Greek Gods and Goddess'
By: Vinh + 1
Zeus
Email: zeus@greekgods.com
Website: greekgods.com/zeus
Location: Mount Olympus
Facebook: facebook.com/greekgodszeus
Twitter: @greekgodszeus
The Story
When Zeus grew older he wanted to rescue his brothers and sisters. He got a special potion and disguised himself so that Cronus would not recognise him. When Cronus drank the potion, he coughed up his five children.
Cronus and the Titans became angry and battled Zeus and his brothers and sisters for years. Zeus asked the giants and Cyclopes of Earth to help him fight and they gave the Olympians weapons to fight the Titans. The Titans surrendered and Zeus had them locked deep underground.
Mother Earth then became angry with Zeus for locking the Titans underground. She sent the world's most fearsome monster called the Typhon to fight the Olympians. The other Olympians ran and hid, but not Zeus. Zeus fought the Typhon and trapped him under Mount Etna.
Now Zeus was the most powerful of all the gods. He and his fellow gods went to live on Mount Olympus. There Zeus married Hera and ruled over the gods and humans.
Festivals
- The Games were held to honour Zeus and his deeds.
Athena
Email: athena@greekgoddess.com
Website: greekgoddess.com/athena
Facebook: facebook.com/greekgoddessathena
Twitter: @greekgoddessathena
The Story
Athena was the goddess of wisdom and military victory, and also the patron of the city of Athens. She was Hercules' half-sister. Her parents were Zeus and Metis, a nymph. Zeus heard a prophecy that the child Metis had after she gave birth to Athena would become the lord of heaven, so, to prevent this from happening, he swallowed Metis while she pregnant with Athena.
When the time came for Athena to be born, the smith god, Hephaestus, opened Zeus' head with an axe, and Athena stepped out, in full armor. The birth of Athena was a favorite topic of Greek vase painters.
Athena often helped heroes, like Perseus. She wore an aegis, a goatskin shield which had a fringe of snakes. When Perseus killed the gorgon Medusa, whose face turned men to stone, he gave the gorgon head to Athena, and the goddess placed it on her aegis.
When Hercules went mad and killed his children, Athena stopped the disaster from getting worse. Just as the insane hero turned to kill Amphitryon, Athena threw a stone at Hercules, knocking him unconscious, so his mortal father was spared. Athena also helped Hercules at many points during his Labors. She provided him with the krotala he used to scare the Stymphalian Birds, and she carried the apples back to the garden of the Hesperides.
Poseidon
Email: poseidon@greekgods.com
Website: greekgods.com/poseidon
Facebook: facebook.com/greekgodsposeidon
Twitter: @greekgodsposeidon
The Story
Poseidon's sway over horses began when he pursued Demeter, the goddess of nature. She turned into a mare to flee him and he, in turn, became a stallion to chase her.
Hades
Email: hades@greekgods.com
Website: greekgods.com/hades
Location: Nether World
Facebook: facebook.com/greekgodshades
Twitter: @greekgodshades
The Story
Hecules
Email: hercules@demigods.com
Website: demigods.com/hercules
Facebook: facebook.com/demigodhercules
Twitter: @demigodshercules
The Story
Hercules was a great Greek hero who was half human and half God. His father was a famous Greek God, Zeus. At first, Hercules was not considered a God, but because of his bravery and heroic deeds, he was finally given a place amongst gods.
Hercules had immense strength when he was little. Once he saved his twin brother from two snakes. The snakes were put in the crib by Hercules’ stepmother, Hera. As he grew older, he became an exceptionally strong young man. He learned his lessons from best Greek teachers. He mastered the art of wrestling, riding the chariot, the art of war and shoot a bow and arrow. The only lessons that he found difficult were music lessons.
By the time Hercules turned eighteen, he stood out amongst his peers. He had many superior weapons and war materials that had been awarded to him by some of the most powerful Gods.
They gifted him a mighty bow and arrows, an indestructible sword, a powerful club, strong horses with great stamina, a truly special breastplate that was golden and a perfect robe to cloak his body beneath. With the help of all these wonderful weapons, Hercules was well prepared to face his enemy.
He went on to become a powerful warrior and a hero saving people from trouble.
Bibliography
- Ducksters. 2014. Zeus. http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_greece/zeus.php (accessed 8 Apr. 2014)
- http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/athena.html
- http://www.mythweb.com/gods/Poseidon.html
- http://www.ehow.com/facts_5468269_poseidon-history.html
- About.com. 2014. Hercules. http://gogreece.about.com/cs/mythology/a/mythhercules.htm (accessed 10 Apr. 2014)
- http://kinooze.com/2013/01/06/hercules-the-hero-jan-7/