Hi Puys, I tried seraching for a thread Greek Mythology and couldn’t find one…So, here I’m starting this thread… :: What can we do on this thread:1. Share anything related to Greek Mythology… article, pics, movie suggestion…
Hi Puys,
I tried seraching for a thread Greek Mythology and couldn't find one...
So, here I'm starting this thread... 
What can we do on this thread:
1. Share anything related to Greek Mythology.. article, pics, movie suggestions, links .. which you came across and would like to share with others . 😃
2. Share words related to this and you can explain the story related to the words as well..
3. This space is for all greek mythology lovers... who find it fascinating.. and would like to talk about it... 
Few things to keep in mind:
Please! don't make this as Shout-box 
.... so, NO BAKAR!!! 
.... so, NO BAKAR!!! Please, don't use this thread to increase your post counts..
Have FUN.... with the fantasies ...
Reagrds,
Trupti
GAIA (or Gaea) was the Protogenos (primeval divinity) of earth, one of the primal elements who first emerged at the dawn of creation, along with air, sea and sky. She was the great mother of all : the heavenly gods were descended from her union with Ouranos (the sky), the sea-gods from her union with Pontos (the sea), the Gigantes from her mating with Tartaros (the hell-pit) and mortal creatures were sprung or born from her earthy flesh.
In myth Gaia appears as the prime opponent of the heavenly gods. First she rebelled against her husband Ouranos (Sky) who had imprisoned her sons in her womb. Then later, when her son Kronos defied her by imprisoning these same sons, she assisted Zeus in his overthrow of the Titan. Finally she came into conflict with Zeus, angered with him for the binding of her Titan-sons in the pit of Tartaros. In her opposition she first produced the tribe of Gigantes and later the monster Typhoeus to dethrone him, but both failed in both attempts.
In the ancient Greek cosmology earth was conceived as a flat disk encirced by the river Okeanos, and topped above by the solid dome of heaven and below by the great pit of Tartaros. She herself supported the sea and moutains upon her breast.
Gaia was depicted as a buxom, matronly woman, half risen from the earth (as in the image right) in Greek vase painting. She was portrayed as inseperable from her native element. In mosaic art, Gaia appears as a full-figured, reclining woman, often clothed in green, and sometimes accompanied by grain spirits--the Karpoi.
In myth Gaia appears as the prime opponent of the heavenly gods. First she rebelled against her husband Ouranos (Sky) who had imprisoned her sons in her womb. Then later, when her son Kronos defied her by imprisoning these same sons, she assisted Zeus in his overthrow of the Titan. Finally she came into conflict with Zeus, angered with him for the binding of her Titan-sons in the pit of Tartaros. In her opposition she first produced the tribe of Gigantes and later the monster Typhoeus to dethrone him, but both failed in both attempts.
In the ancient Greek cosmology earth was conceived as a flat disk encirced by the river Okeanos, and topped above by the solid dome of heaven and below by the great pit of Tartaros. She herself supported the sea and moutains upon her breast.
Gaia was depicted as a buxom, matronly woman, half risen from the earth (as in the image right) in Greek vase painting. She was portrayed as inseperable from her native element. In mosaic art, Gaia appears as a full-figured, reclining woman, often clothed in green, and sometimes accompanied by grain spirits--the Karpoi.
I am so sorry for spam but couldn't resist myself to post this.
THIS IS SPARTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!! :mg:
The Styx (Ancient Greek: Στύξ, also meaning "hate" and "detestation") (adjectival form: Stygian, pron.: /ˈstɪdʒiən/) is a river in Greek mythology that formed the boundary between Earth and the Underworld (often called Hades which is also the name of this domain's ruler).
The gods were bound by the Styx and swore oaths on it. The reason for this is during the Titan war the goddess Styx, the goddess of the river Styx, sided with Zeus. After the war, Zeus promised every oath be sworn upon her. Zeus swore to give Semele whatever she wanted and was then obliged to follow through when he realized to his horror that her request would lead to her death. Helios similarly promised his son Phaëton whatever he desired, also resulting in the boy's death. According to some versions, Styx had miraculous powers and could make someone invulnerable. According to one tradition, Achilles was dipped in it in his childhood, acquiring invulnerability, with exception of his heel, by which his mother held him. This is the source of the expression Achilles' heel, a metaphor for a vulnerable spot.
Styx was primarily a feature in the afterworld of Greek mythology, and similar to the Christian area of Hell in texts such as The Divine Comedy and "Paradise Lost". The ferryman Charon is believed to have transported the souls of the newly dead across this river into the underworld, though in the original Greek and Roman sources, as well as in Dante, it was the river Acheron that Charon plied. Dante put Phlegyas over the Styx and made it the fifth circle of Hell, where the wrathful and sullen are punished by being drowned in the muddy waters for eternity, with the wrathful fighting each other.
In ancient times some believed that placing a coin in the mouth of the deceased would help pay the toll for the ferry to help cross the Styx river which would lead one to the entrance of the underworld. If some could not pay the fee it was said that they would never be able to cross the river. This ritual was performed by the relatives.
The variant spelling Stix was sometimes used in translations of Classical Greek before the 20th century. By synecdoche, the adjective stygian came to refer to anything dark, dismal, and murky.
The rivers Styx, Phlegethon, Acheron, and Cocytus all converge at the center of the underworld on a great marsh, which is also sometimes called the Styx. The important rivers of the underworld are Lethe, Eridanos, and Alpheus.
The gods were bound by the Styx and swore oaths on it. The reason for this is during the Titan war the goddess Styx, the goddess of the river Styx, sided with Zeus. After the war, Zeus promised every oath be sworn upon her. Zeus swore to give Semele whatever she wanted and was then obliged to follow through when he realized to his horror that her request would lead to her death. Helios similarly promised his son Phaëton whatever he desired, also resulting in the boy's death. According to some versions, Styx had miraculous powers and could make someone invulnerable. According to one tradition, Achilles was dipped in it in his childhood, acquiring invulnerability, with exception of his heel, by which his mother held him. This is the source of the expression Achilles' heel, a metaphor for a vulnerable spot.
Styx was primarily a feature in the afterworld of Greek mythology, and similar to the Christian area of Hell in texts such as The Divine Comedy and "Paradise Lost". The ferryman Charon is believed to have transported the souls of the newly dead across this river into the underworld, though in the original Greek and Roman sources, as well as in Dante, it was the river Acheron that Charon plied. Dante put Phlegyas over the Styx and made it the fifth circle of Hell, where the wrathful and sullen are punished by being drowned in the muddy waters for eternity, with the wrathful fighting each other.
In ancient times some believed that placing a coin in the mouth of the deceased would help pay the toll for the ferry to help cross the Styx river which would lead one to the entrance of the underworld. If some could not pay the fee it was said that they would never be able to cross the river. This ritual was performed by the relatives.
The variant spelling Stix was sometimes used in translations of Classical Greek before the 20th century. By synecdoche, the adjective stygian came to refer to anything dark, dismal, and murky.
Few movie suggestion from those who don't like much reading :P
1. Immortals
2. 300
3. Troy.. must watch
4. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
5. Clash of the Titans
6. Wrath of the Titans (2012) (Continuation of Clash of the Titans)
Have fun...
Some of the movies i remembered are
1. Wrath of the Titans
2. Troy
3. 300
You can also read these novels
Mary Renault. The King Must Die (Theseus and the Minotaur)
The Bull from the Sea (Thesues' later life)
The Bull from the Sea (Thesues' later life)
Robert Graves. Hercules, My Shipmate, aka The Golden Fleece
(the Argo)
Homer's Daughter (the Odyssey, in a way)
(the Argo)
Homer's Daughter (the Odyssey, in a way)
The Private Life of Helen of Troy(after the Trojan War)
@CTrupti said:Few movie suggestion from those who don't like much reading1. Immortals2. 3003. Troy.. must watch 4. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)5. Clash of the TitansHave fun...
There's also the Orpheus Trilogy by Jean Cocteau which is a modern adaptation but maintains the integrity of the legend nevertheless :).
One of my Favourite character : Medusa...
Medusa, at least in some accounts, was once a beautiful woman who attracted the attention of Poseidon. When the god chose to mate with her, he was in the temple of Athena.
Athena was furious and got revenge by turning Medusa into a monster so horrible that a single glance at her face would turn a man to stone.
Even after Perseus, with Athena's help, separated Medusa from her head -- an act that allowed her unborn children, Pegasus and Chrysaor, to emerge from her body -- the head continued to exert its power.
The head of Medusa is often described as being covered with snakes instead of hair.
Medusa is one of the Gorgons, three daughters of Phorcus. Her sisters are the immortal Gorgons, Eryale and Stheno.
ZEUS... my Favourite GOD!!!
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus is the "Father of Gods and men" who rules the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father rules the family. He is the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and Etruscan counterpart is Tinia. His Hindu equivalent is Indra
Zeus is the child of Cronus and Rhea, and the youngest of his siblings. In most traditions he is married to Hera, although, at the oracle of Dodona, his consort is Dione: according to the Iliad, he is the father of Aphrodite by Dione. He is known for his erotic escapades. These resulted in many godly and heroic offspring, including Athena, Apollo and Artemis, Hermes, Persephone (by Demeter), Dionysus, Perseus, Heracles, Helen of Troy, Minos, and the Muses (by Mnemosyne); by Hera, he is usually said to have fathered Ares, Hebe and Hephaestus.
As Walter Burkert points out in his book, Greek Religion, "Even the gods who are not his natural children address him as Father, and all the gods rise in his presence." For the Greeks, he was the King of the Gods, who oversaw the universe. As Pausanias observed, "That Zeus is king in heaven is a saying common to all men". In Hesiod's Theogony Zeus assigns the various gods their roles. In the Homeric Hymns he is referred to as the chieftain of the gods.
His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak. In addition to his Indo-European inheritance, the classical "cloud-gatherer" also derives certain iconographic traits from the cultures of the Ancient Near East, such as the scepter.
Zeus is frequently depicted by Greek artists in one of two poses: standing, striding forward, with a thunderbolt leveled in his raised right hand, or seated in majesty.
@CTrupti I would like to suggest you that Give some details about all the deities like apollo, aphrodite , zeus etc it would help others also to learn who doesnt know anything . If we post randomly its not going to help anyone.
@shattereddream said:@CTrupti I would like to suggest you that Give some details about all the deities like apollo, aphrodite , zeus etc it would help others also to learn who doesnt know anything . If we post randomly its not going to help anyone.
Ok
I'll post one by one The Gods in Olympian pantheon....
Major Gods and Goddesses
Greek Roman
Aphrodite Venus
Apollo Apollo
Ares Mars
Artemis Diana
Athena Minerva
Demeter Ceres
Hades Pluto
Hephaestus Vulcan
Hera Juno
Hermes Mercury
Hestia Vesta
Kronos Saturn
Persephone Proserpina
Poseidon Neptune
Zeus Jupiter
Minor Gods
Erinyes Furiae
Eris Discordia
Eros Cupid
Moirai Moirae / Parcae
Charites Gratiae
Helios Sol
Pan Faunus
Tyche Fortuna
Greek Roman
Aphrodite Venus
Apollo Apollo
Ares Mars
Artemis Diana
Athena Minerva
Demeter Ceres
Hades Pluto
Hephaestus Vulcan
Hera Juno
Hermes Mercury
Hestia Vesta
Kronos Saturn
Persephone Proserpina
Poseidon Neptune
Zeus Jupiter
Minor Gods
Erinyes Furiae
Eris Discordia
Eros Cupid
Moirai Moirae / Parcae
Charites Gratiae
Helios Sol
Pan Faunus
Tyche Fortuna
You can also post the details
I'll try to go in a flow....
Origin of Greek Myths
Why myths? how do they survive...
Myths have been passed through the ages in the form of plays, scriptures, art and the big daddy of them all – the Epic. An Epic is a very long and detailed poem usually centred on the great adventures of a particular hero. For example, in Hindu Mythology, we have the two great epics - The Ramayana and the Mahabharata which are about two incarnations of Vishnu, Rama and Krishna.
Similarly in Greek Mythology we have two important epics called the Illiad and the Odyssey. They were written by a blind poet called Homer. We know precious little about him and his life. The Illiad is about the great Trojan War and this is from where we get the famous story of the Trojan Horse. The hero of this epic being Achilles, the legendary warrior who had one fatal weakness. This is from where we get the idiom, “Achilles heel”. The war was fought over Helen of Troy, who was carried away by Paris, the Trojan prince from her kingdom of Sparta. She was so beautiful, they say her face “launched a thousand ships”.
The Odyssey details the wanderings of Odysseus, the lone survivor of the Trojan War and his wanderings and attempts to get home to his wife and family.
The begining of everything
Long long before Zeus and his siblings came to rule, and even longer before this world came into being, there existed a vast emptiness of nothing, called Kaos . This is from where we get the modern word, 'chaos'. Some stories say that the Goddess of All Living Things, Gaia was born from Kaos. It is from Gaia that we get the root “geo” part in words like 'geography', 'geology' etc.
Gaia married Oranos, (in Roman Mythology we know him as Uranus), the god of the Sky. Oranos was known as The First One. Together, they produced a race of powerful gods called the Titans, and this is from where we get the word “Titanic” (now you can think of the film!). Oranos and Gaia also produced fearsome one eyed creatures called Cyclopes, and this forms the origin of word like cycle, cyclone, encyclopaedia (circular or complete knowledge) etc. They also were the parents of the terrible Hundred Handed Ones (who had fifty heads each!)
The First Couple had a great many children. But let's focus on their Titan ones for now. They were known as the Twelve Titans – five brothers and seven sisters. The youngest, wiliest and cruelest of them all was Cronos. Next time, we shall see how Cronos overthrew Oranos and became the ruler of the Gods and about Oranos' prophecy for his youngest son.
ARES - The god of WAR (source - wiki )
Ares (Ancient Greek: Ἄρης[árɛːs], Μodern Greek: Άρης [ˈaris]) was the Greek godof war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and generalship.
The Greeks were ambivalent toward Ares: although he embodied the physical valor necessary for success in war, he was a dangerous force, "overwhelming, insatiable in battle, destructive, and man-slaughtering." Fear (Phobos) and Terror (Deimos) were yoked to his battle chariot. In the Iliad, his father Zeus tells him that he is the god most hateful to him. An association with Ares endows places and objects with a savage, dangerous, or militarized quality. His value as a war god is placed in doubt: during the Trojan War, Ares was on the losing side, while Athena, often depicted in Greek art as holding Nike (Victory) in her hand, favored the triumphant Greeks. Ares plays a relatively limited role in Greek mythology as represented in literary narratives, though his numerous love affairs and abundant offspring are often alluded to When Ares does appear in myths, he typically faces humiliation. He is well known as the lover of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who was married to Hephaestus, god of craftsmanship. The most famous story related to Ares and Aphrodite shows them exposed to ridicule through the wronged husband's clever device. The counterpart of Ares among the Roman gods is Mars, who as a father of the Roman people was given a more important and dignified place in ancient Roman religion for his agricultural and tutelary functions. During the Hellenization of Latin literature, the myths of Ares were Analyzing link for content... by Roman writers under the name of Mars. Greek writers under Analyzing link for content... also recorded Analyzing link for content... and beliefs pertaining to Mars under the name of Ares. Thus in the Analyzing link for content... of later Analyzing link for content... , the mythology of the two figures becomes virtually indistinguishable.
Ares (Ancient Greek: Ἄρης[árɛːs], Μodern Greek: Άρης [ˈaris]) was the Greek godof war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and generalship.
The Greeks were ambivalent toward Ares: although he embodied the physical valor necessary for success in war, he was a dangerous force, "overwhelming, insatiable in battle, destructive, and man-slaughtering." Fear (Phobos) and Terror (Deimos) were yoked to his battle chariot. In the Iliad, his father Zeus tells him that he is the god most hateful to him. An association with Ares endows places and objects with a savage, dangerous, or militarized quality. His value as a war god is placed in doubt: during the Trojan War, Ares was on the losing side, while Athena, often depicted in Greek art as holding Nike (Victory) in her hand, favored the triumphant Greeks. Ares plays a relatively limited role in Greek mythology as represented in literary narratives, though his numerous love affairs and abundant offspring are often alluded to When Ares does appear in myths, he typically faces humiliation. He is well known as the lover of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who was married to Hephaestus, god of craftsmanship. The most famous story related to Ares and Aphrodite shows them exposed to ridicule through the wronged husband's clever device. The counterpart of Ares among the Roman gods is Mars, who as a father of the Roman people was given a more important and dignified place in ancient Roman religion for his agricultural and tutelary functions. During the Hellenization of Latin literature, the myths of Ares were Analyzing link for content... by Roman writers under the name of Mars. Greek writers under Analyzing link for content... also recorded Analyzing link for content... and beliefs pertaining to Mars under the name of Ares. Thus in the Analyzing link for content... of later Analyzing link for content... , the mythology of the two figures becomes virtually indistinguishable.
@CTrupti said:I'll try to go in a flow....Origin of Greek Myths
Eagerly waiting for the next post! :)
Cronus and the birth of Zeus
So Cronus was very careful.One by one he swallowed his children as they were born : first three daughters – Hestia,Demeter and Hera;then two sons -Haedes and Poseidon.One by one , he swallowed all of them.
Rhea was furious.She was determined that he should not eat her next child who she felt sure would be a son.When her time came ,she crept down the slope of Olympus to a dark place to have her baby.It was a son and she named him Zeus.She held a golden cradle from the branch of an olive tree and put him to sleep there.Then she went to the top of the mountain.
She took a rock and wrapped it in swaddling clothes and held it to her breast ,humming a lullaby.Cronus came snorting from his bed ,snatched the bundle from her ,and swallowed it ,clothes and all.
Rhea stole down the mountainside to the swinging golden cradle,and took her son down to the fields.She gave him to a shepherd family to raise ,promising that their sheep would never be eaten by the wolves.
Here Zeus grew to be a beautiful young boy,and Cronus his father knew nothing about him.Finally,Rhea became lonely for him and brought him back to the court of the gods introducing to Cronus as the new cupbearer. Cronus was pleased because the boy was beautiful.
One night Zeus and Rhea prepared a special drink.The mixed mustard and salt with nectar and gave this drink to Cronus.Next morning after a mighty swallow,Cronus vomited up first a stone and then Hestia, Demeter, Hera , Haedes and Poseidon who being gods were still undigested,still alive.
Then a mighty battle raged between Cronus and his sons.After great rushing and tumult in the skies Zeus and his siblings took over the castle and Zeus became their king.
The story of what happened to Cronus and how did Zeus rule the gods would be unraveled in the following posts.
Happy reading !!!!!
Cronus (the youngest son of Ouranus and Gaea) who also gives us the root for time : chrono(chronology,chronic,synchronize) married his sister Rhea,goddess of the earth.Cronus had become the king of gods by killing his father Ouranus ,the first one.The dying Ouranus had prophesized :”You murder me now,and steal my throne-but one of your own sons will dethorne you , for crime begets crime”
So Cronus was very careful.One by one he swallowed his children as they were born : first three daughters – Hestia,Demeter and Hera;then two sons -Haedes and Poseidon.One by one , he swallowed all of them.
Rhea was furious.She was determined that he should not eat her next child who she felt sure would be a son.When her time came ,she crept down the slope of Olympus to a dark place to have her baby.It was a son and she named him Zeus.She held a golden cradle from the branch of an olive tree and put him to sleep there.Then she went to the top of the mountain.
She took a rock and wrapped it in swaddling clothes and held it to her breast ,humming a lullaby.Cronus came snorting from his bed ,snatched the bundle from her ,and swallowed it ,clothes and all.
Rhea stole down the mountainside to the swinging golden cradle,and took her son down to the fields.She gave him to a shepherd family to raise ,promising that their sheep would never be eaten by the wolves.
Here Zeus grew to be a beautiful young boy,and Cronus his father knew nothing about him.Finally,Rhea became lonely for him and brought him back to the court of the gods introducing to Cronus as the new cupbearer. Cronus was pleased because the boy was beautiful.
One night Zeus and Rhea prepared a special drink.The mixed mustard and salt with nectar and gave this drink to Cronus.Next morning after a mighty swallow,Cronus vomited up first a stone and then Hestia, Demeter, Hera , Haedes and Poseidon who being gods were still undigested,still alive.
Then a mighty battle raged between Cronus and his sons.After great rushing and tumult in the skies Zeus and his siblings took over the castle and Zeus became their king.
The story of what happened to Cronus and how did Zeus rule the gods would be unraveled in the following posts.
Happy reading !!!!!
PS: There are many stories related to birth of Zeus... The one post is one of many and popularly accepted.
Judgement of Paris
I was not aware of it, until I ran into @CTrupti on PG. I googled and stumbled on this topic. I am big fan of Troy and related stories, ever since I saw that, and this is the perfect recipe of the same. Here it goes.
"
The Judgment of Paris is a story from Greek Mythology, which was one of the events that led up to the Trojan War and (in slightly later versions of the story) to the foundation of Rome.
It is recounted that Zeus held a banquet in celebration of the marriage of Peleus and Thetis (parents of Achilles). However, Eris, goddess of discord was not invited, for she would have made the party unpleasant for everyone. Angered by this snub, Eris arrived at the celebration with a golden apple from the Garden of Hesperides, which she threw into the proceedings, upon which was the inscription καλλίστῃ (kallistēi, "for the fairest one").
Three goddesses claimed the apple: Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. They asked Zeus to judge which of them was fairest, and eventually he, reluctant to favor any claim himself, declared that Paris, a Trojan mortal, would judge their cases, for he had recently shown his exemplary fairness in a contest in which Ares in bull form had bested Paris's own prize bull, and the shepherd-prince had unhesitatingly awarded the prize to the god.
Thus it happened that, with Hermes as their guide, the three candidates bathed in the spring of Ida, then confronted Paris on Mount Ida in the climactic moment that is the crux of the tale. Each goddess wanted to be judged the fairest, so they each undressed and presented themselves to Paris naked, in hopes of appearing more sexual than the other two. While Paris inspected them, each attempted with her powers to bribe him; Hera offered to make him king of Europe and Asia, Athena offered wisdom and skill in war, and Aphrodite, who had the Charites and the Horai to enhance her charms with flowers and song , offered the world's most beautiful woman . This was Helen of Sparta, wife of the Greek king Menelaus. Paris accepted Aphrodite's gift and awarded the apple to her, receiving Helen as well as the enmity of the Greeks and especially of Hera. The Greeks' expedition to retrieve Helen from Paris in Troy is the mythological basis of the Trojan War.
"
The Titanomachy
Aphrodite is accompanied by the Graces who are the personifications of charm and beauty in nature and in human life. [hence the word graceful which is related to charm and beauty]
The five siblings of Zeus were so grateful for their rescue from Cronos that they wanted him to become the leader of the Olympians. Cronos feared the rising power of Zeus. He tried to rally the Titans, his brothers to join him to defeat Zeus and his siblings. All agreed to join, except two, Prometheus (gives us the word Promethean in English but this story is for some other post) and Epimetheus who joined the Olympians against their fellow Titans. The rest of the Titan men chose Atlas (who was punished to carry the burden of the Earth on his shoulder hence the first vertebrae in the human body is known as Atlas) to lead the battle against the Olympians.
For ten years, (a matter of days in the life of a god) the Titans and the Olympians fought with neither side able to gain a lasting advantage. Gaia then advised Zeus to free his fearsome cousins, the Cyclopes and the Hundred Handed Ones from Tartarus ( a deep, dark dungeon in the Underworld) and persuade them to join his side. Zeus did so, and in return for their freedom, the Cyclopes and the Hundred Handed Ones became allies with Zeus, fatefully tipping the scale of power in favour of the Olympians.
Zeus and his allies formulated a clever plan to defeat Cronos and his brothers once and for all. Zeus whistled for the Hundred Handed Ones to hurl giant rocks and boulders on the Titans as they rushed up Mount Olympus. Seeing huge rocks raining down on them, the terrified Titans thought the mountain itself was collapsing and ran for their lives, effectively ending the battle and awarding victory to Zeus.
Another story goes, that Pan, the goat-god was instrumental in helping Zeus overcome the Titans. Seeing the Titans flee Olympus, Pan began shouting with joy. His shrill cries terrorized the Titans even further. This is from where the word “panic” is derived.
The Greek poet, Hesoid wrote a beautiful poem describing this great War of Wars called 'Titanomachia'. This is where we get the word “titanomachy” from. (the root machy means war which is also gives us words like theomachy [the war of the gods] ,logomachy [war of words])
Some stories say that Zeus killed his father with a scythe, the same one that Cronos had used to kill his grandfather, Oranos. Other stories say that he imprisoned his father and his Titan cousins and uncles in the dark recesses of Tartarus, where they must remain, for all time
In the previous posts I forgot to mention the birth of Aphrodite who was born when Uranus was castrated by his son Cronus. Cronus threw the severed genitals into the ocean which began to churn and foam about them.(aphroas : foam).Hence Aphrodite is the goddess of sexual seduction and a lot of diseases related to sexual organs are named after her.
Aphrodite is accompanied by the Graces who are the personifications of charm and beauty in nature and in human life. [hence the word graceful which is related to charm and beauty]
The five siblings of Zeus were so grateful for their rescue from Cronos that they wanted him to become the leader of the Olympians. Cronos feared the rising power of Zeus. He tried to rally the Titans, his brothers to join him to defeat Zeus and his siblings. All agreed to join, except two, Prometheus (gives us the word Promethean in English but this story is for some other post) and Epimetheus who joined the Olympians against their fellow Titans. The rest of the Titan men chose Atlas (who was punished to carry the burden of the Earth on his shoulder hence the first vertebrae in the human body is known as Atlas) to lead the battle against the Olympians.
For ten years, (a matter of days in the life of a god) the Titans and the Olympians fought with neither side able to gain a lasting advantage. Gaia then advised Zeus to free his fearsome cousins, the Cyclopes and the Hundred Handed Ones from Tartarus ( a deep, dark dungeon in the Underworld) and persuade them to join his side. Zeus did so, and in return for their freedom, the Cyclopes and the Hundred Handed Ones became allies with Zeus, fatefully tipping the scale of power in favour of the Olympians.
Zeus and his allies formulated a clever plan to defeat Cronos and his brothers once and for all. Zeus whistled for the Hundred Handed Ones to hurl giant rocks and boulders on the Titans as they rushed up Mount Olympus. Seeing huge rocks raining down on them, the terrified Titans thought the mountain itself was collapsing and ran for their lives, effectively ending the battle and awarding victory to Zeus.
Another story goes, that Pan, the goat-god was instrumental in helping Zeus overcome the Titans. Seeing the Titans flee Olympus, Pan began shouting with joy. His shrill cries terrorized the Titans even further. This is from where the word “panic” is derived.
The Greek poet, Hesoid wrote a beautiful poem describing this great War of Wars called 'Titanomachia'. This is where we get the word “titanomachy” from. (the root machy means war which is also gives us words like theomachy [the war of the gods] ,logomachy [war of words])
Some stories say that Zeus killed his father with a scythe, the same one that Cronos had used to kill his grandfather, Oranos. Other stories say that he imprisoned his father and his Titan cousins and uncles in the dark recesses of Tartarus, where they must remain, for all time
The Pantheon
With the Titanomachy over, the time came for Zeus and his two brothers Poseidon and Hades to choose the realms they wanted to govern. Careless and impulsive, Zeus chose the domain of the Sky. This made Poseidon secretly happy as he had always wanted to rule over the sea. Hades, as always got the short end of the stick and had to make do with ruling over the forbidding lands of The Underworld.
Let's get to know the first six Gods of the Pantheon a little better:
Zeus:
King of the Gods and supreme ruler of Olympus, Zeus is the head of the Pantheon. His weapon is his feared thunderbolt, which can bring about supreme cataclysms and destruction. Zeus had a legendary list of lovers and had hundreds of children by them, some of whose names he couldn't even remember. [Some words related to Zeus : cornucopia,under the aegis of , Pandora's box]
The Greek Pantheon now consisted of twelve chief gods. Six of them were the Olympians- Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter and Hestia. Five of Zeus' children also entered the Pantheon. They were Athena, Ares, Apollo, Artemis and Haephaestus. The 12th is Aphrodite, whose birth we have talked about in an earlier post.
With the Titanomachy over, the time came for Zeus and his two brothers Poseidon and Hades to choose the realms they wanted to govern. Careless and impulsive, Zeus chose the domain of the Sky. This made Poseidon secretly happy as he had always wanted to rule over the sea. Hades, as always got the short end of the stick and had to make do with ruling over the forbidding lands of The Underworld.
Let's get to know the first six Gods of the Pantheon a little better:
Zeus:
King of the Gods and supreme ruler of Olympus, Zeus is the head of the Pantheon. His weapon is his feared thunderbolt, which can bring about supreme cataclysms and destruction. Zeus had a legendary list of lovers and had hundreds of children by them, some of whose names he couldn't even remember. [Some words related to Zeus : cornucopia,under the aegis of , Pandora's box]
Hera:
The Queen of the gods and the goddess of marriage and family as well as wife and sister of Zeus. Being the goddess of marriage, she frequently tried to get revenge on Zeus' lovers and their children. She was also the goddess of intrigue and ancient greek spies worshipped Hera. (of course, in secrecy!) [Some words related to Hera : apple of discord,Herculean task ]
The Queen of the gods and the goddess of marriage and family as well as wife and sister of Zeus. Being the goddess of marriage, she frequently tried to get revenge on Zeus' lovers and their children. She was also the goddess of intrigue and ancient greek spies worshipped Hera. (of course, in secrecy!) [Some words related to Hera : apple of discord,Herculean task ]
Poseidon:
The supremely creative and gifted Lord of the Sea, Poseidon was moody and calculating, but loved to pass his time filling his oceans with magnificent creatures that he created. He was extremely fond of Demeter and created the horse for her, as a present. His wife, a sea nymph called Amphitrite was unhappy with all his escapades. Once, to soothe one of her jealous rages, he thought up the dolphin. His weapon was his famous trident which was both feared and marvelled.
The supremely creative and gifted Lord of the Sea, Poseidon was moody and calculating, but loved to pass his time filling his oceans with magnificent creatures that he created. He was extremely fond of Demeter and created the horse for her, as a present. His wife, a sea nymph called Amphitrite was unhappy with all his escapades. Once, to soothe one of her jealous rages, he thought up the dolphin. His weapon was his famous trident which was both feared and marvelled.
Demeter :
The goddess of harvest, grain and the seasons, Demeter was greatly worshipped by the ancient greeks. It was she who kept their granaries full and brought the rains on time. Demeter's child by Zeus was Persephone, the goddess of flowers and colour.
The goddess of harvest, grain and the seasons, Demeter was greatly worshipped by the ancient greeks. It was she who kept their granaries full and brought the rains on time. Demeter's child by Zeus was Persephone, the goddess of flowers and colour.
Hades :
The gloomy ruler of the Underworld, Hades presided over his dark realm with ruthless precision. No one ever left Tantalus once entered and he devised special punishments for people whose sins were particularly bad. His consort was Persephone, Demeter's daughter. How he abducted her and made her his queen, is however a story for another day. [Words related to Hades/hell : stygian gloom,cerebrus, Elysian]
The gloomy ruler of the Underworld, Hades presided over his dark realm with ruthless precision. No one ever left Tantalus once entered and he devised special punishments for people whose sins were particularly bad. His consort was Persephone, Demeter's daughter. How he abducted her and made her his queen, is however a story for another day. [Words related to Hades/hell : stygian gloom,cerebrus, Elysian]
Hestia:
The least known and least controversial of the Great Six, Hestia was the virgin hearth goddess of domesticity and architecture, and the women of Greece prayed to her for a healthy and happy household. Modest and plain clothed, Hestia was content with life on Olympus and did not seek adventure or lovers like the other gods. Every sacrifice in ancient Greece was first offered to her.
The least known and least controversial of the Great Six, Hestia was the virgin hearth goddess of domesticity and architecture, and the women of Greece prayed to her for a healthy and happy household. Modest and plain clothed, Hestia was content with life on Olympus and did not seek adventure or lovers like the other gods. Every sacrifice in ancient Greece was first offered to her.
EDITED
Enjoy Reading...
will post after XAT now...
Happy New Year to all... :)