Topic 1: HADES

Hades, also known as ruler of the dead and the king of the underworld, Hades was the eldest
son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also made him the last son to be vomited by his father
(Cronus or Kronos). He had three older sisters, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera as well as younger
brothers, Poseidon and Zeus, all of whom besides Zeus had been swallowed whole by their
father as soon as they were born. He and his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon defeated their
father’s generation of gods and claimed rulership over the cosmos. Hades received the
underworld, Zeus the sky, and Poseidon the sea.
Hades’ appearance is typically portrayed holding a bident and wearing his helmet with
Cereberus standing by his side

Name Etymology
The origin of Hades' name is uncertain but has generally been seen as meaning "the unseen
one" since antiquity. An extensive section of Plato's dialogue Cratylus is devoted to the
etymology of the god's name, in which Socrates is arguing for a folk etymology not from
"unseen" but from "his knowledge of all noble things". Modern linguists have proposed the
Proto-Greek form *Awides ("unseen").

Relationships with other gods

Family
Cronus
Hades was the eldest son of Cronus, after being born, Hades was swallowed by his father to
prevent a prophecy that a son would someday overthrow him. Hades was saved by his younger
brother Zeus.

Rhea
Rhea is the mother of Hades and former consort of Cronus, although there's no depiction of
their relationship, we assume that they have a stable relationship as there's no conflict between
the two.

Hestia
Hestia is the eldest sister of Hades. She along with her siblings besides Zeus was swallowed
by their father due to his fear of being overthrown by his offspring.

Demeter
Demeter is the second older sister of Hades, She is the mother of Persephone who is the
spouse of Hades.
Hera
Hera is the older sister of Hades.

Poseidon
Poseidon is the younger brother of Hades, He along with his brothers managed to defeat their
father’s generation of gods(The Titans). They drew lots and Poseidon received the sea.

Zeus
Zeus is the youngest sibling of Hades, They both got along with each other as they both love
and respect each other, like for example, Hades asked Zeus’ for permission to marry
Persephone in which he agreed.

Other Gods

Persephone
Hades fell in love with her and wanted her as the bride, So he called out Zeus’ permission for
marriage in which he agreed, but Zeus warned Hades that his older sister Demeter would
never approve the marriage as she is quite overprotective for her daughter. So Hades resolved
to abduct the maiden.

Sisyphus
Hades punished Sisyphus for cheating death twice by forcing him to roll an immense boulder
up the hill only for it to roll back down everytime it neared the top thus repeating this action for
eternity.
Trivia
Hades is the fourth eldest sibling as well as being the oldest brother.
He has a pet named Cerberus.
People commonly mistaken Hades as being the God of death in which he is not, the title
belongs to Thanatos.
He is the God of the dead and the ruler of the underworld.

References
https://www.infoplease.com/culture-entertainment/mythology-folklore/classical-
mythology-hades-takes-wife-persephone#:~:text=Hades%2C%20god%20of%20the
%20Underworld,off%20to%20a%20sunless%20world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hades

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hades-Greek-mythology
Topic 2: APOLLO
Apollo or Apollon is one of the Olympian deities in classical Greek and Roman religion and
Greek and Roman mythology. He has been recognized as the god of archery, music and dance.
He is the son of Zeus and Leto and the twin brother of Artemis. Medicine and healing are
associated with Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated through his son
Asclepius. Apollo delivered people from epidemics, yet he is also a god who could bring ill-
health and deadly plague with his arrows. Apollo is usually described as carrying a silver or
golden bow and a quiver of silver or golden arrows. Apollo's capacity to make youths grow is
one of the best attested facets of his panhellenic cult persona.

Name Etymology
Several instances of popular etymology are attested by ancient authors. Thus, the Greeks most
often associated Apollo's name with the Greek verb ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi), "to destroy".

Relationships with other gods

Family

Zeus
Zeus had many sons, but none was as widely revered among the Greek people as Apollo.
Apollo was the son of Zeus. Of course, in Greek mythology that familial connection was not
particularly unique. It was apparent, however, that Zeus took pride in the son he crowned with
gold.

Leto
Leto is the mother of Apollo. While the birth of Artemis was painless, Apollo’s birth however
lasted over nine days and nights because Hera kidnapped Eileithyia, preventing Leto from
having an easy and painless labor.

Artemis
Apollo and Artemis are twins born of Leto and Zeus, They were similar in many ways, they both
had a love for archery and the hunt, they were equally, highly venerated, and they often chose
youthful forms to express themselves. However, they were also the opposites of one another:
Apollo represented the sun and day, whereas Artemis’ domain was the night and everything
touched by moonlight. The divine twins were effectively two sides of the same coin, inseparable
yet different. One without the other was inconceivable.
Trivia
Apollo is the Greek God of Sun and Light.
He Is Twin Brother to Artemis, the Goddess of Hunting.
Apollo Is Patron God to the City of Delphi.
The name Apollo is used for the NASA mission, (Apollo 11) proposed by Abe Silverstein,
Former Director of Space Flight Development.

References
https://www.thecollector.com/apollo-and-artemis-greek-mythology/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo
https://www.greeka.com/greece-myths/leto/#:~:text=Leto%20found%20a%20safe
%20refugee,an%20easy%20and%20painless%20labor.
https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4402/ch4.htm#:~:text=Abe%20Silverstein%2C%20Director
%20of%20Space,had%20been%20set%20with%20Mercury.
Topic 3: ARTEMIS

Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, Not only was Artemis the goddess of the hunt, she was
also known as the goddess of wild animals, wilderness, childbirth and virginity. In some places,
she was identified with Selene, the personification of the Moon. She often roamed the forests of
Greece, attended by her large entourage, mostly made up of nymphs, some mortals, and
hunters. The goddess Diana is her Roman equivalent. Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and
Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. In most accounts, the twins are the products of an
extramarital liaison. Usually, Artemis is the twin to be born first, who then proceeds to assist
Leto in the birth of the second child, Apollo. Like her brother, she was a kourotrophic (child-
nurturing) deity, that is the patron and protector of young children, especially young girls, and
women, and was believed to both bring disease upon women and children and relieve them of
it.

Name Etymology
Meaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek ἀρτεμής (artemes) meaning "safe" or
ἄρταμος (artamos) meaning "a butcher".

Relationships with other gods

Family

Zeus
Artemis is the daughter of Zeus, When she was a child, Artemis went to her father Zeus and
asked him to grant her ten wishes. Zeus was amused by her and said he would grant her
whatever she wished.
She asked:
1. To remain forever a virgin
2. To have many names that distinguish her from Apollo
3. To have a bow and arrow made by the Cyclopes, the craftsmen that create Zeus’ lightning
4. To be the Light Bringer (Phaesporia)
5. To wear short tunics to make hunting easier
6. To have the 60 daughters of Oceanus be her choir
7. To have 20 nymphs, the Amnisides, be her handmaidens to watch after her bow and her
dogs while she rested
8. To rule over the mountains
9. To be called only by birthing mothers
10. To be able to help women with the pains of childbirth
Leto
Leto is the mother of Artemis. Leto gave birth to Artemis first and almost immediately after her
birth, she helped her mother to cross the straits over to Delos, where she then delivered
Apollo.

Apollo
Apollo and Artemis shared a close relationship since birth. They have the same interests, such
as hunting, and both of them have become great at it. Even though they have differences, they
often teamed up, especially if it has something to do with protecting their mother.

Trivia
Artemis swore to be virgin forever.
She made Orion into a constellation.
Artemis’ Roman name is Diana
The current NASA program is named after her.

References
https://www.behindthename.com/name/artemis
https://ancient-literature.com/apollo-and-artemis/#:~:text=Apollo%20and%20Artemis
%20shared%20a%20close%20relationship%20since%20birth.,do%20with%20protecting
%20their%20mother.
https://www.thecollector.com/artemis-greek-goddess/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Artemis-Greek-goddess
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis
https://greecetravelideas.com/facts-about-artemis-goddess-of-the-hunt/