0 Introduction to the Gods

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Introduction to the Gods The Greeks believed that the universe created the gods. Before there were gods, there was Heaven and Earth. Father Sky and Mother Earth were the first parents. The children of GAEA, Mother Earth, and OURANOS, Father Sky, were not quite human. In fact, they were unlike any form of creature known to people. They were giant monsters with terrible, forceful energy. They had the overwhelming strength of an earthquake, a hurricane, and a volcano combined.

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The TITANS were also the children of Heaven and Earth. The Titans were known as the Elder Gods. They ruled the universe for many ages. The Titans were enormous in size and had incredible strength. CRONUS was the most important Titan. He ruled over all the others. Then his son ZEUS overthrew him and stole the power of the universe from him. Some other important Titans were OCEANUS and his wife, TETHYS; HYPERION, the father of the sun, moon, and dawn; MNEMOSYNE, the goddess of memory; THEMIS, the goddess of justice; ATLAS, who held the world on his shoulders; and PROMETHEUS, who gave fire to humans, saving them from dying out. ZEUS became the king of the gods. In the beginning, Zeus and his brothers divided up which areas they would rule. Zeus became

the supreme ruler. He was the Lord of the Sky, the Rain-god, and the Cloud-gatherer. He could throw down a terrible thunderbolt whenever he was angry. Zeus's power was greater than that of all the other gods combined. He could appear in many shapes and forms. He often fooled mortals into thinking he was something he was not. Sometimes he was even invisible. But the rustling of oak leaves was one way to know that Zeus was there. HERA was Zeus's wife. She was the protector of marriage and married women. But in most stories, Hera is described as jealous and mean. She liked to punish humans even if they had done nothing wrong. Also, Hera never forgot if someone did something bad to her. She always wanted vengeance and was usually unstoppable. POSEIDON was the ruler of the sea. He was Zeus's brother and was second to him in

power and importance. Poseidon had a splendid palace beneath the sea. But he was most often found on Mount Olympus. Both storm and calm were controlled by Poseidon. When he drove his golden chariot over the water, the waves became still. Peace followed his smooth-rolling wheels. Yet Poseidon was also known as the Earth-shaker. He would use his trident, a three-pronged spear, to shake up the sea and earth. Poseidon, the god of the sea, was very important to the Greeks, since many of them were sailors. HADES was also Zeus's brother. He ruled the underworld and the dead. His other names were King of the Dead and God of Wealth. He was the god of wealth because precious metals, like gold and silver, are found beneath the earth. Hades hardly ever left his dark underworld to visit Mount Olympus or Earth. No one really wanted him to visit, either. He wasn't an evil god, but he