Greek Gods Essay, Research Paper

Welcome to my report on Greek gods and myths. You will learn about the gods and what they did. It is also about the myths and legends of Greece.

greek gods

The gods of Greece are alike many other types of gods. They were pictured a lot like human men and women. The Greeks didn’t worship any animals. The gods, like people were endowed with many weaknesses. The gods could be jealous, envious, spiteful, and petty. The gods were held to be immortal, but they had a beginning. The rites of many gods came from Egypt. Most of the gods lived on Mt. Olympus.

the first gods

The first gods were the Titans. They were before all the other gods. The Titans were the brothers Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, and Cronus. Also the sisters Thea, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosye, Phobe, and Tethys.

the gods

Zeus was the strongest of all the gods. He ruled the weather by himself, and the universe with 11 other gods. Zeus was the spiritual father of the gods. He was usually armed with a thunderbolt He was also called Thunder. Hera was the wife of Zeus. She was the goddess of marriage and childbirth. She was also the queen of heaven . Poseidon was Zeus’ somewhat unruly brother. He was god of the sea, of earthquakes, streams, and horses. Hesta was the sister of Zeus. She was the goddess of the household. Ares was one of Zeus’ sons. He was the god of war. He loved Aphrodite. Apollo was also a son of Zeus. Apollo drove the chariot of the sun across the skies. He was the music maker of the gods and was the god of light, music, medicine, agriculture, and prophecy. He was also Known as Helios, the sun god. Hermes was the messenger of the gods and the protector of travelers who escorted the dead down to Hades. He was also a son of Zeus. Athena was Zeus’ favorite daughter because she had sprung fully armed from his head when Zeus swallowed her mother, Metis. She was the goddess of wisdom and war. Frequently she was called Pallas. Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo. She was the moon goddess and also the goddess of vegetables, birth, and the hunt. She was the favorite among people. Artimes was often pictured with a stag or hunting dogs. Hades another one of Zeus’ daughters was the ruler of the underworld. Later she was called Pluto. Aphrodite was the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. Hephaestus was the only ugly god. He was the god of fire. He was skilled in craftsmanship. He forged the armor of the gods. He was patron of handicrafts and protector of blacksmiths. Demeter was the goddess of the Earth’s fruits. She was the mother of Persephone the seed corn. Dionysus also Bacchus was the god of wine and intoxication. He was a nature god of fruitfulness. The female worshippers of him were called Meandads. They roamed around in a frantic drugged condition, hunting animals and devouring their raw flesh. Pan was another god. He was a half man half goat. The Fates were three old hags that were more powerful than the gods, because they knew the past, present, future. Nine goddess called Muses, were the patrons of music, poetry, dance, and literature.

heroes

The Heroes along with the gods were the characters in the myths and legends. Hercules was the strongest and mightiest of all Greek heroes. Theseus was another hero. He defeated the Minotaur. Polythemus was the hero that defeated the Cyclops. Jason got the golden fleece. Preseus defeated Medusa. Pandora was also a hero in a way. She was the one that opened the box with evil spirits and hope inside.

legends and myths

The legends of Greece were made to explain the things they didn’t know about. They also wrote myths and legends for entertainment. The myths and legends had the gods and heroes as the characters. Some of the stories are Theseus and the Minotaur, Pandora’s Box, Medusa and Preseus, and the story of Polythemus and the cyclops.

making of man

The Greeks believed that Prometneus was the maker of man. He made man by molding him out of clay. Then he got some of the gods together and used their powers to make man live.

death

Greek ideas about the soul and afterlife were really not exact. But it was thought apparently that the popular thought was that the soul hovered above its tomb or departed to a shadowy region were it led a melancholy existence in offerings brought by relatives. The disembodied soul was also presumed to have the power of inflicting injury on the living. Proper funeraling nights were held necessary to ensure the peace and good will of the deceased.

That was my report on the gods and myths. I hope you enjoyed learning about the myths and gods.