Gods and Goddesses Of Ancient Greece Zeus zeeOOSE

Gods and Goddesses Of Ancient Greece

Zeus – (zee-OOSE) King of the Gods Zeus controlled the heavens and settled arguments among the other gods. He could change his shape in an instant. If he wanted, he could come down to visit earth as a swan or a fierce bull. When Zeus was angry, he would use his power to throw lightening bolts from the heavens down to earth.

Hera (HERE-uh) Wife of Zeus Hera was the queen of the gods, she was a goddess by marriage. Hera could be a very jealous person. Her husband Zeus had a habit of falling in love with many other goddesses and human women, so Hera had good reason to be jealous.

Poseidon (poz-IDE-on) God of the sea Poseidon was an especially important god to the Greeks as most lived near the sea. Poseidon could make the oceans as calm as a sleeping baby, or he could whip the seas up to make high waves that could toss and crush a ship to pieces. Poseidon is often pictured as having a long beard and holding a trident, a kind of long pitchfork with three prongs.

Apollo (ap-OL-oh) Son of Zeus and the God of the Sun. Apollo was sometimes called Pheobus (FEEbus) Apollo. ‘Phoebus’ means ‘brilliant’ or ‘shining’. He was also the god of poetry and music. No one could sing so beautifully or play so sweetly on the lyre (an instrument like a small harp). He was also the god of healing as well as the god of archery.

Artemis (AR-ter-miss) The twin sister of Apollo. Goddess of the Moon and goddess of hunting. Artemis loved the woods and the wild creatures that lived there. Since she loved to be free and on her own, she asked her father Zeus, to promise that he would never make her get married, which was a promise that Zeus kept.

Aphrodite (af-roe-DIEtee) The goddess of love and beauty. Aphrodite When Aphrodite was born, she rose out of the sea from the gentle waves on a cushion of soft foam. She called her son Eros (EAR-ros), but you might know him better as Cupid. He often appears on valentine cards. The Greeks said that when Aphrodite wanted someone to fall in love, she ordered Eros to shoot them with a magic arrow. If he hit you with his arrow, then you would fall in love with the first person you saw. No one could resist the magic of an arrow from Eros not even Zeus. Eros

Ares (AIR-eez) God of War Ares was a cruel and merciless god of war. Wherever he went, death and destruction followed. No one liked him, not even his parents, Zeus and Hera.

Hermes (HER-meez) The messenger god Hermes carried commands from the gods to humans on earth. He is often pictured with wings on his hat or sandals to show that he can travel fast.

Hephaestus (hef-AYE-stus) The god of fire and the forge. Hephaestus could stir up volcanoes, making the earth spit up hot flames and lava. But most of all he used fire to make things He used it to heat metal to make armour, swords, spears as well as beautiful things like cups and shining jewellery. Hephaestus was lame, meaning he found it hard to walk so he spent most of his time working at his fiery forge.

Athena (a-THEE-ner) Goddess of wisdom For the people of the Greek city of Athens, Athena was a special goddess. They believed that she protected their city. Athena had the most unusual birth. One day Zeus had a terrible headache. He complained to Hephaestus, who took his hammer and struck Zeus on the head. Out of Zeus’s head jumped Athena, already grown-up and fully dressed in a suit of armour.

Hades (HAY-deez) God of the underworld Hades was a grim god of the underworld, the dark and shadowy underground place that the Greeks believed people went to when they died. The Greeks often called this place Hades, the same name as the god who ruled there over the dead.