Greek Mythology Creatures Cyclops

• one-eyed giants
Medusa • considered to be related to Poseidon
• one of three sisters called the Gorgons
• she turned people to stone Phoenix
• her hair was made up of snakes! • magical bird who burst into flames
• would burn to ashes and then be
Minotaur reborn
• half-man, half-bull
• lived in labyrinth on island of Crete Hydra
• ate human sacrifices • multi-headed monster whose heads
regenerate after being cut off
Centaurs
• half-horse, half-human Cerberus
• Chiron was a famous centaur who • Huge three-headed dog that guards
trained heroes the Gates to the Underworld

Sphinx
• half-woman, half-lion Cronos marries Rhea
• told riddles 1st children – ugly and misshapen

Satyr Cronos sends to Tartarus

• half-man, half-goat 2nd children
• found around Dionysus • Hestia
• liked to “party” • Hades
• Poseidon
Harpy • Hera
• ugly half-woman, • Demeter
• half-bird creature • Zeus
• mean and fierce
Prophecy – Cronos will be overthrown by one of
Pegasus his children, just as he overthrew his father.
• magical winged horse
• born from Medusa’s blood Cronos swallows each of his children as they are
born.
Chimera Because they are immortal, they exist within
• part lion, part goat, part serpent him.
Sixth child, Zeus
Sirens Rhea - tires of losing her children
• scary sea nymphs who sang magical -gives Cronos a stone to swallow
song to lure sailors to their deaths -hides Zeus on earth.
• sometimes portrayed as half-bird, half- -when grown, Zeus challenges Cronos
woman for the throne

Charybdis
• evil whirlpool monster across from
Scylla in the sea

Scylla
• 6-headed monster who ate sailors
across from Charybdis
Zeus – ruler of the sky
Ruler of the Olympic Gods
Married to Hera, his sister
Symbol – lightning bolt
Poseidon – ruler of the sea
2nd to Zeus
Palace beneath the sea
Married to Amphitrite - daughter of
old sea god, Neros
Chariot pulled by white horses
Called the Earthshaker
Symbol - trident
Hera – goddess of marriage, queen of the gods
Married to Zeus, her brother
Jealous disposition
Symbol - peacock
Athena – goddess of intellect
 Strategy in war
 Patron of cities
 Arts and crafts
 Sprang fully grown from Zeus’s head
 “gray eyed goddess”
 Symbols– spear, helmet, owl
Athena’s Birth
 Zeus suffered from pounding headaches
 Hephaestus struck his head open
 Athena emerged fully armed
Athena and Arachne
 Arachne was famous in town for being
a very skillful weaver and spinner
 Arachne was very vain and couldn’t
stop boasting about her talent
 Athena challenged Arachne to a
weaving challenge; Arachne
disrespected the gods during this
 Athena turned Arachne into a spider for
her lack of respect / vanity.
Apollo – god of the sun
• Light, Healing’ Most beautiful of the
gods
• Music - lyre
• Truth - Oracle at Delphi
• Athletic – patron of the Olympic games
• Symbol -
– chariot with white horses, pulled the sun
across the sky - archer, golden arrows
Narcissus and Echo
• Echo was a wood nymph who loved a
youth by the name of Narcissus.
• Narcissus was a beautiful creature
loved by many, but Narcissus loved no
one.
• Myth warns against self-love and self-
absorption.
DAEDALUS AND ICARUS
• Daedalus and Icarus were an Athenian
craftsman and his son.
• They were exiled in Crete after
Daedalus murdered his apprentice
whose skill was greater than his
master's.
• When the father and son were
imprisoned by the king of Crete, the
inventor made wings from feathers and
wax so that he and his son could escape
by flying away.
• Despite his father's warnings, Icarus
flew too close the sun.
• The wax in his wings melted and he
perished while his father flew to safety
ATLAS
 A book of maps gets its name from
Atlas, the Titan who supported the
heavens on his shoulders.
 Atlas was a Titan, one of the firstborn
sons of Earth.
 Atlas made the mistake of siding with
his brother Cronus in a war against
Zeus.
 In punishment, he was compelled
tosupport the weight of the heavens by
means of a pillar on his shoulders.
EROS AND PSYCHE
• The name "Psyche" means "Soul" and
her union with Eros (aka Cupid) tells the
story of how Love and Soul came to be
together.
• Eros = Modern Day Cupid
• Eros & Psyche will never be separated
Midas The Sirens
 King Midas treated one of Dionysus’s  Three sea nymphs who lured sailors to
satyrs with respect and was granted a their death with a bewitching song
wish in return  They were formerly handmaidens of the
 He chose to have a golden touch— goddess Persephone.
everything he touched turned to gold  When the girl was secretly abducted by
 He was thrilled at first until he realized Hades, Demeter gave them the bodies
that he could no longer eat and then of birds, and sent to assist in the search.
unfortunately turned his daughter into
a golden statue Artemis – goddess of the hunt
 Distraught, he went to Dionysus for • Protector of wild things
help and was told to wash his hands in • Moon goddess
the Pactolus river which is renowned • Despised the weakness of love
for its shimmering deposits of gold. • Twin to Apollo
• Symbol – archer, silver arrows, short
Themis tunic
 Themis was the Titan goddess of divine
law and order--the traditional rules of Aphrodite – goddess of love and beauty
conduct first established by the gods Born from the foam of the sea
 She is typically used to represent lady Ruled the hearts of men
justice in modern courts (depicted as Mistress of feminine charm
blindfolded and impartial. Son – Eros (Cupid)
Irresistible
Prometheus
• Titan god of forethought Hermes – messenger of the gods
• Was entrusted with the task of molding • Master thief
mankind out of clay • Shrewd, cunning
• Stole fire from heaven and delivered it • Patron of gamblers
to mankind • Patron of commerce and trade
• Was arrested and bound to a stake on • Conducts souls to the underworld
Mount Kaukasos where an eagle was • Symbols – winged cap, sandals,
set to feed upon his ever-regenerating caduceus
liver
Hephaestus – god of smiths and fire
The Muses were brought to life to make the Son of Hera
world more joyful . Apollo was the main teacher Ugly and lame
of the Muses Kindly and peaceful
Married to Aphrodite
1. Calliope (Epic Poetry) Made weapons and jewelry for the gods
2. Clio (History)
3. Erato (Love Poetry) Ares – god of war
4. Euterpe (Music) • Handsome, but vain
5. Melpomene (Tragedy) • Disliked by other gods- except for
6. Polyhymnia (Hymns) Aphrodite
7. Terpsichore (Dance) • Liked bloodshed and cruelty
8. Thaleia (Comedy) • Twins sons – Romulus and Remus raised
9. Urania (Astronomy) by wolves, founders of Rome
Greek Mythology today -
Allusions to Greek Mythology in
literature
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vocabulary
astronomy
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