The Basics

Ok this is Greek Mythology 101....

Creation

This is the story of creation. It tells you how everthing got started and where the gods come from.

Zeus

Zeus is the ruler of the Olympian gods. He is also known as Jupiter and Jove (both Roman). His attributes in iconography include the lightning bolt, the eagle, and the sceptre.

Zeus' Many Lovers

Over a span of 400 years (at least) Zeus father over 4,000 children out of wedlock.

Hera

As the wife (and sister) of Zeus, Hera is the patron of marriage. She is also known as Juno (Roman). She has no unique attributes in iconography and so can only be identified by context or inscription.

Athene

Athene (also spelled Athena) is the patron of wisdom, military victory, and women's crafts. She is also known as Tritogeneia and Minerva (Roman) and is also called Pallas Athene. Her attributes in iconography include the aegis (a fringed cloak, sometimes decorated with a Gorgon's head), the helmet, and the spear.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite governs desire and sexuality. She is also known as Cytherea, Cypris, and Venus (Roman). She is often pictured with a sceptre or a mirror.

Eros

Eros is the son of Aphrodite and the keeper of the Arrows of Love. You might now him better by is Roman name, Cupid.

Poseidon

Poseidon is the god of the sea. He is also known as Neptune (Roman) and the Earth-shaker. His attributes in iconography include the trident and the fish.

Hades

Hades is the god of the underworld. He is also known as Pluto, Plouton, Dis (Roman), and Aidoneus. His attributes in iconography are the cornucopia and the sceptre.

Demeter

Demeter is the giver of grain. She is also known as Ceres (Roman) and sometimes Deo. Her attributes in iconography can include a torch, a crown, a sceptre, and stalks of grain. She is often portrayed with her daughter, Persephone/Kore.

Persephone

Persephone is the Queen of the Underworld and the daughter of Demeter. She is also known as Proserpine (Roman), and Kore, which is also transliterated as Core or Cora and translated as the Maid or the Maiden. Her attributes in iconography can include a torch, a crown, a sceptre, and stalks of grain.

Apollo

Apollo is associated principally with music, prophecy, sickness, and medicine. He is also known as Phoebus Apollo and is called the Far Shooter and the Pythian. (He has no separate Roman name.) His attributes in iconography are the cithara, or sometime the lyre, the bow, the fawn, and the tripod. He is often depicted with his sister, Artemis.

Artemis

Artemis is the goddess of the hunt and animals, as well as of childbirth. She is also known as Diana (Roman). Her attributes in iconography include the bow and the fawn. She often appears with her brother, Apollo.

Hermes

Hermes' main role is as a messenger but he has many other functions as well. He is also known as Mercury (Roman) and Argeiphontes (Slayer of Argos). His attributes in iconography include the kerykeion (messenger's staff), winged boots, and petassos (cap).

Ares

Ares is the god of war and conflict. He is also known as Mars (Roman). Ares is depicted as a warrior but, as he has no unique attributes in iconography, he can only be identified by context or inscription.

Hephaestus

Is known as the smith-god, the great artificer, and lord of mechanics.

Orpheus

The god of music and musicains.

Tyche

Tyche is the godded is good fortune and chance.

Echo and Narcissus

This is a love, revenge story. About a water nymph and an ignorant young man.

Iris

Iris was the daughter of Thaumus and Electra, sister of the Harpies. She was the goddess of the rainbow and constant attendant of Hera. She was a female Hermes in the way that she was a messenger for the gods.

Eris

Eris was the spirit of strife. She was the sister or lover of Ares and accompanied him into wars to cause quarrels. She helped cause the Trojan War by causing the contest when she threw the apple of discord to them during the wedding of Achilles parents Peleus and Thetis. Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite and she gave Helen to him which set off the War.

Hestisa

Hestia is the goddess of fire, especially the hearth.

Eos

Eos was the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Thea. Eos was married Tithonus, but had many lovers. Eos is called Rosy-fingered Dawn by the poet Homer. She was the goddess of the dawn. She is depicted riding the dawn skies on Pegasus or a chariot with two horses. Her siblings were Helios the sun god and Selene the moon goddess. With the Titans Astraeus she bore the winds Zephyrus and Boreas and barious other astral bodies.

Circe

Circe was the daughter of Helios, the sun god and was the sister of Phaeton and Aetes. She was the witch in The Odyssey and cast spells on Odysseus’ men. He forced her to restore the pig men. She then helped him return to Ithaca. She also cleansed Medea of her sins after she killed her brother on her way home with Jason. In post-Homeric stories she bore Odysseus a son, Telegonus.

Leto

Leto was the daughter of Coeus and Phoebe. Leto with Zeus was the mother of the divine twins Apollo and Artemis. In Hesiods literature she was noted for her gentleness. Leto was harassed and pursued by Hera. Leto ran every where and finally rested on Delos. She gave birth to Artemis first who immediatley matured and became the midwife for Apollo’s birth. Zeus made the island fertile and said that no one shall be born or die there.

Nemesis

Nemesis was the daughter of Nox and Erebus. Her job was to take vengeance on people who had hubris which means “over self confidence and pride in achievments and good fortune.” She also rewarded virtue. In english nemesis means and agent or an act of punishment that can’t be defeated which is what she was.

Dionysis

Dionysos is the god of wine, intoxication, and creative ecstasy. He is also known as Dionysus, Bacchus or Bakchos, and Liber (Roman). His attributes in iconography include a drinking vessel, an ivy wreath, grape vines, and the thyrsos (a long fennel stalk topped with ivy leaves).

Pandora
Nymphs
Pygmies (dwarfs)
Prometheus
Archne
Centaurs
Pegasus & The Chimaera
Oedipus & the Sphinx
Amazons
Clytie
Perseus and Medusa
Perseus and Andromeda
The Graea and The Gorgons