Greek and Roman Mythology

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Greek and Roman Mythology
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Storytelling The Oral Tradition

• Myths
• Legends
• Fables

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ROAD TRIP !
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For this trip.. Well concentrate on Greece.
Later.. Well visit Rome.
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Major London Airports
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Its a big world out there..
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British Airways
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Olympic Airways
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OR

• Take the train !

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No matter your means of travel odds are youll
arrive in Athens !
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Welcome to Athens
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The Greek Flag
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Lets meet our guide

• Remember your guide is highly qualified.
• Your guide is ready to answer any questions you
  may have.
• If you think your guide has done a good job, tips
  are always appreciated.
• Heres our guide !....

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Hey its the best guide I could afford on our
travel budget!
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The tour begins
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In the beginning...
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CHAOS
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Gaea -geo
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Uranus
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From this union came

• Cyclops (3)?
• 100-handed giants (3)?
• Titans (12)?

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Cyclops

• Name meant wheel-eye
• Most famous was Polyphemus who nearly killed
  Odysseus / Ulysses

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100-handed giants

• 100 hands and 50 heads
• Imprisoned deep within the earth.. Sometimes
  their attempts escape would shake the earth
  (review definition of myth)?

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Titans

• More human-like in form yet giants
• the Leader, Cronus, led a revolt against his
  father Uranus and achieved power

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Other Titans of note

• Cronus (Saturn)?
• Rhea (Ops)?
• Prometheus
• Atlas
• Mnemosyne

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After the overthrow

• Cronus castrated Uranus

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Cronus and Rhea had offspring
But.. fearing his own children would overthrow
him.. Cronus took matters into his own hands
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As each child was born.
Cronus swallowed the child whole
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Rhea became unhappy with this
When her next child, a son, was born, she
substituted a rock wrapped in cloth Cronus
swallowed it thinking it was his child
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The child, Zeus, was raised in secret
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The Return of Zeus
Disguised Zeus returned and gave Cronus a drink
to make him vomit.
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Out came his siblings..
All fully grown and ready to fight
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It was WAR
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The Outcome

• The Olympians were victorious
• Allies of Cronus were punished

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The Olympians

• So-called after their home on Mt. Olympus
• Zeus, his 5 siblings and their immortal offspring

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Zeus / Jupiter chief deity/ god of the sky
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Poseidon / Neptune god of the sea
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Hades / Pluto god of the underworldalso called
the God of Wealth, of the precious metals hidden
in the earth.
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Hera / Juno goddess of married women
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Demeter / Ceres goddess of agriculture
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Hestia/Vesta Goddess of the Home
Hestia was the eldest of the 12 Olympian Gods and
the eldest daughter of Rhea Cronus. When she
began her role as a Goddess, she had a throne of
her own in Olympus, but when Dionysus grew into
Godhood, she willingly gave up her throne to him,
choosing the hearth as an alternative. She is the
Goddess of Hearth and Home she is also one of the
Three Virgin Goddesses. Her symbol was kept in
every house, and whenever a child was born the
parents had to carry the child around the symbol
before he or she could be accepted in the
family.
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DionysusGod of Wine, Tragedy
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Dionysus
Son of Zeus and Semele, Dionysus was the god of
ritual ecstasy, wine and tragedy. His mother,
pregnant with him, was killed though the actions
of a jealous Hera. His heart was snatched by Zeus
from her womb and placed in his thigh where he
gestated and was born a second time. Dionysus
was a god who transcended the accepted societal
boundaries. His female worshipers, called
maenads, were reputed to tear wild animals apart
during ritual frenzies in honor of their god. The
rural Dionysus festival was incorporated into
city of Athens where during his festival
tragedies were performed. His sacred animal was
the dolphin.
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Vocabulary Term
Bacchanalia
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Hephaestus
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HephaestusGod of Fire
Son of Zeus and Hera, he was the god of fire,
blacksmiths and artisans. He was married to
Aphrodite who repeatedly cheated on him.
Hephaestus is a Mediterranean god of pre-Greek
origins who was often depicted as a second-class
citizen of Olympus who lacks immortal bodily
perfection (he is lame) and serves the other
gods. His most famous cults were located in
Athens where he was connected with Athena.
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Temple of Hephaestus in Athens
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AresGod of War
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AresGod of War
Son of Zeus and Hera, Ares was a god of offensive
and destructive war. Zeus despised this son more
than all the other gods. He was often linked with
his half-sister and lover Aphrodite. His sacred
animals were the vulture and dog. He fought for
the Trojans during the Trojan war and was wounded
by Athena. His name is found in Mycenaean
tablets. Cults of Ares were rare and located
primarily in Crete and the Peloponnesian
peninsula.
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The major city of the region Sparta
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ApolloGod of Light, Music, Academics, Medicine,
Sports
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Apollo
Son of Zeus and Leto, Apollo was born with his
twin sister Artemis on the island of Delos, the
site of one of his principal sanctuaries. Apollo
was the god of prophecy, healing, music and the
Sun. Perhaps originating in Asia Minor, Apollo
nevertheless became the most characteristically
Greek of the Greek gods. He was always depicted
as a handsome, beardless youth. His most famous
oracle was in Delphi.
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Delphi
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Our Hotel
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Delphi Valley
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Model of ancient Delphi
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Navel of the world
Delphi in ancient times was considered the center
of the known world, the place where heaven and
earth met. This was the place on earth where man
was closest to the gods.
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City Treasuries
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The Temple of the Oracle of Apollo
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Note Apollos Lyre in the inscription
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The Oracle Temple
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The Oracle is consulted
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After the rituals, there was entertainment and
sport.
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The Theatre of Delphi
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Theatre Backdrop
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The Stadium
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Stadium Seating
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The Expensive seats
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The Stadium Backdrop
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Delphi Guardian
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ArtemisGoddess of the Moon, Hunt, Virgins
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Artemis
Daughter of Zeus and Leto, Artemis was born with
her twin brother Apollo on the island of Delos.
Artemis was a virginal goddess of the hunt, the
moon, childbirth and rites of passage from youth
to adulthood, particularly for women. Killing
women suddenly with her arrows as her brother
Apollo killed men, she was also a death
inflicting deity. Part of her identity was
perhaps derived from the Mistress of Beasts
from Minoan iconography. Her most famous
sanctuary was in Ephesos in Asia Minor.
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AthenaGoddess of Wisdom and War
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Athena
Daughter of Zeus and the Titan Metis. Athena was
the goddess of defensive aspects of warfare,
crafts and wisdom. Metis became pregnant with
Athena and Zeus swallowed her. Athena was then
born from Zeus head fully grown and attired in
battle gear. Athena had no consort or lovers.
Athenas most famous sanctuary is the Parthenon
located on the Acropolis in Athens. Her symbols
are the olive and the owl. She was named the
patron of Athens after Poseidon offered the city
the horse.. But Athena offered, instead, the
olive tree.
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The Acropolis (High City)?
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The Acropolis
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The Parthenon
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Closer View
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Porch of Maidens Caryatid Columns
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Hungry? Try a GYRO !
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AphroditeGoddess of Beauty and Love
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Born from the foam of the sea, Aphrodite was the
goddess of erotic love, beauty and courtesans.
Her consort was Hephaestus whom she cuckolded
with her lover Ares, among many. Aphrodites
origins are uncertain, but the Greeks believe she
came from the east and she is similar in certain
respects to Astarte and Ashtoreth. Her sacred
flowers were the rose and myrtle, her sacred
animals the dove, swallow, sparrow, swan and
turtle.
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Art Aphrodite and Pan
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Birth of Venus by Botticelli
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Cupid and Psyche
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HermesGod of Messengers, Merchants,
ThievesConductor of the Dead
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Hermes
Son of Zeus and Maia, Hermes was the god of
heralds, herdsmen, thieves, trade and prosperity,
the protector of travelers, guide of souls
(psychopompos) and messenger of the gods. He was
often depicted in art with his famous heralds
staff entwined by twin serpents, the caduceus, a
winged, broad-banded travelers hat and winged
sandals. His cult was most popular in the
Peloponnese. Hermes was a trickster figure
similar to Loki.
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Others of Note...

• Pan / Faunus
• Satyrs / Fauns
• Centaurs
• Nike
• Boreas
• Zephyr
• Persephone/Proserpine
• Hercules/Heracles
• Hebe
• Pandora
• Somnus
• Morpheus

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Janus
Janus was the god of gates in Roman mythology.
And in his role as the numen of gates and doors,
Janus was also thought to represent beginnings.
The explanation for this belief comes from the
idea that one must emerge through a gate or door
before entering a new place. As the god of
beginnings, Janus also lent his name to the first
month of the year. This month was referred to by
the ancient Romans as Ianuarius - you can see how
similar this word is to our own version (which
is, of course, January). The god Janus has a
distinctive appearance in art, as he is often
depicted with two faces. Some sources claim that
the reason Janus was represented in this peculiar
fashion was due to the notion that doors and
gates look in two directions. In this way, one of
the god's faces could look forward, while the
other looked backward. In addition, the Romans
had an important temple to Janus, which was
called the Ianus geminus. This temple served a
symbolic function. When the gates of the
structure were closed, this represented peace in
the Roman Empire but when the gates were open,
it meant that the Romans were at war. It worth
noting that Janus was well respected and highly
regarded by the ancient Romans. From his role as
the guardian of gates and his position as the god
of beginnings, to the honor of having the first
month of the year named after him, it is clear
that Janus played a significant part in Roman
myth and religion. Janus did not have a
counterpart in Greek mythology.
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The Muses
The Muses were the daughters of Zeus and the
Titan Mnemosyne (Memory). They presided over
song, and prompted the memory. They were nine in
number, to each of whom presided over a
particular department of literature, art, or
science. Calliope Muse of Epic Poetry Clio
Muse of History Euterpe Muse of Lyric
Poetry Melpomene Muse of Tragedy
Terpsichore Muse of Choral Dance and Song
Erato Muse of Love Poetry Polyhymnia Muse
of Sacred Poetry Urania Muse of Astronomy
Thalia Muse of Comedy
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The Geography of Hades
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The Rivers of Hades

• Acheron river of sadness / sorrow
• Cocytus river of lamentation / wailing
• Phlegethon river of fire
• Lethe river of forgetfulness
• which gives the word lethargic
• Styx river of hate
• where the boatman, Charon, expects his payment

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Once across the rivers
Cerberus awaited
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Origami Cerberus
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For the Worst...
Tartarus
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Two Famous residents of Tartarus

• Tantalus

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Sisyphus

• Artist Titian

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For the Best...
Elysian Fields (Champs Elysées)?
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For the Rest.
Erebus
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Orpheus and Eurydice
Orpheus son of the Muse Calliope
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Love re-lost
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Too much material...
Too little time
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If we have time, well tour more of Greece later.