Greek Mythology

 Traditional stories of
gods, kings, and heroes
 Show the relations
between gods and
people
 Mythology was a
form of early science
to Greeks because it
helped explain the
unexplainable.

Myths seek to explain all those unexplainable or
unknowable aspects of life.
Where do we go after we die?
How was the world created?
Why can we see our reflection in water?
Why are there four separate seasons?
Why do we fall in love?
How is lightning created?
Why do our voices sometime echo?
How was fire created, and why do we have it?

 Fully developed by
about 700 B.C.
 Homer and Hesiod
are generally
considered the
earliest Greek poets
whose work has
survived

 Death is inevitable and final, so the goal was to become a
legend through great deeds.
 The Greeks were tough, restless, ambitious, hard-living, and
imaginative.
 Honor was extremely important, and the Greeks were very
vengeful if wronged.
 The gods mirrored human feelings and physical form.
 Their flaws were pride, cruelty, stubbornness, impulsiveness,
lust for power, and a desire to be like the gods.

 Greek Mythology is a collection of myths and
legends that Greeks used to explain their
world.
 Although we now view these stories as fiction,
the Greeks believed them to be true.

 Polytheistic & Pantheon.
 Gods interact with humans, take sides in wars, etc.
 Humans worship the Gods (often a particular one
most of all) and give them offerings of burnt meat.
 Gods were very human/had flaws/were often
comical
 There are often continuity errors or different
versions of the same tale. In many cases, a character
who was supposed to have died shows up again
later with no explanation given. The reason for this is
that the myths were passed down orally for
centuries, so many got confused or changed over
time.

 The Greeks were “a tough, restless, ambitious,
hard-living, imaginative race.”
 The Greeks loved life.
 They believed in living life to the fullest,
because death was going to happen whether
you wanted it to or not.
 The only response to death was to make a mark
on the world. Be a legend…be grandiose.

 The Greeks had many gods.
 The Olympian gods resembled the Greeks need
to be grandiose.
 Because the Olympian gods mirrored the
Greeks, they were heavily flawed.
 They were quarrelsome, unforgiving, jealous,
vengeful, spiteful, sinful deities.
 Because the Greeks focused on being
grandiose, the Olympian gods were mostly
portrayed as physically strong, beautiful and
intelligent.
 The same applies to the heroes in their legends
and myths.

 First there was Chaos (vast
and unorganized space from
which all other things
originated).
 Chaos gave birth to Gaea,
the earth, and Night, which
gave birth to day.
 Gaea and Uranus (the sky)
gave birth to Cronus and
the other Titans, the
Cyclopes, one-eyed giants,
and the Hecatonchieres
with 50 heads and 100 arms
apiece.

 Both good and evil comes from the gods.
 Heroes and monsters came from the gods.
 This idea has influenced all religions that came
after.
 Many of the conflicts that are portrayed in the
myths are between family members.

In the beginning there was no earth, sky or sea. There was
only confusion and darkness, called Chaos. Chaos gave birth to
Mother Earth. She eventually gave birth to a son, Uranus, also known
as Father Heaven. Mother Earth and Father Heaven had many
children.
• First, they had three monstrous sons. Each had fifty heads and one
hundred hands.
•Then, they had three more sons. They were just as big and just as
ugly. They were called Cyclops. They had one eye in the middle of
their foreheads. They were as strong as Earthquakes and Tornadoes
combined.
•Finally, they had the first gods, six sons and six daughters called the
Titans.

Among their children was the greatest
Titan, Cronus (Kronus). Cronus gained power
from his father, Uranus, by castrating him.
Then, Cronus became ruler over heaven and
Earth and married his sister, Rhea. From their
union came the Olympian gods.

Power changed Cronus and made him evil.
He was so afraid that one of his sons was going
to do to him what he did to his father that he
swallowed all of his children immediately after
their birth. One by one, Cronus swallowed
Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon.
When Rhea was pregnant with her sixth child,
she thought of a plan. She secretly gave birth
to her sixth child, Zeus, and gave him to
Mother Earth.

Mother Earth decided that the child would be safe if she
hid him as far away from Cronus as she could. When
Cronus asked to see the sixth child, Rhea handed him a
rock wrapped in a blanket. Just like her previous
children, Cronus swallowed the rock without hesitation,
just as she had planned. Rhea was happy and could not
wait for the day Zeus would grow up and destroy his
father.

Zeus was safely being
raised by Nymphs and
shepherds. Eventually
Zeus grew up and Rhea,
his mother, told him about
what Cronus did to his
siblings. Zeus made a
promise to his mother that
he would make Cronus
pay for what he did.

When Zeus returned to his mother, she
disguised him as a servant. Rhea concocted a
poisonous potion and Zeus, acting as a servant,
put it in Cronus’ drink. The concoction caused
Cronus to get sick and vomit. First, Cronus
vomited up the rock. Then each of his five
children, one by one. Zeus was seen as a hero
for saving his siblings. They were extremely
thankful. Once everyone was freed, the six
children decided to battle against Cronus.

 The war lasted ten years. Neither side could get the
upper hand because they were equal in strength.
Mother Earth suggested that Zeus and his brothers
go free the Cyclops and have them fight on their
side. Zeus and his brothers did as they were advised
and freed their uncles, the Cyclops. The Cyclops
gave them the advantage they needed. Finally, the
war was over. Zeus and his siblings were
victorious.

Now that the battle was over, the three brothers had
to decide who was going to rule the universe. They
decided the fairest way to choose was to draw lots.
Hades won the underworld. Poseidon won the sea and
Zeus won the heaven and became ruler of all the gods of
Mt. Olympus.

 In general, Greek gods were
divided into three categories:
 Heaven
 Earth
 Sea
 The Titans ruled before the
Gods of Olympus.
 The Titans were the children of
Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea
(Earth) and the parents of the
Gods of Olympus.
 The Titans were overthrown by
Olympians.

 Cronus mutilated his father and overthrew him.
 Cronus and Rhea married and produced the Olympians:
Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon.
 Cronus swallowed them to keep from being overthrown. When Zeus
was born, Rhea gave her husband a rock to swallow. Zeus overthrew
his father Cronus and forced him to disgorge the other Olympians.

How did humans get fire?
Prometheus was the wisest Titan of all.
Prometheus is credited with bringing
enlightenment to humans. Prometheus stole
fire from the gods and gave it to humankind,
bringing the power of warmth and light to the
dark and miserable earth.
Prometheus acted against the express
wishes of the Olympian Gods, who wanted
to keep the power of fire - enlightenment -
for their exclusive use. For this Zeus
punished Prometheus by having him chained
to a rock with an eagle tearing at his liver.

Gaia is the Earth goddess. She mated with her son Uranus to produce the
remaining Titans. Gaia seems to have started as a Neolithic earth-mother
worshipped before the Indo-European invasions that eventually lead to the
Hellenistic civilization.

Uranus is the sky god and first ruler. He is the son of Gaia, who created
him without help. He then became the husband of Gaia and together they
had many offspring, including twelve of the Titans.
His rule ended when Cronus, encouraged by Gaia, castrated him. He
either died from the wound or withdrew from earth

Cronus was the ruling Titan who came
to power by castrating his Father
Uranus. His wife was Rhea. Their
offspring were the first of the
Olympians. To insure his safety Cronus
ate each of the children as they were
born. This worked until Rhea, unhappy
at the loss of her children, tricked
Cronus into swallowing a rock, instead
of Zeus. When he grew up Zeus would
revolt against Cronus and the other
Titans, defeat them, and banish them to
Tartarus in the underworld.
Cronus managed to escape to Italy,
where he ruled as Saturn. The period of
his rule was said to be a golden age on
earth, honoured by the Saturnalia feast.

Rhea was the wife of Cronus. Cronus made it a practice to swallow their
children. To avoid this, Rhea tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock,
saving her son Zeus.

Oceanus is the unending stream of water encircling the world. Together
with his wife Tethys produced the rivers and the three thousand ocean
nymphs.

Tethys is the wife of Oceanus. Together they produced the rivers and the
three thousand ocean nymphs.

Hyperion is the Titan of light, the father of the sun, the moon, and the
dawn.

Mnemosyne was the Titan of memory and the mother of Muses.

Themis was the Titan of justice and order. She was the mother of the Fates
and the Seasons.

Iapetus was the father of Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Atlas.

Titan of Intelligence. Father of Leto.

Titan of the Moon. Mother of Leto.

Prometheus was the wisest Titan. His name means "forethought" and he
was able to foretell the future. He was the son of Iapetus. When Zeus
revolted against Cronus Prometheus deserted the other Titans and fought
on Zeus side.
By some accounts he and his brother Epimetheus were delegated by Zeus
to create man. In all accounts, Prometheus is known as the protector and
benefactor of man. He gave mankind a number of gifts including fire. He
also tricked Zeus into allowing man to keep the best part of the animals
sacrificed to the gods and to give the gods the worst parts.
For this Zeus punished Prometheus by having him chained to a rock with
an eagle tearing at his liver. He was to be left there for all eternity or until
he agreed to disclose to Zeus which of Zeus children would try to replace
him. He was eventually rescued by Hercules without giving in to Zeus.

Epimetheus was a stupid Titan, whose name means "afterthought". He
was the son of Iapetus. In some accounts he is delegated, along with his
brother Prometheus by Zeus to create mankind. He also accepted the gift
of Pandora from Zeus, which lead to the introduction of evil into the
world.

Atlas was the son of Iapetus. Unlike his brothers Prometheus and
Epimetheus, Atlas fought with the other Titans supporting Cronus against
Zeus. Due to Cronus's advance age Atlas lead the Titan's in battle. As a
result he was singled out by Zeus for a special punishment and made to
hold up the world on his back.

Metis was the Titaness of the fourth day and the planet Mercury. She
presided over all wisdom and knowledge. She was seduced by Zeus and
became pregnant with Athena. Zeus became concerned over prophecies
that her second child would replace Zeus. To avoid this Zeus ate her. It is
said that she is the source for Zeus wisdom and that she still advises Zeus
from his belly.
It may seem odd for Metis to have been pregnant with Athena but, never
mentioned as her mother. This is because the classic Greeks believed that
children were generated solely from the fathers sperm. The women were
thought to be nothing more than a vessel for the foetus to grow in. Since
Metis was killed well before Athena's birth her role doesn't count.

 Mt. Olympus was the
largest mountain in
Greece. It was the
home of the gods and
goddesses.
 Gods and goddesses
were immortal, they
could not die.
 No humans were
allowed on top of Mt.
Olympus, but the
Olympians were
allowed on Earth.

 A group of 12 gods who
ruled after the overthrow of
the Titans
 All the Olympians related in
some way
 Named after their dwelling
place, Mount Olympus
 The Olympian Gods: Zeus,
Poseidon, Hades, Hestia,
Hera, Ares, Athena, Apollo,
Aphrodite, Hermes, Artemis,
and Hephaestus

 Roman name: Jupiter
 Realm: King of gods, god of
thunder and lightning
 Symbols: eagle, oak tree,
lightning bolt
 Married to Hera; had many
affairs and many children,
some of whom were gods
and goddesses because as
the Greeks conquered
territories, they took on the
new goddesses and
“married” them to Zeus
 The spiritual father of gods
and men

 Roles:
 WEATHER
 GODS
 MEN
 Symbols:
 LIGHTENING BOLT
 OAK LEAF
 OX
 EAGLE

 Roman name: Juno
 Realm: goddess of marriage
 Symbols: peacock, cow
 Married to Zeus
 Jealous of Zeus’s affairs
 Because of this, asked a 100-
eyed giant to watch him. When
Hermes put the giant to sleep, she
turned him into a peacock, an
animal with eyes on its tail feathers.

 Roles:
 QUEEN OF THE GODS
 MARRIAGE
 CHILDBIRTH
 Symbols:
 PEACOCK
 APPLES
 GOLD
 COW

 Roman name: Vesta
 Realm: goddess of hearth and home;
protector of the sacred fire
 Symbol: torch, a distaff (hand-held
loom)
 Zeus’s sister
 Six priestesses called Vestal virgins
attended her temple and protected the
fire; shrines were built to her by the
fireplace in homes
 Today the word vestal means “pure” or
“virginal”

 Roles:
 HEARTH & HOME
 Symbols:
 HEARTH (fireplace)
 WOODEN THRONE
 ETERNAL FLAME

 Roman name: Neptune
 Realm: god of the sea and
earthquakes
 Symbol: trident
 Zeus’s brother
 Controlled earthquakes,
hurricanes, rough seas, tidal
waves
 Gave the horse to mankind

 Roles:
 OCEANS
 EARTHQUAKES
 HORSES
 Symbols:
 TRIDENT
 HORSE
 DOLPHINS

 Roman name: Pluto
 Also called Dis, the
rich one (because he
owned all the minerals
in the earth)
 Realm: god of the
Underworld
 Symbol: Cerberus,
cypress, bident
 Rarely visited Earth
 Not friendly, but not
evil either

 Roles:
 UNDERWORLD
 WEALTH
 Symbols:
 CERBERUS (3 headed dog)
 JEWELS/METALS
 BLACK
 BIDENT
 HELM OF DARKNESS
 CYPRESS TREE

 Charon, who rowed people across the river Styx
 Cerberus, the 3-headed dog who guarded the
underworld

 Is not the same thing as HELL. All people went to the
Underworld when they died.
 Hades is NOT the devil. He’s as noble as the other
gods.
 Charon: the boatman who would ferry people/spirits
across the river Styx so they could make it to the
Underworld. He wanted to get a tip, so people were
buried with coins on their eyes so they could pay him.
 Cerberus: 3-headed dog who guards the gate.
 3 Levels: Tartarus: Place of pain and suffering.
 Asphodel Fields: Where spirits roam like shadows.
 Elysian Fields: Where Heroes go – paradise.

 Zeus had eight children on Olympus
 The twins: Apollo and Artimis
 Athena (born fully armored out of Zeus’s head
when he had a bad headache)
 Hephaestus
 Hermes
 Ares
 Dionysus
 Aphrodite (not really Zeus child, but he took
her in)

 Roman name: Mars
 Realm: god of war
 Symbols: dogs of war;
vulture, weapons
 Son of Zeus and Hera
 Very unpopular
 No myths written about
Ares

 Roles:
 WAR
 Symbols:
 WEAPONS & ARMOR
 DOGS
 VULTURE
SONS:
Terror, Dread, Panic, & Fear

 Roman name: Diana
 Realm: goddess of the
moon, the hunt, and
(sometimes) witchcraft
 Symbols: crescent moon,
bow and arrow, short
hunting robes
 Apollo’s twin sister
 Avoided men
 She turned Acteon, a hunter,
into a stag (deer) and set his
own dogs on him because he
watched her bathe.

 Roles:
 MOON
 HUNTING
 WOODLAND CREATURES
 YOUNG WOMEN
 Symbols:
 STAG
 CRESCENT MOON
 BOW & ARROW

 Roman name: Venus
 Realm: goddess of love,
beauty, sexuality
 Symbols: shell, mirror,
dove, swan
 Born of the foam when
Cronus’ genitals hit the
ocean
 Married to Hephaestus
 Son was Eros (Cupid)

 Roles:
 LOVE
 BEAUTY
 PEACE
 Symbols:
 RED ROSES
 HEARTS
 DOVE
 MAGIC GIRDLE

 Roman name: Vulcan
 Realm: god of the forge; made
Zeus’s lightning bolts and the
armor for war
 Symbols; the forge
 Son of Zeus and Hera
 Zeus threw him out of heaven for
siding with his mother (Hera)
 Husband of Aphrodite, who was
constantly unfaithful to him

 Roles:
 FIRE
 FORGE
 BLACKSMITH
 Symbols:
 FIRE
 ANVIL
 HAMMER
 QUAIL

 Roman name: Ceres
 Realm: goddess of agriculture
 Symbols: sheaves of wheat
 Zeus’s sister, mother of
Persephone
 Persephone was kidnapped by
Hades. Demeter created eternal
winter on earth until Zeus agreed
to bring her back. She had eaten 6
pomegranate seeds and so had to
remain in the underworld for 6
months of the year.

 Roles:
 AGRICULTURE
 GRAIN
 NATURE
 SEASONS
 Symbols:
 FLOWERS
 SHEAVE OF WHEAT
 SICKLE/SCYTHE
 CORNUCOPIA

 Roman name: Minerva
 Also called Pallas Athena
 Realm: goddess of defensive
warfare, wisdom, handicrafts
 Symbols: armor, owl, olive
tree
 Emerged from Zeus’s head
fully grown
 City of Athens named for
her after she gave them the
olive tree
 Also created the spider

 Roles:
 WISDOM
 MATH
 WAR STRATEGY
 Patroness of Athens
 Symbols:
 DOVE
 MAGIC SHIELD / AEGIS
 OLIVE BRANCH
 OWL

 Roman name: Apollo
 Realm: god of light (the sun),
music, shepherds
 Symbols: bow and arrow, the
sun chariot, the lyre (small
harp)
 Some myths say he drove the
sun chariot, others give this job
to Helios
 His son Phaeton tried to drive it
and burned part of the earth
 Always shown in pictures as
being young, beardless, and

 Roles:
 SUN
 BEAUTY
 FINE ARTS / MUSIC
 HEALING / MEDICINE
 Symbols:
 SUN
 LYRE
 LAUREL LEAF
 BOW & ARROW

 Roman name: Mercury
 Realm: messenger of gods; god
of commerce, thieves, science
(sometimes medicine)
 Symbols: winged helmet or
sandals, caduceus (medical staff
with 2 snakes)
 Created the lyre, which he gave
to Apollo when Apollo caught
him stealing his cows

 Roles:
 MESSENGER
 TRAVELERS/TRADE
 THIEVES
 ESCORTS SOULS TO HADES
 Symbols:
 WINGED SANDALS / HELMET
 BAG OF GOLD
 CADUCEUS

 Roman name: Bacchus
 Realm: god of wine, revelry, drama,
 Symbol: grapes
 Brought pleasure and insanity (from
wine)
 Followed by the Maenads, crazed
women who tore people apart, the
satyrs, centaurs, and nymphs
 First plays were presented during the
festivals of Dionysus
 Popular “party animal”
 Not typically considered an
“Olympian” god

 Roles:
 WINE
 PARTIES / REVELRY
 THEATER
 WILD ANIMALS
 Symbols:
 LION / TIGER
 GRAPES
 THEATER MASKS
 IVY
 CHALICE

 Roles:
 LOVE
 Symbols:
 BOW & ARROW
 HEARTS
 WINGS
 rose -> eros
 SHOWN WITH EYES SHUT

Cronus (also spelled Cronos or Kronos). In Greek mythology, Cronus was
the leader and (in some myths) the youngest of the first generation of
Titans. His mother was Gaia, and his father was Uranus, whom Cronus
envied. Uranus hid the youngest children of Gaia, the one-hundred armed
giants (Hecatonchires) and the one-eyed giants, the Cyclopes, in Tartarus
so that they would not see the light, rejoicing in this evil doing. This
caused pain to Gaia (Tartarus was her bowels), so she created grey flint
and shaped a great sickle and gathered together Cronus and his brothers to
ask them to obey her. Only Cronus was willing to do the deed, so Gaia
gave him the sickle and set him in ambush. Cronus jumped out and lopped
off his father's testicles, casting them behind him. From his blood on the
Earth came forth the Gigantes, Erinyes, and Meliae.

From the testicles of Uranus in the sea came forth Aphrodite. For this,
Uranus called his sons Titans, meaning "strainers," for they strained and
did presumptuously a fearful deed, for which vengeance would come
afterwards. Cronus was identified in antiquity with the God Saturn of
Roman mythology. In an alternate version, a more benevolent Cronus
overthrew the wicked serpentine Titan, Ophion. In doing so he released
the world from bondage and for a time ruled it justly. After dispatching
Uranus, Cronus re-imprisoned the Hecatonchires, the Gigantes, and the
Cyclopes and set the monster Campe to guard them. He and Rhea took
the throne as King and Queen of the gods. This time was called the
Golden Age, as the people of the time had no need for laws or rules;
everyone did right, so there was no need. Rhea gives to Cronus a rock
wrapped in clothes. Cronus sired several children by Rhea: Demeter,
Hera, Hades, Hestia, and Poseidon, but swallowed them all as soon as
they were born, since he had learned from Gaia and Uranus that he was
destined to be overcome by his own son as he had overthrown his own
father. But when Zeus was about to be born, Rhea sought Uranus and
Earth/Gaia to devise a plan to save him, so that Cronus would get his
retribution for his acts against Uranus and his own children. Rhea gave
birth to Zeus in Crete, handing Cronus a stone wrapped in swaddling
clothes which he promptly swallowed.

Then she hid Zeus in a cave on Mount Ida in Crete. According to varying
versions of the story: He was then raised by Gaia. He was raised by a goat
named Amalthea, while a company of Kouretes, soldiers, or smaller gods
danced, shouted, and clapped their hands to make noise so that Cronus
would not hear the baby's cries. He was raised by a nymph named
Adamanthea. Since Cronus ruled over the earth, the heavens, and the sea,
she hid him by dangling him on a rope from a tree so he was suspended
between earth, sea, and sky and thus, invisible to his father. Zeus forced
Cronus to disgorge the other children in reverse order of swallowing: first
the stone, which was set down at Pytho under the glens of Parnassus to be
a sign to mortal men, then the rest. In some versions, Metis gave Cronus
an emetic to force him to disgorge the babies, or Zeus cut Cronus's
stomach open. Then Zeus released the brothers of Cronus, the Gigantes,
the Hecatonchires, and the Cyclopes, who gave him thunder and the
thunderbolt and lightning, which had previously been hidden by Gaia. In
a war called the Titanomachy, Zeus and his brothers and sisters with the
Gigantes, Hecatonchires, and Cyclopes overthrew Cronus and the other
Titans. Cronus and the Titans were confined in Tartarus, a dank misty
gloomy place at the deepest point in the Earth. Ironically, Zeus also
imprisoned the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes there as well.

Cronus was worshipped as a corn god, from his association with the
Golden Age. He was a god of the harvest, grain, nature, and agriculture.
He was usually depicted with a sickle, which he used to harvest crops as
well as castrate his father. In Athens, on the twelfth day of every month
(Hekatombaion), a festival called Kronia was held in honour of Cronus
and to celebrate the harvest.

 the muses
 Nine goddesses in
charge of different
sciences and arts
including music,
poetry, history,
astronomy, dance,
etc.
 Daughters of Zeus
 They were meant to
inspire

 the fates
 daughters of Zeus
 Three blind sisters who
determined people’s lifespan
 One spun the thread of life
(Clotho)
 One measured the thread
(Atropos)
 One cut the thread with
scissors of death (Lachesis)

Calydonian Boar: Calydonian boar was a monster in Greek mythology,
who was sent by Artemis to destroy the region of Calydon, when she felt
disrespected as the king of Calydon failed to honour her.
Centaur: In Greek mythology, the Centaur were creatures who were half-
human and half-horse, who inhabited the region of Magnesia and Mount
Pelion, Mount Pholoe and the Malean peninsula. . The centaurs were
usually said to have been born of Ixion and Nephele Another version,
however, makes them children of a certain Centaurus, who mated with the
Magnesian mares. This Centaurus was either himself the son of Ixion and
Nephele or of Apollo and Stilbe, daughter of the river god Peneus. In the
later version of the story his twin brother was Lapithus, ancestor of the
Lapiths, thus making the two warring peoples cousins.

Cerberus: Cerberus was a three-headed dog who guarded the gates of
Hades to prevent anyone who crossed river Styx, from escaping the
Underworld
Charybdis: Charybdis was a beautiful naiad (water nymph), who was
changed into a sea monster by an enraged Zeus.

Cretan Bull: Cretan bull was a mythical bull who fell in love with the
Greek goddess, Pasiphae. Their offspring was Minotaur.
Cyclopes: Cyclopes were primordial giants, from the Greek mythology,
typically characterized by a single eye in the middle of their forehead. The
name is thought to mean “circled-eye” Given their penchant for
blacksmithing; many scholars believe the legend of the Cyclopes' single
eye arose from an actual practice of blacksmiths wearing an eye patch over
one eye to prevent flying sparks from blinding them in both eyes.

Erymanthian Boar: The Erymanthian Boar was a gigantic, fiery Greek
mythical creature who inhabited the wild regions near Mount
Erymanthos.
Gigantes: Gigantes, also referred to as the giants, were the children of
Gaia and Gaea, who were fertilized by the blood of Uranus, after he was
castrated by his son Cronus. Tribe of one hundred Giants. Some say their
father was Tartarus the hell pit, others that they were born from the blood
of the castrated Uranus (Heaven).

Gorgons: In Greek mythology, gorgons were the three sisters whose hair were
made of live, venomous snakes, and had the ability to turn anyone to stone with
their gaze.
Griffins: Griffins were Greek mythical creatures with the body of a lion and the
head and wings of an eagle. According to a popular belief, they were assumed to
be the guards of treasures.
Harpy: In ancient Greek mythology, harpy was a winged spirit,
who used to steal food from Phineas, the Phoenician King of
Thrace.

Hippocampus: Hippocampus was a legendary creature, normally
depicted with the upper torso of a horse and lower torso resembling a
fish.
Lernaean Hydra: One of the most fearsome Greek mythical creatures,
Lernaean hydra was a serpent like water beast with nine heads and
poisonous breath. Believed that if one of its head was cut of two more
would replace it. The Hydra was an offspring of Typhon and Echidna,
both of whom where offspring of the earth goddess Gaia.

Laelaps: In Greek mythology, Laelaps was a dog, with an amazing
ability of getting whatever he was hunting.
Manticore: Manticore was a Greek mythical creature, resembling the
Egyptian sphinx, with a body of a red lion and a human head, with three
rows of heads and a voice like a trumpet.
Mares of Diomedes: The Mares of Diomedes, also referred to as the
Mares of Thrace in some accounts, were four man-eating horses who
featured in ancient Greek mythology.

Mermaid: Mermaids were mythical aquatic creatures in Greek mythology,
typically characterized by a human head, and torso and the tail of a fish.
Some say they drown men by taking them down underwater, but they
forget that humans cannot breathe underwater and they try bring men to
their underwater kingdom causing them to drown and die.
Minotaur: Minotaur was yet another Greek mythical creature who
inhabited the Cretan Labyrinth, typically characterized by the head of a
bull and the body of a man. Read more on Minotaur in Greek mythology.
He lived at the center of the Cretan Labyrinth, which was an elaborate
maze-like construction[3]
built for King Minos of Crete and designed by the
architect Daedalus and his son Icarus who were ordered to build it to hold
the Minotaur. The minotaur was the offspring of Pasiphaë and the Cretan
Bull, to breed Pasiphaë got had a hollow wooden cow built in which she
climbed into to breed with thee Cretan Bull.

Nemean Lion: Nemean lion was a mythical monster from ancient Greek
mythology, who was eventually killed by Hercules.
Nymph: In Greek mythology, nymphs were female spirits most often
associated with a particular location or a water-body.
Pegasus: Pegasus was an immortal winged horse, which rose from the
blood of Medusa, when she was slain by Perseus. Read more on legend
of Pegasus.

Phoenix: The phoenix was a legendary bird which was believed to burn
itself to death and emerge from ashes of the same fire, once every five
hundred years.
Siren: The term 'siren' is used to refer to the three dangerous bird-women,
from the island Sirenum scopuli, who were often portrayed as seductresses
in ancient Greek mythology.
Stymphalian Birds: Stymphalian birds were the man-eating bird pets
raised by Ares, the god of war. These birds were typically
characterized by beaks of bronze and sharp metallic feathers.

Talos: In Greek history, Talos was a giant man made of bronze, who
guarded the island of Crete in order to protect the Phoenician princess,
Europa.
Teumessian Fox: Teumessian fox was a huge fox born to Echidna, the
'Mother of All Monsters', and destined never to be caught.
Typhon: One of the most deadly mythical creatures in Greek
mythology, Typhon was a monster who attempted to destroy Zeus -
the Greek god, at the will of Gaia.

Mythology in nature and science
Many of our planets (and many moons) are named after Roman gods
Mercury- messenger god
Mars- god of war
Venus- goddess of love
Jupiter- king of the gods
Saturn- god of agriculture
Neptune- god of the seas
Uranus- ancient Greek deity of the heavens
Pluto- god of the underworld

Using the lingo… today
Cupid:
Son of the goddess of
Love. This winged
god can be seen to
this day, especially
during Valentine’s
day. One shot from
his bow is supposed
to make the victim
fall in love.
Nike:
The Greek goddess of
victory
Cyclops:
Named after a mythological
being with only one eye.

Greek Mythology

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