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Ancient Greek Gods for Kids, Artemis & Diana - Ancient Greek & Roman Gods for Kids

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Actaeon quietly crept up on the steam to see who was laughing. Imagine his amazement to discover it was the goddess Artemis, along with some of her attendants, splashing in the stream. He should have left immediately. He, like everyone else in the ancient Greek world, was very aware that Artemis demanded privacy.

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History for kids - Free history network for kids

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Greek Gods

Welcome to our Greek Gods and Goddesses page here on History for Kids. We have some fun facts and pictures for you to color. You will learn some interesting facts about each God as you read down the page. Take your time there is a lot of information on this page, check out the quick facts also if you just need a quick understanding and characteristics of each one.

Athena

Athena was tall, strong, graceful, gray-eyed, and she liked owls. From the beginning, she was a pretty amazing goddess. In fact, even her birth was most unusual.

Zeus, the father of gods and goddesses, was also Athena's father. Her mother was a mortal woman named Metis. Older gods had warned Zeus that he would be in trouble if Metis gave birth to a daughter. So he swallowed Metis whole.

When it came time for Athena to be born, she sprang full grown out of Zeus's head. She was completely dressed in armor, as she always would be. She also carried a shield and a spear. As you might guess about a woman in armor, she was a great warrior.

Athena was also a goddess of wisdom. She taught people about arts and crafts. She also taught them how to think clearly and live well. She was often seen with an owl, so owls became a symbol of wisdom.

Athena didn't get along with the sea god Poseidon. For one thing, they were often rivals over one thing or another. Once the people of a new city were looking for a god to watch over and protect them. Athena and Poseidon both wanted the job.

To impress the city's citizens, the two gods gave them gifts. Poseidon struck the ground with his three-pointed spear, and water poured out. The water turned into a river that flowed into the sea. Poseidon told the people to build ships to sail to the sea. He said that they could travel everywhere. They could become the most powerful people on earth.

The citizens were indeed impressed. But then Athena told them to taste the water. It tasted awful. It was saltwater, which is impossible to drink.

Then Athena gave the citizens her gift. When she hit the ground with her spear, a tree magically grew up within seconds. She explained that it was a special tree-an olive tree. Its wood was good both for building houses and for heating those houses in winter. Better still, the tree's little green fruits, called "olives," were delicious. And oil made out of the olives was useful for cooking.

The citizens liked Athena's gift better than Poseidon's. Not only did they choose Athena to watch over them, they named the city after her. They called it Athens. Poseidon left in a huff, causing a serious flood on his way. But the Athenians weren't bothered very much. With Athena's help, their city grew to be strong and wealthy. Athens became one of the greatest cities of all time. Today it's the capital and the largest city of Greece.
Here are some historical facts about the city of Athens:

Athenians did their best to make their city live up to its name. Inspired by their tales about Athena's wisdom, Athens became a center of civilization.

Athenians turned their city into the world's first democracy.

Athenians wrote the world's first plays, both comedies and tragedies. Those plays were performed in an open-air theater. They are still popular today.

Some of history's greatest thinkers were Athenian. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were the city's most famous philosophers.

The world's first historians, Herodotus and Thucydides, lived in Athens.

Athenians created some of the world's most beautiful buildings. The ruins of its most famous temple, the Parthenon, are still standing today. The Parthenon once held a large statue of Athena.

The Athenian Hippocrates is said to be the father of medicine. He wrote a famous oath that is still spoken by doctors today.

Poseidon

The brothers Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon were the most important gods of all. Zeus was the strongest and wisest of the three and ruled over the earth. Hades ruled the Underworld, the world of the dead. Poseidon ruled the seas. He was also the god of earthquakes and horses.

Poseidon had a beard and long blue hair. He drove a golden cart called a chariot.

It was pulled by strange beasts that were half-horse and half-snake. Fish and dolphins always swam along beside the sea god's chariot.

Poseidon carried a three-pointed spear called a trident. He used this to start earthquakes or bring water out of the ground.

Like the sea he ruled, Poseidon could be either calm or stormy. As you might guess, the god of earthquakes had a short temper. He didn't get along with other gods. He didn't always get along with mortals, either.

The people of Troy once asked Poseidon to help build a wall around their city. He helped, but then he got angry when he didn't get paid for his work. He was Troy's enemy ever after that. When Troy fought a terrible war against Greece, Poseidon supported the Greeks.

Each god had a city to protect and watch over. The city showed its thanks by honoring that god especially. Maybe because he was ill-tempered, Poseidon had trouble finding a city to honor him. The people of Athens chose Athena instead of Poseidon as its protector. The people of Naxos chose Dionysus. The people of Aegina chose Zeus. Finally, all the gods had special cities except Poseidon. He was very unhappy and disappointed.

But at long last, the people of Atlantis chose Poseidon. Atlantis was a huge island, and its people loved and honored him. There he fell in love with a mortal princess named Clito. He built a palace for her, and they had ten sons. The sons grew up to be kings who ruled different parts of Atlantis. Those kings ruled wisely, and Atlantis became the greatest civilization in the world. Poseidon was proud and happy.

But bad times came. The first kings of Atlantis died, and their sons were bad rulers. And the sons who came after them were worse yet. Years passed, and Atlantis was no longer the world's greatest civilization. It was actually the worst. It had become both wicked and foolish.

Finally, the people of Atlantis forgot to worship Poseidon. The sea god became angry and used his trident to start a terrible earthquake. Atlantis sank beneath the waves, never to be seen again.

*Horses were very important in the ancient world. Poseidon's earliest worshippers may have been the people who first brought horses to Greece.
Here are some historical facts about Poseidon's story:
*There are many earthquakes in Greece. Not surprisingly, a god of earthquakes was taken very seriously there.

*The sea was very important to the Ancient Greeks. They were great explorers whose ships sailed to distant places.

*Fishermen in the ancient world caught tuna with a trident.

*Atlantis was thought to have been in a faraway ocean. Today we call that ocean the Atlantic.

*Atlantis was probably imaginary. Even so, some people still believe that it once was real. And people keep looking for it.

*Atlantis may have been based on a real place. There once was a large island called Thera. It was destroyed by a huge volcano. Like Atlantis, it sank into the sea.

Hermes

Hermes was the messenger god. He was young and intelligent-looking. He wore a winged hat and winged sandals, and he carried a magic wand. (We know what he looked like because so many sculptors made statues of him.)

Hermes was said to be the god of the marketplace. Oddly, he was also said to be the god of thieves. He himself was a clever thief. He started stealing early in life-actually on the day he was born.

His father was Zeus, the king of the gods. His mother was a young goddess named Maia. He was born in a mountain cave, and only a few minutes after his birth, Hermes decided to make himself a toy. He picked up a tortoise shell and tied strings across it, then plucked the strings. That was how Hermes invented the first musical instrument, which was called a lyre. And he invented music too!

His playing and singing put his mother to sleep. Then, when Hermes was still only an hour or two old, he left the cave and went out to look around at the world. He soon found a herd of cattle that belonged to the god Apollo. The baby Hermes liked the cattle and decided to steal them.

When Apollo wasn't looking, Hermes tied branches to the cows' tails. As he led them away, the branches dragged along and erased their hoof prints. Then he hid the cattle and went back to his cave. He climbed back up into his sleeping mother's arms. When she woke up, she had no idea that he'd even been away.

When Apollo managed to track down Hermes, he was surprised to see that the thief was just a newborn baby. Even so, he demanded his cattle back. Then Hermes started playing the lyre. Apollo was so delighted by the music that he let Hermes keep the cattle in exchange for the lyre. After that, Apollo carried the lyre everywhere and became known as the god of music.

Hermes never stopped being full of mischief. But when he grew up, the gods learned that they could count on him for one important task. With his winged hat and sandals, he ran and flew as fast as the wind, so Zeus named him the messenger of the gods.

Whenever the gods wanted to send messages to mortals, they gave the job to Hermes. Although he didn't always tell the truth himself, he always delivered those messages just the way he was supposed to.

*Along with the lyre, Hermes was said to have invented another musical instrument called a panpipe. It's a kind of flute that is still played today.

*Hermes was said to be the god of travelers. Statues of him could be found at crossroads throughout Ancient Greece. They were put there to bring travelers good luck.
Here are some interesting facts about Hermes' story.
*There were no telephones and no Internet in the ancient world. Messages were usually carried by runners on foot. So the god of messengers was considered a very important god.

*One of the most famous messengers of all time was a soldier named Pheidippides. Story has it that he ran from one city to another, carrying news that the Greeks had won the Battle of Marathon. He delivered the message and died. Today's marathon races are held in his honor.

*Hermes' magic wand was called a caduceus. It had wings, like his hat and sandals. It also had snakes wrapped around it. Today the caduceus is the symbol of the medical profession.

Ares

Ares was the god of war. He wore armor and a helmet, and he carried a shield, sword, and spear. He was big and strong and had a fierce war cry, but his war cry was mostly just a lot of noise. Ares didn't fight at all well. The armored goddess Athena was a much better warrior.

The Ancient Greeks didn't like war, and they didn't like Ares, either. They considered him a troublemaker. And like many troublemakers, Ares was a coward and a bully.

In fact, Ares was never really of use to anybody in a war. One time a group of giants declared war on the gods. The giants wanted to rule the entire universe. To keep Ares out of the fighting, they sneaked up on him and knocked him out cold, then they stuffed him into a jar.

The other gods heard Ares screaming for somebody to let him out. They just ignored him because they figured they could fight better without him. They went on to defeat the giants, and then they let Ares out of the jar after the battle was over. Ares bragged about how he could have beaten the giants if he'd been free. The other gods only laughed.

Ares never stayed loyal to one side or the other in a war. He just enjoyed watching people fighting and dying. The war between Greece and Troy was one of the worst ever fought, and even the gods joined in the battle. When the war started, Ares promised his mother, Hera, to help the Greeks. But he was in love with the goddess Aphrodite, so she easily talked him into helping the Trojans.

The Trojans would have been just as happy without Ares's help. Always the bully, he didn't pick fights with other gods. Instead, he challenged a mortal Greek warrior named Diomedes, but Diomedes wounded Ares.

Ares liked to cause pain for others, but he whined and complained whenever he got hurt. This time was no different. The wound he got from Diomedes wasn't very serious, but even so, Ares didn't keep fighting. He went running back to Olympus, the home of the gods, and wept and wailed to his father Zeus. Even though Zeus bandaged up Ares's wound, he was not at all proud of his warrior son.

That wasn't the only time Ares was wounded. The great hero Heracles wounded him twice, and one of those times he took away Ares's armor and weapons. Both times Ares ran away crying to Olympus.

*For a long time, historians thought that the city of Troy was just a legend. But the ruins of Troy have been found in modern-day Turkey.

*The Trojan War was also thought to be only a legend. But today some historians think that there really was such a war. It was fought between Greece and Troy.

*The Greeks had good reason to dislike war. The cities of Greece fought each other in a terrible war that lasted for 27 years. It's called the Peloponnesian War.
Here are some interesting facts about Ares's story:
*Although the Ancient Greeks didn't like Ares, the Ancient Romans admired him. They called him Mars. They told stories that made Mars sound like a hero.

*The Romans liked Ares because they thought that war was noble. The Romans spoke Latin. The Latin words for "war" and "beauty" are very similar. The word for "war" is "bellum." The word for "beauty" is "bellus."

Zeus

Zeus was the king of the gods. He and his brothers Hades and Poseidon were in charge of the whole universe. Hades ruled the Underworld, the world of the dead. Poseidon ruled the seas. Zeus, the greatest of the three, ruled the earth and the sky. He controlled the weather, causing wind and rain. He also caused thunder and lightning. He threw his thunderbolt like a spear.

Zeus was a good reminder that the gods were not perfect. For one thing, he was not all-powerful. His daughters, the three Fates, decided the futures of both gods and mortals. Zeus couldn't overrule their decisions.

And although Zeus was often wise, he could also be foolish. He could be selfish and even cruel. He was not a good husband to Hera, the queen of the gods. And he was not a good father to many of his children. Not surprisingly, the other gods sometimes rebelled against his rule.

Still, Zeus most gods and mortals respected Zeus. He gave laws and justice to mortals. He taught them kindness and good manners. One story shows how much Zeus prized hospitality and kindness toward strangers.

Zeus liked to travel, sometimes in disguise. Once he was traveling with his son Hermes, the messenger god, in a land called Phrygia. They were both disguised as ordinary mortal men. They stopped at all the houses in Phrygia, asking for food and a place to stay the night. Time and time again, they were rudely turned away. Even rich people turned them away.

At last they arrived at the home of an elderly couple, a woman named Baucis and a man named Philemon. Baucis and Philemon were extremely poor. Even so, they treated the travelers kindly, inviting them into their home for food and drink. They allowed the disguised gods to spend the night.

The next day, Hermes and Zeus took off their disguises. Everyone could see that they were gods. Zeus punished the couple's Phrygian neighbors with a terrible flood. All houses were destroyed, except the little hut of Baucis and Philemon. Zeus turned it into a beautiful temple.

As a reward for their kindness, Zeus offered the couple anything that they wanted. Because they had lived happily together all their lives, they asked never to be parted. Even in death they wanted to remain together. Baucis and Philemon spent the rest of their lives serving as the temple's priestess and priest. When they died they turned into two trees growing out of the same trunk.

*Weather seemed even more mysterious in ancient times than it does today. It's no surprise that the god who controlled the weather was the most powerful god of all.

*Lightning and thunder were especially puzzling to ancient people. Many cultures have had gods of thunder and lightning. In Norse mythology, it was Thor. To the Finns, it was Ukko. To the Aztecs, it was Tlaloc.

*Lightning remained a mystery for thousands of years. During the 1700s, the American scientist and thinker Benjamin Franklin helped solve that mystery. He discovered the lightning was made up of electricity. Then he invented the lightning rods to protect houses and buildings. He was nicknamed "the Man Who Tamed the Lightning."

*In ancient times, travel was difficult and dangerous. Travelers depended on the kindness of people they met along the way. The Greeks even had a word for kindness toward strangers and travelers. They called it xenios.
Here are some interesting facts about Zeus's story:
Aphrodite

Aphrodite had an unusual birth. She rose up out of sea foam, beautiful and fully grown-up. She was the goddess of love, and she liked doves, sparrows, and swans. She was married to Hephaestus, the god of the forge, but not at all happily. She was really in love with Ares, the god of war.

Aphrodite and her son Eros were in charge of making people and gods fall in love. Eros used his magic bow and arrow to make that happen.

Oddly, this goddess of love helped start a terrible war. But she didn't really mean to. Eris, the goddess of discord, liked to stir up trouble. So one day Eris made a golden apple. She wrote the words "For the Fairest" on it. Then she threw this apple where the goddesses Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite would find it.

Each one of them thought she was "the Fairest"-the most beautiful goddess of all. They decided to hold a beauty contest. To judge the contest, they chose a mortal named Paris. He was a handsome Prince of Troy.

Each goddess took Paris aside and offered him a gift. If Paris chose Hera, she promised to make the ruler of the world. If he chose Athena, she promised to make him a victorious soldier. But Paris wasn't very ambitious or brave. He wasn't interested in either of those offers.

Then Aphrodite promised Paris the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. This appealed to Paris much more than the other offers did. So he judged Aphrodite "the Fairest" of the goddesses, and she got to keep the apple.

This was exactly what the troublemaking Eris had hoped for. The most beautiful woman in the world happened to be married already. Her name was Helen. She was the Queen of Sparta and the wife of King Menelaus.

When Helen and Paris ran away to Troy together, Menelaus was furious. He called all the great warriors of Greece together, and they declared war on Troy. Many thousands of warriors died in the Trojan War, which lasted ten years. It ended with the destruction of Troy.

*Today some historians believe that there really was a Trojan war. It was fought between Greece and Troy.

*The Romans called Aphrodite by the name Venus. The planet Venus is named after her.

*Venus is the planet closest to Earth. It is also the nearest planet in size to Earth. Next to the moon, it is usually the brightest object in the nighttime sky. Venus is easiest to see in the morning and evening. That's why it is called both the "Morning Star" and the "Evening Star."

*The Greeks pictured Aphrodite's son Eros as a handsome young man. The Romans called him Cupid. They came to picture him as a little boy with wings and a bow and arrow. Pictures of Cupid are very common on Valentine's Day.

*The goddess Venus was said to be the mother of the hero Aeneas. According to legend, Aeneas helped found the city of Rome. The real-life Roman general and dictator Julius Caesar claimed to be a descendent of Venus.
Here are some interesting facts about Aphrodite's story:
Hera

Hera was the queen of the gods and the protector of women. Her husband Zeus ruled the earth and sky. She was the mother of the war god Ares and the forge god Hephaestus. Her daughter, Ilithyia, was the goddess of childbirth.

Hera was beautiful and graceful. But she was also stern and bossy. And she could be very vain about her good looks. Hera was furious when she lost a beauty contest with Athena and Aphrodite. Another time, a mortal queen claimed to be more beautiful than Hera. The goddess turned that queen into a crane.

Although Hera was the goddess of marriage, her own marriage wasn't happy. For one thing, Zeus was always interested in other women. Hera had good reason to be jealous.
Once she sent a hundred-eyed monster named Argos to spy on Zeus. Even Zeus couldn't get away with much with Argos watching him!

Annoyed, Zeus called upon his son Hermes, the messenger god. He ordered Hermes to kill Argos. This was hard to do, because some of Argos's eyes were always awake and watching. But Hermes managed to put all those eyes to sleep. Then he killed Argos as Zeus had commanded.

Hera put Argos's eyes in the peacock's tail. The peacock was her favorite bird from that time on. Hera was also fond of cows, lions, and cuckoos.

Next, Zeus asked a young goddess named Echo for help. Echo was a wonderful storyteller. At Zeus's orders, Echo told Hera stories. That kept Hera's attention for hours and hours. Meanwhile, Zeus could sneak away and do whatever he wanted.

Hera figured out what was going on. She got very angry with Echo. This wasn't fair, of course. Echo couldn't help what she was doing. After all, she couldn't very well disobey the king of the gods. But when Hera was angry, she could be most unfair.

Hera cursed Echo. She took away Echo's power to tell stories. She even took away Echo's power to speak normally. Instead, Echo could only repeat things said by others.

Echo became so sad that she disappeared completely. But it is said that you can still hear her voice. If you shout in a canyon or valley, Echo might repeat your words.

*Hera was the goddess of the calendar year. The ancient Athenians didn't have just one calendar. Instead, they used a calendar for festivals, another for political matters, and another for the seasons.

*Today many cultures have different yearly calendars. The 12-month calendar mostly used in European and American countries is called the Julian calendar.

*Hera was a goddess who protected women. In Ancient Athens, women needed a protector. Even when Athens became a democracy, women had very few rights. An unmarried girl was ruled by her father; a married woman was ruled by her husband. Women could not become full citizens. Even male slaves had more rights than women did.

*Things were different in Sparta, Athens's warlike neighbor. Spartan men were often away fighting. When the men were gone, women took charge in many important ways. Some of the wealthiest and most powerful Spartan citizens were women. Even so, Spartan women could not hold political positions.

Artemis
Here are some interesting facts about Hera's story:
Artemis was the god Apollo's twin sister. She was goddess of the moon and of the hunt. She didn't like cities very much, preferring to roam forests and mountainsides.

She hunted with a silver bow and silver arrows. Like all good hunters, Artemis liked to protect wildlife. She took special care to watch over small animals.

Artemis was a strong-willed goddess. She knew what she wanted from an early age. Once when she was three years old, she was sitting on her father Zeus's knee. Zeus asked the little goddess what she most wanted in life.

First, she asked Zeus for three different names. These would fit her moods, which could be seen in the changing Moon. When she was cheerful and the moon was bright, she was called Selene. When she was in a bad mood and the moon was dark, she was called Hecate. The rest of the time she was called Artemis.

She also asked Zeus for loyal goddesses to hunt with. Zeus gave her lots of female followers called nymphs. Finally, she told Zeus that she never wanted to have much to do with men. So Zeus made sure that Artemis never fell in love with a man and never had a husband.

Although she wasn't interested in much except hunting, Artemis could also be a good warrior. In fact, she was a much better fighter than Ares, the god of war. She was also more clever. One time some giants declared war on the gods. The giants trapped Ares in a jar, so he couldn't do any fighting at all. Artemis tricked two of the giants by taking the shape of a deer and running between them. The giants both shot arrows at the deer, but killed each other instead.

Artemis was also clever about keeping men out of her life-both gods and mortals. The river god Alpheus fell in love with her and went chasing after her through the woods. Artemis smeared mud all over her own face, then told her nymphs to do the same. Alpheus couldn't tell Artemis and the nymphs apart. The river god gave up and went home, sad and disappointed.

Artemis was especially honored by a legendary race of women called Amazons. They were all warrior women who never married.

*The "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World" was a list made by the Greeks of man-made marvels. A temple of Artemis was on that list. The Great Pyramids of Egypt are the only wonders on the list still standing today.

*Because she was the goddess of the Moon, Artemis has a crater on the Moon named after her. A crater is a hollow place that was formed by collision with an object from outer space.

*The moon has long been believed to affect human moods and actions. One Roman name for the goddess of the moon was "Luna." The word "lunatic," meaning insane person, came from that name.

*A lunar eclipse happens when the earth passes between the sun and the moon. On February 29, 1504, the explorer Christopher Columbus was on the island of Jamaica. He knew that a lunar eclipse was coming, and that the moon would seem to disappear. The islanders didn't know what an eclipse was. Columbus used the eclipse to trick the islanders into doing whatever he wanted.

Hades

The brothers Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades were the most important gods of all. Zeus was the strongest and wisest of the three and ruled over the earth. Poseidon ruled the seas. Hades ruled the Underworld, the world of the dead. Hades had dark hair and a dark beard, and he drove a chariot drawn by four dark horses. He was married to Persephone, the queen of the dead.
Here are some interesting facts about Artemis's story:
Neither gods nor mortals liked Hades very much. This wasn't really fair. Hades wasn't mean or cruel. It just wasn't his job to be kind or merciful. His duty was to make sure the dead stayed in the Underworld forever.

Few mortals ever went to the Underworld and made it back alive. One of these was the great singer Orpheus. When his wife, Eurydice, died, Orpheus went to the Underworld to bring her back.

Orpheus's singing delighted Hades, so he agreed to let him take Eurydice back home. Hades made one rule, though. Orpheus wasn't allowed to look at Eurydice as they fled the Underworld. But along the way, Orpheus turned to see if Eurydice was still following him. So she had to stay in the world of the dead forever.

There aren't many stories about Hades. Because he rarely left the Underworld, he seldom had adventures. He just went about the unpleasant business of ruling the dead. When he did go out into the world of the living, it usually ended badly for him.

Once Hades left his realm in search of Sisyphus, the king of Corinth. Sisyphus was one of the cleverest mortals who ever lived. He managed to cheat death time and time again.

Hades planned to put Sisyphus in handcuffs and take him to the Underworld. Instead, the tricky king talked Hades into trying on the handcuffs himself. As long as Sisyphus held Hades hostage, nobody would ever die. The gods couldn't allow that, so they pestered Sisyphus into letting Hades loose.

Sisyphus himself finally died and went to the Underworld. The gods knew that he might still be up to mischief even there. So they sentenced him to an impossible task.

Sisyphus had to roll a huge boulder up a hill, only to have it roll back down again. Then he had to roll it back up the hill, only to have it roll down yet again. Poor Sisyphus had to do this again and again forever. At least it kept him from causing Hades any more trouble.

Eventually, the world of the dead itself came to be called Hades, after its king. A fierce three-headed dog named Cerberus guarded Hades. The river Styx flowed between Hades and the world of the living. A ferryman named Charon rowed dead souls across the Styx.

*The Ancient Greeks feared Hades so much that they avoided saying his name. Instead, they called him "Pluton," which meant "the Rich." This was because Hades' realm was said to be the home of precious stones and metals. The Romans renamed Hades "Pluto."

*Today, a plutocrat is someone who rules other people with wealth. A plutocracy is a government based on wealth.

*A small, distant object called Pluto was once thought to be the farthest planet from the sun. Today Pluto is no longer considered to be a planet at all. The farthest planet from the sun is called Neptune. This was the Roman name for Poseidon, the god of the sea.

*A task that seems pointless and endless is now sometimes called Sisyphean.

Apollo

Apollo was the twin brother of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and the Moon. Like his sister, Apollo loved hunting with a bow and arrow. He was the god of wisdom, poetry, and music.

Apollo was a handsome god, with long black hair. He drove a golden chariot drawn by swans. He was the leader of the Muses, the nine goddesses of the arts.
Here are some interesting facts about Hades' story:
This god liked lions, wolves, stags, crows, and dolphins. He also liked cattle, and once had a herd of his own. The baby Hermes stole that herd from him. But Apollo let Hermes keep the cattle in return for his lyre. The lyre was a kind of harp that Hermes had made out of a tortoise shell.

When Apollo was still a young god, he wanted to know his future. So he went to a town called Delphi, where a priestess was said to tell fortunes. She was called an "oracle."

When Apollo arrived in Delphi, he found trouble awaiting him. A monster named Python was supposed to guard the oracle. But Python had turned cruel and was terrorizing the people of Delphi.

Apollo killed Python with his bare hands. Then the citizens of Delphi built a temple in his honor. The oracle kept telling people's fortunes there.

After that, Apollo became known as the god of prophecy-which means the ability to foretell the future. He was believed to always tell the truth.

Apollo was also known as great healer. However, he sometimes caused disease as well. His son, Asclepius, was the god of medicine for a while. But Asclepius grew so powerful that he could raise the dead. The gods couldn't allow that, so Zeus killed Asclepius with his thunderbolt.

Because Apollo was called the god of light, he was sometimes mistaken for the sun god. The real god of the sun was Helios, who drove a flaming chariot across the sky.

Helios once made a terrible mistake. He allowed his half-mortal son Phaeton to drive his chariot. But Phaeton couldn't control Helios's horses. He almost destroyed the world with that flaming chariot. Like Asclepius, Phaeton was killed by Zeus's thunderbolt.

*A huge snake called a python can be found in parts of Africa and Asia. It's named after the monster that Apollo killed.

*In ancient times Delphi was said to be the center of the world. Its ruins are still visited today.

*The Pythian Games were an athletic event held every four years in Delphi. They were named after the monster slain by Apollo. Those games were something like today's Olympics. The earliest Olympic games were also played in Ancient Greece.

*A priestess in Delphi really was believed to tell fortunes. Once she was asked about the Athenian philosopher Socrates. She said that no one in the world was wiser than he. Socrates was surprised, because he thought he knew nothing at all. He soon noticed that people who thought themselves wise knew no more than he did. So Socrates was truly wise in knowing himself to be ignorant.

*Today the word Apollonian means wise, prudent, and well thought-out. The god Dionysus was thought to be reckless and unruly, most unlike the calm and sensible Apollo. So the word Dionysian means wild, uncontrolled, and lacking reason.

Hephaestus

Hephaestus was the god of fire. He was a blacksmith whose forge was in a volcano. His helpers were one-eyed giants called Cyclopes. He worked in bronze, iron, silver, and gold. He also made things out of clay, including living creatures. From clay he made Pandora, the first mortal woman in the world.

Hephaestus made many useful things for the gods. For the messenger god Hermes, he made a winged hat and winged sandals. For the sun god Helios, he made a golden chariot to ride across the sky. For the Eros, the god of love, he made a silver bow with silver arrows.
Here are some interesting facts about Apollo's story:
Hephaestus was a good-natured god who usually got along well with everybody. Even so, his mother, Hera, once got angry with him. She threw him off Olympus, the mountain where the gods lived. When he hit the ground, he broke his foot. A goddess named Thetis nursed him back to health. But he walked with a limp ever after that.

Good-natured though he was, Hephaestus didn't forgive Hera. And he finally got even with her. He made a beautiful throne out of gold and offered it to her as a gift. When she sat on it, invisible chains wrapped around her wrists. She couldn't get out of the throne, which rose up into the air.

All the gods tried to talk Hephaestus into letting Hera loose. Hephaestus finally did when the beautiful goddess Aphrodite agreed to marry him. Theirs wasn't a happy marriage, though. Aphrodite was really in love with Ares, the god of war.

The goddess Thetis had a half-mortal son named Achilles. When Achilles was a baby, she bathed him in the river Styx. This was supposed to make him invulnerable, meaning impossible to hurt or kill. Even so, Thetis worried when Achilles got ready to go fight in the Trojan War.

Hephaestus made the best weapons and armor in the world. So Thetis asked Hephaestus to make a shield and armor for Achilles. Hephaestus was still grateful to Thetis for helping him after his fall from Olympus. So he was happy to do as she asked.

Hephaestus's armor didn't let Achilles down during the war. But Thetis had made one mistake. When she had dipped Achilles in the river Styx, she had held him by the heel. So his heel was not invulnerable. Achilles was killed by an arrow in his heel.

*Pandora, the woman Hephaestus made from clay, was said to have had a box of evils. She opened the box, letting all those evils loose in the world. Today, to "open a Pandora's box" means to cause a lot of trouble accidentally.

*The Romans gave Hephaestus the name Vulcan. That's where the word "volcano" comes from.

*The word "vulcanization" also comes from the name Vulcan. Vulcanization is a process for hardening rubber, especially for tires. It uses extreme heat and sulfur.

*Today, a person's weak spot is called an "Achilles's heel," after the story of how Achilles died.

*Human history is sometimes divided into three periods. These are named after the materials most used for tools in those times. The earliest was the Stone Age, followed by the Bronze Age, followed by the Iron Age. The stories about Hephaestus were told in the Iron Age, when blacksmithing was very important.

Hestia

The beautiful Hestia was the oldest of the gods of Olympus. She disliked gossip, so hardly any stories were told about he. But it would be a mistake to think she wasn't important. In some ways, she was the most important of all the gods.

From the earliest times, the other gods of Olympus all had duties. Hermes carried messages, Ares was in charge of war, Artemis watched over all hunters, and Zeus ruled over everybody. Other gods had other jobs. But for a time, no one seemed to know what Hestia was supposed to do.

One day the gods Poseidon and Apollo told Zeus that they both loved Hestia. Both of them wanted to marry her. They demanded that Zeus choose between them. Otherwise, war would break out among the gods. And such a war would have been terrible indeed.
Here are some interesting facts about Hephaestus's story:
But Hestia solved the whole problem very simply. She refused ever to have a husband. Zeus was relieved and grateful to avoid a war. As a reward, he gave Hestia the keys to Olympus. He put her in charge of the gods' everyday business. Hestia made sure that the gods always had plenty of food, clothing, and money. After all, even gods have to worry about such things!

Zeus also made Hestia the goddess of homes everywhere. It was she who taught mortals how to build houses. And every house had a sacred spot for her. That was the hearth, the center of family life.

Mortals prayed to Hestia more than to any of the other gods. Every family meal began and ended with a prayer to Hestia. Whenever a baby was born, the parents carried it around the hearth and prayed to Hestia. Mortals had a saying: "Begin with Hestia." In other words, when doing anything, always start out in the right way.

Hestia lived a quiet life, leaving fame and adventure to others. Zeus's half-mortal son Dionysus showed up on Olympus one day. He wanted to have a throne like the other important gods. Hestia gladly gave up her own throne for him. After all, she was too busy to spend much time sitting there.

Here are some interesting facts about Hestia's story:

*A hearth in an Ancient Greek home wasn't like today's fireplaces. It wasn't placed in a wall at the end of a room.

Instead, it was in the middle of the central room. Its coals burned all the time, whether for warmth or for cooking. In honor of Hestia, Greeks made sure that the fire never went out.

*Every Ancient Greek city also had a public hearth for all citizens. Hestia was sacred there also. When the people of one city founded another city, they took coals with them to light the new city's hearth. As in hearths in private houses, the fires in public hearths were never allowed to die out.

*In Ancient Rome, Hestia was called by the name of Vesta. The six priestesses in her temple were called Vestals. Like Vesta herself, they never married.

*An asteroid called Vesta is named after the goddess. An asteroid is a body that orbits the sun but is much smaller than a planet. Although Vesta is only the second largest asteroid, it is the one most visible from Earth. The largest asteroid is called Ceres, the Roman name for the goddess Demeter.

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Athena Poseidon Hermes Ares Zeus Aphrodite Hera Artemis Hades Apollo Hephaestus Hestia Welcome to our Greek Gods and Goddesses page here on History for Kids. We have some fun facts and pictures for you to color. You will learn some interesting facts about each God as you read down the page.

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Read the short story about the Greek Sphinx. The history and story of the Sphinx from ancient mythology. The short story of the Sphinx is a suitable for kids and children.

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The griffin is a fascinating mythical creature whose roots reach from western Europe to the Eastern edges of India and beyond.

In any mythology, the griffin is portrayed as a mix between an eagle and a lion. In all cases, this creature is shown as having the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, but from there the other specific features are in debate.

As any regular visitor to this site has probably figured out by now, I don't like to spend too much time debating the different interpretations of every myth. Instead, I usually go through several of the most common or popular interpretations and bring you a single, amalgamated truth and stick to it. This will be no exception.

The most common portrayal of the griffin in mythology is a creature with the body and regal, kingly mythical creature who commanded deep respect.

Griffin mythology reads a lot like dragon mythology in that griffins were thought to be very wise and wily characters who spent a good deal of time seeking out and guarding gold and treasures. Other legends have the griffin as a trickster, much like the Sphinx, who would challenge people with riddles in a contest of wits. The winners would get to keep their lives and treasures, and the losers... wouldn't. The Sphinx also has the body of a lion.

Historian and folklore expert Adrienne Mayor has suggested a possible origin of griffin mythology that I find quite compelling. She points to several fossil findings of the pentaceratops - a dinosaur from the Cretaceous period - that were located near known gold veins as being influential in the belief in griffins. The pentaceratops had a beaked face with a four-legged body. Anyone digging for gold in an area with these bones would find a creature whose bones looked very much like what one would imagine a griffin's bones to look like located near their gold vein. From there, it's not hard to figure out why people would imagine a griffin looking as it does and being known for digging for and hording gold.

As they represented both wisdom and power, griffins were commonly associated with strength in war, thus being an obvious choice for many coats of arms from ancient to medieval families and armies. The Republic of Genoa used the griffin as a symbol of its seafaring power on all of its ships in the Middle Ages.

As with most monsters, the griffin has ties to ancient Greek mythology. Specifically, it was said that a griffin pulled the chariot of Apollo (Greek mythology), the sun god. This would be appropriate, as the griffin was thought to be stronger than an ox or a horse, and had the ability to fly, thus carrying the sun god to and from the sun and earth. Apollo often also represented wisdom in the form of knowledge, which is also a characteristic of the griffin.

Other than this specific example, it's hard to find legends and myths about specific griffins. What I mean is, griffins are well-known in the general sense of being mythical creatures, but don't appear to have one or two standout characters in mythology. Though they were thought to speak, there are no named griffins of significance. For being as widespread in legend as they are, this is a bit surprising. That is, until you consider that the griffin was more of a symbolic creature than one used thoroughly in legends and folklore. In this sense, it seems more appropriate that this mythical beast would maintain some level of anonymity, respect, and mystery.
Return from Griffin Mythology to the List of Mythical Creatures.

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The griffin is a fascinating mythical creature whose roots reach from western Europe to the Eastern edges of India and beyond. In any mythology, the griffin is portrayed as a mix between an eagle and a lion.

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In Greek mythology, Scylla (pronounced "Sill-ah" or "Skee-lah", depending on what country you live in) is a sea monster who lives on the rocks of a narrow water channel opposite of the whirlpool (and originally also a sea monster) Charybdis. Ships caught in between Scylla and Charybdis often end up being sunk by either Scylla or Charybdis.

In Book XII of Homer's The Odyssey, Circe (the goddess of magic) warns Odysseus to sail closer to Scylla than Charybdis and to keep the ship sailing at top speed. However, distracted by Charybdis, Scylla is able to snatch up and devour six sailors on board Odysseus's ship. Apollonius of Rhodes writes in The Argonautica, "On one side the sheer cliff of Skylla (Scylla) hove in sight; on the other Kharybdis (Charybdis) seethed and roared incessantly; while beyond, great seas were booming on the Wandering Rocks" (4. 921 ff). It is said that The Rock of Scilla in Calabria (a coastal town near the strait of Messina) is Scylla's home.

Scylla's parents differ depending on which legend you're reading. Multiple authors, including Homer and Ovid, claim that Scylla's mother is Keto (also known as Crataeis), goddess of dangers of the sea. Some stories tell of Keto mating with her brother Phorcys, with whom she had Scylla, Ekhidna (a she-dragon), the Graeae (three sisters - Deino, Enyo, and Pemphredo - who shared one eye between all of them), Ladon (a serpent with one-hundred heads), and the Gorgons (Stheno the Mighty, Euryale the Far Springer, and Medusa, Queen of the Gorgons). There is some confusion between scholars about Hecate being the mother of Scylla. Apollonius of Rhodes claims that Crataeis is another name for Hecate.

In The Odyssey, Homer describes Scylla as being a rather frightful sea creature with a crab-like shell, six long necks, triple rows of teeth on each head, and twelve feet dangling from her monstrous body. Her voice, as Homer writes, sounds like the yelping of dogs. In fact, Scylla's name is derived from Greek words that describe the animals she looks like. Skyllaros is Greek for "hermit crab." Skylax roughly translates into "dog" or "dog-shark", and skyllô means "to rend", which means "to tear something into pieces."

As Hellenistic Greek's tragic poet Lycophron writes in The Alexandra (also called The Cassandra), Heracles (also known as Hercules or Mekisteus) kills Scylla, but her father, Phorcys, brings her back to life.

Ovid, in his epic poem Metamorphoses, depicts Scylla as having a sweet, girlish face and was actually once a sweet girl. Ovid writes that Scylla, as a beautiful maiden, had many suitors who were interested in her. However, Scylla did not return any of their affections and instead went to the Sea-Nymphs, who adored and even favored Scylla, and told them that she had rejected all of her suitors and eluded them. Afterward, Scylla went for a walk along the rocks near the water, where she was approached by the sea god Glaucus. He was struck by her beauty and pursued her, although she was terrified of him.

In this story, Glaucus seeks the help of Circe, who is madly in love with him. Angrily, Circe decides to use her knowledge of harmful potions and herbs to concoct a drug that turns Scylla into a sea monster. It is Scylla's rage, according to Ovid, that makes her gobble up several of Odysseus's men.

Over the centuries, Scylla has been the subject of many stories as well as pieces of art. She first shows up in Ancient Greek art around 450 B.C. During the Renaissance (lasting from the 14th through 17th centuries A.D.) and slightly after, Scylla is a popular subject, showing up in works by Agostino Carracci, Salvator Rosa, Peter Paul Rubens, and in paintings done by two of the most popular pre-Raphaelite painters in the 19th century, John William Waterhouse and John Melhuish Strudwick.

Even today, contemporary depictions by artists around the world can be found simply be scouring the pages of websites like DeviantArt. Avid gamers might also recognize Scylla as one of the play-able gods from the free-to-play online video game SMITE.

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Link will appear as Scylla: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net - Greek Gods & Goddesses, February 9, 2017

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In Greek mythology, Scylla (pronounced "Sill-ah" or "Skee-lah", depending on what country you live in) is a sea monster who lives on the rocks of a narrow water channel opposite of the whirlpool (and originally also a sea monster) Charybdis. Ships caught in between Scylla and Charybdis often end up being sunk by either Scylla [...]

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Greek Stories about Hephaestus-The Revenge of Hephaestus on Hera

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Greek Mythology- Legends about Hephaestus. Learn about The Revenge of Hephaestus on Hera

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An Ancient Greek Myth for Kids
The 4th Labor of Hercules
The Stag of Artemis

His 4th labor was to capture the stag of Artemis.

There were many stags in the mountains. But this one was special. The stag of Artemis was known for its incredible beauty, its golden antlers, and its remarkable speed. It was not dangerous. It was just fast.

Hercules tried to catch the stag for a very long time without success. He had hoped to catch it without injuring it. But the stag was too fast for him. Finally, Hercules shot the stag with an arrow, being very careful to hit the stag in its leg, so the wound would heal. He tied the stag gently to a tree, and left the stag there, while he looked around for a witness who would agreed to swear to King Eury that the stag had been captured. Hercules intended to let the beautiful animal go free once he could prove he had captured it.

It took a while to find anyone who was willing to speak up to King Eury, or to any king for that matter. By the time Hercules returned, dragging his witness with him, he found the goddess Artemis standing next to the empty tree where Hercules had tied the stag. Artemis was furious when she heard that King Eury had sent Hercules after her favorite stag. But she was not furious with Hercules. She offered to be his witness. As she told Hercules, she was going to be speaking soon with King Eury anyway.

The 12 Labors of Hercules:
Hercules (the beginning) The Nemean Lion The Lernaean Hydra The Wild Boar of Erymanthus The Stag of Artemis The Stymphalian Birds The Augean Stables The Cretan Bull The Girdle of Hippolyta The Cattle of Geryon The Mares of King Diomedes The Golden Apples of the Hesperides The Capture of Cerberus

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Ancient Greek Myth for Kids: The Stag of Artemis - The 12 Labors of Hercules - Ancient Greek Myth for Kids

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His 4th labor was to capture the stag of Artemis. There were many stags in the mountains. But this one was special. The stag of Artemis was known for its incredible beauty, its golden antlers, and its remarkable speed. It was not dangerous. It was just fast.

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Ancient Greek Myth for Kids: Pan - Ancient Greek & Roman Gods for Kids

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With Zeus' permission, Hermes gave his son the job of watching over shepherds and huntsmen. It was a perfect job for Pan. He loved to play in the woods and the meadows. He loved music and dancing and singing. In spite of his appearance, he made friends with many of the meadow and wood nymphs.

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Once upon a time, a long time ago in ancient Greece, there lived a king named Midas. King Midas loved three things more than anything else in the world - his little daughter, his rose garden, and gold. Nothing gave him more pleasure than seeing his little daughter picking roses in the garden, roses she placed in a golden vase to decorate the castle.

One night, while strolling through his rose garden, the king stumbled over a satyr. A satyr was half man, half goat. This satyr looked half starved and very ill. King Midas brought the satyr into his castle. He made sure the satyr was washed and fed and tucked into bed for a good night's sleep. When the satyr woke up the next morning, his fever was gone. The king and the satyr had quite a nice chat over breakfast. King Midas was surprised to hear that the satyr belonged to the powerful god Dionysus, the god of wine and truth. That very day, the king personally took the satyr home in his very best chariot. The satyr might only be a servant, but he was the servant of a god, and deserved the very best treatment, which is something the king would have done anyway, because the king had a very kind heart.

As it turned out, the satyr was more than a servant. To Dionysus, the satyr was his teacher and good friend. Dionysus told the king he would grant any one wish the king made to thank him for taking such good care of his friend. The king did not wish anything for his daughter because he had given her everything she wanted and a whole bunch more besides. He did not wish anything for his rose garden because everyone knew he grew the finest roses in all the world. That left gold. King Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold.

The king did not have much hope that his wish had been be granted, because if it had been granted, his chariot would have turned to gold when he climbed aboard to go home, and it had not. Still, he was happy he had helped the satyr, and not just because the satyr was the servant of a god. Satyrs were not always treated kindly in the ancient Greek world because they looked rather different, being half man and half goat. When the king arrived back at his castle, he pulled out a chair to sit down at his table. The minute he touched it, the chair turned to gold. He touched the table. He touched a vase. As soon as he touched them, they turned to gold. King Midas raced though his castle. Everything he touched turned to gold! He was so happy. He shouted to his servants to cook him a feast in celebration!

His servants were very fond of King Midas. They knew he was foolish, but he was rather a dear. So they cooked and cooked and served him a feast. That's when the trouble started. Everything looked and smelled so good that King Midas did not wait for his daughter to show up for lunch. He reached out and grabbed a fistful of food. The food made quite a clatter when he dropped it back on the table in shock. It had turned to gold in his fist. He touched other food. Whatever he touched turned to gold. He tried leaning over and ripping a piece of meat with his teeth, but that did not help. The meat turned to gold in his mouth. The king's eyes filled with fear. He knew if he could not eat, he would starve. This was terrible. The king did not know what to do.

King Midas wandered sadly out to his rose garden. His little daughter was in the garden, picking roses. When she saw her father, she ran into his arms for a hug and turned to gold. King Midas hung his head and cried. As his tears fell on his precious roses they turned to gold, but the king did not care. He did not care about his roses or his gold or himself. Dionysus, hear my prayer, the king begged. Take my wish back! Please, take my wish back and save my daughter!

One last time, the king's wish was granted.

King Midas and his Golden Touch (cartoon video for kids)
The Midas Touch (short story for kids) King Midas and the Golden Touch (cartoon) King Midas and the Golden Touch (fairytale) Who is the Greek God Dionysus?
Another King Midas Story - King Midas and the Donkey Ears

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Ancient Greek Myths for Kids: The Story of King Midas and the Golden Touch - Ancient Greek Myth for Kids

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Once upon a time, a long time ago in ancient Greece, there lived a king named Midas. King Midas loved three things more than anything else in the world - his little daughter, his rose garden, and gold.

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Ancient Greek Myth for Kids: Pandora's Box - Ancient Greek Myth for Kids

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Zeus knew that Epimetheus was lonely. Zeus told Epimetheus that his brother, Hephaestus, had to be punished and that's why he was chained to a rock, but he felt sorry that this punishment left Epimetheus without the company of his brother. That's why Zeus had decided to give Pandora in marriage to Epimetheus.

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Ancient Greek Gods for Kids: Aphrodite & Venus - Ancient Greek & Roman Gods for Kids

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Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty. Some people believed she was the daughter of Zeus, king of all the gods. Others insist she simply appeared one day, riding to shore on a wave of sea foam. Zeus had many daughters. As far as he was concerned, the lovely Aphrodite was welcome to be one of them.

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Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a gifted musician named Orpheus. Orpheus was the son of Apollo and Calliope (one of the muses.) With such talented parents, it was no wonder that Orpheus was a gifted musician. The truth was, Orpheus was more than gifted. His music was magical. When he played the lyre, as his father had taught him, his songs could cast spells and soothe savage beasts.

Orpheus loved his wife, a mortal, Eurydice. When she died, he traveled down into the Underworld. He begged his great uncle Hades to allow his wife to come back to earth as herself, and not reborn as someone else.

Ever a soft touch, Hades agreed. Hades had one condition. Hades agreed to let Eurydice follow her husband back to earth and life. But, during the trip, Orpheus had to promise not to look back until both he and his wife were safely back on earth.

Orpheus was worried. He was afraid that perhaps his wife might need his help - it was a very scary trip back to the surface. He worried that perhaps Hades would not send her after all. To reassure himself that all was fine, he risked a quick look behind him, and lost his wife forever.

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Ancient Greek Myths for Kids: Orpheus and Eurydice - Ancient Greek Myth for Kids

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Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a gifted musician named Orpheus. Orpheus was the son of Apollo and Calliope (one of the muses.) With such talented parents, it was no wonder that Orpheus was a gifted musician. The truth was, Orpheus was more than gifted.

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Greek Myth for Kids: Andromeda and Perseus - Ancient Greek Myth for Kids

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To be fair, his decision probably had nothing to do with the fact that the ancient city-state of Argos had a nearby harbor for trade and commerce, but Argos itself was located on a plain.

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Each temple in ancient Greece was dedicated to only one god. Because the Greeks worshiped many gods, there were a great many temples in ancient Greece.

The most famous temple dedicated to Apollo was the temple at Delphi. That temple was the home of Apollo's special oracle, a young woman Apollo had gifted with the ability to see the future. Apollo could do things like that. Apollo had many magical powers, and many jobs to do in the ancient Greek world. But he always found time now and then to visit the many temples built in his honor.

One day, he heard about an especially splendid temple that had been built in the city-state of Troy, a temple like many others built in his honor. The interesting thing about this temple was that the city-state of Troy was not located on the Greek peninsula. Troy started as an ancient Greek colony. Troy was on a different peninsula entirely.

Being a curious god, one day Apollo decided to swing by and take a look at the temple at Troy for himself.

As the story goes ...

Cassandra was not an oracle. She could not see into the future. She was a beautiful young priestess, with great ambition.

When Apollo swung by personally to take a look at his temple, all Cassandra saw was his beauty and his power. She gave him a saucy grin.

Apollo was delighted. Like all the gods, Apollo was very fond of making deals. He offered a deal to Cassandra. If she would give a kiss, he would give her the gift of prophecy so she could see into the future.

Cassandra did not hesitate. She took the deal. As soon as Apollo gave her the gift of prophecy, she looked eagerly into the future. What she saw made her gasp. She saw Apollo helping to destroy her beloved city of Troy. She spit in his face.

Apollo was angry of course. But could not take away his gift. He could only add to it. That's how his power worked. That's exactly what he did. He added something to his gift. From that time on, Cassandra could see the future, but no one believed a thing she said. That's what Apollo had added.

Some time later, Cassandra warned her people that the huge wooden Trojan horse the Greeks had given Troy was hollow - full of Greek warriors, hidden inside - warriors who would destroy the city! The people of Troy did not believe her. They did not even look. They were far too busy celebrating the "defeat" of the Greeks, who had left the horse as a token of defeat (or so they believed.) But the horse was full of Greek warriors. That night, they crept out of the hollow horse and opened the city gates to let the Greek army in. That was the end of Troy.

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Ancient Greek Myth for Kids: Apollo & Cassandra - Ancient Greek Myth for Kids

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Each temple in ancient Greece was dedicated to only one god. Because the Greeks worshiped many gods, there were a great many temples in ancient Greece. The most famous temple dedicated to Apollo was the temple at Delphi. That temple was the home of Apollo's special oracle, a young woman Apollo had gifted with the ability to see the future.

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The Reason for Seasons - Demeter & Persephone
Ancient Greek Myths for Kids

Zeus, the king of all the gods, had two brothers and three sisters. All the gods had jobs, but his sister Demeter had one of the most important jobs - she was in charge of the harvest. There were many temples in ancient Greece dedicated to Demeter. Nearly everyone, gods and mortals, did their best to keep Demeter happy. If Demeter did not do her job, the crops would die and everyone would starve. The gods did not want the ancient Greek people to starve. They were having too much fun interfering in their lives.
As the story goes ....
Demeter loved her little daughter, Persephone. They played together in the fields almost every day. As Persephone smiled up at her mother, Demeter's heart swelled with happiness, and the crops grew high and healthy. Flowers tumbled everywhere. As time passed, Persephone grew into a lovely goddess. That's when the trouble started.

Hades, the king of the underworld, was a gloomy fellow. He normally hung out in the Underworld.

One day, Hades felt restless. He decided to take his three-headed dog out for a chariot ride. Cerberus, his dog, usually stood guard at the gate to Underworld. But Hades gave his pup a break now and then. He scooped up Cerberus, and left a couple of spirits in charge instead.

Hades flew his chariot up to earth. Cerberus leaped out of the chariot and ran around, sniffing flowers with all three of his heads. The dog ran up to a lovely young woman, the goddess Persephone. Some people might have been startled if a three-headed dog came tearing up. But Persephone only laughed and scratched his heads.

Hades loved that old dog. He watched his dog playing happily with Persephone. He heard Persephone's delighted laugh. Hades fell deeply in love. Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed his niece, his dog, and his chariot and dove deep into the darkest depths of the Underworld.

Hades locked Persephone in a beautifully decorated room in the Hall of Hades. He brought her all kinds of delicious food. Persephone refused to eat. She had heard if you ate anything in Hades, you could never leave. She had every intention of leaving as soon as she could figure out how to do so.

Over a week went by. Finally, in desperate hunger, Persephone ate six pomegranate seeds. She promptly burst into tears.

She was not the only one crying. Demeter, her mother, missed her daughter terribly. She did not care if the crops died. She did not care about anything except finding her daughter. No one knows who told Zeus about it, but it was clear this could not go on. Zeus sent his son Hermes to work a deal with Hades.

This was the deal Hermes worked out: If Persephone would marry Hades, she would live as queen of the Underworld for six months each winter. In the spring, Persephone would return to earth and live there for six months. No one especially liked the deal, but everyone finally agreed.

Every spring, Demeter makes sure flowers are blooming and crops are growing and the fields are green with welcome. Every fall, when Persephone returns to the underworld, Demeter ignores the crops and flowers and lets them die. Each spring, Demeter brings everything to life again, ready to welcome her daughter's return.

To the ancient Greeks, that was the reason for seasons - winter, spring, summer, fall.
The story of Demeter and Persephone told by other authors: Demeter and Persephone
Demeter and her daughter Persephone

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Ancient Greek Myth for Kids: Persephone & Demeter - Ancient Greek Myth for Kids

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Zeus, the king of all the gods, had two brothers and three sisters. All the gods had jobs, but his sister Demeter had one of the most important jobs - she was in charge of the harvest. There were many temples in ancient Greece dedicated to Demeter.

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Ancient Greek Myth: The 12 Labors of Hercules for Kids - Ancient Greek Myths for Kids

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Hera helped Eury design 12 Labors (missions or tasks) that Hercules had to complete. Supposedly, when Hercules had completed the 12 Labors, he would earn his immortality, or so Hera promised. But really, Hera and Eury were certain that one of their "labors" would surely kill Hercules, probably the very first one.

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An Ancient Greek Myth

As the story goes ...

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a king named Minos. King Minos lived on a lovely island called Crete. King Minos had everything a king could possibly want. Now and then, King Minos sent his navy to the tiny village of Athens, across the sea.

The king of Athens did not know what to do. He was desperate. He figured if he had some time, he could build a strong navy, strong enough to send King Minos packing the next time he attacked Athens. The king of Athens offered King Minos a deal. If he would not attack Athens for 9 years, Athens would send 7 boys and 7 girls to the island of Crete to be eaten by the awful monster that King Minos kept as a pet, the dreaded minotaur.

The minotaur lived in the heart of a maze on the island of Crete. King Minos loved that old monster. King Minos only attacked Athens when he was bored. He really didn't want anything. This way, his beloved monster could look forward to a special treat every 9 years or so. King Minos took the deal.

Although Athens did build a navy, King Minos did not attack as the king of Athens had expected. In fact, King Minos kept his word. And now it was time for Athens to keep theirs. Everyone in Athens was crying.

Prince Theseus of Athens knew the importance of keeping your word. He knew that a deal was a deal. But, he was also quite sure that it was wrong to send small children to be eaten by a monster. Prince Theseus told his father (the king) that he was going to Crete as the seventh son of Athens. He was going to kill the Minotaur and end the terror.

"The Minotaur is a terrible monster! What makes you think you can kill it?" cried his father.

"I'll find a way," Theseus replied gently. "The gods will help me."

His father begged him not to go. But the prince took his place as the seventh Athenian boy. Along with six other Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls, Prince Theseus sailed towards Crete.

When the prince and the children arrived on the island of Crete, King Minos and his daughter, the Princess Ariadne, came out to greet them. The Princess Ariadne did not say anything. But her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Late that night, she wrote Prince Theseus a note and slipped it under his bedroom door.

Dear Theseus (Ariadne wrote)

I am a beautiful princess as you probably noticed the minute you saw me. I am also a very bored princess. Without my help, the Minotaur will surely gobble you up. I know a trick or two that will save your life. If I help you kill the monster, you must promise to take me away from this tiny island so that others can admire my beauty. If interested in this deal, meet me by the gate to the Labyrinth in one hour.

Yours very truly,
Princess Ariadne

Prince Theseus slipped out of the palace and waited patiently by the gate. Princess Ariadne finally showed up. In her hands, she carried a sword and a ball of string.

Ariadne gave the sword and the ball of string to Prince Theseus. "Hide these inside the entrance to the maze. Tomorrow, when you and the other children from Athens enter the Labyrinth, wait until the gate is closed, then tie the string to the door. Unroll it as you move through the maze. That way, you can find your way back again. The sword, well, you know what to do with the sword," she laughed.

Theseus thanked the princess for her kindness.

"Don't forget, now," she cautioned Theseus. "You must take me with you so that all the people can marvel at my beauty."

The next morning, the Athenian children, including Prince Theseus, were shoved into the maze. The door was locked firmly behind them. Following Ariadne's directions, Theseus tied one end of the string to the door. He told the children to stay by the door and to make sure the string stayed tied so the prince could find his way back again. The children hung on to the string tightly, as Theseus entered the maze alone.

Using the sword Ariadne had given him, Theseus killed the monstrous beast. He followed the string back and knocked on the door.

Princess Ariadne was waiting. She opened the door. Without anyone noticing, Prince Theseus and the children of Athens ran to their ship and sailed quietly away. Princess Ariadne sailed away with them.

On the way home, they stopped for supplies on the tiny island of Naxos. Princess Ariadne insisted on coming ashore. There was nothing much to do on the island. Soon, she fell asleep. All the people gathered to admire the sleeping princess. Theseus sailed quietly away with the children of Athens and left her there, sleeping.

After all, a deal is a deal.

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Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a king named Minos. King Minos lived on a lovely island called Crete. King Minos had everything a king could possibly want. Now and then, King Minos sent his navy to the tiny village of Athens, across the sea.