Gods & the Parthenon
Name the major Greek gods and their roles — Zeus (king, thunder), Hera (queen, marriage), Athena (wisdom, warfare), Poseidon (sea), Apollo (sun, music), Artemis (hunting, moon), Ares (war), Aphrodite (love), Hermes (messengers), Hephaestus (fire, crafts), Hades (underworld) — and know that the Parthenon in Athens was a grand temple built to honour Athena
What a learner can do afterwards
- Name at least five Greek gods and say what each was responsible for
- Describe the Parthenon as a temple to Athena built on the acropolis in Athens
- Explain that Greeks built temples to honour their gods and held festivals and sacrifices
The lesson
You already know the Greek gods lived together on Mount Olympus. Each god had a special job. Zeus was king of the gods and ruled the sky, and he threw thunderbolts when he was angry. His wife Hera watched over marriage and family. Their daughter Athena was the goddess of wisdom and clever fighting.
Poseidon, Zeus's brother, ruled the sea and could shake the ground. Apollo drove the sun across the sky and loved music. His twin sister Artemis hunted in the forests and watched over the moon.
Ares was the god of war, and Aphrodite was the goddess of love. Hermes zipped around as the messenger for the gods. Hephaestus made metal tools at his fiery workshop, and Hades ruled the underworld, where spirits went after death.
Mia visits a model of the Parthenon at a museum. Her guide explains that long ago, Greeks built this temple on a hill called the acropolis in Athens to honour Athena. It was shaped like a big rectangle with tall stone columns all around it. Every year, people held festivals there with music, races, and gifts of food to thank her.
The Parthenon in Athens was a grand temple built to honour Athena, and each Greek god, from Zeus to Hades, had a job of their own.
Watch it
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.