olympian overview

8/8/2019 Olympian Overview

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OLYMPIAN OVERVIEW

Copyright 2007 American Classical LeagueMay be reproduced for classroom use

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The Olympians: A Brief Introduction or Review

THE CHILDREN OF THE TITANS, CRONUS AND RHEA

ZEUS Roman Name: Jupiter or Jove

Zeus became the king of the Olympian gods after the battle with the Titans. Herules the upper air, and he uses thunder and lightning as weapons. He haspower over humans (mortals) and often goes among them in disguise. Heespecially likes young ladies, and he has had many children, both mortal andimmortal. His symbols are lightning, the eagle, the oak, and a crown andscepter.

HERA Roman Name: Juno

Hera was Zeus sister and wife. Hera is considered the Queen of Mount Olympus,beautiful in a mature way. She is also very jealous of Zeus affairs with mortal women,and she does spiteful things to them, like turn them into a cow or an echo. Her symbol

is the peacock, from the story of Io. She is considered the goddess of women,marriage, and childbirth.

POSEIDON Roman Name: Neptune

Poseidon was the god of the sea, and he has the power to cause storms, tidal waves,and earthquakes when he strikes his trident on the water or the land. He is the brotherof Zeus. He became the father of many children including the Cyclopes in TheOdyssey. You can recognize him by the trident, sea symbols, his long beard, and hischariot coming out of the waves which is usually pulled by four white horses.

HADES Roman Name: Pluto or Dis

Hades was the gloomy god of the underworld, guardian of all the dead people,both good and bad. Since he does not like the light, he does not live on MountOlympus. One day, however, he did go up on earth to steal Persephone for hiswife. His symbols are a two-pronged scepter, four black horses that pull hischariot, and the three-headed dog, Cerberus. Sometimes the underworld itselfis called Hades.

DEMETER Roman Name: Ceres

Demeter was the goddess of grain and the harvest. If she was not happy, thingswould not grow. After Hades took her daughter, Persephone, the earth was frozenand bare for a long time. Zeus became upset and made the girl come back to earth

for part of the year. Her symbols are sheaves of grain or baskets of fruit. Do you eatanything that sounds like her Roman name?

HESTIA Roman Name: Vesta

Hestia was the first child of Cronus and Rhea. She is a goddess of the hearth and itssacred fire. Fire was very important to ancient people so they prayed to Hestia tokeep it burning. Her symbol is the hearth. There are not many stories about her, andshe did not have a throne with the others but rather sat on the floor near the fire.


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The Olympians: A Brief Introduction or Review (continued)

THE CHILDREN OF ZEUS AND HERA

HEPHAESTUS Roman Name: Vulcan

Hephaestus was the god of the forge. He was an excellent blacksmith. Hemade Zeus lightning bolts, and he fashioned armor for both gods and mortals.He is said to be ugly and deformed with thin, weak legs because Zeus threwhim from Mount Olympus. He is usually pictured at his forge or anvil,sometimes being helped by three Cyclopes, the one-eyed sons of Gaea (theearth) and Uranus (the sky). He married Aphrodite, goddess of love andbeauty, but she was not faithful to him.

ARES Roman Name: Mars

Ares was the tall, handsome god of war. He was vain and cruel, and he did not haverespect from the other Olympians. The spirit of Strife, called Eris, went with him.She threw down her golden apple of discord which made people fight. Then Areswould jump into battle just for blood. He was loved by Aphrodite, and their son isEros. Ares symbols are armor, a war-chariot, vultures, and dogs.

THE CHILDREN OF ZEUS AND LETO (Latona)

APOLLO Roman Name: Apollo

Apollo was sometimes called Phoebus. He was the god of music and poetry, and he wasoften pictured with long golden hair, a lyre, and a bow and arrows. Apollo is associatedwith the sun. He was very important to Greeks and others who often went to his templeat Delphi to get advice for their future from the Oracle. Apollo and the nine Muses,goddesses of the arts, are often shown together dancing. Apollo is also known as ahandsome lover, especially in the story of Daphne in Ovids Metamorphoses.

ARTEMIS Roman Name: Diana

Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and the moon. She is often pictured with a shortdress, a bow and arrows, and a crescent moon on her head. She is the twin sister ofApollo. Artemis never married but spent her life hunting in the woods with herhounds.


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The Olympians: A Brief Introduction or Review (continued)

OTHER OLYMPIANS

ATHENA Roman Name: Minerva

Athena was sometimes called Pallas. She was the goddess of wisdom and usefularts. Fully formed and wearing armor, she was born out of Zeus head. She isusually pictured with her armor, often with the head of Medusa on her shield oraegis. Other symbols are an owl and an olive tree or branch. The city of Athenswas named for her, and her temple, the Parthenon, is still there. She was Zeusfavorite daughter. Her most famous story is about Arachne, the weaver.

APHRODITE Roman Name: Venus

Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty, born fully grown out of the sea on acushion of foam. She was so beautiful almost no man could resist her. Zeus hadher marry Hephaestus so the gods would not fight over her. She often had otherlovers. Her symbols are seashells, a chariot pulled by doves, and a mirror.

HERMES Roman Name: Mercury

Hermes was the messenger of the gods and the protector of travelers. He led dead soulsto the Underworld. Hermes was the son of Zeus and Maia, a Titans daughter. From theday of his birth, he was tricky and strong. He invented the lyre from a turtle shell, stole thecattle of Apollo, and then traded them for the lyre. His symbols are winged sandals andhat, a wand with snakes on it, a traveling hat, and a cloak.

DIONYSUS Roman Name: Bacchus

Dionysus was the god of grapes, wine, and revelry. Zeus was his father. He hada mortal mother, Semele, but was born out of Zeus thigh. His worshippersdanced around the hills until they worked themselves into an ecstatic frenzy.

Submitted by Susan HengelsbergPerry, NY


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PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

These pronunciations are taken from Morford and Lenardons Classical Mythology.

Accented syllables are in bold type.

Values of the long vowels are as follows:

as in cape as in bee as in ice as in boat as in too

aegis - jis

Aphrodite af - r- d - t

Apollo a - pol - l

Ares ar - z

Artemis ar - te - mis

Athena a - th - na

Bacchus bak - kus

Ceres s - rs

Cyclopes s - kl - ps

Delphi del - f

Demeter de - m- ter

Dionysus d - - n - sus

Gaea j -a

Hades h- ds

Hephaestus he - fes - tus

Hera he - ra

Hermes her - ms

Hestia hes - ti- a

Maia m- ya

Persephone per - sef - - n

Phoebus f - bus

Poseidon po - s- don

Semele sem - e - l

Zeus zus


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THE OLYMPIANS: APPEARANCE AND ATTRIBUTES

1. ZEUS: king of the gods, brother and husband of HeraA. God of the sky and weather, ruler of gods and menB. Appearance: mature, bearded, clothed

C. Attributes: eagle, oak tree, scepter, thunderboltD. Important representation: Olympian Zeus by Phidias

2. HERA: queen of the gods, sister and wife of ZeusA. Goddess of women, marriage, childbirthB. Appearance: ladylike, mature, fully clothed, often veiledC. Attributes: crown, scepter, cuckoo, peacock, fleur-de-lis

3. POSEIDON: brother of ZeusA. God of the sea, horses, earthquakes

B. Appearance: resembles ZeusC. Attributes: trident, horse, bull, dolphin, entourage of sea nymphs,

sea monsters, and other creatures of the sea.

4. HADES: brother of Zeus, husband of PersephoneA. God of death and the underworldB. Appearance: seldom depicted, but resembles ZeusC. Attributes: two-pronged scepter, Cerberus

5. DEMETER: sister of Zeus, mother of PersephoneA. Goddess of the crops

B. Appearance: resembles HeraC. Attributes: torches, stalk or sheaf of grainD. Object of a mystery cult at Eleusis near Athens

since the yearly cycle of the crops is an intimation of immortality

6. HESTIA: sister of ZeusA. Goddess of the hearthB. Appearance: resembles Hera,

always depicted in an attitude of immobilityC. Attributes: hearth, fire, homeD. Displaced from her throne by Dionysus prior to 432 BCE

7. HEPHAESTUS: son of Zeus and Hera, husband of AphroditeA. Lame god of fire and the forge, divine handyman or artisanB. Appearance: bearded, serious, usually at his forge,

often wears a skull capC. Attributes: hammer, anvil, bellows, fire, forge


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THE OLYMPIANS: APPEARANCE AND ATTRIBUTES (continued)

8. ARES: son of Zeus and HeraA. God of violence and ugly passions of war, divine swashbucklerB. Appearance: unpopular so seldom depicted,

but appears as a handsome young man in armor

C. Attributes: armor, vulture, dog, war-chariot, Eris

9. APOLLO: son of Zeus and Leto, twin brother of ArtemisA. God of light, prophecy, archery, music, fine arts, medicine, lawB. Appearance: young handsome male with long hairC. Attributes: lyre, bow and arrows, laurel wreath, oracle at DelphiD. Apollo became the embodiment of the Hellenic spirit

10. ARTEMIS: daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of ApolloA. Virgin goddess of the woods and hunt, cares for wild beasts

B. Appearance: young attractive female dressed for the huntC. Attributes: bow and arrows, small animals nearby, stags, palm tree

11. ATHENA: daughter of Zeus and MetisA. Virgin goddess of wisdom, arts and crafts,

the honorable aspects of warfare, protector of AthensB. Appearance: young, beautiful, serious, clothed in armorC. Attributes: shield, aegis, snake, owl, lamp, helmet, Nike, oliveD. Important representation: cult figure in the Parthenon by Phidias

12. APHRODITE: rose from sea foam, wife of Hephaestus, mother of Eros (her son by Ares)

A. Goddess of love and beautyB. Appearance: originally draped and stiff, later more sensualC. Attributes: doves, mirror, flowers, blossoms, The Graces, ErosD. Important representations: Aphrodite of Cnidus by Praxiteles, Venus de Milo

13. HERMES: son of Zeus and MaiaA. Divine messenger, god of travelers, merchants and thieves, leads the dead to HadesB. Appearance: young man, sometimes beardedC. Attributes: broad brimmed travelers hat, snake-wound

heralds staff called the caduceus, winged hat and sandalsD. Important representation: Hermes by Praxiteles

14. DIONYSUS: son of Zeus and SemeleA. God of the energy of nature and of wine, patron of poetry, drama, and songB. Appearance: young, sensual, sometimes bearded, often drunkC. Attributes: a rout of Maenads, satyrs, vines, grapesD. Worshipped as an object of a mystery cult


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FAMILY TREE

Each child can create a family tree. You might want to use the reduced pictures instead of writing thenames of the gods, goddesses, and their parents. The configuration is visually understandable

although logically the roots of the tree should be the ancestors.


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Teachers KeyFAMILY TREE


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FAMILY TREE PICTURES

Janeene BlankBirmingham, MI


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Naming the Planets

The ancient Greeks noticed that there were a few stars that moved among the other stars. Theydid not twinkle, but glowed steadily, and they had a different position every night. They called theseheavenly bodies planets which means wanderer in Greek. People long ago could see five of the planetsclearly. Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn can easily be seen with the naked eye. Mercury lies so near the

sun that it can seldom be seen because it sinks below the horizon before it is completely dark at night.The planets were named for Roman gods and goddesses because of some characteristic that

reminded ancient astronomers of that mythical persona.

MERCURY This small planet speeds around the sun in only 88 days. It is easy to see why it wasnamed for the messenger god who could travel between Earth and Mount Olympus in thetwinkling of an eye.

VENUS Beautiful and serene, this planet is often called the morning star or the evening star. It is thethird brightest body in the heavens. It was named for the goddess of love and beauty.

EARTH The name for our home planet comes not from Greek or Roman mythology, but from the

German word erde. However, other words that refer to Earth do come from mythologyGaea, the name for Mother Earth, is used when we talk about places (geography), andmineral structure (geology). It is used to begin many words (geo-). The word terra is aLatin word for the earth, and it gives us terrestrial, terra firma, and territory.

MARS This red planet is named for the god of war. Perhaps its red color reminded the ancientastronomers of blood or of anger. The two satellites, Phobos and Deimos, are named fothe dogs of war that followed Mars, and they mean fear and evil spirits.

THE ASTEROID BELT These oddly shaped pieces of matter have an orbit between Mars andJupiter. Some of them are almost large enough to be small planets, andsome have names. Can you find out the names of two very large ones?

JUPITER The king of the Olympian gods had several names. Among them was the Roman name,Jupiter. The largest of the planets is named for him. The many satellites of Jupiter arenamed for people with whom he had some connection. Two large ones are Ganymede andIo. Can you discover the names of others? Can you find out who they were in mythology?

SATURN Saturn was the Roman god of agriculture, but he was often identified with the Greek god,Cronus, who was the son of the earth mother, Gaea, and who became the father of the kingof the gods. Saturn was a Titan which means he was huge. The planet Saturn is a gasgiant, second only to Jupiter in size. The rings of Saturn are clearly visible from earth. Itwas the first planet known to have rings, although we have since discovered that otherplanets do have them.

URANUS Uranus was the god who was the personification of the heavens, and he was married toGaea. This is another of the gas giants. Perhaps it was named Uranus because of its sizeCan you discover the number of satellites and their names?

NEPTUNE Neptune is sometimes the eighth planet from the sun, sometimes the ninth. It is ninth whenPlutos orbit carries it inside Neptunes. The Roman god, Neptune, was the god of the seaand the god of earthquakes. Perhaps the color the planet glows accounts for its name. Iwas located by mathematics in 1846.


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Naming the Planets (continued)

PLUTO Is it any wonder the most distant, tiny planet was named for the cold lord of the underworld?Dark and secretive, Pluto, the planet, seems a little like Pluto, the Roman god. The onesatellite of Pluto is almost as large as the planet itself, and it is called Charon. Why is that agood name for a satellite of Pluto?

10th Planet I think it should be called by a name from mythology like the others, dont you?

Joette McDonaldVermilion, OH


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PLAN A PLANET

You have just discovered another planet in our solar system. You must look at its characteristics and thendecide what name you will give it, following the tradition of naming the planets after characters from Romanmythology.

1. Where does your planet lie? How many other planets are between it and the sun? Draw a diagrambelow to show the orbit of your new planet.

2. How big is your planet? Compare it in size to one of the other planets. _________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. What is your planet made of? Is it a gas giant? Does it have water? What kinds of rocks and minerals

are found there? Does it have an atmosphere? ________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. If you look at the planet from Earth, what color does it appear? ________________________________

5. How many satellites does your planet have? _______________

6. Would it be possible for people from Earth to colonize your planet? ____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

7. What else is special about your planet? __________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

The name of this newly discovered planet is __________________________

Discovered by ____________________________________________ Date _____________________



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Make a Planet Mobile

Materials

1 clothes hanger per childnewspaperheavy string or yarntempera paintclay-dough*

Instructions

Step 1: Make a wad of paper for eachplanet, then tie a string around it.Vary the size of the ball of paperand the length of string to the size

and orbit of the planet. Note: thetighter the paper wad, the betterthe planet.

Step 2: Cover each paper wad with clay-dough, carefully covering all papersurfaces.

Step 3: Allow to dry.

Step 4: Paint the proper color and hang.

Step 5: Make a cardboard ring for Saturn

*Clay-dough recipe

2 c. flour1 c. salt1 tsp. oil

water to make pie-dough consistency



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A Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses

As you continue to gather information about gods and goddesses, you may want to keep a record indictionary form. Prepare one page for each deity. Use the following form to record your information.

Greek Name ____________________________________________

Roman Name ____________________________________________

God/Goddess of ____________________________________________

Symbols ____________________________________________

Information and/or stories about this god or goddess

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Picture or drawing of this god


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The Gods and Goddessesof Ancient Greece and Rome

Title or

Greek Name The God or Goddess of . . . Roman Name Symbol

ZEUS KING JUPITER/JOVE EAGLE / OAK

HERA QUEEN JUNO PEACOCK

DEMETER GRAIN CERES WHEAT

HESTIA HEARTH VESTA HOME / FIRE

POSEIDON SEA NEPTUNE TRIDENT / DOLPHIN

HADES UNDERWORLD PLUTO CERBERUS

HERMES MESSENGER MERCURY WINGED HAT / SANDALS

ARTEMIS HUNT DIANA MOON / DEER

APOLLO SUN APOLLO LYRE

ARES WAR MARS VULTURE

HEPHAESTUS FIRE / FORGE VULCAN ANVIL

APHRODITE LOVE VENUS CUPID / DOVE

ATHENA WISDOM / WAR MINERVA OLIVES / OWLWEAVING


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I Know All About the Gods and Goddessesof Ancient Greece and Rome

Quiz: Version I

Complete the chart below by filling in the missing terms or names.

Greek Name Title or Roman Name SymbolGod/Goddess of . . .

1. _________________ _______________ _______________ TRIDENT

2. _________________ UNDERWORLD _______________ _______________

3. ZEUS _______________ _______________ _______________

4. _________________ QUEEN _______________ _______________

5. DEMETER _______________ _______________ _______________

6. _______________ HEARTH _______________ _______________

7. HEPHAESTUS _______________ _______________ _______________

8. APHRODITE _______________ _______________ _______________

9. _______________ _______________ MARS _______________

10. _______________ WISDOM / WAR _______________ OLIVES / OWLWEAVING

11. ______________ _______________ DIANA _______________

12. _______________ SUN _______________ _______________

13. _______________ _______________ MERCURY _______________


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Quiz: Version 2



1. POSEIDON _______________ _______________ _______________

2. _________________ _______________ PLUTO _______________

3. _______________ _______________ _______________ EAGLE / OAK

4. HERA _______________ _______________ _______________

5. _______________ HARVEST _______________ _______________

6. _______________ _______________ _______________ HOME / FIRE

7. _______________ BLACKSMITH _______________ _______________

8. _______________ _______________ _______________ DOVE / CUPID

9. _______________ _______________ _______________ VULTURE

10. _______________ _______________ MINERVA _______________

11. ARTEMIS _______________ _______________ _______________

12. _______________ _______________ _______________ LYRE / MUSIC

13. HERMES _______________ _______________ _______________


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Teachers KeyI Know All About the Gods and Goddesses

of Ancient Greece and Rome

Quiz 1 and Quiz 2


1. POSEIDON SEA NEPTUNE TRIDENT / DOLPHIN

2. HADES UNDERWORLD PLUTO CERBERUS

3. ZEUS KING JUPITER / JOVE EAGLE / OAK

4. HERA QUEEN JUNO PEACOCK

5. DEMETER GRAIN CERES WHEAT

6. HESTIA HEARTH VESTA HOME / FIRE

7. HEPHAESTUS FIRE / FORGE VULCAN ANVIL

8. APHRODITE LOVE VENUS CUPID / DOVE

9. ARES WAR MARS VULTURE

10. ATHENA WISDOM / WAR MINERVA OLIVES / OWLWEAVING

11. ARTEMIS HUNT DIANA MOON / DEER

12. APOLLO SUN APOLLO LYRE

13. HERMES MESSENGER MERCURY WINGED HAT / SANDALS


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Quiz: Version III



1. _______________ WAR _______________ _______________

2. _______________ _______________ _______________ CERBERUS

3. _______________ HUNTING _______________ _______________

4. _______________ _______________ JUPITER / JOVE _______________

5. _______________ QUEEN _______________ _______________

6. _______________ _______________ CERES _______________

7. _______________ SEA _______________ _______________

8. HESTIA _______________ _______________ HOME / FIRE

9. _______________ _______________ _______________ ANVIL

10. APHRODITE _______________ _______________ _______________

11. _______________ WISDOM / WAR _______________ _______________WEAVING

12. _______________ SUN _______________ _______________

13. _______________ _______________ _______________ WINGED HATSANDALS


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Teachers Key


Quiz III


1. ARES WAR MARS VULTURE

2. HADES UNDERWORLD PLUTO CERBERUS

3. ARTEMIS HUNTING DIANA MOON / DEER

4. ZEUS KING JUPITER / JOVE EAGLE / OAK

5. HERA QUEEN JUNO PEACOCK

6. DEMETER GRAIN CERES WHEAT

7. POSEIDON SEA NEPTUNE TRIDENT / DOLPHIN

8. HESTIA HEARTH VESTA HOME / FIRE

9. HEPHAESTUS FIRE / FORGE VULCAN ANVIL

10. APHRODITE LOVE VENUS CUPID / DOVE

11. ATHENA WISDOM / WAR MINERVA OLIVES / OWLWEAVING

12. APOLLO SUN APOLLO LYRE

13. HERMES MESSENGER MERCURY WINGED HAT / SANDALS


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Greek Name / Roman NameMatching

Write the letter of the Roman name in the blank next to the Greek name of the same god or goddess.

Greek Names Roman Names

_____ 1. Zeus A. Apollo

_____ 2. Hera B. Ceres

_____ 3. Athena C. Juno

_____ 4. Hades D. Neptune

_____ 5. Demeter E. Pluto

_____ 6. Artemis F. Minerva

_____ 7. Apollo G. Jupiter

_____ 8. Hermes H. Mercury

_____ 9. Hephaestus I. Diana

_____ 10. Aphrodite J. Vulcan

_____ 11. Hestia K. Mars

_____ 12. Poseidon L. Venus

_____ 13. Ares M. Vesta


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Symbols of the Gods and Goddesses

Match the following gods and goddesses with their symbols.

_____ 1. Zeus A. Helmet of invisibility, two-pronged scepter

_____ 2. Poseidon B. Owl, shield, breastplate, and olive branch

_____ 3. Hades C. Dove and Cupid

_____ 4. Demeter D. Sun, music, and lyre

_____ 5. Hestia E. Thunderbolt, eagle, and oak tree

_____ 6. Hephaestus F. Stag and crescent moon

_____ 7. Ares G. Peacock

_____ 8. Apollo H. Trident and horse

_____ 9. Artemis I. Magic wand, winged sandals and helmet

_____ 10 Athena J. Sheaf of wheat, grain, and fruit

_____ 11. Aphrodite K. Hearth and fire

_____ 12. Hermes L. Anvil and forge

_____ 13. Hera M. Vulture, dog, war chariot, and armor


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Copyright 2007 American Classical League23

Teachers Key

Greek Name/Roman NameMatching

1. G2. C3. F4. E5. B6. I7. A

8. H9. J10. L11. M12. D13. K

Teachers Key

Symbols of the Gods and Goddesses

1. E2. H3. A4. J5. K6. L7. M

8. D9. F10. B11. C12. I13. G

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