Greek Gods & Goddesses:The Olympians

12 immortals who dwelt in a palace on Mount Olympus

I. Zeus/Jupiter (Roman Name)

1. Supreme God of the Olympians

2. Youngest son of Titans Cronus and Rhea

3. His siblings: Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera

Zeus/Jupiter

1. He and his siblings fought to gain control of the universe from the Titans and Cronus (his father)

2. He and his brothers (Poseidon and Hades) divided up creation. with

a. Zeus receiving the sky as his domain. b. He was also accorded supreme authority

on earth and on Mount Olympus.

II. Hera/Juno

1. Goddess of marriage

2. Wife of Zeus and Queen of the Olympians

3. She took many forms,

a. among them that of a bird.

Hera/Juno

4. Interesting Fact: Hera hated the great hero Hercules

a. He was the son of her husband Zeus and a mortal woman.

b. When he was still an infant, she sent snakes to attack him in his crib.

5 Hera was worshipped throughout Greece a. The oldest and most important temples were

dedicated to her.

III. Poseidon/Neptune

1. God of the sea, earthquakes, and horses

2. One of the supreme Gods of Mount Olympus

a. He spent most of his time in his watery domain.

Poseidon/Neptune2. Brother to Zeus and Hades3. Married to the sea-nymph, Amphitrite4. As the god of horses, he would often adopt the shape

of horse.• Interesting fact: When the Olympians gained control

of the universe, they agreed that the earth would be ruled jointly, with Zeus as king. This led to a number of territorial disputes among the gods. Poseidon vied to be the ruler of Athens. He demonstrated his power by striking the Acropolis with his three-pronged spear, which caused a spring of salt water to emerge.

IV. Aphrodite/Venus

1. Goddess of love, beauty and fertility

2. Daughter of Zeus and Dione.

3. Another legend says that she was born from sea-foam

Aphrodite/Venus

4 She has no distinct attributes except her beauty.

5. She is associated with the dove• Interesting fact: the Trojan Prince, Paris, was

asked to judge which of the three Olympian goddesses (Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena) were the most beautiful. He chose Aphrodite over Hera and Athena. These two hoped to bribe him with power, but Aphrodite offered the love of the most beautiful woman in the world

V. Ares/Mars

1. God of war

2. Son of Zeus

3. He was handsome and cruel in his appearance.

Ares/Mars

4. Ares is often shown carrying a bloodstained spear

A. his throne on Mount Olympus was said to be covered in human skin.

• Interesting fact: Although he is an immortal deity, he was almost killed when he was defeated by Hercules in battle and then stuffed into a jar by two giants.

Odyssey Background

1. T en years have passed since the fall of Troy, and the Greek hero Odysseus still has not returned to his kingdom in Ithaca.

2. A large and rowdy mob of suitors who have overrun Odysseus’s palace and pillaged his land continue to court his wife, Penelope.

Odyssey Background (con’t.)

3. Unknown to the suitors, Odysseus is still alive. The beautiful nymph Calypso, possessed by love for him, has imprisoned him on her island.

4. With the help of the gods, Oddesseus escapes and begins his grand journey home to his wife Penelope and his son Tellemacus