7th grade Lesson Plan: It's Greek to me: Greek Mythology

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

Overview

This series of lessons was designed to meet the needs

of gifted children for extension beyond the standard

curriculum with the greatest ease of use for the edu-

cator. The lessons may be given to the students for

individual self-guided work, or they may be taught in

a classroom or a home-school setting. This particular

lesson plan is primarily eective in a classroom setting.

Assessment strategies and rubrics are included. The

lessons were developed by Lisa Van Gemert, M.Ed.T.,

the Mensa Foundation’s Gifted Children Specialist.

7th grade Lesson Plan:

It’s Greek to me:

Greek Mythology

Greek mythology is not only interesting, but it is also the foundation of allusion and character genesis in

literature. In this lesson plan, students will gain an understanding of Greek mythology and the Olympian

gods and goddesses.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Do not give student(s) the lled-in copy of the Gods/Goddesses chart. That is your answer key.

Introduction

Learning Objectives

After completing the lessons in this unit, students

will be able to:

l Understand the Greek view of creation.

l Understand the terms Chaos, Gaia, Uranus, Cro-

nus, Zeus, Rhea, Hyperboreans, Ethiopia, Mediter-

ranean, and Elysian Fields.

l Describe the Greek view of the world’s geogra-

phy.

l Identify the names and key features of the

Olympian gods/goddesses.

l Create their own god/goddess.

l Create their own myth explaining a natural

phenomenon.

Materials

l D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and

Edgar Parin D’Aulaire

l The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus by Aliki

l The Mighty 12: Superheroes of Greek Myths by

Charles Smith

l Greek Myths and Legends by Cheryl Evans

l Mythology by Edith Hamilton (which served as a

source for this lesson plan)

l A paper plate for each student

l Internet access to look up relevant sites

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

2 | Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Although when we think of mythology we think of a collection of stories, there is a beginning to them. Un-

derstanding the beginning of the story, the creation of the world, gives us a framework to build upon as we

learn about the dierent myths.

The short answer to how the Greeks viewed the creation of the world is this: Scary old gods came rst; they

got stomped down by their kids, who were better looking, younger gods. These gods created humans. Hu-

mans and gods fought for supremacy, and the humans won a few rounds but eventually got trounced and

became more and more miserable.

Now, the longer answer: In the beginning, the universe was without form. It was not nothing; there was

matter, but it was unorganized, shapeless, mixed up and dark. This was called Chaos.

After Chaos, more divinities, or gods, came into being.

Gaia, the Earth, held up Uranus, the sky. Gaia and Uranus had a bunch of kids. First they had a bunch of

monsters including the Cyclops, and then they created the Titans as the second generation. Uranus hated

all the Titans and was actually quite ugly about it – but there are only a couple of Titans that you need to

remember: rst, Oceanus, the god of the sea, and then Cronus, the strongest and best one of all. Gaia was

pretty ticked at Uranus for being a jerk, so she helped Cronus overthrow him.

So, let’s keep this straight. Cronus is Uranus’s son. Cronus became the king (bye-bye Uranus), and married

his sister, Rhea – another Titan. It’s like a soap opera. This was called the Golden Age because men, who had

been made by a Titan named Prometheus, were living in harmony. Everything was hunky dory.

It didn’t last, though, because Cronus heard a prophecy that one of his sons would dethrone him, so every

time his wife, Rhea, had a baby, he swallowed it. Rhea got a little sick of seeing all of her children swallowed

alive, so she tricked Cronus when her sixth child, Zeus, was born; she wrapped up a rock to look like a baby

and had Cronus swallow that instead. Zeus rescued his previously swallowed siblings, and all was right with

the world.

Lesson 1: Greek creation mythology

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY | 3

World View

The Greek view of the world was a little dierent than

ours. The Greeks believed that the world was at, but

circular, like a paper plate. At the center of the Universe

was Greece.

Their world was divided by the Mediterranean, which

means “Middle of the Lands” in Latin. The river Ocean

owed around the world in a clockwise motion.

In the north lived the Hyperboreans – an extremely

happy people for whom life was sweet. When the old

people became tired of living, they threw themselves

into the sea. This was a land of constant vacation

where people were said to live for 1,000 years.

In the south lived the Ethiopians. In Greek drama,

mention is often made of various gods being in

Ethiopia, meaning really far away. So, if I say I parked in Ethiopia this morning, would that mean I’m

close to my oce or far away? The Ethiopians were said to be on good terms with the gods and liked to

entertain them.

To the west were the Elysian Fields. This was the closest the Greeks got to the idea of heaven; only the

best and brightest of the dead people got to go there.

To Do

1. Read The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus by Aliki.

2. Draw your own representation of the Greek view of the world on the paper plate using colored pencils

and the map on the previous page as a guideline. Be sure to include the Ethiopians, the Hyperboreans and

the Elysian Fields on your map.

3. Write a one-paragraph essay comparing the Greek view of the world to the contemporary view of it,

including at least two points of comparison and two of contrast. You can follow this guideline:

u Directions for Paragraph: Begin with a topic sentence. Here is an example:

The Greek view of the world both resembles and diers from the contemporary view.

u Next, list two ways the views are similar. Here are examples:

l The Greek view resembles the contemporary view in that _________________________.

l Additionally, the views are similar because ______________________________________.

u Next, list two ways the views are dierent. Here are examples:

l However, the Greek view is not the same as the contemporary view because the Greeks believed

_________________________________________________________________________________.

l The Greeks also thought __________________________________________________________.

u Last, you will state a conclusion. Here’s an example:

Therefore, even though the views have similarities, they dier in important ways.

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

4 | Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Lesson 2: The Olympian gods

Use the information in this lesson to begin to ll in the gods and god-

desses chart at the end of this lesson; you will also need to do your own

research to complete it. Now that you understand the way that the Greeks

viewed the beginning of the world, you are ready to learn about the Olym-

pian gods.

First, we have to explore exactly what we mean by “Olympian gods.” Mount

Olympus is a real mountain in the north of Greece. Gradually, it became

associated less and less with an actual mountain and more with an imagi-

nary place high above the earth. According to the ancient Greeks, the gate

to Olympus was made of clouds and it was guarded by four goddesses, the

Seasons. Each god had his or her own dwelling place, but Olympus was

home base.

There were up to 14 gods considered Olympian gods. Seven of them were

Zeus and his siblings, and seven others were children of Zeus. Sometimes

only 12 will be listed. The Greeks and Romans shared mythology, so you

will nd two names for most gods.

Zeus was the king of the hill. He

was dominating, powerful and

had a soft spot for pretty women.

He could be terrifying when angry.

His symbols were the thunder-

bolts, or lightning bolts made for

him by the Cyclopes (his uncles);

the eagle; and the scepter, or rod.

Please copy this information onto

your chart.

Zeus

Hades, or Pluto, was the god of

the underworld and of the dead.

He was called the same names by

the Romans, but they also some-

times called him Dis or Dis Pater.

He was Zeus’s brother and married

Persephone after kidnapping her

against her will. He was gloomy

and frightening.

Hades

Next, we have Poseidon, or Nep-

tune, as the Romans called him.

He was Zeus’s brother, and he

was the god of the sea and also

earthquakes. He often is shown

with a three-pronged spear called

a trident that was made for him

by his nephew, Hephaestus, and/

or a sh.

Poseidon

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY | 5

Our rst goddess

is Hera. She sits

on the right side

of Zeus and is his

wife. Of course,

she’s his sister, too,

but that’s the way

it was on Olym-

pus. Hera’s Roman

name is Juno, and she is the queen

of the gods. She is the guardian of

marriage and was well-loved by the

Greeks; it’s kind of sad that she’s the

goddess of marriage but her own

marriage was so bad. She was often

jealous of her husband’s girlfriends

and did mean things to them, even

the ones who didn’t want anything

to do with him, but she could be

tender and loving as well. The

peacock was her symbol. In fact, the

circles in a peacock’s tail are said to

be the eyes of her 100-eyed servant,

Argus.

Hera

Next is Athena,

or Minerva, the

daughter who

sprang fully

formed from the

head of Zeus

after a major

headache. She is

the goddess of

wisdom and war and also the pro-

tector and namesake of the city

of Athens. She preferred reason to

violence unless she was pushed.

She turned Arachne into a spider

for bragging that she could spin

better than Athena. She was very

competitive and is often pictured

with her helmet and a spear. She

carried Zeus’s shield, called the

aegis. The owl was her bird. Can

you see it in her hand?

Athena

Apollo was a twin.

His Roman name

was the same as

his Greek name.

He was the god of

the sun or light,

poetry, music and

medicine and was

famous for his oracles (wise women

to whom he gave his power to

predict and interpret the future). He

was very proud and also protective

of his mother and sister. His sym-

bols were the gold bow and arrows,

and he often appears golden and

shining. He wears a laurel wreath

in memory of Daphne, who didn’t

want to be his lover and prayed to

Mother Earth for help escaping him;

she was turned into a laurel tree.

Apollo

Artemis was

Apollo’s twin.

Her Roman

name was Diana,

and she was the

goddess of hunt-

ing, chastity and

the moon. She

protects women

and small children, is ercely

independent and particularly dis-

likes men. In pictures, she is seen

accompanied by three hunting

hounds, a bow and a fawn.

Artemis

Ares or, as he is

known by his Ro-

man name, Mars,

was the god of

war. He would

ght on both

sides, if possible.

He was young,

strong and

handsome, and

liked to dress in

battle clothes

even when he wasn’t ghting.

Ares

Hephaestus,

or Vulcan, was

born lame and

was further

crippled when

he was thrown

from Olympus

by his mother,

Hera, in a rage.

He was the only Olympian with a

disability. He was unhappily mar-

ried to Aphrodite and worked as a

blacksmith in the gods’ forge.

Hephaestus

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

6 | Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Hephaestus’s wife, Aphrodite,

whose Roman name was Venus,

was the goddess of love and

beauty. She was born out of sea

foam when the blood of Uranus

dropped into the ocean. She

was the mother of Eros and was

irresistibly charming, ckle, vain

and competitive. Her symbol

was a cestus, or magic belt, that

made everyone fall in love with

the wearer; sometimes she would

lend it to humans. This is a famous

painting of the birth of Venus, or

Aphrodite, by Botticelli.

Aphrodite

Hermes, or Mercury,

was the god of sci-

ence and invention,

but he is best known

as the messenger

of the gods. He is

often pictured with

a winged helmet

and sandals. He is said to have

invented the alphabet, boxing and

gymnastics! In this painting by

Goltzius, you can see his helmet

with wings; he’s not wearing his

famous sandals, though.

Hermes

Hestia was Zeus’s

sister and the

goddess and

protectress

of hearth and

home. She is also

known by her

Roman name,

Vesta. She was

gentle and kind

and was very popular with the

Greeks. She didn’t have a lot of ad-

ventures, so she’s rarely pictured

in art.

Hestia

Demeter was

the goddess of

the crops and

the harvest. She

is also known as

Ceres (Roman)

and sometimes

Deo. Her symbols

include a torch, a

crown, a scep-

ter and stalks

of grain. She is often portrayed

with her daughter, Persephone,

who was kidnapped by Hades and

taken to the underworld. By the

time she was rescued, she’d eaten

six pomegranate seeds, so she

couldn’t escape the underworld

entirely. Her mother was so frantic

that winter draped the land and

no crops would grow. A deal was

struck, and Persephone was al-

lowed to return to her mother for

half of the year. So each year, when

she returns to the underworld, fall

comes, then winter – but when she

returns to her mother, spring and

summer come again.

Demeter

Dionysus was

the partier of the

mountain retreat.

He was Zeus’s son

by another woman,

who was driven

crazy by Hera and her jealousy.

Dionysus went all around teach-

ing people how to make wine and

having a good time. Eventually,

Hestia gave up her throne for him,

and he lived on Olympus. He was

the god of wine, of course, and

also vegetation.

Dionysus

Now, use at least two sources

in addition to what you read

here to ll in your chart (next

page) completely. Write down

the sources you used on the

back of the chart.

Book suggestions

l D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek

Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin

D’Aulaire

l The Mighty 12: Superheroes of

Greek Myths by Charles Smith

l Greek Myths and Legends by

Cheryl Evans

(If your library doesn’t have

these, check around Dewey

Decimal No. 398.2. That’s where

Greek mythology is.)

Web references

l greece.mrdonn.org/

myths.html

l www.mythweb.com

l mythman.com

l loggia.com/myth/

content.html

l pantheon.org/areas/mytholo

gy/europe/greek/articles.html

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY | 7

Zeus

Hera

Poseidon

Hades

Athena

Apollo

Artemis

Aphrodite

Hermes

Ares

Hephaestrus

Hestia

Demeter

Dionysus

Greek name Roman name Realm Symbol Facts / Characteristics

OLYMPIAN GODS & GODDESSES CHART

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

8 | Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Lesson 3: Mythology biographical poem

A biographical poem, or biopoem, uses a simple but specic structure to describe the most important facts

about someone. Your assignment is to write a biopoem about one of the gods or goddesses you have stud-

ied. You may choose any god or goddess (except Aphrodite, because she’s the example below). The blanks

on this page are for your rough draft. When you’re done, copy your nal version onto a separate sheet of

paper and, if you would like, decorate it. Please attach this sheet to your nal draft.

Follow this format exactly, please:

Greek Name____________________________________,

I am (list four traits) ______________, _______________, _____________, ______________.

I am [a relative] of (1-3 people) _________________________________________________.

Lover of (1-3 things or people) _________________________________________________.

Who feels/protects (1-3 things) _________________________________________________.

Who needs (1-3 things) ________________________________________________________.

Who fears (1-3 things) _________________________________________________________.

Who gives (1-3 things) _________________________________________________________.

Resident of ______________________________________,

Roman Name_____________________________________.

Example (you may not use this goddess):

Aphrodite,

Goddess of Love, Desire, Beauty and Fertility.

A daughter of Zeus and Dione; wife of Hephaestus.

Lover of sons Aeneas and Cupid and brother Ares.

Who protects sailors.

Who needs a chariot.

Who fears War, Athena and Hera.

Who gives Helen to Paris, a magic belt to Hera, and Medea to Jason.

Resident of Mt. Olympus.

Venus.

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY | 9

Lesson 4: Olympians quiz

A. Zeus D. Hades

B. Hera E. Athena

C. Poseidon F. Apollo

1. ____ This god’s Roman name is Neptune.

2. ____ Name the goddess of war.

3. ____ His symbol is the thunderbolt.

4. ____ Her Roman name was Juno, and her

symbol was the peacock.

5. ____ Name the god of the underworld.

6. ____ Name the twin of Artemis.

7. ____ Name the goddess of wisdom.

8. ____ Name the very jealous wife of Zeus.

9. ____ Name the god of the sun, poetry, music

and medicine.

10. ____ His Roman name is Jupiter.

11. ____ This god is anti-social and doesn’t like

people.

12. ____ Name the wealthiest god.

A. Artemis E. Hephaestus

B. Aphrodite F. Hestia

C. Hermes G. Demeter

D. Ares H. Dionysus

13. ____ Name the goddess of hunting and twin

of Apollo.

14. ____ Name the goddess of hearth and home

who gave up her throne for Dionysus.

15. ____ Name the mother of Persephone; her

Roman name is Ceres.

16. ____ This god’s Roman name is Bacchus.

17. ____ His symbols are winged sandals and a

winged helmet.

18. ____ Name the only handicapped god.

19. ____ This god’s Roman name is Mars, and he is

the god of war.

20. ____Her Roman name is Vesta.

21. ____ Her Roman name is Diana.

22. ____ His symbol is re and a hammer, and his

Roman name is Vulcan.

23. ____ His Roman name is Mercury, and he is

the messenger of the gods.

24. ____ Name the god of wine.

25. ____ She was the goddess of love and beauty.

Time to test yourself – and beware, answers may be used more than once!

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

10 | Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY

26. If you could have dinner with one god or goddess, who would it be and why?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

27. Which god or goddess do you think would make the best president and why?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

28. Imagine that Zeus has come to you and said that Olympus is lacking a god or goddess, and he needs

you to help. Invent a new Olympian and describe him or her below.

Name: ______________________________________

Roman Name: _______________________________

Connection to Olympus (related to another god or goddess? Married to a god or goddess?):

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Powers: ______________________________________________________________________________

Symbol: ______________________________________________________________________________

Personality traits: _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Friends: ______________________________________________________________________________

Enemies: _____________________________________________________________________________

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY | 11

Lesson 5: Putting it all together

Myths are a way of understanding the world. This lesson has been about Greek mythology, but every cul-

ture has myths. Myths dene social customs and beliefs, explain natural and psychological phenomena, and

provide a way for people to discuss things that cause anxiety.

Mythology is all around us. Here are just a few examples of places we nd myths today:

l Days of the week – Wednesday (Woden or Odin – Norse god); Thursday (Thor – Norse god); Friday (Freya

– Norse goddess); Saturday (Saturn – Roman god who ruled before Jove)

l Cars – Toyota Avalon and Cressida, Cadillac El Dorado, Honda Odyssey, Mercury

l Shoes – Nike

l Tires – Midas

l Astronomy – Constellations like Orion, the Argo, all of the planets and the Pleiades. The Milky Way itself

was supposedly the road over which the stars traveled to Jupiter’s palace.

l NASA – The rst part of U.S. space program was Project Mercury, named after the mes-

senger of the gods because the project’s purpose was to send a message to the Soviets

that America was in the space race. The Gemini Project was next; Gemini is Latin for

“twins,” and the project was called this because the capsule held two astronauts. Apollo

astronauts rode on Saturn rockets.

Myths also make great stories. They come up in literature all over the place, from really serious stu like

Dante to comic strips. Myths inspire music; actually the word music comes from the mythological muses

who inspired art of all kinds. Painters such as Michelangelo and Botticelli were inspired by myths. Even chil-

dren’s movies are a good place to look for myths; you will nd them everywhere, including Snow White, Star

Wars and The Lord of the Rings.

Can you nd at least three examples of mythology connections in the world?

1. _______________________________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________________________

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

12 | Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Lesson 6: Create your own myth

Hopefully myths inspire you, too, because you are about to create your own myth! As you know, myths were

often used to explain natural phenomena. Your challenge is to create your own myth to explain some natu-

ral phenomenon or land formation. It could be anything from the origin of hurricanes to how the Grand

Canyon or a mountain range was created. You will tell this myth in a story format.

Here are the guidelines:

1. Your story must involve at least two Olympian gods or goddesses. It may contain other gods or goddess-

es as well.

2. Your story must explain some natural phenomenon (such as a weather event) or some geological feature

(a mountain range, a large valley, a sea, an ocean, a polar ice cap, etc.).

3. Your story should be at least 350 words.

4. Your story must have a clear beginning, middle and end.

5. Your story should clearly show that you know something about Greek mythology. You will do this by

including details about the Olympian gods and goddesses that show you know their powers, symbols and

personalities.

Here are some ideas to get you thinking:

l Where did the Rocky Mountains come from?

l Where did the Mississippi River come from?

l What made the North and/or South Pole(s)?

l Why is Earth the third planet from the sun?

l Why is it dark at night?

l What is in the middle of the earth?

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY | 13

Assessment

Greek map of the world rubric Greek world comparison paragraph rubric

Lesson 1

Contains all required elements properly labeled 60

Neatly done 15

Demonstrates insight into Greek mythological world

Commendable use of color 10

TOTAL 100

Strong topic sentence 10

Correct format 10

Contains two similarities 20

Contains two contrasts 20

Strong concluding sentence 10

Logical, thorough argument 30

TOTAL 100

Olympian gods & goddesses chart rubric

Lesson 2

All elds completed thoroughly 70

Used at least two sources in addition

to provided information 30

TOTAL 100

Mythological bio poem scoring rubric

Lesson 3

Contains all required elements 60

Correct format 20

Neatly written or typed 10

Demonstrates insight into god or goddess 10

Creativity Maximum 7-pt bonus

TOTAL 100 (+ up to 7)

Olympians quiz scoring rubric Key to Olympians quiz: matching

Lesson 4

Matching section 25

Creation of god or goddess 20

Question 26 & Question 27

TOTAL 50

1. C 9. F 17. C

2. E 10. A 18. E

3. A 11. C 19. D

4. B 12. D 20. F

5. D 13. A 21. A

6. F 14. F 22. E

7. E 15. G 23. C

8. B 16. H 24. H

25. B

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

14 | Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Create your own myth-scoring rubric

Lesson 6

Explains natural phenomenon

or geological formation 15

Includes at least two gods or goddesses 20

Meets minimum word length 10

Has clear beginning, middle and end 5

Demonstrates depth of understanding

of Greek mythology 15

Writing is clear, focused and conveys

the story in an interesting way 15

TOTAL 80

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY | 15

GREEK ROMAN FACTS/

NAME NAME REALM SYMBOLS CHARACTERISTICS

Zeus

Jupiter Supreme ruler of

the gods; lord of

the sky; rain god

Thunderbolts or

lightening, eagle

and scepter (rod)

Dominating, powerful and

had a soft spot for pretty

women

Hera

Juno Queen of the

gods; protector

of marriage

Peacock Wife of Zeus; well-loved by

the Greeks; often jealous of

husband’s girlfriends, but she

could be tender and loving

Poseidon

Neptune God of the sea

and earthquakes

Trident (three-

pronged spear)

Did not mix with mortals, and

he was anti-social

Answer key: Olympian gods & goddesses chart

Hades

Pluto God of the un-

derworld and of

the dead

Cornucopia and

scepter

Very wealthy; rarely visited

Olympus; married to Perse-

phone

Athena

Minerva Goddess of wis-

dom and war

Shield, helmet

and spear

Daughter of Zeus who sprang

out of his head fully formed;

the owl is her bird

Apollo

Apollo God of sun or

light; poetry, mu-

sic and medicine

Gold bows and

arrows

Famous for his oracles;

proud & protective of his

mother and sister; wears

laurel wreath in memory of

Daphne; has a twin named

Artemis

Diana Goddess of hunt-

ing, chastity and

the moon

Three hunting

hounds, bow and

fawn

Protects women & small chil-

dren; she is ercely indepen-

dent & particularly dislikes

men

Aphrodite

Venus Goddess of love

and beauty

Girdle and mirror Born out of sea foam; wife of

Hephaestus; mother of Eros;

interesting, charming, ckle,

vain, competitive

Reproduction and distribution without modication is allowed. Images, links and linked content referenced herein are the property of the originating entities.

16 | Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: GREEK MYTHOLOGY

GREEK ROMAN FACTS/

NAME NAME REALM SYMBOLS CHARACTERISTICS

Hermes

Mercury God of science

and invention

Helmet and

winged feet

Said to have invented the

alphabet, boxing and gym-

nastics

Ares

Mars God of war Spear and helmet Would ght on both sides;

young, strong, prime of life;

likes to dress in battle clothes

Hephaestus

Vulcan God of re Ax and tongs Son of Zeus and Rhea; only

god with a handicap; married

to Aphrodite

Answer key: Olympian gods & goddesses chart

Hestia

Vesta Goddess of

hearth and home

Hearth and its re Zeus’ sister; protectress

of hearth and home; very

popular

Demeter

Ceres Goddess of earth

and crops

Torch, crown,

scepter and stalks

of grain

Often portrayed with her

daughter, Persephone, who

spends time in the un-

derworld, at which time it

becomes winter

Dionysus

Bacchus God of wine and

vegetation

Grapes, wine

cups or wine-

skins, a pinecone-

headed sta

called a thyrsus

Went around teaching

people how to make wine

and party; Zeus’ son