena Apollo Our first goddess Next is Athena, Apollo was a twin. is Hera. She sits or Minerva, the His Roman name on the right side daughter who was the same as of Zeus and is his sprang fully his Greek name. wife. Of course, formed from the He was the god of she’s his sister, too, head of Zeus the sun or light, but that’s the way after a major poetry, music and it was on Olym- headache. She is medicine and was pus. Hera’s Roman the goddess of famous for his oracles (wise women name is Juno, and she is the queen wisdom and war and also the pro- to whom he gave his power to of the gods. She is the guardian of tector and namesake of the city predict and interpret the future). He marriage and was well-loved by the of Athens. She preferred reason to was very proud and also protective Greeks; it’s kind of sad that she’s the violence unless she was pushed. of his mother and sister. His sym- goddess of marriage but her own She turned Arachne into a spider bols were the gold bow and arrows, marriage was so bad. She was often for bragging that she could spin and he often appears golden and jealous of her husband’s girlfriends better than Athena. She was very shining. He wears a laurel wreath and did mean things to them, even competitive and is often pictured in memory of Daphne, who didn’t the ones who didn’t want anything with her helmet and a spear. She want to be his lover and prayed to to do with him, but she could be carried Zeus’s shield, called the Mother Earth for help escaping him; tender and loving as well. The aegis. The owl was her bird. Can she was turned into a laurel tree. peacock was her symbol. In fact, the you see it in her hand? circles in a peacock’s tail are said to be the eyes of her 100-eyed servant, Argus. Artemis Ares Hephaestus Artemis was Ares or, as he is Hephaestus, Apollo’s twin. known by his Ro- or Vulcan, was Her Roman man name, Mars, born lame and name was Diana, was the god of was further and she was the war. He would crippled when goddess of hunt- fight on both he was thrown ing, chastity and sides, if possible. from Olympus the moon. She He was young, by his mother, protects women strong and Hera, in a rage. and small children, is fiercely handsome, and He was the only Olympian with a independent and particularly dis- liked to dress in disability. He was unhappily mar- likes men. In pictures, she is seen battle clothes ried to Aphrodite and worked as a accompanied by three hunting even when he wasn’t fighting. blacksmith in the gods’ forge. hounds, a bow and a fawn. Aphrodite Hermes Hestia Hermes, or Mercury, Hestia was Zeus’s was the god of sci- sister and the ence and invention, goddess and but he is best known protectress as the messenger of hearth and of the gods. He is home. She is also often pictured with known by her Hephaestus’s wife, Aphrodite, a winged helmet Roman name, whose Roman name was Venus, and sandals. He is said to have Vesta. She was was the goddess of love and invented the alphabet, boxing and gentle and kind beauty. She was born out of sea gymnastics! In this painting by and was very popular with the foam when the blood of Uranus Goltzius, you can see his helmet Greeks. She didn’t have a lot of ad- dropped into the ocean. She with wings; he’s not wearing his ventures, so she’s rarely pictured was the mother of Eros and was famous sandals, though. in art. irresistibly charming, fickle, vain and competitive. Her symbol Now, use at least two sources was a cestus, or magic belt, that in addition to what you read made everyone fall in love with the wearer; sometimes she would Demeter here to fill in your chart (next lend it to humans. This is a famous Demeter was page) completely. Write down painting of the birth of Venus, or the goddess of the sources you used on the Aphrodite, by Botticelli. the crops and back of the chart. the harvest. She is also known as Book suggestions Ceres (Roman) z D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek and sometimes Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin Dionysus Deo. Her symbols D’Aulaire include a torch, a z The Mighty 12: Superheroes of Dionysus was crown, a scep- Greek Myths by Charles Smith the partier of the ter and stalks mountain retreat. of grain. She is often portrayed z Greek Myths and Legends by He was Zeus’s son with her daughter, Persephone, Cheryl Evans by another woman, who was kidnapped by Hades and (If your library doesn’t have who was driven taken to the underworld. By the these, check around Dewey crazy by Hera and her jealousy. time she was rescued, she’d eaten Decimal No. 398.2. That’s where Dionysus went all around teach- six pomegranate seeds, so she Greek mythology is.) ing people how to make wine and couldn’t escape the underworld having a good time. Eventually, entirely. Her mother was so frantic Web references Hestia gave up her throne for him, that winter draped the land and and he lived on Olympus. He was z greece.mrdonn.org/ no crops would grow. A deal was myths.html the god of wine, of course, and struck, and Persephone was al- z www.mythweb.com also vegetation. lowed to return to her mother for mythman.com half of the year. So each year, when z she returns to the underworld, fall z loggia.com/myth/ comes, then winter – but when she content.html returns to her mother, spring and z pantheon.org/areas/mytholo summer come again. gy/europe/greek/articles.html Name:_________________________ The Olympian Gods - 25 Points Due: Friday, March 8th OLYMPIAN GODS & GODDESSES CHART Greek name Roman name Realm Symbol Facts / Characteristics Zeus Hera Poseidon Hades Athena Apollo Artemis Aphrodite Hermes Ares Hephaestrus Hestia Demeter Dionysus If you could have dinner with one god or goddess, who would it be and why? _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Which god or goddess do you think would make the best president and why? _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Imagine that Zeus has come to you and said that Olympus is lacking a god or goddess, and he needs you to help. Invent a new Olympian and describe him or her below. Name: ______________________________________ Roman Name: _______________________________ Connection to Olympus (related to another god or goddess? Married to a god or goddess?): _____________________________________________________________________________________ Powers: ______________________________________________________________________________ Symbol: ______________________________________________________________________________ Personality traits: _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Friends: ______________________________________________________________________________ Enemies: _____________________________________________________________________________.