Title: OH%20MY%20GODS!!
1OH MY GODS!!
- AN INTRODUCTION TO GREEK MYTHOLOGY
2WHAT IS MYTHOLOGY?
- Mythology is a word used to describe all myths
of a particular society. - Every culture has its own myths that help us
understand its customs and ways of viewing the
world. - Mythopedia Oh My Gods! by Megan E. Bryant
3WHAT IS A MYTH?
- A myth is a kind of story.
- Most myths have one or more of these
characteristics - Myths are usually about gods or supernatural
beings with greater powers and abilities than
ordinary humans. - Myths explain the origins of the world and how
humans came to be. - Myths take place a long time ago, usually in the
earliest days of humanity (or just before humans
showed up on Earth). - Myths were usually thought to be true by their
original tellers--no matter how wild or strange
they seem to be. - Mythopedia Oh My Gods! by Megan E. Bryant
4TWO NAMES, POWERS THE SAME
- Many gods and goddesses have both Greek and Roman
names. That is because the ancient Romans
adopted a great deal of Greek mythology and made
it their own. - Often, they changed the names of the particular
gods and goddesses.
5TWO NAMES, POWERS THE SAME
- Generally, the deitys powers and myths stayed
the same--even though they had a new name. - As a result, the study of Greek and Roman
mythology is often grouped together under the
same name-- classical mythology.
6WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MYTHS?
- Myths can
- Explain how things came to be--like the origin of
the universe or the creation of humans. - Teach people about the values and beliefs that
are important in their society. - Contain deep religious significance to the people
who tell and believe them. - Studying myths can teach us about people around
the world -- their cultures and what is (or was)
important to them. - Mythopedia Oh My Gods! by Megan E. Bryant
-
7HOW DID WE LEARN THESE STORIES?
- Myths were first passed down through
storytelling, songs, and poetry. - We learned the stories from written versions,
mainly Homers epic poems The Illiad and The
Odyssey, which tell of the great deeds of heroes.
- Other sources were Hesiods Theogony, which
describes the origins of the world and the gods,
and Homeric Hymns, as collection of poems
addressed to different gods. - Mythopedia Oh My Gods! by Megan E. Bryant
8DO MYTHS REALLY MATTER TODAY?
- YES!!!
- References to Greek mythology are all around us
- Ever heard of Nike athletic gear? Nike was
actually a goddess of personification and
victory. - What would Valentines Day be without Cupid?
Cupid, or Eros, is the god of love as the Greeks
called him. - Does Apollo 13 ring a bell? The first crewed US
space missions were named for Apollo, the god of
archery and prophecy.
9BOTTOM LINE
- References to ancient myths are everywhere, from
science to pop culture, and knowing about them
will help you understand more about the world we
live in.
10Creation and the Gods
11Creation
Before existence there was a vast nothingness
called Chaos. Out of Chaos came Gaea, Tartarus,
and Eros.
12The Birth of the Titans
Gaia and Uranus gave birth to the Giants,
Cyclops, and 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 Gaea upset. She
encouraged them to rise up against him. They
were led by Cronus who attacked and overthrew his
father.
Gaia
13The Birth of Zeus
Cronus married his sister Rhea and they had six
children. Before they were born, Cronus was
warned that they would overthrow him, the same
way he had overthrown his father. When each
child was born, he swallowed them whole. When
Rhea gave birth to Zeus she wrapped a rock in
blankets and pretended it was her son. Cronus
swallowed the rock, and Zeus grew up hidden.
Zeus
14Cronus is Overthrown
Zeus grew up and visited his parents in disguise.
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 and the other
titans. The younger gods won and divided the
world among themselves. Poseidon took the sea,
Hades took the Underworld, and Zeus became King.
Hades
15The New Gods
The new gods were known as the Olympians. They
lived on Mount Olympus, high above the clouds.
No humans could visit Olympus unless by special
invitation. The gods did visit the earth and
some married humans. Their children, who were
half-god and half-mortal often became heroes.
16ITS ALL RELATIVE!
17Greek Mythology The Gods and Goddesses
18The Olympian Gods
19OMG-WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE ON MT. OLYMPUS
- IT WAS WILD!!!
- A certain god turned a nymph into a tree.
- A grumpy dad swallowed his kids one-by-one.
- A winged-cherub was accused of fly-by-shootings.
- IT WAS LIKE A REALITY SHOW!!
20Zeus/Jupiter
- Title King of the Gods
- Wife Hera
- Ruler of weather keeper of laws protector of
Greek kings guardian of morality - Had over 115 girlfriends and wives and over 140
children!!
21WHOS YOUR DADDY?
22POSEIDON/Neptune
- Title God of the Sea
- Zeuss brother and second most powerful god
- Creator of earthquakes
- Maker of horses
23HADES/Pluto
- Title God of the Underworld
- Ruler of the dead
- Underground wealth
- Brother of Zeus and Poseidon
- Married to Persephone
24APOLLO
- Title God of Light and Sun
- Twin of Artemis
- Oracle of Delphi
- If you were struck by Apollos arrow, it meant
you died suddenly. - Killer of the dragon
- Roman name Apollo
25HERMES/Mercury
- Title Messenger of the Gods
- The god of secrets and tricks
- Often portrayed with wings on his feet
- Guided souls to the underworld
- Patron of thieves and liars
26HEPHAESTUS/Vulcan
- Title God of Fire
- Craftsman/Lives in a volcano with the Cyclopes
- Maker of fire
- Mom, Hera, thought he was so ugly that she threw
him off Mt. Olympus - Created the first woman, Pandora
27ARES/Mars
- Title God of War
- Disliked by gods and mortals for being
bloodthirsty and a coward - Had an affair with the goddess of love, Aphrodite
28DIONYSUS/Bacchus
- Title God of drama, fertility, poetry, dance,
song, wine - Was born twice--cut out of his dead moms body
and then sewn into Zeuss thigh until ready to be
born - Brought his mom back from the Underworld
29The Olympian Goddesses
30HERA/Juno
- Title Queen of the Gods
- Wife of Zeus
- Goddess of women and marriage
- Known for her jealousy
- Associated with peacocks
31Athena/Minerva
- Title Goddess of Wisdom, War, and Crafts
- Daughter of Zeus
- Born from Zuess head and came fully formed
wearing armor - Inventor of Math
- Patron of Athens
32HESTIA/Vesta
- TITLE-Goddess of houses home family domestic
life - Hestia was wooed by the gods Apollo and Poseidon,
but spurning both, petitioned Zeus to let her
remain forever a virgin. - Modern words for virginity come from her Roman
name.
33ARTEMIS/ Diana
- TITLE-Goddess of hunting, wilderness and wild
animals. - Only Greek/Roman deity to demand human sacrifices
- Twin sister of Apollo
- Artemis expects her followers to stay away from
boys, just like she does.
34APHRODITE/Venus
- Title Great Olympian goddess of beauty, love,
pleasure and procreation. - Married to Hephaestus, the crippled god of fire.
- Caused the Trojan War (sort of)
- Born of Uranus goop floating on the ocean
35Demeter/Ceres
- Goddess of Agriculture
- Mother of Persephone
- She cares for the earth and makes things grow.
- Cereal comes from her roman name, Ceres