Heroes Gods and Monsters Summer Reading Review

Flashcards covering character identifications, god/goddess responsibilities, key terms, and myths to review from the Heroes Gods and Monsters summer reading test review sheet.

Athene

Goddess of wisdom and mistress of battle strategy, often described as the grey-eyed goddess, who taught women to weave, taught men to create tools, and created the science of numbers.

Hades

The god who rules the underworld, described as violent, hating change, and given to a slow rage.

Zeus

King/Lord of everything, who defeated his father Cronos.

Artemis

Maiden of the Silver Bow, Lady of Wild Things, Huntress, and Goddess of the Moon.

Hermes

Messenger of the gods, patron of gamblers, thieves, and liars, god of commerce, framer of treaties, and guardian of travelers.

Hephaestus

The Smith god and great creator/artificer, who was hurled off Olympus because of his mother.

Hera

Queen of Intriguers and Queen of the gods, who is very suspicious of her husband.

Tapestry

Cloth with words to keep stone walls warm.

Arachne

A character who was turned into a spider because she challenged a goddess, boasting that she was the best weaver.

Rhea

A character whose children were eaten by Cronos.

Arachne's Tapestry

A tapestry woven using only wool, depicting two young lovers during her weaving contest against Athene.

Athene's Tapestry

A tapestry woven using clouds depicting a story about gods fighting, which won the vote of humans in the weaving contest against Arachne.

Demeter

Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, is devastated when her daughter Persephone is taken by Hades, god of the Underworld. Demeter and Persephone have a close mother-daughter relationship, while Hades and Demeter conflict over Persephone. Because Demeter is grieving, she stops crops from growing and causes famine. Zeus sends Hermes to negotiate Persephone’s return, but because she ate pomegranate seeds, she must spend part of each year with Hades and the rest with Demeter. Persephone’s return brings spring and summer, while her time in the Underworld causes autumn and winter.

Pandora

Pandora is the first woman in Greek mythology, created by the gods as punishment for humanity after Prometheus gave people fire. Zeus sends Pandora to Prometheus’s brother, Epimetheus, who marries her despite Prometheus’s warning not to accept gifts from the gods. Pandora opens a mysterious box, releasing troubles such as sickness, sorrow, and death into the world. She quickly closes it, leaving hope inside. The main conflict is between Zeus and humanity, while Pandora and Epimetheus have a husband-and-wife relationship and Prometheus acts as a protector of humans. The story is resolved when hope remains in the box, giving people comfort despite the hardships that have escaped.

Pygmalion

Pygmalion is a sculptor who rejects real women and creates a statue of his ideal woman, which he names Galatea. He falls in love with the statue and prays to Aphrodite to give her life. Aphrodite grants his wish, and Galatea becomes a real woman. The main conflict is Pygmalion’s loneliness and his desire for an ideal love. Pygmalion and Galatea begin as creator and creation but become husband and wife, while Aphrodite acts as the goddess who makes their relationship possible.

Midas

King Midas is granted the power to turn everything he touches into gold by the god Dionysus after treating Dionysus’s friend Silenus kindly. At first, Midas is excited, but he soon realizes that he cannot eat or drink because everything he touches becomes gold. The main conflict is between Midas’s greed and his basic needs. He begs Dionysus to remove the power, and the god tells him to wash in the Pactolus River, which takes the power away. Midas learns that wealth is not more important than life and happiness, while his relationship with Dionysus changes from one of favor to one of mercy.

Prometheus

Prometheus is a Titan who helps humanity by stealing fire from the gods and giving it to people. Zeus becomes angry because fire gives humans knowledge and power, so he has Prometheus chained to a mountain, where an eagle eats his liver each day. The main conflict is between Prometheus and Zeus over whether humans should have fire and independence. Prometheus is a protector of humanity, while Zeus is his powerful enemy. Eventually, Prometheus is freed by Heracles, and his punishment comes to an end.

Phaethon

Phaethon is the son of Helios, the sun god, and wants to prove that Helios is truly his father. Helios allows Phaethon to drive the sun chariot for one day, but Phaethon loses control and brings the earth dangerously close to burning. To save the world, Zeus strikes Phaethon with a thunderbolt, causing him to fall into a river and die. The main conflict is Phaethon’s pride and inexperience, while his relationship with Helios is that of a doubtful son seeking his father’s approval. Helios loves Phaethon but cannot prevent the tragedy.

Daedalus

Daedalus is a brilliant inventor who is trapped on Crete with his son, Icarus, by King Minos. To escape, Daedalus builds wings made of feathers and wax, but he warns Icarus not to fly too close to the sun. Icarus ignores him, the wax melts, and he falls into the sea and dies. The main conflict is Daedalus’s struggle to escape and protect his son. Daedalus and Icarus have a loving but tragic father-son relationship, while Daedalus and King Minos are enemies because Minos imprisons him.