Greek Mythology Lecture Notes

Primordial Beings

• Chaos: The first entity
• Gaia: Earth
• Eros: Love

The Titans

• Uranus (Heaven) created by Gaia
• Uranus imprisoned children inside earth
• Gaia made a sickle for Cronus
• Cronus defeated Uranus, releasing Titans
• Cronus married Rhea, who bore major gods
• Cronus swallowed children to avoid prophecy
• Rhea (with Gaia's help) hid Zeus on Mount Ida
• Zeus tricked Cronus and eventually led siblings in Titanomachy

Titanomachy (War Between Gods and Titans)

• Lasted 12 years
• Zeus freed Cyclopes & Hundred-Handed Giants
• Cyclopes gifted: Thunderbolt (Zeus), Trident (Poseidon), Hat of Darkness (Hades)
• Titans defeated and imprisoned in Tartarus

Division of Power among Gods

• Zeus: Sky
• Poseidon: Sea
• Hades: Underworld

Zeus

• King of gods, ruled from Mount Olympus
• Symbols: Thunderbolt, Eagle
• Responsible for weather
• Protector of home and strangers
• Married to Hera
• Offsprings: Ares, Hephaestus, Athena, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, Persephone, Dionysus, and many heroes

Poseidon

• God of sea, earthquakes, and horses
• Lived under the sea
• Important in Theseus and the Minotaur myth

Hades

• God of the underworld
• Shared throne with Persephone (wife)
• Guards and trials in underworld
• River Styx: Charon (ferryman), Cerberus (three-headed dog)
• Judgment after death: Elysium, Asphodel Meadows, Tartarus

Hera

• Queen of gods, protector of marriage and women
• Known for vengeance
• Notable tales: Leto, Io, Hercules

Athena

• Goddess of wisdom and war
• Born from Zeus' forehead
• Protector of heroes (e.g., Odysseus)
• Patron of Athens, Parthenon named after her

Ares

• God of war, bloodthirsty, and cruel
• Affair with Aphrodite

Aphrodite

• Goddess of beauty and love
• Role in Trojan War

Artemis

• Goddess of hunt, twin sister of Apollo
• Protector of hunters

Apollo

• God of archery, light, music, and prophecy
• Established Oracles at Delos and Delphi

Hermes

• Messenger god, patron of thieves, trickster

Demeter

• Goddess of farming, mother of Persephone
• Story of Persephone's abduction and seasons

Hephaestus

• God of smithing
• Created equipment for gods and heroes

Dionysus

• God of wine and parties
• Followed by maenads and satyrs

Greek Gods: Representation of Humanity

• Showcase epic power struggles and influential deities
• Legacy continues to impact modern culture

Conclusion

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