Ancient Greek Gods And Their Roman Counterparts Easy Reading For Kids

Author:
Nell Rose
Updated date:
Jul 9, 2012

Zeus Father of the Olympian Gods wired.com

The First Of The Olympians

The Ancient Greeks had little knowledge of the World around them. The stars in the sky, the sun coming up every day and the wonders of nature that surrounded them held so many mysteries. How does the wind blow? Why do the Mountains spew fire and stones up into the sky? So they began to ask themselves, maybe there is a higher force that we cannot see, that makes all these amazing things happen. They began to name each natural event, and so the Gods were born.

In the beginning, they called the Earth Gaia. Then Gaia brought down Uranus the Sky God, and she had many children with him, which produced the heavenly Gods, then She had a union with Pontus, and the Sea Gods were born.

But these were still early times for the Gods. And soon there was a great battle between Uranus and his son Cronus the Titan. It is said that when Cronus killed his father, Uranus, the blood from Uranus was gathered by Gaia and from this she produced the Furies, Giants and Nymphs. His blood was thrown into the sea and the first of the Olympian Gods were born from the waves. Her name was Aphrodite, and she became Goddess of Love and Beauty.

Cronos and Rhea and The Great Battle Between Titans and Olympians

Cronos, son of Mother Earth, Gaia, then collected up all his brothers and sisters and they shared the whole World with them. Soon Cronos married Rhea and they had many children. One of these was Zeus.

Cronos soon began to realise that his children were mightier than him, and just like his father Uranus, he tried to trick his wife into getting rid of the children. But Rhea was horrified and refused. She sent Zeus to Crete, a Greek island.

Zeus grew up on Crete, and when he reached adulthood he called to his brothers and sisters to make war against his father Cronos.

Cronos was so angry. Another great battle ensued and this time Cronos was defeated by his children. This was called the Titan War. Cronos was cast into the depths of the Underworld and so the Great Gods of Olympus were triumphant.

Now it was time for the Olympians to rule the World.

Roman and Greek Gods

The Romans were from another powerful country who also believed in Gods and Goddesses. The City of Rome was small at first, and the Gods had mainly Latin names. The word Latin comes from the small town of Latium which was on the outskirts of Rome. The people living there were mainly villagers who were very superstitious and because of this named their Gods in a similar way to the Greeks. When Rome began to expand, the Gods of Rome began to take on the 'personality' of the Greek Gods. So after many years the Roman Gods and The Greek Olympian Gods were one and the same. The only difference being that they were called by different names.

Zeus

Zeus was the mightiest and strongest of the Gods. Known as the father of Gods and Men, he ruled Olympus and had the power to strike his enemies down with lightning. He was the son of Cronos and Rhea, and was the youngest of all the children. He was father to many children, but even the other Gods and Goddesses called him Father too. Two of his siblings were Poseidon and Hades, they all drew lots to see who would be the King of the Sky, and overall leader. Zeus won the bet and Poseidon ruled the sea, and Hades the Underworld.

Jupiter

Jupiter is the Roman equivalent of Zeus. His personality differs somewhat from his original incarnation as Zeus. As a Roman God, Jupiter, or Jove as he is also known, is King of the Gods, and was first associated with wine festivals and the Sacred Oak Tree. He is portrayed as a much more serious man than Zeus, and he remained Rome's official God until the beginning of Christianity.

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Hera

Hera was the Goddess of Marriage and Women. She wasn't a very nice Goddess. She was often portrayed as jealous and vengeful. She was majestic and solemn. She looked down on all the other Gods and Goddesses, and she was said to dislike the Humans that worshipped her too. It was said that she had a Chariot that was pulled by Peacocks and the symbol that was asscociated with her was a Pomegranate that she held in her hand.

Juno

As a Roman Goddess, Juno was the protector and councelor of the State of Rome. In this personality she is portrayed as warlike, as you can see from her clothes. Here, she is daughter of Saturn and Wife of Jupiter. She was protector of Roman Women and was also known as the Patron Goddess of Rome.

Juno was very similar to Hera, but there were subtle differences. Juno was usually shown wearing a cloak made from goatskin.

Greek Gods V Roman Gods


Greek Gods	Roman Gods	What were they?
Zeus	Jupiter	King of the Gods
Hera	Juno	Queen of the Gods and Marriage
Hades	Pluto	God of the Underworld
Poseidon	Neptune	Lord of the Sea
Ares	Mars	God of War
Apollo	Apollo	Oracle
Hermes	Mercury	Messenger
Artemis	Diana	Goddess of Hunt and the Moon
Athena	Minerva	Goddess of Wisdom
Hestia	Vesta	Goddess of Hearth and Home
Demeter	Ceres	Goddess of the Harvest
Aphrodite	Venus	Goddess of Love and Beauty
Hephaestus	Vulcan	God of Fire and Forge
Eros	Cupid	Son of Aphrodite and God of Love
Orpheus	Orpheus	Son of Apollo and God of Music


Pandora	Pandora	Made from Clay. Holder of Pandora's Box all the evils in the world
Pegasus	Pegasus	Flying Horse
Kerberos	Cerberos	Three headed dog guardian of the Underworld

Test Your Knowledge

For each question, choose the best answer. The answer key is below.

Who was the Father of the Gods in Greek Mythology
- Zeus
- Hera
- Jupiter
What is the Roman name for Zeus
- Juno
- Jupiter
- Venus
What is Juno's name in Greek Mythology
- Aphrodite
- Gaia
- Hera
Where does the language Latin come from?
- Latium
- Laternum
- Loathian
Who did the Titan Cronos Marry?
- Aphrodite
- Rhea
- Gaia

Answer Key

Zeus
Jupiter
Hera
Latium
Rhea

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Comments

Nell Rose (author) from England on August 15, 2012:

Thanks again Integrity!

IntegrityYes on August 14, 2012:

I definitely voted up,Nell. COO!

Nell Rose (author) from England on July 28, 2012:

Hi ishwaryaa, thanks so much for reading and the vote, I am glad you liked it, cheers nell

Ishwaryaa Dhandapani from Chennai, India on July 28, 2012:

A knowledgeable and enjoyable hub! I am always fascinated with mythology and enjoyed reading Greek/Roman mythology. I still have these mythology books with me. After reading this engaging hub, it's like revisiting one of the world's most glorious mythologies! Well-done!

Thanks for SHARING. Useful & Interesting. Voted up

Nell Rose (author) from England on July 22, 2012:

Hi Vinaya, yes its strange isn't it how far and wide the similar myths and legends are around the world, it must be because travelers in those days reached farther parts of the globe than we realised, thanks as always, nell

Vinaya Ghimire from Nepal on July 21, 2012:

In a close reading, even in Hinduism there are gods similar to the Greek gods or Roman gods, for that matter.

I enjoyed reading this fascinating article.

Nell Rose (author) from England on July 19, 2012:

Hi Edgar, glad you liked it, and thanks for reading, cheers nell

Nell Rose (author) from England on July 19, 2012:

Hi Michael, that's a great idea! I never thought of that! I just automatically write on here, but I may give that a try, thanks so much, nell

Edgar Arkham from San Jose, CA on July 19, 2012:

Great hub! I know Greco-Roman mythology well, but, sometimes, I do have trouble remembering which Roman gods are Greek gods, since we grow up with the Roman names (the planets and stars) before the Greek ones. thank for this fun hub!

Micheal from United Kingdom on July 19, 2012:

This is great Nell, so well laid out and the table was awesome. Have you considered making this into an e-book for kids. I think it would work really well.

All the votes and sharing.

Nell Rose (author) from England on July 15, 2012:

Hi Dabble, thanks so much, I will get on it now! lol! thanks!

DabbleYou on July 15, 2012:

Interesting stories of myths. Wish there are more avialable easy readings of myths online. :)

Nell Rose (author) from England on July 14, 2012:

Hi unknown spy, sorry it took me so long to answer I have been away for a couple of days. thanks so much for reading, cheers nell

Life Under Construction from Neverland on July 12, 2012:

i love mythology, may it be roman or greek. every story, every tale, i find it very interesting to read.

Nell Rose (author) from England on July 12, 2012:

Hi theoldrome, that's great, I remember them too, my son used to play them! lol! thanks for reading, cheers nell

theoldrome from Rome on July 12, 2012:

Excellent reading. I remember how amuzing and entertaining were computer games based on greek mythology for me about 10 years ago.. brings back some good memories :)

Nell Rose (author) from England on July 11, 2012:

Hi kitty, yes me too! lol! not so keen on those Romans! thanks again, nell

Kitty Fields from Summerland on July 10, 2012:

Very nicely written and easy to understand for kids and beginners. There's Hera and Juno again! :) I'm a Hera fan...got to admit it.

Nell Rose (author) from England on July 10, 2012:

Hi Dolores, yes they were definitely like ancient super heroes! lol! seriously, that's probably why I like them, growing up I used to read as much about the Greek Gods and Goddesses as I could, and when I eventually went to Greece a few times I felt like I was home! of course being totally addicted to Zena Warrior Princess didn't help! lol! and of course that lovely Kevin Sorbo in Hercules! thanks for reading, cheers nell

Dolores Monet from East Coast, United States on July 10, 2012:

Hi, Nell - my kids loved the old Greek and Roman myths. There are so many kids picture books available with these great stories. Introducing kids to the old tales gives them a great classical background. Like ancient super heroes!