Greek Mythology Characters

Dionysus

(Bachhus) God of wine: He gave King Midas the gold touch. Moral: be careful what you wish for; or greed for sudden wealth can lead to disaster.

Eros

(Cupid) Weapons were gold and silver arrows. He married psyche. His mother was Aphrodite.

Artemis

(Diana) Goddess of the hunt and the moon. She hated men: The hunter Actaeon was caught spying on her bathing: She turned him into a stag and his dogs killed him.

Apollo

(Helios) god of light, music, and archery: Parents were Zeus and Leto: Twin of Artemis: Son was Phaethon.

Hera

(Juno) Goddess of love and marriage. She punished Echo by turning her into a voice. Symbols: Peacock and tiara. She hated Hercules because he was Zeus's love child.

Zeus

(Jupiter) The ruler of the gods: He saved siblings: Hera, Demeter, Hestia, Poseidon and Hades when they were swallowed by Chronos. He made many children with other women besides Hera. Symbol: Lighting bolt.

Ares

(Mars) God of war: He had an affair with Aphrodite.

Hermes

(Mercury) Mesanger god: Explains dreams. Guided souls to the river Styx. Symbols: Winged sandals, helmet and the caduceus.

Athena

(Minerva) Goddess of wisdom and war. Gave arts and crafts to mankind. Symbol: The owl. Born fully grown from Zeus's head. Expression: Splitting headache.

Poseidon

(Neptune) God of the sea: he created creatures like the hippo, the giraffe, horses and zebra for Demeter. Symbol: The trident.

Hades

(Pluto) God of the underworld. His watch dog was named Cerberus, his queen was Persaphone. He lived in Tartarus on the other side of the river Styx (Charon ferried people to the underworld.)

Aphrodite

(Venus) Goddess of love and beauty: son was Eros, her lovers were Poseidon and Ares. Symbols: The dove, dolphin and rose.

Hestia

(Vesta) Sibling of Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera and Demeter. Goddess of the home and Earth.

Hephaestus

(Vulcan) Son of Hera and Zeus: Born deformed and ugly. Thrown from Mt. Olympus: Raised by Thetis. Hera gave him a forge to build weapons. Married to Aphrodite. Blacksmith god.

Demeter

(ceres) God of the harvest (Mother nature figure.) Symbol: the cornucopia. Sibling to Poseidon , Zeus, Hades, Hera and Hestia. Mother of Persephone.

Medusa

A beautiful women turned into a creature because of an affair with Poseidon. When men looked at her they turned into stone. Perseus killed her with his gifts from the gods.

Arachne

A maiden who touted about her weaving ability. Athena challenged her to a contest. Arachne was turned into a spider to weave for eternity.

Persephone

Daughter of Demeter and Zeus: Kidnapped by Hades ate pomegranate seeds: Her myth explains the seasons.

Nike

Goddess of victory. Symbol: Laurel wreath.

Perseus

Greek God that killed Medusa.

Theseus

Greek hero who defeated the Minotaur and saved the youth of Athens.

Cerberus

Hades' three headed dog. Eats living flesh.

Pan

Half goat, half man: Nature god. The word "Panic" came from his cry.

Minotaur

Half man, half bull who lived in the labyrinth. Theseus killed him.

Heracles (Hercules)

Labouring strong man: Son of Zeus by Alcmene: Given 12 labours for killing his children

Orpheus

Master musician who went to the underworld to get his dead wife. Hades agreed as long as he didn't look back at her. He looked at the very last minute. He lost her forever. Moral: We can't get out loved ones back. Symbol: Lyre.

Hydra

Multi-headed serpent. Hercules defeated it by cutting off each head and cauterising the stump so no more heads could grow.

Cyclops

One eyed giants who worked with Hephaestus in his forge making weapons for the gods. Polyphemus was the most famous Cyclops.

Tantalus

Punished for feeding his children to the gods. He was chained neck deep in water with fruit over his head, but he could never drink or eat. Tantalize comes from his name.

Sisyphus

Punished in the underworld and had to roll a rock up a hill it would fall and he'd have to start again.

Icarus

Son of Daedalus who didn't listen to his father, flew to close to the sun and died.

Pandora

The first human woman: Given gifts from the gods including curiosity, and a box. She was told not to open the box and when she did all the ills of mankind escaped. She closed the box keeping in hope or foreboding.

Midas

The greedy king who wished everything he touched turned into gold

Daedalus

The inventor of the labyrinth on crete where the minotaur lived. His son Icarus didn't listen to him and he flew too close to the sun and the wax melted and he died. Moral: Men aren't meant to do what gods do; listen to those who have more experience.

Phaethon

The son of Apollo. He wanted to drive the sun chariot but crashed it instead after, Zeus threw a lightning bolt. It explains natural disasters, skin color, north/south pole and poplar trees.

Pegasus

The winged horse: Child of Medusa and Poseidon. tamed by a hero named Bellerdphon.

Prometheus

Titan who gave fire to mankind: Punished him by chaining him to a rock and daily an eagle would eat his kidney: Pandora was given to mankind as punishment

Echo

Was cursed by Hera for keeping her from discovering Zeus's affairs. Narcissus didn't return her love and was cursed. He fell in love with himself and either drown or became a flower A narcissus is someone who is in love with their reflection.

Achilles

Was immortal except his heel after being dipped in the river Styx. He was killed in the Trojan war when Paris's arrow, guided by Apollo struck his heel. A weakness is called an Achillies heel.