THE

TWO
GREA
T GODS
 For the most part the
immortal gods were of
little use to human
beings and often they
were quite the reverse
of useful:
 Zeus a dangerous lover for mortal
maidens and completely
incalculable in his use of the terrible
thunderbolt;
Ares the maker of war and a
general pest;
 Hera with no idea of justice when
she was jealous as she perpetually
was;
 Athena also a war maker, and
wielding the lightning’s sharp lance
quite as irresponsibly as Zeus did;
Aphrodite using her power chiefly
to ensnare and betray.
THE
TWO
DEMETE
GREA
T GODSR
 Demeter, the middle
daughter of Cronus and
Rhea, was the Ancient
Greek goddess of grain
and agriculture, one of
the original Twelve
Olympians.
 Her grief over her daughter
Persephone – who has to spend
one-third of the year with her husband
Hades in the Underworld – is the
reason why there is winter; her
joy when she gets her back
coincides with the fertile spring
& summer months.
Demeter and Persephone wer
e the central figures of the
Eleusinian Mysteries, the
most famous secret religious
festival in Ancient Greece.
 Demeter’s name consists of
two parts, the second of which
(-meter) is almost invariably
linked with the meaning
“mother,” which conveniently
fits with Demeter’s role as a
mother-goddess.
 Demeter was known mostly as the Giver of
Food and Grain, or “She of the Grain,” for short
. However, since she presided over something
as vital as the cycles of plants and seasons,
the Ancient Greeks also referred to her
as Tesmophoros, or “The Bringer of Laws,”
and organized a women-only festival called
Tesmophoria to celebrate her as such. Other
epithets include: “Green,” “The Giver of Gifts,”
“The Bearer of Food,” and “Great Mother.”
 Demeter’s name consists of
two parts, the second of which
(-meter) is almost invariably
linked with the meaning
“mother,” which conveniently
fits with Demeter’s role as a
mother-goddess.
DEMETER
AND
PERSEPHO
 THE
TWO
DIONYSU
GREA
ST GODS
Dionysus was the god of fertility and
wine, later considered a patron of the
arts. He created wine and spread the
art of viticulture. He had a dual
nature; on one hand, he brought joy
and divine ecstasy; or he would bring
brutal and blinding rage, thus
reflecting the dual nature of wine.
Unlike other gods, Dionysus was
not merely a god to be
worshipped, but he was also
present within his followers; at
those times, a man would
possess supernatural powers
and was able for things he
would not be able to do
The festival for Dionysus was
held in the spring when vines
would start bearing leaves. It
became one of the most
important events of the
year and its primary focal
point was the theater.
 Most of the great Greek plays
were initially written to be
performed at the feast
of Dionysus. All participants,
writers, actors, spectators,
were regarded as sacred
servants of Dionysus during the
festival