gods
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
The Gods
Zeus (Jupiter)
• Sky God• Controlled
weather• King of the Gods• Thunderbolts
and Aegis (Thunder and lightening)
• Many love affairs
Hera (Juno)
• Scheming and spiteful
• Persecutes the object of Zeus’ affairs
• Originally a fertility goddess
• Women and childbirth
• Represented as young and beautiful
• Frequently accompanied by peacock
Hestia (Vesta)
• First born of Rhea and Cronus
• Domestic fire• Gentle and kind• Beautiful woman
carrying coals in a dish
Demeter (Ceres)
• Fertility and cornfield
Poseidon (Neptune)
• God of the Sea• Very important to
the Greeks• Regularly
associated with horses
Hades
• Underworld• Persephone Queen• Grim and remote• Not evil
Aphrodite (Venus)
• Young and Beautiful
• Sex-appeal• Interesting love
life• Could make any
human fall in love
• Usually accompanied by Eros
• Easy to recognise in art
Ares (Mars)
• Warfare• Universally disliked• Loved battle for its
own sake• Not a good warrior
Athene (Minerva)
• Wisdom, war and weaving• Patron of spinning and weaving• Patron divinity of Athens
Artemis (Diana)
• Hunting, childbirth and moon
• Depicted as beautiful young woman in a short tunic or gown, carrying bow and arrow
Mercury (Hermes)
• Messenger of the gods
• God of commerce and trade
• Depicted as young man with wide brimmed hat, winged sandals, heralds staff
• Cheerful good humour
• Took more interest in human affairs than most gods
Hephaistos (Vulcan)
• Ugly and deformed• God of metal crafts
Apollo
• Prophecy, sun and arts of civilisation
• Handsome young man with no beard
• Frequently carries lyre