1. Greek Mythology Caleb and Jeffrey Mrs. Baule Freshman Honors English

2. Zeus Zeus was the God of the sky and rain, and was also the ruler of the Olympian gods. He became the ruler of the Olympian gods when he overthrew his father Cronus. He and his brothers feuded for who would take their fathers spot but Zeus came out on top, becoming the supreme ruler of the sky and Olympian gods. Zeus had a thunderbolt as a weapon that he used to punish anyone who made him angry, liars and oath breakers. He also had a shield, Aegis, that he used to create great phenomena in the air and sky, such as storms or intense darkness. Zeus was the personification of operations of nature. He represented the laws of unchanging and harmonious world by which the natural and spiritual world were governed. The thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak were Zeus’s symbol.

3. Hera Hera was born to Cronus and Rhea and was the sister and wife of Zeus. She was the supreme goddess of childbirth and patron of marriage. Her sacred animals are the peacock and cow. The Peacock is her symbol. She was also very interested in helping women that were married. Zeus often treated Hera, as well as many other gods, with very harsh behavior. Hera decided to take advantage of this and revolt against him with the help of the other gods. Hera drugged Zeus and the other gods bound him to a couch. They then began to argue about who would do what. Briareus overheard the argument. Him, still full of gratitude for Zeus saving him and his brothers from a dragon, unbound Zeus from the couch. The gods pleaded for mercy. He ended up hanging Hera from the sky by gold chains. Her weeping kept him up, so in the morning he agreed to let her down as long as she agreed to never revolt again. Though she couldn’t revolt she often interfered with Zeus’s plans and was able to outwit him.

4. Poseidon Poseidon was the god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses. His weapon was a trident which could cause earthquakes and shatter any object. He was a supreme god of Mount Olympus and a brother to Zeus and Hades who where sons of Cronus and Rhea. The symbols of Poseidon are horses, fish, and bulls. Poseidon is considered one of the most bad-tempered and moody gods. He blinded the Cyclops because his father insulted him. When the gods drew for the part of the world they would rule, Poseidon ended up with the sea and protector of all aquatic life. Poseidon had a trident that he could use to shatter any object or cause earthquakes. Once, Poseidon and Athena were competing to give a presents to the city of Athens. Poseidon struck the ground and created a well, but the water he filled it with was salty, so it was not useable. Athena gave them an olive tree. The city liked her gift more. Poseidon, very angry with their choice, cursed the city with a flood.

5. Hades Hades was the King of the Underworld and the god of the dead. He is also known as the god of wealth. Hades weapon is a pitchfork that could make earthquakes, similar to Poseidon using his trident. He had a dog, Cerberus, that had 3 heads a serpent’s tail, a mane of snakes, and a lion’s claws. This beasts job was to keep the dead in and trespassers out of the underworld. Hades was disliked by both humans and gods. Once while a little girl, Persephone, was playing outside he came out of the ground through a crack on his chariot. He took the girl to the underworld and tried to convince her to stay. Eventually, he made her eat a pomegranate from the underworld. This meant that she had to be in the underworld 4 months out of the year. Hades is believed to be the devil in today’s society.

6. Demeter Demeter was the goddess of corn, grain, and harvest. She gave the men the seeds to plant their crops and gave them knowledge to help the crops grow. She was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. She was also associated with the seasons. Persephone was Demeter’s daughter. When she was in the underworld for the 4 months Demeter would be very sad. During this time she brought winter, so she would take her gifts away while she was sad about her daughter’s absence. When Persephone would come back she would bring spring and crops would be planted. Demeter is believed to be resposiable for winter in todays culture.

7. Why Does Greek Mythology Still Exist Today? Mythology is important for many reasons. One of them is because they make up a part of everyone’s heritage. These myths help us better understand where we came from.

8. Resources http://www.greekmythology.com http://www.mythweb.com/gods/Poseidon_easy.htm http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Poseidon /poseidon.html http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Hades/ha des.html http://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/hades/ http://www.mythweb.com/gods/demeter.html http://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/goddesses/demeter/