Who were the Greek gods?
The Greeks believed that gods and goddesses watched over them.
The Greeks believed the gods lived in Mount Olympus, in a palace in the clouds.
Gods could send storms if they were angry and decide who was victorious in wars.
Zeus was the king of the gods.
Greek gods and goddesses
Each god and goddess had power over a different aspect of life or the world. Click below to find out a bit more about them.
What were Greek temples like?
- The Greeks built temples to their gods and goddesses.
- Some temples were small, while others were very big and beautiful with amazing decorations.
When people needed help from the gods, they went to the temple to pray.
To please the gods, people brought gifts of money, flowers, food and drink.
Who was the Greeks' favourite hero?
The Greeks favourite hero was Heracles (the Romans called him Hercules).
Heracles was Zeus’s son. He was so strong he could kill a lion with his bare hands.
Heracles was very brave, but he was killed when he was tricked into putting on a poisoned robe.
However, Zeus liked Heracles so much that he made him immortal.
Watch: The story of Perseus
- Another famous Greek hero, Perseus, killed a monster called Medusa.
- Medusa was a Gorgon who had venomous snakes instead of hair.
- She could turn people to stone just by looking at them.
Athena had not only told Perseus how to destroy the Gorgon, she had also given him the means.
He now carried her brightly polished shield in one hand and his sword in the other. He knew that he must be getting close to Medusa’s cave.
The valley in which he stood was filled with stone people. Some trapped as they turned to run. Others frozen in horror, their mouths open, the screams still on their lips. It was as if they had been photographed in the last second of their life. Their reaction in that second had been caught for eternity.
One young soldier had covered his face but then he had tried to peep through his fingers. A local government official stood rigid, his stone fingers clutching a scrap of yellowing paper.
There were stone women and stone children. Now Perseus saw the mouth of a large cave yawning darkly at him. Holding the shield more tightly than ever, he climbed down the gentle slope and taking a deep breath entered the gloom.
“Medusa!”
His voice sounded lost in the shadows. Something moved at the back of the cave.
“Medusa!”
Now he could hear breathing and the sounds of hissing.
“I am Perseus!”
“Perseus!” came a deep throaty voice from the back of the cave. It was followed by a horrible giggling.
“Have you come to see me?”
The Gorgon stepped forward into the light. For a dreadful moment Perseus was tempted to look up at her to meet her eyes but with all his strength he kept his head turned away as Athena had instructed him and instead of looking at Medusa he looked at her reflection in the shield.
Now he could see her green skin, her poisonous red eyes and her yellow teeth all reflected in the polished bronze.
He lifted his sword.
“Look at me! Look at me!” the Gorgon cried.
Still he kept his eyes on the shield. He took another step into the cave. Now the reflection was huge, the teeth snarling at him out of the shield.
“Look at me! Look at me!”
How could he find her when all he could see was the reflection. Surely it would be easier to kill her if he just took one quick look, just to make sure he didn’t miss.
“That’s right! Look at me!”
“Nooooo!”
With a despairing cry Perseus swung wildly with his sword, he felt a sharp steel bite into flesh and bone.
A fountain of blood spouted out of her neck as her body crumbled. Then at last, it was over.
Still not looking at it, Perseus picked up the grim trophy of his victory and dropped it into a heavy sack.
What happened to Greeks when they died?
The Greeks believed that the dead went to the Underworld.
This was an underground kingdom ruled by the god Hades.
To reach the Underworld, dead souls had to cross the River Styx.
After crossing the River Styx, three judges decided where the dead person should spend eternity.
If they’d been really good, they were sent to live happily forever in the Elysian Fields.
Activities
Activity 1: Quiz – Greek gods and heroes
Game: The Argo Odyssey
Argo the dog is missing! He was last spotted inside a magnificent temple.
Play the game to make a sacred offering to the gods and goddesses. There are lots more mini-games and puzzles about life in Ancient Greece. Escape from the Minotaur's maze and defeat the terrifying Medusa.
SAT’s preparation resources. activity
Get ready for the SATs papers with videos, activities, quizzes and games to refresh your knowledge and practise your skills.
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