Table of Contents:
CHAOS.
THE GODS AND GODDESSES PLAYBILL.
THOSE ROMANS.
Six or eight thousand years ago, the Greeks were using story-telling with gods and goddesses. Surprisingly, this is for several reasons.
- To tell people about the world as they know it. Books, weekend trips, and Google are still in the future for most households.
- The stories tell of the origin of and the fate of their world.
- They teach morals. For example, if you do this, a Cyclops will eat you. (Nightmares, it’s from the Greek.)
- Also, it is as close to a religion as they have.
- Also, they are entertainment. People gather at Agoras (public meeting places) to hear the adventures. Surprisingly, the gods and goddesses tend to have many faults. It’s their pre-reality T.V. These adventures will turn into theater presentations.
Modern scholars use these as a glimpse into the religions and politics of ancient Greece.
Everything old is new again.
Indeed Greek art and pottery use the ancient gods and goddesses as models. (They pose for free).
The Greek gods and goddesses are enjoying a renaissance during the Italian Renaissance. Da Vinci, Raphael, and others capture them in their art and paintings. For instance, one of the most famous pictures in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery is Botticelli’s Birth of Venus.
Writers including Chaucer, Milton, and Will Shakespeare tip their hats (quills) to the ancients.
And Hollywood still does. In recent times the names Troy, Titans, Olympians, and Hercules appear in movie titles.
So who are these larger than life characters? These superheroes who appear long before the dawn of D.C. or Marvel Comics.
Luckily, someone took the time to write some of them down. Most of the writings that date before 200 BC no longer exist except as references in later texts. Perhaps the most-complete recording dates from around the First Century B.C. It is the Bibliotheca of Pseudo-Apollodorus (the Library). And while it is eye-opening, sadly, it indicates that it is not complete.
The most famous recordings only tell of some of the legends. They are Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey from around the Eighth century B.C.
At first, there is Chaos.
Chaos is the first of the primordial deities. In reality, it is a void, preceding the creation of heaven and earth.
Next is Gaia (Earth), who is the mother of all life. She gives birth, without a father, to Uranus (heaven, sky) Ourea, (hills), and Pontus (Sea). Some say that Aether, (god of the upper air beyond the clouds where the gods live), was the father. These deities are not the gods but the elements themselves.
Next, Gaia lies with her eldest son, (she is the first cougar), Uranus. They sire six daughters: Mnemosyne, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, Rhea, and Themis. Also, they have six sons: Oceanus, Hyperion, Coeus, Cronus, Crius, and Lapetus. These twelve are the Titans. They are the gods and goddesses of the elements and live on Mount Othrys.
The youngest, with something to prove, is Cronus. Following his mother’s orders, he castrates his father. He then claims the throne with his sister Rhea. They have five children together, Hera, Poseidon, Hestia, Hades, and Demeter. On the negative side, Cronus eats the children after learning one of them will overcome him.
Like Father, Like Son.
Rhea, not happy with her husband for eating the kids, gives birth to her next child in secrecy. She gives birth to Zeus in a cave on Crete. She wraps a large rock in swaddling, gives it to her husband, who, thinking it is Zeus, eats it. (It could happen).
Fast forward a few years, and Zeus is a young man. He gets his father to vomit his five brothers and sisters. (I can relate, I have a slow metabolism). At the same time, he imprisons his father and has several children. They include Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Hephaestus, and Hermes. These seven, along with Zeus’s siblings, reside on Mt Olympus. Hades, also a brother of Zeus, is ruling the underworld and is not “officially” a part of the group. The twelve gods are the Olympians.
Artistic License with gods and goddesses.
PLEASE NOTE: however many people tell the story of the gods, there will be that many variations of it. These stories are a myth, maybe with some truth in their basis. Accept that no two tellings will be identical. At this performance, the father dies at the hands of _____.
Titanomachy
The Titanomachy is a ten-year battle between the Titans and the younger generation, the Olympians, for “world” power. In this case, the Olympians win. Zeus takes domain over the air and sky. Poseidon brings all the waters, and Hades receives the underworld. As a result, the earth becomes the playground for all the other gods.
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Cast of Characters
Zeus.
King of the gods, ruler of Mount Olympus, and god of the sky, weather, lightning/thunder. He also handles law/order, and justice. Zeus is the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea.
- He has numerous wives, including Hera, Metis, and Themis. Also, he had multiple lovers, both male and female.
- His children also number in double digits and include god and goddesses. Some of them are Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Dionysus. With mortals, he has Hercules, Perseus, the Muses, the Graces, and Helen of Troy.
- He is promiscuous and can throw lightning bolts.
Hera.
Hera is the wife of Zeus and the queen of the gods. She is also the goddess of marriage, childbirth, heirs, empires, and others.
- Not only is she the wife of Zeus, but she is also his sister.
- With Zeus, she has eight children, including Ares, Hephaestus, and Typhon.
- She is one of the few Greek gods or goddesses that remain faithful to their spouse. However, she is very jealous and vengeful to those who are unfaithful to her husband.
Aphrodite.
Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty, love, desire, and others. She is born from sea-foam and Uranus’s severed genitals. Zeus and Dione’s daughter, maybe.
- She never marries (or does Hephaestus) but has many lovers, including Ares and the mortals Anchises and Adonis.
- Her children include Harmonia, (harmony) Phobos (fear) and Deimos, (terror).
- To win a golden apple, she makes the mortal Paris an offer he cannot refuse. The love Helen, the most beautiful human woman in the world. She wins. Then the Trojans and Greeks go to war.
Apollo.
God of music, arts, knowledge, healing, sun, light, and more. He is Zeus and Leto’s son. His twin sister is Artemis.
- He has numerous lovers, both female, and male. None of them end well. He is cruel and destructive. That may be the cause or the effect of so many bad relationships.
- His children include Asklepios (medicine), Aristaios (beekeeping and olive oil), and a bunch of mortals.
- Apollo insults Eros, the god of love. To get revenge, Eros shoots Apollo with a golden arrow causing him to fall in love with the nymph Daphne. At the same time, he shoots Daphne with a lead arrow to drive her to reject Apollo. As Apollo chases Daphne through the woods, she asks her father Ladon to save her. He changes her into a laurel tree.
Ares.
God of war, bloodshed, violence, and others. He is Zeus and Hera’s son. Also, the brother of Hephaestus.
- He does not marry but has at least 30 relationships ending in children. The most prolific is with his brother’s wife, Aphrodite.
- He is not a favorite god, even with his siblings. Moreover, his children are a bit of a paradox. On one side is Phobos (fear) and Deimos (terror). On the other side are Harmonia (harmony) and Eros (the god of love).
Artemis.
She oversees the hunt, wilderness, animals, childbirth, and more. She is the virgin daughter of Zeus and Leto. Also, she is the twin sister of Apollo.
- Although in love with Orion, she remains single and a virgin.
- Queen Niobe mocks Artemis’s mother, Leto, for only having two children. The two children, Artemis and Apollo, kill Niobe’s fourteen children.
Athena.
She is the goddess of reason, wisdom, intelligence, peace, warfare, and others. According to most versions, she is born from Zeus’s forehead. In fact, as a splitting headache, adult size, and in full armor.
- She also remains single and a virgin.
- She invents many useful items, including the ship, chariot, the plow, and rake. Also, she gives women the ability to weave and create pottery. She beats her brother Poseidon in becoming the patron of the city of Athens.
Demeter.
Demeter is the goddess of grain, agriculture, harvest, growth, and others. She is a sister of Zeus.
- Although she did not marry, she did give birth to the Ploutos. Also, Persephone with her brother Zeus.
- Hades tricks her daughter Persephone, goddess of springtime and vegetation, into marriage. This treachery devastates Demeter, who stops raising the crops. Zeus steps in and makes a compromise. Her daughter will return for eight months of the year but has to live in the underworld for four months. And that’s why we have winter.
Dionysus.
God of wine, festivals, drunkenness, vegetation, ecstasy, the theater, and more. He is the twice-born son of Zeus and Semele.
- He marries Ariadne, a mortal. Also, he has affairs with goddesses and other mortal women and men.
- His numerous children include Oenopion, Thoas, Staphylos, and Peparethus with Ariadne. Also, Charites, Hymenaios, and Priapus with Aphrodite.
- Dionysus grants King Midas the power to turn anything he touches into gold. He wanders the world, teaching people how to make wine from grapes. Greek theater begins as part of the celebration during the Festival to Dionysus.
Hades.
King of the underworld and the dead. Also, the god of wealth.
- He tricks Persephone into marriage.
- His children include Zagreus, Macaria, and the Erinyes.
- His “superhero power” is a helmet that allows him to become invisible. Of course, that sounds cool, but it usually leads to problems. Cerberus is his giant dog with three heads who guards the entrance to the underworld. Charon is his ferryman who brings people across the river Styx.
Hephaestus.
God of fire, metalworking, and crafts. He may be the son of Zeus and Hera. At the same time, he may be the son of Hera and some potent weed. He is the least handsome of the gods and goddesses.
- His wife is Aphrodite, who we already know was not at home much. He also has children with Aglaia and the nymph Kabeiro.
- He has eight children with goddesses or nymphs and fourteen with mortals.
- His assistants in the forge are Cyclops with one eye. He is responsible for creating the Chariot of Helios, for pulling the sun across the sky. Also, the chains of Prometheus, strong enough to hold a Titan. The thunderbolts of Zeus and the arrows for Apollo and Artemis come from his forge.
Pandora
To punish Prometheus for stealing fire, Zeus has Hephaestus mold the first human woman. Her name is Pandora. Also, each one of the gods gives her gifts and talents: (Pandora = all-gifted).
Zeus gives her to the brother of Prometheus as a bride. Zeus offers Pandora a massive jar for her gift. (Note: poor translating incorrectly identifies it as a box). It is full of the evils of the earth. He tells her whatever she does, do not open it. She does, and all the sins spill out before she can get the lid back on. “Hope” is the only thing remaining in the jar.
Poseidon.
God of the sea, rivers, floods, earthquakes, and more. He is Cronus and Rhea’s son and the brother of Zeus and Hades.
- He marries Amphitrite but has perhaps 100 male and female lovers. It’s good to be a god.
- His children number over 100. Some of them include Theseus, Triton, Pegasus (more horse than a child), Polyphemus, Belus, Agenor, Neleus, and Atlas.
- He falls in love with Demeter. To impress her, he sets off to create for her the most beautiful animal in the world. By the time he finishes, his lust for her is no longer. So he offers the animal to the city of Athens if they will make him their patron. Unfortunately, his creature loses out to Athena’s olive tree. The name of the animal is the horse.
Hestia.
She is the goddess of the hearth, home, and chastity. Hestia is a virgin. She is Chronus and Rhea’s daughter and a sister of Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and Hades.
- Hestia is the sister who stays home and takes care of the house.
- She does not marry nor have children.
- Also, she refuses marriage proposals from both Apollo and Poseidon. Her name means “hearth” in Greek, and any sacrifice in a home begins with an offering to her. However, she keeps a spotless reputation and therefore is not in many of the stories. In other words, good news doesn’t sell.
Hermes.
God of travel, communication, trade, and others. He is Zeus and Maia’s son. By day, he is the messenger of the gods. By night, he leads the souls of the dead into the afterlife.
- Although he never marries, he has over 40 lovers and even more children.
- The most famous offspring include Pan, Hermaphroditus, Tyche, Abderus, Autolycus, and Angelia.
- Hermes is in charge of thieves and trickery. Because he is smart, he gets credit for inventing the Greek alphabet, numbers, music, gymnastics, astronomy, and more. His speed comes from boots with wings. For this reason, he can zip from gods to mortals, to the underworld.
- There are hundreds of stories involving these 12 gods and goddesses living on Mt Olympia.
Ye gawds.
Also, there are more than 350 additional gods and goddesses. Going through all of them would take longer than Greek history itself.
You may still not know anything about Euripides. But knowing the Olympians above will give you an insight into many things Greek, including art, theater, and architecture.
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Did Pluto Get Another Downgrade?
Why did I not mention anything about Cupid or Jupiter? That is because they are Roman gods.
WHAT? Roman gods, what’s the difference?
Think of the Roman gods and goddesses as remakes. They appear 1000 years later than the Greek.
Also note, the Romans change their names and the stories slightly to reflect the Roman culture.
The gods and goddesses Cast of Characters.
Greek Roman counterpart god/goddess of:
Aphrodite Venus goddess of love
Apollo Apollo (sometimes Phoebus) god of the sun.
Ares Mars god of war.
Artemis Diana goddess of the hunt.
Athena Minerva goddess of wisdom.
Demeter Ceres goddess of grain/crops.
Dionysus Bacchus god of wine and festivals.
Eros Cupid god of love.
Hades Pluto god of the underworld.
Helios Sol god of the sun.
Hephaestus Vulcan god of fire & the forge.
Hera Juno Queen of the gods.
Hermes Mercury Messenger of the gods.
Nike Victoria goddess of victory.
Pan Faunus god of woods/pastures.
Poseidon Neptune god of the sea.
Zeus Jupiter King of the gods.