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Gaia
Gaia, known as Earth or Mother Earth (the Greek common
noun for "land" is ge or ga). She was an early earth
goddess and it is written that Gaia was born from
Chaos, the great void of emptiness within the universe,
and with her came Eros. She gave birth to Pontus (the
Sea) and Uranus (the Sky). This was achieved parthenogenetically
(without male intervention). Other versions say that
Gaia had as siblings Tartarus (the lowest part of
the earth, below Hades itself) and Eros, and without
a mate, gave birth to Uranus (Sky), Ourea (Mountains)
and Pontus (Sea). Gaia took as her husband Uranus,
who was also her son, and their offspring included
the Titans, six sons and six daughters. She gave birth
to the Cyclopes and to three monsters that became
known as the "Hecatonchires". The spirits of punishment
known as the Erinyes were also offspring of Gaia and
Uranus. The Gigantes, finally, were conceived after
Uranus had been castrated by his son Cronus, and his
blood fell to earth from the open wound. To protect
her children from her husband, (the Cyclopes and the
Hecatoncheires, as he was fearful of their great strength),
Gaia hid them all within herself. One version says
that Uranus was aghast at the sight of his offspring
so he hid them away in Tartarus, which are the bowels
of the earth. Gaia herself found her offspring uncomfortable
and at times painful, when the discomfort became to
much to bear she asked her youngest son Cronus to
help her. She asked him to castrate Uranus, thus severing
the union between the Earth and Sky, and also to prevent
more monstrous offspring. To help Cronus achieve his
goal Gaia produced an adamantine sickle to serve as
the weapon. Cronus hid until Uranus came to lay with
Gaia and as Uranus drew near, Cronus struck with the
sickle, cutting the genitalia from Uranus. Blood fell
from the severed genitals and came in contact with
the earth and from that union was born the Erinyes
(Furies), the Giants and the Meliae (Nymphs of the
manna ash trees). After the separation of the Earth
from the Sky, Gaia gave birth to other offspring,
these being fathered by Pontus. Their names were the
sea-god Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto and Eurybia.
In other versions Gaia had offspring to her brother
Tartarus; they were Echidna and Typhon, the later
being an enemy of Zeus. Apollo killed Typhon when
he took control of the oracle at Delphi, which Gaia
originally provided, and then the "Sibyl" sang the
oracle in Gaia's shrine. It was Gaia who saved Zeus
from being swallowed by Cronus, after Zeus had been
born, Gaia helped Rhea to wrap a stone in swaddling
clothes, this was to trick Cronus in to thinking it
was Zeus, because Cronus had been informed that one
of his children would depose him, and so to get rid
of his children he had swallowed them, Gaia's trick
worked and Zeus was then taken to Crete. Gaia being
the primordial element from which all the gods originated
was worshiped throughout Greece, but later she went
into decline and was supplanted by other gods. In
Roman mythology she was known as Tellus or Terra
Galatea
One of the Nereids, and the beloved of Acis, a Sicilian
shepherd. She was also loved by Polyphemus, who killed
Acis with a boulder in jealousy. From his blood, Galatea
created the river Acis on Sicily.
Ganymede
Ganymede is the young, beautiful boy that became one
of Zeus' lovers. One source of the myth says that
Zeus fell in love with Ganymede when he spotted him
herding his flock on Mount Ida. Zeus then came down
in the form of an eagle or sent an eagle to carry
Ganymede to Mount Olympus where Ganymede became cupbearer
to the gods. According to other accounts, Eos kidnapped
Ganymede, to be her lover, at the same time she kidnapped
Tithonus. Zeus then robbed Eos of Ganymede, in return
granting Eos the wish that Tithonus be immortal. Unthinkingly,
Eos forgot to ask that Tithonus remain youthful. Everyday,
the faithful Eos watched over Tithonus, until one
day she locked him in a room and left him to get old
by himself. When Ganymede's father, King Tros of Troy
or Laomedon, found out about Ganymede's disappearance,
he grieved so hard that Zeus sent Hermes on his behalf
to give Tros or Laomedon two storm footed horses.
In other accounts, Zeus gave Tros a golden vine and
two swift horses that could run over water. Hermes
was also ordered to assure the bereaved father that
Ganymede was and would be immortal. Later, Heracles
asked for the two beautiful horses in exchange for
destroying the sea monster sent by Poseidon to besiege
the city of Troy. Tros agreed and Heracles became
the owner of the bribe sent by Zeus to Tros. Upon
hearing that Ganymede was to be cup bearer as well
as Zeus' lover, the infinitely jealous Hera was outraged.
Therefor Zeus set Ganymede's image among the stars
as the constellation Aquarius, the water carrier.
Aquarius was originally the Egyptian god over the
Nile. The Egyptian god poured water not wine from
a flagon. All of Zeus' scandalous liaisons have allegorical
meanings. Zeus' torrid affair with Ganymede was a
religious justification for homosexuality within the
Greek culture. Before the popularity of the Zeus and
Ganymede myth spread, the only toleration for sodomy
was an external form of goddess worship. Cybele's
male devotees tried to achieve unity with her by castrating
themselves and dressing like women. Apollodorus argued
that this myth emphasized the victory of patriarchy
over matriarchy. This showed that men did not need
women to exist, therefor they did not need the attentions
of women. The philosopher Plato used this myth to
justify his sexual feelings towards his all male pupils.
Gemini
The Gemini are two twins, Castor and Polydeuces (Pollux)
in Greek mythology; the Dioscuri. They are sons of
Leda, a daughter of Thestius and the wife of Tyncareus,
and Zeus, the god of the heavens, and the brothers
of Helen of Troy. Each of the twins had a special
talent: Polydeuces was a very good boxer, and Castor
was a talented horseman. They had many adventures
together. When their sister was kidnapped (during
the Trojan War), they went and rescued her. They also
helped Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece. However,
Castor was later killed when the nephews of Leucippus,
Idas, and Lynceus fought them in a battle. Later,
when Zeus offered to give Polydeuces the gift of immortality,
Polydeuces remembered his slain brother, Castor. Because
of this, Polydeuces asked Zeus if he could share the
gift of immortality with his brother. Zeus agreed
and they spend every other day either as a god on
Olympus or in Hades as a mortal who had passed away.
Geryon
In Greek mythology, Geryon was a triple-bodied, winged
giant who dwelt on the island of Erythea in the extreme
west. He owned a herd of red cattle which was guarded
by the two-headed hound Orthrus. These oxen were stolen
by Heracles as the tenth of his Twelve Labors. Garyon
was killed.
Gigantes
In Greek mythology, the Gigantes (monstrous giants)
sprang forth when the blood of Uranus fell upon the
Earth (Gaia). They attacked Zeus and the Olympian
gods and to reach their abode they stacked to mountain
ranges of Thessaly (the Pelion and the Ossa) on top
of each other. The gods asked Heracles for help and
together they were able to defeat them. The Gigantes
were buried underneath volcanoes all over the world.
Glauce
Glauce is one of the nereids.
Glaucus
In mythology there are several figures named Glaucus,
probably the most famous mythological tale is of Glaucus
the fisherman Glaucus was fishing in the river, he
hauled in his catch, and on emptying his net noticed
the fish he had already caught were reviving, and
escaping back into the water, wondering what was causing
this to happen, he took a closer look and realized
he had emptied his catch on a patch of strange herbs
on the river bank. Glaucus picked a handful of these
strange herbs, and on tasting them had an urge to
enter the river, he plunged in, and no sooner had
he entered the water he had changed into a sea-monster
with sea-green hair, huge broad shoulders and a fish-like
tail. His transformation was accepted by the gods,
and so Glaucus became immortal, a sea-god One day
he spied a beautiful girl, Scylla, a favorite of the
water-nymphs, and fell instantly in love with her.
Scylla on seeing Glaucus ran away, and no matter how
he tried she kept on rejecting him. Felling sorry
for himself Glaucus went to the island of Aeaea to
confide in Circe, she was a sorceress and had the
power to cast spells. Glaucus told Circe of his love
for Scylla and of her rejection for him, he also told
Circe that he could never love anyone else except
Scylla. Circe, who was very fond of Glaucus felt angered
by this, and made her way to the island of Sicily,
where Scylla lived. While Scylla bathed in a small
spring, the jealous Circe poured a potion of herbs
into the water, then cast her spell. From the lower
half of her body Scylla grew six monstrous dogs, but
the upper half remained intact. Totally appalled by
the appearance of her body she hid herself away in
a grotto on the straits of Messina, and there she
stayed, but she could not stop the monstrous dogs
from devouring unsuspecting sailors who steered to
close to her cave, and Glaucus continued to pursue
Scylla but to no avail.
Gordias
A Phrygian farmer on whose plough an eagle once landed,
a sign that one day he would became king. Later an
oracle indeed mentioned him as king and he became
the founder of Gordium, since then the residence of
Phrygian kings. His chariot was also in Gordium, and
was fastened with the intricate 'Gordian Knot'. According
to an oracle only a future world leader could unravel
it. Alexander the Great just cut the knot in half.
Gorgons
In Greek mythology a Gorgon is a monstrous feminine
creature whose appearance would turn anyone who laid
eyes upon it to stone. Later there where three of
them: Euryale ("far-roaming"), Sthenno ("forceful"),
and Medusa ("ruler"), the only one of them who was
mortal. They are the three daughters of Phorcys and
Ceto. The Gorgons are monstrous creatures covered
with impenetrable scales, with hair of living snakes,
hands made of brass, sharp fangs and a beard. They
live in the ultimate west, near the ocean, and guard
the entrance to the underworld. A stone head or picture
of a Gorgon was often placed or drawn on temples and
graves to avert the dark forces of evil, but also
on the shields of soldiers. Such a head (called a
gorgoneion) could also be found on the older coins
of Athens. Artists portrayed a Gorgon head with snake
hair, and occasionally with a protruding tongue and
wings.
Graces
Greek goddesses of gracefulness and the charms of
beauty. They were the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome.
The gods were delighted when they danced to Apollo¹s
lyre. They were constant attendants of Aphrodite.
They were young, beautiful, modest, and perfectionists
of gracefulness. They were named Aglaea (splendor),
Euphrosyne (mirth), and Thalia (good cheer). Also
known as the Charites.
Graeae
The three "old women" or "gray ones" from Greek mythology.
They are the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto, sisters
and guardians of the Gorgons. They were gray-haired
from birth and have only one eye and one tooth, which
they share among them. They are Enyo ("horror"), Deino
("dread") and Pemphredo ("alarm").
Gyges
One of the Hecatonchires and the brother of Cottus
and Aegaeon (Briareus). With Cottus he revolted against
Zeus and was imprisoned in Tartarus by Zeus as punishment.
He was guarded by Briareus.
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