The Guide to Greek Gods and Goddesses 4 Dummies

Circe (Don't eat the bacon...)

Circe, the sly sorceress, is known as the goddess of magic oftentimes. According to most accounts, she was the daughter of Helios, god of the sun, and Perse, an oceanid or sea nymph. Pasiphae, the wife of King Minos and mother of Minotaur, was her sister, and her brothers include Aeetes and Perses. Aeetes is usually known as being the keeper of the Golden Fleece. Different accounts claim she is the daughter of Hecale, the goddess of witchcraft herself. As seen through her tricky witchcraft in the Odyssey, she is quite skilled with magic. Hermes tells of her cunning ways in,"'And I will tell you of all the wicked witchraft that/ Circe will try to practice upon you"' (Homer 62). She is widely known for her vast knowledge of herbs and magical potions. Through her spell-binding potions or by the flick of her wand she would often transform her enemies or those who offended her, into animals! This is seen in the Odyssey when Hermes says to Odysseus, '"Your/ men are shut up in Circe's pigsties, like so many wild boars/ in their lairs"'(Homer 62). Circe's location is very debatable, simlilar to the situation of her parents, different accounts claim different ideas. In one account, supposedly Circe was banished to the solitary island of Aeaea by her subjects and her father for killing her husband, the prince of Colochis. Other traditions say she left or even destroyed the island and moved to Italy, where she is associated with Cape Circeo. In conclusion, Circe is highly significant in the Odyssey, giving Odysseus directions on how to go about his journey, and one could never forget her hilarious seductive attitude.

 

 

Teiresias (Blind= wise. That's how it goes. If you aren't blind you're stupid.)

Teiresias is widely known as the wise blind prophet of Thebes and Apollo. Blindness is often associated with wisdom, as in Teiresias's case. He was actually struck blind by Athena after he accidentally stumbled across her when she was bathing. Teiresias's mother begged Athena for mercy and in return, Athena blessed him with the gift of prophecy to compensate for his blindness. He is very famous for his psychic abilities and for being transformed into a woman for seven years. Supposedly, after he struck two snakes, Hera, the goddess of marriage, women, and birth, changed Teiresias into a woman! Beginnning as advisor to Cadmus himslef, he fully participated in seven generations at Thebes. Circe advises Odysseus to visit Teiresias for help, though it will be a dangerous journey. She says, "' You must go to the/ house of Hades and of dread Persephone to consult/ the ghosst of the blind Theban seer Teiresias whose/ mind is still in place within him"' (Homer 63). However, in the Odyssey, Teiresias is deceased, so Odysseus must take a journey to the Underworld to see him. Teiresias died by drinking the vile water from the tainted spring of Tilphussa, where Apollo shot him with an arrow.He was allowed to keep his knowledge through death through the generousity of Hades's wife. He gives lots of valuable advice to Odysseus, including information on the cattle of Helios, but Odysseus's men did not follow his directions. Teiresias is shown in the Odyssey in, "' Then came also the ghost of theban Teiresias, with/ his golden scepter in his hand'" (Homer 68). In all, Teiresias was very important in the Odyssey, he gives Odysseus wise advice and provisions that would help Odysseus greatly.

 

 

Sirens (Who knew a couple of mermaid-bird-woman things could be so entertaining?)

In Greek mythology, sirens were exceptionally beautiful but very dangerous. They were known as feme fatales, or mysterious and seductive women whose charm lead their poor unfortunate lovers into highly dangerous or even deadly situations. Many stories tell of them luring nearby sailors to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island with their exquisite beautiful singing, that is irresistable. They are often described as being half woman and half bird-like, some paintings and images feature them as mermaid-like creatures. Supposedly, their singing was so beautiful, the poor listeners they attracted forgot everything and died of hunger from staying on the island listening so long. Some stories claim the sirens were three sea nymphs who were former handmaidens of the goddess Persephone, and when the girl was secretly kidnapped by Hades, the handmaidens helped search for the girl. Dementer gave the sirens bodies like birds so they could search far and wide for the poor girl. However, they eventually gave up and settled on the gorgous island of Anthemaessa. Odysseus has to take elaborate precautions when passing by the sirens, seen in,"'Therefore pass these Sirens by, and stop your men's ears with wax that none of them may hear; but if you like you can listen yourself, for you may get the men to bind you as you stand upright on a cross piece half way up the mast, and they must lash the rope's ends to the mast itself, that you may have the pleasure of listening. If you beg and pray the men to unloose you, then they must bind you faster"'  (Homer ebook). They sang in their beautiful song,"'Come here,' they sang, 'renowned Ulysses, honour to the Achaean name, and listen to our two voices. No one ever sailed past us without staying to hear the enchanting sweetness of our song—and he who listens will go on his way not only charmed, but wiser, for we know all the ills that the gods laid upon the Argives and Trojans before Troy, and can tell you everything that is going to happen over the whole world''' (Homer ebook).    In all, they were a key conflict in the Odyssey, tempting Odysseus with one of his biggest weaknesses, WOMEN.

 

 

Charybdis (Hungry much?)

Charybdis was a horrible sea monster or goddess whose gigantic whirlpool killed many passing ships in the straits of Messina, near the dangerous cliffs of Scylla, another sea monster. It is said she was born from Gaia and Poseidon, and was originally a sea nymph who flooded land to expand her father's underwater kingdom. However, after she did this, she was transformed into a monster by Zeus. In greek mythology, she engulfs huge amounts of water three times a day then vomits it back out, destroying all the boats and ships around it. She is located very close to Scylla on opposite ends of a strait, an arrow's range apart, so when passing through, one must choose the lesser of two evils. Circe tells of Charybdis in,"'You will find the other rock lie lower, but they are so close together that there is not more than a bow-shot between them. [A large fig tree in full leaf grows upon it], and under it lies the sucking whirlpool of Charybdis"' (Homer ebook). Odysseus encounters her and describes her mighty whirlpool in, '''As she vomited it up, it was like the water in a cauldron when it is boiling over upon a great fire, and the spray reached the top of the rocks on either side"' (Homer ebook). In all, Charybdis is very significant in the story , and is a major conflict and learning experience for Odyseus.

 

 

 

 

Scylla (She's very misunderstood. Sad, Sad, Sad, story.......)

Scylla, who resides very near Charybdis, is another sea monster one should try their best to avoid. Having six arms, six heads with four eyes, six hideous dogs at her lower parts, and three rows of ferocious teeth, Scylla is quite a scary sight. If you count her neck, being perfectyly straight, she is fifteen feet tall. Homer describes her as a creature with six long necks, twelve dangling feet, and heads lined with three rows of razor sharp teeth, and sounds like crying dogs. She is described in the Odyssey in, "'Inside it Scylla sits and yelps with a voice that you might take to be that of a young hound, but in truth she is a dreadful monster and no one—not even a god—could face her without being terror-struck"' (Homer ebook) .Her parents are debated and different for each story, as well as her appearance. Late classical writers claim she was once a beautiful nymph, loved by the sea god Glaukos, but because of Circe's jealousy, was turned into a monster when Circe put a potion into her bathing pool. Hercules is said to have killed her because she had stolen some of the oxen of Geryon, but Phorcys supposedly revived her. Additionally, in the Odyssey, Scylla's affect on Odysseus can be seen in,"'While we were taken up with this, and were expecting each moment to be our last, Scylla pounced down suddenly upon us and snatched up my six best men"' (Homer ebook). In all, Scylla should always be avoided, however, Odysseus must face her, and he loses many men because of her.

 

 

 

 

Helios (Don't touch his burgers.... you'll get burned)

Helios was the titan god of the sun, and also the guardian of oaths and the god of gift and sight, he lived in a golden palace in the River Okeanos at the eastern part of the world. Helios is often described as being handsome, beardless, and wearing purple robes, while also being crowned with the shinging aureole of the sun. Supposedly he rides a sun chariot around the earth drawn by four horses, sometimes depicted with wings. He is often associated with gods like fiery Hephaistos and light-bringing Apollon. Helios's parents however, differ according to the version of the story. Circe warned Odysseus about Helios's cattle in,"'You will now come to the Thrinacian island, and here you will see many herds of cattle and flocks of sheep belonging to the sun-god—seven herds of cattle and seven flocks of sheep, with fifty head in each flock. They do not breed, nor do they become fewer in number, and they are tended by the goddesses Phaethusa and Lampetie, who are children of the sun-god Hyperion by Neaera. Their mother when she had borne them and had done suckling them sent them to the Thrinacian island, which was a long way off, to live there and look after their father's flocks and herds. If you leave these flocks unharmed, and think of nothing but getting home, you may yet after much hardship reach Ithaca; but if you harm them, then I forewarn you of the destruction both of your ship and of your comrades; and even though you may yourself escape, you will return late, in bad plight, after losing all your men"' (Homer ebook). However, Odysseus's men disobeyed Circe's instructions, and ate the cattle, thus dooming them to death and hardship. Odysseus himself told his men that this would be the hardest temptation thus far, '''My men, I know you are hard pressed, but listen while I tell you the prophecy that Teiresias made me, and how carefully Aeaean Circe warned me to shun the island of the blessed sun-god, for it was here, she said, that our worst danger would lie''' (Homer ebook). Finally, Helios is really important and provides a huge conflict that Odysseus must face invlolving his precious cattle and livestock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calypso  (She might have loved Odysseus a little TOO Much......)

Calypso was the goddess or nymph of the mythical island of Ogygia, and the daughter of the Titan, Atlas.  However, other versions tell of different parents. Her mother was said to be Tethys. She lives in Ogygia because she supported her father, a Titan, in the Olympian vs. Titan battles.  Her name actually is related to words that mean to conceal, and she is the symbol for the forces that divert or distract men from their goals. Additionally, she has both positive and negative connotation in Greek mythology, as a seductress, she's a negative one, however, as a rescuer, she is a positive one.  She rescued Odysseus and held him as a love prisoner for seven years. She offerered him immortality and eternal youth, however; he denied her offer, longing for his homeland.  Dawn, another goddess, speaks of her in, ''' There he is, lying in/ great pain in an island where dwells the nymph Calypso,/ who will not let him go; and he cannot get back to his/ own country, for he can find neither ships nor sailors to/ take him over the sea"' (Homer 29).Poor Calypso was hopelessy in love with Odysseus , it is even said she gave birth to two or three kids by Odysseus, but she ended up having to set him free to go home. Odysseus grew tired of her and longed for home in, " She/ found him sitting upon the beach with his eyes ever/ filled with tears, his sweet life wasting away as he/ mourned his nostos; for he had got tired of Calypso, and/ though he was forced to sleep with her in the cave by/ night, it was she, not he, that would have it so" (Homer 30). Finally, Calypso is a very important character in the Odyssey, she rescued Odysseus, however she held him back from getting home for years, which greatly affected the plot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aphrodite (Just don't even ask how she was born... you don't want to know... you REALLY don't want to know....)

 

Aphrodite is the great Olympian goddess of beauty, love, pleasure, and procreation and is usually depicted as a beautiful woman, often accompanied by the winged Eros or love, she is also normally shown nude. Her attributes include a dove, apple, scallop, shell, and mirror. Some traditions say she was born from seafoam which had gathered around the mutilated parts of Uranus, that had been tossed into the sea by Kronos after he had unmanned his father. The Homeric hymm says she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione. Other stories say she was the daughter of Kronos and Euonyme, or of Uranus and Hemera. As far as her involvement in the Trojan war, since she was declared the most beautiful of all the goddesses by the Trojan prince, she obviously sided with the Trojans. She saved Paris from Menelaus once, however, she could not save Aeneas from the fight. Diomedes wounded her in the hand, and stricken with fear, she abandoned her poor son and was carried to Olympus. There she complained to her mother, Dione, describing her sad experiences, all the while Hera and Athena were snickering at her. Aphrodite also protected the body of Hector, and anointed him with ambrosia. Her involvement in the Trojan war can be seen in the Iliad, "The strap of the helmet that went under his chin was choking him, and Menelaus would have dragged him off to his own great glory had not Jove's daughter Venus been quick to mark and to break the strap of oxhide, so that the empty helmet came away in his hand" (Homer ebook). She is shown protecting Alexandrus in the Iliad also, "'Menelaus,' said he, 'has two good friends among the goddesses, Juno of Argos, and Minerva of Alalcomene, but they only sit still and look on, while Venus keeps ever by Alexandrus' side to defend him in any danger; indeed she has just rescued him when he made sure that it was all over with him—for the victory really did lie with Menelaus"' (Homer ebook). (in this version of the Iliad, Aphrodite is refferred to as Venus) In all, Aphrodite is very significant in numerous Greek texts like in the Iliad, by greatly influencing the Trojan War.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Persephone ( The glorious wife of Hades..... sort of)

 

Persephone was a goddess or queen of the underworld, wife of Hades, who's name is derived from a word that means to bring or cause death. She is also the goddess of spring growth who was worshipped alongside her mother, Demeter in the Eleusinian Mysteries. This agricultural-based cult promised passage to a blessed afterlife for its devoted followers. She was actually abducted by Hades and taken into the underworld to be his wedded bride. She was kidnapped one day when she was playing in a flowery field with her nymph friends or Artemis and Athena. Her mother and Hekale searched diligently for her all around the world! Then, much to her dismay, Dementer found out Zeus was invlolved in the abduction. This made her furious, so she completely refused to bring forth fruit to the earth until her dear daughter was returned safely. Zeus agreed, but since Persephone had already eaten the food of Hades, which was a handful of pomegranite seeds, she was forced to forever stay with Hades for at least part of the year. Seasons were often associated with her since her annual return was seen in the spring as new life grew and grain sprouted. Her return to the underworld is seen in the winter when the plants wither and die, and all growth is halted. As far as her appearance, she is usually seen as a young goddess holding sheaths of grain and a flaming torch. Her parents differ by story, but supposedly either Zeus and Demeter or Zeus and Styx are her parents. Her kids are Zagreus by Zeus, Melinoe by Zeus, and Erinyes by Hades. Odysseus tells his men of their journey they must embark on to the underworld and also mentions Persephone in,"'You think you are/ about to start home again, but Circe has explained to me/ that, instead of this, we have got to go to the house of/ Hades and Persephone to consult the ghost of the Theban seer/ Teiresias/"' (Homer 63-64). Circe also mentions her when describing how Teiresias still has his knowledge in, "' To him alone has/ Persephone left his consciousness even in death, but the/ other ghosts flit around aimlessly''' (Homer 63). This implies that she has the power to take away the memory of people that have died and entered her house in the underworld. In conclusion, Persephone is highly significant in the Odyssey although she is not mentioned much. If it were not for her mercy in leaving Teiresias his knowledge in death, Odysseus would not have been able to see him for help.

 

 

 

 

Hermes (Is he like the god of everything?)

 

Hermes is widely known as the messenger of the gods, however he is also the god of animal husbandry, roads, travel, hospitality, heralds, diplomacy, trade, thievery, language, writing, persuasion, cunning wiles, athletic contests, gymnasiums, astronomy, and astrology. He is usually depicted as either a handsome and athletic, young beardless fellow, or sometimes as an older bearded man. His unique attributes include the herald's wand pr Kery Keion, winged boots, or sometimes a winged traveller's cap and chlamys cloak. Supposedly he is the son of Zeus and Maia, daughter of Atlas, and was born in a cave of Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. Philostratus said he was born in Olympyus. Additionally, one story tells that shortly after his birth he escaped from his cradle and stole some of Apollo's oxen! This is not mentioned in the Odyssey or the Iliad, but he characterized as a cunning clever thief. Hermes also invented a ton of things, such as the lyre, syrinx, alphabet, numbers, astronomy, music, the art of fighting, gymnastics, cultivation of the olive tree, measures, weights, and more! Hermes also delivers dreams to men from Zeus, and also has the power give or take away sleep. Hermes conducts shades of the dead from the upper to the lower world too. In the Odyssey, Hermes is addressed as the messenger of the gods by Zeus in, "' Hermes, you are/ our messenger; go therefore and tell Calypso we have/ decreed that poor odysseus is to return home"' (Homer 29). Hermes's physical appearance can be seen in, "'[...] I met Hermes with his golden/ wand, disguised as a young man in the hey-day of his youth/ and beauty with the down just coming upon his face"' (Homer 62). In all, Hermes is extremely significant in the Odyssey, because he helped deliver messages and actually helped Odysseus sometimes. In example, he educated Odysseus on the trickery of Circe and gave him a special herb to protect him.