Creation of the World

1. Creation of the World • From nothing, there came Chaos • Night and Erebus were born of Chaos • Love was born of Erebus • Light and Day were born of Love

2. The Birth of the First Creatures Ouranos (Heaven) and Gaia (Earth) parent the first creatures 1. Three monsters with 100 hands, 50 heads 2. Three Cyclopes (one-eyed giants) 3. Titans (as powerful as brothers, but not purely destructive *****Gaia = geo (prefix meaning earth) titanic = enormous, strong, powerful

3. The Titans • Cronus (Saturn): most powerful, father of Zeus • Ocean: river encircling the earth • Hyperion: father of sun, moon, and dawn • Mnemosyne: memory • Themis: justice • Atlas • Prometheus Brothers, who together • Epimetheus caused the fall of man *****mnemonic = intended to assist the memory

4. Daddy Issues • Ouranos was a terrible father: hating his 100-handed sons, he locked them in the earth • Gaia begged her son Cronus to help • Cronus overthrew Ouranos and wounded him From his blood, Giants & Furies are born • Cronus is lord of the universe for untold ages He never actually frees his brothers (you know, the reason he was supposed to fight dad in the first place)

5. War: Gods v TitansAnd More Daddy Issues • Cronus & sister-queen Rhea have 6 children Hades, Demeter, Hera, Poseidon, Hestia, Zeus • Prophecy: one of Cronus’s children will overthrow him • Cronus swallows all his babies whole • Rhea is not pleased Secretly sends 6th baby (Zeus) to Crete Gives hubby a rock wrapped in a blanket, which he swallows Zeus grows up, makes dad throw up his siblings, and war is on

6. Taking Sides • Titans, obviously, side with Cronus and fight Zeus and his siblings • War almost wrecks the universe • Titans lose for 2 reasons Zeus frees the 100-handed monsters, who naturally fight on his side Titan Prometheus fights for Zeus

7. Crime and Punishment • Zeus punishes the Titans in a big way Most are bound in chains under the earth Atlas is forced to carry the earth on his back/shoulders *****atlas: a book of maps

8. Zeus (Jupiter) • Lord of the sky, rain god, cloud gatherer • Grand but flawed • Deceivable • Has a serious weakness for females • Fate is stronger than he is • Breastplate: Aegis • Weapon: thunderbolt • Bird: eagle • Oracle: Dodona (priests interpret his will through the rustling of oak leaves)

9. Hera (Juno) • Wife and sister of Zeus • Protector of marriage • ONLY in the tale of the Golden Fleece, she protects and inspires heroes • Venerated in every home • Daughter Ilithyia helps women in childbirth • Jealous, spiteful, vindictive • Constantly tortures her husband’s lovers • Animals: cow, peacock • City: Argos

10. Poseidon (Neptune) • Ruler of the sea • Second only to Zeus • Wife is Amphitrite, a Nereid, granddaughter of Ocean • Undersea palace is splendid, but he hangs out on Olympus most of the time • Storm and calm are under his control • Drives golden car over waters • Gave man the first horse • Called Earth-shaker • Carries a trident

11. Hades (Pluto) • Ruler of the underworld and the dead • He is NOT death: Death is Thanatos • God of wealth & precious metals under the earth • Has a helmet that makes the wearer invisible • Not popular on Olympus • Unpitying, inexorable, but just • Wife is Persephone, daughter of his sister Demeter

12. Pallas Athena (Minerva) • Daughter of Zeus alone: sprang from his head in full armor • Zeus’s favorite child: trusted to carry his Aegis and thunderbolt • Goddess of the city • Protector of civilized life, handicrafts, agriculture • Inventor of bridle • Gave man the olive tree • In the Iliad ONLY, she is a fierce battle goddess • The leader of the 3 virgin goddesses • In Greek poetry she embodies 3 virtues • Wisdom • Reason • purity • City: Athens • Bird: Owl • Tree: olive

13. Phoebus Apollo • Son of Zeus and Leto • The most Greek of all the gods • Beautiful • Master musician • Archer god • Teaches men the art of healing • God of Light • God of Truth: never speaks falsely • His oracle at Delphi is the most important oracle • Its center is the stone Cronus swallowed instead of Zeus • Associated with the sun • He is NOT the sun god: the sun god is Helios • Dual nature • Sometimes beneficent, a peace-maker, communicator of divine will • Sometimes cruel and pitiless • Tree: laurel • Animals: many, but especially the dolphin and crow

14. Artemis (Diana) • Apollo’s twin, daughter of Zeus and Leto • One of the 3 virgin goddesses • Lady of the wild things, huntsman for the gods • Protects the young • Carries silver arrows • Dual nature • Protects young, helps women with swift, painless death • Fierce and vindictive • Associated with the moon • She is NOT the mood goddess: the moon goddess is Selene • Tree: cypress • Animals: all wild animals, but especially the deer

15. Aphrodite (Venus) • Goddess of love and beauty • Laughter-loving • Beguiling: steals the wits of the wise • Laughs at those she conquers • Parentage is questionable • In the Iliad: daughter of Zeus and Dione • In later poems: sprang from the foam of the sea, landed on Cyprus • Dual nature • Beautiful, brings light, joy, loveliness • Treacherous and malicious • Wife of Hephaestus, the only ugly god • Tree: myrtle • Birds: dove, sparrow, swan (drives a chariot pulled by swans) *****aphrodisiac = something that arouses desire venereal = pertaining to sexual desire

16. Hermes (Mercury) • Son of Zeus and Maia (daughter of Atlas) • Zeus’s messenger • Graceful and swift • Wings on sandals, hat, & wand (the Caduceus) • Most cunning of gods: master thief • The day he was born, he stole Apollo’s herds • Won Apollo’s forgiveness by giving him his invention: the lyre • God of commerce and the market • Guide of the dead • Appears more often in myths than any other god *****mercurial = quick-witted, lively, changeable hermaphrodite = has reproductive organs of both sexes (comes from a myth about Hermes’s child with Aphrodite)

17. Ares (Mars) • Son of Zeus & Hera: they can’t stand him • God of war • Hateful and ruthless • Homer calls him murderous and bloodstained • Innately a coward, runs away when wounded • Attendants • Eris: goddess of discord • Strife: Eris’s sister • Enyo: war goddess, who hangs with Terror, Trembling, and Panic • Romans liked Mars better than Greeks did Ares • Figures very little in myth • Lover of Aphrodite • No cities where he is worshipped • Bird: vulture • Animal: dog

18. Hephaestus (Vulcan or Mulciber) • Questionable parentage • Sometimes son of Zeus and Hera • Sometimes just Hera’s son (like Athena is just his) • God of fire • The only ugly god, and has a limp to boot • Some myths say Hera saw he was ugly & threw • him off Olympus • Others say he defended Hera against Zeus, so • Zeus threw him • Workman of the immortals • Makes their dwellings, armor, furnishings, weapons • Has handmaidens he made out of gold • His workshop can be found under this or that volcano • Wife • Iliad: one of the three Graces • Odyssey: Aphrodite • Kindly, peace-loving, popular with mortals • Patron of handicrafts, as is Athena *****volcano

19. Hestia (Vesta) • Sister of Zeus • One of the 3 virgin goddesses • Goddess of the hearth and home • Mortal meals begin & end w/ offering to her • Each city had a public hearth in her honor • Newborns must be carried around hearth to be received into the family • In Rome, her priestesses are virgins, called Vestals • No distinct personality, plays no part in myths *****vestal = virginal

20. Eros (Cupid) • God of love, his home is in men’s hearts • Represented blindfolded • Said to be Aphrodite’s son • Dual nature • Cannot do or allow wrong; force can’t come near him • In later myths, mischievous or even evil • Attendants • Anteros: avenges slighted love • Himeros: longing • Hymen: god of wedding feast *****erotic = arousing desire cupidity = greed

21. The Muses • Daughters of Zeus & Mnemosyne • Take away men’s unhappy thoughts • Companions of Apollo • Can make lies sound true • Inspirers of men • There are 9 • Clio: history • Urania: astronomy • Melpomene: tragedy • Thalia: comedy • Terpsichore: dance • Calliope: epic poetry • Erato: love poetry • Polyhymnia: songs to gods • Euterpe: lyric poetry *****hymn = song to god

22. Zeus’s Cabinet on Olympus • Themis: divine justice • Dike: human justice • Nemesis: righteous anger • Aidos: reverence (the shame that keeps men in line *****nemesis = an opponent or rival that cannot be overcome; an agent or act of retribution

23. Gods of the Waters • Poseidon • Ocean • Pontus: deep sea • Nereus: son of Pontus; old man of the sea, has 50 daughters called Nereids • Triton: trumpeter of the sea (uses conch shell) • Proteus: shapeshifter, sees the future • Naiads: water nymphs (freshwater) • Nereids: water nymphs (saltwater)

24. Demeter (Ceres) • Goddess of the harvest • Mother of Persephone • Lost her daughter • Persephone wandered too far, enticed by a flower • Hades dragged her through a chasm to the underworld • Demeter left Olympus to search for Persephone • Neglected the earth, harvests suffered • Zeus is alerted by suffering humanity, sends Hermes for Persephone • Persephone ate pomegranate seeds in the underworld: if you eat anything down there, you can’t leave • Compromise • Persephone must live with Hades in underworld for 4 months per year • When Persephone is gone, Demeter mourns, fields are barren = winter • On Persephone’s return, life returns = spring • Persephone is the goddess of the spring *****cereal

25. Dionysus (Bacchus) • Son of Zeus and Semele • Hera, jealous, tricks Semele: make Zeus promise (by the Styx) to show himself in all his glory • Semele is killed by the burning light of his glory • Zeus snatches the child, near birth, to store in his thigh • God of the vine: born of fire, nursed by rain • wanders the earth, teaching the culture of the vine • Worshipped everywhere but his country • Pirate kidnapping • Held for ransom, one helmsman recognizes his godhood, but no one listens • Ropes break, wind fills sails without moving the ship, wine streams across the deck, vine covers sail, ivy twists around mast

26. Dionysus (cont’d) • Pirates jump overboard, but turn to dolphins, only helmsman avoids this fate • Followers are Maenads, or Bacchantes • Women frenzied with wine rush across fields & woods in ecstasy, tear wild creatures & devour • Dionysus feeds them and helps them sleep it off • Their beauty is counteracted by their bloody feasts • Some refuse to believe • Lycurgus, king of Thrace, is struck blind by Zeus • Pentheus, king of Thebes & Dionysus’s cousin, is ripped to pieces by Maenads that include his own mother • Dual nature • Beneficent and kind • Cruel, driving men to terrible deeds *****bacchanal = an occasion of drunken revelry

27. Lesser Gods of Earth • Pan • Son of Hermes • God of goat herders, home is in wild places • Frolics with nymphs • Sounds heard at night are credited to him: panic • Sirens • Their song lures sailors to death, but is irresistible • No one knows what they look like • Satyrs: half man, half goat • Centaurs: half man, half horse • Oreads: mountain nymphs • Dryads: tree nymphs

28. Lesser Gods of Earth (cont.) • Aeolus: god of the winds, father of the 4 winds • Boreas (Aquilo): north • Zephyr (Favonius): west • Notus (Auster): south • Eurus: east • Fates • 3 females, stronger than the gods, who give men their inherent good or evil at birth • Clotho: spins thread of life • Lachesis: assigns destiny • Atropos: carries shears to cut the thread of life *****zephyr = gentle breeze