...Polytheism Ancient Greek theology was based on polytheism, the beliefs in many Gods and Goddesses. Breaking the word down, “poly” comes from the Greek word for “many,” and “theism” from the Greek word for “God.” These divine entities tend to distinguish particular functions, and often took on human characteristics. The gods acted like humans, and had human voices. They would interact with humans, sometimes even spawning children with them. Even though the Gods were immortal, nor some of them are not all powerful. Fate is what they had to obey, which overrode all. The number of the deities would expand as the culture’s belief system developed. The Greek Gods/Goddesses directly took on human activities. The divine entities would also take on human form and personality. Man learned to accept or fear the powers of nature, such as the deities. Humans tended to see the divine entities as storms, seasons, the sun, and the moon as personal beings. However the earliest humans believed the main deities were An, Enlil, Enki, and Ninhursaga. In ancient Greece there were twelve deities that sat on top of Mount Olympus: Hermes, Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Ares, Athena, Demeter, Aphrodite, Hestia, Hera, and Zeus, king of the gods. Under them sat Zeus' brother Hades, king of the underworld. Since its miraculous beginning in mainland Greece around 1800-1500 BCE, when Poseidon was the chief God and not Zeus, the deities were worshiped wherever Greeks lived or had a concept...
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...Hestia Hestia is the oldest goddess/god. She is known as the Goddess of the Hearth, Home, and Family, and is also called Guardian of Elpis and The Last Olympian. Poseidon and Apollo both wanted to marry Hestia, but she refused and vowed never to marry. Demeter Demeter is the Greek goddess of the harvest and agriculture, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, the seasons, and the harvest. Zeus, being the terrible husband he was, tricked Demeter into having Persephone. Later, Hades would kidnap Persephone and marry her, but that’s another story. Hera Hera is Zeus’ first wife. She is known as the Goddess of Marriage, Home, and Family, the Patron of Women, and the Queen of Olympus. Hera has plotted against Zeus to create a better...
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... the free encyclopedia Twelve Olympians From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia In the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, the Twelve Olympians are the major deities of the Greek pantheon, commonly considered to be Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, and either Hestia or Dionysus.[1] Hades and Persephone were sometimes included as part of the twelve Olympians (primarily due to the influence of the Eleusinian Mysteries), although in general Hades was excluded, because he resided permanently in the underworld and never visited Olympus. Contents 1 Concept 2 Membership 3 List 3.1 The major Olympians 3.2 Other Olympians 3.3 Minor residents of Mount Olympus 4 Genealogy 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References Concept The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon (Greek: Δωδεκάθεον from δώδεκα,[3][4] dōdeka, "twelve" and θεοί, theoi, "gods"), were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, said to reside atop Mount Olympus. The Olympians gained their supremacy in a war of gods in which Zeus led his siblings to victory over the Titans. Fragment of a Hellenistic relief (1st century BC – 1st century AD) The concept of the "Twelve Gods" is older than depicting the Twelve Olympians carrying their attributes in any extant Greek or Roman sources.[5] The procession; from left to right, Hestia (scepter), Hermes (winged cap gods meet in council in the Homeric epics, but and staff), Aphrodite (veiled)...
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...What are gods? Are they even real? Where do they come from? Were the gods born or were they created from some “godly” thing? Honestly Greek Mythology is just a bunch of stories passed on from generation to generation throughout Ancient Greece. I am going to be telling you who these gods are, how they came about and what their role is in these stories. Cronos, known as the father of the gods, who was overthrown of his kingdom known as Mount Olympus by his son Zeus, is barely talked about in these stories. The main focus is on Zeus the other 11 Olympians. 12 Olympians in total. They are Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Apollo, Demeter, Athena, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodie, Hephaestus, Hermes and Hestia. They became these 12 Olympians in a story called Zeus...
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...Homeric Hymns: Gods and Goddesses Influence on Humanity The Olympians are major deities of the Greek pantheon; however, the deities: Poseidon, Hestia, Athena and Hephaestus appear to be salient towards humanity. All of these gods play a large role in shaping the lives of men as what they govern directly affects humanity. Poseidon for his control over the sea/floods/droughts, Hestia for hearth and home, Athena for wisdom, courage, peace and battle strategy, and lastly Hephaestus for inventions and craft. Poseidon, Shaker of the Earth and God of the Sea. For without him there would be drought. Men rely on Poseidon to aid the sailors as they set sail across the endless seas (H.22, 7). It is said that when Poseidon is in a good mood, he would create new lands in the water and calm the sea of any obstacles. However, if he is displeased or offended, then he would cause earthquakes and shipwrecks, thus giving him the name, Shaker of the Earth. Hestia’s importance stems from her role as the goddess of the hearth and home, for without Hestia there is no sense of banquet (H.29, 5). As the goddess of the hearth, she is commonly worshipped anywhere and by everyone, regardless of the temple’s dedication to any deities. She is personified by a fire burning in the hearth of all households and towns and is not to be put out. This is meant to bring the together the families or the community if put into a town setting. Although Athena is the goddess of warfare, she is foreseen as a defender of cities and ...
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...List of Greek gods and goddesses This is a list of the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. Roman Mythology uses different names, calling Zeus by the name of Jupiter, and Aphrodite by the name of Venus, for example. The Roman names are often better known to English-speaking people than the Greek names. Greek name | Description | Chaos | Primeval Goddess of air, Chaos is believed to be one of the first beings to exist in the universe. Chaos is not really depicted as having a personality or physical form.[1] Chaos is the lower atmosphere which surrounded the earth. Her name Khaos means the gap, or the space between heaven and Earth.[2] Mother or Grandmother of Nyx (night), Erebus (Darkness), Aither (Light), and Hemera (day). | Erebus | God of darkness. Son of Chaos. Husband of Nyx. | Gaia | Goddess of the Earth (Mother Earth), mother of Kronos, grandmother of Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Dementer and Hestia | Nyx | Goddess of night Daughter of Chaos. Wife of Erebus and mother of Hemera (day). Goddess of Hellhounds. | Tartarus | The darkest pit in the world at the edge of the world. | Ouranos | (Father Sky) and father of the Titans. Roman name Uranus. | Thesis | Primordial God/Goddess of Creation. Thesis is sometimes thought to be a child of Chaos. Thesis is thought to have emerged with Hydros before Gaia. | Phanes | Primeval God of procreation and is referred as the primal generator of life. Phanes is Nyx's father and was the ruler of the universe before her. | The Anemois...
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...s | Stephanie Highfield | Greek Gods & Goddesses | | | | | The ancient Greek religious history explains the existence of the world and the lives attached to the entire process of various gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines and other mythological characters. Every individual god or goddess was supposed to have a unique feature to him/her. For example: Athena was goddess of wisdom and courage, Ares was the god of war, while some gods such as Hestia (the heart) and Helios (the sun) had specifically this description. May more of these kind existed in their myths. The Greek Mythology not only sheds light on the rituals and culture of the ancient Greeks but also takes measures to explain various metaphysical phenomenon and occurrences the ancient Greeks encountered which were astounding and appealing at the same time for the devotees to submit * Cosmogony – related to the creation of the world * Theogony – concerned with the birth of the Gods The Greek’s God world was man-made; it was created in order to understand the concept of Love, Death, Life, Birth etc. They believed that the universe created Gods, which differs from many other religions that deem God made the universe. These “gods” came into being suddenly without any traces or evidences; hence they are thought to be illusory. These myths can be found in the Greek Literature, Iliad and Odyssey which are two famous epic poems that contribute to the oldest literary sources. However, Hesiod...
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...In the beginning of Greek mythology there was nothing, until Uranus and Gaea came to be. They were also known as the heavens and the Earth. Gaea was the mother of Uranus and together they created the titans. Out of the titans, Cronus was chief. He later went on to marry a fellow titan, his sister, Rhea. Rhea later went on to give birth to the original Olympian gods, Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia. But as soon as each of his children was born he swallowed them whole to prevent them from growing up to overthrow him. Rhea, saddened that Cronus had swallowed her children hid Zeus and replaced him with a rock for Cronus to swallow. Zeus later grew up and killed Cronus, and all of his siblings came out of Cronus’s stomach alive....
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...the term "mythology" one needs to define the meaning of the word "myth". The word itself comes from the Greek "mythos" which originally meant "speech" or "discourse" but which later came to mean "fable" or "legend". So the word "myth" is defined as a story of forgotten or vague origin, basically religious or supernatural in nature, which seeks to explain or rationalize one or more aspects of the world or a society. Furthermore, all myths are, at some stage, actually believed to be true by the peoples of the societies that used or originated the myth. The definition is thus clearly distinguished from the use of the word myth in everyday speech which basically refers to any unreal or imaginary story. A myth is also distinctly different from an allegory or parable which is a story deliberately made up to illustrate some moral point but which has never been assumed to be true by anyone. Some myths describe some actual historical event, but have been embellished and refashioned by various story tellers over time so that it is impossible to tell what really happened. In this last aspect myths have a legendary and historical nature. Definitions of Mythology The word mythology has two related meanings. Firstly it refers to a collection of myths that together form a mythological system. Thus one can speak of "Egyptian Mythology", "Indian Mythology", "Maori Mythology" or "Greek Mythology". In this sense one is describing a system of myths which were used by a particular society at...
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...List of Greek Gods and Goddesses - A Achelois - One of the moon goddesses. Achelous - The patron god of the Achelous river. Aeolus - (a.k.a. Aeolos, Aiolos, Aiolus, Eolus) God of air and the winds. Aether - (a.k.a. Aither, Akmon, Ether) God of light and the atmosphere. Alastor - God of family feuds. Alcyone - One of the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Alectrona - Early Greek goddess of the sun. Amphitrite - (a.k.a. Salacia) The wife of Poseidon and a Nereid. Antheia - Goddess of gardens, flowers, swamps, and marshes. Aphaea - (a.k.a. Aphaia) A Greek goddess who was worshipped exclusively at a single sanctuary on the island of Aegina in the Saronic Gulf. Aphrodite - (a.k.a. Anadyomene, Turan, Venus) Goddess of love and beauty. Apollo - (a.k.a. Apollon, Apulu, Phoebus) God of the sun, music, healing, and herding. Ares - (a.k.a. Enyalius, Mars, Aries) God of chaotic war. Aristaeus - (a.k.a. Aristaios) Patron god of animal husbandry, bee-keeping, and fruit trees. Artemis - (a.k.a. Agrotora, Amarynthia, Cynthia, Kourotrophos, Locheia, Orthia, Phoebe, Potnia Theron) Goddess of the moon, hunting, and nursing. Asclepius - (a.k.a. Aesculapius, Asklepios) God of health and medicine. Astraea - The Star Maiden - a goddess of justice, included in Virgo and Libra mythologies. Até - Goddess of mischief. Athena - (a.k.a. Asana, Athene, Minerva, Menerva) Goddess of wisdom, poetry, art, and the strategic side of war...
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...Major Divinities I. Olympian Gods Greek Name | Roman Name | Description | Attributes | Epithets | Zeus | Jupiter, Jove | king of gods; weather-god; protects guests and suppliants | thunderbolt, eagle, oak | Father; Son of Cronos | Hera | Juno | sister/wife of Zeus; protects marriage and childbirth | peacock | | Poseidon | Neptune | brother of Jupiter; god of sea, earthquakes, horses | trident; horse | Earthshaker | Demeter | Ceres | goddess of agriculture | poppies; wheat | Deo | Athena | Minerva | virgin goddess of wisdom and war; wears armor, including the aegis | owl, olive | Pallas | Apollo | Apollo | god of music, poetry, healing | bow, long hair, lyre, laurel | Phoebus, Delius, Cynthius | Artemis | Diana | twin of Apollo; goddess of hunt and childbirth | bow | Delia, Cynthia* | Ares | Mars | god of war | | | Aphrodite | Venus | goddess of love | sparrows, myrtle, doves | Cypris, Paphian, Dione | Hermes | Mercury | god of theft, commerce; messenger, escort of the dead | winged sandals and staff | | Hephaestus | Vulcan | lame god of fire and metalwork | | | Hestia** | Vesta | goddess of the hearth | | | *Apollo and Artemis are also identified with the sun and moon (sometimes separate deities, Helios and Selene), and Artemis is further confused with the goddess Hecate, patroness of witches. **Later this twelfth place in the 'canon' of Olympians is given to Dionysus II. Other divinities Greek name | Roman name | Description | Attributes...
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...Greek and Roman Gods | | | Roman Colosseum | | Roman Gods | | | Greek and Roman Gods * Facts and information the deities of the Romans and the Greeks * Religion and Mythology of the Romans and Greeks * Facts and interesting information about the gods and goddesses of the Greeks and Romans * History, Facts and Information about the religion and deities of the Greeks and Romans * Different Greek Names in the religion and Mythology of the Romans * List of Names and Table of Names | | | | | | Greek and Roman Gods History, Facts and Information about Greek and Roman Gods The content of this article provides interesting mythology, facts and information about Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Greek and Roman Gods worshipped by the two nations had similar roles and duties. However, their names were different. The religion of the Romans differed in some respects from that of the Greeks. For information regarding the differences between the Greek and Roman religion please click the following link:Greek and Roman Religion Different Names of Greek and Roman Gods - Mythology In the mythology of the Romans there are separate Latin and Greek names for one imagined divinity. Examples of these separate names are "Ares" of the Greeks and "Mars" of the Latins, "Poseidon" of the Greeks is "Neptunus" of the Latins, "Aphrodite" of the Greeks is "Venus" of the Latins. More names of Greek and gods of the Romans are shown in the list on the following table...
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...There are many Gods and Goddess according to Greek mythology. However, many of us are unsure about their existence. Some gods were gods of skies, seas and rustic. These gods have powers according to ruling regions. Many god and goddess got their powers from heredity. Same as like, Zeus is one the important Greek mythology figures as the God of skies. Zeus was the God of sky. He was strong and imposing with long oftentimes curly hairs. He was son of Cronus and Rhea and he was the youngest among all his siblings. He had 2 brothers named Poseidon, Hades and 3 sisters named Hestia,Hera,Demeter. He got married to his sister Hera (goddess of marriage) and had fathered plenty of children. He lived on Mount Olympus. His other names were Cronides...
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...Answer the questions that follow. ------------------------------------------------- Supreme Being Myth Myth: Prometheus | Religion or culture of origin: Greco-Roman | What are the characteristics of the Supreme Being? Prometheus helps all mankind and is also a helper God How did the Supreme Being create humanity? They made man stand upright like their God’s and gave them fire ------------------------------------------------- Great Mother Myth Myth: Nut | Religion or culture of origin: Egypt | What are the characteristics of the Great Mother? Nut was a source of life, she produced nourishment from her body to feed people How did the Great Mother protect or look after humanity? She was the goddess of the sky and all the heavenly bodies. Also, she protects the dead once they die, and is a barrier between the forces of chaos from the order in the world. ------------------------------------------------- Dying God Myth Myth: Attis | Religion or culture of origin: Phrygian | How did the god die? He does not die but does castrate himself, I believe How did the god come back to life? He was reborn as the evergreen pine tree ------------------------------------------------- Trickster Myth Myth: Old Man Coyote | Religion or culture of origin: Shoshoni | What tricks does the trickster pull? Sneaks up on a buffalo bull pretending to no longer hear. He asks the bull to be made younger to hear again. The bull denies...
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...Greek Gods and Goddess’ Sixth Grade Research Project Sixth Grade Social Studies Mrs. Weis January 2014 Dear Social Studies Scholars, We are going to spend two weeks working on a Greek gods and goddess’ project. We will use some class time to work on this project, but you will need to work on it at home too. Your completed assignment is due on Thursday, January 30th. We will present your projects in class on January 30th and January 31st. You will complete a writing project to supplement what you’ve been learning in social studies class. You will write a research report on the Greek god or goddess of your choice and you will also create a colored cover to accompany your informational report. You many choose any one of the 16 options that I give you. You will have to conduct the research on your own, using resources at the library or on the computer. You must document (or cite) where you get ALL your information. Do not make any information up, and do not use information from your head or another person. This is an informational report, and the information about the god must be completely accurate. Nonetheless, you cannot copy another author’s writing into your report, so you must paraphrase ideas (put the ideas into your own words) you read in your resources. Copying or not citing your sources is considered plagiarism and will not be tolerated. You will be given a zero on this assignment if you plagiarize. All sixth grade students must complete this project; this assignment is...
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