The Greeks An Introduction to Their Culture, 3rd edition

94 THE GREEKS

THEOGONY: Olympian deities

(so called from their dwelling place on Mt Olympus)

Ouranos (Heaven) = Gaia (Earth)

Cronos = Rhea

(castrated and overthrew his father)

APHRODITE (sprung from sea)

(love and beauty)

HADES DEMETER ZEUS = HERA POSEIDON HESTIA

the underworld earth sky marriage sea hearth

and death fertility thunderbolt peacock trident

Persephone

snatched by Hades

queen of underworld ARES HEPHAESTUS

war fire, technical invention

lame, having been thrown

from heaven

Zeus = Mnemnosyne (memory) = Leto

gave birth to twins on Delos

THE NINE MUSES

Calliope – epic poetry

ARTEMIS and APOLLO

Melpomene – tragedy

Moon Sun

Clio – history

hunting with arrows carries quiver

Thalia – comedy

chastity prophecy, poetry,

Terpsichore – choral song, dancing

medicine

Erato – lyric poetry

Euterpe – flute playing

= Maia

Polyhymnia – hymns, pantomime

Urania – astronomy

HERMES

has winged feet and bears wand

messenger of gods

conducts souls to Hades

The Muses are associated with

Pieria, near Mt Olympus, and

Helicon in Boetia

= Metis

ATHENA

born from head of Zeus

warrior virgin, wisdom, mechanical arts

= Semele

visited by Zeus in a lightning flash

DIONYSUS

carries the thyrsus, drawn on chariot

driven by tigers, worshipped by Maenads

wine, revelry, intoxication

FIGURE 22 Theogony of Olympian deities

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