Greek Gods and Heroes Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary role of Zeus Philios?

Protector of guests

Overseer of the Olympic Games

Guardian of possessions in a house

God of individual and household well-being (correct)

Which epithet refers to Demeter as the provider of food?

Demeter Karpophoros (correct)

Demeter Phytophoros

Demeter Chthonia

Demeter Horkios

What does the epithet 'Zeus Averter of Flies' signify?

A deity prayed to for pest control (correct)

A guardian of oaths

A god associated with fertility

A protector during the Olympic Games

How does the creation of epithets typically present challenges to worshippers?

It was unclear which deity to pray to for specific needs Signup and view all the answers

Which epithet is associated with Athena and suggests her role as a warrior?

Athena Areia Signup and view all the answers

What purpose do epithets serve in the context of worship?

To identify local or Panhellenic worship Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about the Olympian Pantheon is accurate?

Deities could join or be acknowledged throughout its history Signup and view all the answers

Who provided insights about local epithets of gods such as Zeus?

Pausanias Signup and view all the answers

What defines a person as a hero according to Ekroth?

They have lived and died, either in myth or real life. Signup and view all the answers

How were heroes worshipped compared to gods?

Heroes were worshipped with similar rites, including animal sacrifices. Signup and view all the answers

What was the role of family members in the process of hero cults?

They initiated the process of heroisation. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic shared by both gods and heroes in terms of worship?

Both were worshipped with rites that included consumption of sacrificial meat. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following options reflects a common distinction in the types of gods worshipped?

Panhellenic worship was notable for large gatherings at particular sites. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about Heracles is incorrect?

He was exclusively worshipped in Thebes. Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of sacrifices in Attica were dedicated to heroes?

40% Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the attribution of human characteristics to non-human forms?

Anthropomorphic Signup and view all the answers

What was a key feature of the hero Clemoedes of Astypalea's story?

His act of violence led to him being declared a hero. Signup and view all the answers

In what context were personal gods like Zeus Philios worshipped?

In homes for individual and family wellbeing. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

 Zeus Philios – God of individual and household well-being, prosperity and purification consulted on

issues regarding property, marriage and childbirth

 Zeus Herkeios – ‘Zeus of the Fence/Courtyard’ who was a protector of families. Magistrates being

interviewed for a position were asked whether or not they were enrolled in this cult

Epithets for Zeus

Epithets for Athena

Epithets for Demeter

 Zeus Xenios, protector of

guests

 Zeus Ktesios, guardian of

possessions in a house

 Zeus Olympios, overseer of

the Olympic Games

 Zeus Horkios, oaths

 ‘’Zeus Averter of Flies’’ used

by individuals attending the

Olympic and Delphic Games

in Greece who would buy

small figurines of Zeus and

then pray to him in the hope

of killing the flies

 Athena Polias, protector of

cities

 Athena Parthenos, Athena

the virgin

 Athena Nike, granter of

victories

 Pallas Athene, morale-

booster

 Athena Areia, warlike Athena

 Demeter Chthonia, earthly-

one

 Demeter Karpophoros, fruit-

bringer

Purpose of Epithets

 Addressing a god/referring to a god

 Specific to a god

 To identify whether worship was local or Panhellenic

 To understand how the cult was paid for

 To understand the way in which the god was worshipped (goat-eating Hera in Sparta)

 Bending of Gods

Creation of Epithets

 We have no idea on how or why epithets were created

 Pausanias, a Greek travel writer and geographer from the 2nd century AD explains some local epithets

 Herodotus tells us that when the Greeks received news of the providential storm that had wrecked much of the

Persian fleet in 480 BC, they prayed and made libations to Poseidon Soter (Saviour) and used this name ever

since

 The variety of epithets presented a challenge to worshippers – if a woman was pregnant, which one of the

numerous deities should she pray to? This was incredibly difficult for the Greeks who consulted oracles in order to

understand which god they should worship

 A typical approach was to worship groups of deities in order to ‘cover all bases,’ particularly in cases concerning

the rearing and raising of children

Hero Cults

 The Olympian Pantheon was not an enclosed entity but rather permeable with various deities joining throughout.

There were unclear boundaries between the gods, demi-gods and mortals

 Ekroth defines a hero as being a person who had ‘’lived and died, either in myth or real life, with this being the

main distinction between a god and hero.’’ They had to have achieved something that was unusual for one’s own

lifetime, being either positive or negative

 Heracles’ Twelve Labours

 Clemoedes of Astpalea had killed his opponent in the pankration at the Olympic Games. When he was

disqualified, in a fit of anger, he ripped down a school roof, leaving sixty children dead and he vanished

from the earth. The Pythia declared him a hero

 A hero was worshipped in a way that went far beyond the usual rituals surrounding burial and were worshipped at

their grave site. It was attended by weeping and lamentation

 Heroisation was initiated by family members and beneficiaries and became widespread in the Hellenistic Period

Heracles was the most popular hero worshipped – he was honoured at Olympia, where his Twelve Labours were

displayed on the metopes of the Temple of Zeus. Asclepius was worshipped throughout the Greek world and was

perceived as a god but of mortal descent

 Heroes and gods were worshipped with rites very similar to each other, with an animal sacrifice at its centre and

the consumption of sacrificial meat

Evidence for Hero Cults

 Homeric Epics

 Homeric Hymns

 Works and Days

 Catalogue of Women which explores the relationships between gods and mortals and the heroes that were born

from this

 Pausanias

 The best preserved sacrificial calendar from Attica showing that of 170 sacrifices, 40% were to heroes and 38% of

these were of budget

Panhellenic, Localised or Personal

Zeus

 Personal – Zeus Philios, god of individual and family wellbeing

 Local – Zeus Phratrios, protector of Athenian phratries

 Panhellenic – Zeus Olympios, Zeus at Olympia (many people from around the ancient world came to compete in

the Olympic Games)

Athena

 Athena Chalkioikos, Athena of the Bronze House in Sparta

 Athena Pronoia, Athena of Forethought in Delphi

Heracles

 Personal – worshipped as a household god. His statue stood in homes to ward off evil

 Local – Heracles’ main cult was in Thebes, the place of his birth in mythology

 Panhellenic – He was worshipped at the sanctuary of Olympia because of his strength and endurance (by athletes

who competed in the games) and because he was considered to be one of the founders of the games

Some gods and heroes only had local significance. For example, in Erchia, Epops, Leucaspis and Menedeius are three

heroes who are unattested for anywhere else.

Personally, gods and heroes could be worshipped through mystery cults, healing cults or oracular consultation.

Key Term

Definition

Aetiology

The reason or cause for something, often deriving from a

historical or mythical explanation

Agora

The marketplace in a Greek city where economic, political,

social and religious events took place

Anthropomorphic

The attribution of human characteristics and emotions to

non-human forms

Epithet

An adjective or phrase that accompanies one’s name to

denote a quality or characteristic about the individual

Theogony

The genealogy of a group of gods

Zoomorphism

Animal attributes are imposed upon non-animal objects,

humans and gods

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Description

Test your knowledge of Greek mythology with this quiz focused on the major deities and their various epithets. Explore the roles and significance of gods like Zeus and Athena in ancient Greek culture. Challenge yourself with questions about their responsibilities and attributes.