Odyssey, Gods and Goddesses Test

Zeus

Roman Name: Jupiter

Role: The God Of the Sky

Husband Of Hera, Brother of Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia

Zeus had banished Cronus and split his kingdom between the brothers : They all shared Earth

Animal/Emblem: Thunder bolt of Forked Lightning, Eagle, and woodpecker

Hera

Roman name: Juno

Role: Goddess of marriage, women, and childbirth

Mother of Heaven

Wife of Zeus/sister

Tricked into marrying Zeus after she whispers “I love you” when he wass disguised as a cuckoo

Animal/Emblem: Cow, Peacock & Lion

Poseidon

Roman Name: Neptune

Role: God of the seas and rivers

Brother of Zeus, Hades, Hera, Hestia and Demeter

Husband of Amphitrite (former sea-goddess)

Hated Being less important than Zeus his younger brother

Animal/Emblem: Trident & Horse

Hades

Roman Name: Pluto

Role: God of the underworld and ruler of the dead

Brother of Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Hestia, and Demeter

He is responsible for keeping balance in the universe

He abducted Demeter’s daughter Persephone

Animal/Emblem: Helm of darkness, Cornucopia, screech owl, and 3-headed dog Cerberus.

Apollo

Roman Name: Apollo

Role: God of music, poetry, medicine, archery, and young unmarried men

Son of Zeus by Leto

Apollo rebelled against his family once or twice but got punished each time

Learned to behave more sensibly

Animal/Emblem: Mouse/white mice

Athena

Roman Name: Minerva

Role: Goddess of wisdom, knew more about pottery, weaving, and all useful arts than anyone

Although Poseidon claimed to be her father, she decided to let Zeus pretend she was his

Zeus split open Hephaestus with an ax and out came Athena

Also a battle goddess- she was too smart

Animal/Emblem: Wise owl, Town house at Athens

Artemis

Roman Name: Diana

Role: Goddess of hunting, unmarried girls, and the moon

Twin sister of Apollo

Daughter of Leto and Zeus

She hated marriage, kindly took care of mothers when their babies were born

Proffered hunting, fishing and swimming

Animal/Emblem: She-bear (most dangerous of all wild animals in Greece)

Ares

Roman Name: Mars

Role: God of war

Brother of Hephaestus

Ares and Aphrodite would hold hands to make Hephaestus jealous

Had no manners yet Aphrodite though him wonderful

Handsome, tall, boastful, & cruel brother

Animal/Emblem: Wild boar & blood stained spear

Aphrodite

Roman Name: Venus

Role: Goddess of love and beauty

Might have been daughter of Amphitrite by Tritan or Cronus

Zeus decided to marry her to his son Hephaestus, she was unhappy with this arrangement

Animal/Emblem: Magic girdle & dove

Hephaestus

Roman Name: Vulcan

Role: God of goldsmiths, jewelers, blacksmiths, mason, carpenters, and fire/craft

Son of Zeus and Hera

He hobbled since birth, Zeus threw him over the walls of great Olympus

His leg was so badly broken he had to wear a golden leg-iron

Animal/Emblem: Quail-bird that does a hobbling dance in the spring time

Demeter

Roman Name: Ceres

Role: Goddess of all useful fruits, grasses, and grains

Mother of Persephone

Persephone’s father was probably a country God she married for a joke

Only smiles when daughter is with her 6 months of the year

Animal/Emblem: Red poppy which grows red as blood

Hermes

Roman Name: Mercury

Role: God of merchants, bankers, thieves, fortune-tellers, and heralds

Zeus’ son by a smaller goddess Maia

Created the fire drill and the alphabet

Messenger of the gods

Animal/Emblem: Crane & peeled hazel stick