Who were the Ancient Greek gods and heroes?

The Ancient Greeks believed that powerful gods and goddesses ruled every part of the world.

Each god had their own personality, symbols and powers.

Heroes like Heracles and Perseus were celebrated for their bravery and adventures.

Stories about gods and heroes helped helped explain natural events and taught people lessons.

Today people can study Greek myths to find out what values and actions the Ancient Greeks thought were important.

Important words about Ancient Greek gods and goddesses.

The Ancient Greeks believed that their gods and goddesses watched over them.

These gods were a bit like humans, but they lived forever and were much more powerful.

They felt human emotions, like love, anger and jealousy, and they did not always behave themselves.

Every city in Greece had a 'patron' god or goddess and people believed patron gods protected them from harm.

The Greeks thought the gods lived high above Mount Olympus, in a palace in the clouds and that from there, they kept an eye on life below.

From time to time, gods would interfere in what was going on - they could send storms if they were angry and decide who would win in a war.

The Ancient Greeks built buildings called temples and special smaller places called shrines where they worshipped their gods and where they believed the gods would watch over people closely.

They offered sacrifices. These were offerings or gifts to the gods of animals or food, at altars in front of temples.

Large public festivals were celebrations often held in honour of the gods with music, games and feasts.

Festivals brought people together as a community. During them, people took part in processions walking in line together as part of the celebrations. They also listened and danced to music, joined sporting contests and gave generous offerings to the gods.

The Ancient Greeks built temples to honour their gods and goddesses.

Some temples were small, while others were very grand and beautiful with amazing decorations.

One of the most famous was the Parthenon in Athens, built for the goddess Athena.

When people needed help from the gods, they went to the temple to pray.

They might go if they were feeling sick, going on a journey or worried about the harvest and wanted to make sure they had enough food.

The Ancient Greeks told stories, called myths. These are traditional stories that explain beliefs, nature or customs. They often involve gods and heroes.

The brave, strong and courageous heroes were often helped or challenged by the gods.

Through these stories, Greeks taught lessons about bravery, cleverness and respect for the gods.

The Ancient Greeks loved to share stories about brave heroes and their great adventures.

A lot of people's favourite Greek hero was Heracles who the Romans called Hercules.

They thought that he:

• was Zeus’s son
• was very brave
• was so strong he could kill a lion with just his hands
• sailed with Jason and the Argonauts, who went to find the Golden Fleece
• performed 12 ‘impossible’ tasks

In the stories about him, it was said that he was killed when he was tricked into putting on a poisoned robe. However, Zeus liked Heracles so much that he took him to Mount Olympus and made him immortal - he could live forever.

The Ancient 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, where a grumpy ferryman called Charon would take them across - but only if they paid him.

Some Greeks would place a coin in the mouth of a dead person at funerals, to make sure they could pay the fare.

After crossing the River Styx, three judges decided where the dead person should spend eternity (forever). If someone been very good, they were sent to the best part of the Underworld to live happily in Elysian Fields.

If they had lived a normal life, they were sent to the Asphodel Meadows.

But if they had been very bad, they ended up in Tartarus, a horrible pit where they were punished and their soul was tortured forever.

Have a look at the thinking points below and think about your answer to the questions. You could even write them down on a piece of paper or discuss them with somebody else if you want to.

• Why did the Ancient Greeks build temples and hold festivals for their gods?

• What do Greek myths and stories about heroes like Heracles tell us about what the Greeks valued?

• How do the ways the Ancient Greeks showed respect to their gods compare to how people show respect in religion today?

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.

Let's find out what you know about Ancient gods and heroes.

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.

Are you a parent, carer or teacher?

Take a look at some of the links below on KS2 History which are packed full of knowledge, videos, quizzes and activities.