The Olympians Cronus and Rhea l CronusSaturn ruled

The Olympians

Cronus and Rhea l Cronus/Saturn ruled the Titans, the second generation of gods. l He had overthrown his father Ouranos/Uranus l He and his sister/wife, Rhea, were the parents of the Olympians.

Cronus’s Plot & Fall l Won’t be overthrown l Om nom! l Zeus’s secret birth l Omphalos l Titanomachy

Mt. Olympus l Home of the gods after the Titanomachy

Zeus / Jupiter l l King of the Gods Mightier than all others put together Ruler of the sky, rain and clouds “bright shining light of heaven”

Zeus cont’d Symbols: l Lightning, storms l Eagle l Bull l Oak tree Sacred site: Olympia Women: l Hera l Metis l Leto l Semele l Dozens of others

Hera / Juno l l Sister and wife of Zeus; Queen of the Gods Goddess of marriage and married women Jealous and vengeful Had 4 Children with Zeus l Hephaestus, Ares, Hebe, Eileithyia l Symbols: peacock, cow l Sacred city: Argos l Messenger was Iris

Poseidon / Neptune l God of the sea, horses, and earthquakes l Drew lots at a Council of the Gods l Symbols: trident, horse, dolphin l Wife was Amphitrite, son Triton

Hades / Pluto l God of the underworld & wealth l Drew the short stick l Not l The a bad guy Underworld l 5 Rivers & 3 Judges l Cerberus & Charon l Elysian Fields l Tartarus l Fields of Mourning l Symbol: bident

Demeter / Ceres l Goddess of grain, fruit, agriculture in general and a goddess of fertility. Usually on a chariot drawn by dragons. l Daughter with Zeus was Persephone, queen of the underworld l Kidnapping & search l Origin of the seasons

Apollo & Artemis l Twin children of Zeus and Leto l Artemis: Goddess of the moon, forest, hunt, childbirth, children, woodland critters l Apollo: God of the sun, music/poetry, medicine, knowledge, prophecy – all things Greeky l Artemis born on Ortygia, helps deliver Apollo on Delos

Artemis / Diana l One of 3 virgin goddesses l Actaeon the hunter – wrong place, wrong time l Orion the hunter l Apollo’s l Symbols: plot to keep her a virgin bow and arrows, moon, woodland critters dead or alive

Apollo / Apollo l Oracle at Delphi l Python l Pythia l Symbol: Lyre, bow l Niobe’s Pride

Athena / Minerva l Goddess of wisdom, skill, defensive/strategic warfare l Daughter of Zeus and Metis l Popped out of Zeus’s head fully clothed and armored l Symbols: war helmet, the Aegis, owls, olive trees, snakes, and spears

Athena vs. Poseidon l King Cecrops needed a patron god for his new city l Poseidon struck the ground to make a spring – salt water l Athena struck the ground and planted the first olive tree l The city chose her and named itself Athens

Hermes / Mercury l Messenger and herald of the gods l God of thieves, travelers, crossing boundaries in general l Hermes Psychopompos l Son of Zeus and Maia l First-day mischief l Stole Apollo’s cattle l Invented lyre l Symbols: winged sandals, cap, caduceus

Aphrodite / Venus l Goddess of love, beauty, and naughtiness l Born from sea-foam near Cyprus l Symbols: doves, swans, seashells l Wife of Hephaestus l Judgment of Paris l Mother of Aeneas

Ares / Mars l God of War – physical aspect of it l Son of Zeus and Hera l Very violent and had a horrible temper l Other gods and goddesses couldn’t stand him l Not too important to Greeks – very important to Romans l Symbols: vultures, weapons and shields

Hephaestus / Vulcan l Son of Zeus and Hera l God of fire and the gods’ chief workman l He was lame and deformed so his parents were ashamed of him; cast from Olympus and landed on Lemnos l Forge under Mt. Aetna l Caught Aphrodite and Ares in a net

Dionysus / Bacchus l Son of Zeus and Semele, a mortal l Hera makes her doubt the paternity l Zeus reveals himself; bacon sizzle l Dionysus saved l God of wine, partying, theater l Maenads/Bacchants l Symbols: grapes, thyrsus, vines, drinks

Hestia / Vesta l Goddess of the hearth (fireplace) l Public fires l Colonies l Vestal l 6 Virgins priestesses l 30 years

Recap l 13 gods and 12 Olympians – sometimes Hades or Dionysus is excluded as an Olympian l Hades has his own place l Dionysus a late entry