Roman and Greek Mythology Compared to Origins of Christianity
Greek and Roman Mythology
17
Greek and Roman Greek and Roman Mythology Mythology Beginning of the World Beginning of the World
description
Greek and Roman Mythology. Beginning of the World. Beginning of the World. Chaos Night & Erebus Night + Erebus Love Love Light & Day Earth (Gaea) Heaven (Uranus). Genealogy 1 in Greek Mythology. Uranus and Gaea. Genealogy 2 in Greek Mythology. Family Tree of Gaea and Uranus. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Greek and Roman Mythology
Greek and Roman MythologyGreek and Roman Mythology
Beginning of the WorldBeginning of the World
Beginning of the World• Chaos Night & Erebus• Night + Erebus Love• Love Light & Day• Earth (Gaea) Heaven (Uranus)
Genealogy 1 in Greek Mythology
Uranus and Gaea
Genealogy 2 in Greek Mythology
Family Tree of Gaea and Uranus• Gaea (Mother Earth) + Uranus (Father Heaven):
• The Hecatonchires• The Cyclops• The Titans
The Hecatonchires & The Cyclops• Hekatonkheires, hundred-handed, fifty-headed
giants• Briares• Cottus• Gyges
• Cyclopes, one-eyed giants• Brontes• Steropes• Arges
Hecatoncheires• Hecatoncheires means "hundred handed." They were
gigantic and had fifty heads and one hundred arms each of great strength. There were three of them: Briareus also called Aegaeon, Cottus, and Gyges, also called Gyes. They were born to Gaea and Uranus. Their mutual hatred of Uranus caused him to force the Hecatoncheires back into Gaea's womb. This precipitated Gaea's rebellion against Uranus. When Cronus came to power he imprisoned the Cyclopes in Tartarus. They were released by Zeus and fought with him against the Titans. They were able to hurl huge boulders as many as a hundred at a time against their opponents. One of them, Briareus, served as Zeus's bodygaurd.
Cyclopes• The Cyclopes were gigantic one eyed monsters. The most
famous is Polyphemus, the Cyclops blinded by Odysseus. Hesiod mentions only three (not a race or tribe): Arges (thunderbolt), Steropes (lightning), and Brontes (thunder), obviously storm Gods. They were born to Gaea and Uranus. They were also the first smiths.
• When Cronus came to power he imprisoned the Cyclopes in Tartarus. They were released by Zeus and fought with him against the Titans. As a reward for their release the Cyclopes gave Zeus his weapons of lighting and thunder. They continued as his workers at Mount Olympus forging his thunderbolts .
The Titans , the elder gods• In the first generation of twelve Titans, the males
were Oceanus, Hyperion, Coeus, Cronus, Crius and Iapetus and the females were Mnemosyne, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, Rhea and Themis. The second generation of Titans consisted of Hyperion's children Eros, Helios, and Selene; Coeus's daughters Leto and Asteria; Iapetus's sons Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus and Menoetius; Oceanus' daughter Metis; and Crius's sons Astraeus, Pallas and Perses.
Cronus with a sickle
Castration of Uranus by Cronus
Creatures born from Uranus’ blood-The Giants
• The Giants were generated from Uranus’ blood resulting from his castration by Cronus. They became powerful enough to try to unseat Zeus and the Olympians early in their rule. When the Gods won they imprisoned the Giants in Tartarus.
Creatures born from Uranus’ blood-The Furies (Erinyes)
• The Furies in Greek and Roman mythology were three daughters of Mother Earth, conceived from the blood of Uranus, when Cronus castrated him. They were powerful divinities that personified conscience and punished crimes against kindred blood, especially matricide. They were usually represented as winged women with serpent hair. Their names were Megaera [jealous], Tisiphone [blood avenger], and Alecto [unceasing in pursuit].
Creatures born from Uranus’ blood-The Furies (Erinyes)
Clotho, who appeared as a maiden and spun the thread of life. Her name meant The Spinner
Lachesis, who appeared as a matron and measured the thread of life. She was the Caster of lots
Atropos, who cut the thread of life, and appeared as a crone. Her name meant, Unbending Though the smallest of the three, she is the most terrible.
Clotho, who appeared as a maiden and spun the thread of life. Her name meant The Spinner
Lachesis, who appeared as a matron and measured the thread of life. She was the Caster of lots
Atropos, who cut the thread of life, and appeared as a crone. Her name meant, Unbending Though the smallest of the three, she is the most terrible.
Creature born after Uranus’ castration -Aphrodite
• Aphrodite was born from the white foam which spread around Uranus' genitals
