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The following is a list of names in Greek mythology. Included are the names of gods, goddesses, heroes and other figures, and their past and present meanings where available.

Άφροδίτη

The name has come to mean "risen from the foam" after aphros for "foam", but this is a definition that comes after the name. It originally seems to mean "she who appears at dusk", a reference to the evening star Venus and Aphrodite's mesopotamian origins.

Άπόλλων

According to the Greek philosopher Plato, the name comes from the Greek words for "redeem", "purification" and "simple". It may also have originally meant "assembly". Eventually, Greek language associated the name with the verb "to destroy".

Άθηνα

Plato explains that Athenians thought it meant "divine mind". Athena's name is shared with the city-state of Athens.

The Gorgons
Γοργων

The term "gorgon" comes from the Greek gorgos, which means "dreadful".

Hellen

Έλλεν

The ancient Greeks called themselves the Hellenes. The name of their mythical founder, Hellen, may have come after they adopted the name. It may have similar origins as the name Helen, but is presumably older.

Οιδιπους

Oedipus' name means "with swollen feet", a reference to the manner in which he was orphaned as a child. The title of the Sophoclean play Oedipus Tyrannus in Greek, or Oedipus Rex in Latin, means "Oedipus the King".

See also:

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The following is a list of names in Greek mythology. Included are the names of gods, goddesses, heroes and other figures, and their past and present meanings where available. Άφροδίτη The name has come to mean "risen from the foam" after aphros for "foam", but this is a definition that comes after the name.

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pages 42-43 of Miss Danias's pocket museum book are good.

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Steven

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Rick Riordan | Welcome to the Online World of Rick Riordan

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Please select a name from the list below to view the Greek god's description.

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Steven

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Religion in Greece: History of Orthodoxy - Greeka.com

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Information about Christian Orthodox religion in Greece: the founders, the schism, its importance in everydays life and other religions.

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some information on the ancient greek olympics

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some information on the ancient greek olympics

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andrew

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The ancient Olympic Games were a sporting event held every four years at the sacred site of Olympia, in the western Peloponnese, in honour of Zeus, the supreme god of Greek religion. Involving participants and spectators from all over Greece and even beyond, the Games were the most important cultural event in ancient Greece and were held from 776 BCE to 393 CE, a run of 293 consecutive Olympiads. So important were the Games in the ancient world that they were even used as a basis for the calendar.

Origins of the Games

Sporting events were originally associated with funeral rituals, particularly those of heroes and the fallen in battle, for example, the games for Patroklos in Homer's . At Olympia, in particular, some mythological accounts credit Zeus with beginning the Games to celebrate his victory over Kronos whilst other accounts state the hero Pelops began them in honour of Oinomaos. In any case, sport, a healthy body and the competitive spirit were a large part of Greek education and so it is hardly surprising that organised athletic competitions would at some point be created, as they had been in the earlier Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations.

Sport, a healthy body & the competitive spirit were a large part of Greek education.

The first Olympics were held from 776 BCE at the first full moon after the summer solstice (around the middle of July) in honour of Zeus. The winner of the first and only event, the stadion foot-race was Koroibos of Elis and from then on every victor was recorded and each Olympiad named after them, thus giving us the first accurate chronology of the ancient Greek world. An Olympiad was not only the name of the event itself but also of the period between games. During a three-month pan- Hellenic truce, athletes and as many as 40,000 spectators came from all over Greece to participate in the Games at Olympia. Later, other games would be organised at other sacred sites such as Delphi, Isthmia and Nemea but the Olympian Games would remain the most prestigious.

The Games started with a procession which went from the host town of Elis to Olympia, led by the Hellanodikai (judges) and on arrival at Olympia all athletes and officials swore an oath to follow the established rules of the competitions and to compete with honour and respect. The most important religious ceremony of the event was the sacrifice of 100 oxen, known as the hecatomb, at the altar of Zeus, carried out when the sporting events were over.

The Spectators

Heralds ( spondophoroi) were sent from Elis to advertise the coming of the Games across Greece. Spectators came from not only the Greek mainland but also the islands, Ionia and Magna Graecia. To facilitate the movement of spectators and athletes and in respect of the religious importance of the Games a sacred truce ( ekecheiria) was called across Greece. Initially, the truce was for one month but in later centuries it was extended to three. No wars were permitted, no arms could be carried in the territory of Elis and no hindrance was to be given to any spectator, athlete or theoriai - (the official missions representing particular cities) travelling to the games from wherever they came from and whichever territory they had to cross.

The site of Olympia must have been positively buzzing during a Games with mass crowds of excited spectators staying in make-shift camp sites (only later was accommodation provided for the visitors) and admiring the masses of fine statues and buildings at the site. Food vendors, craftsmen, musicians, poets and philosophers took full advantage of the crowds to publicise their wares or ideas. Just how many spectators attended each Games is unknown but we do know that around 45,000 spectators consisting of men, slaves and foreigners sat and watched from the embankments of the stadium which hosted the main events. Spectators actively participated in the events through their boisterous support of the athletes and after each event they showered flowers and laurel leaves on the victors.

Women were not permitted to participate in or watch the events although young girls were allowed in the crowd. There was a single exception to this rule, the priestess of Demeter Chamyne. A famous breach of the men only rule was the case of Kallipateira. She had trained her son Peisirodos and when he won his race his mother, celebrating a little too exuberantly in the crowd, loosened her clothes and revealed her sex. She escaped the prescribed punishment of the death penalty because she came from a family of great Olympic victors but from then on all trainers had to be naked - like the athletes - to avoid such an occurrence in the future.

The Athletes

Who of men today has been adorned with so many petals and myrtles and crowns of rose thanks to his victory in the Games? Simonides' ode to Astylos

Athletes trained under the watchful eye of a professional trainer ( gymnastes) or physical trainer ( paidotribes) who knew how to best develop particular muscles, the best diet and the correct amount of exercises to be done. Trainers were often thanked by their more successful athletes by the dedication of a statue of them at the site. Athletes also had an aleiptes who rubbed them down with oil and massaged them both before exercising and after.

The athletes competed naked, probably for complete freedom of movement. Events were open to all free Greek males and the list of victors illustrates just how pan-Hellenic the Games were with athletes coming from all parts of Greece and in Roman times the no-foreigner rule for athletes was relaxed. Victors were those who beat all other competitors. There are practically no records of times and distances achieved by victorious athletes as these were simply not considered important, the idea was to be first amongst the best, not to beat records.

The Stadion Footrace

For the first 12 Olympics the stadion foot-race was the only event and it remained the most prestigious event throughout the history of the Games. The race was ran over one length (a stadion) of the stadium track, 600 ancient feet or 192 m and preliminary heats were held with heat winners going into the final. Athletes were grouped by lot and in the interest of fairness this was also the way pairings were matched in the other events. The eventual winner of the stadion would even give his name to that particular Games and so be remembered for all time.

Other Sporting Events

Over time other events were added to the Games to bring the total programme to 18 events spread over five days:

diaulos - the two stadium lengths foot-race, added in 724 BCE.

dolichos - longer foot-races 7 to 20 stadium lengths, added in 720 BCE.

wrestling - added in 708 BCE. Competitors had to throw their opponent to the ground three times to gain victory.

pentathlon - also added in 708 BCE. All done in a single day, the event order was: jumping (in a soft soil pit using hand-weights or halteres and accompanied to music), discuss (in stone, iron or bronze), stadion, javelin (in wood and thrown using a leather thong), and wrestling. Just how an athlete won the overall event is unclear, three event victories may have guaranteed overall victory.

boxing - added in 688 BCE. Athletes wore straps of leather (himantes) around their hands, initially as protection but they evolved into destructive weapons with metal pieces added. Rules were limited to no low-blows and no holding. Serious injuries were common and deaths not unknown.

tethrippon - the four-horse chariot race added in 680 BCE, run over ten or twelve circuits of the hippodrome. A version using foals over 8 circuits was added in 384 BCE.

keles - a horse race added in 648 BCE and run over 6 cicuits. A version for foals was added in 256 BCE.

- a mix of boxing and wrestling also added in 648 BCE. The pankration was a brutal event and the only moves not allowed were biting and gouging, although competitors did not wear the damaging leather thongs of the boxers.

hoplitodromos - the race in hoplite armour (helmet, shield and spear) between 2 and 4 stadium lengths was added in 520 BCE and was usually the last event of the Games.

apene - a race with chariots pulled by two mules, added in 500 BCE (dropped from 444 BCE).

kalpe - a trotting horse race for mares, added in 496 BCE (dropped from 444 BCE).

synoris - the two-horse chariot race run over eight circuits of the hippodrome, added in 408 BCE. A version using foals over three circuits was added in 268 BCE.

competitions for trumpeters and heralds - added in 396 BCE. This was held on the first day and the winners - those whose sound carried the furthest - were also given the honour of announcing the victors on the final day at the official prize-giving event.

Competition Rules & Judges

Athletes had to arrive at Olympia one month before the Games for training and, further, they had to declare that they had been in training for at least ten months. Non-Greeks, slaves, murderers, those convicted of defiling temples and all those who had not respected the truce were excluded from participating. Indeed, cities could be included in the latter category, for example, Sparta in 420 BCE.

The Hellanodikai Judges had the power to disqualify & fine athletes for any infringement of the rules.

The events were supervised by trained judges from Elis, the Hellanodikai (or agonothetai) who also had various assistants such as the alytai (police officers). For the first 49 Olympics there was only one judge but he was joined by others to reach a peak of twelve, distributed amongst the various events. Originally, the office was hereditary and for life but later judges were selected from Elis by lot. The Hellanodikai had the power to disqualify and fine athletes for any infringement of the rules and, wearing their purple cloaks, they were given special seats of honour in the stadium. The decisions of the Hellanodikai could never be revoked but the judges were themselves subject to judgment from a council of elders and should an athlete successfully appeal, the judge concerned could be fined.

Rules were very rarely broken and when they were penalties were imposed ranging from exclusion and fines to flogging. Fines were paid both to the sanctuary and the wronged athlete. If an offender did not pay the fine then the city he represented had to or else be excluded from the next Games. Revenue from fines was in part used to erect statues of Zeus known as zanes and a number of the bases of these statues can still be seen at the site today.

Olympic Prizes

The Hellanodikai also gave out the victory crown ( kotinos) of wild olive leaves and an olive branch cut from the scared tree ( Kallistephanos) to each event winner. The olive was significant because the trees of Olympia were believed to have been originally planted by Hercules. Another prize could be a red woollen ribbon which was worn on the upper arm or around the head, especially for chariot racers as it was the horse owner who actually received the olive crown.

Victors were welcomed back to their hometowns as heroes after the Games. Typically entering the city in a procession where they rode a four-horse chariot, the victors had huge banquets held in their honour and they could receive additional benefits such as exemption from tax and invitations to join the political elite. Cities also received prestige from victories at the Games and for this reason they sometimes offered financial incentives for athletes such as Solon 's 500 drachmas prize (a substantial sum considering one sheep cost one drachma at the time).

However, the real prize for athletes was glory, fame and, in a very real sense, historical immortality. This was achieved through renown whilst still alive but was perpetuated after death via victor's lists, personal statues and victory odes written in the victor's honour.

Famous Olympians

There were many great athletes who won fame and glory in multiple Games. Kroton from southern Italy won three consecutive stadion races from 488 to 480 BCE. Phanas of Pellene managed to win three events in the Olympics of 521 BCE - the stadion, diaulos and the race in armour. Leonidas of Rhodes went even better and managed to win all three events in four consecutive Olympics between 164 and 152 BCE. A feat almost matched by Hermogenes of Xanthos, known as 'the horse' who won eight running events over three Olympics between 81 and 89 CE. Milon of Kroton won the wrestling competition five times from 532 to 516 BCE and the runner Astylos of Kroton won six crowns across the three Olympics of 488, 484 and 480 BCE. Finally, Herodoros of Megara won an incredible ten consecutive trumpet competitions from 328 to 292 BCE.

The Games and their prestige also attracted famous competitors from outside the sporting world. The great Athenian general and statesman Alcibiades won three chariot races in 416 BCE. Philip II of Macedon won the horse race in 356 BCE and repeated his winning streak in the chariot races of the 352 and 348 BCE Games. Also, Roman emperor Nero famously won every event he entered in 65 CE. These powerful political leaders even sought to milk the prestige of their successes at Olympia by minting coins to commemorate their victories.

The first woman to win the crown of victory was Kyniska in 392 BCE. Although women were not permitted to compete, they could own horses and it was the owner who won the olive crown prize. Many other women went on to emulate Kyniska and Spartan women, in particular, enjoyed a high reputation in the equestrian events at Olympia.

End of the Games

The Games continued through the Hellenistic period with more buildings added to the site, greater comforts offered for the spectators and an increase in the professionalism and event specialisation of the athletes. In Roman times, although there were some changes to tradition such as Sulla's moving of the 80 BCE Games to Rome, the Games continued to be popular and their prestige increased under hellenophile emperors such as Hadrian. However, it was Emperor Theodosios who finally decreed that all cult practices, including Games, be stopped and the final Olympics was held in 393 CE after a run of 293 Olympics over more than a millennium.

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The ancient Olympic Games were a sporting event held every four years at the sacred site of Olympia, in the western Peloponnese, in honour of Zeus, the supreme god of Greek religion.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/schoolradio/subjects/history/ancient_greek_myths

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Information and resources on ancient Greek olympics.

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http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/list-of-greek-gods-goddesses.html

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https://www.britannica.com/topic/Greek-mythology

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here are some facts on the olympics

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THE GAMES
The ancient Olympic Games were primarily a part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus, the father of the Greek gods and goddesses. The festival and the games were held in
The ancient Olympic Games began in the year 776 BC, when Koroibos, a cook from the nearby city of Elis, won the stadion race, a foot race 600 feet long. The stadion track at Olympia is shown here. According to some literary traditions, this was the only athletic event of the games for the first 13 Olympic festivals or until 724 BC. From 776 BC, the Games were held in Olympia every four years for almost 12 centuries.

Contrary evidence, both literary and archaeological, suggests that the games may have existed at Olympia much earlier than this date, perhaps as early as the 10th or 9th century BC.

Olympia (see 'Did you know' in the glossary), a rural sanctuary site (model shown here, courtesy of the British Museum) in the western Peloponnesos.

The Greeks that came to the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia shared the same religious beliefs and spoke the same language. The athletes were all male citizens of the city-states from every corner of the Greek world, coming from as far away as Iberia (Spain) in the west and the Black Sea (Turkey) in the east.

The sanctuary was named in antiquity after Mt. Olympos (see 'Did you know' in the glossary), the highest mountain in mainland Greece. In Greek mythology, Mt. Olympos was the home of the greatest of the Greek gods and goddesses.

There are two stories relating to the question of nudity at the ancient Olympic Games. One story states that it was a runner from Megara, Orsippos or Orrhippos who, in 720 B.C. was the first to run naked in the stadion race when he lost his shorts in the race. Another tradition is that it was the Spartans who introduced nudity to the Olympic Games in the 8th century B.C. as it was a Spartan tradition. It is not clear if the very first recorded victor at Olympia, Koroibos, who won the stadion race in 776 B.C. wore shorts or not. It seems fairly clear that by the late 8th century nudity was common for the male contestants.

FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN

Although the ancient Games were staged in Olympia, Greece, from 776 BC through 393 AD, it took 1503 years for the Olympics to return. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. The man responsible for its rebirth was a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who presented the idea in 1894. His original thought was to unveil the modern Games in 1900 in his native Paris, but delegates from 34 countries were so enthralled with the concept that they convinced him to move the Games up to 1896 and have Athens serve as the first host.

THE OLYMPIC FLAME

The idea of the Olympic torch or Olympic Flame was first inaugurated in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. There was no torch relay in the ancient Olympic Games. There were known, however, torch relays in other ancient Greek athletic festivals including those held at Athens. The modern Olympic torch relay was first instituted at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

The Olympic Oath was introduced in 1920. The marathon was NOT an event of the ancient Olympic games. The marathon is a modern event that was first introduced in the Modern Olympic Games of 1896 in Athens, a race from Marathon northeast of Athens to the Olympic Stadium, a distance of 40 kilometers.

The race commemorates the run of Pheidippides, an ancient "day-runner" who carried the news of the Persian landing at Marathon of 490 B.C. to Sparta (a distance of 149 miles) in order to enlist help for the battle. According to the fifth century B.C.ancient Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides delivered the news to the Spartans the next day.

The distance of the modern marathon was standardized as 26 miles 385 yards or 42.195 km. in 1908 when the Olympic Games were held in London. The distance was the exact measurement between Windsor Castle, the start of the race, and the finish line inside White City Stadium.

Did you know...

Additional athletic events were gradually added until, by the 5th century BC, the religious festival consisted of a five-day program. For a complete list of events, click here.

PLUS...
For a complete list of modern Olympic Game location sites, click here.

Shown here is the stadium entrance at Olympia.

Any Winter Games?
The first modern Winter Olympic games were held in 1924 in Chamonix, France. There was no winter Olympic festival in ancient times. Separate Winter Games were first authorized in 1911 to be held in 1916, but due to World War I they didn't occur until 1924, in Chamonix.

Starting with Lillehammer in 1994, it was decided that every other year will be an Olympic year (with Summer and Winter Games alternating), rather than holding Summer and Winter Games every 4th year. This was done to accommodate TV networks and audiences.

The Modern Olympic flag of five linked rings, each with a primary color used in the flags of the nations competing in the games, was introduced in 1908. There is no ancient basis for this modern symbol.

Detail from an Attic Red Figure Kylix, ca. 490-480 BC, depicting two men wrestling. Above them hang a discus in its bag and a pair of jumping weights called 'halteres.' Long jumpers used the weights to increase their competition distances by vigorously swinging them forward at the moment of takeoff. The coach or trainer stands to the left of the wrestlers, leaning on his staff and holding a long forked branch. Museum Object Number: MS 2444 .

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The Games | The Real Story of the Ancient Olympic Games - Penn Museum

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The ancient Olympic Games were primarily a part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus, the father of the Greek gods and goddesses. The festival and the games were held in The ancient Olympic Games began in the year 776 BC, when Koroibos, a cook from the nearby city of Elis, won the stadion race, a foot race 600 feet long.

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Webpage that has nothing to do with percy jackson this time!!

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Stella and Sophina

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Greece, A History of Ancient Greece, Mythology

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A history of Ancient Greece (Greeks) from the Dorians to Alexander including their cities, Philosophy, Government, Contributions, rise and decline.

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Annabel

This is the official Olympics website and has a whole page on Ancient Olympics including the sports and history. Enjoy!!

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From boxing contests with no weight classifications or point scoring to chariot racing where danger lurked on every corner, it is easy to see why the Ancient Games enthralled the Greeks for so long. Here, we give you the essential lowdown, highlight our favourite facts.

Full of blood, passion and extraordinary feats of athletic endeavour, the Olympic Games were the sporting, social and cultural highlight of the Ancient Greek calendar for almost 12 centuries.

"It is hard for us to exaggerate how important the Olympics were for the Greeks," Paul Christesen, Professor of Ancient Greek History at Dartmouth College, USA, said.

"The classic example is that when the Persians invaded Greece in the summer of 480 (BC) a lot of the Greek city states agreed that they would put together an allied army but they had a very hard time getting one together because so many people wanted to go to the Olympics. So, they actually had to delay putting the army together to defend the country against the Persians."

The threat of invasion or not, the Games took place every four years from 776BC to at least 393AD. All free Greek males were allowed to take part, from farmhands to royal heirs, although the majority of Olympians were soldiers. Women could not compete or even attend. There was, however, a loophole to this misogynistic rule - chariot owners, not riders, were declared Olympic champions and anyone could own a chariot. Kyniska, daughter of a Spartan king, took advantage of this, claiming victory wreaths in 396BC and 392BC.

At their heart, the Games were a religious festival and a good excuse for Greeks from all over the Mediterranean basin to gather for a riotous barbeque. On the middle day of the festival a vast number of cows were slaughtered in honour of Zeus, King of the Greek Gods - once he had been given a small taste, the rest was for the people.

For the first 250-plus years all the action took place in the sanctuary of Olympia, situated in the north-western Peloponnese. Pock-marked by olive trees, from which the victory wreaths were cut, and featuring an altar to Zeus, it was a hugely sacred spot.

The Games lasted a full five days by the fifth century BC and saw running, jumping and throwing events plus boxing, wrestling, pankration and chariot racing. At least 40,000 spectators would have packed the stadium each day at the height of the Games' popularity, in the second century AD, with many more selling their wares outside.

But first, here are our 10 favourite facts to get you started:

All athletes competed naked

Wrestlers and pankration (a sort of mixed martial art which combined boxing and wrestling) competitors fought covered in oil

Corporal punishment awaited those guilty of a false start on the track

There were only two rules in the pankration - no biting and no gouging

Boxers were urged to avoid attacking the on-display male genitals

There were no points, no time limits and no weight classifications in the boxing

Athletes in the combat sports had to indicate their surrender by raising their index fingers - at times they died before they could do this

Boxers who could not be separated could opt for klimax, a system whereby one fighter was granted a free hit and then vice-versa - a toss of a coin decided who went first

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The first ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to Olympia in 776 BC. Full passion and extraordinary feats of athletic endeavour, the Olympic Games were the sporting, social and cultural highlight of the Ancient Greek calendar for almost 12 centuries.

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Medha

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Wars were very common in ancient Greece. The Greeks lived in little city-states, each one like a small town in the United States today, with no more than about 100,000 people in each city-state. These city-states - Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Thebes - were always fighting each other over their borders.

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this is the sports that were held in the first Olympics 

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this is the sports that were held in the first Olympics 

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The ancient Olympic Games were initially a one-day event until 684 BC, when they were extended to three days. In the 5th century B.C., the Games were extended again to cover five days. The ancient Games included running, long jump, shot put, javelin, boxing, pankration and equestrian events.
Pentathlon

The Pentathlon became an Olympic sport with the addition of wrestling in 708 B.C., and included the following:

Running / Jumping / Discus Throw
Running
Running contests included:
the stade race, which was the pre-eminent test of speed, covering the Olympia track from one end to the other (200m foot race),
the diaulos (two stades - 400m foot race),
dolichos (ranging between 7 and 24 stades).

Jumping

Athletes used stone or lead weights called halteres to increase the distance of a jump. They held onto the weights until the end of their flight, and then jettisoned them backwards.

Discus throw

The discus was originally made of stone and later of iron, lead or bronze. The technique was very similar to today's freestyle discus throw.
IOC
Wrestling

This was highly valued as a form of military exercise without weapons. It ended only when one of the contestants admitted defeat.
IOC
Boxing

Boxers wrapped straps (himantes) around their hands to strengthen their wrists and steady their fingers. Initially, these straps were soft but, as time progressed, boxers started using hard leather straps, often causing disfigurement of their opponent's face.

Pankration

This was a primitive form of martial art combining wrestling and boxing, and was considered to be one of the toughest sports. Greeks believed that it was founded by Theseus when he defeated the fierce Minotaur in the labyrinth.

Equestrian events

These included horse races and chariot races and took place in the Hippodrome, a wide, flat, open space.

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Ancient Olympic Sports - running, long jump, discus, pankration

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The ancient Olympic Games were initially a one-day event until 684 BC, when they were extended to three days. In the 5th century B.C., the Games were extended again to cover five days. The ancient Games included running, long jump, shot put, javelin, boxing, pankration and equestrian events.

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Timothy

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In the year 507 B.C., the Athenian leader Cleisthenes introduced a system of political reforms that he called demokratia, or "rule by the people" (from demos, "the people," and kratos, or "power"). It was the first known democracy in the world. This system was comprised of three separate institutions: the ekklesia, a sovereign governing body that wrote laws and dictated foreign policy; the boule, a council of representatives from the ten Athenian tribes and the dikasteria, the popular courts in which citizens argued cases before a group of lottery-selected jurors. Although this Athenian democracy would survive for only two centuries, its invention by Cleisthenes, "The Father of Democracy," was one of ancient Greece's most enduring contributions to the modern world. The Greek system of direct democracy would pave the way for representative democracies across the globe.

Who Could Vote in Ancient Greece?

Leemage/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

"In a democracy," the Greek historian Herodotus wrote, "there is, first, that most splendid of virtues, equality before the law." It was true that Cleisthenes' demokratia abolished the political distinctions between the Athenian aristocrats who had long monopolized the political decision-making process and the middle- and working-class people who made up the army and the navy (and whose incipient discontent was the reason Cleisthenes introduced his reforms in the first place). However, the "equality" Herodotus described was limited to a small segment of the Athenian population in Ancient Greece. For example, in Athens in the middle of the 4th century there were about 100,000 citizens (Athenian citizenship was limited to men and women whose parents had also been Athenian citizens), about 10,000 metoikoi, or "resident foreigners," and 150,000 slaves. Out of all those people, only male citizens who were older than 18 were a part of the demos, meaning only about 40,000 people could participate in the democratic process.

Ostracism, in which a citizen could be expelled from Athens for 10 years, was among the powers of the ekklesia.

The Ekklesia

Athenian democracy was a direct democracy made up of three important institutions. The first was the ekklesia, or Assembly, the sovereign governing body of Athens. Any member of the demos--any one of those 40,000 adult male citizens--was welcome to attend the meetings of the ekklesia, which were held 40 times per year in a hillside auditorium west of the Acropolis called the Pnyx. (Only about 5,000 men attended each session of the Assembly; the rest were serving in the army or navy or working to support their families.) At the meetings, the ekklesia made decisions about war and foreign policy, wrote and revised laws and approved or condemned the conduct of public officials. (Ostracism, in which a citizen could be expelled from the Athenian city-state for 10 years, was among the powers of the ekklesia.) The group made decisions by simple majority vote.

The Boule

The second important institution was the boule, or Council of Five Hundred. The boule was a group of 500 men, 50 from each of ten Athenian tribes, who served on the Council for one year. Unlike the ekklesia, the boule met every day and did most of the hands-on work of governance. It supervised government workers and was in charge of things like navy ships (triremes) and army horses. It dealt with ambassadors and representatives from other city-states. Its main function was to decide what matters would come before the ekklesia. In this way, the 500 members of the boule dictated how the entire democracy would work.

Positions on the boule were chosen by lot and not by election. This was because, in theory, a random lottery was more democratic than an election: pure chance, after all, could not be influenced by things like money or popularity. The lottery system also prevented the establishment of a permanent class of civil servants who might be tempted to use the government to advance or enrich themselves. However, historians argue that selection to the boule was not always just a matter of chance. They note that wealthy and influential people--and their relatives--served on the Council much more frequently than would be likely in a truly random lottery.

The Dikasteria

The third important institution was the popular courts, or dikasteria. Every day, more than 500 jurors were chosen by lot from a pool of male citizens older than 30. Of all the democratic institutions, Aristotle argued that the dikasteria "contributed most to the strength of democracy" because the jury had almost unlimited power. There were no police in Athens, so it was the demos themselves who brought court cases, argued for the prosecution and the defense and delivered verdicts and sentences by majority rule. (There were also no rules about what kinds of cases could be prosecuted or what could and could not be said at trial, and so Athenian citizens frequently used the dikasteria to punish or embarrass their enemies.)

Jurors were paid a wage for their work, so that the job could be accessible to everyone and not just the wealthy (but, since the wage was less than what the average worker earned in a day, the typical juror was an elderly retiree). Since Athenians did not pay taxes, the money for these payments came from customs duties, contributions from allies and taxes levied on the metoikoi. The one exception to this rule was the leitourgia, or liturgy, which was a kind of tax that wealthy people volunteered to pay to sponsor major civic undertakings such as the maintenance of a navy ship (this liturgy was called the trierarchia) or the production of a play or choral performance at the city's annual festival.

The End of Athenian Democracy

Around 460 B.C., under the rule of the general Pericles (generals were among the only public officials who were elected, not appointed) Athenian democracy began to evolve into something that we would call an aristocracy: the rule of what Herodotus called "the one man, the best." Though democratic ideals and processes did not survive in ancient Greece, they have been influencing politicians and governments ever since.

Modern representative democracies, in contrast to direct democracies, have citizens who vote for representatives who create and enact laws on their behalf. Canada, The United States and South Africa are all examples of modern-day representative democracies.

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In the year 507 B.C., the Athenian leader Cleisthenes introduced a system of political reforms that he called demokratia, or "rule by the people" (from demos, "the people," and kratos, or "power"). It was the first known democracy in the world.

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(It stands for Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House and yes, it is abbreviated as that.) Timothy

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Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House

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old parliament house is home to the museum of australian democracy. a national icon

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magnificent design and historical significance

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and one of canberra's foremost venues.

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Key Democratic Principles The word 'democracy' has its origins in the Greek language. It combines two shorter words: 'demos' meaning whole citizen living within a particular city-state and 'kratos' meaning power or rule. It is generally agreed that liberal democracies are based on four main principles: A belief in the...

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Immigration in the Nineteenth Century

Immigration by Greeks to Australia began in the middle of the nineteenth century. On the 29th May 1898, the foundations of the first Greek Orthodox Church, the Holy Trinity, were laid. The first priest to serve the religious needs of the Greek Orthodox in Sydney and Melbourne was Archimandrite Dorotheos Bakaliaros (c. 1896). In March 1924, the Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand was established under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The first Metropolitan of the new province of the Ecumenical Thronos was Christoforos (Knitis) of Serres. In 1929 Metropolitan Christoforos returned to his homeland, Samos. He died on the 7th August, 1959.

By 1927 there were more than 10000 Greeks residing in Australia. Greek Orthodox Communities were established in the cities of Perth, Brisbane, Port Pirie and Darwin. However, the only communities with churches were those of Sydney, Melbourne and Port Pirie. In 1931 Timotheos (Evangelinidis) was elected as the second Metropolitan of Australia and New Zealand, and arrived in Australia on the 28th January 1932. He presided over the Church of Australia and New Zealand until 1947 when he was elected Metropolitan of Rhodes.

On the 22nd April of that year Theophylactos (Papathanasopoulos) was elected as the third Metropolitan. On the 2nd August 1958, Metropolitan Theophylactos was Killed in a car accident. In February 1959 the Assistant Bishop of the Archdiocese of America, Bishop Ezekiel (Tsoukalas) of Nazianzos was elected Metropolitan of Australia. He arrived in Sydney on the 27th April, 1959.

On the 1st September 1959 the Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand was elevated to Archdiocese and Metropolitan Ezekiel to Archbishop. The steep increase in migration created new needs and problems. In order to deal better with these, new communities were created, new churches build, schools established, Philoptochos Societies organized and special care was given to the youth and the catechesis of children.

In the large cities there are, apart from the Philoptochos Societies, centres which provide for the general philanthropic and social problems of Greeks. For a more complete organization of the Archdiocese and the communities, the Archdiocese has held eight Clergy-Laity Congresses, the last of which took place in January 1998. In January 1970 after a decision of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, for practical reasons New Zealand was separated from the Archdiocese of Australia and formed the Metropolis of New Zealand.

New Archbishop of Australia

In August 1974 the Ecumenical Patriarchate promoted His Eminence Archbishop Ezekiel to the Metropolis of Pisidia (who passed away in Athens July 1987), and on the 3rd February 1975 in his place the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate unanimously elected His Eminence Metropolitan of Miletoupolis Stylianos (Harkianakis), lecturer at the University of Thessaloniki, as the new Archbishop of Australia. Archbishop Stylianos arrived in Sydney on the 15th April 1975 and was officially enthroned on Lazarus Saturday on the 26th April 1975.

The new Archbishop, respecting the work of his predecessor in erecting churches and other benevolent institutions, took on as one of his special concerns the social and cultural development of his flock with the systematic cultivation and promotion of the spiritual treasure of Greek Orthodox Tradition.

In order to achieve this, he created closer contact between Orthodox and non-Orthodox churches in Australia and with the universities of this country. Appropriate restructuring of the services of the Archdiocese took place, and the Archbishop was officially appointed to the University of Sydney to teach Orthodox theology. Apart from this he continues to be a permanent member of various Christian Theological Commissions. The establishment of new churches and other benevolent institutions continue under the inspiration of the new Archbishop, however priority is given to promotion of the spiritual and cultural treasures of the Greek Orthodox tradition. This was the aim also of the celebrations fro the 50th anniversary of the Archdiocese in 1976, which included an entire range of events with positive repercussions not only within the Greek community but in the Australian society at large.

A decisive landmark for ecclesiastical matters occurred with the 4th Clergy-Laity Congress which took place in January 1981. The importance of this historic Congress can not only be seen in the fact that the Governor-General of Australia opened its proceedings, but also in the presence, for the first time, of official representatives of the Patriarchate, as well as special representatives of the Greek Government and Australia's Greek Ambassador.

Of equally great importance and success was the 5th Clergy-Laity Congress in Brisbane, in January 1985, the 6th in Melbourne in January 1989, the 7th in Sydney in January 1993, the 8th in Sydney in January 1998, as well the 9th again in Sydney in January 2003.

This new and blessed period of our Archdiocese characterized, amongst other things, by the ordination of over thirty new priests, the sponsoring of spiritual fathers from Mt. Athos and other spiritual people from Greece, pilgrimages of Greeks to the Holy Land and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the establishment of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Churches of Australia (SCCOCA) under the permanent presidency of the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Archbishop of Australia.

The climax of the work of our Archdiocese can be seen in the completion, after many long efforts, of the establishment of St. Andrew's Theological College. The College curriculum is recognized as equivalent to university courses in Australia and Greece. Important too are the National youth conferences held in Melbourne 1982, Sydney 1984, Melbourne 1986 and 1989, Adelaide 1991, Brisbane 1994, Sydney 1998 and Melbourne 2001, as well as the alternate State Youth Conferences, all of which were the outcome of the resolution of the 4th Clergy-Laity Congress.

Milestone: Visit of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

A great milestone in the life of our church and people in Australia was of course the historic Official Visit of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in November 1996.

During the anniversary celebrations or the year 2000, the Archdiocese took significant steps to establish relevant institutions, councils and committees as part of its ongoing efforts towards spiritual development. First of all, the Millennium Heritage Council was formed, comprising representatives of both genders from various States around Australia. Arising from that Council were the following initiatives:

a) The 200 member Millennium Choir of the Archdiocese which, together with the Children's Choir drawn from the Orthodox Day Schools in Sydney, brought worldwide recognition to the Greek Australian community, through their splendid participation of the historic Olympic Games of Sydney 2000.

b) The pioneering Provicare Foundation (whose name derives from the "providence" of God and human "care", so that both the divine and human aspects of the Church can be appreciated in an Orthodox manner). The highly painful and responsible concern of this Foundation will be to offer every possible assistance to the growing number of victims of alcohol and drug abuse. Among the aims of Provicare is the establishment of detoxification Centres in the largest cities of Australia, reintegration of those who suffer, as well as scientific research into the related problems "St Andrew's Orthodox Press", for the publications of our Theological College, as well as of our Church newspaper, which will be the mirror of our entire community in Australia, covering Greek Australian issues and projects, and for this reason will be distributed in our Churches throughout Australia free of charge. For the time being, the newspaper shall be monthly. The oldest Greek newspaper in Australia, having been established in Sydney in 1913, THE VEMA was a gift given completely freely to the Church by the prominent and industrious businessman Mr. Greg Gavrielides.

Major events in the history of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia

As early as 1820, a Russian Antarctic expedition pulled into the port of Sydney, where it remained for several months. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated in all its glory by the priest-monk Dioysii at Kirribilli Point in Sydney.

The first priest to serve the needs of the Greek Orthodox in Sydney and Melbourne was Archimandrite Dorotheos Bakaliaros around 1896 AD. He inspired the Greek people celebrating the Liturgy, marriages and baptisms. The first Greek Orthodox Church was opened in May 1898 at Surry Hills, New South Wales, and was dedicated to the Holy Trinity in Melbourne.

In March 1924, the Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand was established under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Christoforos (Knitis) of Serres was the Metropolitan of this new province of the Ecumenical Throne. Metropolitan Christoforos returned to his homeland, Samos, in 1929 where he died on the 7th August, 1959.

By 1927 there were more than 10 000 Greeks living in Australia. Greek Orthodox Communities developed in Brisbane, Perth, Port Pirie and Darwin. Beyond any doubt, in all of these Communities the church was the centre of stability and unity for the new life of the migrant in Australia.

In 1931 Timotheos (Evangelinidis) was elected as the second Metropolitan of Australia and New Zealand, and arrived in Australia on 26th January 1932. He presided of the Church of Australia and New Zealand until 1947, when he was elected Metropolitan of Rhodes.

Theophylactos (Papathanasopoulos) was elected as the third Metropolitan on 22nd April 1947. He died in a car accident on 2nd August 1958.

Bishop Ezekiel (Tsoukalas) of Nazianzos, the Assistant Bishop of the Archdiocese of America, was elected Metropolitan of Australia in February 1959, and took arrived in Sydney on 27th April 1959.

The Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand was elevated to Archdiocese and Metropolitan Ezekiel to Archbishop on 1st September 1959.

This was a period in history when the steep increase in Greek migration from war-torn Europe created new religious and social needs in Australia. This increase was satisfied by the creation of new communities, churches, schools, and other social facilities to care for the young and old. Today the Archdiocese has over 100 priests, 105 churches and 120 community organisations.

Eight Clergy-Laity Congresses have been held since 1961, to better organise the Archdiocese, the last took place in January 1998.

The Clergy - Laity Congress in Sydney, 1998

In January 1970, after a decision of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarch, New Zealand was separated from the Archdiocese of Australia and formed the Metropolis of New Zealand.

In August 1974 the Ecumenical Patriarchate promoted His Eminence Archbishop Ezekiel to the Metropolis of Pisidia (who passed away in Athens during July 1987). On 13th February 1974 the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate unanimously elected His Eminence Metropolitan of Miletoupolis Stylianos (Harkianakis), lecturer at the University of Thessaloniki, as the Archbishop of Australia. He arrived in Australia on the 15th April 1975 and was officially enthroned on Lazarus Saturday on the 26th April 1975.

The new Archbishop, respecting the work of his predecessor in erecting churches and other benevolent institutions, took on as one of his special concerns the social and cultural development of his flock with the systematic cultivation and promotion of the spiritual treasure of Greek Orthodox Tradition.

In order to achieve this, he created closer contact between Orthodox and non-Orthodox churches in Australia and with the universities of this country. Appropriate restructuring of the services of the Archdiocese took place, and the Archbishop was officially appointed to the University of Sydney to teach Orthodox theology. Apart from this, he continues to be a permanent member of various Christian Theological Commissions.

The establishment of new churches and other benevolent institutions continue under the inspiration of the new Archbishop, however priority is given to promotion of the spiritual and cultural treasures of the Greek Orthodox tradition. This was the aim also of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Archdiocese in 1976, which included an entire range of events with positive repercussions not only within the Greek community but also in the Australian society at large.

A Landmark for the Church

A decisive landmark for ecclesiastical matters occurred with the 4th Clergy-Laity Congress, which took place in January 1981. The importance of this historic Congress can not only be seen in the fact that the Governor-General of Australia opened its proceedings, but also in the presence, for the first time, of official representatives of the Patriarchate, as well as special representatives of the Greek Government and Australia's Greek Ambassador.

Of equally great importance and success was the 5th Clergy-Laity Congress which for the first time was held outside of Sydney, in Brisbane, in January 1985, as well as the 6th Clergy-Laity Congress which was held in Melbourne in January 1989.

In January 1993, the 7th Clergy-Laity Congress was held in Sydney, which was declared open by the Australian Prime Minister, His Excellency Mr P. Keating. The Congress was also honoured by the attendance of the representative of His All Holiness, Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia, the envoy of the Greek Government and Director of Church matters with the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Mr G. Sioris as well as the permanent Ambassador of Greece in Australia Mr B. Zafeiropoulos accompanied by the Consuls-General Mr N. Matsis, Mr I. Kampolis and Mr S. Aliagas.

This new and blessed period of our Archdiocese characterised, amongst other things, by the ordination of over thirty new priests, and the sponsoring of spiritual fathers from Mt. Athos and other spiritual people from Greece. Other events included the annual pilgrimage of Greeks to the Holy Land and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the establishment of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Churches of Australia (S.C.C.O.C.A.) under the permanent presidency of the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Archbishop of Australia.

The climax of the work of our Archdiocese can be seen in the completion, after many long efforts, of the establishment of St. Andrew's Theological College. The College curriculum is recognised as equivalent to university courses in Australia and Greece.

Important too are the National youth conferences held in Melbourne 1982, Sydney 1984, Melbourne 1986 and 1989, Adelaide 1991, Brisbane 1994 and Sydney 1998, as well as the alternate State Youth Conferences, all of which were the outcome of the resolution of the 4th Clergy-Laity Congress.

A great milestone in the life of our church and people in Australia was of course the historic Official Visit of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in November 1996.

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Immigration by Greeks to Australia began in the middle of the nineteenth century. On the 29th May 1898, the foundations of the first Greek Orthodox Church, the Holy Trinity, were laid. The first priest to serve the religious needs of the Greek Orthodox in Sydney and Melbourne was Archimandrite Dorotheos Bakaliaros (c.

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This is a good Ancient Greek Olympics Website

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This is a good Ancient Greek Olympics Website

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Annabel

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The Greeks loved sport and the Olympic Games were the sporting event in the ancient calendar.

The Olympic Games began over 2,700 years ago in Olympia, in south west Greece. Every , around 50,000 people came from all over the Greek world to watch and take part. The ancient games were also a religious festival, held in honour of , the king of the gods.

There were no gold, silver and bronze medals. Winners were given a wreath of leaves and a hero's welcome back home. Athletes competed for the glory of their city and winners were seen as being touched by the gods.

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The Greeks loved sport and the Olympic Games were the sporting event in the ancient calendar. The Olympic Games began over 2,700 years ago in Olympia, in south west Greece. Every , around 50,000 people came from all over the Greek world to watch and take part.

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Timothy

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Fundamental questions

The etymological origins of the term democracy hint at a number of urgent problems that go far beyond semantic issues. If a government of or by the people-a "popular" government-is to be established, at least five fundamental questions must be confronted at the outset, and two more are almost certain to be posed if the democracy continues to exist for long.

(1) What is the appropriate unit or association within which a democratic government should be established? A town or city? A country? A business corporation? A university? An international organization? All of these?

(2) Given an appropriate association-a city, for example-who among its members should enjoy full citizenship? Which persons, in other words, should constitute the dēmos? Is every member of the association entitled to participate in governing it? Assuming that children should not be allowed to participate (as most adults would agree), should the dēmos include all adults? If it includes only a subset of the adult population, how small can the subset be before the association ceases to be a democracy and becomes something else, such as an aristocracy (government by the best, aristos) or an oligarchy (government by the few, oligos)?

(3) Assuming a proper association and a proper dēmos, how are citizens to govern? What political organizations or institutions will they need? Will these institutions differ between different kinds of associations-for example, a small town and a large country?

(4) When citizens are divided on an issue, as they often will be, whose views should prevail, and in what circumstances? Should a majority always prevail, or should minorities sometimes be empowered to block or overcome majority rule?

(5) If a majority is ordinarily to prevail, what is to constitute a proper majority? A majority of all citizens? A majority of voters? Should a proper majority comprise not individual citizens but certain groups or associations of citizens, such as hereditary groups or territorial associations?

(6) The preceding questions presuppose an adequate answer to a sixth and even more important question: Why should "the people" rule? Is democracy really better than aristocracy or monarchy? Perhaps, as Plato argues in the Republic, the best government would be led by a minority of the most highly qualified persons-an aristocracy of " philosopher-kings." What reasons could be given to show that Plato's view is wrong?

(7) No association could maintain a democratic government for very long if a majority of the dēmos-or a majority of the government-believed that some other form of government were better. Thus, a minimum condition for the continued existence of a democracy is that a substantial proportion of both the dēmos and the leadership believes that popular government is better than any feasible alternative. What conditions, in addition to this one, favour the continued existence of democracy? What conditions are harmful to it? Why have some democracies managed to endure, even through periods of severe crisis, while so many others have collapsed?

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Democracy | Definition, History, Meaning, Types, Examples, & Facts

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Democracy is a system of government in which power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or through freely elected representatives. The term is derived from the Greek 'demokratia,' which was coined in the 5th century BCE to denote the political systems of some Greek city-states, notably Athens.

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Timothy

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Greek democracy and modern democracy

The architects of the first democracies of the modern era, post-revolutionary France and the United States, claimed a line of descent from classical Greek demokratia - 'government of the people by the people for the people', as Abraham Lincoln put it. But at this point it is crucial that we keep in mind the differences between our and the Greeks' systems of democracy - three key differences in particular: of scale, of participation and of eligibility.

First, scale. There were no proper population censuses in ancient Athens, but the most educated modern guess puts the total population of fifth-century Athens, including its home territory of Attica, at around 250,000 - men, women and children, free and unfree, enfranchised and disenfranchised. Of those 250,000 some 30,000 on average were fully paid-up citizens - the adult males of Athenian birth and full status. Of those 30,000 perhaps 5,000 might regularly attend one or more meetings of the popular Assembly, of which there were at least 40 a year in Aristotle's day. 6,000 citizens were selected to fill the annual panel of potential jurymen who would staff the popular jury courts (a typical size of jury was 501), as for the trial of Socrates.

An Athenian men's club

The second key difference is the level of participation. Our democracy is representative - we choose politicians to rule for us. Athenian democracy was direct and in-your-face. To make it as participatory as possible, most officials and all jurymen were selected by lot. This was thought to be the democratic way, since election favoured the rich, famous and powerful over the ordinary citizen. From the mid fifth century, office holders, jurymen, members of the city's main administrative Council of 500, and even Assembly attenders were paid a small sum from public funds to compensate them for time spent on political service away from field or workshop.

The third key difference is eligibility. Only adult male citizens need apply for the privileges and duties of democratic government, and a birth criterion of double descent - from an Athenian mother as well as father - was strictly insisted upon. Women, even Athenian women, were totally excluded - this was a men's club. Foreigners, especially unfree slave foreigners, were excluded formally and rigorously. The citizen body was a closed political elite.

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The architects of the first democracies of the modern era, post-revolutionary France and the United States, claimed a line of descent from classical Greek demokratia - 'government of the people by the people for the people', as Abraham Lincoln put it.

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Medha

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BBC Primary History - Ancient Greeks - Greeks at War

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Kratos was the personification of strength and power in Greek mythology, son of the Titans Pallas and Styx. He was the brother of Nike (victory), Bia ...

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ALASTOR - Greek God or Spirit of Vengeance & Blood Feuds

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Alastor was the ancient Greek personified spirit (daimon) of the family blood feud--the inflicting of vengeance upon younger generations for the crimes of their forefathers. He was related to the Erinyes, the avengers of murder, but the retaliation which Alastor presided over was directed against the murderer's family rather than the murderer himself.

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Aether was one of the primordial deities in Greek mythology, the son of the primordial deities Erebus (darkness) and Nyx (night), or according to Orph...

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Aeolus was a name given to three mythical characters, but their myths are deeply intertwined in such a fashion that the characters are often difficult…

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Prometheus was the ancient Greek Titan-god of forethought and crafty counsel who was given the task of moulding mankind out of clay. His attempts to better the lives of his creation brought him into conflict with Zeus. Firstly he tricked the gods out of the best portion of the sacrificial feast, acquiring the meat for the feasting of man.

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The Anemoi were the four wind gods in Greek mythology, each of them corresponding to one of the four cardinal directions (North, South, West, East) fr...

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Helios was one of the Titans, son of Hyperion and Theia. He was the personification of the Sun and his sisters were the goddesses Selene (the Moon) an...

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Pluto was one of three brothers and two sisters born to the Roman god, Saturn, and his goddess wife, Ops. Upon the death of Saturn and after the defeat of the Titans, the three brothers divided the realms of their father. Jupiter received the sky as his dominion; Neptune, the sea, and Pluto, the underworld. Though it may seem like Pluto received an inferior inheritance than that of his younger brothers, the Roman underworld was far less sinister than one might imagine.

The Romans recognized that many good things came from beneath the earth, gold, silver, and their crops being chief among them, so Pluto and his domain were not considered be all that terrible. It is said that Pluto lived in a magnificent palace at the entrance to the Elysian Fields, although being underground, it was quite a dark palace.

During the war with the Titans, the Cyclopes gifted the three brothers tools to aid them in battle. Jupiter was given thunder and lightning, Neptune received a trident, and Pluto, a Helmet of Invisibility. As its name would imply, the helmet's primary function was to render its wearer invisible to foes, but it was also said to conceal the true nature of the wearer as well, making it easier to practice deceit. On several occasions, other gods borrowed Pluto's Helmet to accomplish their own feats, but Pluto was always known to be its primary owner.

Besides his Helmet, Pluto was known to possess a few other key items as well. He was often depicted driving an ebony chariot drawn by 4 black horses. As the ruler of the underworld, he also held the keys to the large gates that locked the dead souls permanently within his kingdom. His three headed dog, Cerberus, helped guard the entrance to the underworld, making sure that no one was able to escape as the gates were closed behind them.

Pluto's chief duty as God of the Underworld was meet the newly dead after they were rowed across the River Styx and then to bind the souls in chains and escort them to be judged. After they were judged according to the life they had lived and their deeds while on earth, Pluto then escorted them to their new homes in the underworld. Those who were judged to be good would live forever in in the blissful Elysiun Fields, the land of the blessed; the evil were sentenced to a dark eternity in Tartarus, the region of torment. To ensure that Pluto dealt with their departed loved ones fairly, Romans made yearly sacrifices of all black bulls, sheep, or pigs to him in night time ceremonies. The sacrifices were done over a pit so that the blood could drip down to Pluto in the underworld. Additionally, cypress wood was usually burned at Roman funerals,as it was sacred to Pluto.

After a time, Pluto recognized that he needed a wife to help him rule and to have an heir. Unfortunately, being that Pluto was rather pale and homely from spending so much of his time underground, none of the goddesses wanted to marry him and come live in his dark and gloomy kingdom. During one of his visits above ground he was playfully shot by one of Cupid's arrows and immediately fell in love with the goddess Proserpine, who was frolicking near the river with her maids. He grabbed the beautiful Proserpine and rode away with her in his chariot, and, opening a passage in the river Chemarus, descended with her into the night lands. In spite of being violently kidnapped from her home, Proserpine eventually grew to love Pluto, and, unlike most other gods, Pluto was always faithful to her.

Pluto and Proserpine were visited in the underworld on a few occasions by living souls who were seeking lost souls. One such visitor was Orpheus, who was said to be able to charm even the trees with his delightful music. He came to ask for the return of his bride, and played his music for Pluto and Proserpine in hopes of charming them into granting the soul of his lost Euridice. Though they were greatly touched by his request, they simply could not allow him to take Euridice back to the living world with him. Another visitor was Odysseus, who needed to consult with Teiresias for help on his quest.

On another occasion, Protesilaus,an heroic soldier killed in the battle against the Titans plead with Pluto to return his soul to the land of the living so that he could be reunited with his young wife. Knowing the love of his own wife and understanding how the soldier felt, Pluto tried to comfort him with the reassurance that the two of them would surely be reunited in death. Proserpine was so moved by Protesilaus's request that she intervened to Pluto on his behalf, asking if there was nothing that could be done. Out of love for his wife, Pluto finally granted the couple one last day together.

Link/cite this page

If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content.

Link will appear as Pluto: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net - Greek Gods & Goddesses, March 14, 2017

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Pluto * Facts and Information on the God Pluto

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Pluto was one of three brothers and two sisters born to the Roman god, Saturn, and his goddess wife, Ops. Upon the death of Saturn and after the defeat of the Titans, the three brothers divided the realms of their father. Jupiter received the sky as his dominion; Neptune, the sea, and Pluto, the underworld.

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Cronus is possibly the most famous of the Titans as he was the King and leader of his brothers fighting against Uranus and eventually the Olympian Gods. Born of Uranus and Gaia, he was the wiliest and youngest of their offspring and perhaps the most powerful. Cronus would gain by power by overthrowing his father and eventually lose it by being beaten by his son Zeus.

In Greek mythology, Cronus was the primordial God of time, in which time was described as a destructive, all-devouring force. With the help of his Titan brothers, Cronus was able to depose his father Uranus and rule the cosmos, ruling during the mythological Golden Age. Hesiod in his Theogony recorded this saga; Cronus envied the power of his father, the ruler of the universe. Uranus angered Gaia when he hid her children, the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes in Tartarus, and they were imprisoned unable to see the light. Gaia created a great stone sickle and persuaded Cronus and his Titan brothers to castrate Uranus.

Only Cronus was willing to commit the act, and when it was all over the blood that fell onto the Earth from Uranus created the Gigantes, Erinyes and Meliae. The blood that fell into the sea created white foam from which the goddess Aphrodite emerged.

After dispatching Uranus, Cronus once again incarcerated his youngest siblings, the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes and commanded the dragon Campe to guard them. He and his sister Rhea took the throne as King and Queen and ruled during a Golden Age, as the people of the time had no need for laws and immorality were absent. Cronus had many famous children, one of them was born through his infidelity with Philyra, daughter of Oceanus, when upon being found out by his wife Rhea, Cronus leapt out of bed and galloped off in the form of a stallion. Philyra in shame retreated to the Pelasgian ridges where she gave birth to Chiron, the wise and half divine centaur.

A prophecy, predicted by Uranus, decreed Cronus would be overthrown by his son, to prevent this from occurring Cronus swallowed each of his children; Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hades and Poseidon, as they were born. Rhea, his sister and wife, managed to save the youngest, Zeus, by hiding him away on the island of Crete and feeding Cronus a stone swaddled in cloth. Some versions of the story have Zeus raised by a goat named Amalthea or the nymph Adamanthea on Mount Ida. When Zeus was full-grown he forced Cronus to vomit up his siblings and led the Olympians in a ten-year way against the Titans; Zeus was based on Mount Olympus and the Titans on Mount Othrys. The stone that had been disguised as baby Zeus was set in the earth at Pytho, under the glens of Parnassus, to be a sign and a marvel to mortal men. Eventually, the Olympians were successful and drove their opponents into the pit of Tartarus. After freeing his siblings, Zeus also released the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes; who forged for him his lighting bolts, Hade's helmet and Poseidon's' trident.

Cronus is often depicted with a scythe or a sickle, which was what he used to castrate and overthrow Uranus. He is also associated in Athens with the twelfth day of the Attic month when a festival called Kronia was held in his honour to celebrate the harvest. This celebration is likely due to his association with the virtuous Golden Age of his rule. Thus he continued to preside as a patron of the harvest even though he was ousted from power.

The fate of Cronus differs across texts, in Homeric text, Cronus is imprisoned with the other Titans in Tartarus. In Orphiv's poems, he is incarcerated in the cave of Nyx, a cave of night or darkness. In later myths, according to Pindar, Zeus was said to have released Cronus and his brothers from their prison and make his father the King of the Elysian Islands, home of the blessed dead in the Underworld. This was the final resting place of the souls of heroes and virtuous men such as Orpheus and Lycus, and the Trojan War heroes like Achilles, Patroclus, Ajax and Menelaus. This list is exhaustive as in ancient Greece it was presumed that any hero who possessed a hero cult would be transferred to Elysian.

Other Interesting Facts About Cronus

In Roman mythology, Cronus is depicted as their deity named Saturn, his period of rule was honoured every year by the Saturnalia feast

Saturn was worshipped far more widely, as the God of Agriculture, by the Romans than Cronus had ever been

During the Renaissance, the depiction of Cronus gave rise to 'Father Time' wielding a harvesting scythe

There have been no temples dedicated to Cronus found in Greece

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Cronus * Facts and Information About the Titan Cronus/Kronos

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Cronus is possibly the most famous of the Titans as he was the King and leader of his brothers fighting against Uranus and eventually the Olympian Gods. Born of Uranus and Gaia, he was the wiliest and youngest of their offspring and perhaps the most powerful.

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In Greek mythology, Hypnos is the god associated with sleep. His mother was Nyx (night) and his father was Erebus (darkness). Even Zeus, the most powerful of the Greek gods, was afraid of entering Nyx's realm because she was such a dreadful and powerful goddess.

Hypnos and his twin brother, Thanatos (death), lived in the underworld (Hades)in caves that were located next to each other. The caves received no sunlight or moonlight and were completely silent. The caves were also surrounded by poppies and other plants that produce sleep. His bed is said to be made of ebony.

Hypnos is said to be a calm and gentle god who helps mortal humans in their time of need. Because he is the god of sleep, he owns half of every human life.

The river Lethe (forgetfulness) flows from Hypnos' cave. His cave is also where day and night meet.

Hypnos was asked twice by Hera (the goddess of love and marriage who is married to her brother, Zeus), to put Zeus to sleep. The first time Hypnos put Zeus to sleep it was to avenge the ransacking of the city of Troy by Zeus' son, Heracles. When Zeus woke up and found out what had happened, he tried to find Hypnos, but could not because Hypnos was hiding with his mother, Nyx.

The second time Hypnos put Zeus to sleep it was because Hera promised him he could have Pasithea as his wife. Hypnos made Hera swear an oath by the river Styx before he would help her. Hera then dressed up beautifully and went to Zeus to ask his permission to go to her parents and stop them from arguing. Hera also had a charm given to her by Aphrodite (the goddess of love). Zeus agreed and when he hugged Hera Hypnos put him to sleep. Hypnos then went to Poseidon (god of the sea) and told him he could help the Greeks win the Trojan War. Zeus never realized that Hypnos had put him to sleep a second time.

Hypnos and Pasithea, had three sons, Morpheus, Phobetor and Phantasos who were called Oneiroi (the dreams). The Oneiroi live in a cave that was near the Ocean of the West. Their cave had two doors which would send people their dreams. One of the doors was made of ivory and the other was made of buckthorn. Before the dreams could be sent, Hypnos had to put the person to sleep.

In works of art, Hypnos is depicted as a young man who has wings on either his shoulders or brow. He is often seen holding a horn of opium, which produces sleep, a branch that is dripping water that comes from the Lethe or an inverted torch.

Hypnos is sometimes called Somnus or Hypnus.

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Hypnos * Facts and Information on the God Hypnos

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In Greek mythology, Hypnos is the god associated with sleep. His mother was Nyx (night) and his father was Erebus (darkness). Even Zeus, the most powerful of the Greek gods, was afraid of entering Nyx's realm because she was such a dreadful and powerful goddess.

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Apollo • Greek God of the Sun - Facts and Information

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Apollo facts, information and stories from ancient Greek mythology. Learn about the Greek god of the sun, light, music and prophecy.

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Greek God of Wine & the Grape Harvest

Dionysus was the ancient Greek god of wine, winemaking, grape cultivation, fertility, ritual madness, theater, and religious ecstasy. His Roman name was Bacchus. He may have been worshiped as early as 1500-11000 BCE by Mycenean Greeks. As wine was a major part of ancient Greek culture, Dionysus was an important and popular figure in mythology. He was one of the twelve Olympians, although he was the last to arrive, and his unusual birth and upbringing marked him as an outsider.

Earlier images and descriptions of Dionysus depict him as a mature male, bearded and robed holding a fennel staff tipped with a pine-cone. However, in later images the god is show to be a beardless, sensuous, naked or semi-naked androgynous youth. He is described in literature as womanly or "man-womanish".

He was the son of Zeus and the mortal Semele, making Dionysus semi-device or a hero.

Dionysus Origins

The most common origin given for Dionysus was that he was the son of Zeus and Semele. Zeus seduced and impregnated the beautiful princess of Thebes, but then a jealous Hera tricked Semele into demanding that Zeus reveal his true form to her. As a mortal, Semele could not look upon a god's true form without dying.

Zeus managed to rescue the unborn Dionysus by sewing him into his thigh. A few months later, Dionysus was born from Zeus's thigh. Other versions state that Dionysus's mother was Persephone or Demeter and that Hera sent Titans to kill the infant Dionysus. Regardless of the mother's identity or the nature of the near-death, the myths remained consistent that Zeus sewed Dionysus into his thigh. Thus, Dionysus was known to have been twice-born and was sometimes called "dimetor" (of two mothers).

After Dionysus was born from Zeus's thigh, he was taken to Silenus and the rain nymphs of Mount Nysa to be raised hidden from Hera's wrath. In some versions, he was later taken to be cared for by Semele's sister Ino. Once Dionysus was grown, he learned to cultivate grapes and became the first to turn them into wine. He then wandered across Asia teaching mortals the secrets of winemaking. After his long sojourn, Dionysus ascended Mount Olympus and became the last-arriving of the twelve Olympians.

The Outsider

Because Dionysus was the only Olympian with a mortal mother, because he was raised on the mythical Mount Nysa (which was believed to be either far to the south or the east), and because he wandered Asia before arriving in Greece, Dionysus was seen as an outsider. This was an inherent part of his cult, which often focused on the more subversive elements of his nature. Dionysus was often called Eleutherios, meaning "the liberator," because his wine, music, and ecstatic dance freed his followers from self-consciousness and the restraints of society.

Indeed, as the "twice-born" god, Dionysus had crossed the boundary between life and death, and he was often portrayed as the god who crossed the boundary between the civilized and uncivilized and the known and unknown. He was represented as a god of chaos and the protector of misfits.

Facts about Dionysus

Dionysus was primarily known as the God of the Vine.

He was also referred to as Bacchus.

Dionysus and Demeter, the Goddess of the Corn, were the supreme deities of the earth.

Unlike the immortal gods, who were often hostile toward human beings, Dionysus and Demeter were benevolent toward mankind.

Dionysus was the younger of the two, and little is known about how he came to take his place beside Demeter to be worshipped.

Dionysus and Demeter were worshipped at Eleusis, a little town near Athens.

Dionysus was a happy god during the harvest, but during the winter he languished along with the rest of the Earth.

Dionysus was the last god to enter Olympus.

Dionysus was the son of Zeus and the Theban princess Semele. He was the only god who had a mortal parent.

He was born in Thebes.

He was born of fire and nursed by rain. His birth corresponds to the development of grapes: heat ripens the fruit and water keeps it alive.

Upon reaching adulthood, Dionysus wandered the Earth, teaching men the culture of the vine.

Many festivals were held in honor of Dionysus: the Lesser or Rural Dionysia, the Greater or City Dionysia, the Anthesteria, and the Lenaea.

Dionysus was variously represented in art as a full-grown bearded man, as a beast, and as a slight youth.

Dionysus was insulted by Lycurgus, one of the kings in Thrace. Dionysus initially retreated and took refuge in the sea, but later he imprisoned Lycurgus for opposing his worship.

Performances of tragedy and comedy were a part of the festivals thrown in his honor.

Dionysus was also honored in lyric poetry.

Dionysus was once captured by pirates because he looked like the son of a king. They kidnapped him, envisioning the ransom his parents would pay upon his return. Aboard the ship, the pirates were unable to confine him; the ropes fell apart when they touched Dionysus.

Dionysus rescued the princess of Crete, Ariadne, and subsequently fell in love with her. Upon her death, Dionysus placed the crown he had given her among the stars.

Though Dionysus was mostly a kind and generous deity, he could be cruel when necessary. Pentheus, a king of Thebes, tried to stop the frenzied worship of Dionysus. He attempted to imprison the God of Wine, while hurling insults and accusations at him. Dionysus explained his own eminence calmly, but Pentheus was unreceptive. Dionysus caused the Theban women to go mad so that they thought Pentheus a wild beast. They tore Pentheus limb from limb.

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Dionysus Facts & Info * God Of Wine, Pleasure & Festivity

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Greek God of Fire and Metalworking

Hephaestus was the god of fire, metalworking, stone masonry, forges and the art of sculpture. He was the son of Zeus and Hera and married to Aphrodite by Zeus to prevent a war of the gods fighting for her hand. He was a smithing god, making all of the weapons for Olympus and acting as a blacksmith for the gods.

He had his own palace on Olympus where he made many clever inventions and automatons of metal to work for him. Hephaestus's ugly appearance was the reason Zeus chose him to marry Aphrodite, but despite this she had many affairs with both gods and men.

In one story, Hephaestus builds a tricky invention which catches Aphrodite laying with the Ares, the god of war, trapping them both in the bed to be laughed at and ridiculed by the other gods.

He is similar to Athena in his giving skill and help to mortals - in his case artists. It was believed that Hephaestus taught men the arts alongside Athena. However, he was also considered far inferior to that of the goddess of wisdom.

Facts about Hephaestus

Hephaestus was known as the God of Fire.

Hephaestus is one of the ancient greek fire gods.

In some accounts, he was said to be the son of Zeus and Hera; in others, he was the son of Hera alone, conceived in order to get back at Zeus for bringing forth Athena.

Hephaestus was the only ugly god among perfectly beautiful immortals.

Hephaestus was born deformed and was cast out of heaven by one or both of his parents when they noticed that he was imperfect.

He was the workman of the immortals: he made their dwellings, furnishings, and weapons.

In his workshop, Hephaestus had assistants who were made out of gold and who helped him with his work.

His forge or workshop was located under a volcano, and the work he did within it caused frequent eruptions.

In most accounts, Aphrodite is named as his wife, although she was unfaithful to him (with Ares, for one). Theirs was an arranged marriage.

Hephaestus was a patron of the arts.

He was a kind and peace-loving god.

In art, Hephaestus is usually depicted as bending over an anvil or walking with the assistance of a cane.

He was worshipped primarily in Athens, where he had a temple.

Hephaestus manufactured the aegis (or shield) that Athena is known for carrying.

He made the sword and shield of Achilles

The arrows of Eros (known also as Cupid) were fashioned by Hephaestus as well.

Hephaestus was the god of the ceremony when children were officially admitted to the city organization.

According to a story told both by Homer and Hesiod, Hephaestus married Aglaia, one of the three Graces.

Hephaestus was known for making a gold basket that Europa, daughter of the King of Sidon, used to gather flowers when she happened upon Zeus in the meadow.

Hephaestus crafted the armor that Achilles wore in the Trojan War. The same arms, despite their connection to divinity, brought about the death of Ajax.

Aphrodite gave Harmonia an extraordinary necklace made by Hephaestus. The piece of jewelry brought disaster to later generations.

Erichthonius was the son of Hephaestus: he was half man, half serpent.

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Greek God of Trade, Eloquence and Messenger of the Gods

Hermes was one of the 12 Olympian Gods and was god of trade, thieves, travelers, sports, athletes, and border crossings, guide to the Underworld. He was the second youngest Olympian god and was the son of Zeus and Maia, one of the seven Pleiades and daughter of the Titan Atlas.

As the god of boundaries and transitions, Hermes was known to be quick and cunning and had the ability to freely move between the mortal and divine worlds. It is this skill that made him a luck-bringing messenger to the gods and intercessor between mortals and the divine.

He is also the patron and protector of travelers, herdsmen, thieves, orators and wit, literature and poets, athletics and sports, invention and trade. In some myths Hermes is also depicted as a trickster where he would outwit the gods either for the good of humankind or for his own personal amusement and satisfaction.

Both Homer and Hesiod portrayed Hermes as the author of skilled or deceptive acts, and also as a benefactor of mortals.

Facts about Hermes

Hermes was the son of Zeus and Maia, one of the Pleiades.

He primarily served as the herald or messenger of the gods.

Hermes was the god of shepherds, land travel, and literature. More specifically, he was known as a patron of poetry.

His interests were varied and widespread.

In his role as herald, it also fell to him to conduct souls to Hades.

As was the case with other gods, Hermes was known for abundant love affairs with goddesses.net/mortals/">mortals, goddesses, and nymphs.

According to some sources, Hermes was associated with fertility and good fortune.

Hermes is most often presented as a graceful youth, wearing a winged hat and winged sandals. This is how he appeared to Perseus when he and Athena arrived to help the hero kill Medusa.

Hermes was considered a "trickster" due to his cunning and clever personality.

Hermoea was the name given to the riotous festivals thrown in his honor.

Hermes was born in a cave on a mountain in Arcadia; he was conceived and born within the course of one day.

His son Pan was half man, half goat. Pan's mother was named Dryope, and she was terrified of her son's strange appearance.

Abderus, another of Hermes' sons, was a friend to Hercules. He met his fate when he was devoured by the Mares of Diomedes.

Hermaphroditus (also known as Aphroditus) was an androgynous deity and the offspring of Hermes and Aphrodite.

The tortoise is a symbol of Hermes.

Hermes freed Io, one of Zeus' lovers, from the giant Argus.

Hermes talked the nymph Calypso into releasing Odysseus.

Hermes played a part in the infamous love story of Orpheus and Eurydice. After Eurydice is granted one day on earth with her husband, it is Hermes who escorts her back to the underworld.

He was a patron of thieves. On the day of his birth, Hermes stole cattle from Apollo.

He was the only one other than Hades and Persephone who was allowed to leave the underworld without consequence.

He was the god of boundaries, both literal and figurative.

More articles that mentions Hermes
Hermes Coloring Pages Children of Zeus Pandora's Box Aphrodite's Children
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Ares is the god of war, one of the Twelve Olympian gods and the son of Zeus and Hera. In literature he represents the violent and physical untamed aspect of war, which is in contrast to Athena who represents military strategy and generalship as the goddess of intelligence.

Although Ares embodied the physical aggression necessary for success in war, the Greeks were ambivalent toward him because he was a dangerous, overwhelming force that was insatiable in battle.

He is well known as the lover of Aphrodite, who was married to Hephaestus, and though Ares plays a limited role in literature, when he does appear in myths it is typically facing humiliation. For example, one famous story of Ares and Aphrodite exposes them to ridicule by the gods when her husband Hephaestus trapped them both naked in a bed using a clever device he made.

The Roman counterpart to Ares was Mars, who was known as a father to the Roman people. Because of this, he was a less aggressive and physical form, revealing a more calm and understanding demeanour.

Facts about Ares

Ares was most notably referred to as the God of War; he represented the unpleasant aspects of battle.

He was the son of Zeus and Hera, both of whom hated him (according to Homer).

He was most often characterized as a coward in spite of his connection to war; he responded to even the slightest injury with outrage.

According to some sources, Ares was described as Aphrodite's lover and was held in contempt by her husband, Hephaestus. The affair between them was not a secret among the Olympians.

Ares was never very popular-either with men or the other immortals. As a result, his worship in Greece was not substantial or widespread.

He came from Thrace, home of a fierce people in the northeast of Greece.

His bird was the vulture.

The Amazons, warrior women, were his daughters. Their mother was a peace-loving nymph named Harmony.

Otus and Ephialtes, twin giants, imprisoned Ares for a lunar year by binding him with chains of brass; he was eventually rescued by Hermes.

He always took the side of Aphrodite in the Trojan War. He fought for Hector (a Trojan) until a Greek warrior, Achilles, pierced him with a spear that was guided by Athena. He then departed the battlefield in order to complain to Zeus about Athena's violence.

Harmonia, Goddess of Harmony, was the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite.

He also had a son Dinlas with Aphrodite.

Eros (more commonly known as Cupid) was also the child of Ares and Aphrodite.

Tereus, a son of Ares, was known to have inherited his father's abhorrent qualities.

He was the biological father of at least three of Hercules' enemies: Cycnus, Lycaon, and Diomedes.

He had a sister named Eris, who was the Goddess of Discord.

Hebe, another sister of his, was the Goddess of Youth.

Ares rarely figures into mythology stories, but when he does, he usually suffers some form of humiliation.

He was associated with two other war deities: Enyalius and Enyo.

He had many offspring, which is characteristic of nearly all of the notable Greek gods. He conceived more mortal children than divine children.

In art, Ares is generally depicted wearing a spear and a helmet.

The other children of Zeus and Hera are Hebe and Hephaestus.

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Ancient Greek depictions of the afterlife are far different from modern ideologies. While they share similarities, most Greek portrayals of the afterlife involved a single place: The Underworld.

The Underworld was a place where all human souls went after death. Contrary to popular belief, humans didn't go the Greek equivalent of heaven. Elysian Fields, also known as Elysium, was for heroes like Perseus and Achilles.

In "The Iliad," the Underworld dominion was between "Secret place on Earth." However, the Homeric hymn, "The Odyssey," described it as only accessible by crossing the ocean. Either way, the realm was separate from the land of the living, and one god resided over it. That god was Hades.

Hades is the god of the Underworld and the dead. In ancient Greece, few dared to utter his name. If they did, many were referring to his realm, which many called "Hades" as well. The god was a brother to the Twelve Olympian gods. Though he was born at the same time and shared the same lineage as the other Olympian guardians, his realm was far below Mount Olympus.

The Origins of Hades

Hades was the child of Cronus and Rhea. He was born after Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. But like his siblings before him, Hades was swallowed by Cronus upon birth. The Titan god feared that one of his offspring would take his throne. He ate them whole to prevent that prophecy from happening.

This act of swallowing his children continued until Rhea gave birth to his brother Zeus. Instead of giving Cronus the baby, Rhea swaddled a rock. Cronus swallowed it instead, allowing Zeus to grow to maturity.

When he was of age, Zeus forced Cronus to disgorge his siblings. Interestingly enough, Hades was the first son of Cronus and Rhea. However, he was the last to be regurgitated. As a result, he's both the oldest and youngest son.

The freeing of the Olympians kicked off a divine war called the Titanomachy. The ten-year war raged between the Titans and the new generation of gods, the Olympians. Zeus ended up freeing the Titans' beastly siblings from Tartarus. The Hecatoncheires and the Cyclops fought among the Olympians, eventually leading to the fall of the Titans.

Thus, a new era was born, and the Titans were imprisoned in Tartus.

Becoming Ruler of the Underworld

The end of the Titanomachy left many of the realms open for rule. Zeus took the mantle on Mount Olympus and was declared King of the gods. However, the Olympians had to decide who would rule over what realm. So, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus drew lots to determine what domains they ruled.

Zeus became the god of the sky, Poseidon became the god of the sea, and Hades became the god of the Underworld, an unseen realm where human souls go after death. The Earth remained with the primordial goddess Gaia.

Hades took to the role quite well. He resided in his kingdom and rarely left. Instead, he spent most of his time within the boundaries created by the Rivers Acheron, Styx, Cocytus, Phlegethon, and Lethe. He interacted with very few but was close with figures that resided in the Underworld. For example, he had a connection to the Cerberus and the ferryman of the River Styx, Charon.

While he was heavily feared, Hades was more altruistic in nature than most ancient Greeks realized. He defended the rights of the dead and focused his attention on his domain only.

While he does appear in some legends, Hades cared very little about what happened in the land of the living. However, he did exercise his authority when heroes and gods entered his realm. The god of the Underworld strictly forbade any soul from leaving his dominion.

His anger and wrath would come out when anyone attempted to leave or when someone tried to steal souls. Two famous figures, Sisyphus and Pirithous, found out about his dedication the hard way. Hades spent much of his time punishing and torturing the two figures for their sins of attempting to bring souls back to the living realm.

Depictions of Hades

Because Hades rarely left his realm, stories of his wrath spread through ancient Greece. He became a feared figure, so much so that humans didn't dare speak his name. Greeks used a myriad of epithets to describe the deity.

Some popular names include:
"Zeus of the Underworld"
"The Other Zeus"
"The Infernal Zeus"
"The Grisly God"
"The Host of Many"
"The Attractor of Man"

Some also referred to Hades as "Plouton" and "Giver of Wealth."

Those nicknames are a product of Hades' other title. In addition to being the god of the Underworld, Greeks saw him as the god of hidden wealth.

This reputation likely came due to the fact that precious metals and gems came from the Earth below. Not surprisingly, the name "Plouton" would eventually evolve into his Roman name: Pluto.

Depictions of Hades were rare. To ancient Greeks, he was a ghastly figure worth fearing. Not only did they not utter his name, but they did their best to avoid portraying him in art.

In the rare instances when artists braved the perceived taboo, Hades was usually shown as a bearded regal god. To reflect his nature, artists often portrayed him as solemn and mournful.

Sculptors frequently put Cerberus, the three-headed guardian dog of the Underworld, by his side. He often wore a helmet, too. It was known as the "Helm of Darkness" or the "Cap of Invisibility."

Later works added a unique weapon presumable crafted by Hephaestus, a bident. It was similar to the three-pronged trident of Poseidon. However, it only featured two prongs.

Some scholars believe that it inspired the pitchfork shown in modern Christian depictions of the devil. Sometimes, the bident was a simple scepter.

As Plouton, this god had more flattering depictions. He usually held a cornucopia called the "Horn of Plenty."

Hades had many symbols. They most often included items related to his myths. For example, the god had a connection to pomegranates, snakes, dogs, chariots, and more. However, symbols like white poplar and cypress trees also represented the god of the Underworld.

Hades and Persephone

There aren't too many stories involving Hades directly. He's a central figure in Greek mythology, but he's most often mentioned in passing or shown whenever a hero enters the Underworld.

However, there is one famous story. It involves the abduction of Persephone.

Persephone was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the goddess of fertility and agriculture. According to this legend, the only time Hades entered the land of the living was to watch Persephone. He fell in love with her and wanted to take her as his bride.

Some versions of the tale are a little less "romantic." Instead of falling in love, Hades reportedly petitioned Zeus to give up a daughter to be his bride.

Either way, Haded knew that Persephone wouldn't want to go willingly. So, he devised a plan to take her. As she frolicked at Nysian Plain, Hades appeared to her in his golden chariot. Some versions say that Hades caused a flower to bloom and distract Persephone. Others say that he simply whisked her away while her maidens focused on something else.

Whatever the case may be, Hades abducted Persephone and took her into the Underworld.

That caused a great deal of pain for Demeter. She searched the ends of the earth for her daughter. Eventually, Hecate informed her of Hades' abduction. Helios, the all-seeing sun god, confirmed the events. That only enraged Demeter more.

She abandoned her divine duties, and the land became barren and infertile. The Olympians feared that her effect on the world would wipe out humanity entirely. So, Zeus sent god after god to beg Demeter to return to her duties. But, she refused.

Zeus sends the messenger god Hermes to the Underworld to retrieve Persephone in a last-ditch effort.

The Creation of the Seasons

How Hades responded is different from one iteration to the next. Some say that the god agreed, but only on the condition that Persephone eats a single pomegranate seed. In doing so, she would be bound to his realm.

In other versions, Persephone already ate the seed or had to escape Hades. Regardless, Persephone was now the Queen of the Underworld. She couldn't leave completely. With Demeter and Hades wanting Persephone to themselves, Zeus had to intervene.

He established rules for Persephone. She had to spend a third of the year with her mother, a third of the year with Hades in the Underworld, and a third of the year with whomever she chose.

Persephone ultimately chose to spend the latter third of the year with Persephone. As a result, she only had to spend one-third of the year in the Underworld with Hades.

That third represents the winter season. The spring and summer are fruitful times of the year full of life and beauty. But according to the mythos, Demeter leaves Mount Olympus to grieve the absence of Persephone at her temple in Eleusis. During that time, the land goes barren as winter takes over.

Children of Hades and Persephone

There are some conflicting accounts about how many children the unorthodox couple had. Some poets say that the two didn't have offspring at all! However, most accounts agree that there were at least a couple of children. They could have been Zagreus and Macaria.

Melinoe, Plutus, and the Erinyes may have been born from Hades and Persephone as well.

Melinoe was a nymph invoked in one of the Orphic hymns. She was a bringer of nightmares and madness, which is fitting for the offspring of the King of the Underworld.

Plutus was the god of wealth. While some call him the progeny of Hades, he's most likely the son of Demeter and Iason.

The Erinyes, also known as the Furies, are called the daughters of Pluto in Virgil's "Aenid." The Furies are deities of vengeance.

Hades in Greek Myths

The story of Persephone is one of the most famous Hades tales. But, the god appears several times when other figures enter his domain.

Orpheus

Orpheus, the legendary musician and prophet, reportedly encountered Hades on his quest to find his wife. He wanted to bring Eurydice back from the dead. He pled Hades and Persephone, even going so far as to play his lyre to appease them.

It worked, and Hades let them make their way out of the Underworld. The only stipulation was that the two could not look back.

But as Orpheus crossed the opening to the land of the living, he looked back with joy at Eurydice. But because she was a few steps behind him, she had not crossed the threshold. She vanished into the Underworld.

Theseus and Pirithous

This pairing entered the Underworld to kidnap Persephone. They were on a quest to marry the daughters of Zeus. Theseus had already kidnapped Helen and left her with his mother. The two went to the Underworld to take Persephone for Pirithous.

Hades was well aware of their plan. Upon seeing them, he offered hospitality as a ruse. When the pair sat down for a feast, snakes wrapped around their feet. Hades punished them, with Pirithous remaining trapped for all eternity.

The god Hades reportedly forced Pirithous to sit on the "Chair of Forgetfulness." Theseus was eventually saved by Heracles (Hercules).

Sisyphus

Sisyphus was a mortal king who crossed Zeus. Zeus sent Thanatos, the god of death, to kill him. But Sisyphus was too cunning and ended up trapping Thanatos. In the meantime, no one could die. Ares, the god of war, had to free Thantanos and punish Sisyphus.

Yet again, Sisyphus found a way to "rig" the system. After his death, he instructed his wife not to perform funeral rites. In doing so, he disrupted the procession of the Underworld. Hades instructed him to go back to the land of the living to punish his wife. But of course, Sisyphus never returned as he was supposed to.

When he eventually died of old age, Hades tortured Sisyphus by forcing him to roll a boulder up a hill in the Underworld for all of eternity. If the boulder got close to the top of the hill, it would roll back down and force Sisyphus to try again.

Heracles

Heracles famously entered the Underworld during the last of his Twelve Labors. He was instructed to take the guardian Cerberus. After learning how to enter and exit the Underworld alive, he went to Hades to ask if he could take Cerberus. Surprisingly, Hades agreed as long as Heracles did not harm the three-headed dog.

Hades Trivia:

Hades is the Greek god of the Underworld and the god of the dead.

Hades was also known as Haides, Aidoneus, Plouton, Pluto, and Dis.

The god of the Underworld also had a connection to the Earth's riches. According to Greek mythology, he presided over hidden wealth.

The name "Hades" is also the name of the god's realm.

Hades is a child of Titans Cronus and Rhea.

Hades is most known for kidnapping and marrying Demeter's daughter, Persephone.

Hades and Persephone had at least two children. However, some accounts say they had more.

Hades had a couple of consorts outside of Persephone. They included Leuce, a nymph daughter of Oceanus, and Minthe, a nymph of the River Cocytus.

Hades presided over funeral rites and the right to due burial.

The god of the Underworld is often depicted alongside the guardian of his realm, the Cerberus.

Hades FAQs
Who is Hades wife? Who is Hades?
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Hades * Greek God of the Underworld - Facts and Information

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Hades facts, information and stories from ancient Greek mythology. Learn about the Greek god of the dead and king of the underworld, Hades.

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⚡️Zeus ⚡️• Facts and Information on Greek God of the Sky

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Zeus facts, information and stories from ancient Greek mythology. Learn about the Greek god of the sky and king of the gods, Zeus.

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An account of the The Battle of Marathon

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The revolt had several lasting effects. The Ionian enlightenment ended. Darius I's anger for Athens grew, because of the aid they provided to the Ionians, and gave him the incentive to invade Greece. The rebellion had clearly shown that the empire was unstable, and vulnerable to internal conflicts.

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Rick Riordan | Welcome to the Online World of Rick Riordan

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Please select a name from the list below to view the Greek god's description.

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In around 450 B.C., the Athenian general Pericles tried to consolidate his power by using public money, the dues paid to Athens by its allies in the Delian League coalition, to support the city-state's artists and thinkers. Most of all, Pericles paid artisans to build temples and other public buildings in the city of Athens. He reasoned that this way he could win the support of the Athenian people by doling out plenty of construction jobs while building public monuments so grand that people would come from far and wide to see them, increasing Athens' prestige as well as his own.

The Architecture of Classical Greece

The most noteworthy result of Pericles' public-works campaign was the magnificent Parthenon, a temple in honor of the city's patron goddess Athena. The architects Iktinos and Kallikrates and the sculptor Phidias began work on the temple in the middle of the 5th century B.C. The Parthenon was built atop the Acropolis, a natural pedestal made of rock that was the site of the earliest settlements in Athens, and Pericles invited other people to build there as well: In 437 B.C., for example, the architect Mnesikles started to build a grand gateway known as the Propylaia at its western end, and at the end of the century, artisans added a smaller temple for the Greek goddess Athena-this one in honor of her role as the goddess of victory, Athena Nike-along with one for Athena and Erechtheus, an Athenian king. Still, the Parthenon remained the site's main attraction.

Did you know? Many of the sculptures from the Parthenon are on display at the British Museum in London. They are known as the Elgin Marbles.

Greek Temple Architecture

With its rectangular stone platform, front and back porches (the pronaos and the opisthodomos) and rows of columns, the Parthenon was a commanding example of Greek temple architecture. Typically, the people of ancient Greece did not worship inside their temples as we do today. Instead, the interior room (the naos or the cella) was relatively small, housing just a statue of the deity the temple was built to honor. Worshippers gathered outside, entering only to bring offerings to the statue.

The temples of classical Greece all shared the same general form: Rows of columns supporting a horizontal entablature (a kind of decorative molding) and a triangular roof. At each end of the roof, above the entablature, was a triangular space known as the pediment, into which sculptors squeezed elaborate scenes. On the Parthenon, for example, the pediment sculptures show the birth of Athena on one end and a battle between Athena and Poseidon on the other.

So that people standing on the ground could see them, these pediment sculptures were usually painted bright colors and were arrayed on a solid blue or red background. This paint has faded with age; as a result, the pieces of classical temples that survive today appear to be made of white marble alone.

Proportion and Perspective

The architects of classical Greece came up with many sophisticated techniques to make their buildings look perfectly even. They crafted horizontal planes with a very slight upward U-shape and columns that were fatter in the middle than at the ends. Without these innovations, the buildings would appear to sag; with them, they looked flawless and majestic.

Ancient Greek Sculpture

Not many classical statues or sculptures survive today. Stone statues broke easily, and metal ones were often melted for re-use. However, we know that Greek sculptors such as Phidias and Polykleitos in the 5th century and Praxiteles, Skopas and Lysippos in the 4th century had figured out how to apply the rules of anatomy and perspective to the human form just as their counterparts applied them to buildings. Earlier statues of people had looked awkward and fake, but by the classical period they looked natural, almost at ease. They even had realistic-looking facial expressions.

One of the most celebrated Greek sculptures is the Venus de Milo, carved in 100 B.C. during the Hellenistic Age by the little-known Alexandros of Antioch. She was discovered in 1820 on the island of Melos.

Ancient Greek Pottery

Classical Greek pottery was perhaps the most utilitarian of the era's art forms. People offered small terra cotta figurines as gifts to gods and goddesses, buried them with the dead and gave them to their children as toys. They also used clay pots, jars and vases for almost everything. These were painted with religious or mythological scenes that, like the era's statues, grew more sophisticated and realistic over time.

Much of our knowledge of classical Greek art comes from objects made of stone and clay that have survived for thousands of years. However, we can infer that the themes we see in these works-an emphasis on pattern and order, perspective and proportion and man himself-appeared as well in less-durable creations such as ancient Greek paintings and drawings.

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In around 450 B.C., the Athenian general Pericles tried to consolidate his power by using public money, the dues paid to Athens by its allies in the Delian League coalition, to support the city-state's artists and thinkers. Most of all, Pericles paid artisans to build temples and other public buildings in the city of Athens.

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Ancient Greece - Persian, Peloponnesian, Spartan, Greek Wars

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Information on Ancient Greek Wars, Peloponnesian, Persian Wars.

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The Ancient Greeks formed alliances like no civilization before them.

This massive assembly of city-states led to the existence of massive armies that were more coordinated and powerful than anything the world had ever seen.

Here are five of the ancient Greek battles that forever altered the course of human culture and progress:

Greek Wars: The Battle of Marathon, 490 BC

The Battle of Marathon, which took place during the first Persian invasion of Greece, was fought between the combined forces of Athens and Plataea against King Darius' Persian army.

Darius attempted to invade Greece after the Athenians had sent aid to Ionia to help with their revolt against the Persians.

After effectively shutting down the revolt, the angry king turned his attention to Greece, first capturing Eretria, then sailing into Marathon for vengeance.

Though heavily outnumbered, the Greek forces managed to defeat the lightly armed Persian army after only five days.

Darius spent the rest of his life rebuilding his army for another invasion - but the second chance at success wouldn't come until after his death when his son, Xerxes, led troops in.

The Battle of Marathon was significant because it proved to the world that the Persians could be defeated.

More interestingly (though less significantly), it led to the creation of marathon running, which was inspired by an inaccurate story about a Greek messenger running to Athens from Marathon with news of victory. The sport was subsequently introduced in the 1896 Athens Olympics.

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5 Dramatic Ancient Greek Battles That Helped Set The Course Of World History

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The Ancient Greeks formed alliances like no civilization before them. This massive assembly of city-states led to the existence of massive armies that were more coordinated and powerful than anything the world had ever seen.

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So now you know why the weapons of the Greek gods were considered the most powerful tools in Greek Mythology because of their use in creating peace throughout Mount Olympus. The three brothers used their weapons to defeat their father and to protect the mortal humans that worshipped them.

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This website is an easy-to-follow overview of the many Greek gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. From the Olympian gods and goddesses right down to the many minor gods and goddesses found in Greek literature, you'll find quick and fun information on many gods and goddesses.

From Aphrodite to Zeus, if you need concise facts on a Greek god or goddess for a school project or if you're just interested in learning something new about the gods and goddesses in general, you've come to the right place.

You can also learn about a number of famous greek mythical stories and famous Greek heroes who interacted with the Greek Gods.

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Greek Gods and Goddesses * Facts and Information

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Facts and information on the many Greek gods and goddesses of ancient mythology. From the Olympian gods and goddesses down to the minor gods and goddesses.

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Steven

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Greek Culture and Traditions of Modern Greece

Civilisation: The location of Greece on the crossroads of 3 continents has had a dramatic effect on the Greek civilisation and culture. Using the Greek High School history books as an example, civilisation and culture began with the history of older civilisations like the Mesopotamian, the Middle East and Egypt and then moving on to incorporate Prehistoric Greece and Ancient Greek History. As a result, the Greeks took many elements from all these ancient civilisations around them, adapting the ones that were close to their nature and way of life whilst the remaining elements served to further develop and move them forward, like the development of astronomy, sculpture and architecture. Because of these developments a unique civilisation was created which always had the human at its very centre. From these things sprung the renowned Greek philosophy, democracy the arts and sciences that is to be read in any major publication about ancient Greece. It was these things that were created by the ancient Greeks which was offered to the rest of human kind. Still today the Greeks do what their ancestors did 3000 years ago, they hold on to elements and affections both from the east and the west. The links with the East are still strong and the effect of Byzantine Greece can be seen today in the Greek Orthodox religion, and modern Greek Music.

Music: The Ancient elements of Greek music can be found in the music of the Greeks of the Black sea (Pontos), in the ancient sound of the goat skin bagpipes (Tsampounes) on many Greek islands , in the sounds of the flute of the Greek shepherds in northern Greece and in the sounds of the Cretan Lyra in Crete. All of these Byzantine and ancient elements come together with the Smyrneika. Smyrneika is the music that the Greeks of Asia Minor brought with them and is the most typical of Greek folk music. However, as in the past so as today, the Greeks love to mix things, with the consequence that Greek music has adapted and adopted the musical elements from the West including Latin rhythms and sounds, Italian music, Rock and Blues as well as rap and hip hop music.

Religion: As a Greek Orthodox myself, the Greek Orthodox religion does have some rules but, in my opinion, is more free than other denominations of Christianity. In Greece, a priest can marry (although this is not allowed for monks and bishops). Furthermore, following a divorce, Greeks can remarry in church. As a nation, although the Greeks are religious they are not seriously devout or fundamentalist in their approach to religious matters. The huge majority of Greeks will go only occasionally to the church for a service. This may be for a marriage, funeral or baptism. Everyone will go to the church on Good Friday and Easter Saturday partly to listen and follow the Liturgy but mainly for the spectacular firework displays that are a traditional part of a Greek Easter. Inside the church, the congregation will mostly consist of the older generation of especially women. Having said this, almost every Greek, young or old, will cross themselves when passing by a church and, in cases of danger and need, will cry out "help me Christ and Mary". Yes, the faith is deep and strong for almost every Greek even if they don't go to church often or don't take communion every Sunday leaving such religious rituals to once or twice a year. One of the main reasons for this is, I believe, the Greek spirit of independence and freedom, a spirit which lives within every Greek soul. Greeks have their strong faith to Christ and Mary but also don't want to be bound by rules that have been dictated from several emperors, patriarchs and monks of the old Byzantium era.

Greek Traditions related with the religion:

Apokries: There is a main period of feasting that covers the 40 days before Easter week , the Sarakosti (the name derives from the number 40, Saranta). This feast starts at the end of the four week Greek Carnival time (Apokries) which begins around the middle of March on Clear Monday (Kathari Deftera). Clear Monday is the first Monday that follows the 4 weeks of Apokria. Even though the Greeks will not feast for the next 40 days, on this particular day, the Kathari Deftera, they will go to the countryside to celebrate with special feast food (Vegetables, Pickles, taramosalata, grilled octopus, lots of wine and the special flat bread made specially for this day (the Lagana). A part of the tradition beloved by children is kite flying. As a child myself I used to make my own kite for that day using newspaper, string and straws. Today the children by plastic ready-made kites from the shops but the enjoyment and the tradition is still very much alive.

Klydonas: The Feast of Klydonas and the jumping over fire during St John's celebration at the end of June is one of the traditions that has slowly disappeared. The reason why this is so is not surprising. As the cities got bigger and more crowded there was no longer anywhere that one could safely pile up logs and make a fire in the neighbourhood streets. 40 years ago though this was an exciting event that could be experienced in nearly every neighbourhood. A quaint tradition that happened the day before this Feast of Klydonas was for young unmarried girls to try and fish out of a jar of water a ring or coin that had been previously placed there. The Jar would be placed on the roof of buildings and covered by a white cloth and, the next evening, all the neighbours would gather at the doorstep of a house for the opening of the jar with the (Amilito Nero) the silent water. The young girls would fish around in the jar without being able to see deep into its contents, then as one was picking out of the jar a ring or a coin, an older woman would recite poems from the popular Almanac Calendar. These poems were a kind of prophecy for the girls and would ensure that they would find their true love to marry in the near future. This ceremony was followed with the jumping over the fire that had been lit in the middle of the street.

My Big Fat Greek Marriage: The Marriage traditions in Greece vary slightly from place to place. In the islands you will find a more intensive and colourful tradition going on. In the Dodecanese, for example, the celebration starts a couple of days before when relatives and friends will go to the new house of the couple "to make the marriage bed". This is like the kitchen party found in some Western countries or similar to adding to the new couples dowry. However, instead of gifts for the house, money (and sometime serious money) inside envelopes is given. Usually the couple's fathers will set the ball rolling by throwing money on the marriage bed as a gift to the new couple. Depending on their financial status, the amounts of money the fathers throw can sometimes be very large indeed. This is followed by friends and relatives who will add to this their envelope with money, afterwards a baby will be placed on the bed in order to bring prosperity and fertility to the couple. On the day of the wedding, from early in the afternoon, the two houses of the bride and groom's families will be very busy. At the bride's house, the bride's girlfriends will dress her and make her beautiful for the marriage ceremony, whilst at the house of the groom the main event of the preparations will be in full swing. As his friends are dressing him and getting him ready, the gathering of friends and family of the groom sing the marital song. In the meanwhile visitors, friends and relatives have a great drinking party in the main lounge or on the veranda if it is good weather. The party is usually accompanied by live music played by local musicians. A half hour before the ceremony the gathering will go to the church. Traditionally musicians will follow as well, playing wedding songs, and this can still be seen - especially on the islands of Greece. At the gate of the church, the groom will wait for the bride and when she comes the ceremony will continue with a small liturgy, the exchanging of vows and the dance of Hisais. The Priest and the bride and groom must walk 3 times around the altar whilst the priest sings the Hisaie dance. The marriage ceremony is followed by a huge party usually held at a big restaurant with music and dancing. Traditionally, the best man or best woman of the bride and groom will be the Godfather or Godmother of the first child born to the couple.

Among the many comments we received mostly from students, here are some of them:
Anonymous:I found the info to be helpful and also vary detailed and it help lots with my homework XD =P thanks
PS I think u did a really good job with this

Anonymous: I was wondering if you could tell me your name so I can give credit for this article. (Answer : my name is George).
Anonymous: Thanks, this was very informative for my homework
Update: The page was part of the blog Living in Greece, from now on if you want to post any comments send us an email

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Modern Greek Culture and traditions of Greece

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Civilisation: The location of Greece on the crossroads of 3 continents has had a dramatic effect on the Greek civilisation and culture. Using the Greek High School history books as an example, civilisation and culture began with the history of older civilisations like the Mesopotamian, the Middle East and Egypt and then moving on to incorporate Prehistoric Greece and Ancient Greek History.

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Steven

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The Orthodox Church throughout the ages has maintained a continuity of faith and love with the apostolic community which was founded by Christ and sustained by the Holy Spirit. Orthodoxy believes that she has preserved and taught the historic Christian Faith, free from error and distortion, from the time of the Apostles. She also believes that there is nothing in the body of her teachings which is contrary to truth or which inhibits real union with God. The air of antiquity and timelessness which often characterizes Eastern Christianity is an expression of her desire to remain loyal to the authentic Christian Faith.

Orthodoxy believes that the Christian Faith and the Church are inseparable. It is impossible to know Christ, to share in the life of the Holy Trinity, or to be considered a Christian, apart from the Church. It is in the Church that the Christian Faith is proclaimed and maintained. It is through the Church that an individual is nurtured in the Faith.

Revelation

God is the source of faith in the Orthodox Church. Orthodoxy believes that God has revealed Himself to us, most especially in the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom we know as the Son of God. This Revelation of God, His love, and His purpose, is constantly made manifest and contemporary in the life of the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Orthodox Faith does not begin with mankind's religious speculations, nor with the so-called "proofs" for the existence of God, nor with a human quest for the Divine. The origin of the Orthodox Christian Faith is the Self-disclosure of God. Each day, the Church's Morning Prayer affirms and reminds us of this by declaring, "God is the Lord and He has revealed Himself to us." While the inner Being of God always remains unknown and unapproachable, God has manifested Himself to us; and the Church has experienced Him as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity, which is central to the Orthodox Faith, is not a result of pious speculation, but of the overwhelming experience of God. The doctrine affirms that there is only One God, in whom there are three distinct Persons. In other words, when we encounter the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit, we are truly experiencing contact with God. While the Holy Trinity is a mystery which can never be fully comprehended, Orthodoxy believes that we can truly participate in the Trinity through the life of the Church, especially through our celebration of the Eucharist and the Sacraments, as well as the non-sacramental services.

Incarnation of Jesus Christ

Together with the belief in the Holy Trinity, the doctrine of the Incarnation occupies a central position in the teaching of the Orthodox Church. According to Orthodox Faith, Jesus is much more than a pious man or a profound teacher of morality. He is the "Son of God who became the Son of Man." The doctrine of the Incarnation is an expression of the Church's experience of Christ. In Him, divinity is united with humanity without the destruction of either reality. Jesus Christ is truly God who shares in the same reality as the Father and the Spirit. Moreover, He is truly man who shares with us all that is human. The Church believes that, as the unique God-man, Jesus Christ has restored humanity to fellowship with God.

By manifesting the Holy Trinity, by teaching the meaning of authentic human life, and by conquering the powers of sin and death through His Resurrection, Christ is the supreme expression of the love of God the Father, for His people, made present in every age and in every place by the Holy Spirit through the life of the Church. The great Fathers of the Church summarized the ministry of Christ in the bold affirmation, "God became what we are so that we may become what He is."

Scriptures

The Holy Scriptures are highly regarded by the Orthodox Church. Their importance is expressed in the fact that a portion of the Bible is read at every service of Worship. The Orthodox Church, which sees itself as the guardian and interpreter of the Scriptures, believes that the books of the Bible are a valuable witness to God's revelation. The Old Testament is a collection of forty-nine books of various literary styles which expresses God's revelation to the ancient Israelites. The Orthodox Church regards the Old Testament as a preparation for the coming of Christ and believes that it should be read in light of His revelation.

The New Testament is centered upon the person and work of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the early Church. The four Gospels are an account of Christ's life and teaching, centering upon His Death and Resurrection. The twenty-one epistles and the Acts of the Apostles are devoted to the Christian life and the development of the early Church. The Book of Revelation is a very symbolic text which looks to the return of Christ. The New Testament, especially the Gospels, is very important to Orthodoxy because here is found a written witness to the perfect revelation of God in the Incarnation of the Son of God, in the person of Jesus Christ.

Tradition

While the Bible is treasured as a valuable written record of God's revelation, it does not contain wholly that revelation. The Bible is viewed as only one expression of God's revelation in the ongoing life of His people. Scripture is part of the treasure of Faith which is known as Tradition. Tradition means that which is "handed on" from one generation to another. In addition to the witness of Faith in the Scripture, the Orthodox Christian Faith is celebrated in the Eucharist; taught by the Fathers; glorified by the Saints; expressed in prayers, hymns, and icons; defended by the seven Ecumenical Councils; embodied in the Nicene Creed; manifested in social concern; and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, it is lived in every local Orthodox parish. The life of the Holy Trinity is manifested in every aspect of the Church's life. Finally, the Church, as a whole, is the guardian of the authentic Christian Faith which bears witness to that Revelation.

Councils and Creed

As Orthodoxy has avoided any tendency to restrict the vision of God's revelation to only one avenue of its life, the Church has also avoided the systematic or extensive definition of its Faith. Orthodoxy affirms that the Christian Faith expresses and points to the gracious and mysterious relationship between God and humanity. God became man in the person of Jesus Christ, not to institute a new philosophy or code of conduct, but primarily to bestow upon us "new life" in the Holy Trinity. This reality, which is manifest in the Church, cannot be wholly captured in language, formulas, or definitions. The content of the Faith is not opposed to reason, but is often beyond the bounds of reason, as are many of the important realities of life. Orthodoxy recognizes the supreme majesty of God, as well as the limitations of the human mind. The Church is content to accept the element of mystery in its approach to God.

Only when the fundamental truths of the Faith are seriously threatened by false teachings does the Church act to define dogmatically an article of faith. For this reason, the decisions of the seven Ecumenical Councils of the ancient undivided Church are highly respected. The Councils were synods to which bishops from throughout the Christian world gathered to determine the true faith. The Ecumenical Councils did not create new doctrines but proclaimed, in a particular place and a particular time, what the Church has always believed and taught.

The Nicene Creed, which was formulated at the Councils of Nicaea in 325 and of Constantinople in 381, has been recognized since then as the authoritative expression of the fundamental beliefs of the Orthodox Church. The Creed is often referred to as the "Symbol of Faith." This description indicates that the Creed is not an analytical statement, but that it points to a reality greater than itself and to which it bears witness. For generations, the Creed has been the criterion of authentic Faith and the basis of Christian education. The Creed is recited at the time of Baptism and during every Divine Liturgy.

The Creed

"I believe in One God, Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

And in One Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages.

Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not created, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were made.

For us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became Man.

He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and He suffered and was buried.

On the third day He rose according to the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who spoke through the prophets.

In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

I expect the resurrection of the dead; and the life of the age to come.

Amen."

Treasures Of Orthodoxy is a series of pamphlets written for the non-Orthodox, especially those who are considering becoming members of the Orthodox Church and who wish to deepen their appreciation of her faith, worship, and traditions. The pamphlets are authored by Fr. Thomas Fitzgerald, a faculty member of Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of Theology. The pamphlet titles are as follows:

1. Introduction - Introduces the non-Orthodox to Orthodox Christianity.

2. House of God - Describes the interior of the church building.

3. Worship - Discusses the form and characteristics of Orthodox worship.

4. Liturgy - Describes the meaning and celebration of the Eucharist.

5. Sacraments - Describes the meaning and importance of liturgical life.

6. Special Services and Blessings - Describes the non-sacramental services which contribute to spiritual life.

7. Teachings - Outlines the salient points of doctrine and basic credal affirmations.

8. Spirituality - Discusses the meaning of theosis as the goal of Christian life.

9. History - Sketches the great epochs of Orthodoxy.

10. The Church - Outlines the procedure for becoming a member of the Orthodox Church.

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Teachings of the Orthodox Church - Introduction to Orthodoxy Articles - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

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Orthodoxy believes that the Christian Faith and the Church are inseparable. It is impossible to know Christ, to share in the life of the Holy Trinity, or to be considered a Christian, apart from the Church. It is in the Church that the Christian Faith is proclaimed and maintained.

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Steven

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In the ancient Greek world, religion was personal, direct, and present in all areas of life. With formal rituals which included animal sacrifices and libations, myths to explain the origins of mankind and give the gods a human face, temples which dominated the urban landscape, city festivals and national sporting and artistic competitions, religion was never far from the mind of an ancient Greek. Whilst the individual may have made up their own mind on the degree of their religious belief and some may have been completely sceptical, certain fundamentals must have been sufficiently widespread in order for Greek government and society to function: the gods existed, they could influence human affairs, and they welcomed and responded to acts of piety and worship.

The Olympian Gods

Polytheistic Greek religion encompassed a myriad of gods, each representing a certain facet of the human condition, and even abstract ideas such as justice and wisdom could have their own personification. The most important gods, though, were the Olympian gods led by Zeus:

These Olympian gods were believed to reside on Mt. Olympus and would have been recognised across Greece, albeit, with some local variations and perhaps particular attributes and associations.

In the Greek imagination, literature & art, the gods were given human bodies & characters - both good & bad.

In the Greek imagination, literature, and art, the gods were given human bodies and characters - both good and bad - and just as ordinary men and women, they married, had children (often through illicit affairs), fought, and in the stories of Greek mythology they directly intervened in human affairs. These traditions were first recounted only orally as there was no sacred text in Greek religion and later, attempts were made to put in writing this oral tradition, notably by Hesiod in his and more indirectly in the works of Homer.

Temples, Rituals & Priests

Gods became patrons of cities, for example, Aphrodite for Corinth and Helios for Rhodes, and were called upon for help in particular situations, for example, Ares during war and Hera for weddings. Some gods were imported from abroad, for example, Adonis, and incorporated into the Greek pantheon whilst rivers and springs could take on a very localised personified form such as the nymphs.

The temple ( naos - meaning dwelling place in reference to the belief that the god dwelt in that place, or at least temporarily visited during rituals) was the place where, on special occasions, religion took on a more formal tone. Gods were worshipped at sacred sites and temples in all major Greek communities in ceremonies carried out by priests and their attendants.

At first, sacred sites were merely a simple altar in a designated area, but over time massive temples came to be built in honour of a particular god and these usually housed a cult statue of the deity, most famously the huge statue of Athena in the Parthenon of Athens or Zeus at Olympia. In time, a whole complex of temples to lesser gods could spring up around the main temple, creating a large sacred complex, often built on an acropolis dominating a city or surrounding area. This sacred area ( temenos) was separated from the rest of the community by a symbolic gate or propylon, and in fact, it was believed that this area belonged to the particular deity in question. Sacred sites also received financial donations and dedications of statues, fountains and even buildings from the faithful, often to celebrate a great military victory and give thanks to the gods, and larger sanctuaries also had permanent caretakers ( neokoroi) who were responsible for the upkeep of the site.

The animals sacrificed were usually pigs, sheep, goats or cows & always the same sex as the god which was being honoured.

The temple itself, though, was not used during religious practices as these were carried out at a designated altar outside the temple. Ancient authors often show a reluctance to go into explicit details of religious ceremonies and rites as if these were too sacred to be publicised in the written word. What we do know is that the most common religious practices were sacrifice and the pouring of libations, all to the accompaniment of prayers in honour of the god. The animals sacrificed were usually pigs, sheep, goats or cows and always the same sex as the god which was being honoured. The meat was then either burnt completely or cooked, with part offered to the god and the rest eaten by some or all of the worshippers or taken away to be eaten later. The actual killing of the animal was carried out by a butcher or cook ( megeiras) whilst a young girl sprinkled seeds onto the animals head, perhaps symbolic of life and regeneration at the moment of the animal's death. Other such rituals included examining the entrails of sacrificed animals to ascertain signs which could help predict future events.

Priests then, orchestrated the religious ceremonies and delivered prayers. The position was generally open to all and once assuming the role, particularly when wearing the sacred headband, the body of the priest became inviolate. Priests served a specific god but they were not necessarily religious experts. For theological questions, a citizen could consult an exegetes, a state official, who was knowledgeable in religious affairs. Women could also be priests, which is perhaps surprising given their lack of any other public role in Greek society. Often, but not always, the priest was the same sex as the god they represented. Priestesses did have the added restriction that they were most often selected because they were virgins or beyond menopause. Worshippers, on the other hand, could be both sexes and those rituals with restrictions could exclude either men or women.

Mysteries & Oracles

In addition to the formal and public religious ceremonies there were also many rites which were open to and known only by the initiated who performed them, the most famous example being the Mysteries of Eleusis. In these closed groups, members believed that certain activities gave spiritual benefits, amongst them a better after-life.

Places could also acquire a divine connection; the great oracles such as that of Apollo at Delphi and Zeus at Dodona may well have begun as places considered particularly good to receive signs from the gods. Such places became hugely important centres with their priest oracles consulted by both individuals and city-states so that the rather vague and ambiguous proclamations might help guide their future conduct.

Festivals & Games

Athletic Games and competitions in music (especially playing the kithara and lyre) and theatre (both tragedy and comedy) were held during festivals such as the City Dionysia of Athens and the Panhellenic games at the most important sacred sites of Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmia to honour a particular god. These events were attended by visitors from all over Greece and the experience was perhaps more akin to a pilgrimage rather than that of a mere sports fan. Illustrating their sacred status, warfare was prohibited during these events and pilgrims were guaranteed free-passage across Greece. However, there were also much smaller festivals, sometimes only attended by a very select number of individuals, for example, the Arrhephoria in Athens, where only priestesses and a maximum of four young girls participated.

Personal Religion

Although the historical record reveals much about formal religious occasions and ceremony, we should remember that Greek religion was in fact practised anywhere, at any time, by private individuals in a very personal way. Not only temples but also the hearth in private homes was regarded as sacred, for example. Individuals could also visit a temple anytime they wanted to and it was customary to say a prayer even when just passing them in the street. People left offerings such as incense, flowers, and food, no doubt with a hopeful prayer or in gratitude for a past deed. Individuals could also organise their own private sacrifice if they had the means to do so, and these have been commemorated in thousands of stone relief markers found at sacred sites. In addition, temples were often visited in order to seek healing, especially at those sites associated with Asclepius the god of medicine, notably at Epidaurus.

People also looked for signs from the gods in everyday life and to interpret these signs as indicators of future events. Such signs could be birds in the sky or a spoken word between friends said at a particular moment or even a simple sneeze which might be interpreted as an auspicious or inauspicious omen.

Such beliefs and, indeed, certain aspects of religion such as the immorality of the gods as portrayed in the arts, were severely criticised by intellectuals, artists, and philosophers from the 5th century BCE, but these may or may not reflect the commonly held views of the wider populace, and it is difficult to believe from the wealth of archaeological and written records that religion was anything but a fundamental part of life for the ordinary inhabitants of the ancient Greek world.

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In the ancient Greek world, religion was personal, direct, and present in all areas of life. With formal rituals which included animal sacrifices and libations, myths to explain the origins of mankind and give the gods a human face, temples which dominated the urban landscape, city festivals and national sporting and artistic competitions, religion was never far from the mind of an ancient Greek.

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Miss Danias

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"Myth has two main functions," the poet and scholar Robert Graves wrote in 1955. "The first is to answer the sort of awkward questions that children ask, such as 'Who made the world? How will it end? Who was the first man? Where do souls go after death?'...The second function of myth is to justify an existing social system and account for traditional rites and customs." In ancient Greece, stories about gods and goddesses and heroes and monsters were an important part of everyday life. They explained everything from religious rituals to the weather, and they gave meaning to the world people saw around them.

Greek Mythology: Sources

In Greek mythology, there is no single original text like the Christian Bible or the Hindu Vedas that introduces all of the myths' characters and stories. Instead, the earliest Greek myths were part of an oral tradition that began in the Bronze Age, and their plots and themes unfolded gradually in the written literature of the archaic and classical periods. The poet Homer's 8th-century BC epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, for example, tell the story of the (mythical) Trojan War as a divine conflict as well as a human one. They do not, however, bother to introduce the gods and goddesses who are their main characters, since readers and listeners would already have been familiar with them.

Did you know? Many consumer products get their names from Greek mythology. Nike sneakers are the namesake of the goddess of victory, for example, and the website Amazon.com is named after the race of mythical female warriors. Many high school, college and professional sports teams (Titans, Spartans and Trojans, for instance) also get their names from mythological sources.

Around 700 BC, the poet Hesiod's Theogony offered the first written cosmogony, or origin story, of Greek mythology. The Theogony tells the story of the universe's journey from nothingness (Chaos, a primeval void) to being, and details an elaborate family tree of elements, gods and goddesses who evolved from Chaos and descended from Gaia (Earth), Ouranos (Sky), Pontos (Sea) and Tartaros (the Underworld).

Later Greek writers and artists used and elaborated upon these sources in their own work. For instance, mythological figures and events appear in the 5th-century plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides and the lyric poems of Pindar. Writers such as the 2nd-century BC Greek mythographer Apollodorus of Athens and the 1st-century BC Roman historian Gaius Julius Hyginus compiled the ancient myths and legends for contemporary audiences.

Greek Mythology: The Olympians

At the center of Greek mythology is the pantheon of deities who were said to live on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. From their perch, they ruled every aspect of human life. Olympian gods and goddesses looked like men and women (though they could change themselves into animals and other things) and were-as many myths recounted-vulnerable to human foibles and passions.

The twelve main Olympians are:

Zeus (Jupiter, in Roman mythology): the king of all the gods (and father to many) and god of weather, law and fate

Hera (Juno): the queen of the gods and goddess of women and marriage

Aphrodite (Venus): goddess of beauty and love

Apollo (Apollo): god of prophesy, music and poetry and knowledge

Ares (Mars): god of war

Artemis (Diana): goddess of hunting, animals and childbirth

Athena (Minerva): goddess of wisdom and defense

Demeter (Ceres): goddess of agriculture and grain

Dionysos (Bacchus): god of wine, pleasure and festivity

Hephaistos (Vulcan): god of fire, metalworking and sculpture

Hermes (Mercury): god of travel, hospitality and trade and Zeus's personal messenger

Poseidon (Neptune): god of the sea

Other gods and goddesses sometimes included in the roster of Olympians are:

Hades (Pluto): god of the underworld

Hestia (Vesta): goddess of home and family

Eros (Cupid): god of sex and minion to Aphrodite

Greek Mythology: Heroes and Monsters

Greek mythology does not just tell the stories of gods and goddesses, however. Human heroes-such as Heracles, the adventurer who performed 12 impossible labors for King Eurystheus (and was subsequently worshipped as a god for his accomplishment); Pandora, the first woman, whose curiosity brought evil to mankind; Pygmalion, the king who fell in love with an ivory statue; Arachne, the weaver who was turned into a spider for her arrogance; handsome Trojan prince Ganymede who became the cupbearer for the gods; Midas, the king with the golden touch; and Narcissus, the young man who fell in love with his own reflection-are just as significant. Monsters and "hybrids" (human-animal forms) also feature prominently in the tales: the winged horse Pegasus, the horse-man Centaur, the lion-woman Sphinx and the bird-woman Harpies, the one-eyed giant Cyclops, automatons (metal creatures given life by Hephaistos), manticores and unicorns, Gorgons, pygmies, minotaurs, satyrs and dragons of all sorts. Many of these creatures have become almost as well known as the gods, goddesses and heroes who share their stories.

Greek Mythology: Past and Present

The characters, stories, themes and lessons of Greek mythology have shaped art and literature for thousands of years. They appear in Renaissance paintings such as Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Raphael's Triumph of Galatea and writings like Dante's Inferno; Romantic poetry and libretti; and scores of more recent novels, plays and films.

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"Myth has two main functions," the poet and scholar Robert Graves wrote in 1955. "The first is to answer the sort of awkward questions that children ask, such as 'Who made the world? How will it end? Who was the first man?

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Greek Food

Finding a great meal in ancient Greece would have been very easy. They ate a variety of delicious dishes, some of which are still around today. Most Greeks were farmers and they ate the food that they grew. Since Greece had a mild climate, they were able to grow many different fruits and vegetables as long as they got enough rain.

Vegetables were a huge part of the Greek diet. Most Greeks ate a diet that was almost vegetarian. Among the most common vegetables and plants eaten by Greeks were asparagus, fennel, cucumbers, chickpeas, and celery. They also gathered and boiled dandelions to eat. The bulbs of certain plants, such as iris, were also edible. They even ate stinging nettles!

Fruits and nuts were also a large part of the Greek diet. Apples, pears, cherries and mulberries grew wild and were available throughout Greece. Damsons, a fruit related to plums, were also a favorite of the Greeks.

Perhaps the most important food to the ancient (and modern) Greeks was the olive. It was not simply a food. It was also a big part of Greek history. Greeks believed that the goddess Athena gave the first olive tree to Athens before it eventually spread to the rest of Greece. Olives were used in many recipes. Olives were also crushed and their oil was used for lamps. Olive oil could also be used as a beauty product. Women rubbed into their skin to make it soft and shiny.

Honey was another important Greek food. It was used much like we use sugar, as a sweetener in many different foods. It could also be used as a medicine. Greeks were fond of honey because they believed that Zeus was fed milk and honey as a baby. For them, honey was almost magical. Many families kept beehives and took good care of their bees!

Ancient Greeks didn't eat much meat. But since Greece is surrounded by water, fish were easy to get. Many varieties were available in the markets. Many Greeks thought of eating meat as something that barbarians did. The Greeks believed they were more civilized than that. As a result, they hardly ate meat at all.

The way that Greeks ate was also important. Having a meal was not only about eating food. It was also a chance to talk and enjoy the company of family and friends. A Greek meal was an event! This is still the case in modern-day Greece, where dinner with friends and family may last for hours!
A typical meal in ancient Greece almost always included these things:

Bread: this was a huge part of the Greek diet. It's believed that the Greeks had between 50 and 70 different varieties of bread.

Wine: the Greeks loved it, and even had rules on how to drink it properly. Wine was especially important for the symposia, a meeting of men to talk about ideas.

Olive oil: Nearly all Greek dishes used olives, or were cooked using olive oil. Even today, Greeks consume more olives than any other country in the world.

The ancient Greeks simply made use of the foods that were available. But we now know that the Greek diet was (and still is) very healthy. The Greeks may have found the key to living longer! But if it's all the same to you, I'll skip the stinging nettles!

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Finding a great meal in ancient Greece would have been very easy. They ate a variety of delicious dishes, some of which are still around today. Most Greeks were farmers and they ate the food that they grew. Since Greece had a mild climate, they were able to grow many different fruits and vegetables as ...

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Resources for Primary and Secondary Students - ABC Education

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4000+ educational games, videos and teaching resources for schools and students. Free Primary and Secondary resources covering history, science, English, maths and more