Greek Gods and Goddesses • The cypress was sacred to her; and all wild

The Major Gods and Goddessess animals, but especially the deer.
Aphrodite
Zeus • The Goddess of Love and Beauty.
• Zeus was the Lord of the Sky • She is a soft, weak creature whom a mortal need
and ruler of the Olympian gods.  not fear to attack.
• He is the Rain-god and the Cloud-gatherer. His • “Aphros” is foam in Greek.
weapon is a thunderbolt which he hurls at • The myrtle was her tree; the dove her bird ---
those who displease him. sometimes, too, the sparrow and the swan.
• He is represented as falling in love with one Hermes
woman after another and descending to all • He was graceful and swift of motion.
manner of tricks to hide his infidelity from his • He was Zeus’ Messenger.
wife. • Of all the gods, he was the shrewdest and most
• He was not omnipotent or omniscient. cunning.
• His breastplate was the aegis, awful to behold; • He was also the Master Thief.
his bird was the eagle, his tree the oak. • He was also the solemn guide of the dead, the
• The god’s will was revealed by the rustling of the Divine Herald.
leaves. Ares
Hera • The God of War.
• She was the protector of marriage, and married • He is the son of Zeus and Hera.
woman were her peculiar care. • In one story, he is the lover of Aphrodite.
• When any account of her gets down to details, it • He had no cities where he was worshipped.
shows her chiefly engaged in punishing the • The greeks said vaguely that he came from
many women Zeus fell in love with. Thrace, home of the rude people.
• The cow and the peacock were • His bird was the vulture.
sacred to her. Hephaestus
• Argos was her favorite city. • The God of Fire.
Poseidon • Among the perfectly beautiful immortals, he was
• He was the ruler of the sea, and second only to the only ugly.
Zeus eminence. • He was also lame.
• He gave the first horse to • His wife is one of the three Graces, Aglaia.
man. Hestia
• He had some connection with bulls as well with • She was Zeus sister; a virgin goddess too.
horses. • She was the Goddess of the Hearth, the symbol
• He was commonly called “Earth-Shaker” of the home, around which the newborn child
Hades must be carried before it could be received into
• He rule over the dead. the family.
• He was also called Pluto, the God of Wealth.
• He had a far-famed cap or helmet which made The Lesser Gods of Olympus
whoever wore it, invisible. Eros
• His wife was Persephone. • God of Love (Cupid in Latin)
• He was King of the Dead. • He is oftenest a beautiful serious youth who
Athena gives good gifts to men.
• She was the daughter of Zeus alone. • He was often represented as blindfolded.
• She was pre-eminently the Hebe
Goddess of the City. • The Goddess of Youth, daughter of Zeus and
• She was Zeus’ favorite child. Hera.
• Of the three virgin goddesses, she was the chief. • She appears as cupbearer to the gods.
• Her temple was the Parthenon. • There are no stories about Hebe except that of
• Athens was her special city; the olive created by her marriage to Hercules.
her was her tree; the owl her bird. Iris
Apollo • The Goddess of the Rainbow and a messenger of
• The son of Zeus and Leto. the gods.
• “the most Greek of all the gods.” The Graces
• The Master Musician. • They were the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome.
• The Lord of the Silver Bow; • Aglaia (Splendor), Euphrosyne (Mirth) and Thalia
the Archer-god. (Good Cheer)
• The Healer, as well. The Muses
• The God of Light. • The Muses are the nine daughters of
• He was called “Delian from Zeus and Mnemosyne, the Titan goddess of
Delos.” memory.
• Apollo at Delphi was a purely beneficent power, • They are the companions of the Graces.
a direct link between gods and men, guiding • They sit near the throne of Zeus and
men to know the divine will. sing about his greatness, the world, and the
• The laurel was his tree. deeds of the heroes.
• Many creatures were sacred to him, chief among
them the dolphin and the crow.
Artemis

Fact Sheet in English 10 (Greek Gods and Goddesses) Prepared by: Kareen Jane I. Canillas
 • They promote the arts and sciences by • “The Heavenly”
inspiring artists, poets, philosophers, • Muse of astronomy
and musicians. • Symbol: Globe
• Appears with peg in one hand
Calliope • Dressed in cloak embroidered with stars
• “The Fair-Voiced” • Foretells future by reading positions of
• Muse of epic poetry and eloquence stars
• Symbol: Writing tablet or book
• Oldest of the Muses The Lesser Gods of Earth
• Mother of Orpheus Demeter
• Taught Achilles how to entertain his • Also called Ceres
friends by singing at feasts • The Goddess of the Corn
• Settled argument over Adonis between • A daughter of Cronus
Aphrodite and Persephone and Rhea.
Clio • The God of the Vine
• “The Proclaimer” Persephone
• Muse of history • The daughter of Zeus and Demeter.
• Symbol: Scroll • She was the goddess of springtime.
• Introduced Phoenician alphabet into • The Queen of the Underworld, too.
Greece • She symbolized the sprouting seeds of
• Mother of Hyacinthus, who was killed by springtime.
the wayward bounce of Apollo’s discus Dionysus
Erato • He was the god of fertility and wine, later
• “The Lovely” considered a patron of the arts.
• Muse of love poetry and mimicry • He was the son of Zeus and Semele.
• Symbol: Lyre • He is the only god to have a mortal parent.
• Often seen wearing crown of roses Pan
Euterpe • He was Hermes’ son; a noisy, merry god he was
• “The Giver of Pleasure” part animal too, with a goat’s horns, and goat’s
• Muse of music hoofs instead of feet.
• Symbol: Flute • He was a wonderful musician.
• Invented flute • He was always in love with one nymph or
• Mother of Rhosus, who was killed at another, but is always rejected because of his
Troy ugliness.
Melpomene Silenus
• “The Songstress” • He was a jovial fat man who usually rode an ass
• Muse of tragedy because he was too drunk to walk.
• Symbol: Tragic mask Castor and Pollux
• Depicted wearing garland/crown of • Accounts were said to live half of their time on
cypress earth and half in heaven.
• Often carries club or sword • They are the special protectors of sailors.
• Frequently wears cothurnes (boots worn • They are known as “Discouri” means ‘the
by tragic actors) striplings of Zeus’.
Polyhymnia The Satyrs
• “She of many hymns” • Like Pan, they were goat men, and they too had
• Muse of sacred poetry and religious their home in wild places of the earth.
dance
• Has pensive look on her often-veiled face Oreads and Dryads
• Associated with geometry, mime, • OREADS – nymphs of the
agriculture, and meditation mountains.
Terpsichore • DRYADS – nymphs of trees.
• “The Whirler” Aeolus
• Muse of dance and lyric poetry • King of the Winds, also lived on the earth.
• Depicted dancing and holding a lyre • An island, Aeolia, was his home.
• Carries a plectrum (device for plucking • The Four Winds were:
stringed instrument—our modern-day – BOREAS, the North Wind
pick) – ZEPHYR, the West Wind
• Mother of the Sirens (with Achelous the – NOTUS, the South Wind
river god as their father) – EURUS, the East Wind
Thalia The Centaurs
• “The Flourishing” • They were half-man, half horse, and for the most
• Muse of comedy and idyllic poetry part they were savage creatures, more like
• Symbol: Comic mask beasts than men.
• Appears with shepherd’s staff and wears The Gorgons
a crown of ivy • They were three, and two of them were immortal.
• Mother of the Corybantes (the priests • They were dragon-like creatures with wings,
who were devoted to Cybele) whose look turned men to stone.
Urania • Lived on an island in the sea.

Fact Sheet in English 10 (Greek Gods and Goddesses) Prepared by: Kareen Jane I. Canillas
 • They had enchanting voices and their singing
lured sailors to their death.

Fact Sheet in English 10 (Greek Gods and Goddesses) Prepared by: Kareen Jane I. Canillas