L5: Olympian gods Flashcards
‘Sky father’
God of weather
Acts as supreme authority over gods and men
Zeus
Attributes of Zeus?
Sceptre and thunderbolt
Characteristics of Zeus?
Invincibly strong
Statemanship skills (100 handers & Cyclopes on his side)
Intense sex drive (divine sperm = extra fertile)
Ganymede
Fave companion of Zeus
A Trojan boy
pederasty = love of boys
no homosexuals or heterosexual in ancient greek (post-homeric or censored by homer?)
Zeus’s wife
Specialty area: marriage
Persecution of:
Io
Heracles
Aenaes
Hera
Hera’s priestess
Attracted Zeus and, therefore, Hera’s wrath
Turned into heifer by Zeus (to hide her)
But tormented by a gadfly sent by Hera
Io
God of the sea
Trademark trident
Persecuted Odysseus
Poseidon
Demeter
Goddess of Earth
Myth of Persephone (Kore) and Demeter used to explain natural phenomena of seasons changing
Warrior goddess
one of the three virgins
Born in full armour
Goddess of Athens
Origin story: Zeus swallowed wife Metis (‘intelligence’) following prophecy that their first born would be greater than he is. Child starts trying to get out thru Zeus’ head –giving him a splitting headache that Hephaestus has to split Zeus’ head open with an axe.
Athena
Aphrodite
Goddess of love
Born in sea from Uranos’ castrated genitals (Homer)
Born from Zeus and Dione (Homer)
Married to Hephaestus but had lots of affairs including with Area
Mother and protector of Aeneas
God of War
Mars
Son of Zeus and Hera
Ares
Hermes
Messenger of the gods
Zeus & Maia
Patron of travellers, merchants, thieves and liars
Attributes: hat, winged sandals, caduceus
Hephaestus
Physically deformed
Born out of Hera or Hera&Zeus
Ugliness = thrown out of Olympus Craftmanship = inivited back to Olympus
Married to Aphrodite
Goddess of the hunt
One of the virgin godesses
Specialty area: childbirth and important transitions in Greek women’s lives
Cruel
Artemis
Apollo
Twin of Artemis
God of music, poetry, prophecy, medicine and fine arts
Symbols: lyre and bow
Shrine at Delphi
