Greek Mythology: Zeus and Hera

• The notes below outline the key figures in Greek Mythology along with their key facts

Zeus (Jupiter)

• Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades were critical to the universe
• Cronus was Zeus's father and the previous ruler of the universe, until Zeus overthrew him
• Zeus is the god of the sky, rain, and cloud gathering
• He wields a powerful thunderbolt
• He is the supreme ruler, with power exceeding all other gods combined
• Zeus could be opposed and deceived
• Fate is considered stronger than Zeus
• Zeus frequently fell in love with various goddesses and human women
• He used tricks to hide his infidelity from his wife, Hera
• The Greek army at Troy believed Zeus never helps liars or oath-breakers, which is ironic because Zeus cheats
• Zeus's breastplate was the aegis
• His oracle was at Dodona, in the land of oak trees

Hera (Juno)

• Hera is the protector of marriage, particularly of women
• She is the goddess of married women and of ages
• Hera graciously protects heroes and inspires their heroic deeds
• The peacock and cow are sacred to her
• Argos is her favorite city
• Hera is Zeus's wife and sister
• She hates cheaters and punishes Zeus's lovers and their children, regardless of coercion

Poseidon (Neptune)

• Poseidon is the lord and ruler of the sea, including the Mediterranean, the Euxine (Black Sea), and underground rivers
• He is Zeus's brother, important to Greeks as they were seamen
• Poseidon's wife is Amphitrite, granddaughter of the titan Ocean
• He is often found on Olympus, despite having a palace under the sea
• Poseidon gave the first horse to mankind
• He is honored as much as other gods
• Poseidon controls storms and calm seas
• Storm winds and surges arise at his command
• Driving his golden car over the waters stills the thunder of waves
• Poseidon's nickname is "Earth-shaker"
• He is always shown with a trident, a three-pronged spear used to destroy what he wishes
• Poseidon has connections with bulls and horses

Hades

• Hades is also known as Pluto, the god of wealth, or Dis
• He is the god of the underworld and king of the dead, but not death itself
• Hades rarely visits Olympus or Earth
• He owns a helmet that makes its wearer invisible
• His wife, Persephone (Proserpine), was kidnapped from Earth and made Queen of the Underworld

Pallas Athena (Minerva)

• Athena is the daughter of Zeus, born from his head fully armored
• She is Zeus’s favorite child
• Athena embodies wisdom, reason, and purity and is the goddess of the City
• She is the protector of civilized life, handicrafts, and agriculture
• Athena invented the bridle for taming horses
• She is the chief of the three virgin goddesses, also known as Maiden or Parthenos
• Her temple is the Parthenon
• Her symbolisms include the city of Athens, the olive tree, and the owl

Apollo

• Apollo is the Greek god of light, truth, and prophecy
• He is the son of Zeus and Leto, born on Delos
• Apollo is considered "the most Greek of all the gods"
• Other names for Apollo include Phoebus (brilliant), Delian (from Delos), Pythian (from Python myth), Lycian, and Sminthian (Mouse-god)
• He is the master musician of Olympus, playing the golden lyre
• Apollo is the patron of musicians and artists, with music that heals and inspires
• He is the lord of the silver bow, a legendary archer symbolizing divine accuracy
• Apollo represents balance between protection and destruction
• He first taught humans medical knowledge and was the original divine physician
• Apollo is the father of Asclepius, god of medicine, and the patron of medical practitioners
• He has the power to cause and cure diseases; is the embodiment of divine enlightenment and represents clarity and intellectual pursuit
• Delphi, under Mount Parnassus, is considered the center of the world and a renowned religious shrine
• Priestesses delivered prophecies in a trance-like state, speaking from a sacred tripod, believed to be influenced by mystical vapors
• Apollo defeated the serpent Python, demonstrating divine power and establishing his Pythian identity
• His sacred symbols are the laurel tree, dolphin, and crow
• He embodies both primitive/crude and beautiful/poetic aspects
• Apollo is often associated with the sun, distinct from Helios
• Lycian may mean wolf-god, light-god, or regional deity, while Sminthian is mouse-related
• He serves as a direct divine-human communication channel and a purification deity, guiding understanding of divine will
• Apollo has unerring accuracy, absolute truthfulness, healing capabilities, and musical prowess
• He represents the ideal of divine perfection and embodies intellectual and artistic excellence

Artemis (Diana)

• Artemis, also called Cynthia, is Apollo’s twin sister, daughter of Zeus and Leto
• She is one of the three maiden goddesses of Olympus
• Artemis loves the woods and wild chases over mountains
• She is the Lady of Wild Things
• Like a good huntsman, Artemis preserves the young
• She is the protectress of dewy youth
• Artemis kept the Greek Fleet from sailing to Troy until they sacrificed a maiden to her
• Phoebe was the Sun, while Selene was the Moon (Luna), but the moon name originally belonged to Phoebe, a Titan
• Selene was a moon goddess, sister of Helios, but not connected with Apollo
• Later poets identify Artemis with Hecate, the goddess with three forms: Selene in the sky, Artemis on earth, and Hecate in the lower world
• Hecate, goddess of the Dark of the Moon, is associated with darkness deeds
• Hecate is the Goddess of Crossways, ghostly places of evil magic

Aphrodite

• Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty who beguiles gods and men
• She is a laughter-loving and irresistible goddess who steals away the wits of the wise
• Some say she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione
• Other versions state that she sprung from the foam of the sea, explaining her name as "the foam-risen"
• Homeric Hymns call her the "Beautiful golden goddess"
• Beauty follows her; winds and storms flee, sweet flowers embroider the earth, and waves laugh
• Without her, there would be no joy or loveliness
• The Iliad portrays her as a soft, weak creature
• She is also portrayed as treacherous and malicious, exerting deadly and destructive power
• Aphrodite is the wife of Hephaestus (Vulcan), the lame and ugly god of the forge
• Myrtle is her tree, the dove is her bird, and the sparrow and swan are also associated with her

Hermes

• Hermes is the messenger god, Zeus’s messenger, who flies as fleet as thought
• His popular statue makes his appearance more familiar than other gods
• Hermes is graceful and swift of motion
• He has wings on his feet (winged sandals), on his low-crowned hat, and on his magic wand
• Hermes's father is Zeus, and his mother is Maia, daughter of Atlas
• Hermes is the solemn guide of the dead, the Divine Herald who leads souls to their last home
• He won Apollo’s forgiveness by presenting him with the lyre he invented (made from a tortoise shell)
• Hermes is the shrewdest and most cunning of the gods; the master thief
• Zeus made him return everything he stole

Ares (Mars)

• Ares is the god of war and the son of Zeus and Hera
• His sister is Eris (Discord), and her son is Strife
• He is hateful throughout the Iliad, Homer calls him mysterious, blood-stained, and the incarnate curse of mortals
• Ares is a coward who bellows with pain and runs away when wounded
• He still has attendants on the battlefield and inspires confidence
• Ares wears shining armor, making him seem invincible
• He is the lover of Aphrodite
• Ares is more than just a symbol of war but lacks a distinct personality like Hermes, Hera, or Apollo
• He has no specific place of worship

Hephaestus

• Hephaestus is the god of fire
• Sometimes said to be the son of Zeus and Hera, other times only of Hera (as revenge for Zeus bringing Athena into the world)
• Hephaestus was the only ugly and lame god
• Hera cast him out of heaven upon seeing his deformity
• Another account says Zeus cast him out for defending Hera, falling to Lemnos
• Homer's version honors Hephaestus as the workman of the immortals, their armorer and smith
• He made their dwellings and furnishings as well as weapons
• Hephaestus has hand-maidens made of gold who can help him with his work
• Later poets describe his forge under a volcano
• His wife is Aglaia (in Hesiod) or Aphrodite (in Odyssey), one of the three Graces
• Hephaestus was a kind, peaceful god, popular on earth
• He was important in city life, along with Athena, as patrons of handicrafts, arts that support civilization alongside agriculture
• Hephaestus protected smiths, Athena protected weavers
• He was the god of the ceremony when children were admitted to the city organization

Hestia

• Hestia is the goddess of the Hearth and sister of Zeus
• She is one of the three virgin goddesses, along with Athena and Artemis
• Hestia has no distinct personality and doesn’t play a major part in myths
• She is gentle, calm, and steady
• Hestia is the goddess of the hearth (fireplace), the symbol of the home
• The hearth was central to family life and domestic worship
• A newborn child had to be carried around the hearth before being received into the family
• Every meal began and ended with an offering to Hestia
• Each city had a public hearth sacred to Hestia, where the fire was never allowed to go out
• Colonists founding a new city would bring coals from the mother city's hearth to light the new one
• As Vesta in Rome, the fire was cared for by six virgin priestesses called the Vestals, responsible for keeping the eternal flame burning

Eros (Cupid)

• Eros is an important divinity
• Hesiod says he is the fairest of the deathless gods
• He is represented as blindfolded: Love is often blind
• Attended by Anteros (avenger of slighted love), Himeros (longing), and Hymen (god of the Wedding Feast)
• Early stories depict him as a beautiful, serious youth who gives good gifts to men
• He is not Aphrodite’s son but her occasional companion
• Later stories depict him as Aphrodite’s son, a mischievous, naughty boy
• Plato states that Love makes his home in men’s hearts, but not in every heart, for where there is hardness he departs

Other Gods

• Hebe is the goddess of youth, daughter of Zeus and Hera, and sometimes cupbearer to the gods
• Iris is the goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods
• The Graces (Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia) are daughters of Zeus and Eurynome or of the Titan, Ocean
• They together give life its bloom with Muses; no banquet without them could please
• Of the graces, Aglaia married Hephaestus
• The Muses (Clio, Urania, Melpomene, Thalia, Terpsichore, Calliope, Erato, Polyhymnia, Euterpe) are daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory) and companions of Apollo and the Graces
• Themis (the Right, or Divine Justice) sat beside Zeus
• Dike (Human Justice) also sat beside Zeus
• Nemesis (Righteous Anger) is a personified emotion
• Aidos (Reverence and shame) holds men back from wrong doing
• Ocean, a Titan, was Lord of the river Ocean, and his wife was Tethys
• Pontus was the son of Mother Earth and father of Nereus
• Nereus (Old Man of the Sea) was trusty and gentle, and his wife was Doris with fifty daughters called Nereids
• Triton is the trumpeter of the sea, son of Poseidon and Amphitrite
• Proteus, sometimes Poseidon’s son or attendant, can foretell the future

The Underworld

• Ruled by Hades and his wife, Persephone
• It has two dimensions: Tartarus (deeper dimension, prison of the Sons of Earth) and Erebus (where the dead pass)
• The wicked are punished, the good rewarded
• Charon boats souls across the river to Tartarus for a fee
• Cerberus, a 3-headed, dragon-tailed dog, guards the gate to Tartarus
• Spirits are judged by Rhadamanthus, Minos, and Aeacus; the bad are sent to eternal torment, the good to Elysian Fields
• Styx is the river of the unbreakable oath by which the gods swear
• Lethe is the river of forgetfulness
• The Furies (Tisiphone, Megaera, Alecto) punish evildoers on earth
• Sleep and Death are brothers, and dreams come from the land of the dead

Lesser Gods of Earth

• Demeter: Goddess of corn, daughter of Cronus and Rhea
• Dionysus: God of the vine
• Pan: Part animal with goat’s horns and hoofs, son of Hermes, god of goatherds and shepherds, companion of woodland nymphs
• Castor and Pollux: Brothers who spent half time on earth and half in heaven, special protectors of sailors
• Leda: Wife of King Tyndareus of Sparta, had mortal children Castor and Clytemnestra, Zeus visited her as a swan and gave her immortal children Pollux and Helen of Troy
• Satyrs: Goat-men who lived in the wild places
• Centaurs: Half man, half horse; Chiron was known for goodness and wisdom
• Gorgons: Dragon-like creatures with wings who could turn men to stone
• Sirens: Had enchanting voices that lured sailors to their death
• Fates: Gave men evil and good at birth; Clotho spun the thread of life, Lachesis assigned destiny, and Atropos cut the thread of destiny