Chapter 02

MODULE: (OLLITE02) – WORLD LITERATURE
THE GREEK GODS AND GODDESSES
A. Give the different attributes of Gods and Goddesses;

B. Sustain interest in studying the Greek literature and;
C. Be introduces to Greek history by reviewing the Greek Gods and
D. Goddesses and learning about the various Greek Gods.
GREEK GODS AND GODDESSES
At the center of Greek mythology is the pantheon of gods and goddesses who were said to live on
Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. From their lofty perch, they ruled every aspect of
human life. Olympian deities looked like men and women (though they could change themselves into
animals and other things) and were — as many myths recounted — vulnerable to human foibles and
passions…
WHY ARE THEY CALLED OLYMPIANS?
For some added clarification, note that all the Olympians referenced in Greek mythology resided on
Mount Olympus, but not all of the gods in the pantheon are believed to have been Olympians. To be
an Olympian meant that the god in question had to live on Mount Olympus, but some gods lived in tons
of other places.
For example, Chthonic gods lived in the Underworld while lesser beings like Nymphs, Centaurs, and
Satyrs lived amongst nature. Meanwhile, primordial deities (beings that embodied cosmic forces)
just…existed, being everywhere and nowhere at once.
OLYMPIAN GODS FAMILY TREE
When it comes down to the twelve gods that earned the title of “Olympian,” they are all directly related
to Zeus in one way or another. The prolific King of the Gods is a father to seven of the twelve Olympians,
and a brother to the other four.
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THE 12 OLYMPIANS:
1. ZEUS: King Of The Gods

Often referred to as the “Father of Gods and men”, Zeus was
a Sky God who controlled lightning, thunder, and storms.
Zeus was the king of Mount Olympus, the home of Greek
Gods, where he ruled the world and imposed his will on Gods
and humans. Zeus was thought of as wise and fair, but his
decisions were hard to predict at times and he could be easily
angered. When he was in a bad mood, he was said to throw
lightning bolts and cause violent storms that caused
destruction* on Earth. Zeus fell in love very easily and had
many relationships, but he would severely punish anybody
who attempted to fall in love with his wife Hera. He is often
described as a big, strong man with long, curly, hair. He was
usually drawn with a beard and carried his trusty thunderbolt
at all times. Zeus was lucky to survive his birth. His father, Cronus, King of the Titans, upon learning
that one of his children was destined* to take his throne, swallowed his children as soon as they were
born. But Rhea, his wife, saved the infant Zeus by substituting a stone wrapped in baby clothes for
Cronus to swallow. She hid Zeus in a cave on the island of Crete. After Zeus grew to manhood, he led
a battle against the Titans and succeeded in forcing Cronus off the throne.
2. APHRODITE: Aphrodite Was The Goddess Of Fertility, Love, And Beauty.

During the Trojan War, Aphrodite fought on the side of Paris. Aphrodite and
her son Eros (Cupid) teamed up to because Zeus to fall in love with a human
named Europa.
3. APOLLO: Apollo Was The Son Of Leto And Zeus.

He was born on the island of Delos. He and his twin sister Artemis, also an
Olympian, shared an aptitude for archery. The nine Muses were companions of
his; they were goddesses known for inspiring art and music.
4. ARES: He Was The Son Of Zeus And Hera.

Both of whom hated him (according to Homer). Eros (more commonly known as
Cupid) was the child of Ares and Aphrodite. Ares was most notably referred to
as the God of War; he represented the unpleasant aspects of battle.
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5. ARTEMIS: Artemis Was The Daughter Of Zeus And Leto And The Twin
Sister Of Apollo.
She was primarily a virgin huntress, goddess of wildlife, and patroness of
hunters. She was an important goddess in the lives of women, especially
when it came to marriage and young creatures.
6. ATHENA: Athena Was The Goddess Of War.

The female counterpart of Ares. She is one of three virgin goddesses; the other
two were Hestia and Artemis. Athena served as a guardian of Athens, where
the Parthenon served as her temple.
7. DEMETER: Demeter Was The Daughter Of Cronos And Rhea.

She was the goddess of harvest and fertility. Only women attended the
Thesmophoria, a fertility festival held in honor of Demeter.
8. HADES: He Was Also Called The God Of Wealth Or “The Rich One.”
Because he possessed the precious metals of the earth. Hades had a cap
or helmet that made its wearer invisible. His wife was Persephone,
Demeter’s only daughter, whom he kidnapped and made his queen.
9. HEPHAESTUS: Hephaestus Was The Only Ugly God

Among Perfectly Beautiful Immortals.
He was the workman of the immortals: he made their
dwellings, furnishings, and weapons. Hephaestus was known
as the God of Fire.
10. HERA: Hera Was The Queen Of The Olympian Gods.

In the story of the Quest of the Golden Fleece, Hera was a gracious
protector of the heroes. Hera had few if any, redeeming qualities. She
never forgot an injury.
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11. HERMES: Hermes Was Considered A “Trickster”

Due to his cunning and clever personality. He primarily served as the herald
or messenger of the gods. Hermes was born in a cave on a mountain in
Arcadia; he was conceived and born within one day.
12. POSEIDON: Poseidon Was Allotted His Dominion After The

Fall Of The Titans.
He wielded the trident or three-pronged spear, and this image
of him is reflected in art. Poseidon was most notably the God of
the sea and the protector of all waters.
THE TITANS
The mighty Titans were a powerful race that ruled the world before Olympians, in a time of the Golden
Age of men. They were immortal giants of incredible strength and knowledge of old religious rituals and
magic. They are also known as the Elder Gods and their dwelling place was at Mount Othrys. In Greek
culture, they were interpreted as personifications of the earth (Gaea) and the sky or heavens (Uranus).
The first generation of Titans were descendants of Gaea and Uranus who originally gave birth to Twelve
Titans, six males and six females. Males were Coeus, Cronus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, and Oceanus
and females were Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Rhea, Theia, Themis, and Tethys. They arose to power when
Cronus, in a plot with his mother and his brothers, castrated his father Uranus, and took the rulership
of Cosmos from him. More details about this conflict can be found in the Genesis
During this reign, the Titans and other primeval gods decided to pass on the godly genes and gave
birth to the second generation of Titans. Hyperion and Theia gave birth to Eos, Helios, and Selene,
while Coeus and Phoebe brought forth Leto and Asteria. Oceanus and Tethys gave birth to Oceanids
and Potamoi who are in general not referred to as Titans. However, an Oceanid Clymene, a daughter
of Oceanus and Tethys, helped Iapetus to continue the next generation and bore him Atlas,
Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius. Crius and his half-sister Eurybia, a daughter of Gaea and
Pontus, brought forth Astraeus, Pallas, and Perses and, eventually, Cronus and Rhea gave birth to
younger gods, Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Hestia, and Demeter who rebelled against Cronus and
his followers and later defeated them in a ten-year war, known as Titanomachy. They called themselves
the Olympian Gods, after Mount Olympus which was their main dwelling place, and became the new
rulers of Cosmos.
MAJOR TITANS : THE URANIDES & IAPETIONIDES
The most important of the Titan gods were the twelve Uranides (Cronus, Oceanus, Iapetus, Hyperion,
Crius, Coeus, Rhea, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, Themis and Mnemosyne) and the four Iapetionides (Atlas,
Prometheus, Epimetheus and Menoetius). Of these only the eight depicted below appear in ancient art.
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1. ATLAS was the Titan god who bore the sky aloft. He
personified the quality of endurance
2. KRONOS (Cronus) was the King of the Titanes and the

god of time, in particular time when viewed as a
destructive, all-devouring force.
3. OKEANOS (Oceanus) was the primordial Titan god

of the great, earth-encircling River Okeanos, the font of
all of the earth's fresh water - rivers, wells, springs and
rain-clouds.
4. PROMETHEUS was the Titan god of forethought

and crafty counsel who was given the task of molding
mankind out of clay. His attempts to better the lives of
his creation brought him into conflict with Zeus.
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5. THEMIS was the Titan goddess of divine law and

order--the traditional rules of conduct first established
by the gods. She was also a prophetic goddess who
presided over the most ancient oracles, including
Delphoi (Delphi).
6. TETHYS was the Titan goddess of the

primal font of fresh water which nourishes the
earth. She was the wife of Okeanos
(Oceanus), the earth-encircling, fresh-water
stream, and the mother of the Potamoi
(Rivers), the Okeanides (Oceanids) (nymphs
of springs, streams and fountains), and the
Nephelai (Clouds). Tethys, daughter of Gaia
(Earth), fed her children's springs with the
waters of Okeanos drawn through
subterranean aquifers. Her name was derived
from the Greek word têthê meaning "nurse" or
"grandmother".
7. MNEMOSYNE was the Titan goddess of memory

and remembrance and the inventor of language and
words.
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8. RHEIA (Rhea) was the Titanis (Titaness)

mother of the gods, and goddess of female fertility,
motherhood, and generation. Her name means
"flow" and "ease." As the wife of Kronos (Cronus,
Time), she represented the eternal flow of time
and generations; as the great Mother (Meter
Megale), the "flow" was menstrual blood, birth
waters, and milk. She was also a goddess of
comfort and ease, a blessing reflected in the
common Homeric phrase "the gods who live at
their ease (rhea)."
➢ https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-greece/greek-mythology
➢ https://historycooperative.org/olympian-gods-and-goddesses/
➢ https://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/titans.html

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MODULE: (OLLITE02) – WORLD LITERATURE

THE GREEK GODS AND GODDESSES

A. Give the different attributes of Gods and Goddesses;

GREEK GODS AND GODDESSES

WHY ARE THEY CALLED OLYMPIANS?

OLYMPIAN GODS FAMILY TREE

1. ZEUS: King Of The Gods

2. APHRODITE: Aphrodite Was The Goddess Of Fertility, Love, And Beauty.

3. APOLLO: Apollo Was The Son Of Leto And Zeus.

4. ARES: He Was The Son Of Zeus And Hera.

6. ATHENA: Athena Was The Goddess Of War.

7. DEMETER: Demeter Was The Daughter Of Cronos And Rhea.

9. HEPHAESTUS: Hephaestus Was The Only Ugly God

10. HERA: Hera Was The Queen Of The Olympian Gods.

11. HERMES: Hermes Was Considered A “Trickster”

12. POSEIDON: Poseidon Was Allotted His Dominion After The

MAJOR TITANS : THE URANIDES & IAPETIONIDES

2. KRONOS (Cronus) was the King of the Titanes and the

3. OKEANOS (Oceanus) was the primordial Titan god

4. PROMETHEUS was the Titan god of forethought

5. THEMIS was the Titan goddess of divine law and

6. TETHYS was the Titan goddess of the

7. MNEMOSYNE was the Titan goddess of memory

8. RHEIA (Rhea) was the Titanis (Titaness)

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