Greek Mythology Family Tree and Generation

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CAVITE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Chief E. Martin St. Caridad, Cavite City
Senior High School Division
School Year 2016-2017
Name: ____________________________________
Grade/Section: _______________________________
Teacher: Maam Sharm
Semester: First
21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
Handout no.9
THE PRINCIPAL GODS
(Greek Mythology)
(Heaven) URANUS
CRONUS = RHEA
GAEA (Earth)
COEUS = PHOEBE
OCEANUS = TETHYS
LETO = ZEUS
HESTIA
HADES
POSEIDON
ZEUS = HERA
IAPETUS
DEMETER = ZEUS
ATHENA
PERSEPHONE
PROMETHEUS
ATLAS
EPIMETHEUS
ARES
HEBE
APHRODITE
HEPHAESTUS
(often said to
be Heras only son)
ZEUS = MAIA
APOLLO
ARTEMIS
ZEUS = DIONE
HERMES
2
(usually said
to be born
of
the
seafoam)
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PRINCIPAL GODS
The First Generation
GAEA: first Goddess of Mother Goddess in Greek mythology; Mother Earth who nourishes
all life
URANUS: son and husband of Gaea; ruler of the sky
The second Generation: Children of Gaea and Uranus
HUNDRED-HANDED GIANTS: triplets; each of them having a hundred hands and fifty
heads
CYCLOPES: triplets; one-eyed metal smiths; servants of Zeus
TITANS: thirteen; race of immortals who, with their children, ruled the universe before the
gods conquered them
CRONUS (Saturn): youngest child; god of the sky after Uranus and ruler of the Titans;
father of the first six Greek gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia
RHEA (Cybele): sister and wife of Cronus; a Great Goddess or Mother Goddess like Gaea
HELIOS: god of the sun prior to replacement by Apollo in late Greek and Roman
mythology
SELENE: goddess of the moon prior to replacement by Artemis in late Greek and Roman
mythology
THEMIS: goddess of prophecy at Delphi before Apollo conquered her oracle
ATLAS: strongest Titan; condemned by Zeus eternally to hold up the sky
PROMETHEUS: most creative and intelligent Titan; created mortal man out of clay
EPIMETHEUS: brother of Prometheus; husband of Pandora (the first mortal woman)
The Third Generation: The Greek Gods
Children of Cronus and Rhea
ZEUS: youngest, most intelligent and most powerful child; lord of the sky after Cronus;
ruler of the gods; maintains order in the world of mortals; protects strangers and
guests
POSEIDON: lord of the sea; causes earthquakes
HADES: ruler of the Underworld; lord of the dead
HERA: sister and wife of Zeus; queen of Olympus; goddess of marriage and childbirth
DEMETER: a Great Goddess or Mother Goddess like Rhea and Gaea; goddess of grain
HESTIA: kindest and most loved of the gods; guardian of the home
Immortal Children of Zeus
APOLLO: twin of Artemis; god of prophecy, medicine, archery and music; god of the sun
in late Greek and Roman mythology
ARTEMIS: twin of Apollo; goddess of the hunt; goddess of the moon in late Greek and
Roman mythology
ATHENA: goddess of arts and crafts and defensive war; helper of heroes; goddess of
wisdom in late Greek and Roman mythology
APHRODITE: goddess of beauty and sexual desire
PERSEPHONE: wife of Hades; queen of the Underworld
THE FATES (Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos): determine the length of each mortals life
ARES: god of war
HEPHAESTUS: husband of Aphrodite; metal smith of the gods, famous for his creativity
and skill
HERMES: Zeus messenger; guides travelers and leads shades of the dead into the
Underworld; helps merchants and thieves
THE ROMAN PANTHEON AND THE GREEK OLYMPIANS (in parentheses)
Jupiter (Zeus): king of the gods

Juno (Hera): queen of the gods
Mars (Ares): god of war
Vesta (Hestia): goddess of the hearth
Apollo (Apollo): god of light, the arts, prophecy
Bacchus (Dionysus): god of wine and fertility
Ceres (Demeter): goddess of agriculture
Cupid (Eros): god of love
Diana (Artemis): goddess of the hunt
Mercury (Hermes): messenger of the gods
Minerva (Athena): goddess of wisdom and crafts

Neptune (Poseidon): god of the sea
Pluto/Dis (Hades): god of the Underworld
Venus (Aphrodite): goddess of love
Vulcan (Hephaestus): god of fire and forge
The Iliad by Homer

What is the Iliad?
The Iliad is a long narrative poem in dactylic hexameter. The story combines the history,
legends, and religion of the ancient Greeks with the imagination, invention, and lively storytelling abilities of a great poet. The events in the Iliad were as well known to the ancient Greeks
as the story of Noahs ark or the song lyrics of Michael Jackson are known to todays young
people. And, like a favorite story or song, the ancient Greeks wanted to hear this story, the Iliad,
told again and again.
The poem begins with a dispute between the Greek king, Agamemnon, and the great
soldier and Greek prince, Achilles. After a recent battle, each Greek hero has received spoils as
his reward for victory. The king has received the most wealth and a beautiful woman, Chryseis,
and each warrior has received his share of the spoils according to his rank and heroism.
Chryses, a priest of Apollo and Chryseis father, comes to Agamemnon with gifts and
offerings to ransom his daughter. Against the advice of the army, however, Agamemnon refuses
to let Chryseis go and Chryses prays to Apollo for revenge. Apollo sends a plague into the Greek
army and many men die.
Achilles realizes that this scourge may be divine retribution and asks Calchas, a prophet,
why they are suffering. Chalchas, after extracting a promise of protection from Achilles, explains
that Agamemnon has offended Apollo by refusing to return Chryseis.
Achilles confronts Agamemnon who grudgingly agrees to return Chryseis, but who then
takes Achilles woman, Briseis, as a reminder that he, Agamemnon, is king. Achilles is
inconsolable and asks his mother Thetis, a goddess of the sea, to persuade Zeus to punish
Agamemnon by aiding the Trojans until his, Achilles, honor is restored.
Thetis does as her son bids, and Zeus agrees with the result that the gods, already divided
in their loyalties, enter the fray, each god fighting for or protecting his or her own: Athena and
Hera supporting the Greeks while Apollo and Aphrodite support Troy. This expansion of hostilities
further complicates the relationships among the Trojans, the Greeks, and their gods, and the
resulting disputes form the basis of this epic poem.
But why are the Greeks and Trojans fighting? Why are the gods displaying so much love or
hatred for one or the other side?
The answers lie in the events of Greek myths and legends which occur before this poem
begins, and in the relationship the ancient Greeks had with their gods and goddesses.
The Story Before the Story
There was much feasting at the wedding of Peleus, king of Phthia, and Thetis, a sea
goddess who would bear a son, Achilles. Everyone was happy and celebrating. Athena, Hera and
Aphrodite were at the feast and amicably conversing when a golden apple rolled at their feet.
Peleus picked it up and was embarrassed to find that it was inscribed to the fairest. No one
knew for which goddess the apple was intended.
The golden apple had actually been tossed by Eris (strife), who was angry that she had
not been invited to the feast. Zeus was asked to award the apple to the fairest goddess, but he
tactfully declined and assigned Paris, one of the Princes of Troy (Priams second son) the
unwelcome task.
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Each goddess desired to be known as the most beautiful, and competed aggressively for
the apple. Each goddess willingly disrobed so that Paris could see that she was fairest. Paris
first examined Hera who promised him all of Asia and great wealth if he would choose her. Paris
refused the bribe.
He next examined Athena who promised to make Paris victorious in all battles. She also
promised to make him the most handsome and wise man in the world. Paris also refused this
offer.
Finally, Aphrodite promised that she could offer Paris Helen, the wife of Menalaos (King of
Sparta and Agamemnons brother) and the most beautiful mortal woman in the world, to become
Paris bride. After Aphrodite swore that she could make Helen fall in love with him, Paris awarded
her the apple. This decision so angered Hera and Athena that they plotted the destruction of Troy.
Aphrodite, long before this event, had doomed Helen and her sisters because their father,
Tyndareus, had sacrificed to the other gods but had forgotten to offer a sacrifice to her.
Aphrodite, therefore, swore to make his daughters known for adultery. Of course, Aphrodite
approved Paris decision.
Later Paris, following Aphrodites instruction, visited Menalaos as a friend but eloped with
Helen. The Greeks came to Troy to regain Helen and Menalaos honor.
Gods, Greeks and the Iliad
The ancient Greeks viewed the cause of the Trojan war not only as a dispute among men
but also as a desire of the gods. In effect, one is led to believe upon reading the Iliad that if the
gods had not involved themselves men might have settled their differences with much less
bloodshed. In this story, men are in a moral sense better than gods.
This view of the relationship between man and the divine is very different from the
ordinary view of things in the present primarily Judeo-Christian society. Most people now think of
the divinity as one being who has the ability to control everything (though he may not choose to
do so) and who understands everything.
In the Iliad there are multiple gods, each having his own specialty and all loosely
controlled by a leader, Zeus, in the same way men are often governed by a king or other dictator.
The Judeo-Christian god in addition to being all-powerful and all knowing is also thought of
today as a just being who has the care and protection of mankind as goals.
The gods of the Iliad are physically more powerful than men, but they have their own
weaknesses and desires which are also greater than the weaknesses and desires of mankind,
and which are often hostile to the well-being of mankind. Additionally, the gods relationship with
one another sometimes places man at risk. For example, it is Heras and Athenas rivalry with
Aphrodite as well as their hostility toward Paris which causes and extends the bloodshed of the
Trojan war.
It also seems true in this story that in some ways men understand their gods better than
their gods understand them. For while men often petition their gods for favor, few mortals
actually confidently expect their gods beneficence. A man is happy to receive the kindness or
protection of the gods, but is not surprised if the gods do not respond, or indeed if those same
gods choose deliberately to harm him. Hector prays for his deliverance from death and Troys
deliverance from destruction, but does not really expect it. Before returning to battle, Hector
visits his wife, Andromache, and their baby son, Astyanax. Andromache expresses her fears and
pleads with Hector not to return to battle. Hector replies: Andromache, Hectors wife, mourns her
husband long before his actual death.

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What caused the Trojan War?

How did the gods influence the events in the story?

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CAVITE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Jupiter (Zeus): king of the gods

Minerva (Athena): goddess of wisdom and crafts

The Iliad by Homer

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