MYTHOS OF THE
LEGENDARY
OLYMPIANS STEPHANIE
M.
OLIVIERI
MYTHOS OF THE
LEGENDARY
OLYMPIANS
STEPHANIE MICHELLE OLIVIERI
Copyright Š 2015 Stephanie M. Olivieri
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the copyright owner
To Ryan, Thank you for always bringing mighty adventures and wonders into my life.
Table
o f
c o n t e n t s
6
Titanomachia
8
Zeus
10
Hades
12
Poseidon
14
Hera
16
Hestia
18
Demeter
20
Athena
22
Aphrodite
24
Apollo
26
Hermes
28
Artemis
30
Dionysus
32
Ares
34
Hephaestus
6 | Mythos of the Legendary Olympians
overcoming the Titans. Zeus bound the Titans in chains and hurled them into the Underworld.
Titanomachia To gain total control of the universe, Zeus fought a series of wars with the Titans, the Giants, and Typhon. In the war with the Titans, Zeus along with his five brothers and sisters (Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Hera, and Demeter) conquered the Titans with the help of the Hundredhanded monsters and a wise son of a Titan, Prometheus. Pan, the satyr, took glory in the idea that his weapon, a shrill shout, helped in
The gods and goddesses continued in a war with the Giants. Although the gods seemed to have the advantage, they learned from an oracle that they could never defeat the Giants without the aid of the mortal, Hercules, who shot many of the strongest of the Giants. Zeus and Hercules fought together. Zeus struck Giants with his thunderbolts and Hercules finished them off with his arrows. Zeus then hurled the Giants into Tartarus as well. Zeus fought Typhon with
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lightning until even the Titans imprisoned in the depths of Tartarus trembled. At last the god prevailed. He crushed Typhon’s smoking body with a mountain, Mt. Etna. The 12 Olympians The twelve great gods and goddesses, the Olympians (named after their home Mt. Olympus), became supreme. What Olympus was, however, is not easy to say. There is no doubt that at first it was held to be a mountain top, Greece’s highest mountain, Mt. Olympus in Thessaly, in the northeast of Greece. But some ancient Greeks thought of Mt. Olympus as more than a real mountain. They imagined it as some mysterious region far above all the mountains of the earth. Wherever it was, the entrance to it was a great gate of clouds kept by the Seasons. Within were the gods’ dwellings, where they lived and slept and feasted on ambrosia and nectar and listened to Apollo’s lyre. It was an abode of perfect blessedness. “No wind, ever shakes the troubled peace of Olympus; no rain ever falls there or snow; but
the
cloudless
firmament
stretches
around it on all sides and the white glory of Sunshine is diffused upon its walls.” -Homer
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ZEUS King of
the
Gods
Zeus overthrew his father, Cronus, and became the supreme ruler of the Olympian Gods, as well as lord of the sky and rain. His weapon was a thunderbolt which he hurled at those who displeased or defied him, especially liars and oath-breakers. He was married to Hera but often tested her patience and was infamous for his many affairs. Using his shield, the Aegis, Zeus could create all natural phenomena related to the air and the sky, such as storms, tempests, and intense darkness. At his command, mighty thunders would flash and lightnings would roll, wreaking havoc; or the skies would open to rejuvenate the earth with life-giving water. Zeus ascertained that each deity perform their individual duty, punished their misdeeds, settled their disputes, and acted, on all occasions, as their all-knowing counselor and mighty friend. As the father of men, he took a paternal interest in the actions and well-being of mortals. He watched over them with tender solicitude, rewarding truth, charity, and fairness. He severely punished perjury and cruelty. As a wise and merciful paternal figure, he demanded the wealthy inhabitants of the earth be attentive to the needs of their less fortunate fellow citizens.
10 | Mythos of the Legendary Olympians Hades was the brother of Zeus and Poseidon. After the overthrow of their father, Cronus, he drew lots with them to share the universe. This resulted in becoming lord of the underworld and ruler of the dead. Nevertheless, he was not considered to be death itself, as this was a different god, called Thanatos. Greedy like his brother Poseidon, he was mainly interested in increasing his subjects. Anyone whose deeds resulted in people dying was favored by him. The Erinnyes (the Furies) were welcomed guests in his kingdom. Although an Olympian, Hades preferred the Underworld and rarely left his kingdom. His weapon was a pitchfork, which he used to create earthquakes, similar to the way Poseidon used his trident. He also had a helmet of invisibility, which he had received as a gift from the Cyclopes, in order to use it during the clash of the Titans. He was married to Persephone, daughter of Demeter, whom Hades abducted and carried down to the Underworld. The Greeks were not keen on uttering his name, afraid of causing some kind of reaction that would end up with them dead sooner.
HADES
God of the underworld
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POSEIDON g o d
o f
t h e
s e a
Poseidon is the god of the sea and protector of all aquatic features. Brother of Zeus and Hades, after the overthrow of their father, Cronus, he drew lots with them to share the universe. He ended up becoming lord of the sea. He was widely worshiped by seamen. He married Amphitrite, one of the granddaughters of the Titan Oceanus. His weapon was a trident, with which he could make the earth shake, causing earthquakes, and shatter any object. He was second to Zeus in power amongst the gods. He was considered by Greeks to have a difficult quarrelsome personality. Combined with his greed, he had a series of disputes with other gods during his various attempts to take over the cities they were patrons of. At one point he desired Demeter. To deter him, Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that the world had ever seen. So, in an effort to impress her, Poseidon created the first horse. In some accounts, his first attempts were unsuccessful and created a variety of other animals in his quest; thus, by the time the horse was created, his passion for Demeter had diminished.
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HERA
Queen of the Gods Hera was Zeus’ wife and sister. She was the supreme goddess. Patron of marriage and childbirth, having a special interest in protecting married women. Her sacred animals were the cow and the peacock, and she favored the city of Argos. Zeus initially courted Hera, but after many unsuccessful attempts, he resorted to rape. Hera then married him to cover her shame; their marriage was turbulent and they often clashed. Occasionally, Zeus treated the other gods with particular harshness. Hera took advantage of that and asked them to join her in a revolt. They all accepted and set a plan in motion, but it proved unsuccessful. When Zeus prevailed, the gods fell to their knees begging and pleading for mercy. He seized Hera and hung her from the sky with gold chains. She wept in pain all night, but none of the other gods dared to interfere. Her weeping kept Zeus up, so the following morning, he agreed to release her if she swore never to rebel again. She had little choice but to agree. While she never again rebelled, she often interfered with Zeus’s plans and she was often able to outwit him.
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Hestia was the goddess of the hearth, family, and domestic life. She was not worshiped publicly, which is evident by the lack of temples and shrines attributed to her; this comes in contrast to the Roman equivalent goddess Vesta, who represented the public hearth. Her name meant both a house and a hearth, symbolizing the home and its residents. She also represented the coalition and relationship between the colonies and the mother cities. She was Zeus’ sister, but although initially she was included in the Olympian gods, she was later replaced by Dionysus. She took a vow to remain a virgin, refusing to give in to the callings of Poseidon and Apollo; once, she was almost raped by Priapus, a lesser god of fertility, but was saved thanks to the braying of a mule.
HESTIA
Goddess of the hearth
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Demeter was the goddess of corn, grain, and the harvest. She was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. She was, in general, the goddess of the earth, of agriculture, and of fertility. Sacred to her are livestock and agricultural products, poppy, narcissus and the crane. Demeter was intimately associated with the seasons. Her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades to be his wife in the underworld. Enraged with her loss, she laid a curse on the world that caused the land to become desolate. Zeus, sought for Persephone’s return. However, because she had eaten while in the underworld, Hades had a claim on her. It was thus decreed that Persephone would spend four months each year in the underworld. During these months Demeter would grieve for her daughter withdrawing her gifts from the world, creating winter. Her return brought the spring. She also founded the Eleusinian Mysteries. Little is known about these festivals as those attending were sworn to secrecy. It is thought that these festivals were celebrations of reincarnation of the soul.
DEMETER Godde s s of th e h arvest
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ATHENA Goddess of wisdom
Athena was the virgin goddess of reason, intelligent activity, arts and literature. She was the daughter of Zeus; her birth is unique in that she did not have a mother. Instead, she sprang full grown and clad in armor from Zeus’ forehead. She was fierce and brave in battle; however, she only took part in wars that defended the state and home from outside enemies. She was the patron of the city, handcraft, and agriculture. She invented the bridle, which permitted man to tame horses, the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the yoke, the ship, and the chariot. She was the embodiment of wisdom, reason, and purity. She was Zeus’ favorite child and was allowed to use his weapons including his thunderbolt. Her holy tree was the olive tree and she was often symbolized as an owl. She became the patron goddess of Athens after winning a contest against Poseidon by offering the olive tree to the Athenians. Athena was also called Mykene in the city of Mycenae and Thebe in the city of Thebes as an honor to represent the sisterhood of goddesses that existed in these cities.
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APHRODITE Goddess of love & beauty
Aphrodite was the goddess of love, desire and beauty. Apart from her natural beauty, she also had a magical girdle that compelled everyone to desire her. There are two accounts of her birth. According to one, she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione, the mother goddess worshiped at the Oracles of Dodona. However, the other account, which is more prevalent, informs us that she arose from the sea on a giant scallop, after Cronus castrated Uranus and tossed his severed genitals into the sea. Aphrodite then walked to the shore of Cyprus. In a different version of the myth, she was born near the island of Cythera. Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus; however, she had an affair with her brother Ares, god of war. When Hephaestus found out about the affair, he devised a plan and managed to humiliate his wife and her lover to the other Olympians. Aphrodite represented sex, affection, and the attraction that binds people together. Her holy tree was the myrtle, while her holy birds were the dove, the swan, and the sparrow.
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24 | Mythos of the Legendary Olympians Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto, twin brother of Artemis. He was the god of music, and he is often depicted playing a golden lyre. He was also known as the Archer, far shooting with a silver bow; the god of healing, giving the science of medicine to man; the god of light; and the god of truth. One of Apollo’s most important daily tasks was to harness his four-horse chariot, in order to move the Sun across the sky. Apollo was an oracular god. People from all over the known world traveled there to learn what the future held for them. He was worshiped in the island of Delos, which was initially dedicated to his twin sister Artemis and where he was born. Apollo was also considered as the god of healing and medicine, either through himself or through his son Aesculapius. At the same time, he could also bring forth disease and plague with his arrows. His holy tree was the laurel, and his holy animal was the dolphin.
APOLLO
God of the sun & the arts
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ARTEMIS Goddess of the hunt Artemis was the goddess of chastity, virginity, the hunt, the moon, and the natural environment. She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo. She was born on the island of Delos, where Leto had found shelter after being hunted by the lawful wife of Zeus, Hera. As soon as Artemis was born, she helped her mother give birth to her twin brother, thereby becoming the protector of childbirth and labor. She asked her father to grant her eternal chastity and virginity, and never gave in to any potential lovers. Devoted to hunting and nature, she rejected marriage and love. She was the protector of nature and the hunt; both wild and tame animals were under her protection. She also protected the agriculture and animal herding. Artemis appeared in a number of myths. In the myth of Orion which has various versions, Orion was a hunting companion of Artemis and the only person to have won her heart. However, he was accidentally killed either by the goddess Gaea or by a scorpion which she sent.
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Hermes was the Greek god of commerce, son of Zeus and Maia. Quick acting and cunning, he was able to move swiftly between the world of man and the world of gods, acting as a messenger of the gods and the link between mortals and the Olympians. He was the protector of travelers, thieves and athletes. He occasionally tricked the other gods for his own amusement or in an effort to protect humans. With the ability to move freely between worlds, he also served as the guide of the souls of the dead to the underworld and the afterlife. Hermes appeared in many other myths; in the Odyssey, Odysseus was instructed by the god to chew a magic herb with which he would be able to avoid Circe’s powers and not be transformed to animals like his companions; in the myth of Pandora, when the gods provided a trait to her, Hermes gave her the ability to lie and seduce with her words.
HERMES
Messenger of the Gods
30 | Mythos of the Legendary Olympians Dionysus was the god of fertility and wine, later considered a patron of the arts. He had a dual nature. On one hand, he brought joy and divine ecstasy; or he would bring brutal and blinding rage, thus reflecting the dual nature of wine. Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, and he was the only god with a mortal parent. Zeus went to Semele in the night, unseen by human eyes, but could be felt as a divine presence. Semele was pleased to be the lover of a god, even though she did not know which one. Word soon spread and Hera quickly assumed who was responsible. She devised a plan in which Semele was instantly burnt to a crisp by the sight of Zeus’ glory. Zeus managed to rescue the fetal Dionysus and stitched him into his thigh until he would be ready to be born. His birth from Zeus conferred immortality upon him. Though, Hera made other attempts at taking his life she ultimately failed. Dionysus was one of the very few to able to bring the dead back from the underworld. Even though he had never seen Semele, he was concerned for her. Eventually, he journeyed into the underworld to find her. He faced down Thanatos and brought her back to Mount Olympus.
DIONYSUS God of wine and ecstasy
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ARES God of war
Ares was the god of war and frenzy. He was once bested by Heracles in battle and was almost killed when stuffed into a jar by two giants. When another hero wounded him during the Trojan War, he received scant sympathy from his father Zeus. In appearance, Ares was handsome and cruel. He is often depicted carrying a bloodstained spear. His throne on Mount Olympus was said to be covered in human skin. Ares was madly intoxicated by Aphrodite. Aphrodite persuaded Ares to fight with the Trojans in the Trojan War. She pitted him against his own mother, Hera, and sister, Athena. The Greeks attacked the Trojans and as the fighting commenced the Gods and Goddesses descended upon the battlefield to their favorite side. Ares lead the Trojans into battle killing all who stood in his way. The Roman god Mars, with whom Ares was identified, was the father of Romulus and Remus, the mythological founders of Rome. Thus he was more important to the Romans than his Greek counterpart. He was also more dignified.
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HEPHAESTUS God
of
the
forge
Hephaestus was the Greek god of blacksmiths, sculptors, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes; thus, he is symbolized with a fire, a hammer, an anvil and a pair of tongs. According to Homer’s epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, he was the son of Zeus and Hera. However, Hesiod informs us that Hera bore Hephaestus alone. According to an account, after Hephaestus was born, Hera threw him from Olympus because he was crippled; he fell into the ocean and was raised by Thetis and Eurynome. Another myth has it that he once tried to protect his mother from Zeus’ advances and as a result, the father of the Gods flung him down from Olympus, which caused his physical disability. He fell on the island of Lemnos where he became a master craftsman. He was later accepted back to Olympus, and became the craftsman of the gods, creating majestic armors, shields and weapons. He was married to Aphrodite; after he learned his wife had an affair with her brother, Ares, he devised a plan with which he humiliated both lovers to the other gods.
END