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Jason Zhou
Ms. Tsuji
AP Literature, Period 4
28 September 2015

Greek Mythology Allusions

Greek Mythology
Zeus/ Jupiter

Poseidon/ Neptune

Explanation/ Description
Zeus was one of many
children by Rhea and
Chronos. At first, because
Chronos was told that one of
his children would eventually
overthrow him, he decided to
eat all his children. However,
Rhea devised a plan with Gaia
and Uranus in order to save
him. In turn, they gave
Chronos a rock to swallow
instead of Zeus. In the end,
Zeus was the prodigious child
and was able to save the rest
of his siblings. He had many
caretakers and guardians as he
grew up, most prominently,
Gaia. He eventually became
the king of the gods.
Like Zeus, Poseidon was one
of many children of Chronos
and Rhea. In most accounts of
ancient Greek mythology, he
is thought to be eaten by
Chronos before Zeus regally
saves him. He is portrayed as
Homers famous Iliad as the
primary deity. As a weapon
and symbol, he wields the

Implication
When Zeus is mentioned, it is
most likely an implication of
regal authority and unrivaled
strength and power. Also, he
has the unique ability to
control thunder and the sky.
Not only this, he fathered
many of the gods we now
consider to be part of the
pantheon. He is the most
revered and respected out of
all the Greek/ Roman gods.
Many consider him the
epitome of Hellenistic
religion.

Because travel by sea was the

most efficient, safest, and
most common means of travel,
many prayed to Poseidon
before embarking on voyages.
In Greek art, he is often
wielding a trident, a symbol of
control over the seas. Also, he
is often associated with
dolphins and hippocampus

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trident. Also, he is often

regarded as one of the most
powerful gods.

Hera/ Juno

Athena/ Minerva

Hermes/ Mercury

and they pull his chariot. He

was also seen as the cause of
earthquakes. Furthermore, he
is prominent in both famous
Greek epics and gave birth to
famed Theseus.
Hera is most noted to be the
She, in many places, was seen
wife of the famed Zeus, but is as a patron and a goddess that
also the daughter of Saturn.
many worshiped. Her
She also gave birth to Mars
reference, however, is most
and Vulcan. She was the
likely a reference to her multipatron goddess of Rome and
faceted and duplicitous
was regarded as Regina
personality. She is also full of
Queen. She is full of youth energy and is often portrayed
and vitality and thus often
as youthful and energetic. In
associated with war. She was turn, she had gained a bad
notorious for her aggressive
reputation for being
behavior and tendencies.
impulsive, needy, and
aggressive.
Athena was of interesting and Any Athena sighting can only
unpredictable origins. One
mean one thing, wisdom.
day, when Jupiter was having
Dont be deceived, however,
a seemingly incurable
her genius carried over to the
headache, his grandson Vulcan battlefield, where her superior
split open his head. Minerva
tactics allowed her outsmart
then appeared in full armor
and outwit her enemies. She
and weapon. She is often seen is also commonly believed to
as the goddess of wisdom and have been the inventor of both
associated with the owl on a
numbers and musical
diurnal basis. She is often
instruments. Her accolades
worshipped as one of the most extend even further to include
powerful and wise gods.
poetry, medicine, weaving,
and crafts.
Hermes is often viewed as one When Hermes is mentioned, it
the messanger god. In Rome, is most definitely related to his
he was the God of trade,
ability to travel and carry
profit, merchant, and travelers. messages. He is also noted for
He was the brother of Apollo
his ability to be surreptitious
and often stole from him.
and cunning when necessary.
Most noticeably, he had a
He is also prayed to when
winged hat and sandals and
wishing for luck and fortune

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wielded a staff with two

intertwined snakes. Travelers
often prayed to him for
success in commerce and
trade.

Hestia/ Vesta

Artemis/ DIana

Ares/ Mars

Vestas origins are surrounded

by myth and mystery. She
was first worshipped as a
household cult in many places
in Rome. Eventually, she
became more and more
popular within her homeland
and eventually became a state
cult. She is worshipped as the
virgin goddess of hearth,
home, and family. A school is
dedicated to her called the
Vestal Virgins and is the only
school for full-time priests in
Rome.
Diana, also known as Artemis,
is the twin of Apollo. She was
the daughter of Jupiter and
Latona and was born on the
island of Delos. As a band of
three goddesses, including
Minerva and Vesta; she swore
to never marry. She is often
viewed and appreciated as the
goddess of the hunt. Known
for her ability to communicate
with animals, she was able to
utilize the bow and arrow with
frightening versatility.

Mars in the cantankerous son

of Jupiter and Juno. He used

during voyages. The festival,

Mercuralia, was celebrated in
order to honor him. His
winged shoes became iconic
and is used in many stories
today as the epitome of fast
and efficient travel.
Vesta is most predominantly
worshipped for her amiability,
friendliness, and likability.
Her prominence is closely
linked to religion. Priesthood
in Rome is inseparably tied
with her presence. Her
presence is symbolized by a
fire often burned at temples
dedicated to her. The fire at
her temple is relit every year
to symbolize a new start to a
fresh year.

Because Artemis is commonly

portrayed in art and
mythology wielding a bow
and arrow, she is known for
her hunting ability. Also,
since she is able to effectively
communicate with animals
and is viewed as benign and
gentle. Her denizens are
commonly located in the
highlands and thus reflect her
being seen as light,
inaccessible, and virgin. She
has also gained a reputation
for playing an active role in
the affairs of the heavenly but
abstinent in earthly matters.
As most know, Mars is known
for his commiserate skill in

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to be the god of fertility,

nature, and cattle. However,
because he was viewed as the
earth god, humans worshipped
him as the god of war and
death. Often portrayed
wielding a lance and in full
battle armor, he led his troops
into victory. His temples were
common gathering places for
those heading to and from
battlefields.

Persephone

River Styx

Persephone was the daughter

of Zeus and Demeter. She
was abducted into the
underworld and thus became
Hadess consort and earned
the title, Queen of the
Underworld. She was
differently viewed before, but
after the renaissance, she
became a well-known minor
god. She also plays a major
role in the Odyssey, being
called the Iron Queen for any
who dare roam near. Many
fear her, so the Greeks
referred to her simply as the
Maiden.
The river styx is a river that is
the transition between the real
world and the underworld. It
is steered by Charon who only
allows those to pass if they

war. Also, he is noted for his

unpredictable and aggressive
personality. He is commonly
worshipped by Roman and
Greek troops before and after
war. Also, because he
fathered the supposed
founders of Rome, Romulus
and Remus, Romans call
themselves sons of Mars.
Mars was also considered one
of the most prominent and
most worshipped gods whose
sacred animals are the
woodpecker and the wolf.
The woodpecker for its
connection with nature and the
wolf for its solidarity and
fierceness in battle.
Persephone is best known as
the queen of the underworld.
Because of this, she has
gained a bad reputation. This
is worsened by the fact that
she is Hadess wife. However,
in a mention, it could be
because she was abducted
from the safety from her
home. She is also widely
known for her emotional
stability as she has faced
relentles trauma during her
childhood.

Rivers are usually associated

with clarity and purity, but the
river styx is the exact
opposite, it leads to the
underworld. It also serves as a

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give him a special kind of

currency. Hermes serves as a
guide to the dead and
disgraced souls until they
reach the river. The river is
the main way of travel in the
underworld. Most or all
damned souls go there.

Cerberus

Aphrodite/ Venus

transition from the real world

to the underworld. It also
contains irony as valuable
currency is needed to travel
the river of the dead. The
river runs through the entire
length of the underworld.
Then it branches off into 5
different rivers which alludes
to choosing your poison.
Cerberus is a three-headed
When Cerberus is mentioned,
dog that is the guardian to the it usually signals a guardian.
underworld, Hades. The exact For example, Cerberus guards
number of heads it has is up
the underworld. And in Harry
for debate, some sources claim Potter, a huge dog guards a
it has 100, some say 50, but
secret chamber. Possibly, but
most sources agree on 3. One also less likely is that is it
head is a dog, one a wolf, one mentioned for its fierceness
a lion. He is the child of a
and unrelenting pursuit of
dragon-like creature and
prey. However fierce, it does
echidna, who bore many
have a sweet spot and can be
mythical beasts together. He
swayed.
lay at the gateway of Hades
and maliciously attacks those
who dare to attempt escaping.
Venus is seen as the epitome
Venus is most well-known for
of love, beauty, fertility, and
her unparalleled beauty.
sex. She is the daughter of
Young and old alike aspire to
Jupiter and has had many
be and look like her. She is
notable lovers. She is
also associated with sex and
worshipped in many places
fertility so many couples pray
and have had many cults and
to her. Also many prominent
temples dedicated to her.
leaders in history have made
They worshipped her for her
her their patron. Most notable
beauty as she embodied the
of whom are Julius Caesar and
perfect lover. Venus has many the dictator Sulla. It was
signs and symbols, which
rumored that she arose from
were mostly flowers. These
sea foam.
flowers, usually roses and
myrtles were used on many
wedding nights.

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Demeter/ Ceres

Apollo

Hades/ Pluto

Saturn and Rhea gave birth to

Demeter and she became the
patron of Sicily. Her Greek
equivalent, Ceres, is the one of
the twelve gods in the
Pantheon. He is the god of
agriculture, grain crops,
fertility, and relationships.
Myth states that the Romans
started to worship her after an
especially devastating famine.
Now she is worshipped
usually during planting and
harvesting seasons for good
yield.
Apollo was one of the most
beloved Gods on both Earth
and among the Gods. His cult
was worshipped and respected
through every spectrum of the
social class. Apollo is the son
of Zeus and Delos who was
cast to the bottom of the sea in
order to maintain her safety.
He is the god of light, healing,
and medicine. Both his
physical and moral beauty is
outstanding and ambitious.
Hades is the brother of
Poseidon and Zeus. He was
cast by Zeus to the
Underworld. Like them, he
was son of Chronos and was
eaten before being saved. He
is notorious for abducting
Demeter and her daughter
Persephone. Unlike his
brothers, however, he does not
have many children.

Any mention of Ceres can

only mean one thing. Fertility
and Agriculture. That was
prayed to during the month of
April where harvests were the
most bountiful. As a result,
there was a seven-day festival
dedicated to her. She is
commonly depicted in art with
her scepter and a basket full of
flower and fruit. She is also
well known for her
benevolence.

Apollo not only represents the

physical beauty but moral
beauty that we love to see in
people. He is seen as a god
full of youth and liveliness but
possesses the knowledge of
one of great antiquity. His
cult had an incredible impact
on those who chose to worship
it. His physical prowess
inspired many to depict his
beautiful physique. Above all,
he is often seen as fair and
just.
Hades is known as the king of
the Underworld. He is a
powerful god who, because of
his past, was banished and
earned a bad reputation. He
then in turn became that
person who everybody said
that he was going to be. Now
he is known as evil, nefarious,
and unforgiving. He is also
known for his evil
machinations often disguised

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Hepheastus/ Vulcan

Hepheastus is best known for

his excellence in
metalworking. He is known
for his creative talent and
ability to forge weapons. In
fact, he was the one who made
thrones for the other gods. He
was the son of Juno and Hera.
He first learned of fire, then
how to make fire hotter, then
how to cool metal into shapes
and eventually hired others to
do the heavy work for him. In
short, he is blacksmith for the
gods and often crafted many
handy tools for them.

as friendship.
Vulcan is known for his expert
craftsmanship and creativity.
Being the one to discover fire
and make it into something
useful is a very onerous as
well as rewarding
accomplishment, not unlike
the double-edged sword. It is
burdensome because he has
the responsibility of making
weapons and armor for the
rest of the gods. It is
rewarding because he gets to
bask in the fame and rank
among the elite. Whenever
Hepheastus is mentioned, it is
most like because of some
form of craftsmanship.

Works Cited

Crystal, Ellie. "Roman Gods and Goddesses - Crystalinks." Roman Gods and Goddesses
Crystalinks. Crystalinks, 1995. Web. 27 Aug. 2015.

Hamilton, Edith, and Steele Savage. Mythology. Boston: Little, Brown, 1942. Print.

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Hesiod, Theogany. "PERSEPHONE : Greek Queen of the Underworld, Goddess of Spring ;

Mythology ; Pictures : PROSERPINA." PERSEPHONE : Greek Queen of the
Underworld, Goddess of Spring ; Mythology ; Pictures : PROSERPINA. N.p., n.d. Web.
27 Aug. 2015.