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Mythology Glossary

This glossary is certainly incomplete, but should be a useful tool in our study of art and music, as a reference when mythological subjects crop up. We can add to it over the course of our study.

Notice that sometimes there are two entries for an item; this is because two students chose the entry as their topic. While there will be overlap, the two accounts will lend depth to your understanding.

Thanks to our fine scholars for their research.

mrG

Aphrodite, in Greek mythology, was the goddess of love, beauty, and fruitfulness. She was known to the Romans as Venus. According to homer, she was the daughter of Zeus (Jupiter) and Dione, a female Titan. In Hesiod's account, she arose from the sea as a result of the mingling of foam with the blood Uranus shed he was mutilated by his son Cronus (Saturn). Some scholars derive her name from the Greek word aphros, meaning foam.

Most accounts name Hephaestus as her husband, although she loved a number of other legendary Gods. Famous among these are Ares, Adonis, and Anchises.

Aphrodite's sacred tree was known as the myrtle, and the dove was her sacred bird. The statue was known as "Aphrodite of Melos" or "Venus de Milo" and Botticelli's painting "The Birth of Venus" are among the most famous representations of Aphrodite.

Apollo, one of the most popular Greek gods, was the god of wisdom and truth, justice and healing. He was strong and young, and was considered the most handsome of the Greek gods. He was also believed to be the god of archery, medicine, music, and prophecy and was often portrayed carrying a bow and a lyre. One of his titles was Phoebus, which means "bright" or "pure" and therefore people thought of him as a god of the sun or light. There were many oracles and temples in his honor, but his chief oracle was at Delphi.

Artemis was the Greek goddess of the chase, as the huntress, and as the goddess of the moon as well as the protectress of little children. She was born in Ortygia to her mother Leto, who was then being pursued by a serpent Python because of a goddess named Hera who became furious after discovering that Leto would bear the great Zeus a child. In fear of the Python, Leto traveled on to the island of Delos in the Aegean Sea and gave birth to Artemis's twin brother, Apollo. Both were very fine children and on their third birthday, their father, Zeus visited and decided that the two children should be brought back to Olympus. Years passed and he sent for the twins. He gave Apollo a golden chariot with white horses harnessed to it and a golden bow with a quiver of golden arrows. Zeus was less sure what to give his daughter, Artemis, to please her so he left her to choose what she wanted. Artemis was similar to his twin brother; her tastes were for a life of action and open air and did not hesitate to ask her father for a similar gift as Apollo. She asked for a silver bow, silver arrows, a hunting tunic of silver thread, a chariot similar to Apollo's but of silver, a pack of fierce hounds,twenty wood nymphs and twenty water nymphs to be handmaidens and companions. Unlike most girls of her age, Artemis thought nothing of men, and had resolved to remain a virgin. Because of this, Greeks worshipped her as the protectress of little children and as it is said, her mother borne her without pain. Later, she shot her third silver arrow to the center of a town and her single arrow killed the whole population. News of her skill spread about the country and she soon became known as the goddess of the chase, a huntress and the goddess of the moon. She vowed never to become involved with men and was strong-willed as well as setting an example for her nymphs. She was also known to be a cold pitiless goddess because she had no pity to those who did her wrong. Only once did Artemis promise her hand to a suitor but it was a promise she had no intention of keeping. The suitor was Otus, a gigantic son of Poseidon. Otus and his brother, Ephialtes had grown over sixty feet tall and wereinstructed by Mother Earth to try and overthrow Zeus. Because of this Apollo, the god of reason and Artemis's twin, convinced her to pretend to be in love with Otus so she could trick the two brothers into killing themselves. She did this successfully and killed both gigantic brothers by transforming into a white deer and dodging the javelins of the two giants until they accidentally fell and got pierced by each other's javelin. Neither gods nor mortals could kill the brothers so this became a great achievement for Artemis. The only man she favored was Orion, another son of Poseidon. They became companions and Apollo soon developed jealousy of the modest Orion and sent a scorpion to kill him. Saddened, Artemis grew angry with her brother but not for long. Both Artemis and Apollo then dangled Orion's image in the skies as a constellation of a great hunter that would never be forgotten. Artemis was a great goddess and was known for many talents as well as being a remarkable role model for many gods, goddesses, nymphs and mortals.

SOURCE:

D'aularies' Book Of Greek Myths

Athena: In Greek religion, she was one of the most important Olympian deities. According to myth, after Zeus seduced Metis he learned that any son she bore would overthrow him, so he swallowed her alive. Later Hephaestus split Zeus' skull with an ax, and Athena was created, fully armed.

Athena had diverse functions. Her most common role was the goddess of war, the female counterpart of Ares. However, she was also a goddess of peace. The Romans identified her as Minerva because she was a patron of the arts and crafts. Later on she became important as a goddess of wisdom. Athena was also a guardian of cities, notably Athens, where a temple, the Parthenon, was built for her.

Although a virgin goddess, she was concerned with fertility, and at Athens and Elis her worship was notably maternal. Athena was represented in art as a stately figure, armored, and wielding the aegis. Her most important festival was the Panathenaea, which was celebrated annually at Athens. It included athletic and musical contests, poetic recitations, and sacrifices. At the end of the festivities a grand procession carried a richly embroidered peplos to the Acropolis as a present to Athena.

Athena was one of the most important goddesses in Greek mythology. She was the goddess of war, wisdom, reason and logic. In Roman mythology she was known as the goddess Minerva. Also known as Pallas Athena. Athena was born full-grown and armored from the forehead of the god Zeus. He confided her with his shield, adorned with the hideous head of Medusa the Gorgon, his buckler, and his principal weapon, the thunderbolt. She was a virgin goddess, she was called Parthenos "the maiden". The temple, the Parthenon, was in Athens and was dedicated in her honor, which, according to legend, became hers as a result of her gift of the olive tree to the Athenian people. She was mainly the goddess of the Greek cities, of industry and the art. Athena was the strongest supporter, among the gods, of the Greek side in the Trojan War. Athena was also a patron of the agricultural arts and of the crafts of women, especially spinning and weaving. Among her gifts to man were the inventions of the plow and the flute and the arts of taming animals, building ships, and making shoes. She was often associated with birds, especially the owl.

Most accounts name Hephaestus as her husband, although she loved a number of other legendary Gods. Famous among these are Ares, Adonis, and Anchises.

One legend of Apollo describes him as the son of Zeus and Leto and the twin of Artemis. When he was a young boy, he was believed to have slain the great dragon Python which guarded the oracle at Delphi. Another legend tells of how he first came across the lyre, which his brother Hermes had invented. According to this legend, Hermes had stolen a herd of cattle from Apollo, and when this theft was discovered, Zeus ordered Hermes to return the cattle to his brother. However, when Apollo heard Hermes' lyre, he immediately fell in love with the music, and he gladly exchanged his cattle for this instrument.

*Source: The Encyclopedia Americana - International edition / Published in 1997.

Artemis

She was the goddess of the moon, the hunt, childbirth, nature, and harvest in Greek Mythology. Her Roman counterpart was the goddess Diana. The daughter of Zeus and Leto, she was also the twin sister of the Sun god Apollo. She assisted in childbirth and is praised for allowing a swift and painless death for young women who die during childbirth. As a hunting goddess, she is associated with bears. Like Apollo, she was often portrayed as having a bow and arrows, used to punish mortals who anger her or sometimes to hunt. One legend says that she did not allow the Greeks to sail to Troy during the Trojan War until they sacrificed a young woman to her, whom she later rescued from being sacrificed.

*Source: Encarta 96 and The Encyclopedia Americana - International Edition / Published 1997

Centaurs were creatures that were human until the waist and had the legs of a horse. They were believed to have lived in the mountain regions of Thessaly and Arcadia. Centaurs were violent creatures that were often drunk. It was believed that they were followers of the wine god Dyonisus. The centaurs were driven from Thessaly after they attempted to kidnap the bride of the "king of the Lapiths." Even though centaurs were known to be beastly, there was one centaur Chiron, who was known for his wisdom and kindness. He educated many Greek heroes.

Dionysus is the Greek god of wine. He is also the god of tree sap, animal blood and grape juice. Her replaced Hestia as one of the 12 big gods on Olympus when he invented wine. The Romans renamed him Bacchus. The goat is his sacred and symbolic animal.

Dionysus was the god of wine, in the mythology of the Greeks. Soon after the Romans came to Greece, they discovered this god and also made him their god of wine, although they did change his name to Bacchus. The Greek people always used this god as a symbol of violence and unpredictable behavior; these are actions that are brought forward by drinking too much wine. Most of the stories told about this god included wine and how he made merrymaking while he was drunk. A perfect scene that shows one of Dionysus' stories are found in the movie fantasia, where he party's around drunk with some nymphs (maidens) and also creatures called satyrs (half man and half horse, or goat). At the end of the merrymaking, religious ceremonies were held honoring Dionysus.

Dionysus parents were Zeus, the king of all the gods, and Semele, the mortal daughter of King Cadmus of Thebes. His wife was Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of Crete. Although most of the stories on Dionysus are about drunken scenes, some Greeks believed that he taught people farming techniques, especially those related to growing grapes and making wine. There is also a great theater in Athens that the Greeks dedicated to Dionysus. The Greeks concept of tragedy in drama grew from a ceremony that honored Dionysus. The word tragedy comes from the Greek word tragos, meaning goat. The goat was sacred to and symbolic of Dionysus.

Demeter was the goddess of corn and the harvest. She taught mankind the art of sowing and plowing so they could end their nomadic existence. She was of a severe beauty, scarcely relieved by her hair, which was as fair as ripened grain. Poseidon coveted her, but Demeter refused herself to him. To escape him she fled to Arkadia where, assuming the shape of a mare, she mingled with the herds of King Oncus. Poseidon, however, succeeded in finding her, changed himself into a stallion and made her the mother of the horse Arion.
When Hades, god of the underworld, abducted her daughter, Persephone, Demeter's grief was so great that she neglected the land; no plants grew, and famine devastated the earth.
Dismayed at this situation, Zeus demanded that his brother Hades return Persephone to her mother. Hades agreed, but before he released the girl, he made her eat some pomegranate seeds that would force her to return to him for four months each year. In her joy at being reunited with her daughter, Demeter caused the earth to bring forth bright spring flowers and abundant fruit and grain for the harvest. However, her sorrow returned each autumn when Persephone had to return to the underworld. The desolation of the winter season and the death of vegetation were regarded as the yearly manifestation of Demeter's grief when her daughter was taken from her. Demeter and Persephone were worshipped in the rites of the Eleusinian Mysteries.

Elysian Fields, or Elysium, in both Greek and Roman mythology, was the place to which the soulds of heroes were sent after death as a reward for their virtuous lives. Eleysium was a land of sunshine and cool and fresh breezes, and of beautiful flowers growing in fragrant meadows. The souls lived there in perfect happiness, enjoying sports and dances and singing hymns to the gods.

Gordian Knot

Gordius was a peasant person from Phrygia. One day he was riding back to the public square in his wagon. To his surprise there had been an oracle that commanded that the first person to ride into the public square in a wagon would become the new king of Phrygia. Gordius was very honored and in gratitude he dedicated his wagon to the god Zeus. He therefore placed the wagon on the grove of the temple of Zeus. He then tied the pole of the wagon with a rope, which was made up of bark, to the yoke of the temple.

The rope was so well tied and in such detail that no one was able to untie it. Eventually people were saying that if you were able to untie the rope you would then become ruler of all Asia. However throughout all time no one was able to untie it. Legend has it that even the supreme leader Alexander the Great was not able to budge the rope. He then pulled out his sword and in a fit of anger he resorted to just slicing the rope and it finally broke free.

Nowadays a little of this story still lives within all of us. The expression "to cut the Gordain Knot" is used very often as a way of saying, to solve a problem with a quick decisive action. This reflects on Alexander the Great"s choice of action with his sword. This story reminded me very much of the story of the Excalibur sword in the rock.

Hades is the brother of Zeus. When the titan Cronus was defeated by the gods the three brothers drew lots to find out who will rule the realms of the earth. Hades drew the worst lot and was the one who claimed the underworld as his kingdom. Most people think Hades is the god of death, but in fact he is not. Hades is only the king of the dead, the god of death is the god Thanatos. Hades is also the god of riches because the earth contains many precious metals like gold and silver. Hades wife is Persephone the daughter of the goddess.

Hera was both Zeus's sister and wife. She was the queen of Gods in Greek mythology and the goddess of mortals and immortals alike. She protected women during childbirth and marriage. She was portrayed as dignified, beautiful and matronly. Her Roman name was Juno. Hera, who walked in golden sandals, was the Queen of Heaven, always a virgin, for she recovered her maidenhood every year by bathing in a spring called Canathus in Argolis.

She is most well known for her resentment towards her husband's/ brother's mistresses. One of the myths that describe her ruthless behavior is that of Io, one of Zeus's many mortal mistresses. Zeus changed the beautiful princess Io into a cow to protect her from incurring Hera's wrath. Hera, however, found out and sent the 100-eyed monster, Argus to guard her. Hermes then beheaded the monster Argus under Zeus's orders. Hera mourned the loss of her faithful servant and put his eyes on the tail feathers of her favorite bird, the peacock, symbol of vanity and pride. To further torment her husband's mistress, the queen of Gods sent a gadfly to sting her.

Bibliography:

1. World Book Encyclopedia" Volume 9H, World Book Inc. USA, 1996.

2. http://has.brown.edu/~maicar/Hera.html

Hera:

Hera is the queen of the Olympian gods and is the daughter of Kronos and Rhea. She is the wife of the king of the gods, Zeus and the mother of Ares and Hephaestus. It is said that on their wedding day a tree with golden apples at their marriage feast, these apples gave anyone immortality and were protected by a clever serpent. She was a very jealous wife and she fought constantly with Zeus. She also bothered his mistresses and children. The most famous of these was Hercules, who was half god and half mortal because of his mortal mother and his dad Zeus. She was also protectress of women, presiding over marriage and childbirth, and frequently punished offending husbands. Hera was worshiped in all parts of Greece, especially at Argos and Salmos, where she had magnificent temples.

She was usually represented as a majestic figure, fully draped, crowned with a wreath or diadem, and carrying a scepter. Frequently she is associated with the pomegranate, symbol of marital love and fruitfulness. The peacock was sacred to her.

Myth says that when milk spurted from her breasts, the Milky Way was formed. Also, the drops that fell to the earth created lilies.

Hermes is a Greek god. The Romans knew him as Mercury. Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia. He had many functions, but he was mainly the messenger of the gods, particularly of Zeus, and he brought souls to Hades. He was god of travelers and roads, luck, music and eloquence, merchants and commerce, young men, and cheats and thieves. He invented the lyre and the shepherd's flute. The Herma was his most typical monument. It was a stone pillar which usually had a carved head on top. The Hermaea was a religious festival which was celebrated in his honor. There have been some statues about him, one is "The Flying Mercury" by Giovanni Bologna. In that statue, Hermes is represented as a youthful, wearing a big winged hat and winged sandals and carrying a baton.

Laocoon in Greak mythology, priest who tried to dissuade Trojan leaders from accepting the gift of a wooden horse offered by the Greeks in last year of the Trojan war. The Greeks presented the horse as on offering to goddess Atene, but it actually served as a hiding place for enemy soldiers.While the Trojans debated whether they should bring the horse inside the city walls, the god Poseidon, angry at the Trojans, sent sea serpents to attack Laocoon and his sons killing them.The Trojans, believing this was a signal from heaven to ignore Laocoon's advise ,brought the horse within the city walls, thereby ensuring their own destruction

Minotaur was a half-man, half-bull. He lived in the center of a labyrinth in an island known as Crete. The Minotaur was miserable, hungry, hated everybody, ate humans and longed to devour them. When the Cretes defeated the Athenians when they had a battle they sent seven men and maidens every year as a price of their loss. He's like a pet of King Minos who was the ruler of Crete. The Minotaur made noises that sounded like a bull's roar and a harsh human voice. Theseus killed the Minotaur.

In Greek Mythology, Minotaur was a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man. It was the offspring of a bull and Pasiphae, the wife of king Minos of Crete. Minos kept the Minotaur in the labyrinth, a maze like building from which no one could escape. Minos sacrificed seven Athenian youths and seven Athenian maidens to the Minotaur each year. Theseus of Athens finally killed the Minotaur, and escaped from the labyrinth by following a thread given to him by Minos's daughter, Ariadne. A palace excavated during the 1900's at Knossos in Crete has so many passageways that it resembles the legendary labyrinth. Paintings found there show bulls and bull bating games.

The Muses were nine sisters and the offspring of the king of Gods, Zeus, and Mnemosyne, the Titan goddess of memory. They were born at Pieria at the foot of Mount Olympus. Their nurse, Eupheme, raised them along with her son, Crotus the hunter. Each of the nine sisters conquered a particular art: Calliope - epic poetry, Clio - history, Euterpe - lyric, poetry (flute), Melpomene - tragedy, Terpsichore - choral songs and the dance, Erato - love poetry (lyre), Polyhymnia - sacred poetry, Urania - astronomy and Thalia - comedy. Of the nine sisters, Calliope holds the highest rank and is the oldest. Calliope attends the birth of kingly nobles and gives (or withholds) the gift of the Muses as the immortals deem fit. Mere mortals, who are blessed by the Muses, can use the beauty of their song, or the grace of their dance to heal the sick and comfort the heartbroken. One story says that a singer and poet named Thamyris challenged the Muses. He mocked them and made light of their skills. For his insolence, Thamyris was maimed and lost his memory. He could no longer remember his songs or his poems. The Muses can bestow the gift of talent and insight but they can also, viciously, revoke their blessings. When King Pierus boasted that his daughters rivaled the Muses in beauty and talent, all nine of his daughters were turned into magpies. The Muses attend the festivals on Olympus and entertain and inspire the other gods with their wit and charm. Apollo puts aside his bow and plays the lyre as the Graces join in the dance of the immortals. Apollo was their leader who taught and trained them to sing as one. They were often found at Olympus entertaining the gods while Apollo strung his lyre. Humans often prayed to the Muses for good voices.

Bibliography:

1. http://has.brown.edu/~maicar/MUSES.html

2. http://www.messagenet.com/myths/bios/muses.html

The Muses: Born at Pieria at the foot of Mount Olympus, the nine Muses were the daughters of Zeus and the Titaness Mnemosyne. Their mother was the goddess of memory, and knew all that had happened since the beginning of time. She gathered her nine daughters around her and told them wondrous tales. The nine Muses would listen intently to her and turned her stories into poems and songs so they would never be forgotten. Apollo, the god of music, trained them and taught them to sing harmoniously together. Through the halls of Olympus and over the slops of Mount Parnassus did Apollo lead the choir of Muses. Their music rang so pure and fine that even the songbirds fell silent to listen. Each of the Muses had their own special art. Calliope, the eldest, was the Muse of Epics. She had a mortal son named Orpheus whosevoice was as beautiful as the Muses themselves. The other Muses were Polyhymnia, Muse of Hymns, Clio, Muse of History, Urania, Muse of Astronomy, Terpsichore, Muse of Dance, Melpomene, Muse of Tragedy, Thalia, Muse of Comedy, Euterpe, Muse of Music and Erato, Muse of Lyrics. There are many stories which involve the Muses. One example could be when Hera persuaded the Sirens to enter a singing contest with the Muses. The Muses won the competition and then plucked out all of the Sirens' feathers and made crowns out of them. Many places were dedicated to the Muses such as the famous Valley of the Muses - Thespies on the eastern slopes of Mt. Helikon began it's "Mouseai" festivals in the 6th c. B.C. It was organized every 5 years by the Thespians. Poets and musicians from all over Greece also participated in various games (epic, poetry, rapsodia, kithara, aulos, satyric poetry, tragedy and comedy). It was common for ancient schools to havea shrine to the Muses called mouseion, the source of the modern word 'museum.' The famous Museum of Alexandria, founded by Ptolemy I, was atemple dedicated to the Muses. Before poets or storytellers recited their work, it was customary for them to invoke the inspiration and protection of the Muses.

SOURCES:

D'aulaires Book Of Greek Myths

Internet Site from Webcrawler (sorry, I forgot to copy the site down)

Oracle at Delphi

In Greek times, an oracle was a place where prophecies of the future would be made known. The most notable of the oracles was devoted to Phoebus Apollo at Delphi. The temple of this oracle was founded on the side of Mount Parnassus where a fissure emitted a gas causing seizures in goats and goatherds nearby. The priesthood took advantage of this "divine inspiration," hence created the famous oracle. Before the consultation began, the supplicant and the Pythia, or priestess, would cleanse themselves in the Castalian Spring. Then, a ritualistic sacrifice of an animal was made. Unfavorable conditions or if the animal trembled when sprayed with cold water led to the dismissal of the petitioner. If all went well, the petitioner enters the temple and writes down their questions. The questions were given to the priests, who give them to the Pythia for Apollo's answers. While in a state of trance, the Pythia wore a crown of laurel leaves and sat on a tripod over the crevice emitting hallucinating vapors. She often answered in disjointed mutterings, which had to be translated by the priests. According to the philosopher Heraclitus (circa 500 BC), "The oracle neither conceals nor reveals the truth, but only hints at it." Bibliography:

1. Zimmerman, J.E.: "Dictionary of Classical Mythology". Bantam Books. New York, 1964.

2. http://www.pantheon.org/mythica/articles/o/oracle.html

Orpheus, in Greek mythology,is a poet and musician, the son of the muse Calliope and Apollo, god of music, or Oeagrus, king of Thrace. When Orpheus played and sang, he moved everything animate and inanimate. His music enchanted the trees and rocks and tamed wild beats, and even the rivers turned in their course to follow him.

Orpheus is best known for his ill-fated marriage to the lovely nymph Eurydice. Orpheus could not control his eagerness, however, and as he gained the light of day he looked back a moment too soon, and Eurydice vanished. In his despair, Orpheus forsook human company and wandered in the wilds, playing for the rocks, trees, and rivers. Finally a fierce band of Thracian women, who were followers of the god Dionysus, came upon the gentle musician and killed him. When they threw his severed head in the river Hebrus, it continued to call for Eurydice, and was finally carried to the shore of Lesbos, where the Muses buried it. After Orpheus's death, his lyre became the constellation Lyra.

Pegasus was a winged horse that sprang from the blood of the Gorgon Medusa as the hero Perseus beheaded her. Bellerophon who was a Greek hero captured Pegasus and first rode on him in his fight with the Chimera. Bellophon attempted to fly with Pegasus to heaven but was unseated and killed, the winged horse becoming a constellation and the servant of Zeus. Pegasus' soaring flight was interpreted as a symbolic meaning of the soul's immortality and in modern times it has been regarded as a symbol of poetic inspiration.

Pegasus, in Greek mythology is a winged horse, the son Poseidon and Medusa. Poseidon is god of the sea, and the Medusa refers to the Gorgon Medusa. Pegasus was born by springing from Medusa's neck when she was killed by the hero, Perseus. The story about Pegasus is that many people wanted to catch him and tried very hard. One of these people was named Ballerophon, the prince of Corinth. One night, he stays in the temple of the mighty Athena and she appears to Ballerophon in his sleep and gives him a bridle that will help to capture and tame Pegasus. When he awakes, he finds the bridle next to him. He uses it, and captures and tames Pegasus successfully. However, when Bellerophon fly's to the top of Olympus to join all the gods, the wise horse runs away. This leaves Bellerophon alone, wandering, hated by the gods. Pegasus finds shelter in the Olympian stalls and is entrusted by Zeus with bringing him his lightning and thunderbolts.

Poseidon was God of the sea, and the protector of all waters. Powerful, violent, and vengeful, he carried the trident, with which he caused earthquakes. He was the son of the Titans, Cronus, and Rhea, and brother of Zeus and Hades. Poseidon was the husband of Amphitrite, one of the Nereids, by whom he had a son, Triton. Poseidon plays a prominent part in numerous Greek myths and legends. He contended unsuccessfully with Athena, goddess of wisdom, for the control of Athens. When he and Apollo, god of the sun, were cheated of their promised wages after having helped Laomedon, king of Troy, build the walls of that city, during the Trojan War. Poseidon's revenge against Troy knew no bounds. He sent a terrible sea monster to ravage the land, and during the Trojan War he helped the Greeks. In art, Poseidon is represented as a bearded and majestic figure, holding a trident and often accompanied by a dolphin.

In Greek mythology, Poseidon was the god of the sea and of earthquakes. Son of Cronus and Rhea and brother of Zeus, he has been portrayed as a violent and powerful god who was involved in many battles. His chief weapon was the trident, a three-pronged spear, and he was closely associated with bulls, horses, and dolphins. Although married to Amphitrite, granddaughter of Oceanus, Poseidon was renowned for his many love affairs. One of his conquests was Medusa, when she was still a beautiful woman. After he made love to her in one of Athena's temples, the virgin goddess turned Medusa into a hideous creature and helped Perseus to slay her. Pegasus, who sprang from Medusa's blood, was Poseidon's issue. The Mycenaeans worshiped Poseidon as their principal deity.

Prometheus, in Greek mythology, was a member of the earliest race of gods, called the Titans. His father was Iapetus, and his mother was either Themis or Clymene. The god Zeus, king of the gods, planned to destroy humanity by depriving the earth of fire. Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to human beings. Zeus learned of what he did and punished him by having him bound to a remote peak in the Caucasus Mountains. Every day, an eagle came to devour Prometheus' liver, and the liver grew back each night. After suffering for many centuries, the hero Harakles, or Hercules in Roman mythology, killed the eagle and set Prometheus free.

Satyrs, according to Greek mythology, are spirits of the woods and mountains. They have horns and tails and often have legs of a goat. The Satyrs were the companions of Dinoysus, also known as the God of Wine. They spent their time pursuing nymphs, drinking wine, dancing and playing the syrinx, flute, or bagpipes. In earlier portrays, the Satyrs were represented as lazy, self-indulgent creatures. later they beacame more specifically associated with the arts, in the form of music and dance.

Zeus in Greek mythology was the god of the sky and ruler of the gods of Mount Olympus. Zeus corresponds to the Roman god Jupiter.

Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea and the brother of the deities Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. When Zeus was born, Rhea wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes for Cronus to swallow and concealed the infant god in Crete, where he was fed on the milk of the goat Amalthaea and reared by nymphs. As husband to his sister Hera, he is the father of Ares, the god of war; Hebe, the goddess of youth; Hephaestus, the god of fire; and Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth.

In sculpture, Zeus was represented as a kingly, bearded figure. According to Homer, Zeus was considered the father of the gods and of mortals. The Nemean games, held at Nemea, northwest of Argos, were also dedicated to Zeus.

Zeus was the god of the sky, the ruler of the Olympian gods and considered by Homer to be the father of all gods and mortals alike. Though he did not actually create either the gods or mortal, he was their father in a sense that he was their protector and ruler. The lord of the sky, the god of rain, and the cloud gatherer, Zeus possessed the horrifying thunderbolt. The aegis was his breastplate, the eagle his bird and the oak his tree. It was on the summit of Mount Olympus ,in Thessaly, where Zeus had his palace.

Although the father of the gods and men, Zeus too had a beginning. He was the youngest son of Cronus (his father) and Rhea (his mother). They were Titans , who were the children of earth and heaven, which sprang from Chaos. Among his brothers and sisters were other gods known as Poseidon , Hades , Hestia , Demeter , and Hera . One of the ancient myths of the birth of Zeus was that Cronus feared the fact that he would one day be dethroned by one of his offspring. As the children were born, he swallowed them. But as Zeus was given life, Rhea wrapped a stone in clothes for her husband to swallow. She hid the newborn god in Crete, where the baby was fed with the milk of the goat Amalthaea and raised by nymphs. Zeus grew into maturity and confronted Cronus. His father was then forced to disgorge the other children, who were, by then, eager to get revenge on their father. This enlarged into a war where the Titans fought along side Cronus. Zeus and his brothers eventually defeated their father and the Titans were confined to the abyss of Tartarus - a cave in the deepest part of the underworld.

Zeus became supreme after drawing lots with his brothers determining how to divide the universe. The rule of the sea was given to Poseidon, the underworld to Hades and the sky to Zeus. Zeus was pictured in two very different ways. First, he is the husband of his sister Hera, a god of justice and mercy, protecting the weak and disciplining the wicked. Second, he is pictured as falling in love with one woman after another. He had affairs with many other goddesses and even mortals.